Analysis: One-Fifth of US Adults Experience Chronic Pain
An estimated 50.2 million (20.5%) of US adults experience chronic pain, researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Mass Eye and Ear suggest, in a new analysis.
In 2019, the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added a new set of questions relating to pain to its National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a large household-based annual survey that offers valuable insights into the health statuses of US adults nationwide.
Results from Brigham and Women’s analysis of data from this new survey is published in
“Chronic pain is a serious condition that affects millions of Americans. Other studies have touched on this fact, but data from pain clinics, hospitals and other providers tends to only provide information on people seeking out medical attention. Having the NHIS data to validate previous studies is incredibly impactful.”