Social context and frequent pain among older adults: findings from a nationally representative Brazilian sample

This study investigated the association between social context and the experience of frequent pain among middle-aged and older adults in Brazil.

This is a cross-sectional study based on data from the second wave of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging. Multiple logistic regression model explored the association between social context aspects (independent variables) and frequent pain.

A sample of 7,873 individuals aged 50 years and older was analysed. The results revealed that factors such as having a partner, feelings of loneliness, life dissatisfaction, stressful life events, lack of acceptance in religious groups and functional limitations in performing pleasurable activities were significantly associated with the experience of frequent pain. When stratified by sex adjusted for covariates, the experience of frequent pain was not associated with being a victim of violence in the male subgroup, unlike in the female subgroup. Notably, advanced age did not show an association with frequent pain.

The findings suggest that pain in older Brazilian adults is related to restrictions in pleasurable activities, stressful events and overall dissatisfaction, highlighting the importance of considering the social context in the health of this age group.