Dor crônica em idosos atendidos na atenção primária à saúde em um município de porte médio do norte gaúcho

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of chronic pain and to describe the sociodemographic, lifestyle and health related habits profile of elderly patients. METHOD: This is a cross-sectional study developed in the Primary Health Care of Passo Fundo/RS. The data collection was made through the application of questionnaires from 05/27/19 to 08/23/19. Patients aged 60 years or older, of both genders, who came to the Primary Health Care to seek some care during the data collection period were included in the study, being excluded bedridden and physically handicapped patients or other deficiencies that prevented them from answering the questionnaire and/or going to the sites mentioned. In the end, 403 elderly people participated of the study. It was considered the cut-off to the chronic pain, one with a duration equal or above six months. RESULTS: There was found a 49,4% prevalence of chronic pain, 49.4% in women and 35.3% in men; the one-dimensional pain evaluation presented mild pain intensity in 13,1% of the elderly with chronic pain, median in 49.7% and severe in 37.1%; the chronic pain turned up in 63% of the people who declared a bad self-perception of health (p<0,01). CONCLUSION: Thus, the lack of management of this disease can generate a great negative impact on the quality of life, especially in elderly women. Therefore, it becomes necessary to complement the active search for chronic pain mechanism with an integral and longitudinal approach to the patient.