The Influence of Physical and Psychosocial Factors on Disruptive Pain Among Seriously Ill Home Care Patients

The Influence of Physical and Psychosocial Factors on Disruptive Pain Among Seriously Ill Home Care Patients

Author:
Publication type: 
Journal Article
Year: 
2017
Journal/Series title: 
J Palliat Care
Volume number: 
32
Issue: 
2
Pages: 
61-68
ISSN/ISBN: 
0825-8597 (Print) 0825-8597
Abstract: 

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence and correlates of disruptive pain in a sample of seriously ill home care patients in the Canadian province of Ontario. METHODS: The design was a cross-sectional analysis of secondary data from 2757 patients aged 65+. RESULTS: Overall, 69.0% (n = 1902) had any level of pain and 41.6% (n = 1146) indicated that their pain disrupted their usual activities. In the univariate analysis of demographics, the risk of disruptive pain decreased significantly with increasing age ( P < .0001) and was significantly less common among men ( P = .0015). Multivariate analysis showed that unsteady gait (relative risk [RR] = 1.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18-1.59), arthritis (RR = 1.35; 95% CI, 1.23-1.49), symptoms of depression (RR = 1.24; 95% CI, 1.13-1.37), and declines in social activity that the patient rated as distressing (RR = 1.19; 95% CI, 1.08-1.31) were independently associated with disruptive pain. CONCLUSION: Disruptive pain is highly prevalent in this group, and the key factors associated with this outcome represent physical as well as psychosocial domain areas.