Women Suffer More Pain Than Men

A major global study has found that women suffer more pain than men across the whole body. The research, which analyzed data from over 6 million people in 118 countries, found that women's self-reported pain was higher than men's across 11 bodily sites.

The study, published in Nature Medicine, found that the steepest increase in pain happened before people turned 55, with back, hip, and knee pain increasing across the lifespan. Headaches and abdominal pain peaked at an earlier age.

The researchers found that about 40% of participants reported back pain, while facial pain was the rarest at 2%. Those in the lowest Human Development Index regions had substantially higher late-life prevalence of bodily pain.

The study's findings suggest that pain should not be considered a single disease, but rather different types of pain that arise at different stages of life. The researchers also found that modifiable risk factors such as smoking, obesity, and low income carried greater weight in high-income areas.

The study's authors say that the findings have direct implications for where prevention and care should be focused. They note that the distinction between pain accumulation and pain that intensifies and then resolves has important implications for public health policy.

The research also found that pain prevalence varied enormously depending on where in the body it occurred. Women reported higher pain prevalence than men across every one of the 11 body areas studied, with the biggest gender gaps seen in facial pain, headaches, and stomach or abdominal pain.

The study's findings are significant for public health policy, particularly in terms of understanding the timing and development of pain. The researchers say that the findings could reshape how pain prevention is approached, both in Australia and globally.