Sex Differences in the Prevalence of Chronic Pain in Mid-Life: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

ABSTRACT: Background/Objectives: Chronic pain (CP) affects more females than males, but it is unclear how differences present at mid-life, a period characterized by distinct changes which may exacerbate inequality. Methods: Using a search strategy combining MeSH terms and Boolean operators, we searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, AMED, and PSYCHinfo for population-representative cohort or cross-sectional studies of CP prevalence. We conducted a systematic review of CP prevalence by sex and the difference in prevalence of CP between sexes at mid-life through narrative synthesis and random-effects meta-analysis. A sensitivity analysis assessed how sex differences varied by pain type, pain definition, and geographic region. Results: Eighteen eligible articles provided information on CP preval

SUBMITTER: Borra C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12562057 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature