Prevalence of pain and use of prescription opioids among older adults: results from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brazil).

ABSTRACT:

Background

Pain has a significant impact on people's quality of life. The use of prescription opioids to treat pain is associated with an increased risk of opioid use disorders and overdose death. We measured the prevalence of recurrent pain, prescription opioid use, and associations between chronic conditions and prescription opioid use among Brazilian older adults.

Methods

We used data from the first population-based longitudinal study of aging in Brazil (ELSI-Brazil), 2019-2020 (mean age = 63.3; 54.4% female). Outcomes were: (1) experience of recurrent pain and (2) use of opioid analgesics in the past three months among those who experience pain. Exposures included selected health conditions, history of falls, and hospitalizations.

Findings

Prevalence of pain (n = 

SUBMITTER: Mullachery PH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9996352 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature