Chronic pain in older Black Americans: The influence of health and psychosocial factors

Chronic pain may differentially affect racial and ethnic minorities while diminishing their mental well-being and physical health. Although the literature documents the impact of chronic pain on physical, psychological, and social well-being in White Americans, the impact of chronic pain in Black Americans has not been extensively investigated. This study examined the relationship between pain intensity, health variables, various demographic characteristics, and psychosocial factors in a sample of older Black Americans (N=189). Participants were older, community-dwelling Black Americans with a mean age of 69.8 +/- 9.12 years. Results showed that reporting more depressive symptoms, greater physical impairment, and being younger were significant indicators of pain intensity and accounted for 27% (R=.52) of its variation. These results suggest that pain adversely affects the psychological and social well-being in some older Black Americans. This investigation emphasizes the need for further studies examining within-group differences of the pain experience. This research may help develop models that assess how social, cultural, environmental, physical and psychological health factors influence the daily experience of pain in racially and ethnically diverse populations.