AUTHOR=Allen-Watts Kristen , Sims Andrew M. , Buchanan Taylor L. , DeJesus Danica J. B. , Quinn Tammie L. , Buford Thomas W. , Goodin Burel R. , Rumble Deanna D. TITLE=Sociodemographic Differences in Pain Medication Usage and Healthcare Provider Utilization Among Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pain Research VOLUME=2 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pain-research/articles/10.3389/fpain.2021.806310 DOI=10.3389/fpain.2021.806310 ISSN=2673-561X ABSTRACT=
Chronic low back pain (cLBP) is the most common reason for individual suffering and health care utilization in adults. Ample evidence suggests sociodemographic variables and socioeconomic status (SES) influence pain. However, a framework informing associations on race, SES, and the utilization of pharmacologic therapies and provider type are limited—particularly in cLBP. Thus, this study examined the extent to which sociodemographic (i.e., age, race, and gender) and socioeconomic factors (i.e., national area deprivation index, NADI) influence pain treatment (i.e., NSAIDs, opioids, antidepressants, and non-NSAIDs) and provider utilization for cLBP (i.e., no provider care, primary care, or tertiary care). Eligible participants with cLBP completed a series of questionnaires. Of the 174 participants, 58% were women, 59% were non-Hispanic Black (NHB), and the mean age was 46.10 (SD 13.58). Based on NADI distributions by race, NHB participants lived in more socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods (