[Impact of disabling chronic pain: results of a cross-sectional population study with face-to-face interview].

OBJECTIVE

To assess the impact of disabling chronic pain (DCP) on quality of life, work, consumption of medication and usage of health services.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional population study with face-to-face interview.

SETTING

Andalusian Health Survey (2011 edition).

PARTICIPANTS

6,507 people over the age of 16 (p=q=0.5; confidence level=95%; sampling error=1.49, design effect=1.52).

INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable.

MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Dependent variable: DCP: population limited in their activity by any of the CP specified in the survey.

INDEPENDENT VARIABLES: quality of life, absence from work, consumption of medication and utilization of health services.

RESULTS

Compared to a population without CP, DCP impact is 6 points less on the mental quality of life and 12 points on the physical one, medication consumption is triple, health services utilization is almost double, and long absence from work is triple. On the other hand, a population with nondisabling chronic pain (nDCP) presents similar results to a population without CP.

CONCLUSIONS

We have considered DCP as another CP category because of its huge impact, as is shown in our study, on the study variables. On the contrary, the population with nDCP does not obtain significant impact differences when compared to the population without CP. Therefore, we believe that Primary Care and Public Health should lead different prevention strategies for DCP as well as for the identification of the nDCP population to decrease its possible deterioration towards DCP.