Predictors of Perceived Health Status Among United States Older Adults with Self-Reported Pain

Abstract

Predictors of Perceived Health Status Among United States Older Adults with Self-Reported Pain Specific Aims: To determine significant predictors that predict good or poor perceived health status among older adults in the US with self-reported pain. Methods: This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study that utilized data from the 2018 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) including individuals who were alive, aged ≥50 years, and self-reported pain in the last four weeks. Chi-square and adjusted logistic regression models were used to identify predictors of perceived health status. Main Results: From a weighted population of n = 57,134,711 individuals, 73.4% reported good perceived health status (95% confidence interval (CI) 71.7%, 75.1%) and 26.6% reported poor perceived health status (95% CI 24.9%, 28.3%). The key predictors associated with a higher odds of reporting good health status included little/moderate pain (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.673, 95% CI 2.162, 3.304), good perceived mental health (AOR 7.880, 95% CI 6.085, 10.206), and exercise (AOR 1.698, 95% CI 1.411, 2.042). Predictors with a lower odds of reporting good perceived health status included ethnicity (AOR 0.603, 95% CI 0.446, 0.813), education up to and including high school (AOR 0.746, 95% CI 0.611, 0.911), poor/low income (AOR 0.777, 95% 0.627, 0.962), functional limitation (AOR 0.574, 95% CI 0.454, 0.726), work limitation (AOR 0.583, 95% CI 0.461, 0.737), ≥5 chronic conditions (AOR 0.489, 95% CI 0.390, 0.612), and smoking (AOR 0.777, 95% CI 0.623, 0.968). Conclusions: The significant predictors associated with good perceived health status may be further evaluated to find better ways of improving pain and perceived health status among older US adults.