Inverse Association Between Neck Pain and All-Cause Mortality in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Joint trajectories of pain, depression and frailty and associations with adverse outcomes among community-dwelling older adults: A longitudinal study

This study aimed to examine joint trajectories of pain, depression and frailty and their associations with adverse outcomes. Four waves of national data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS 2011-2018) were used, involving 4217 participants aged ≥60 years. Joint trajectories were fit using parallel-process latent class growth analysis, and their associations with adverse outcomes were evaluated using modified Poisson regression. Four joint trajectories were identified. Compared with most favorable group, other three joint trajectory groups had higher risk of functional disability and hospitalization. Slowly progressive pain, depression and frailty and persistent combination of pain, depression and frailty were also associated with cognitive decline, while slowly reduced pain and depression but persistent frailty was associated with all-cause mortality. The findings highlight unique characteristics and health impacts of concurrent changes in pain, depression and frailty over time, implicating the integrated physical and psychological care for older adults.

Neck pain is the leading cause of disability burden in China: Findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background

Neck pain (NP) is a common musculoskeletal problem; however, the prevalence and years lived with disability (YLD) of NP in China are still unclear. This study sought to estimate the age-, sex- and province-specific prevalence and YLD of NP in China.

Methods

Adopting the methodology framework and analytical strategies used in the Global Burden of Disease (GBD), Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (2017), the prevalence and YLD of NP in China were estimated by age, sex, year, and provinces/regions.

Results

In China, the age-standardized point prevalence rate of NP was 4,532.6 per 100,000 persons in 1990 and increased slightly to 4,634.4 per 100,000 persons in 2017. The prevalence of NP was 48.0 million in 1990 and rose dramatically to 87.3 million in 2017 (an increase of 82.0%). The age-standardized YLD rate of NP was 454.0 per 100,000 persons in 1990, and there was a slight increase to 465.6 per 100,000 persons in 2017. The all-age YLD of NP was 4.8 million in 1990 and rose to 8.8 million in 2017 (which represents an increase of 81.1%). In 1990, NP was the third leading cause of YLD in China, and in 2017, NP was the leading cause of disability burden.

Conclusions

This study estimated the prevalence and disability burden of NP in China. NP is currently the leading cause of disability burden in China; however, it is currently inadequately recognized and should receive further attention and be subject to further research.