Social determinants associated with unhealthy lifestyles in adults over 60 years of age with chronic musculoskeletal pain
Rev Esp Anestesiol Reanim (Engl Ed). 2026 Jun 1:502129. doi: 10.1016/j.redare.2026.502129. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Chronic musculoskeletal pain in older adults is associated with unhealthy lifestyles, possibly influenced by social determinants of health (SDH).
OBJECTIVE: To identify the association between SDH and unhealthy lifestyles in older adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted. A structured survey was administered to assess SDH (gender, educational level, income, availability of green spaces, rurality, multimorbidity, and cohabitation) and lifestyles (physical activity: IPAQ; sleep quality: abbreviated PSQI; perceived stress: PSS-4; adherence to the Mediterranean diet: MedDiet Score). Mann-Whitney U tests and multivariate logistic regression models were applied.
RESULTS: One hundred people were included (mean age 69.0 ± 9.8; 83% women). Forty percent were physically inactive, 71% had poor sleep quality, 36% had high perceived stress, and 76% had low adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Female sex was associated with poorer sleep quality (p = 0.023), absence of green areas with less weekly walking time (p = 0.042), multimorbidity with higher perceived stress (p = 0.039), and low educational level with lower adherence to the Mediterranean diet (p = 0.022). These findings were maintained in logistic regression models adjusted for age, body mass index, and pain intensity.
CONCLUSIONS: Being female, having lower educational attainment, living without access to green areas, and presenting multimorbidity were associated with poorer sleep, decreased dietary adherence, lower physical activity, and higher stress, respectively. These findings correspond to associations observed in a cross-sectional design and do not allow causal relationships to be established.
PMID:42229845 | DOI:10.1016/j.redare.2026.502129