Dados do Trabalho

Título

Association between sleep quality and pain catastrophizing in older adults with chronic low back pain: preliminary data

Introdução

There is a high prevalence of poor sleep quality in people with chronic low back pain (cLBP) and the aging process is marked by a progressively decrease in sleep quality. In addition to the several impacts of poor sleep on pain control mechanisms, it can also influence mood and irritability which may be associated with increased catastrophizing thinking towards pain symptoms.

Objetivo

To investigate the association between sleep quality and pain catastrophizing in older adults with cLBP.

Métodos

This was a cross-sectional analysis from an ongoing cohort study. The sample consisted of 30 older adults who had non-specific cLBP. This study was approved by the UFMG ethical committee (49334621.2.0000.5149). Inclusion criteria: ≥60 years old and reporting LBP for ≥3 months. Exclusion criteria: significant cognitive decline (score >4 in the Leganés Cognitive Scale), pregnancy, symptoms of specific LBP, and clinical signs of radiculopathy. The recruitment took place in a university project that offers free physical therapy treatment for elderly people with cLBP. Demographic data were collected and the individuals answered the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain intensity. The Shapiro-Wilk test was performed to test the normality of the data and the Spearman’s correlation was carried out. The significant level was set at 0.05.

Resultados

The sample had a mean age of 70.1±6.5 years, mean BMI of 26.7±3.2, mean VAS of 7.1±1.7, mean LBP duration of 112.3±129.9 months. We found a positive correlation between PSQI and PCS scores (r=0.673; p=0.00), and a negative correlation between sleep efficiency and PCS score (r=-0.385; p=0.03).

Conclusões

The poorer the sleep quality and the lower the sleep efficiency, the more pain catastrophizing. Based on our findings, looking purely at the association between sleep and pain intensity is not recommended, but it is also important to consider the relationship between sleep and coping with pain.

Acknowledgments: Fundação de Apoio ao Ensino, Pesquisa e Extensão (FEPE), Pró-Reitoria de Pesquisa (PRPq/UFMG), Centro de Estudos em Psicobiologia e Exercício (CEPE), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES).

Palavras -chave

chronic pain; backache; catastrophization; aged; sleep quality.