Musculoskeletal Pain Medication Use in Middle Age and Older Adults in 15 European Countries and Israel

Abstract Background The experience of musculoskeletal pain is widespread among adults and entails high costs to both individuals and society. Few studies look at disparities in pain management. Aims To examine factors associated with the presence of musculoskeletal pain and the use of pain medication use among individuals aged 50+. Design Cross-sectional analysis of data from the SHARE. Participants 64,281 community-dwelling individuals in 15 European countries and Israel. Methods Bivariate analysis and logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with the presence of musculoskeletal pain and pain medication use. Results Among our population, the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain at the time of the survey was 40.1%. Women had more pain than men (odds ratio [OR] = 1.477, confidence interval [CI] = 1.428-1.528), those who were 60-69 years old had less pain than younger individuals (OR = 0.927, CI = 0.883-0.973), whereas those who were 80+ years old had more pain than younger individuals (OR = 1.280, CI = 1.199-1.367). About 50% of those with musculoskeletal pain take no medication to manage it. Predictors of pain medication use include male sex (OR = 1.468, CI = 1.389-1.553), more education (OR = 1.034, CI = 1.023-1.041), and better ability to cope economically (OR = 1.446, CI = 1.368-1.527). Those over 70 are less likely than younger individuals to be taking medication to manage their pain (70-79: OR = 0.822, CI = 0.761-0.887), (80+: OR = 0.619, CI = 0.566-0.677). Conclusions Nurses should be aware of the association of education and income with pain-medication use, which suggests that pain medication use is less accessible to those with fewer resources. Pain is a significant public-health problem, and access to medicine deserves attention from nurses, healthcare workers and policymakers.