Sensory Impairments and Pain in Older Adults
Author Information
Author(s): Mu Christina, Thompson Alisha, Brekke Bailee, Okoye Safiyyah, Assi Lama, Assi Sahar, Lee Soomi
Primary Institution: University of California, San Francisco
Hypothesis
There are associations between sensory impairments and pain characteristics in older adults.
Conclusion
Sensory impairments are related to pain, which could be significant for clinical practice and research.
Supporting Evidence
- Objective hearing loss was linked to higher odds of activity-limiting pain.
- Subjective vision loss was associated with lower odds of using pain medication.
- Reporting one or more subjective sensory impairments was related to more pain locations.
Takeaway
Older people who have trouble seeing or hearing might also have more pain, which is important for doctors to know.
Methodology
Cross-sectional data analysis from the 2021 National Health and Aging Trends Study.
Participant Demographics
Community-living older adults aged 65 and above, with 57% aged 75-84.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95%CI=1.02-1.74 for objective HL; 95%CI=1.07-1.93 for subjective VL; 95%CI=0.54-0.92 for pain medication use; 95%CI=0.14-0.97 for pain locations.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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