美国密执根州大学的研究人员发现“与生活在相对富裕的居民区之人们比较，生活在相对贫困之社区的50岁以下的成年人，特别是黑人慢性疼痛、因疼痛致残和/或因疼痛诱发的焦虑与抑郁等发生率均较高，究其原因可能与经济状况较差者保健意识不够、健康状况不佳、医疗条件较差等有关。”真可谓“经济决定健康啊”！？

People in Poor Neighborhoods Have More Pain, Study Finds

Blacks experience more pain, disability regardless of where they live, research shows

THURSDAY, March 8 (HealthDay News) -- Adults under the age of 50 who live in low-income neighborhoods experience more chronic pain than those in more affluent communities, new research finds.

Blacks, however, experienced more chronic pain and disability than whites regardless of where they lived, according to the researchers from the University of Michigan.

The study, published in a recent issue of The Journal of Pain, included more than 3,700 adults under age 50. Men and women who lived in poorer neighborhoods had more pain, pain-related disability and mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety, the investigators found.

The link between pain and the economic status of a neighborhood was especially strong among young black Americans, the study authors pointed out.

"Our findings show an unequal burden of pain in blacks and among those living in poor neighborhoods among the 116 million adults who experience chronic pain," lead study author Dr. Carmen Green, a pain medicine expert at the University of Michigan Health System, said in a university news release.

Reasons for the disparities may include barriers to good health care, including adequate pain management, the researchers suggested.

SOURCE: University of Michigan, news release, March 1, 2012