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Prevalence of reported pain, widespread pain, and pain symmetry in veterans of the Persian Gulf War (1990-1991): the use of pain manikins in Persian Gulf War health research.

The reporting of pain was compared for U.K. Persian Gulf War veterans, veterans from the Bosnian conflict, and personnel employed in the military at the time of the Persian Gulf War but not deployed (era comparison group). Pain manikins were used to assess the prevalence of the reporting of pain in different body sites and the prevalence of the reporting of widespread pain, in relation to comparison samples. Data from > 8,195 veterans were collected from a previously reported, cross-sectional, population-based, postal questionnaire survey. A greater proportion of Persian Gulf War veterans reported pain in the majority of the 25 areas of the body, compared with the Bosnia and era comparison groups. A greater proportion of Persian Gulf War veterans also fulfilled American College of Rheumatology criteria for widespread pain, compared with the Bosnia and era comparison groups (odds ratio, 1.82; 95% confidence interval, 1.51-2.20). Participants were much more likely to report pain in an opposite limb if pain was reported in the first limb (odds ratio, 36.9; 95% confidence interval, 31.7-43.0). Widespread pain was also more prevalent in the Persian Gulf War veteran sample compared to the comparison groups. Several years after the end of the Persian Gulf War, veterans still report pain. The mechanisms of this remain unclear. Implications for baseline monitoring of the health of military personnel are discussed.