Joint Pain and Leisure-Time Physical Activity: Cross-Sectional Findings From the Cardiovascular Health Study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Behavioral Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Joint pain is a prevalent issue in older adults, often limiting physical activity.
• Despite pain, some older adults maintain or engage in leisure-time physical activity (LTPA).
• Psychosocial factors, including social connections and internal motivation, are increasingly recognized as predictors of LTPA in this demographic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the cross-sectional association between psychosocial factors and LTPA in older adults experiencing joint pain.
• To identify specific psychosocial indicators that may explain physical activity engagement despite pain.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Cardiovascular Health Study, including 902 participants aged 64+ with joint pain.
• Assessed psychosocial factors: social network score (Lubben Social Network scale) and CES-D scale items (perceived effort, difficulty getting going, trouble concentrating).
• Employed multivariable ordinal regression, controlling for demographics, pain sites, BMI, gait speed, cognitive function, and brain imaging data.

Main Results:

• A higher social network score was significantly associated with higher LTPA.
• Lack of self-reported "difficulty getting going" was also linked to increased LTPA.
• No significant associations were found between LTPA and perceived effort or trouble concentrating.

Conclusions:

• Psychosocial factors, specifically social engagement and internal drive, are important correlates of LTPA in older adults with joint pain.
• These findings suggest that interventions targeting psychosocial resilience may be more effective than pain reduction alone for promoting physical activity.
• Further research is warranted to explore the causal role of psychosocial states in maintaining LTPA among this population.