Psychosocial and Sociodemographic Factors Associated with Wrist Pain Severity and Dysfunction in Turkish Housewives: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Survey.

Background

Wrist pain is frequently reported among housewives and linked to repetitive household tasks, yet the drivers of pain-related disability remain unclear. Beyond physical load, psychosocial factors such as catastrophizing, mood symptoms, and self-efficacy may shape severity and functional impact. Purpose: To evaluate the severity of wrist pain and wrist-related disability in Turkish housewives and to identify the psychosocial and symptom-related factors associated with these outcomes.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted with 92 Turkish housewives reporting wrist pain ≥ 3/10 on the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) and who have been married for at least 1 year and performing at least 1 h of housework, via Google Forms. Fatigue and wrist pain were measured using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), as well as the Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation-Turkish version (PRWE-T), Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ), Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), and Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS). Sociodemographic data were also collected. Associations were analyzed with Spearman's correlation, and simple linear regression identified factors explaining wrist pain severity and disability.

Results

PRWE-T total scores showed strong positive correlations with pain catastrophizing (p < 0.001), PHQ-4 depression (p < 0.001), and PHQ-4 anxiety (p < 0.001), while correlating negatively with pain self-efficacy (p < 0.05). PCS was also strongly correlated with PHQ-4 anxiety (p < 0.001) and PHQ-4 total (p < 0.001), but negatively with PSEQ (p < 0.001). Multivariable regression analyses have shown that PCS and fatigue may be predictory of wrist pain and disability. Additional factors included fatigue severity (p = 0.002), PHQ-4 depression (p < 0.001), and PHQ-4 anxiety (p = 0.001).

Conclusions

These findings highlight the multidimensional nature of wrist symptoms in this population.