Sarcopenia, chronic pain, and perceived health of older: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: Aging is a dynamic and progressive process that can be associated with the presence of morbidities, such as chronic diseases, and functional decline, characteristic of sarcopenia, which directly affects the self-perceived health of the older. Objective: To test the hypothesis that there is an association between sarcopenia, chronic pain, and perceived health in the older. Methods: The study used a quantitative approach and enrolled 43 sarcopenic elderly individuals registered in the University of The Third Age Program (UATI) at Universidade do Estado da Bahia, in Brazil, between November and December 2019. Data included patients’ sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics, self-reported morbidities, multimorbidity, history of chronic pain and perceived health. The data were subjected to descriptive statistical analyses. Crossing of data was performed using Pearson’s chi-square test, and the correlation coefficient was assessed using Cramer’s Phi and V tests. Results: There was an association of sarcopenia with chronic pain (p = 0.027) and with age group (p = 0.016), however not with perceived health (p = 0.09). There was also no association between age range and chronic pain (p > 0.05). Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, it can be concluded that sarcopenia is associated with the presence of chronic pain and the age of the elderly, not being associated with the perception of health. However, the age of the elderly was not associated with the presence of chronic pain.