Summary: A new study highlights substantial state-by-state differences in arthritis-related joint pain across the US, from a low of 6.9% in Minnesota to a high of 23.1% in West Virginia. States in the South, the lower Mississippi Valley, and southern Appalachia show a particularly high prevalence of joint pain.
The study reveals that education plays a substantial role in these disparities, acting as a “personal firewall,” and state-level policies significantly influence pain prevalence. More generous Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and greater social cohesion within a state were associated with lower pain prevalence.
Key Facts:
- The risk of joint pain due to arthritis varies considerably across the US, with the prevalence being over three times higher in some states compared to others.
- The study found a notable educational disparity in joint pain, with less educated individuals experiencing a significantly higher risk, especially in states with higher overall pain prevalence.
- State-level policies, like the generosity of SNAP benefits and the level of social cohesion, are critical in shaping pain risk, indicating the potential for macro-level interventions in managing chronic pain.
Source: University at Buffalo
The prevalence of moderate or severe joint pain due to arthritis varies strikingly across American states, ranging from 6.9% of the population in Minnesota to 23.1% in West Virginia, according to a new study led by a University at Buffalo researcher.
The paper published in the journal PAIN is providing new insights − through its novel combination of individual- and macro-level measures − into geographic differences in pain and their causes.
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“The risk of joint pain is over three times higher in some states compared to others, with states in the South, especially the lower Mississippi Valley and southern Appalachia, having particularly high prevalence of joint pain,” says Rui Huang, a sociology PhD student in the UB College of Arts and Sciences, and the paper’s first author.
“We also observed educational disparities in joint pain in all states that vary substantially in magnitude, even after adjusting for demographic characteristics.”
The percentage point difference in pain prevalence between people who did not complete high school versus those who obtained at least a bachelor’s degree is much larger in West Virginia (31.1), Arkansas (29.7), and Alabama (28.3) than in California (8.8), Nevada (9.8) and Utah (10.1).
“Education can function as a ‘personal firewall’ that protects more highly educated people from undesirable state-level contexts, while increasing the vulnerability of less educated individuals,” says Huang.
Nearly 59 million people in the U.S. have arthritis, and at least 15 million of them experience severe joint pain because of that condition. Severe joint pain is associated with diminished range of motion, disability and mortality.
While existing research on the social determinants of pain has relied primarily on individual-level data, individuals are embedded in social contexts, such as a specific U.S. state.
Different states can have dramatically different policies that affect many aspects of life including opportunities, resources and social relationships, which can in turn influence individuals’ pain, a potential influence that has gone largely unexplored in previous research.
“Very little research has examined the geography of chronic pain, and virtually none has examined the role of state-level policies in shaping pain prevalence,” says Hanna Grol-Prokopczyk, PhD, UB associate professor of sociology, and a co-author of the study.
“We were excited to identify state characteristics that reduce residents’ risk of pain.”
The current study does so by combining data on nearly 408,000 adults (ages 25-80) from the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System with state-level data about SNAP programs (formerly known as food stamps), Earned Income Tax Credits, income inequality, social cohesion (relationship strength among community members), Medicaid Generosity Scores, and tobacco taxes.
Although SNAP programs exist in all 50 states, some states offer more expansive benefits to qualifying residents than others. States with more generous SNAP benefits had a lower prevalence of pain.
The same was true for states with greater social cohesion, indicating that both material resources and social functioning play critical roles in shaping pain risk.
“The increase in the generosity of SNAP benefits could potentially alleviate pain by promoting healthier eating habits and alleviating the life stress associated with food insecurity,” says Huang.
“Social factors such as conflict, isolation and devaluation are also among the ‘social threats’ that can lead to physical reactions such as inflammation and immune system changes.”
In addition to providing new information on pain disparities across states, the paper might also fuel a reorientation of pain research that puts equal emphasis on macro- and individual-level factors, according to Huang.
“Chronic pain can – and should – be addressed through macro-level policies, as well as through individual-level interventions,” says Huang. “This study also implies that pain research in general should move towards a greater understanding of the macro contextual factors that shape pain and pain inequalities.”
About this pain research news
Author: Bert Gambini
Source: University at Buffalo
Contact: Bert Gambini – University at Buffalo
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
“Educational disparities in joint pain within and across US states: do macro sociopolitical contexts matter?” by Rui Huang et al. Pain
Abstract
Educational disparities in joint pain within and across US states: do macro sociopolitical contexts matter?
Despite growing recognition of the importance of social, economic, and political contexts for population health and health inequalities, research on pain disparities relies heavily on individual-level data, while neglecting overarching macrolevel factors such as state-level policies and characteristics.
Focusing on moderate or severe arthritis-attributable joint pain—a common form of pain that considerably harms individuals’ quality of life—we (1) compared joint pain prevalence across US states; (2) estimated educational disparities in joint pain across states; and (3) assessed whether state sociopolitical contexts help explain these 2 forms of cross-state variation.
We linked individual-level data on 407,938 adults (ages 25-80 years) from the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System with state-level data on 6 measures (eg, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program [SNAP], Earned Income Tax Credit, Gini index, and social cohesion index).
We conducted multilevel logistic regressions to identify predictors of joint pain and inequalities therein. Prevalence of joint pain varies strikingly across US states: the age-adjusted prevalence ranges from 6.9% in Minnesota to 23.1% in West Virginia.
Educational gradients in joint pain exist in all states but vary substantially in magnitude, primarily due to variation in pain prevalence among the least educated. At all education levels, residents of states with greater educational disparities in pain are at a substantially higher risk of pain than peers in states with lower educational disparities.
More generous SNAP programs (odds ratio [OR] = 0.925; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.963-0.957) and higher social cohesion (OR = 0.819; 95% CI: 0.748-0.896) predict lower overall pain prevalence, and state-level Gini predicts higher pain disparities by education.