Differences between the Sexes in the Relationship between Chronic Pain, Fatigue, and QuickDASH among Community-Dwelling Elderly People in Japan

Abstract

Chronic pain and fatigue have negative effects on the health, ADL, work, and hobbies of the elderly. As the proportion of people 65 years of age and older in the population increases, chronic pain and disability research regarding this group is receiving more consideration. However, little empirical evidence of the association between chronic pain, fatigue, and physical disability between the sexes is available. This study investigated the association between chronic pain, fatigue, and instrumental activities of daily living among community-dwelling elderly people by sex in Japan. Concerning the presence of chronic pain, 61% of males and 78% of females reported chronic pain, indicating that many elderly people living in the community suffer from chronic pain and fatigue on a daily basis. The number of sites of chronic pain was higher in females than in males (p = 0.016), with more chronic pain in the knees (p < 0.001) and upper arms (p = 0.014). Regarding chronic pain, males showed a higher correlation with QuickDASH-DS (rs = 0.433, p = 0.017) and QuickDASH-SM (rs = 0.643, p = 0.018) than females. Furthermore, fatigue also showed a higher correlation with QuickDASH-W (rs = 0.531, p = 0.003) in males than in females. These results indicate that the association between chronic pain, fatigue, and QuickDASH differed between the sexes among community-dwelling elderly people in Japan. A better understanding of the risk factors for elderly chronic pain and fatigue among sexes will facilitate the development of elderly healthcare welfare and policies.

Central and Peripheral Fatigue in Physical Exercise Explained: A Narrative Review

“…In relation to both central and peripheral fatigue, there are differences despite the ambiguity in the scientific literature. One of the main constructs is related to how men and women differ in the way they deal with physical symptoms, emotions, and stress due to a different personality structure [ 57 ]. Thus, the subjective perception of fatigue would be greater in females [ 58 ].…”

“…Thus, the subjective perception of fatigue would be greater in females [ 58 ]. In addition, females’ biological frameworks, such as the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, birth control medicine, and menopause, are strong conditioning factors of both performance, perception, and the appearance of fatigue [ 57 ].…”

Assessment of the Daily Living Activities of Older People (2004–2023): A Bibliometric and Visual Analysis

“…Furthermore, based on the analysis of clusters #0, #1, #6, #8, and #9, areas of disease research within the ADL risk field deserve attention. ADL limitations are closely linked to physical function-related diseases (such as sarcopenia [ 77 ], fractures [ 8 , 14 , 78 ], chronic pain [ 79 ], and falls [ 7 , 80 ]) and neurocognitive disorders (such as dementia [ 81 ], cognitive impairment [ 44 ], and depression [ 5 , 9 ]). Research into the relationship and potential risks between ADL limitations and these diseases is increasing.…”

“…Despite growing research on this topic, some researchers suggest that more attention should be paid to the design of research methods in the conduct of similar studies [ 79 , 83 ]. From the perspective of clusters #0, #3, #7, and co-occurring keyword analysis, we also found men and women to exhibit different manifestations during the process of ADL decline [ 79 , 86 ]. Relevant studies indicate that biologically, males report faster aging rates [ 88 ], while females report higher levels of bodily pain [ 89 , 90 , 91 ].…”