Table 1 Prevalence of chronic pain in epidemiological studies among adults in selected studies in Europe
Country and survey year | Europe and Israel, 20031[1] | Denmark, 2010 [13] | Iceland, 2003 [15] | Ireland, 2008 [12] | Norway, 2006–2008 [14] | Portugal, 2007–8 [11] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Survey method | Telephone | Postal or online | Postal | Postal | Postal | Telephone |
Sample source and size | Telephone directories (n = 46,394) | National Danish Health Survey (n = 14,925) | National registry of general population (n = 599) | 33 general practices (n = 1204) | Total regional adult population (n = 4782) | Telephone directories (n = 5094) |
Chronic pain definition2 | ≥6 months duration, moderate or severe, and pain experienced in the last month and at least twice a week | ≥6 months duration | >3 months duration | >3 months duration | Moderate to severe pain (SF-8) in at least three of five consecutive 3-monthly measurements | ≥3 months duration |
Prevalence of chronic pain (95% CI) | All: 19% (ND) | All: 26.8% (26.1–27.5%) | All: 30.6% (ND) | Non-cancer: 35.5% (32.8–38.2%) | 31% (30–33%) | All: 36.7% (35.3–38.2%) |
(12% in Spain to 30% in Norway) | Non-cancer: 24.7% (ND) | |||||
Prevalence higher in | Women, older age | Women, older age, various co-morbidities, non-Western background,3 underweight or obese | ND | Older age, manual workers, unemployed | Women, older age, lower educational level, lower household income, higher BMI | Women, older age retired, unemployed, lower educational level |