• DOI:10.26719/EMHJ.18.045
• Corpus ID: 53312031

Pain characteristics of older residents in Iranian nursing homes.

@article{Foroughan2019PainCO,
  title={Pain characteristics of older residents in Iranian nursing homes.},
  author={Mahshid Foroughan and Farahnaz Mohammadi Shahboulaghi and Zahra Jafari and V. Rashedi and Akbar Biglarian},
  journal={Eastern Mediterranean health journal = La revue de sante de la Mediterranee orientale = al-Majallah al-sihhiyah li-sharq al-mutawassit},
  year={2019},
  volume={25 3},
  pages={
          205-212
        }
}

• M. Foroughan, F. Shahboulaghi, +2 authors A. Biglarian
• Published 25 April 2019
• Medicine
• Eastern Mediterranean health journal = La revue de sante de la Mediterranee orientale = al-Majallah al-sihhiyah li-sharq al-mutawassit

Background
Pain is a common complaint among the aging population, particularly among the older residents of nursing homes.

Aims
The main aim of the study was to examine the pain characteristics among older residents of nursing homes in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.

Methods
This was a cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of 394 older adults admitted to Tehran nursing homes. To gather the required data, Brief Pain Inventory and Abbreviated Mental Test score were used.

Results
51% of the female and 26% of the male participants suffered from pain. Lower extremity and lower part of back were the most frequently affected. Pain interfered with general activity (P < 0.001), mood (P = 0.016), walking (P < 0.001), normal work (P < 0.001), relations with others (P = 0.043), sleeping (P = 0.002) and enjoyment of life (P = 0.019) of the older residents and these effects were more prominent in female sex. Factors such as age, gender and schooling were of significant relationships with pain (P < 0.001) and its intensity (P <0.001).

Conclusions
Chronic pain is common among older residents of nursing homes and deteriorates their quality of life. This study reconfirms the previously mentioned importance of using effective pain evaluation and pain management strategies in nursing homes.