Home / Science / Women Suffer More Pain Globally, Study Finds
Women Suffer More Pain Globally, Study Finds
5 Oct
Summary
- Women report higher pain than men across all measured body sites.
- The steepest increase in pain occurs before age 55.
- Factors like smoking and obesity contribute significantly to pain burden.
A significant global study involving over six million participants from 118 countries has found that women consistently report higher levels of pain than men across all measured body sites. This disparity highlights concerns about the gender pain gap, where women may receive less adequate pain relief.
The research, published in Nature Medicine, indicates that the most substantial increase in pain prevalence happens before individuals reach the age of 55. While pain generally rises with age, disabling forms of pain peak in mid-to-late adulthood before potentially declining. Musculoskeletal pain, particularly in the lower body like the back, hips, and knees, increases progressively across the lifespan.
Lifestyle factors such as smoking, obesity, and low household income were identified as major contributors to the global pain burden. These factors accounted for approximately 18.3% of the global pain burden, with regional variations observed. The study also noted that individuals in regions with lower Human Development Index scores reported higher late-life pain prevalence.
Experts describe this as a landmark study, emphasizing that women's pain is often dismissed, under-researched, and undertreated. Addressing the gender pain gap requires taking women's pain seriously, conducting sex-specific data analysis, and investing in research for better, personalized treatments for women.
