Multidimensional Characteristics of Musculoskeletal Pain and Risk of Falls Among Elderly Adults: The Cross-Sectional Evidence From CHARLS.

Abstract

Objective: Falls are common particularly in elderly people and usually associated with poor prognosis or healing outcomes. Musculoskeletal pain is considered an independent risk factor for falls, by being associated with joint pathology and instability, neuromuscular effects of pain, and changes in cognitive and psychological function. Understanding the relationship between musculoskeletal pain and the risk of falls will help with falls prevention among older adults.

Methods: A nationally representative sample for the Chinese population was derived from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Information on the patients' demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, other health-related behaviors, as well as history on musculoskeletal pain and falls was obtained. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to explore the effect factors of falls, including individual factors and musculoskeletal pain factors. p for trend test was performed to examine the trend of each continuous variable.

Results: Among 18,813 respondents, 3697 have experienced a fall. The risk of falls was lower for respondents who were male, lived in urban areas, had higher education level, and were married (p < 0.05). The risk of falls increased with higher age (p < 0.05), as well as for respondents who were still drinking alcohol or who used to drink alcohol at the time of the survey (p < 0.05). The risk of falls also increased for respondents who had suffered from pain in the fingers, waist, legs and knees (p < 0.05), as well as for those who had a higher number of painful sites (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Factors such as gender, age, education level, and health-related behaviors may influence the risk of falls. Additionally, musculoskeletal pain has been identified as a potential contributor to falls. Effectively managing musculoskeletal pain represents a significant intervention that can be targeted to help prevent falls among older individuals.