[The prevalence of pain in the German population: results of population-based studies with the Giessen Subjective Complaints List (Giessener Beschwerdebogen GBB)].

OBJECTIVE: Pain is one of the most frequent physical complaints worldwide. Empirical data on the prevalence of chronic pain is considerable. However, compared with the large number of epidemiological studies published in North America, Great Britain and particularly in Scandinavia, there has been relatively little equivalent research in Germany to date.
METHODS: In two separate population-based cross-sectional studies conducted in 1975 (n=1.597, 18-60 years) and 1994 (n=2.148, 18-60 years) using the Giessen Subjective Complaints List (Giessener Beschwerdebogen GBB), data was collected on current pain in various parts of the body (limbs, back, neck, head, stomach).
RESULTS: The frequency scores for pain varied according to localization between 32.4% (stomach pains 1975) and 67.3% (headaches 1994). Between the two measurement dates there was an increase in overall prevalence particularly for pains in the neck, head and limbs. At the same time we found a decrease in the proportion of severe pain symptoms. There were also considerable variations in pain experience according to age and gender: the frequency of pain increases with age (especially in limbs, back and neck). Women register more pain than men (particularly in head and neck), although the influence of gender decreases from 1975 to 1994. There are other sociodemographic variables like marital status, educational level, occupation or living in East/West Germany which influence the pain prevalence.
CONCLUSIONS: Pain in differing parts of the body is a serious problem in the German population. However, the prevalence of pain is strongly dependent on sociodemographic factors (especially age, gender and living in East/West Germany), the localization of pain in the body and the grading of pain. Future epidemiological research should take these differential aspects into account.