Prevalence and clinical profile of chronic pain and its association with mental disorders

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To identify the prevalence of 12-month self-reported pain and chronic pain in a general population and to describe their clinical profile to assess if chronic pain is associated with 12-month mental disorders. METHODS The data used comes from the São Paulo Megacity Mental Health Survey, a population-based study assessing adult (≥ 18 years) residents of the São Paulo metropolitan area, Brazil. We have assessed the respondents (n = 5,037) using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 3.0), with a global response rate of 81.3%. Descriptive analyses have been performed, and crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR) have been calculated with logistic and multinomial regression and presented with respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). RESULTS The prevalence of pain and chronic pain in the past 12 months were 52.6% (95%CI 50.3-54.8) and 31.0% (95%CI 29.2-32.7), respectively. Joints (16.5%, 95%CI 15.4-17.5) and back or neck (15.5%, 95%CI 14.2-16.9) were the most frequently reported anatomical sites of chronic pain. On a 10-point analogue scale, the mean intensity of the worst pain was 7.7 (95%CI 7.4-7.8), and the mean average pain was 5.5 (95%CI 5.2-5.6); the mean treatment response was 6.3 (95%CI 6.0-6.6). Mean pain duration was 16.1 (95%CI 15.6-17.0) days a month and 132 (95%CI 126-144) minutes a day. Chronic pain was associated with 12-month DSM-IV mental disorders (OR = 2.7, 95%CI 2.3-3.3), anxiety disorders (OR = 2.1, 95%CI 1.9-3.0), and mood disorders (OR = 3.3, 95%CI 2.4-4.1). CONCLUSIONS A high prevalence of chronic pain in multiple sites is observed among the general adult population, and associations between chronic pain and mental disorders are frequent.

Associacao de dor cronica com uso de servicos de saude em idosos residentes em Sao Paulo / Asociacion de dolor cronico con uso de servicios de salud en ancianos residentes en Sao Paulo, Brasil. / Association of chronic pain with the use of health care services by older adults in Sao Paulo

OBJETIVO Analisar a associação entre a utilização de serviço de saúde por idosos com dor crônica e variáveis sociodemográficas e de saúde. MÉTODOS Estudo transversal com amostra populacional realizado por meio de inquérito domiciliar em São Paulo, SP, em 2006, com 1.271 idosos de 60 anos ou mais, sem déficit cognitivo, que relataram dor crônica. Dor crônica foi definida como aquela com duração ≥ 6 meses. O critério para uso do serviço de saúde foi ter feito mais de quatro consultas ou uma internação no último ano. Para os idosos com dor há pelo menos um ano, testou-se a existência de associação entre uso do serviço de saúde com as variáveis independentes (características da dor, sociodemográficas e doenças autorreferidas), por meio de análises univariadas (teste de Rao & Scott) e múltiplas (Regressão Múltipla de Cox com variância robusta). Utilizou-se o programa Stata 11.0 e adotou-se como valor de significância p < 0,05. RESULTADOS A prevalência de utilização do serviço de saúde nos idosos com dor foi 48,0% (IC95% 35,1;52,8) e não diferiu dos idosos sem dor (50,5%; IC95% 45,1;55,9). A chance de utilização do serviço de saúde foi 33,0% menor nos idosos com dor há mais de dois anos do que naqueles com dor entre um e dois anos (p = 0,002); 55,0% maior nos idosos com dor intensa (p = 0,003) e 45,0% maior entre os que relataram interferência moderada da dor no trabalho (p = 0,015) na análise múltipla. CONCLUSÕES A dor crônica foi frequente e esteve associada a maiores prejuízos na independência e mobilidade. A dor crônica mais intensa, a mais recente e a com impacto no trabalho resultaram em maior uso dos serviços de saúde. .

OBJETIVO Analizar la asociación entre la utilización de servicio de salud por ancianos con dolor crónico y variables sociodemográficas y de salud. MÉTODOS Estudio transversal con muestra poblacional realizado por medio de pesquisa domiciliar en Sao Paulo, SP-Brasil, en 2006, con 1.271 ancianos de 60 años o más, sin déficit cognitivo, que manifestaron dolor crónico. Dolor crónico fue definido como aquel con duración ≥ 6 meses. El criterio para uso del servicio de salud fue haber tenido más de cuatro consultas o una internación en el último año. Para los ancianos con dolor por al menos un año, se evaluó existencia de asociación entre uso del servicio de salud con las variables independientes (características del dolor, sociodemográficas y enfermedades auto-referidas), por medio de análisis univariados (prueba de Rao & Scott ) y múltiples (Regresión Múltiple de Cox con varianza robusta). Se utilizó el programa Stata 11.0 y se adoptó como valor de significancia p<0,05. RESULTADOS La prevalencia de utilización del servicio de salud en los ancianos con dolor fue 48,0% (IC 95% 35,1;52,8), y no difirió de los ancianos sin dolor (50,5%; IC95% 45,1;55,9). El porcentaje de utilización del servicio de salud fue 33,0% menor en los ancianos con dolor por más de dos años que en aquellos con dolor entre uno y dos años (p=0,002); 55,0% mayor en los ancianos con dolor intenso (p=0,003) y 45% mayor entre los que manifestaron interferencia moderada del dolor (p=0,015) en el análisis múltiple. CONCLUSIONES El dolor crónico fue frecuente y estuvo asociado a mayores perjuicios en la independencia y movilidad. El dolor crónico más intenso, el más reciente y con impacto en el trabajo resultaron en mayor uso de los servicios de salud. .

OBJECTIVE Evaluate the association between use of health care services by older adults with chronic pain and sociodemographic and health variables. METHODS Cross-sectional study whose population sample of 1,271 older adults with chronic pain and with no cognitive deficit was obtained through home surveys in Sao Paulo, SP, Southeastern Brazil,, in 2006. The study considered pain lasting for six or more months as chronic. The criterion for health care service use was more than four doctor appointments or having been admitted to a hospital during the past year. For those in chronic pain for at least one year, the existence of an association between the use of health care services and independent variables (pain and socio-demographical characteristics and self-reported morbidities) was tested using univariate (RaoScott test of association) and multivariate analysis (Cox Multiple Regression with robust variance). Stata 11.0 was used for the statistical analysis, and the significance level adopted was p < 0.05. RESULTS The prevalence of health care service use among older people with pain was 48,0% (95%CI 35.1;52.8) and did not differ from older adults without chronic pain (50.5%, 95%CI 45.1;55.9). The multivariate analysis showed that the chance of using health care services was 33,0% lower for older adults with pain for more than two years than those with pain between one and two years (p = 0.002). The chance was 55,0% higher for those with intense pain (p = 0.003) and 45,0% higher for those with moderate pain interference in the work (p = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS Chronic pain was found to be common and was associated with negative effects on independence and mobility. More intense and recent chronic pain that affected work resulted in greater use of health care services. .