Long-term changes in self-reported sleep quality and risk of chronic musculoskeletal pain: The HUNT Study.

Eivind Schjelderup Skarpsno,Tom Ivar Lund Nilsen,Paul Jarle Mork,Knut Hagen

doi:10.1111/jsr.13354

Abstract

We examined the association between long-term (~10years) changes in self-reported sleep quality and risk of any chronic musculoskeletal pain and chronic widespread pain. The study comprised data on 6,033 people who participated in three consecutive surveys in the Norwegian HUNT Study (1995-1997, 2006-2008 and 2017-2019) and who were without chronic musculoskeletal pain at the first two surveys. We used a modified Poisson regression model to calculate adjusted risk ratios for chronic pain at follow-up (2017-2019) associated with categories of poor and good sleep quality reported in 1995-1997 and 2006-2008. Compared with people who reported good sleep at both surveys (crude absolute risk: 32.4%), the risk ratios of any chronic pain were 1.20 (95% confidence interval: 1.02-1.41) for those who changed from poor to good sleep; 1.25 (95% confidence interval: 1.12-1.39) for those who changed from good to poor sleep; and 1.41 (95% confidence interval: 1.21-1.63) for those who reported long-term poor sleep. The corresponding risk ratios for chronic widespread pain were 1.35 (95% confidence interval: 0.82-2.23), 1.55 (95% confidence interval: 1.14-2.12) and 2.09 (95% confidence interval: 1.38-3.17), respectively. In conclusion, these findings indicate that people with long-term poor sleep quality have a markedly higher risk of chronic musculoskeletal pain and chronic widespread pain, compared with people who remain good sleep quality.

Highlights

Chronic musculoskeletal pain is highly prevalent in the general population and the leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide (GBD 2017 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborator, 2018; Hurwitz et al, 2018; Murray et al, 2012)
The aim of the current study was to examine if changes in sleep quality over a ~10-year period are associated with risk of any chronic musculoskeletal pain and Chronic widespread pain (CWP)
Participants who reported poor sleep in 1995–1997 had a risk ratios (RR) of 1.24 for any chronic pain and 1.56 for CWP, compared with participants with good sleep quality

Summary

Introduction

Chronic musculoskeletal pain is highly prevalent in the general population and the leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide (GBD 2017 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborator, 2018; Hurwitz et al, 2018; Murray et al, 2012). It is the main cause of early retirement and loss of productive life years in the workforce compared with other non-communicable diseases (Bevan, 2015). This requires insight into modifiable risk factors to inform the development of preventive interventions.

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Discussion

Conclusion