Prevalence and municipal variation in chronic musculoskeletal pain among independent older people: data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES)

BACKGROUND: Urbanization and population aging may affect prevalence of chronic pain from various causes. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the prevalence of chronic musculoskeletal pain, including some subtypes, in independent Japanese older people, and whether population density and population aging rate explained prevalence and differences in pain levels between municipalities. METHODS: We analyzed data from 12,883 independent older people living in 58 municipalities who completed mailed questionnaires and did not need support for daily living. We identified three types of pain: “chronic musculoskeletal pain” lasting ≥ 3 months (overall and in each part of the body), “chronic widespread-type pain” in the spinal and peripheral area, and “chronic multisite pain” in at least three sites. The latter two were measured using new definitions. These types of pain are correlated with depressive symptoms and we therefore examined the construct validity of the definitions by comparing the Geriatric Depression Scale score. We also used analysis of covariance to compare the prevalence of these three types of pain between municipalities. Odds ratios, median odds ratios, and the municipal variance in prevalence of chronic musculoskeletal pain were estimated by Bayesian multilevel logistic regression analysis using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo method. RESULTS: The construct validity of the definitions of chronic widespread-type pain and chronic multisite pain was confirmed. The prevalence of the three types of pain (chronic musculoskeletal, widespread, and multisite pain) was 39.0%, 13.9%, and 10.3%, respectively. Chronic musculoskeletal pain showed a higher prevalence among older people and women. Individuals in underpopulated, suburban, or metropolitan areas tended to have more pain than those in urban areas, but this was not statistically significant (odds ratio [95% credible interval] 1.15 [0.86–1.51], 1.17 [0.93–1.43], 1.17 [0.94–1.46]). Population density and population aging rate did not explain the differences between municipalities. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of chronic musculoskeletal pain was consistent with previous global reports. Areas with overpopulation and depopulation tended to have higher pain prevalence, but population density and population aging rate did not explain municipal variance. Further research is needed to identify other factors that contribute to regional variance. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12891-022-05694-y.