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Prevalence and impact of pain among older adults in the United States: findings from the 2011 National Health and Aging Trends Study
Patel KV, Guralnik JM, Dansie EJ, Turk DC.. Pain, 2013-12-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
This study sought to determine the prevalence and impact of pain in a nationally representative sample of older adults in the United States. Data from the 2011 National Health and Aging Trends Study were analyzed. In-person interviews were conducted in 7601 adults ages ≥65 years. The response rate was 71.0% and all analyses were weighted to account for the sampling design. The overall prevalence of bothersome pain in the last month was 52.9%, afflicting 18.7 million older adults in the United States. Pain did not vary across age groups (P = 0.21), and this pattern remained unchanged when accounting for cognitive performance, dementia, proxy responses, and residential care living status. Pain prevalence was higher in women and in older adults with obesity, musculoskeletal conditions, and depressive symptoms (P < 0.001). The majority (74.9%) of older adults with pain endorsed multiple sites of pain. Several measures of physical capacity, including grip strength and lower-extremity physical performance, were associated with pain and multisite pain. For example, self-reported inability to walk 3 blocks was 72% higher in participants with than without pain (adjusted prevalence ratio 1.72 [95% confidence interval 1.56-1.90]). Participants with 1, 2, 3, and ≥4 sites of pain had gait speeds that were 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, and 0.08 meters per second slower, respectively, than older adults without pain, adjusting for disease burden and other potential confounders (P < 0.001). In summary, bothersome pain in the last month was reported by half of the older adult population of the United States in 2011 and was strongly associated with decreased physical function.
Key findings
- The overall prevalence of bothersome pain in the last month was 52.9%, afflicting 18.7 million older adults in the United States.
- Several measures of physical capacity, including grip strength and lower-extremity physical performance, were associated with pain and multisite pain.
- In summary, bothersome pain in the last month was reported by half of the older adult population of the United States in 2011 and was strongly associated with decreased physical function.
Why it matters
In a national survey, about half of older adults reported bothersome pain in the past month, and pain was strongly linked to worse physical function. This study is about pain and physical ability in older adults generally, not about treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Participants7,601
- Effect size71.0%; 52.9%; 74.9%
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 60/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Pain) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Pain: journal h-index 399 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2013 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 7,601 participants |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 736 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 49.1 citations a year over 15 year(s) since 2013 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 36.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 4 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 149 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Dennis C. Turk: h-index 125 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | University of Washington: institution h-index 3,540 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 24287107) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 60 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Patel, K. V., Guralnik, J. M., Dansie, E. J., & Turk, D. C. (2013). Prevalence and impact of pain among older adults in the United States: findings from the 2011 National Health and Aging Trends Study. Pain. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2013.07.029
Vancouver
Patel KV, Guralnik JM, Dansie EJ, Turk DC. Prevalence and impact of pain among older adults in the United States: findings from the 2011 National Health and Aging Trends Study. Pain. 2013. doi:10.1016/j.pain.2013.07.029. PMID: 24287107.
BibTeX
@article{patel2013-24287107,
author = {Patel, K. V. and Guralnik, J. M. and Dansie, E. J. and Turk, D. C.},
title = {{Prevalence and impact of pain among older adults in the United States: findings from the 2011 National Health and Aging Trends Study}},
journal = {Pain},
year = {2013},
doi = {10.1016/j.pain.2013.07.029},
pmid = {24287107},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2013.07.029}
}
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