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Meta-Analysis
. 2024 Jun 4;24(1):321.
doi: 10.1186/s12905-024-03097-w.

The association between violence against women and chronic pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Allison Uvelli  1 , Carola Ribaudo  2 , Giacomo Gualtieri  3   4 , Anna Coluccia  3 , Fabio Ferretti  3
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

The association between violence against women and chronic pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Allison Uvelli et al. BMC Womens Health. .

Abstract

Violence against women is a phenomenon that involves at least 35% of women worldwide. Violence can be sexual, physical, and/or psychological, perpetrated by the partner, another family member, or a stranger. Violence is a public health problem because its consequences include higher morbidity, higher mortality, and short and long-term physical and psychological health diseases. Most studies prove an association between any type of violence and some chronic pain diagnoses but no one has done a complete collection of this evidence. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate whether this association is statistically significant, including the largest number of studies. Through the inclusion of 37 articles, the association has been demonstrated. Compared with no history of violence, women who did experience violence showed 2 times greater odds of developing chronic pain. The impact of violence was significant also on fibromyalgia separately, but not on pelvic pain.PROSPERO registrationPROSPERO CRD42023425477.

Keywords: Chronic pain; Systematic review; Violence against women.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Prisma flowchart [46]
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Forest plot showing the meta-analysis results about chronic pain in general
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Funnel plot of chronic pain in general
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Forest plot of the meta-analysis results about pelvic pain
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Pelvic pain Funnel plot
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Forest plot of the meta-analysis results about fibromyalgia
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Fibromyalgia funnel plot
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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