Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35004337›Full record

ArticleJournal of multimorbidity and comorbidity

Prevalence of chronic pain in LTCs and multimorbidity: A cross-sectional study using UK Biobank.

Ross McQueenie, Bhautesh Dinesh Jani, Stefan Siebert, Philip McLoone, Colin McCowan, Sara Macdonald, Frances S Mair, Barbara I Nicholl

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of multimorbidity and comorbidity. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
34citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

34 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Trial
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Review
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Are physical activity, sleep, and joint pain associated with physical function and quality of life in individuals with multimorbidity? A cross-sectional analysis of the MOBILIZE trial.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2025
    Article
  14. Article
  15. Phenotyping Chronic Pain and Neuropathic Pain in Population Studies.European journal of pain (London, England) · 2025
    Review
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Ross McQueenieInstitute of Health and Wellbeing, MVLS, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
Bhautesh Dinesh JaniInstitute of Health and Wellbeing, MVLS, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-7348-514X
Stefan SiebertInstitute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, MVLS, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
Philip McLooneInstitute of Health and Wellbeing, MVLS, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
Colin McCowanSchool of Medicine, University of St Andrews, Andrews, UK.
Sara MacdonaldInstitute of Health and Wellbeing, MVLS, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
Frances S MairInstitute of Health and Wellbeing, MVLS, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-9780-1135
Barbara I NichollInstitute of Health and Wellbeing, MVLS, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-5639-0130

Funding

Medical Research Council MC_PC_17228Medical Research Council MC_QA137853Versus Arthritis 21970
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesChronic pain is often experienced alongside other long-term conditions (LTCs), yet our understanding of this, particularly in relation to multimorbidity (≥2 LTCs) is poor. We aimed to examine associations between the presence/extent of chronic pain with type/number of LTCs experienced.

methodsWe examined the relationship between number/type of LTCs (N = 45) in UK Biobank participants (n = 500,295) who self-reported chronic pain lasting ≥3 months in seven body sites or widespread. Relative risk ratios (RRR) for presence/extent of chronic pain sites were compared using logistic regression adjusted for sociodemographic (sex/age/socioeconomic status) and lifestyle factors (smoking/alcohol intake/BMI/physical activity).

results218,648 participants self-reported chronic pain. Of these, 69.1% reported ≥1 LTC and 36.2% reported ≥2 LTCs. In 31/45 LTCs examined, >50% of participants experienced chronic pain. Chronic pain was common with migraine/headache and irritable bowel syndrome where pain is a primary symptom, but also with mental health conditions and diseases of the digestive system. Participants with >4 LTCs were over three times as likely to have chronic pain (RRR 3.56, 95% confidence intervals (CIs) 3.44-3.68) and 20 times as likely to have widespread chronic pain (RRR 20.13, 95% CI 18.26-22.19) as those with no LTCs.

conclusionsChronic pain is extremely common across a wide range of LTCs. People with multimorbidity were at higher risk of having a greater extent of chronic pain. These results show that chronic pain is a key factor for consideration in the management of patients with LTCs or multimorbidity.

Indexed as

Chronic painlong-term conditionsmultimorbidityprevalence

Identifiers

PMID35004337
PMCPMC8728767

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.