Ethnic- and sex-related differences in pain characteristics, psychological distress and pain-related disability in patients attending a New Zealand teaching hospital pain service
Andrea Burri, David Rice, Nicola Kluger, Michal Kluger
The study assessed demographic and pain characteristics of patients attending a multi-disciplinary pain service in Auckland. Overall, women report a significantly higher number of pain sites in the whole body compared to men, whereas men tend to cope worse with pain by showing less pain acceptance. The study further found significant differences in pain expression and coping, with Mori patients reporting highest pain levels, highest number of pain sites, highest pain interference, as well as highest levels of psychological distress, depression, stress and anxiety compared to all other ethnicities. This finding is particularly important for healthcare providers who should tailor their treatment according to the patient s individual sociodemographic background.