Chinese citizens regularly experience some form of bodily pain, yet little is known regarding the epidemiology of pain.
We conducted a nationally representative sample cross sectional study to estimate the prevalence of pain and identify risk factors of pain among 19,665 community residents aged 18–65 years in China. The China Sub-optimal Health Survey (CSHS) data was used to estimate pain prevalence. Body pain was also estimated by self-reports from the sample population. A logistical regression model was applied to estimate the odds ratio and 95 % CIs of acute pain and chronic pain to explore the potential risk factors.
Women had a higher prevalence of pain than men (39.92 vs. 32.17 % for chronic pain). The prevalence of pain increased with age (29.72 % for ages 18–25 vs. 42.23 % for ages 45–65). The most common complaints were head, neck/shoulder, and waist/back pain. Females (OR 1.57, 95 % CI 1.44–1.71) ages 25 or older (25–45: OR 1.19, 95 % CI 1.04–1.36; 45–65: OR 1.47, 95 % CI 1.26–1.73) were more likely to report having chronic pain. Subjects’ living areas, and their drinking status (OR 1.32, 95 % CI 1.13–1.53) or smoking status (OR 1.01, 95 % CI 0.91–1.11), were also factors that were significantly associated with increased reporting of chronic pain.