Unspecified pain, chronic pain, and high-impact chronic pain in Lesotho: a population-based cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Pain is understudied in Africa, and there are no data on high-impact chronic pain from this region. In this study, we assessed the prevalence of unspecified pain, chronic pain, and high-impact chronic pain, and their determinants in Lesotho, Southern Africa.

Method

We conducted a household-based, cross-sectional survey among adults aged 18 years or older in 120 randomly sampled villages across Butha-Buthe and Mokhotlong districts in Lesotho.

Results

Among the 6039 adults included, the median age was 39 years (interquartile range: 27-58), and 3153 of 6039 participants (52.2%) were female. Overall, 1194 participants (19.8%) had unspecified pain (95% confidence interval [CI]: 18.8-20.8), 909 (15.1%) had chronic pain (95% CI: 14.2-16.0), and 428 (7.1%) had high

SUBMITTER: Firima E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12705063 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature