Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41404362›Full record

ArticlePain reports2026

Unspecified pain, chronic pain, and high-impact chronic pain in Lesotho: a population-based cross-sectional study.

Emmanuel Firima, Lucia Gonzalez, Molulela Manthabiseng, Mamoronts'sane P Sematle, Matumaole Bane, Makhebe Khomolishoele, Tristan Lee, Frédérique Chammartin, Ravi Gupta, Stephen McCrosky and 3 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Pain reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

13 authors.

Emmanuel FirimaDivision of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5797-2607
Lucia GonzalezDivision of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Molulela ManthabisengSolidarMed, Partnerships for Health, Maseru, Lesotho.
Mamoronts'sane P SematleSolidarMed, Partnerships for Health, Maseru, Lesotho.
Matumaole BaneSolidarMed, Partnerships for Health, Maseru, Lesotho.
Makhebe KhomolishoeleSolidarMed, Partnerships for Health, Maseru, Lesotho.
Tristan LeeDivision of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Frédérique ChammartinDivision of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Ravi GuptaSolidarMed, Partnerships for Health, Maseru, Lesotho.
Stephen McCroskyDivision of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Maja WeisserDivision of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Alain AmstutzDivision of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Niklaus Daniel LabhardtDivision of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objectives: Pain is understudied in Africa, and there are no data on high-impact chronic pain from this region. In this study, we assessed the prevalence of unspecified pain, chronic pain, and high-impact chronic pain, and their determinants in Lesotho, Southern Africa. Method: We conducted a household-based, cross-sectional survey among adults aged 18 years or older in 120 randomly sampled villages across Butha-Buthe and Mokhotlong districts in Lesotho. Results: Among the 6039 adults included, the median age was 39 years (interquartile range: 27-58), and 3153 of 6039 participants (52.2%) were female. Overall, 1194 participants (19.8%) had unspecified pain (95% confidence interval [CI]: 18.8-20.8), 909 (15.1%) had chronic pain (95% CI: 14.2-16.0), and 428 (7.1%) had high-impact chronic pain (95% CI: 6.5-7.8) corresponding to 47.1% among the participants with chronic pain. Higher age groups were associated with increasing odds of unspecified pain, chronic pain, and high-impact chronic pain. Male participants were less likely to have unspecified pain (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.65; 95% CI: 0.55-0.76; Conclusion: The prevalence of chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain was elevated in our study population. Associations with further noncommunicable chronic conditions, such as arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus, support the need for health systems to provide integrated chronic care which includes pain management.

Indexed as

Chronic painHigh-impact chronic painLesotho

Identifiers

PMID41404362
PMCPMC12705063

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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.