Objectives Chronic pain is a pervasive condition that affects millions worldwide, with significant impacts on individuals' quality of life. This study aimed to explore the role of pain acceptance and health literacy in predicting pain intensity among individuals with chronic pain, providing insights into non-pharmacological factors that may influence pain experiences. Methods A cross-sectional design was employed, involving 350 participants from Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. Pain intensity was measured using the numeric pain rating scale (NPRS), while pain acceptance and health literacywere assessed using the chronic pain acceptance questionnaire (CPAQ) and the health literacy questionnaire (HLQ), respectively. Pearson correlation and linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between the study variables. Results Pain acceptance and health literacy were both significantly negatively correlated with pain intensity (r=-0.45, P<0.01 and r=-0.38, P<0.01, respectively). In the regression model, both variables significantly predicted pain intensity, accounting for 26% of the variance (R-2=0.26, adjusted R-2=0.24, F=19.56, P<0.001). Pain acceptance (B=-0.15, (beta=-0.25, t=-5.00, P<0.001) and health literacy (B=-0.10, (beta=-0.20, t=-4.00, P<0.001) emerged as significant predictors. Conclusion The study findings highlight the significant roles of pain acceptance and health literacy in managing pain intensity among individuals with chronic pain. These findings suggest that interventions aimed at enhancing pain acceptance and health literacy could be beneficial in reducing pain intensity and improving the quality of life for chronic pain sufferers.
Karstensen et al. (Fri,) studied this question.