Efficacy of a program to encourage walking in VA elderly primary care patients: The role of pain

Abstract

Pain may be a barrier or a negative outcome of initiating and maintaining an exercise program in elderly patients. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of pain in a program designed to increase walking for exercise in 181 veteran primary care patients (60 – 80 years). Self-reported physical activity (min-walked per week) and pain were assessed at baseline, 6, and 12 months. Walking for exercise increased over time without significant changes in pain. Analyses suggested that baseline pain was not a barrier to initiating or maintaining a walking exercise program, nor did increased walking influence reports of pain. These results suggest that patients can be encouraged to engage in physical activity, even if they are currently suffering from pain.

Keywords:

• Elderly
• exercise
• pain
• walking
• phone intervention

Acknowledgements

This study was supported in part by research funding from the VA Health Services Research and Development Nursing Research Initiative.

Notes

1. For these analyses, weekly walking time was used to predict pain. Change in walking (from baseline) was also examined. These analyses resulted in the same pattern reported for walking time.