The pain prevalence and self-management practices in community-dwelling elders

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate pain prevalence and pain self-management practices in community-dwelling elders. Method: The sample of this cross-sectional study included 258 elderly individuals aged 65 and over, who came to Family Health Center between January and March 2016 and had no dementia. The data were collected with face-to-face interview technique through the questionnaire involving socio-demographic characteristics form, Geriatric Pain Measure (GPM) and Inventory of Pain Self-Management Practices. Results: According to GPM, the elderly living in the society experienced pain of moderate level (44.7±25.6). Participants' 21.7% had severe pain and 50.4% had moderate pain. On the day of data collection, their pain perception was found to be at mild level (2.5±2.6). The most frequent pain was identified as leg (55%), hip/low back (50%), and knee (46.9%). Those who were married, lived with their spouses, had normal Body Mass Index (BMI), and were physically active experienced lower levels of pain. While women with chronic illness had moderate pain, inactive ones had severe pain. The elderly with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, hypertension, cardiac cases, discal hernia, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia perceived more pain than those without these diseases. Severe pain was increased 13.5 times by cancer, 7.7 times by neurological diseases, and 6.6 times by rheumatoid arthritis. The elderly trying to relieve the pains with nonpharmacological methods had mild pain (20.6±21.5). Those using nonpharmacological methods and analgesics experienced moderate pain (51.0±22.8). Those using analgesics regularly had higher pain. The most frequent nonpharmacological self-management practices employed by the elderly were resting-activity limitation (43.4%), putting something on pain region (38.8%), massaging (33.7%), and hot application (32.6%). As pain level increased, the benefit of performing hot application to pain region was felt more. Conclusion: One of every five elders in the society experience severe pain. The elderly should be supported concerning pain-management in illnesses that are determinant in severe pain. Key words: Elder, pain, pain self-management practices, perceived benefit