Department of Public Health Science, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
The Research Institute of Aging Society, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Gerontology. 2018;64(6):532-540. doi: 10.1159/000490051. Epub 2018 Jul 3.
The aging of the population will result in an increase in demand for pain management. Pain adversely affects physical and mental functioning in older adults and accounts for a considerable proportion of all medical expenses.
This study was performed to investigate the patterns of changes in the trajectories of the number of pain sites in older adults and the factors that affect these patterns according to gender.
Data were extracted for subjects that participated in the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing from 2006 to 2014. The study population consisted of 2,839 individuals (1,190 men and 1,649 women) ≥60 years old. A group-based trajectory model was used to determine the optimal number of subgroups and the trajectories of the number of pain sites according to gender. A multinomial regression analysis was conducted to identify factors that affect the probability of inclusion in each trajectory group.
The trajectories of the number of pain sites were consistent in both genders. Almost all women had one or more pain symptom, and a greater number of pain sites than men. Older age, longest-duration occupation requiring manual labor, lack of physical activity, depressive symptoms, and poor self-rated health were associated with a greater number of pain sites in both genders. A lower level of education, married status, and experience of injury were associated with the number of pain sites in men but not in women, while household income and chronic diseases were associated with the number of pain sites only in women.
The pain status at the early stage is predictive of future pain. In this study, we identified gender differences in the trends of the number of pain sites and associated factors. Further comprehensive studies on pain intensity and duration are required.
人口老龄化将导致对疼痛管理的需求增加。疼痛会对老年人的身体和心理健康功能产生不利影响，并且占所有医疗费用的相当大比例。
本研究旨在探讨老年人群中疼痛部位数量变化轨迹的模式以及根据性别影响这些模式的因素。
从 2006 年至 2014 年，我们提取了参与韩国老龄化纵向研究的受试者的数据。研究人群包括 2839 名年龄≥60 岁的个体（男性 1190 名，女性 1649 名）。使用基于群组的轨迹模型确定最佳亚组数量以及根据性别确定疼痛部位数量的轨迹。进行多项回归分析以确定影响每个轨迹组纳入概率的因素。
男女两性的疼痛部位数量轨迹一致。几乎所有女性都有一个或多个疼痛症状，且疼痛部位比男性多。在两性中，年龄较大、最长持续时间需要体力劳动的职业、缺乏体力活动、抑郁症状和自我评估健康状况较差与更多的疼痛部位有关。较低的教育水平、已婚状态和受伤经历与男性的疼痛部位数量有关，但与女性无关，而家庭收入和慢性疾病仅与女性的疼痛部位数量有关。
早期的疼痛状况可预测未来的疼痛。在这项研究中，我们确定了疼痛部位数量趋势和相关因素的性别差异。需要进一步进行关于疼痛强度和持续时间的综合研究。
