What exacerbates the chronic secondary musculoskeletal pain of rheumatic diseases is old age for men and depression for women, a study showed.

Ajou University Hospital said Wednesday that Professor Kim Hyun-ah of its Rheumatology Department and Professor Kim Hee-jun of the George Washington University School of Nursing have identified the main factors affecting pain intensity and daily inconvenience (pain interference) due to pain through a biopsychosocial complex model in 220 rheumatology patients with chronic secondary musculoskeletal pain.

Subjects had a mean pain intensity of 3.01 (0-10 scale) and a mean total pain interference score of 21.07 (0-70 scale). Biological factors included age, gender, pain condition, pain duration, pain sensitivity, and comorbidities, while psychological factors included pain catastrophizing (negative perception of pain) and depression,

The results showed that among these biopsychosocial factors, higher levels of depression and pain catastrophizing were associated with higher pain intensity and greater interference with daily life due to pain.

In particular, age and pain catastrophizing in men and depression and pain catastrophizing in women were associated with higher pain intensity and greater disability due to pain. Pain catastrophizing was identified as a major factor influencing chronic pain in both men and women.

The researchers noted that pain in rheumatic diseases is strongly associated with increased disability and mortality, stressing that the study is significant for its multifaceted identification of psychosocial and biological factors that influence chronic pain.

"This study is expected to provide a deeper understanding of the complaints of pain by rheumatologic patients and will be very helpful in establishing appropriate treatment plans," Professor Kim Hyun-ah said.

Professor Kim Hee-jun said, "Through this study, we have identified various factors contributing to chronic pain in Koreans. We will develop a biopsychosocial model for personalized treatment for different populations in the United States."

The study, "Biological sex influences psychological aspects of the biopsychosocial model related to chronic pain intensity and interference among South Korean patients with chronic secondary musculoskeletal pain in rheumatic diseases," was published in April in the international journal Frontiers in Psychology.