Racial/ethnic disparities in pain among Canadian adults

Understanding pain disparities is critical for fostering health equity and guiding effective health policies. However, little is known about racial/ethnic disparities in pain among adults in Canada. We provide a comprehensive analysis of racial/ethnic disparities in pain among Canadian adults, focusing on two dimensions of pain – frequent pain and interfering pain. We use two-wave cross-sectional data collected in 2020 and 2022 from a representative sample of 4,637 adults aged 18 and older residing in Canada. We calculate the prevalence of pain among White, Black, East/Southeast Asian, South Asian, Indigenous, Multiracial, and “Other” groups and estimate relative differences adjusted for key covariates in a multivariable framework. The data reveal large and statistically significant pain disparities; specific patterns, however, vary across the two pain outcomes and by gender. Indigenous Canadians have relatively high prevalence of both frequent pain (38.4%) and interfering pain (27.8%), while East/Southeast Asian Canadians have the lowest prevalence of both (8.2% and 14.4%, respectively). Black Canadians have a relatively low prevalence of frequent pain (16.9%) but a very high prevalence of interfering pain (27.8%). Covariates are associated with pain levels but less so with the racial/ethnic patterns in pain. Our analysis highlights substantial racial/ethnic disparities in pain prevalence among Canadian adults. Further research is essential to better understand the root causes of the observed disparities and ultimately improve the lives of Canadians living with pain.