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Bazargan M, Loeza M, Ekwegh T, Adinkrah EK, Kibe LW, Cobb S, Assari S, Bazargan-Hejazi S. Multi-Dimensional Impact of Chronic Low Back Pain among Underserved African American and Latino Older Adults. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:7246. [PMID: 34299695 PMCID: PMC8306928 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18147246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Chronic low back pain is one of the most common, poorly understood, and potentially disabling chronic pain conditions from which older adults suffer. The existing low back pain research has relied almost exclusively on White/Caucasian participant samples. This study examines the correlates of chronic low back pain among a sample of underserved urban African American and Latino older adults. Controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, living arrangement, and number of major chronic conditions, associations between low back pain and the following outcome variables are examined: (1) healthcare utilization, (2) health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) and self-rated quality of health; and (3) physical and mental health outcomes. METHODS We recruited nine hundred and five (905) African American and Latino older adults from the South Los Angeles community using convenience and snowball sampling. In addition to standard items that measure demographic variables, our survey included validated instruments to document HR-QoL health status, the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire-2, Geriatric Depression Scale, sleep disorder, and healthcare access. Data analysis includes bivariate and 17 independent multivariate models. RESULTS Almost 55% and 48% of the Latino and African American older adults who participated in our study reported chronic low back pain. Our data revealed that having low back pain was associated with three categories of outcomes including: (1) a higher level of healthcare utilization measured by (i) physician visits, (ii) emergency department visits, (iii) number of Rx used, (iv) a higher level of medication complexity, (v) a lower level of adherence to medication regimens, and (vi) a lower level of satisfaction with medical care; (2) a lower level of HR-QoL and self-assessment of health measured by (i) physical health QoL, (ii) mental health QoL, and (iii) a lower level of self-rated health; and (3) worse physical and mental health outcomes measured by (i) a higher number of depressive symptoms, (ii) a higher level of pain, (iii) falls, (iv) sleep disorders, (v) and being overweight/obese. DISCUSSION Low back pain remains a public health concern and significantly impacts the quality of life, health care utilization, and health outcomes of underserved minority older adults. Multi-faceted and culturally sensitive interventional studies are needed to ensure the timely diagnosis and treatment of low back pain among underserved minority older adults. Many barriers and challenges that affect underserved African American and Latino older adults with low back pain simply cannot be addressed in over-crowded EDs. Our study contributes to and raises the awareness of healthcare providers and health policymakers on the necessity for prevention, early diagnosis, proper medical management, and rehabilitation policies to minimize the burdens associated with chronic low back pain among underserved older African American and Latino patients in an under-resourced community such as South Los Angeles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Bazargan
- Department of Family Medicine, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU), Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA; (M.B.); (M.L.); (S.A.)
- Department of Public Health, CDU, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA;
- Physician Assistant Program, CDU, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA;
- Department of Family Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Margarita Loeza
- Department of Family Medicine, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU), Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA; (M.B.); (M.L.); (S.A.)
- Department of Family Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Tavonia Ekwegh
- School of Nursing, CDU, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA; (T.E.); (S.C.)
| | | | - Lucy W. Kibe
- Physician Assistant Program, CDU, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA;
| | - Sharon Cobb
- School of Nursing, CDU, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA; (T.E.); (S.C.)
| | - Shervin Assari
- Department of Family Medicine, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU), Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA; (M.B.); (M.L.); (S.A.)
- Department of Public Health, CDU, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA;
| | - Shahrzad Bazargan-Hejazi
- Department of Psychiatry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, CDU, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
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Shaver JL, Iacovides S. Sleep in Women with Chronic Pain and Autoimmune Conditions: A Narrative Review. Sleep Med Clin 2018; 13:375-394. [PMID: 30098754 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsmc.2018.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Chronic pain and sleep disturbances are intricately intertwined. This narrative review provides comments on observations related to pain, stress-immunity, and sleep. Sleep evidence is reviewed from studies of select conditions involving pain (ie, functional somatic syndromes and autoimmune) that are predominant in women. Chronic pain and poor sleep encompass persistent stress-immune activation with systemic inflammation, cellular oxidative stress, and sick behavior indicators that increase morbidity and threaten quality of life. In painful conditions, sleep impairments are nearly ubiquitous, and exaggerated combined effects should not be underestimated or ignored, nor should crucial implications for clinical practice and research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan L Shaver
- Biobehavioral Health Science Division, University of Arizona College of Nursing, 1305 North Martin Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
| | - Stella Iacovides
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown 2193, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Baker TA, Clay OJ, Johnson-Lawrence V, Minahan JA, Mingo CA, Thorpe RJ, Ovalle F, Crowe M. Association of multiple chronic conditions and pain among older black and white adults with diabetes mellitus. BMC Geriatr 2017; 17:255. [PMID: 29084525 PMCID: PMC5663150 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-017-0652-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Accepted: 10/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aging is often associated with the challenge of navigating daily tasks with a painful chronic medical illness. Yet, there is concern of the number of older adults impacted with more than one chronic condition. Despite the increasing number of adults diagnosed with diabetes and comorbid chronic illnesses, there remains a lack of understanding in how multiple illnesses relate to experiences of pain. To assess the association between multiple chronic conditions and pain, this study aimed to identify clusters of chronic medical conditions and their association with pain among a sample of older Black and White adults diagnosed with diabetes. METHODS Two hundred and thirty-six participants responded to a series of questions assessing pain frequency and severity, as well as health and social characteristics. A factor analysis was used to categorize clusters of medical conditions, and multiple regression models were used to examine predictors of pain. RESULTS Seven of the assessed chronic medical conditions loaded on three factors, and accounted for 57.2% of the total variance, with heart disease (factor 1) accounting for 21.9%, musculoskeletal conditions (factor 2) for another 18.4%, and factor 3 (microvascular diseases) accounting for a final 16.9% of the variability among the chronic medical conditions. Covariate-adjusted models showed that fewer years of education and higher scores on the microvascular and musculoskeletal conditions factors were associated with higher pain frequency, with the musculoskeletal conditions factor being the strongest predictor. CONCLUSIONS Findings from this study compliment existent literature underscoring the prevalence and importance of comorbid diagnoses in relation to pain. Examining health-related factors beyond a single disease diagnosis also provides an opportunity to explore underlying disease co-occurrences that may persist beyond organ system classifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara A. Baker
- Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS USA
| | - Olivio J. Clay
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL USA
| | - Vicki Johnson-Lawrence
- Department of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Michigan-Flint, Flint, MI USA
| | | | - Chivon A. Mingo
- Gerontology Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Roland J. Thorpe
- Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Fernando Ovalle
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL USA
| | - Michael Crowe
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL USA
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Baker TA, O'Connor ML, Krok-Schoen JL. Influence of Social and Health Indicators on Pain Interference With Everyday Activities Among Older Black and White Cancer Patients. Gerontol Geriatr Med 2017; 2:2333721415624989. [PMID: 28138484 PMCID: PMC5119878 DOI: 10.1177/2333721415624989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2015] [Revised: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 12/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: This prospective study aimed to determine the influence social and health factors have on pain interference with everyday activities among older patients receiving outpatient treatment services from a comprehensive cancer center. Method: Participants were surveyed on questions assessing pain interference, and social (communication), health (pain severity, comorbidities), behavioral (self-efficacy, affect), and demographic characteristics. Multivariate analyses were specified to examine determinants of pain interference, with items loading on separate cluster composites: physical interference and psychosocial interference. Results: Pain severity was a significant indicator for physical interference. Similarly, pain severity, education, self-efficacy, negative affect, and communication were predictors of psychosocial interference. Discussion: Factors defining the daily lived experiences of older adults are important in providing baseline information on functional status. This emphasizes the need to rigorously examine the association between pain, and clinical and psychosocial indicators, but more importantly indicators that contribute to the patient’s ability to perform normal everyday activities.
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Booker SQ, Herr KA, Tripp-Reimer T. Culturally Conscientious Pain Measurement in Older African Americans. West J Nurs Res 2016; 38:1354-73. [PMID: 27174228 DOI: 10.1177/0193945916648952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Despite considerable pain disparities across the care continuum, pain is an understudied health problem in older ethnic minority groups, such as African Americans. Quality pain measurement is a core task in pain management and a mechanism by which pain disparities may be reduced. Pain measurement includes the methods (e.g., assessment approaches, tools) and metrics that researchers and clinicians use to understand the characteristics of pain. However, there are significant issues and gaps that negatively affect pain measurement in older African Americans. Of concern is insufficient representation in pain research, which impedes the testing and refinement of many standardized self-report, behavioral and surrogate report, physiological, and composite measures of pain. The purposes for this article are to discuss the status of pain measurement and factors that affect our knowledge on pain measurement in older African Americans, and to provide guidance for culturally conscientious pain measurement using the available literature.
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