OBJECTIVE: To describe the change of pain reports over time in 3 cohorts derived from the general population: (1) no chronic pain (NCP; n = 1156); (2) chronic regional pain (CRP; n = 502); and (3) chronic widespread pain (CWP; n = 242). To identify risk factors that predict the development or persistence of chronic widespread pain. METHODS: A 3-year followup from 1995 to 1998 with postal questionnaire to 2425 subjects of both sexes aged 20-74 years on the west coast of Sweden. RESULTS: At followup, a larger proportion of subjects with initial CRP compared to initial NCP reported CWP (16.4 and 2.2%, respectively; p