Health risk appraisal in older people 3: Prevalence, impact, and context of pain and their implications for GPs

TY - JOUR

T1 - Health risk appraisal in older people 3

T2 - Prevalence, impact, and context of pain and their implications for GPs

AU - Carmaciu, Claudia

AU - Iliffe, Steve

AU - Kharicha, Kalpa

AU - Harari, Danielle

AU - Swift, Cameron

AU - Gillmann, Gerhard

AU - Stuck, Andreas E.

PY - 2007/8

Y1 - 2007/8

N2 - Background: Pain is a common experience In later life. There is conflicting evidence of the prevalence, impact, and context of pain in older people. GPs are criticised for underestimating and under-treating pain. Aim: To assess the extent to which older people experience pain, and to explore relationships between self-reported pain and functional ability and depression. Design of study: Secondary analysis of baseline data from a randomised controlled trial of health risk appraisal. Setting: A total of 1090 community-dwelling non-disabled people aged 65 years and over were included in the study from three group practices in suburban London. Method: Main outcome measures were pain in the last 4 weeks and the impact of pain, measured using the 24-item Geriatric Pain Measure; depression symptoms captured using the 5-item Mental Health Inventory; social relationships measured using the 6-item Lubben Social Network Scale; Basic and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living and self-reported symptoms. Results: Forty-five per cent of women and 34% of men reported pain in the previous 4 weeks. Pain experience appeared to be less in the 'oldest old': 27.5% of those aged 85 years and over reported pain compared with 38-53% of the 'younger old'. Those with arthritis were four times more likely to report pain. Pain had a profound impact on activities of daily living, but most of those reporting pain described their health as good or excellent. Although there was a significant association between the experience of pain and depressed mood, the majority of those reporting pain did not have depressed mood. Conclusion: A multidimensional approach to assessing pain is appropriate. Primary care practitioners should also assess the impact of pain on activities of daily living.

AB - Background: Pain is a common experience In later life. There is conflicting evidence of the prevalence, impact, and context of pain in older people. GPs are criticised for underestimating and under-treating pain. Aim: To assess the extent to which older people experience pain, and to explore relationships between self-reported pain and functional ability and depression. Design of study: Secondary analysis of baseline data from a randomised controlled trial of health risk appraisal. Setting: A total of 1090 community-dwelling non-disabled people aged 65 years and over were included in the study from three group practices in suburban London. Method: Main outcome measures were pain in the last 4 weeks and the impact of pain, measured using the 24-item Geriatric Pain Measure; depression symptoms captured using the 5-item Mental Health Inventory; social relationships measured using the 6-item Lubben Social Network Scale; Basic and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living and self-reported symptoms. Results: Forty-five per cent of women and 34% of men reported pain in the previous 4 weeks. Pain experience appeared to be less in the 'oldest old': 27.5% of those aged 85 years and over reported pain compared with 38-53% of the 'younger old'. Those with arthritis were four times more likely to report pain. Pain had a profound impact on activities of daily living, but most of those reporting pain described their health as good or excellent. Although there was a significant association between the experience of pain and depressed mood, the majority of those reporting pain did not have depressed mood. Conclusion: A multidimensional approach to assessing pain is appropriate. Primary care practitioners should also assess the impact of pain on activities of daily living.

KW - Depression

KW - Functional ability

KW - Older people

KW - Pain

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/34547736502

M3 - Article

C2 - 17688757

AN - SCOPUS:34547736502

SN - 0960-1643

VL - 57

SP - 630

EP - 635

JO - British Journal of General Practice

JF - British Journal of General Practice

IS - 541

ER -