Chronic Pain, Comorbid Medical Conditions, and Associated Risk Factors in Kuwait: Gender and Nationality Differences

Deeny, Maureen C.; Hamdan, Elham; Ross, Edgar L.; Edwards, Robert R.; Huang, Chuan; Jamison, Robert N.

doi:10.1111/pme.12840

Cited by 11 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…The findings of this study and others10,13,37,39 suggest that very few individuals in Kuwait take prescription medication to manage their pain, including muscle relaxants, anticonvulsants, tranquilizers, antidepressants, and opioids. Evidence-based recommendations from systematic literature reviews and existing guidelines have strongly supported the use of tri-cyclic antidepressants, serotonin–noradrenaline inhibitors, pregabalin, and gabapentin for treating pain with neuropathic characteristics 40.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 47%

Prevalence of chronic pain with neuropathic characteristics: a randomized telephone survey among medical center patients in Kuwait

Zghoul

Ross

Edwards

et al. 2017

JPR

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BackgroundChronic pain with neuropathic characteristics is considered to be an international health problem. However, surveys on the actual incidence of neuropathic pain have not been conducted in many Middle East countries, including Kuwait. The aim of this study was to examine the incidence of pain and medical comorbidities among a random sample of patients treated at a large medical center in Kuwait.MethodsA list of 1,000 patients was created from the hospital medical record system, and a telephone survey was conducted on 759 patients who responded to the phone call, of which 67.2% (N=510) participated. Those who stated that they had pain every day for the past 3 months were invited to answer additional questions about their pain.ResultsFifty-six percentage of those surveyed (N=283) reported experiencing chronic pain. Total average age was 49.2 years (SD=14.5), 45.5% were female, and 70.5% were Kuwaiti nationals. Most (74.3%) reported having diabetes and one-third (32.2%) showed evidence of neuropathic pain characteristics (mean DN4=2.8, SD=1.7). Other comorbid medical conditions were prevalent (48.4% hypertension, 30.4% arthritis, 22.6% heart disease, and 20.4% asthma) with an average of 2.3 (SD=1.3) medical problems per person. Those with pain tended to be older, female, unemployed, and overweight (p<0.01). The pain was mostly located in the lower extremities and those with neuropathic pain tended to report a higher intensity of pain and a higher frequency of seeking treatment for their pain in a clinic or hospital (p<0.05). Most relied on over-the-counter medications for their pain (38.1%). Very few were taking prescription medication for their pain.ConclusionThis survey suggests that chronic pain is more prevalent in a medical population in Kuwait than previously anticipated. Health care services and behavioral interventions to improve lifestyle changes in Kuwait and other Arab countries are needed to positively impact pain and reduce other comorbidities.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 47%

Prevalence of chronic pain with neuropathic characteristics: a randomized telephone survey among medical center patients in Kuwait

Zghoul

Ross

Edwards

et al. 2017

JPR

Self Cite

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“…Moreover, females usually live longer than males; hence, the difference increases with aging. In this respect, this study did not find any differences in the prevalence of chronic pain based on sex, suggesting that regional and cultural differences may need to be considered when the relationship between sex and chronic pain be examined [39,40].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 57%

Prevalence and characteristics of chronic Pain in the Chinese community-dwelling elderly: a cross-sectional study

Zhu

et al. 2021

BMC Geriatr

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Background Chronic pain adversely affects health and daily life in the elderly. Gaining insight into chronic pain that affects the community-dwelling elderly is crucial for pain management in China, which possesses the largest elderly population in the world. Methods This is a cross-sectional design study that followed the STROBE Guideline. A randomized cluster sampling method was used to recruit participants in the Sichuan Province from Dec 2018 to May 2019. In addition, face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect socio-demographic data, characteristics and health-seeking behaviors of chronic pain through a self-designed questionnaire. Results A total of 1381 older adults participated in this study. Among these participants, 791 (57.3%) had chronic pain. Here, prevalence and pain intensity were both found to increase from the 60–69 group to the 70–79 group, which then decreased in the ≥80 group with no significant differences in sex (p > 0.05). The most common pain locations were observed in the legs/feet (53.5%), head (23.6) and abdomen/pelvis (21.1%). Among the elderly suffering from chronic pain, 29.4% sought medical help, 59.2% received medication and 59.7% adopted non-drug therapy. Conclusion Chronic pain is a common health concern in the Chinese community-dwelling elderly, which possesses different characteristics than other countries’ populations. Therefore, easier access to medication assistance and provision of scientific guidance for non-drug therapy may serve as satisfactory approaches in improving pain management.

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“…A recent survey conducted in Kuwait found that females have a higher incidence of CP as compared to males and non-Kuwaitis [30]. A review conducted recently indicated an escalation in the prevalence of back pain in the Arab world [31].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The prevalence of chronic pain and its associated factors among Saudi Al-Kharj population; a cross sectional study

El-Metwally

Shaikh

Aldiab

et al. 2019

BMC Musculoskelet Disord

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Background Chronic pain (CP) can be a symptom of many underlying health issues. The consequences of CP may vary from slight discomfort to disruption of quality of life and normal functioning. In this study, we aim to investigate the prevalence of CP and its associated factors in Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia. Methods This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia. We recruited 1031 participants for our study. Data was collected on socio-demographic, health predictors and anthropometric measurements (such as weight, height and waist circumference). The data analysis was performed on JMP®, Version 12. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, 1989–2007. Results The prevalence of self-reported chronic pain in Al Kharj population was 19% with a mean age of 26.4 (SD = 8.6) years. The most common locations of pain included; back pain (30%), abdominal pain (26%), headache (13%), and any musculoskeletal pain (56%). Multiple logistic regression revealed that presence of a chronic disease (OR = 3.8; 95% CI = 2.3–6.2), psychological disease (OR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.2–4.3), high General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)-12 score (OR = 1.06; 95% CI = 1.03–1.1), and pack-years of smoking (OR = 1.05; 95% CI = 1.01–1.08) were significantly related to chronic pain in Al Kharj population. Conclusions Our study results found a high burden of chronic pain in this selected Saudi population. The most prevalent pain was low back pain. The presence of chronic and psychological diseases were strongly related to chronic pain. Future prospective studies are needed to establish the temporal relationship of chronic pain with these factors.

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Chronic Pain, Comorbid Medical Conditions, and Associated Risk Factors in Kuwait: Gender and Nationality Differences

Cited by 11 publications

References 23 publications

Prevalence of chronic pain with neuropathic characteristics: a randomized telephone survey among medical center patients in Kuwait

Prevalence of chronic pain with neuropathic characteristics: a randomized telephone survey among medical center patients in Kuwait

Prevalence and characteristics of chronic Pain in the Chinese community-dwelling elderly: a cross-sectional study

The prevalence of chronic pain and its associated factors among Saudi Al-Kharj population; a cross sectional study

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