The epidemiology of chronic pain in the community
The LancetPublished 1 October 1999
Alison M. Elliott, Blair H. Smith, Kay Penny, William C. Smith, W. A. Chambers
Citations1,210
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score12.11
SNIP22.72
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TL;DR
Backward stepwise logistic-regression modelling identified age, sex, housing tenure, and employment status as significant predictors of the presence of chronic pain in the community.
Abstract
Chronic pain is a major problem in the community and certain groups within the population are more likely to have chronic pain. A detailed understanding of the epidemiology of chronic pain is essential for efficient management of chronic pain in primary care.
Keywords
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