Researchers have demonstrated that certain types of pain coping
are correlated with less pain severity and disability and that
there are differences between Caucasians and African-American
pain patients in their use of specific coping strategies.
However, the extent to which racial group differences exist in
the associations between pain coping strategies and pain
severity, interference, and disability is unclear. Furthermore,
the role of education in these associations is uncertain. We
recruited a diverse community sample of individuals with chronic
pain and their spouses to examine this issue (N =105).
Participants completed the Coping Strategies Questionnaire,
Multidimensional Pain Inventory, and Sickness Impact Profile.
Results showed that African-American participants reported
significantly more pain severity, interference, and disability
and reported using diverting attention and prayer and hoping
pain-coping strategies significantly more often than Caucasian
participants; however, only the racial group