Abstract:

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the factors influencing the situation and to cope with chronic pain in the elderly. Materials and Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study included 97 elderly individuals. The study was carried out in a training and research hospital between January and March 2020. Data were collected using the Individual Identification Form, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Pain Coping Inventory (PCI). Results: The average age of the individuals who make up the sample of the study is 73.11±7.15 years. Approximately half of the elderly (46.4%) experienced knee / leg pain, followed by back / lumbar pain with 32.9%. Participants' PCI active pain coping strategies sub-dimension mean score was 1.92±0.46; passive pain coping strategies subscale mean score was found to be 2.56±0.61. There is no significant difference between the active pain coping strategies total score of individuals and any variable (p>0.05). While there was no significant difference between passive pain coping strategies total score and age, educational status, pain zone, drug group used, conditions that increase and decrease pain (p>0.05); there is a significant difference between gender, marital status, employment status, income level, pain medication use and general health status (p<0.05). Conclusion: At the end of this study, it was found that elderly individuals experienced the most knee and leg pain and some individual and pain-related factors affected their pain coping status. It is observed that elderly individuals use passive coping strategies more than active coping strategies. It is thought that this study, which reveals the current situation on this subject, will contribute to the development of strategies for raising awareness and increasing the quality of life of elderly people.

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