Frailty linked to chronic pain in adults aged 45 and over in China
Among participants aged 45 or older in China, the highest frailty-score quarter had 17.0 times the odds of pain at multiple sites versus the lowest quarter.
Multicentre
Researchers analysed 5,281 adults aged 45 or older in a population-based cross-sectional study using the 2011 baseline of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Participants reported chronic pain through questionnaires. Researchers assessed frailty using an index that combined impairments across several aspects of health.
Higher frailty scores were associated with pain at multiple sites, low back pain and a greater number of pain sites. These associations varied across groups defined by age, education and place of residence. A statistical analysis suggested that depression potentially accounted for approximately 30% of the associations.
Why it matters
Chronic pain is associated with aging. The authors highlighted the importance of mental health assessment in managing frailty and pain among the middle-aged and older adults studied.
Caveats
The cross-sectional design could not establish whether frailty preceded pain or whether depression helped cause the association. Pain was self-reported, and the study covered adults aged 45 or older in China.
