Authors Abstract

About 20% of South African adults have chronic pain, with women and the elderly being the worst affected; the prevalence of chronic pain is 20% greater in women than in men, and 30% of people over 65 years have chronic pain.1 However, beyond basic epidemiological data, fundamental information on the biological, psychological, and social factors that predispose individuals to the development and chronification of pain is missing for South Africa (and other low- to middle-income countries).

Author Biographies P Kamerman, University of the Witwatersrand

Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

VJ Madden, University of Cape Town

African Pain Research Initiative, Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town and HIV Mental Health Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa

G Arendse, University of Cape Town

African Pain Research Initiative, Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa

GJ Bedwell, University of Cape Town

African Pain Research Initiative, Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa

D Cajee, University of the Witwatersrand

Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

T Chinaka, University of the Witwatersrand

Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

B Mason, University of Cape Town

African Pain Research Initiative, Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa

M McDonald, University of Cape Town

African Pain Research Initiative, Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa

L Mqadi, University of Cape Town

African Pain Research Initiative, Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa

J van der Walt, University of Cape Town

African Pain Research Initiative, Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa

R Parker, University of Cape Town

African Pain Research Initiative, Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa

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