Influence of Social and Health Indicators on Pain Interference With Everyday Activities Among Older Black and White Cancer Patients

Objective: This prospective study aimed to determine the influence social and health factors have on pain interference with everyday activities among older patients receiving outpatient treatment services from a comprehensive cancer center. Method: Participants were surveyed on questions assessing pain interference, and social (communication), health (pain severity, comorbidities), behavioral (self-efficacy, affect), and demographic characteristics. Multivariate analyses were specified to examine determinants of pain interference, with items loading on separate cluster composites: physical interference and psychosocial interference. Results: Pain severity was a significant indicator for physical interference. Similarly, pain severity, education, self-efficacy, negative affect, and communication were predictors of psychosocial interference. Discussion: Factors defining the daily lived experiences of older adults are important in providing baseline information on functional status. This emphasizes the need to rigorously examine the association between pain, and clinical and psychosocial indicators, but more importantly indicators that contribute to the patient’s ability to perform normal everyday activities.