title: Old people in pain: a comparative study.
abstract: To investigate the prevalence of pain in older people (75+), compare those in pain to those without regarding demographics, social network, functional limitations, fatigue, sleeping problems, depressed mood and quality of life (QOL), and identify variables associated with pain, a cross-sectional, prospective survey was conducted in an age-stratified sample of 4,093 people aged 75-105 years old. Those reporting pain (n=1,654) were compared with those who did not (n=2,439). Pain was more common with higher age, as were all complaints among those in pain and among those without, except sleeping problems. Lower QOL was found with higher age, as well as with pain. Pain was found to be associated with functional limitations, fatigue, sleeping problems, depressed mood, and QOL. These data highlight the importance of identifying old people in pain. Those who are older and those affected by pain are at greater risk of also being troubled by other problems, such as functional limitations and lowered QOL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Jakobsson
authors.forename: Rosemarie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Klevsgård
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Westergren
authors.forename: Ingalill Rahm
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Hallberg
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires