Pain and its influencing factors in the disabled elderly in China

Objective To investigate the current situation and influencing factors of pain in the disabled elderly in China.Methods Using 2020 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS 2020), Selecting 2591 disabled elderly individuals aged ≥65 as the study subjects, the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (IADL) was used to assess the disability status of the elderly, and the Visual Rating Scale (VRS) was used to evaluate their pain condition. Ultimately, 2075 disabled elderly individuals suffering from pain were identified. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 29.0 statistical software. The relationship between disability status and pain presence was explored using the chi-square test. One-way analysis of variance was employed to compare differences in age, gender, residence, education level, marital status, annual medical expenses, smoking status, alcohol consumption, presence of chronic diseases, self-rated health status, and depression status among disabled elderly individuals suffering from pain. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed with pain score in disabled elderly individuals as the dependent variable and the aforementioned 11 variables as independent variables to observe the influencing factors on pain scores in disabled elderly individuals.Results The prevalence of pain in disabled elderly individuals was 80.08%. There was a significant statistical difference between disability status and pain presence in the elderly (χ2=634.521, P<0.001). The prevalence of pain in disabled elderly individuals showed significant differences in gender, education level, self-rated health status, presence of chronic diseases, depression status, and alcohol consumption (P<0.05). The results of multiple linear regression analysis indicated that gender, education level, self-rated health status, and depression status influenced the prevalence of pain in disabled elderly individuals (P<0.05).Conclusion The current situation of pain in disabled elderly individuals in China is not optimistic, and it is necessary to strengthen pain management for disabled elderly individuals, formulate relevant public health strategies, and promote healthy aging.