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Updated: Jun 22, 2025

Author Spotlight: Quantifying Pain Experience – An Illustrative Approach Using the Pain Body Diagram
Published on: July 7, 2023
Psychosocial Characteristics by Pain Presence and Limitations Among Older Adults
Purpose:
To compare psychosocial outcomes of older adults according to pain experience.
Method:
Using cross-sectional 2021 data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study, we examined psychosocial characteristics in older adults (N = 3,376) divided into three groups: no pain, pain without activity limitations, and activity-limiting pain.
Results:
In multiple regression models, older adults with activity-limiting pain compared to those without pain had significantly higher depression, anxiety, and fear of falling, as well as reduced positive affect, self-realization, self-efficacy, resilience, and social participation. Older adults with non-activity-limiting pain had significantly higher social participation than those without pain, but no differences in self-realization, self-efficacy, or resilience.
Conclusion:
Pain is strongly associated with all psychosocial outcomes, especially in older adults with activity-limiting pain. Future research should examine the impact of self-realization, self-efficacy, resilience, and social participation on activity limitations. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 50(7), 27-34.].
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