Examining Racial and SocioEconomic Disparities (ERASED) in Chronic Low Back Pain Study

It remains unclear whether certain disadvantaged subgroups of society may be at heightened risk for poor chronic low back pain (cLBP) outcomes. The overall aim of this study is to incorporate a socioeconomic framework to characterize racial differences in cLBP severity and disability. Further, guided by the theory of fundamental causes, we aim to examine racial and socioeconomic status differences in biopsychosocial predictors of cLBP outcomes, particularly endogenous pain modulation.

Experimental session 1 Resting Blood Pressure and Body Mass Index will be assessed. Participants will complete the Rapid Estimation of Adult Literacy Measure-Short Form (REALM-SF) to determine health literacy. Participants will complete multiple questionnaires to measure Socioeconomic Status, Clinical Pain Assessment and Depression Scale. All participants will undergo quantitative sensory testing for assessment of endogenous pain modulation using painful heat, mechanical, and cold stimuli in a laboratory session lasting approximately 1 hour. Between Experimental Session 1 and Experimental Session 2 Sleep assessment: Sleep data will be collected by participants in their own homes using objective and subjective measures of their sleep. Participant instructions for how to collect and record their own sleep data will be provided at the end of study session 1. Experimental Session 2 Experimental session 2 will take place in the CCTS Clinical Research Unit (CRU) All blood will be collected as part of a single draw by research nurses. Participants will complete multiple questionnaires to measure Clinical Pain Assessment and Coping Strategies. Participants will then complete a battery of ecologically valid movement tasks that include: 1) getting in and out of a bed; 2) sitting in a chair, transitioning to a standing position, and then sitting again, and 3) lifting, Performance Battery (SPPB) and the Timed Up and Go test (TUG). Blood will be processed and stored and then used to measure Vitamin D, CRP assays and Oxytocin. Finally follow up data will be collected by phone once per week for four weeks following the completion of study session 2.