Scientists have discovered a "gender gap in pain," as women report feeling more pain than men, and this applies to various types of pain, from headaches to knee pain.
This came in a global study whose results were published in the journal "Nature Medicine".
The scientists collected data on more than 6 million people aged between 5 and over 100 years old, from 118 countries, during the period between 1990 and 2025.
Back pain was found to be the most common, reported by about 40% of participants, while facial pain was the least common, reported by about 2% of them.
The difference between women and men was particularly noticeable in cases of headaches, facial pain, and abdominal pain. The number of reported pain cases increases rapidly on average until age 55, after which this increase slows. However, different types of pain change in different ways; back, hip, and knee pain tend to increase throughout life, while headaches peak around age 34 and then decline, especially in women.
The authors analyzed self-reported data from participants, not medical diagnoses, meaning the study may include individuals with limited access to healthcare services. The researchers linked more than 18% of the global burden of pain to smoking, obesity, and low income.
Professor Andrew Horne of the University of Edinburgh described the study as an important confirmation that women's pain is often underestimated and undertreated.
Scientists believe that prevention efforts should begin early, taking into account the different characteristics and conditions of each region.
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