Table 1.
Sex differences in the demographic and clinical characteristics of VA patients with chronic non-cancer pain.
| Women (N=1945) | Men (N=15,638) | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, Mean (SD) | 48.7 (SD 13.3) | 57.1 (SD 12.5) | <0.001 |
| Race | <0.001 | ||
| White | 1185 (60.9%) | 9306 (56.5%) | |
| Black | 169 (8.7%) | 1023 (6.5%) | |
| Other | 61 (3.1%) | 452 (2.9%) | |
| Unknown/Declined to answer | 530 (27.2%) | 4857 (31.1%) | |
| Marital Status | <0.001 | ||
| Married | 629 (32.3%) | 7867 (50.3%) | |
| Never Married | 344 (17.7%) | 1470 (9.4%) | |
| Widowed | 123 (6.3%) | 717 (4.6%) | |
| Separated or Divorced | 819 (42.1%) | 5300 (33.9%) | |
| Unknown | 30 (1.5%) | 283 (1.8%) | |
| VA Service Connected | 1458 (75%) | 10604 (67.8%) | <0.001 |
|
| |||
| BMI, Mean (SD) | 31.60 (SD 7.4) | 31.24 (SD 6.7) | 0.036 |
| Charlson Comorbidity Score, Mean (SD) | 0.68 (SD 1.0) | 1.24 (SD 1.6) | <0.001 |
| Average Pain Score, Mean (SD) | 5.65 (SD 2.06) | 5.61 (SD 2.08) | 0.371 |
| Presence of >1 pain diagnoses | 1303 (67%) | 8678 (55.5%) | <0.001 |
| Pain Diagnoses* | |||
| Fibromyalgia | 300 (15.4%) | 572 (3.7%) | <0.001 |
| Inflammatory bowel disease | 62 (3.2%) | 287 (1.8%) | <0.001 |
| Chronic Low back pain | 1039 (53.4%) | 7835 (50.1%) | 0.006 |
| Migraine Headache | 311 (16%) | 1325 (8.5%) | <0.001 |
| Chronic Neck or Joint Pain | 1387 (71.3%) | 8979 (57.4%) | <0.001 |
| Neuropathy | 85 (4.4%) | 1214 (7.8%) | <0.001 |
| Arthritis | 982 (50.5%) | 6791 (43.4%) | <0.001 |
| Mental Health Diagnoses | |||
| Major Depressive Disorder | 1045 (53.7%) | 5722 (36.6%) | <0.001 |
| Dysthymic disorder | 183 (9.4%) | 895 (5.7%) | <0.001 |
| Bipolar disorder | 207 (10.6%) | 837 (5.4%) | <0.001 |
| Panic disorder | 99 (5.1%) | 399 (2.6%) | <0.001 |
| Posttraumatic stress disorder | 664 (34.1%) | 4107 (26.3%) | <0.001 |
| Other anxiety disorder | 368 (18.9%) | 1771 (11.3%) | <0.001 |
| Schizophrenia | 61 (3.1%) | 485 (3.1%) | 0.933 |
| Substance Use Disorders | |||
| None | 1416 (72.8%) | 9871 (63.1%) | <0.001 |
| Tobacco Abuse | 421 (21.6%) | 4468 (28.6%) | <0.001 |
| Cannabis Abuse or Dependence | 41 (2.1%) | 614 (3.9%) | <0.001 |
| Alcohol Abuse or Dependence | 144 (7.4%) | 2313 (14.8%) | <0.001 |
| Opioid Abuse or Dependence | 34 (1.7%) | 422 (2.7%) | 0.01 |
| Other Drug† Abuse or Dependence | 77 (4.0%) | 1172 (7.5%) | <0.001 |
Note.
*
ICD-9-CM codes include fibromyalgia 729.1–729.19, Inflammatory bowel disease 558.9, Chronic low back pain 722–722.99; 724–724.99; Migraine headache 784.0; 346.9; Chronic neck or joint pain without fibromyalgia 716–719.99; 723–723.99; 729–729.09; 729.2–729.99; Neuropathy 337.0–337.19; 356–357.99; 377–377.99; Rheumatism or Arthritis 712–712.99; 714–716.99; 720–720.99; 729–729.99.
†
Includes abuse and dependence to cocaine, methamphetamine, benzodiazepine, or multiple substances.