Chronic pain among U.S. sexual minority adults who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or “something else”

Anna Zajacova; Hanna Grol-Prokopczyk; Hui Liu; Rin Reczek; Richard L. Nahin

doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002891

journal article Open Access Mar 30, 2023

Chronic pain among U.S. sexual minority adults who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or “something else”

Anna Zajacova

Hanna Grol-Prokopczyk

Hui Liu

Rin Reczek Richard L. Nahin

Pain Vol. 164 No. 9 pp. 1942-1953 · Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)

View at Publisher Save 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002891

Abstract

Abstract
This study assesses chronic pain prevalence among sexual minority U.S. adults who self-identify as gay/lesbian, bisexual, or “something else,” and examines the role of select covariates in the observed patterns. Analyses are based on 2013 to 2018 waves of the National Health Interview Survey, a leading cross-sectional survey representative of the U.S. population. General chronic pain and chronic pain in 3+ sites among adults aged 18 to 64 years (N = 134,266 and 95,675, respectively) are analyzed using robust Poisson regression and nonlinear decomposition; covariates include demographic, socioeconomic, healthcare, and psychological distress measures. We find large disparities for both pain outcomes. Americans who self-identify as bisexual or “something else” have the highest general chronic pain prevalence (23.7% and 27.0%, respectively), compared with 21.7% among gay/lesbian and 17.2% straight adults. For pain in 3+ sites, disparities are even larger: Age-adjusted prevalence is over twice as high among adults who self-identify as bisexual or “something else” and 50% higher among gay/lesbian, compared with straight adults. Psychological distress is the most salient correlate of the disparities, whereas socioeconomic status and healthcare variables explain only a modest proportion. Findings thus indicate that even in an era of meaningful social and political advances, sexual minority American adults have significantly more chronic pain than their straight counterparts. We call for data collection efforts to include information on perceived discrimination, prejudice, and stigma as potential key upstream factors that drive pain disparities among members of these minoritized groups.

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Details

Published: Mar 30, 2023
Vol/Issue: 164(9)
Pages: 1942-1953
License: View

Authors

A

Anna Zajacova

University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada,

H

Hanna Grol-Prokopczyk

University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States,

H

Hui Liu

Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States,

R

Rin Reczek

Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States,

R

Richard L. Nahin

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States

Cite This Article

Anna Zajacova, Hanna Grol-Prokopczyk, Hui Liu, et al. (2023). Chronic pain among U.S. sexual minority adults who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or “something else”. Pain, 164(9), 1942-1953. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002891

Chronic pain among U.S. sexual minority adults who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or “something else”

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