A Descriptive Study on Pain of Elderly

노인의 동통에 관한 조사연구

The main purpose of this study was getting related to the pain charactristic data of elderly. It contains past and present health status, daily living activity level, pain frequency, causes, pain area, pain intensity, pain worse causes, and pain releave causes, pain management methods. The subject were 79 elderly whose age were over 65 years old. They were lived in their home environment. Half of them were resident of middle range city at province and the others were Seoul city. The data was collected from Dec. 1st. 1995 to Jan. 30th. 1996. Interviews were held with semi-structured questionaire after pilot study by researchers. Pain measurement tool were used graphic rating scale and Abstract of Korean Pain Language Scale. To analize the subject's general characteristics, past and present health status, daily living activity level, characteristics about pain, pain management methods statistical SPSS for win frequency were employed. The findings were as follows ; 1. There were 33(41.8%) male and 46(58.2%) female Below 69 year old were 20(25.3%), 70-79 year old were 42(53.2%), over 80 year old were 17(21.5%), mean age was 74(from 65 to 89). 2. Buddhist were 24(30.4%), Christian were 29(36. 7%), the other religious status or non religians were 26 (32.9%). 3. Past good health status were 63(79.7%), not so good status were 6(7.6%). Present good health status were 19(24.1%), moderated health status were 6(7.6%), not so good status were 14(17.7%). 4. Daily living activity limitation were 39(49.4%), nonlimitation of activity were 5(6.3%). 5. Walking limitation were 3(3.8%), nonlimitation walking were 52(65,8%). 6. Insomnia was 23(29.1%), no difficult were 38(48.1%). 7. Chronic pain complaints were 64(81%), diseases causes of pain were 25(31.6%), bad health behavior causes of pain were 27(34.2%). 8. Most pain area were back 30(29.4%), leg 17(16.7%), knee 16(15.7%), arm 13(12.7%), teeth, chest and head were each 5(4.9%), loin, trunk were each 4(3.9%), the other areas were 3(3%). 9. Pain intensity was 3.49(mean) by Korean Language Scale, 6.59(mean) by graphic rating scale. Sensitive pain was 3.5(47.9%), affective pain was 3(20.8%) It was high pain level and sensitive pain. 10. Most pain worse causes moving was 35(44.3%), pain relieving causes rest was 29(36.7%), 11. Pain management method were medication 40(42.1%), physiotherapy 23(24.2%), hospital 12(12.6%), the others 7(7.4%), none 13(13.7%). The conclusion ; Present health status of eldery was not so good. Almost half of them have some diseases. Most common diseases of eldery were arthristis, respitatory and heart problems. Foully nine percent of elderly had limitation of daily living activities. Eighty one percent of eldely had chronic pain. Most of them was back pain (30%). Pain intensity was high(score over 3.5). The worsening pain causes was moving and releiving causes was rest. Pain management method were pain medication, physiotherapy. Therefore, Nursing care plan for the elderly have to focus on pain because majority of elderly have chronic high level of pain related to the arthritis.