Exploring the complexities of chronic pain: The ICEPAIN study on prevalence, lifestyle factors, and quality of life in a general population.

Objectives: The ICEPAIN study is a longitudinal research project focused on building an extensive database on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), lifestyle, and pain among the general population in Iceland. The project started with a cross-sectional data collection and will be followed by similar data collection after 5 and 10 years from participants who have agreed to be contacted again. In this article, descriptive data on the prevalence and nature of chronic pain in the Icelandic general population will be presented in relation to sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, adverse life experiences, and HRQoL.

Methods: Data were collected through a web-based platform using a national panel representing a randomised population sample of 12,400 individuals aged 18-80 years from the National Population Register of Iceland. The instruments consisted of questionnaires on pain, lifestyle factors, adverse life experiences, and HRQoL. The sample was stratified according to age, gender, and residence.

Results: The response rate was 45% (N = 5,557), and most participants (81%) agreed to be contacted again for later data collection. The mean age of the respondents was 54.8 years (SD = 13.7). Half of the participants (50.3%) had experienced some pain the previous week, and 40% had chronic pain (≥3 months). The prevalence of chronic pain was inversely related to educational level and satisfaction with household income and positively associated with body mass index. A significant correlation was found between chronic pain prevalence and several lifestyle variables, such as physical exercises, smoking habits, sleep, and adverse life experiences. Chronic pain had a significant negative impact on both physical and mental components of HRQoL.

Conclusion: These results indicate a complex relationship between chronic pain, lifestyle, and adverse life experiences. The longitudinal design will provide further information on the long-term development among these variables.