Do social and demographic factors influence the nature and localisation of somatic complaints?

Demographic characteristics of specific somatic complaints were studied systematically in 60 consecutive patients whose main complaints were bodily symptoms without organic pathology, to determine if the social and demographic factors in any way influenced the nature or localisation of specific common somatic complaints. The Scale for Assessment of Somatic Symptoms was used to systematically acquire details of individual complaints. The commonest somatic complaints identified were weakness of body or mind (72%), headache (67%), fatiguability (37%) and burning sensations (35%). Subjects with less education reported weakness of body and mind, and multiple sites of pain more often, but lethargy and fatiguability less often than those with higher education. Rural subjects reported burning sensations and pain in their extremities more frequently. A sensation of 'gas' was more often reported by younger subjects, and pain in the extremities by male subjects. The factors which determine the choice of somatic complaints remain elusive and the exact reasons for these demographic relationships are unclear at present.