Patterns of pain and well-being in older women: a 10-year longitudinal study.
The relationships among pain, health, and psychological well-being were examined in a secondary analysis of a ten-year study of community-dwelling older women. Over time, there was an increase in the percentage of women reporting pain and a significant increase in the mean level of pain, although 24% of the women never reported pain. Subjective health declined as pain increased. Psychological well-being did not differ between women whose pain increased over time compared to women whose pain did not increase. Future research needs to examine how women maintain psychological well-being as they age in spite of increased pain.
Phelan
Cynthia H
CH
School of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Clinical Science Center, Madison, WI 53792, USA. phelanhcc@tznet.com
Heidrich
Susan M
SM
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014922:Wisconsin / Q000453:epidemiology; D016387:Women's Health