Abstract
In this study, we constructed a structural equation model (SEM) for predicting the quality of life (QOL) in elderly Koreans with chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) and examined the differences between sexes. Data were earlier collected in a prior study of 307 participants (101 men and 206 women) with CMP, aged 65 years and above, who used geriatric welfare centers located in two cities. The effects of pain, functional limitation, perceived health status, pain coping, and social support on the QOL were estimated with a multigroup SEM. For both men and women, the results show sequential causality from pain to functional limitation, perceived health status, and QOL. However, the relationships among pain, pain coping, functional limitation, and QOL differ between men and women. The multigroup SEM provides a better understanding of the sex differences in the QOL of elderly with CMP. The results suggest that in order to improve QOL among the elderly with CMP, a customized strategy should be applied that takes into account differences between the sexes.
Highlights
The aging of the population is one of the most important problems globally
The results showed that high levels of education, low pain, low functional limitations, use of accommodative coping with pain, a high perceived health status, and strong family and friend support are factors related to improvements in quality of life (QOL)
The inclusion criteria of the participants were diagnosed with musculoskeletal diseases by a physician, having Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) lasting more than 6 months, and answering “yes” to the two questions “Have you ever been diagnosed with musculoskeletal disease by doctor?” and “Have you experienced CMP in the last six months?” Those who could not complete the questionnaire or who had cognition problems were excluded
Summary
Aging leads to an increased incidence of chronic disease, especially musculoskeletal disease (MSD). As the prevalence of MSD increases with age, 20% to 30% of people across the globe are living with painful musculoskeletal impairments [1]. The prevalence of MSD in the Korean elderly aged 65 years or over increases yearly, and has been estimated to reach 70.2% by 2017, with a of 2.3-fold increase expected by 2040 [2,3]. One major MSD symptom in the elderly is chronic pain, which may be persistent or recurrent, due to the disease directly affecting bones, joints, muscles, or related soft tissues [5]. Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) is a major health problem for the elderly, experienced by 83% of the elderly in the community [6]
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