Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42652406›Full record

ReviewInternational journal of environmental research and public health2026

Improving Inclusion of Ethnically Diverse and Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Populations in Pain Research: A Comprehensive Review and Evidence-Based Recommendations.

Kevin Pacheco-Barrios, Allison Kim, Carla Pastora-Sesin, Joao Mariano, Robin Heemels, Paulo S de Melo, Erick Barrientos-Ventura, Lucas Camargo, Niels Pacheco-Barrios, Jaime Pacheco-Neyra and 4 more

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in International journal of environmental research and public health, 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

14 authors.

Kevin Pacheco-BarriosNeuromodulation Center and Center for Clinical Research Learning, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02138, USA.
Allison KimNeuromodulation Center and Center for Clinical Research Learning, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02138, USA.
Carla Pastora-SesinNeuromodulation Center and Center for Clinical Research Learning, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02138, USA.ORCID 0009-0009-3624-5185
Joao MarianoNeuromodulation Center and Center for Clinical Research Learning, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02138, USA.ORCID 0009-0002-7309-918X
Robin HeemelsNeuromodulation Center and Center for Clinical Research Learning, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02138, USA.ORCID 0009-0003-3208-5547
Paulo S de MeloNeuromodulation Center and Center for Clinical Research Learning, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02138, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2387-8970
Erick Barrientos-VenturaUnidad de Investigación para la Generación y Síntesis de Evidencias en Salud, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola, Lima 15023, Peru.ORCID 0000-0002-0678-9351
Lucas CamargoNeuromodulation Center and Center for Clinical Research Learning, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02138, USA.
Niels Pacheco-BarriosDepartment of Neurosurgery, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
Jaime Pacheco-NeyraResearch Unit, Our Lady of Chapi Pharmacy, Cajamarca 06001, Peru.ORCID 0000-0002-4428-9489
Silvia Di-BonaventuraDepartment of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Rey Juan Carlos University, 28922 Alcorcon, Spain.
Raúl Ferrer-PeñaClinical and Teaching Research Group on Rehabilitation Sciences (INDOCLIN), CSEU La Salle, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28023 Madrid, Spain.ORCID 0000-0001-5495-8458
Alba Navarro-FloresInstitute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics (IPPG), LMU University Hospital, LMU Medizin, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80336 Munich, Germany.
Equity In Pain ResearchWorking Group Epr-Wg

Funding

Optimized tDCS for fibromyalgia: targeting the endogenous pain control systemR01AT009491 · NCCIH · SPAULDING REHABILITATION HOSPITAL · PI FREGNI, FELIPE · 2018 to 2023
$2.3M
Fostering knowledge translation of neuroplasticity-targeted interventions for chronic pain management using advanced meta-analytic methods and statistical learningR03AG085084 · NIA · SPAULDING REHABILITATION HOSPITAL · PI PACHECO, KEVIN · 2024 to 2024
$170k
Foundation for the National Institutes of Health R01 AT009491-01A1Foundation for the National Institutes of Health R03 AG085084-01NCCIH NIH HHS R01 AT009491NIA NIH HHS R03 AG085084
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Limited inclusion of ethnically diverse and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations in pain research undermines external validity, generalizability, and equity. This comprehensive review synthesized evidence on effective strategies to recruit and retain these populations in pain studies. We searched Medline, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and CENTRAL (12 April 2025) and included studies in which ethnically diverse and socioeconomically disadvantaged participants comprised ≥75% of the sample. Quantitative data were pooled using random-effects meta-analyses of proportions, with prespecified subgroup analyses, and qualitative findings were integrated through thematic synthesis. Certainty of evidence was evaluated using GRADE. Eighteen studies (n = 4611; 11 experimental, 5 observational, 2 qualitative), primarily from the United States and involving chronic pain, met inclusion criteria. Overall enrollment among ethnically diverse and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups was 37% (95% CI 18-58%), with significantly higher enrollment in observational studies (84%, 95% CI 78-90%) than in experimental trials (22%, 95% CI 10-36%;

Indexed as

EthnicityPatient SelectionVulnerable PopulationsHumansSocioeconomic Factorsclinical trialsethnically diverse populationspainrecruitmentretentionsocioeconomically disadvantaged populations

Identifiers

PMID42652406
PMCPMC13512727

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.