Photo Credit: Jitendra
The following is a summary of “Exploring the Multifactorial Predictors of Pain in Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Regression-Based Study,” published in the April 2025 issue of Journal of Pain Research by González-de-la-Flor et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to evaluate differences in pain neurophysiology knowledge between individuals with and without chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) and to explore the associations between pain knowledge, pain intensity, and demographic and lifestyle factors.
They included 171 participants, consisting of 120 with CMP and 51 without CMP. Sociodemographic, pain-related, and lifestyle data were gathered. Pain knowledge was assessed using the Revised Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire (R-NPQ). Statistical analyses, including t-tests, chi-squared tests, Pearson’s correlation, and stepwise regression models, were used to identify predictors of pain intensity and CMP presence.
The results showed significant differences between participants with and without CMP in body mass index (BMI) (P <0.001), physical activity (P =0.023), education level (P =0.002), and alcohol consumption (P = 0.017). Participants with CMP had lower R-NPQ scores (mean 4.40 ± 2.1) compared to those without CMP (mean 6.31 ± 2.03; P <0.001). Pain intensity was negatively correlated with R-NPQ scores (r=−0.315; P <0.001), physical activity (r=−0.199; P =0.030), and education level (rho=0.236; P =0.010). Stepwise regression analysis revealed that R-NPQ scores (20.7%), BMI (6.7%), education level (3.9%), and physical activity (2.6%) explained 33.9% of pain intensity variance (adjusted R2
=0.339). Binary logistic regression identified BMI, R-NPQ scores, and education level as significant predictors of CMP, with higher BMI and lower R-NPQ scores increasing CMP odds, while higher education and physical activity were protective factors.
Investigators concluded that individuals with CMP demonstrated lower knowledge of pain neurophysiology, higher BMI, reduced physical activity levels, and lower educational attainment, all factors associated with greater pain intensity and an increased probability of CMP.