Chronic pain: good management of practical pain control strategies is associated with being older, more health activated and having better mental health.

INTRODUCTION Chronic pain affects a large proportion of the adult population and people in pain need to learn how to manage it in order to maintain quality of life. AIM This study aimed to examine how well people with long-term conditions make use of self-management strategies to control their pain, and to identify personal attributes associated with a higher degree of success. METHODS People with chronic pain who participated in the first phase of a longitudinal long-term conditions study in the MidCentral region made up the study sample (N=326, response rate 21%).

The role and measurement of patient activation in the management of long-term conditions in New Zealand.

Aim: Patient activation represents people's knowledge, skills and confidence to manage their own health. We provide information regarding the nature of patient activation and use New Zealand data to consider its utility in New Zealand.

Methods: Self-report data using the patient activation measure (PAM) and seven health and general practice experience measures were collected from 544 general practice patients in the MidCentral region.