Understanding the Pain Experience of Native Americans: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

Abstract

Background. Pain is the most commonly reported symptom in primary care and is estimated to affect over 110 million people in the United States. Increased pain severity and occurrence and inadequate treatment of pain is linked to being a minority, healthcare access, socioeconomic status, age and gender. Outcomes of pain include costs, healthcare utilization, functional changes, and quality of life. Gaps in knowledge exist regarding the American Indian (AI) chronic non-malignant pain experience, management and outcomes. Objective. The purpose of this research is to describe Northern New Mexico (NNM) AIs chronic pain experience, intervention strategies, and outcomes. Methods. This study utilized a qualitative descriptive (QD) design, with in-depth, one-on-one interviews with semi-structured interview questions. A sample of 14 Native Americans were interviewed for this study. A questionnaire was used to collect demographic data. Domain, taxonomic and content analyses were utilized to gain a highly nuanced description of the research topic. Results. The participants provided rich qualitative data regarding chronic pain experience, management strategies and outcomes. Frequent pain experiences included the body as a confining entity, body awareness, unpredictability of pain, and psychological outcomes. AIs in the study utilize a variety of biomedical, professional and self-care interventions. Outcomes discussed were functional status, costs, healthcare utilization, and quality of life. Outcomes. The goal of this research is increased understanding of the chronic pain experience through the perspective of those experiencing it. Findings will be submitted to the University of Arizona dissertation library, disseminated across relevant peer-reviewed journals focused on pain and pain management, and presented to appropriate groups and organizations.