Socioeconomic Characteristics Associated With the Development of Chronic Pain After Pain Interference Experienced in Early Adulthood.

Objective: Predictors of pain persistence have been identified among patients undergoing treatment for chronic pain or related conditions, but correlates of pain persistence in the general population remain underexplored. We identify socioeconomic variables associated with pain onset or persistence over a 6 to 10 year period in a nationally representative cohort.

Methods: Using panel data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-1997, we examined the presence of pain interference at age 29 and chronic pain at ages 35 to 39.

Pain interference in young adulthood and work participation.

Chronic pain is associated with reduced work participation, but longitudinal data on the work impact of chronic pain are limited. We used data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-1997 cohort to analyze how pain interference in early adulthood was associated with subsequent exit from the labor force in a longitudinal survey. Pain interference at age 29 and employment status were self-reported at subsequent biennial interviews.