Factors Associated with Chronic Pain in Chatturat Hospital, Chaiyaphum Province

Abstract

Background: Chronic pain is a common problem in medical care consuming large economic resources. Better understanding about its associated factors will guide us to proper management. This should be resulting in lowering cost, reducing drug use and improving quality of life.

Objective: To determine factors associated with chronic pain in Chatturat hospital, Chaiyaphum Province.

Method: A cross-sectional analytic study in Chatturat hospital, Chaiyaphum Province. Subjects aged ≥25 years old, were randomly selected by systematic sampling.

Results: A total of 400 individuals participated, 60.7% were female, 39.3% were male, average age was 48.58 ±14.7 years and most of them were farmers (42.5%). Types of pain were chronic pain (42.0%), acute pain (31.5%) and no pain (26.5%). Using multivariate logistic regression analysis, it was found that chronic pain was associated with people aged ≥45 (adjusted Odds Ratio = 2.14; 95%CI: 1.09, 4.21), musculoskeletal disorders (adjusted Odds Ratio = 24.01; 95%CI: 6.79, 84.88), and some food intake (adjusted Odds Ratio = 6.61; 95%CI: 3.34, 13.09). Foods associated with chronic pain were bamboo shoot (OR=5.78; 95%CI: 3.09, 10.80), chicken (OR=3.95; 95%CI:1.90, 8.21), animal entrails (OR=3.48; 95%CI: 1.61, 7.50), rice vermicelli and preserved food (OR=2.32; 95%CI:1.24, 4.34).

Conclusions: Nearly half of the patients suffered from chronic pain. Factors associated with chronic pain were people aged 45 or older, musculoskeletal disorders, certain kinds of food such as bamboo shoot, chicken, animal entrails, rice vermicelli and preserved food. It should therefore be advisable for patients with chronic pain to avoid such kinds of food.