Session Information
Session Type: Abstract Submissions (ARHP)
Background/Purpose: Although back pain is the most common type of pain reported by older adults, we have a limited understanding of its impact on the daily life of older persons. Qualitative research can capture the lived experience of back pain severe enough to result in restricted activity (hereafter referred to as restricting back pain), in older persons and help to identify patient-reported dimensions of this experience. In this qualitative study, we explored older persons’ perspectives, experiences, and attitudes regarding how restricting back pain impacts various dimensions of daily life.
Methods: We recruited participants who reported restricting back pain during the previous 3 months from the Yale PEP Study, a longitudinal study of community-living persons. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted in the participants’ home by a single investigator (UM). The interviewer’s guide explored the character and clinical course of restricting back pain as well as its impact on activities of daily life, including symptom management and quality of life, social relationships, coping strategies and other adaptive behaviors, including questions about other illnesses or conditions. Interviews were transcribed and independently coded by 4 reviewers using iterative thematic analysis (NVivo 9). Thematic codes were created to categorize the nuances of participants’ restricting back pain experiences. To ensure inter-coder reliability, coding discrepancies were resolved through group discussion until consensus was reached. Recruitment stopped once no new codes emerged from the data, indicating theoretical saturation.
Results: We interviewed 23 participants (age range: 83-98, 57% women, 91% non-Hispanic white, 4% non-Hispanic black, and 4% Hispanic). All participants described the perceived consequences of restricting back pain on daily activities and quality of life. Specifically, analysis revealed that restricting back pain impacted participants’ quality of life physically (including sleep), psychologically and socially. The participants described how restricting back pain resulted in social isolation that subsequently influenced psychological well-being. Salient quotes illustrating several of the prominent themes are listed below.
Conclusion: Thematic analysis revealed that restricting back pain in older persons has variable physical, psychological and social consequences. A better understanding of how older persons experience restricting back pain will enable clinicians and researchers to focus on the dimensions of the pain experience most relevant to this population and may help to identify novel measurable factors that can improve quality of care in older persons with back pain.
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Quotes of restricting back pain impact by theme Theme Sample Quote
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Physical impact |
–It’s very debilitating, both mentally and physically, because I’m not able to do what I want to do. My head says yes and my body says no. |
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Sleep impact |
–Well, I really don’t get a good rest at night. When I’m turning this way and that way because of the back pain. |
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Psychological/social impact |
–I’m not as open as I used to be. I’m not, I don’t get out there and talk with everybody. I’m usually, I stay in my house. I don’t go out that much. –I guess it makes me depressed because I can’t get outÉI don’t see people and I’m a people person. –It’s a writing group upstairs that I used to go and we wrote poetry and little stories. I used to love to participate in that and I won’t even [go] up there by myselfÉI can’t stand the pain of sitting in a groupÉif I take the pills or something to help, then I can’t concentrate.
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Disclosure:
U. E. Makris,
None;
T. V. Melhado,
None;
S. C. Lee,
None;
H. A. Hamann,
None;
L. M. Walke,
None;
T. M. Gill,
None;
L. Fraenkel,
None.
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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/physical-psychological-and-social-impacts-of-restricting-back-pain-the-older-persons-perspective/