Verhaak Peter F M, Kerssens Jan J, Dekker Joost, Sorbi Marjolijn J, Bensing Jozien M
Netherlands Institute of Primary Care, P.O. Box 1568, 3500 BN Utrecht, The Netherlands University of Utrecht, Department of Clinical Psychology and Health Psychology, P.O. Box 80140, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Pain. 1998 Sep;77(3):231-239. doi: 10.1016/S0304-3959(98)00117-1.
In this review epidemiological studies concerning chronic benign pain among adults are discussed. To this end, studies focusing on chronic pain, reporting prevalences at a population or primary health care level, including subjects aged between 18 and 75 years have been collected and analyzed. Focus of analysis was on research methods, definitions of chronic benign pain used, and reported prevalences. Prevalences varied between 2% and 40% of the population. Nor method used (telephone survey, postal survey, nor definition of chronicity (>1 month; >3 months; >6 months) clearly explained the differences in prevalence in the various studies. Implications for future research are discussed.
