Inequities in Inpatient Obstetrics Pain Management and Evaluation: Age, Race, Mental Health, and Obesity

To evaluate disparities of pain management among patients giving birth in inpatient Obstetrics units based on age, race, BMI, and mental health diagnoses.

A retrospective cohort study was performed and included all individuals giving birth at a tertiary-care institution in 2019. Patient-reported pain scores, and inpatient narcotic administration and dosing for pain control were collected. Models were adjusted for race, age, BMI, and diagnoses of anxiety, depression, opioid use disorder, and/or schizophrenia.

4788 Individuals met the inclusion criteria. A higher proportion of African American patients reported severe pain (n = 233/607, 38.4%) and received narcotics (n = 653/1141, 57.2%) compared to patients of other races. Despite controlling for several possible confounders, African American patients (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.08-2.22), patients with increased BMI (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.03), and patients with a mental health diagnosis (OR 2.33, 95% CI 1.32-4.12) were more likely to have worse pain at rest. Older patients were more likely to be administered narcotics (n = 447/757, 59.0%) compared to younger patients (patients aged 18-26: n = 577/1257, 52.3%; patients aged 27-35: n = 1451/2774, 52.3%; p < 0.001), despite younger patients being more likely to have severe pain (OR 1.50; 95% CI 1.20-1.86; p = 0.001).

Patients who are Non-Hispanic African American and patients with obesity and mental health diagnoses experience inequities in postpartum pain management. Pain is complex and multifactorial and can be impacted by cultural, social, environmental factors and more. Further studies on factors that influence pain perception and management in inpatient obstetrics units are needed.