Sleep quality in the elderly with and without chronic pain

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Brazil has been experiencing rapid aging of its population. Aging, even without chronic diseases, involves some functional loss, which is expressed by reduction in vigor, strength, readiness, metabolic efficiency, and often pain, which can lead to fatigue and sleep changes. Sleep quality is essential for the physical and emotional well-being of elderly individuals. The objective of this study was to evaluate the sleep quality among elderly with and without chronic pain that live in a town in Santa Catarina State. METHODS: Interviews with 385 senior citizens living in the urban area of a town in Santa Catarina. The research tools used in the data collection were the Mini-Mental State Examination, an instrument adapted from Morais, the visual numerical scale and the Pittsburgh questionnaire. RESULTS: Among the elderly interviewed, females (67.27%, n=259) and the 60-69 years age group (45.45%, n=175) prevailed. Among the 385 elderlies, 58.18% (n=224) had chronic pain, predominantly of moderate intensity (48.66%, n=109). Among the elderly with pain, 57.59% (n=129) presented poor sleep quality; among those without pain, 56.52% (n=91) had good sleep quality. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that the intensity of pain, number of chronic self-reported diseases and age group are factors that influence the sleep quality of the elderly, thus indicating the importance of health professionals working in this context with new studies and resources