More than Hurt Feelings: The Wear and Tear of Day-to-Day Discrimination in Adults with Chronic Pain

Abstract

Abstract Objective To examine the extent to which self-reported experiences of discrimination are associated with pain interference among men and women with chronic non-cancer pain. Methods Data are from the Study of Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) Refresher Cohort. The analytic sample consisted of 207 adults with chronic pain (54.2 ± 12.8 years; 53.6% female) who completed the Major Experiences of Discrimination and Everyday Discrimination scales. Regression analyses examined cross-sectional relations between discrimination and pain interference. Results On average, the level of pain interference was moderate in the sample (mean = 3.46, standard deviation = 2.66; observed range 0–10). Approximately a third of respondents reported at least one major discriminatory event in their lifetime, while 22% reported three or more discriminatory lifetime events. Everyday discrimination scores averaged 14.19 ± 5.46 (observed range 0–33). With adjustment for sociodemographics, physical health, cognitive and psychological factors, social isolation, and loneliness, everyday discrimination was associated with increased pain interference (B = 0.099; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.02 to 0.17). Conclusion These findings add weight to the importance of day-to-day experiences of interpersonal discrimination by documenting independent associations with functional interference in adults with chronic pain.