[Exploring the Connection Between Pain, Age, Sex, Quality of Life, Functional Capacity, And Sleep: An Analysis in...

Pain has a significant impact on quality of life. Personalized care emerges as a key strategy in pain management. Objectives: To identify the characteristics of patients with acute or chronic pain who visit the community pharmacy (CP) and to analyze the relationships between these characteristics in order to support future research.

A descriptive, observational, cross-sectional, multicenter study was conducted in patients experiencing pain who attended community pharmacies (CPs). The study took place from October 14 to 27, 2019, in 47 CPs across Spain. The variables analyzed included: pain intensity (VAS), type of pain based on duration and diagnosis, type of medication, quality of life (EuroQoL-5D questionnaire), functional capacity (Karnofsky Performance Status), sleep quality (Insomnia Severity Index - ISI), and satisfaction with treatment.

A total of 403 participants were included: 28% were men and 72% women; 39% were over 70 years old, 45% between 40-69 years, and 16% between 18-39 years. Acute pain was reported by 25% of subjects, and chronic pain by 75%; 90% had non-oncological pain. The mean values observed were: VAS 6.1; EuroQoL 8.3; Karnofsky 78.1; and ISI 9.7. The correlational analysis between VAS, EuroQoL-5D, Karnofsky, and ISI, performed using Spearman's correlation coefficient (SC), showed statistically significant correlations: VAS and EuroQoL (SC=0.47; p<0.001), VAS and EuroQoL pain dimension (SC=0.52; p<0.001), VAS and ISI (SC=0.33; p<0.001), and a negative correlation between VAS and Karnofsky (SC=-0.33; p<0.001).

Correlations were identified between age and quality of life, as well as between sex and age with functional capacity. Finally, an association was observed between pain intensity (measured using the VAS scale) and indicators of quality of life, sleep quality, and functional capacity.