Abdominal pain in an HMO

Background: Previous surveys have found that 14%-25% of the population report abdominal pain. Only one study examined the age-gender specific prevalence of abdominal pain in the population, and no study has examined the self-reported causes of abdominal pain. Methods: To describe the epidemiology of abdominal pain in a large health maintenance organization population, 6, 199 randomly selected members were contacted and interviewed by telephone about the occurrence of abdominal pain and related health care in the past year. Results: Of those interviewed, 27% reported abdominal pain in the past year, while 38% of those individuals saw a physician for their pain. Women were more likely than men to have had pain and to have seen a physician for their pain. Fewer older individuals reported abdominal pain, but when pain occurred, they sought medical care more often than younger individuals. Conclusions: Women and younger individuals report abdominal pain more frequently. Women and older individuals are more likely to seek care for their pain.