Comorbidities, intensity, frequency and duration of pain, daily functioning and health care seeking in local, regional, and widespread pain—a descriptive population-based survey (SwePain)

Table 5 Weighted proportions in per cent (%) of different pain characteristics and median pain intensity in the three pain categories based on spreading of pain on the body. Statistical comparisons are furthest to the right^a

Pain category Variables	Local pain (n = 403–416)	Regional pain (n = 2106–2173)	Widespread pain (n = 241–244)	Statistics (p-value)
Pain very often or always (%)	51.1	63.3	99.9	LP vs. RP: <0.001*
				LP vs. WSP: <0.001*
				RP vs. WSP: <0.001*
Pain duration > 3 months (%)	60.1	68.6	92.4	LP vs. RP: 0.130
				LP vs. WSP: <0.001*
				RP vs. WSP: <0.001*
Pain intensity last 7 days (median; (1^st and 3^rd quartile))^b	4 (3, 6)	5 (3, 6)	7 (6,8)	LP vs. RP: <0.001*
				LP vs. WSP: <0.001*
				RP vs. WSP: <0.001*

Range of response rate (n) across the variables is in the pain category column
LP local pain, RP regional pain, WSP widespread pain
*Denotes statistical group difference
^aDifferences in proportions are tested pair-wise
^bThe mean pain intensity, and sd in parantheses, were in each pain group as follows: 4.2 (1.9), 4.9 (1.9) and 6.5 (1.8)

ISSN: 1471-2474