Prevalence and Risk Factors of Pain Among Older People in Mexico: Evidence From MHAS 2018.

Abstract

Objective: To explore the prevalence of pain and its risk factors among older people in Mexico.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from the 2018 Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS), which included 8958 participants aged 60 years and above. Variables including pain, social demographics, and health-related factors were collected through questionnaire surveys, and a binary logistic regression model was used to identify risk factors associated with pain.

Results: The prevalence of pain among older people in Mexico was 40.8%. Multivariate regression analysis showed that female gender, obesity, retirement, incapacity or inability to work, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis/rheumatism, heart attack, and cancer history were positively correlated with pain. In contrast, higher levels of education, widowhood, household chores, and exercising more than three times a week are negatively correlated with pain. However, age, smoking, and alcohol consumption did not show any significant correlation to pain.

Conclusion: The prevalence of pain is relatively high among older people in Mexico. Targeted intervention measures should be taken to improve awareness of the risk factors and the prevention of pain.