Sleep Disorders, Cognitive Impairment, and Frailty in Adults With Chronic Pain.

PURPOSE: Chronic pain is closely related to frailty. However, the corresponding associated factors are poorly understood. Given that sleep disorders (SDs) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are common associated factors for frailty, this study aimed to explore the association between SDs, MCI, and frailty in adults with chronic pain.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

METHODS

A total of 431 participants, including 175 individuals with frailty and 256 individuals without frailty, were recruited. Participants were assessed for chronic pain, frailty, MCI, and SDs. Three multivariate logistic models were constructed, and the analyses were progressively adjusted to account for sociodemographic and biopsychosocial factors.

RESULTS

Individual conditions, including SDs (odds ratio [OR] = 1.93, 1.74 and 1.72 in Models 1, 2, and 3, respectively) and MCI (OR = 3.03, 2.31 and 2.07), were associated with frailty. Adults with concurrent SDs and MCI had a greater association with frailty (OR = 3.42, 2.51, and 2.28).

CONCLUSIONS

SDs and MCI were associated with frailty, and concurrent SDs and MCI were more closely related to frailty in people with chronic pain.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The findings highlighting the association among SDs, MCI, and frailty in adults with chronic pain should be considered during the process of implementing integrated screening and assessment for SDs and MCI in chronic pain patients.