TABLE 2.
Baseline Clinical Characteristics in NHANES 1999–2004 With Mortality Followed Through 2015
| Variable | Total | Participants Who Reported Chronic Pain | Participants Who Did Not Report Chronic Pain |
|---|---|---|---|
| N | 13884 | 2168 | 11716 |
| Age, mean (sd) | 50.9 (19.6) | 53.3 (17.7) | 50.4 (20.0) |
| Male, N (%) | 6579 (47) | 922 (43) | 5657 (48) |
| Race/ethnicity, N (%) | |||
| Non-Hispanic White | 6951 (50) | 1274 (59) | 5677 (48) |
| Non-Hispanic Black | 2654 (19) | 393 (18) | 2261 (19) |
| Mexican American | 3112 (22) | 333 (15) | 2779 (24) |
| Other Race | 1167 (8) | 168 (8) | 999 (9) |
| Education years, N (%) | |||
| <9th grade | 2287 (17) | 316 (15) | 1971 (17) |
| 9–11 grade | 2356 (17) | 401 (19) | 1955 (17) |
| High school graduate | 3296 (24) | 561 (26) | 2735 (23) |
| College degree or above | 5889 (43) | 882 (41) | 5007 (43) |
| Poverty income ratio, mean (sd) | 2.6 (1.6) | 2.4 (1.6) | 2.6 (1.6) |
| Health insurance coverage, N (%) | 11038 (81) | 1774 (83) | 9264 (80) |
| Marital status (married), N (%) | 7425 (56) | 1142 (54) | 6283 (56) |
| Smoking, N (%) | 6655 (48) | 1270 (59) | 5385 (46) |
| Alcohol, N (%) | 7937 (57) | 1303 (60) | 6634 (57) |
| Anti-depressant medication prescription, N (%) | 1038 (7) | 372 (17) | 666 (6) |
| Illicit drug usea, N (%) | 1419 (16) | 299 (23) | 1120 (15) |
| Comorbidities, N (%) | |||
| Coronary heart diseases | 639 (5) | 184 (9) | 455 (4) |
| Cancer | 1247 (9) | 283 (13) | 964 (8) |
| Arthritis | 2375 (17) | 735 (34) | 1640 (14) |
| Opioid prescriptions, N(%) | |||
| Total opioidsb | 683 (5) | 382 (18) | 301 (3) |
| Opioids equivalent to or stronger than morphinec | 360 (3) | 223 (10) | 137 (1) |
a
Illicit drug use was only asked for participants aged 20–59 years (N = 8630).
b
Total opioids included codeine, dihydrocodeine, meperidine, pentazocine, propoxyphene, tramadol, hydrocodone, morphine, tapentadol, fentanyl, hydromorphone, methadone, oxycodone, and oxymorphone.
c
Opioids equivalent to or stronger than morphine included hydrocodone, morphine, tapentadol, fentanyl, hydromorphone, methadone, oxycodone, and oxymorphone.