Pain and Poverty: Disparities by Poverty Level in the Experience of Pain-Related Interference

Abstract

Objective: To assess the relationship between poverty and pain-related interference.

Subjects: Data on a sample of 108,259 adults aged 18 and older from the Household Component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) from 2013 to 2017 were analyzed.

Methods: I assess the odds of reporting any pain-related interference, as well as increasing levels of pain-related interference, using binary and ordinal logistic regression, respectively.

Results: After controlling for covariates, the analysis showed a significant association between poverty and pain-related interference, with more severe levels of poverty associated with increased odds of reporting any pain-related interference as well as increased levels of pain-related interference. However, Hispanics were less likely to report any pain-related interference overall, and more severe levels of poverty were associated with decreased odds of reporting pain among Hispanics.

Conclusions: Policy makers should regard poverty as a social determinant of health, taking poverty and socioeconomic status into consideration when designing health policies.

Keywords: MEPS; Pain-Related Interference; Poverty; Social Determinants of Health; Social Epidemiology; Survey Data.