Links among age, perceived health, physical functionality, experienced stigma and body image in the context of chronic pain

The present study examines the associations among age, gender, perceived health, physical functionality, experienced stigma, and body image among a sample of adults with chronic pain. The participants in this study were individuals that self-reported having chronic pain conditions (N=278, Mage =36.75, SD=11.56). Participants completed assessments of health perceptions, degree of pain, body image and experience of stigma. It was hypothesized that older participants (sample age range = 18-69 years) would report lower levels of perceived health and physical functionality and more experiences of stigma. I also expected that body image would moderate the relationship between age, health, functionality, and stigma experience. The findings of this study suggest that general health and physical functionality are unique predictors of experiences of stigma and when people feel good about themselves their perceptions of general health and interactions with others as it pertains to their health tend to be more positive. These findings have implications for developing interventions that address the mental health, including body image, for chronic pain patients.This work was accepted to the annual Graduate Research and Creative Works Symposium while the author was a graduate student at Rutgers University-Camden