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© 1998 Oxford University Press

research-article

Population-based study of pain in elderly people: a descriptive survey

BRUNO BROCHET, PHILIPPE MICHEL1, PASCALE BARBERGER-GATEAU1 and JEAN-FRANCOIS DARTIGUES1

Unité de Traitement des Douloureux Chroniques, Département de Neunologie, Hôpital Pellegrin CHU de Bordeaux, 33076 Bordeaux cedex, France
1INSERM U330, Université de Bordeaux II 33076 Bordeaux cedex, France

Address correspondence to: B. Brochet Fax (+33) 5 56 79 60 25. email: bbrochet{at}bb-luni.u-bondeaux2.fr

AIM:: to establish the prevalence of pain and persistent pain in an elderly community-based population.

METHODS:: an epidemiological study of pain complaints in a population-based sample of elderly people in Southwestern France.

RESULTS:: among the 741 subjects, 530 (71.5%) reported pain somewhere, 244 (32.9%) persistent pain (defined as daily pain for more than 6 months) and 241 (32.5%) reported episodic pain. The commonest locations were limb joints and back. The prevalence of pain was 44.5% for limb joints, 29.6% for back, 11.6% for neck and 11.3% for limbs (joints excepted). The prevalence for persistent pain was 1904% for limb joints, 12% for back and 10.4% for limbs (joints excepted). The frequency of persistent pain increased slightly with age in both sexes but was higher in women. A higher prevalence of persistent pain in limb joints and back in women explained the difference. By contrast, the prevalence of episodic pain was statistically higher in men over 75.

CONCLUSION:: persistent pain is an important health problem in elderly subjects

Keywords: France, pain, persistent pain, population study

Received February 27, 1997;
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