Life course disadvantages of chronic pain: a registerbased multigenerational twin study

Research problem and specific questions: Chronic pain is a prevalent condition globally, that results in great suffering for the affected and an enormous burden for society.

Negative consequences also impact the affected individual´s family, but the extent of these consequences is inadequately explored.

This information is crucial to determine whether the treatment of long-term pain should also involve supportive measures for the affected individual´s family.

The proposed project consists of three studies that examines the extent to which a parent´s pain contributes to the child experiencing (1) socio-economic disadvantages in education, income, and unemployment, (2) increased sickness absence, and (3) an increased need for healthcare services.Data and methods: The project is register-based and utilizes data from several national registers to provide a comprehensive overview of the consequences of chronic pain for the next generation.

Parents at risk of chronic pain are identified in the Swedish Twin Registry and linked to their children through the Multigeneration Register.

Descriptive statistics are used to describe trends in outcomes over time, and the primary comparison is within exposure discordant twin pairs.Societal relevance and utilization: Chronic pain is one of the major societal illnesses of our time closely linked to the leading causes of non-fatal disability globally.

A deeper understanding of its consequences is crucial to clarify whether chronic pain interventions should also encompass preventive measures of potential negative consequences for the next generation.Plan for project realisation: The project is executed over a three-year period through an interdisciplinary collaboration between experienced clinicians and research methodologists.

Data is aggregated into a database at the Center for Clinical Research Dalarna and analyzed by me with support from two professors in statistics. I have previous experience in both the subject area and the proposed analytical methods.