Female smokers show lower pain tolerance in a physical distress task

Numerous studies have established a link between distress tolerance and smoking cessation outcomes. The present study examined whether smoking status affected physical distress tolerance, and considered this question separately for men and women. The sample was comprised of healthy adults, 56 smokers (63% male) and 58 nonsmokers (62% female). The pain stimulus was a cold pressor task. Outcome variables were seconds immersed in cold water when pain was first reported (threshold), and total seconds immersed in cold water (tolerance). Participants verbally reported their pain rating on a 0–100 scale after the task, and then completed the McGill Pain Questionnaire—Short Form. Smokers displayed lower pain tolerance than nonsmokers (p = .045), and women displayed lower pain tolerance than men (p = .017). Female smokers had significantly lower pain tolerance than other groups (p = .001). There were no significant differences in pain threshold or pain perception by smoking status or gender (p > .05). Lower physical distress tolerance could place female smokers at risk for difficulty in quitting smoking. This population needs additional research to better understand their unique pain experience and how physical distress tolerance impacts their smoking cessation outcomes.

► Female smokers showed lower pain tolerance than other groups.
► Pain threshold and perception were similar across all group comparisons.
► Female smokers' lower pain tolerance may factor into difficulty quitting smoking.