Seventeen-Year National Pain Prevalence Trends Among U.S. Military Veterans

U.S. military veterans experience higher pain prevalence and severity than nonveterans. However, it is unclear how these differences have changed over time. Previous studies are limited to veterans receiving care from the Veterans Health Administration.

To characterize pain prevalence trends in the overall population of U.S. veterans compared to nonveterans, using nationally-representative data.

Repeated cross-sectional study. Data: National Health Interview Survey, 2002-2018. Analysis: January 2023.

Population-based survey of noninstitutionalized U.S. adults.

Across the 17-year period, mean annual weighted population was 229.7 million adults (unweighted sample total: n=506,639; unweighted sample annual mean: n=29,802).

Veteran status.

Crude and demographics-adjusted pain prevalence trend differences between veterans and nonveterans across five pain variables (severe headache or migraine, facial pain, neck pain, low back pain, and joint pain) and two composite variables (any pain [≥1 prevalent pain] and multiple pains [≥2 prevalent pains]).

Weighted proportion of veterans varied from 11.48% in 2002 (highest) to 8.41% in 2017 (lowest). Across the study period, crude prevalence was generally similar or higher among veterans than nonveterans for all pain variables except for severe headache or migraine and facial pain. When equalizing age, sex, race, and ethnicity, pain prevalence among veterans remained similar or higher than nonveterans for all pain variables. From 2002 to 2018 there was an absolute increase (95% CI) in pain prevalence among veterans (severe headache or migraine: 2.0% [1.6% to 2.4%]; facial pain: 1.9% [1.4% to 2.4%]; neck pain: 4.7% [4.1% to 5.2%]; joint pain: 11.4% [10.8% to 11.9%]; low back pain: 10.3% [9.5% to 11.1%]; any pain: 10.0% [9.6% to 10.4%]; and multiple pains: 9.9% [9.2% to 10.6%]. Crude and adjusted analyses indicated prevalence of all pain variables increased more among veterans than nonveterans from 2002 to 2018.

Veterans had similar or higher adjusted prevalence and higher rates of increase over time for all pain variables compared to nonveterans. Continued pain prevalence increase among veterans may impact healthcare utilization (within and outside of the VHA), underscoring the need for improved pain prevention and care programs for these individuals with disproportionate pain burden.