Changes in pain prevalence among older adults in Singapore: Findings from a nationwide study

Pain adversely affects individuals' quality of life and increases the burden on the healthcare system. However, few studies have examined pain among older adults in Asia. Hence, our study investigated (i) the prevalence and correlates of pain in 2023, and (ii) changes in pain prevalence and its correlates between 2013 and 2023 among older adults in Singapore.

Data was obtained from two cross-sectional studies: the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) 2013 (n = 2565) and WiSE 2023 (n = 2010). Pain prevalence was self-reported based on experiences from the previous month. Logistic regression was conducted using WiSE 2023 study data to examine the association between pain and the following variables: age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, education, employment status, history of blood pressure, heart problem, transient ischemic attack, asthma, cancer, disability (measured using World Health Organization Disability Scale (WHODAS) 2.0) and depression. Decomposition analysis was performed to examine the change in pain prevalence and its correlates.

The pain prevalence in 2023 was 25.31 %, which was significantly higher compared to 2013 (19.49 %). Approximately 4.8 % of the change in prevalence was due to changes in population characteristics, while 95.20 % is due to the effect of covariates. The following characteristics were significantly associated with pain: females (OR: 1.76), unemployment (OR: 4.17), depression (OR: 2.39), high blood pressure (OR: 1.41), and a higher score for WHODAS 2.0 (OR: 1.01).

Improving pain management among older adults includes raising awareness of the gender differences in pain, encouraging individuals to seek treatment early, and implementing psychosocial interventions.