Pain Measurement in the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project: Presence, Intensity, and Location

To describe the rationale for the pain presence, location, and intensity measures in the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (NSHAP). Responses to the pain presence, location (pain map), and intensity (verbal descriptor scale) items were analyzed by gender and age (62-69, 70-79, and 80-91). Pain intensity was dichotomized (none to mild vs moderate or higher) and compared by demographics, physical function, mood, and self-rated health. All analyses used Wald tests to compare sample means. Participants completed the pain presence (n = 2,430/2,799), location (n = 2,558/2,799), and intensity (n = 2,589/2,799) items. Pain items varied by gender with women reporting more head, arm, hip/buttock, leg, and foot pain compared to men, (p < .05) at each individual site. Women also reported more intense pain compared to men-2.13 versus 1.94, respectively (p < .05). Pain items demonstrated remarkable similarity among age cohorts. Health indicators were significant and in the expected direction (p < .001). An increase in comorbidity, ADL and IADL dependence, worse self-rated health, and more depressive symptoms were each significantly more common among participants who reported moderate or greater pain compared to none to mild pain. Pain presence, location, and intensity measures were successfully integrated into NSHAP Wave 2 and exhibit construct and external validity.