Heterogeneity in Husbands’ and Wives’ Physical Pain Trajectories Over Mid-Later Years: Biopsychosocial Stratification and Implications for Later-Life Well-Being

Abstract

The present study investigated pain trajectories of husbands and wives over their mid-later years, the grouping of these trajectories, and differences in baseline biopsychosocial profiles and health and well-being outcomes in later years across the pain trajectory groups. Growth mixture modeling was used to identify latent classes of 244 husbands' and wives' physical pain trajectories over their mid-later years (1994-2015, average ages of 44-65 years). Analyses were conducted to identify how these pain trajectory classes were associated with respondents' biopsychosocial profiles in 1994 and health and well-being in later years (2017 [>67 years]). The individual pain trajectories of husbands and wives were clustered into 3 heterogeneous groups with differing trajectory patterns. Nonnormative pain trajectory groups (with either a high pain level and/or persistent pain) were associated with adverse baseline biopsychosocial characteristics. These groups also experienced poorer health and well-being outcomes in later years (2017) compared to those with consistently low pain after controlling for lagged measures in 2015. The identification of pain trajectory groups and characteristics of group members provides a potentially useful prognostic tool for early preventive intervention efforts, treatment, and policy formation. Such interventions can promote and develop resiliency factors, thereby aiding in the redirection of middle-aged husbands' and wives' adverse pain trajectories.