Chronic pain in the Chilean population: risk factors prevalence and cognitive associations

Chronic pain (CP) is a global public health issue and a critical factor in the aging process. Chile, as one of the most aged countries in Latin America, presents a unique context for exploring CP and its associated factors. Despite its significance in aging, previous studies in the region often fail...

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Main Authors: Hernán Hernández, Carolina Ochoa-Rosales, Agustín Ibáñez, Lorena Oyanadel, Loreto Olavarria, Nickole Marín-Díaz, Ariel Caviedes, Jessica L. Hazelton, Teresita Ramos, Hernando Santamaria-García, Nilton Custodio, Rosa Montesinos, Martin A. Bruno, Jose A. Avila-Funes, Diana Matallana, Rolando de la Cruz, Fanny Petermann-Rocha, Andrea Slachevsky, Claudia Duran-Aniotz, Carolina Gonzalez-Silva
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-07-01
Series:Frontiers in Aging
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fragi.2025.1548667/full
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author Hernán Hernández
Carolina Ochoa-Rosales
Carolina Ochoa-Rosales
Agustín Ibáñez
Agustín Ibáñez
Agustín Ibáñez
Agustín Ibáñez
Lorena Oyanadel
Loreto Olavarria
Loreto Olavarria
Nickole Marín-Díaz
Ariel Caviedes
Jessica L. Hazelton
Jessica L. Hazelton
Teresita Ramos
Teresita Ramos
Hernando Santamaria-García
Hernando Santamaria-García
Hernando Santamaria-García
Nilton Custodio
Rosa Montesinos
Martin A. Bruno
Martin A. Bruno
Jose A. Avila-Funes
Jose A. Avila-Funes
Diana Matallana
Diana Matallana
Diana Matallana
Diana Matallana
Rolando de la Cruz
Rolando de la Cruz
Rolando de la Cruz
Fanny Petermann-Rocha
Andrea Slachevsky
Claudia Duran-Aniotz
Carolina Gonzalez-Silva
author_facet Hernán Hernández
Carolina Ochoa-Rosales
Carolina Ochoa-Rosales
Agustín Ibáñez
Agustín Ibáñez
Agustín Ibáñez
Agustín Ibáñez
Lorena Oyanadel
Loreto Olavarria
Loreto Olavarria
Nickole Marín-Díaz
Ariel Caviedes
Jessica L. Hazelton
Jessica L. Hazelton
Teresita Ramos
Teresita Ramos
Hernando Santamaria-García
Hernando Santamaria-García
Hernando Santamaria-García
Nilton Custodio
Rosa Montesinos
Martin A. Bruno
Martin A. Bruno
Jose A. Avila-Funes
Jose A. Avila-Funes
Diana Matallana
Diana Matallana
Diana Matallana
Diana Matallana
Rolando de la Cruz
Rolando de la Cruz
Rolando de la Cruz
Fanny Petermann-Rocha
Andrea Slachevsky
Claudia Duran-Aniotz
Carolina Gonzalez-Silva
author_sort Hernán Hernández
collection DOAJ
description Chronic pain (CP) is a global public health issue and a critical factor in the aging process. Chile, as one of the most aged countries in Latin America, presents a unique context for exploring CP and its associated factors. Despite its significance in aging, previous studies in the region often fail to comprehensively address key variables such as age, income, mood, mobility, diet, and cognitive skills, nor do they systematically investigate the relationship between CP and cognitive impairment. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of CP prevalence, related sociodemographic and health variables, and its link to cognitive impairment, using representative data of the Chilean population 15 years and older from the 2009–2010 and 2016–2017 Chilean National Health Surveys (CNHS). In the expanded sample of 12,791,542 and 13,399,937 individuals respectively, the overall prevalence of CP was 46.0% in the 2009–2010 CNHS and 28.9% in the 2016–2017 CNHS, with prevalence increasing with age. CP ranged from 26.6% among individuals aged 15–24 years to 59.9% among those aged 65–80 years in the 2009–2010 CNHS, and from 16.6% to 40.2% in the 2016–2017 CNHS. Female participants consistently reported higher CP rates, with significantly higher prevalence than males across age groups 15–64 years. Using complex survey logistic regression analyses, we identified several factors that were significantly associated with CP, including reduced mobility, depression, anxiety, socioeconomic disadvantage, and lower educational attainment. Machine learning techniques were employed to classify CP and non-CP cases, providing a nuanced understanding of the complex interplay between factors that influence CP. In a secondary analysis among those 60 years and older, no significant difference in CP prevalence was observed between individuals with and without cognitive impairment measured with an abbreviated MiniMental State Examination test. However, those with cognitive impairment tended to report pain in a greater number of anatomical sites. This study provides the first nationally representative evidence of CP in Chile in relation to age, income, mood, mobility, diet, and cognitive performance. These findings contribute to the understanding of CP as a public health issue in Latin America. The study underscores the need for targeted interventions to promote healthy longevity and reduce the burden of chronic diseases in aging populations.
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spelling doaj-art-adeae7f4f3304e1f86ac1714e42dc0752025-08-20T03:51:29ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Aging2673-62172025-07-01610.3389/fragi.2025.15486671548667Chronic pain in the Chilean population: risk factors prevalence and cognitive associationsHernán Hernández0Carolina Ochoa-Rosales1Carolina Ochoa-Rosales2Agustín Ibáñez3Agustín Ibáñez4Agustín Ibáñez5Agustín Ibáñez6Lorena Oyanadel7Loreto Olavarria8Loreto Olavarria9Nickole Marín-Díaz10Ariel Caviedes11Jessica L. Hazelton12Jessica L. Hazelton13Teresita Ramos14Teresita Ramos15Hernando Santamaria-García16Hernando Santamaria-García17Hernando Santamaria-García18Nilton Custodio19Rosa Montesinos20Martin A. Bruno21Martin A. Bruno22Jose A. Avila-Funes23Jose A. Avila-Funes24Diana Matallana25Diana Matallana26Diana Matallana27Diana Matallana28Rolando de la Cruz29Rolando de la Cruz30Rolando de la Cruz31Fanny Petermann-Rocha32Andrea Slachevsky33Claudia Duran-Aniotz34Carolina Gonzalez-Silva35Latin American Institute for Brain Health (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, ChileLatin American Institute for Brain Health (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, ChileDepartment of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, NetherlandsLatin American Institute for Brain Health (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, ChileGlobal Brain Health Institute, Trinity College, Dublin, IrelandGlobal Brain Health Institute, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, United StatesCognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaSpecialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service San Borja Arriaran Clinical Hospital, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Health Network, Santiago, ChileDepartment of Psychiatry, Neuropsychology and Clinical Neuroscience Laboratory (LANNEC), Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, ChileEscuela de Psicología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Las Condes, ChileLatin American Institute for Brain Health (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, ChileLatin American Institute for Brain Health (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, ChileLatin American Institute for Brain Health (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, ChileBrain and Mind Centre, School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia0Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Finisterrae, Santiago, Chile1Memory Unit Neurology Service, Hospital del Salvador, Santiago, ChileGlobal Brain Health Institute, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, United States2Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (PhD Program in Neuroscience) Bogotá, San Ignacio, Colombia3Center of Memory and Cognition Intellectus, Hospital Universitario San Ignacio Bogotá, San Ignacio, Colombia4Instituto Peruano de Neurociencias, Unidad de diagnóstico de deterioro cognitivo y prevención de demencia, Lima, Peru4Instituto Peruano de Neurociencias, Unidad de diagnóstico de deterioro cognitivo y prevención de demencia, Lima, Peru5Biomedical Science Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Católica de Cuyo, San Juan, Argentina6Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina7L’Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, UMR 1219, University Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France8Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico2Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (PhD Program in Neuroscience) Bogotá, San Ignacio, Colombia3Center of Memory and Cognition Intellectus, Hospital Universitario San Ignacio Bogotá, San Ignacio, Colombia9Instituto de Envejecimiento, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia0Mental Health Department, Hospital Universitario Santa Fe de Bogotá, Bogotá, ColombiaLatin American Institute for Brain Health (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile1Faculty of Engineering and Sciences, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile2Data Observatory Foundation, Santiago, Chile3Centro de Investigación Biomédica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile1Memory Unit Neurology Service, Hospital del Salvador, Santiago, ChileLatin American Institute for Brain Health (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, ChileLatin American Institute for Brain Health (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, ChileChronic pain (CP) is a global public health issue and a critical factor in the aging process. Chile, as one of the most aged countries in Latin America, presents a unique context for exploring CP and its associated factors. Despite its significance in aging, previous studies in the region often fail to comprehensively address key variables such as age, income, mood, mobility, diet, and cognitive skills, nor do they systematically investigate the relationship between CP and cognitive impairment. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of CP prevalence, related sociodemographic and health variables, and its link to cognitive impairment, using representative data of the Chilean population 15 years and older from the 2009–2010 and 2016–2017 Chilean National Health Surveys (CNHS). In the expanded sample of 12,791,542 and 13,399,937 individuals respectively, the overall prevalence of CP was 46.0% in the 2009–2010 CNHS and 28.9% in the 2016–2017 CNHS, with prevalence increasing with age. CP ranged from 26.6% among individuals aged 15–24 years to 59.9% among those aged 65–80 years in the 2009–2010 CNHS, and from 16.6% to 40.2% in the 2016–2017 CNHS. Female participants consistently reported higher CP rates, with significantly higher prevalence than males across age groups 15–64 years. Using complex survey logistic regression analyses, we identified several factors that were significantly associated with CP, including reduced mobility, depression, anxiety, socioeconomic disadvantage, and lower educational attainment. Machine learning techniques were employed to classify CP and non-CP cases, providing a nuanced understanding of the complex interplay between factors that influence CP. In a secondary analysis among those 60 years and older, no significant difference in CP prevalence was observed between individuals with and without cognitive impairment measured with an abbreviated MiniMental State Examination test. However, those with cognitive impairment tended to report pain in a greater number of anatomical sites. This study provides the first nationally representative evidence of CP in Chile in relation to age, income, mood, mobility, diet, and cognitive performance. These findings contribute to the understanding of CP as a public health issue in Latin America. The study underscores the need for targeted interventions to promote healthy longevity and reduce the burden of chronic diseases in aging populations.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fragi.2025.1548667/fullChilechronic pain associated factorscognitive impairmentelderly populationprevalence
spellingShingle Hernán Hernández
Carolina Ochoa-Rosales
Carolina Ochoa-Rosales
Agustín Ibáñez
Agustín Ibáñez
Agustín Ibáñez
Agustín Ibáñez
Lorena Oyanadel
Loreto Olavarria
Loreto Olavarria
Nickole Marín-Díaz
Ariel Caviedes
Jessica L. Hazelton
Jessica L. Hazelton
Teresita Ramos
Teresita Ramos
Hernando Santamaria-García
Hernando Santamaria-García
Hernando Santamaria-García
Nilton Custodio
Rosa Montesinos
Martin A. Bruno
Martin A. Bruno
Jose A. Avila-Funes
Jose A. Avila-Funes
Diana Matallana
Diana Matallana
Diana Matallana
Diana Matallana
Rolando de la Cruz
Rolando de la Cruz
Rolando de la Cruz
Fanny Petermann-Rocha
Andrea Slachevsky
Claudia Duran-Aniotz
Carolina Gonzalez-Silva
Chronic pain in the Chilean population: risk factors prevalence and cognitive associations
Frontiers in Aging
Chile
chronic pain associated factors
cognitive impairment
elderly population
prevalence
title Chronic pain in the Chilean population: risk factors prevalence and cognitive associations
title_full Chronic pain in the Chilean population: risk factors prevalence and cognitive associations
title_fullStr Chronic pain in the Chilean population: risk factors prevalence and cognitive associations
title_full_unstemmed Chronic pain in the Chilean population: risk factors prevalence and cognitive associations
title_short Chronic pain in the Chilean population: risk factors prevalence and cognitive associations
title_sort chronic pain in the chilean population risk factors prevalence and cognitive associations
topic Chile
chronic pain associated factors
cognitive impairment
elderly population
prevalence
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fragi.2025.1548667/full
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