A cross-sectional study of factors associated with the number of anatomical pain sites in an actual elderly general population: results from the PainS65+ cohort

Abstract

Background

Several studies have illustrated that multisite pain is more frequent than single pain site, and it is associated with an array of negative consequences. However, there is limited knowledge available about the potential factors associated with multisite pain in the elderly general population.

Objective

This cross-sectional study examines whether the number of anatomical pain sites (APSs) is related to sociodemographic and health-related factors in older adults including oldest-old ages using a new method (APSs) to assess the location of pain on the body.

Materials and methods

The sample came from the PainS65+ cohort, which included 6,611 older individuals (mean age = 76.0 years; standard deviation [SD] = 7.4) residing in southeastern Sweden. All the participants completed and returned a postal survey that measured sociodemographic data, total annual income, pain intensity and frequency, general well-being, and quality of life. The number of pain sites (NPS) was marked on a body manikin of 45 sections, and a total of 23 APSs were then calculated. Univariable and multivariable models of regression analysis were performed.

Results

Approximately 39% of the respondents had at least two painful sites. The results of the regression analysis showed an independent association between the APSs and the age group of 75–79 years, women, married, high pain intensity and frequency, and low well-being and quality of life, after adjustments for consumption of analgesics and comorbidities. The strongest association was observed for the higher frequency of pain.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that APSs are highly prevalent with strong relationships with various sociodemographic and health-related factors and concur well with the notion that multisite pain is a potential indicator of increased pain severity and impaired quality of life in the elderly. Our comprehensive method of calculating the number of sites could be an essential part of the clinical presentation, assessment, and treatment of multisite pain.

Keywords:

• pain spread
• multisite pain
• quality of life
• well-being
• elderly

Supplementary material

Table S1 Results of regression analyses: cross-sectional associations of the factors associated with the NPS (0–45)

Acknowledgments

The current study was sponsored by a grant from Grünenthal Sweden AB. The sponsor of the study had no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, writing of the report, or the decision to submit for publication. The authors had full access to all the data in the study and had final responsibility for the decision to submit for publication.

Author contributions

L-ÅL, LB, BL, and BG were involved in study conception and study design. ED and BG performed the data analyses and drafted the manuscript. All authors contributed toward data analysis, drafting and critically revising the paper and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.