Search

Pain is common among cancer survivors; however, studies examining pain in relation to lifestyle factors (e.g., substance use) often exclude individuals with cancer. Therefore, the goal of the current study was to test associations between pain and health behaviors utilizing two national samples of cancer survivors. Data included N = 1,266 adults (84% White; 56% female; 45% aged 65+) from Wave 5 (2018-2019) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, and N = 4,130 adults (86% White; 58% female; Mage = 68) from the 2020 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) with lifetime cancer diagnosis. Weighted linear/logistic regression models were conducted covarying for relevant sociodemographic characteristics. PATH models indicated that past-week pain intensity (0-10) was associated with fatigue, physical inactivity, poorer physical/mental health, and lower quality of life/overall health (ps <.001). Pain was also associated with greater odds of tobacco and non-prescribed painkiller/sedative/tranquilizer use (ps <.001). NHIS models indicated that chronic pain (vs. no chronic pain) was associated with fatigue, difficulty falling/staying asleep, depression/anxiety, and poorer general health (ps <.001). Chronic pain was also associated with greater odds of physically inactivity, cigarette smoking (ps <.001) and electronic cigarette use (p=.042). Pain is associated with tobacco use, non-prescribed medication use, and other health behaviors among cancer survivors which may impact treatment efficacy and hamper efforts for behavior change. Implications include the need for tailored health and substance use intervention approaches that account for the role of pain among cancer survivors. Funding: T32CA193193.

Subgroup analyses conducted among U.S. national survey data have estimated that 27 to 34% of adults aged ≥65 years have chronic pain. However, none of these studies focused specifically on older adults or examined disparities in chronic pain in those aged ≥65 years. To obtain current information on the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of chronic pain in U.S. older adults, a cross-sectional analysis was conducted of data collected from 3,505 older adults recruited from the AmeriSpeak Panel. Chronic pain was defined as pain on most or every day in the last 3 months. Nationally representative chronic pain prevalence estimates were computed by incorporating study-specific survey design weights. Logistic regression analyses evaluated differences in chronic pain status as a function of sociodemographic characteristics (eg, gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status). The results indicated that 37.8% of older adults reported chronic pain. Compared with White older adults, Black (odds ratio [OR] = .6, 95% CI: .4–.8) and Asian (OR = .2, 95% CI: .1–.8) older adults were less likely to report chronic pain. The prevalence of chronic pain was also lower among those who reported the highest (vs lowest) household income (OR = .6, 95% CI: .4–.8). Those who were not working due to disability (vs working as a paid employee) were more likely to report chronic pain (OR = 3.2, 95% CI: 2.1–5.0). This study was the first to recruit a large, representative sample of older adults to estimate the prevalence of chronic pain and extends prior work by identifying subgroups of older adults that are disproportionately affected.

•Family history of alcohol use disorder was associated with pain modulatory defects.•Impairment in pain-inhibitory processes was observed in those with a family history.•Exploratory subgroup analyses indicated paternal contribution to pain modulation.