The following is a summary of “Neighborhood Disadvantage and Pain-Related Experiences in a Pain Psychology Clinic: The Mediating Roles of Pain Catastrophizing and Pain-Related Fear,” published in the November 2024 issue of Pain by Rassu et al. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage, as measured by the Area Deprivation Index (ADI), and pain-related variables in a pain psychology clinic while exploring the mediating roles of pain catastrophizing and pain-related fear.  

They assessed usual pain intensity, fatigue, emotional distress, and interference with daily activities through questionnaires completed by 509 participants. The mean Area Deprivation Index (ADI) score was 32.57 (SD = 22.65), with values ranging from 1 to 100. A linear regression analysis, adjusting for age and gender, was conducted to evaluate the relationship between ADI and pain-related variables. The sequential mediation analysis was also performed to investigate the mediating effects of pain catastrophizing and pain-related fear.  

The results showed that a higher ADI, indicating greater neighborhood disadvantage, was significantly linked to higher scores on pain-related measures. For pain intensity, the regression coefficient was B = 0.026 (P < 0.001); for fatigue, B = 0.018 (P < 0.001); for emotional distress, B = 0.020 (P < 0.001); and for interference with daily activities, B = 0.014 (P = 0.006). Sequential mediation analysis revealed that pain catastrophizing and pain-related fear mediated the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and both fatigue (B = 0.001, 95% CI [0.000, 0.002]) and interference with daily activities (B = 0.001, 95% CI [0.001, 0.003]) but not pain intensity or emotional distress. Pain catastrophizing alone mediated the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and all pain-related variables.  

Investigators concluded that neighborhood disadvantage was associated with increased pain-related experiences, and pain catastrophizing and pain-related fear might mediate the relationship, highlighting the significance of considering neighborhood factors in chronic pain management.

Source: jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(24)00722-3/abstract#author-abstract