The prevalence of chronic pain and its associated factors among Saudi Al-Kharj population; a cross sectional study

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain (CP) can be a symptom of many underlying health issues. The consequences of CP may vary from slight discomfort to disruption of quality of life and normal functioning. In this study, we aim to investigate the prevalence of CP and its associated factors in Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia. We recruited 1031 participants for our study. Data was collected on socio-demographic, health predictors and anthropometric measurements (such as weight, height and waist circumference). The data analysis was performed on JMP®, Version 12. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, 1989–2007. RESULTS: The prevalence of self-reported chronic pain in Al Kharj population was 19% with a mean age of 26.4 (SD = 8.6) years. The most common locations of pain included; back pain (30%), abdominal pain (26%), headache (13%), and any musculoskeletal pain (56%). Multiple logistic regression revealed that presence of a chronic disease (OR = 3.8; 95% CI = 2.3–6.2), psychological disease (OR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.2–4.3), high General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)-12 score (OR = 1.06; 95% CI = 1.03–1.1), and pack-years of smoking (OR = 1.05; 95% CI = 1.01–1.08) were significantly related to chronic pain in Al Kharj population. CONCLUSIONS: Our study results found a high burden of chronic pain in this selected Saudi population. The most prevalent pain was low back pain. The presence of chronic and psychological diseases were strongly related to chronic pain. Future prospective studies are needed to establish the temporal relationship of chronic pain with these factors.