Epidemiology of Chronic Pain in the Latium Region, Italy. a Cross-sectional Study on the Clinical Characteristics of Patients Attending Pain Clinics
Background: In Italy, chronic pain affects more than a quarter of the population, while the average European prevalence is 21%. This might be due to the high percentage of people who do not receive treatment, even after the passing of law 38/2010. Aims: To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with non-cancer chronic pain. Methods: An observational, multi-center, cross-sectional study was performed and clinical records of adult chronic pain patients attending pain management clinics in the Latium Region, Italy, were retrospectively reviewed. Results. A total of 1606 patients (mean age 56.8 years, sd+11.4), 67% females, were analyzed. Severe pain was present in 54% of the sample. Females experienced it and had pain in 2+ sites more often than males (57% vs 50%; p= 0.02 and 55.2% vs 45.9%; p