Dor crônica em idosos: estudo populacional em uma metrópole da região centro-oeste do Brasil

Abstract

Chronic pain is an unpleasant experience that reaches much of the world's population; however, population studies with the elderly are rare. The aim of this study was to assess chronic pain and self-rated health among community elders. Study population-based cross-sectional, in Goiania, Goias, December/2009 between April 2010 and. For this cut, we excluded those who reached  13 on the MEEM scores, and needed help for the answers. The random sample consisted of 872 participants. Chronic pain was considered as existing for six months or more. Pain intensity was measured by using a numeric scale (0-10: zero=no pain, 1,2,3,4=mild, 5.6=moderate, and strong=7,8,9, and 10=worst pain possible) the location investigated through body diagrams, and self-rated health assessed by the scale of verbal descriptors ("very good", "good," "regular," "bad," "worst"). The project was approved by the CEP/UFG (Protocol 050/2009) and seniors signed the Informed Consent. The data were analyzed using Stata version 8.0 and operated by means of absolute and relative frequency and Confidence Interval (95%). Of the 872 elderly, 460 (52.7%: 95% CI: 49.4% -56.1%) reported chronic pain. By age, the prevalence was 52.4, 53.1 and 53.0%, respectively, among young elderly (60-69 years), elderly (70-79 years) and very elderly (80 or +). Women obtained higher prevalence of chronic pain (60.4%) than men (40.1%), prevailing among the young elderly (57.6/43.4%), elderly (62.8/38.6%) and very elderly (64.5/33.9%). The elderly with chronic pain, 49.8% were young elderly, 33.0% and 17.2% very elderly seniors. The increased representation of women was (71.3%), and 48.8% were young elderly, 32.9% and 18.3% elderly, very elderly. The marriage prevailed among young elderly (46.0%) and elderly (54.1%) and widowed (55.7%), among the very elderly. Income  minimum wage prevailed among the 3 elderly age groups (32.1; 56.4; 50.7%) and education "primary" among young elderly (48.0%), elderly (45.7%) and very elderly (53.9%). The sites of pain were prevalent: MMII (34,5%) and lumbar (29,5%) and 12.6% of seniors reported "worst possible pain," 42.0% "severe pain", 26.0% "moderate" and 19, 4%, "mild". The young elderly (45.2) and seniors (41.3%) reported more pain "strong" and the very old, "severe pain" (33.3%) and "worst pain" (20.3%). Women reported pain "strong" and "worst possible pain" (45.8; 14.1%) more often than men, who reported more pain "mild" and "moderate" (27.1; 32.2 %.) When health was perceived as "very good", "moderate pain" (41.7%) and "mild" (33.3%) prevailed. Those who perceived their health as "good" over reported "mild pain" (33.9%) and when his health was "fair", "bad" and "very bad", the highest frequency of reported pain was "strong" (46.0%), "strong" (56.5%) and "worst possible pain" (60.0%), respectively. The prevalence estimates found are similar to other national studies. Most elderly people suffer from chronic pain of high intensity, which affects the lower limbs and lower back. Population-based studies help us to identify penetration points for planning and implementing strategies that print improving health care in this population.