Korean J Pain.  2020 Oct;33(4):352-358. 10.3344/kjp.2020.33.4.352.

The trend of prevalence of pain in Korea from 2005 to 2016

• Cho SH
• Kim YM
• Lee JH
• Kim HS
• Song JS

• KMID: 2507141
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3344/kjp.2020.33.4.352

Abstract

Background
Korean society is afflicted with rapid aging. Aging is a risk factor for pain, and pain can reduce patients’ quality of life. Thus, adequate management and monitoring of changing trends accompanying the demographic shift are highly valuable. However, this study was conducted because no studies have investigated the recent changes in the prevalence of pain.
Methods
The extent of the prevalence of pain was determined by questions related to quality of life based on the data derived from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey (KNHNS) from 2005 to 2016. The annual frequencies of the pain group and severe pain group were calculated using the survey questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to determine possible differences in prevalence by year.
Results
The prevalence of pain in all populations was 30.6% in 2005 and 18.9% in 2016. The average prevalence from 2005 to 2016 was 21.9%. A declining trend occurred over time with an odds ratio of 0.929 per year (95% CI: 0.921-0.938). The prevalence of severe pain was 2.35% in 2005 and 1.88% in 2016. Likewise, a decrease was observed over time, with an odds ratio of 0.920 per year at 95% CI 0.901-0.939. The decline in age-/sex-stratified analysis also showed a statistically significant trend in all groups.
Conclusions
The prevalence of pain in Korean society, based on the KNHNS, has declined since 2005. Such a trend was observed in all ages and sexs, and was most significant in the elderly.

Keyword

Aging; Data Analysis; Health Surveys; Nutrition Surveys; Pain; Population Dynamics; Quality of Life; Risk Factors

Figure

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  Fig. 1 The trend in prevalence of pain.

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  Fig. 2 The trend in prevalence of severe pain.

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  Fig. 3 The trend in prevalence of pain by sex and age groups: 19-44 years old, 45-64 years old, and 65 years old or older.

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  Fig. 4 The trend in prevalence of severe pain by sex and age groups: 19-44 years old, 45-64 years old, and 65 years old or older.

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