Assessment of the prevalence of chronic pain and its relationship with frailty in individuals aged 65 years and older

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of chronic pain in individuals aged 65 years and older and to examine the relationship between chronic pain and frailty levels. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among individuals aged 65 years and older residing in two rural neighborhoods affiliated with a single family health center. Sociodemographic data were collected from participants; the presence of chronic pain was assessed, and frailty was evaluated using the Modified Fried Frailty Index (MFFI) and the FRAIL Scale. Pain intensity was measured with the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and quality of life was assessed with the Turkish version of the WHOQOL-AGE. Results: Of the participants, 52.2% were women, 47.8% were men, and 18.7% lived alone. Chronic pain was detected in 48.8% of the participants. According to the Modified Fried Frailty Index, 24.2% were pre-frail and 32.5% were frail, whereas according to the FRAIL Scale, 40.4% were pre-frail and 22.2% were frail. Significant associations were found between chronic pain and sex (p<0.001), income level (p=0.048), occupation (p=0.004), and the presence of chronic disease (p<0.001), whereas no significant association was found with age group (p>0.05) or marital status (p>0.05). Individuals with chronic pain had lower muscle strength and quality of life scores (p<0.001). The presence of chronic pain increased the risk of frailty by approximately 22-fold (OR=22.425) and the risk of pre-frailty by 5-fold (OR=5.339) according to the Modified Fried Frailty Index. Each one-unit increase in MFFI score increased the risk of chronic pain by approximately 75% (OR=1.745). Similarly, each one-unit increase in FRAIL score more than doubled the risk of chronic pain (OR=2.073). Conclusion: The findings of the present study indicate that chronic pain and frailty function as independent yet interrelated risk factors among older adults. In addition, both conditions were found to adversely influence quality of life. These results underscore the necessity of incorporating chronic pain assessment into routine geriatric healthcare, as such practice may enable the early identification and prevention of frailty, thereby contributing to the maintenance and improvement of quality of life in this population. Keywords: Chronic pain, Frailty, Elderly