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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Dec 1.
Published in final edited form as: Pain. 2016 Dec;157(12):2834–2842. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000719

Table 3.

Association of Chronic Conditions with Pain Quality Descriptors in Older Adults (n=560)

Pain Quality Category Pain Quality Descriptor Multiple chronic conditionsa Peripheral arterial diseaseb Osteoarthritisb Spinal stenosis or disc disease Rheumatoid arthritis Peripheral neuropathyb
Cognitive/Affective Troublesome 2.0 (1.3 – 3.0) 2.7 (1.4 – 5.0) 3.1 (1.9 – 5.1)
Nagging 2.2 (1.5 – 3.3) 3.7 (2.3 – 6.0)
Tiring 2.5 (1.7 – 3.6) 3.3 (1.9 – 5.6) 2.4 (1.6 – 3.7) 3.0 (1.5 – 6.0)
Miserable 2.6 (1.7 – 3.8) 3.2 (1.9 – 5.4) 1.6 (1.2 – 2.3) 2.2 (1.4 – 3.3) 2.9 (1.4 – 5.9)
Gnawingc 1.9 (1.1 – 3.4)
Exhausting 2.3 (1.5 – 3.5) 2.9 (1.7 – 4.9) 1.5 (1.0 – 2.3) 1.6 (1.0 – 2.5)
Unbearable 2.2 (1.3 – 3.6) 2.6 (1.4 – 4.8) 2.1 (1.0 – 5.0)
Sensory Aching 4.0 (2.3 – 6.9) 2.5 (1.7 – 3.6) 3.3 (1.9 – 5.8) 2.5 (1.0 – 6.1)
Stiffness 2.6 (1.7 – 4.2) 2.0 (1.1 – 3.7) 2.7 (1.9 – 3.9) 2.7 (1.7 – 4.4)
Soreness 2.1 (1.4 – 3.1) 1.7 (1.0 – 3.0) 1.5 (1.1 – 2.1) 1.7 (1.1 – 2.7) 2.6 (1.2 – 5.7)
Tender 2.0 (1.3 – 2.9) 1.8 (1.3 – 2.6)
Cramping 1.8 (1.2 – 2.8) 2.3 (1.3 – 3.9) 2.1 (1.4 – 3.2)
Throbbing 2.5 (1.6 – 4.0) 2.8 (1.6 – 5.0) 2.4 (1.4 – 4.2)
Like a bruise 1.5 (1.0 – 2.3)
Neuropathic Sharp 2.2 (1.5 – 3.2) 2.4 (1.5 – 4.1) 1.9 (1.4 – 2.7) 1.6 (1.1 – 2.4)
Penetrating 2.6 (1.7 – 3.8) 2.2 (1.3 – 3.6) 2.0 (1.3 – 3.1) 2.4 (1.2 – 4.7) 1.8 (1.0 – 2.9)
Numb 2.7 (1.8 – 4.2) 2.5 (1.4 – 4.2) 1.6 (1.1 – 2.3) 1.9 (1.2 – 3.0) 2.3 (1.1 – 4.7) 2.2 (1.3 – 3.8)
Shooting 2.2 (1.4 – 3.5) 1.9 (1.1 – 3.4) 1.8 (1.2 – 2.8) 2.0 (1.2 – 3.2)
Stabbing 2.5 (1.6 – 3.9) 1.8 (1.0 – 3.3) 2.0 (1.3 – 3.1) 2.8 (1.8 – 4.5)
Burning 2.0 (1.3 – 3.3) 3.3 (1.9 – 5.8) 1.7 (1.1 – 2.6) 1.8 (1.1 – 2.9)

Note. Pain quality descriptors listed in order of highest to lowest prevalence by category.

Separate logistic regression models, adjusted for age and sex, were performed to determine odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association of chronic conditions (independent variable) and endorsement of each specified pain quality descriptor (dependent variable). Only significant associations (p<.05) are presented in the table.

a

Multiple pain-associated conditions were defined as >1 of the aforementioned conditions, the reference group was none or 1 chronic condition.

b

Peripheral arterial disease, osteoarthritis, and peripheral neuropathy were clinically assessed conditions, the other conditions were self-reported.

c

Less than 1% of data was missing for each quality, except for “Gnawing” for which 10% of the data were missing.