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The societal burden of chronic pain in Japan: an internet survey

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Orthopaedic Science

Abstract

Objectives

Chronic pain affects between 10–20 % of the population of Japan and several specific types of chronic pain have been found to be associated with worse health outcomes. The aim of the current study was to investigate the economic burden of chronic pain as well as the health status among Japanese patients.

Methods

Data from the Japan National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS), a cross-sectional health survey of adults, were used (N = 30,000). Respondents with chronic pain (N = 785) were compared with respondents without chronic pain (N = 29,215) with respect to health status (using the SF-12v2), work productivity and activity impairment (WPAI questionnaire), and healthcare resource use using regression modeling, controlling for demographic and health history covariates. Indirect costs were calculated using wage rates and the human capital method.

Results

Back pain (72.10 %) and shoulder pain/stiffness (54.90 %) were the most prevalent pain types. Adjusting for demographic and health history differences, respondents with chronic pain reported lower health status [mental component summary (MCS): 44.26 vs. 51.14; physical component summary (PCS): 44.23 vs. 47.48; both p < 0.05], greater absenteeism (4.74 vs. 2.74 %), presenteeism (30.19 vs. 15.19 %), overall work impairment (31.70 vs. 16.82 %), indirect costs (¥1488,385 vs. ¥804,634), activity impairment (33.45 vs. 17.25 %), physician visits (9.31 vs. 4.08), emergency room (ER) visits (0.19 vs. 0.08), and hospitalizations (0.71 vs. 0.34) (all p < 0.05). Nearly 60 % of respondents with chronic pain were untreated. The mean level of pain severity in the last week was 5.26 (using a 0–11 scale); being female, being elderly, having low income, and having multiple pain types were significantly associated with greater pain severity (all p < 0.05). Regular exercise was associated with lower pain severity (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

The results suggest that chronic pain has a significant association in an individual’s health status, work productivity, daily activity impairment, healthcare resource use, and economic burden in Japan. Along with low treatment rates, a multidisciplinary approach may lead to an improved quality of life and reduce the economic burden among patients with chronic pain in Japan.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by Pfizer Japan, Inc. KF and NE are currently full-time employees of Pfizer Japan, Inc. The NHWS is a survey conducted by, with the associated data owned by, Kantar Health. Pfizer Japan, Inc. purchased access to the NHWS 2011 database and commissioned Kantar Health to analyze the data for this study and assist in the preparation of this manuscript. MD is a full-time employee of Kantar Health. TTak, TU, TK, and TTag each received a consultancy fee from Pfizer Japan, Inc. for their participation in the study advisory board.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Economics and Industrial Policy, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan

    Tomoyuki Takura

  2. Multidisciplinary Pain Center, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Japan

    Takahiro Ushida

  3. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi, Japan

    Tsukasa Kanchiku & Toshihiko Taguchi

  4. Pain/Neuroscience Medical Affairs, Pfizer, Tokyo, Japan

    Nozomi Ebata & Koichi Fujii

  5. Health Outcomes Practice, Kantar Health, 11 Madison Avenue, 12th Floor, New York, NY, 10010, USA

    Marco daCosta DiBonaventura

Authors
  1. Tomoyuki Takura
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  2. Takahiro Ushida
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  3. Tsukasa Kanchiku
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  4. Nozomi Ebata
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  5. Koichi Fujii
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  6. Marco daCosta DiBonaventura
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  7. Toshihiko Taguchi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marco daCosta DiBonaventura.

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Takura, T., Ushida, T., Kanchiku, T. et al. The societal burden of chronic pain in Japan: an internet survey. J Orthop Sci 20, 750–760 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00776-015-0730-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00776-015-0730-8

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