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 painrelated 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.