title: Prevalence and intensity of chronic pain and self-perceived health among elderly people: a population-based study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to identify the prevalence and intensity of chronic pain among elderly people of the community and to analyze associations with the self-perceived health status.
  
  
  METHODS
  cross-sectional study with a populational sample (n=934), conducted through household interviews in the city of Goiânia, Brazil. The intensity of chronic pain (existing for 6 months or more) was measured using a numerical scale (0-10) and the self-perceived health through a verbal scale (very good, good, fair, poor, very poor). For the statistical analysis, the absolute frequency and percentage, CI (95%), Chi-square test, Odds ratio, and regression analysis were used. Significance of 5%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of chronic pain was 52.8% [CI (95%):49.4-56.1]; most frequently located in the lower limbs (34.5%) and lumbar region (29.5%); with high or the worst possible intensity for 54.6% of the elderly people. The occurrence of chronic pain was associated with (p<0.0001) a worse self-perception of health (OR=4.2:2.5-7.0), a greater number of chronic diseases (OR=1.8:1.2-2.7), joint disease (OR=3.5:2.4-5.1) and the female gender (OR=2.3:1.7-3.0). A lower intensity of chronic pain was associated with a better self-perception of health (p<0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the majority of the elderly people of the community reported chronic pain, of a severe intensity, and located in areas related to movement activities, thus influencing the morbidity and mortality of this population.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lilian Varanda
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: aff2.
authors.forename: Patrícia Pereira
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: de Vasconcelos
authors.affiliation: Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
authors.forename: Layz Alves Ferreira
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermagem em Educação e Saúde Comunitária, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gilberto de Araújo
authors.initials: Gde A
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
authors.forename: Adélia Yaeko Kyosen
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Nakatani
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Márcia
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Bachion
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D015995:Prevalence; D012649:Self Concept