Chronic pain in Chile: first prevalence report of noncancer chronic pain, fibromyalgia, and neuropathic pain and its associated factors

Although we know chronic pain (CP) affects approximately 30% of people in developed countries, data from Latin America are scarce. Moreover, prevalence of specific CP conditions, such as chronic noncancer pain (CNCP), fibromyalgia (FM), and neuropathic pain (NP), is unknown. To estimate them in Chile, we prospectively enrolled 1945 participants (61.4% women and 38.6% men), aged 38 to 74 years, from an agricultural town who answered a Pain Questionnaire, the Fibromyalgia Survey Questionnaire, and Douleur Neuropathique 4 (DN4) to identify CNCP, FM, and NP, respectively. The estimated prevalence of CNCP was 34.7% (95% CI 32.6; 36.8), with an average duration of 32.3 months (SD & PLUSMN; 56.3), producing deep impairments in daily activities, sleep, and mood. We estimated a prevalence of 3.3% for FM (95% CI 2.5; 4.1) and 12% for NP (95% CI 10.6; 13.4). Female sex, fewer school years, and depressive symptoms were associated with FM and NP, whereas diabetes was only associated with NP. We standardized the results from our sample against the whole Chilean population and found no significant difference to our crude estimates. This is in line with studies from developed countries, highlighting the idea that despite genetic and environmental differences, the conditions that confer risk to CNCP remain stable.

Automated summary

Although the prevalence of chronic pain in developed countries is approximately 30%, there is a lack of data from Latin America. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of chronic noncancer pain (CNCP), fibromyalgia (FM), and neuropathic pain (NP) in Chile. The results showed a CNCP prevalence of 34.7%, FM prevalence of 3.3%, and NP prevalence of 12%. Female sex, fewer school years, and depressive symptoms were associated with FM and NP. The findings suggest that despite genetic and environmental differences, the risk factors for CNCP remain stable.