Bodily Pain Severity and Emotional Pain Experience in Old Age: Analyses of Potential Mediators from Representative Ghana Aging Survey

Abstract

Data on the association between pain and emotional health outcomes in old age primarily come from high-income samples. This study examines the cross-sectional association of bodily pain with emotional pain in a representative sample from Ghana, a lower-middle-income sub-Saharan African country. It also investigates potential mediators in the association. Participants (N?=?1,201; mean age 66.1?�?11.9?years; 63.3% women) reported bodily pain (last 30?days, SF-36 item) and emotional pain (7 distress items, 4 level scale). Multivariable logistic regressions and bootstrapping models assessed associations. Compared to no pain, mild (OR?2.05, 95% CI?1.31�3.22), moderate (OR?2.83, 95% CI?1.80�4.45), and severe bodily pain (OR?3.55, 95% CI?1.93�6.55) were each associated with higher odds of emotional pain. Associations were stronger among women and those aged ??65. Functional limitations (47.1%), reduced physical activity (26.4%), and sleep problems (22.2%) significantly mediated the pain�emotional distress relationship. The positive association between bodily pain and emotional pain extends to a sub Saharan African context. Psychosomatic factors largely explained this link. Interventions to improve emotional health in older adults should address bodily pain and its mediators. More research is needed in low and middle income countries to confirm these findings fully.