The Relationship between Pain, Disability, and Sex in African Americans

Abstract

Older African Americans consistently report diminished capacities to perform activities of daily living (ADL) compared to other race groups. It remains unclear the extent to which bodily pain is related to declining abilities to perform ADL/ADL disability in African Americans and if this relationship exists in both African American men and women to the same degree. In order for nurses to provide optimal care for older African Americans, a better understanding of the relationship between bodily pain and ADL disability and how it may differ by gender is needed. The aim of this study was to examine if pain, age, education, income, marital status and/or comorbid conditions were associated with ADL disabilities in older African American women and men. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. The sample included 598 participants (446 women, 152 men) from the first wave of the Baltimore Study on Black Aging. African American women (Odds Ratio (OR) = 4.06; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.63–6.26) and African American men (OR= 6.44; 95% CI =2.84–14.57) who reported bodily pain had greater ADL disability than those who did not report bodily pain. Having two or more comorbid conditions was also significantly associated with ADL disability in African American women (OR=3.95; 95% CI: 2.09–7.47). Further work is needed to understand pain differences between older African American women and men in order to develop interventions that can be tailored to meet the individual pain needs of both groups.

The Relationship Between Life Purpose With Depression and Disability in Acute Low Back Pain Patients

“…Similarly, gender differences in pain and disability have been described in prior research and thus our rationale for controlling for this variable during analysis. (Walker et al, 2016) Thus, the current study supports that gender may be a valuable modifying variable to consider for both clinical researchers and clinical practitioners in attempts to improve disability in pain populations.…”

Pain, Racial Discrimination, and Depressive Symptoms among African American Women

“…Older and middle-aged African American women are at a particularly high risk of experiencing pain and subsequent pain-related disability because of the intersection of their sex, age, race, and high rates of chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis (OA) (Baker & Green, 2005; Baker, Buchanan, & Corson, 2008; Baker, Buchanan, Small, Hines, & Whitfield, 2011; Walker et al, 2016b). Furthermore, pain is common among adults with OA (Arthritis Foundation, 2015), and women experience higher rates of OA after the age of 50 than men (Buckwalter, Saltzman, & Brown, 2004).…”

“…Furthermore, pain is common among adults with OA (Arthritis Foundation, 2015), and women experience higher rates of OA after the age of 50 than men (Buckwalter, Saltzman, & Brown, 2004). This places African American women with OA at high risk of experiencing pain caused by OA and possibly other chronic conditions (Baker et al, 2011; Walker et al, 2016b). Among African American women, pain is related to poor physical function and more disability (Allen et al, 2012; Baker & Whitfield, 2015; Bolen et al, 2010; Jordan et al, 2007; Keefe et al, 2000; Parmelee et al 2012).…”

Disparities and Racism Experienced Among Older African Americans Nearing End of Life

“…In addition to having their pain underaccessed, they are less likely to receive opioid and nonopioid-based medications [10][11][12]. A study analyzing data from a dataset within the Baltimore Study of Black Aging series, assessed activities of daily living (ADL) and pain in older African American adults [13]. Results showed that bodily pain and two or more comorbidities were significantly associated with ADL disability.…”