Chronic pain and its association with obesity among older adults in China.

Objectives: There is a paucity of epidemiological data on chronic pain and obesity among older adults. This study attempted to present the characterization of chronic pain and its association with obesity among the Chinese elderly.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was undertaken among 6524 elderly individuals aged ≥60 years in China. Chronic pain was identified by self-reports based on the definition from the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP). Body Mass Index (BMI) was measured to assess obesity. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the association between obesity and chronic pain.

Results: The prevalence of chronic pain was 49.8%. The legs/feet (25.5%), back (23.2%), and neck/shoulder (14.6%) were the most salient locations for chronic pain. Compared with normal weight, subjects with overweight (OR = 1.234, 95%CI = 1.100-1.384) and obesity (OR = 1.715, 95%CI = 1.418-2.073) were considerably more likely to have chronic pain after adjusting for covariates (p < .05). Age was not significantly associated with chronic pain (p > .05). Further analyses revealed that the associations between chronic pain and obesity were restricted to the legs/feet and back.

Conclusion: Chronic pain is common among older adults in China. Understanding the role of obesity in chronic pain is important for preventing and treating chronic pain.