Relação entre apoio social e dor em pessoas idosas inseridas em contexto de alta vulnerabilidade social

Abstract

Older people may have specific health needs, which prompts reflection on the importance of investigating issues that can improve quality of life and health in old age. Therefore, social support has been recognized as an important determinant of health and disease, especially in contexts of high social vulnerability. Literature indicates that social support can reduce the occurrence of undesirable events among older people, including pain. Objective: To analyze the relationship between social support and pain in older people in a context of high social vulnerability. Method: This is a cross-sectional, quantitative study involving 123 older adults from a city in the interior of São Paulo, conducted between July 2019 and March 2020. Data were collected through sociodemographic questionnaires, pain assessments (presence, duration, frequency, and intensity), and the Social Support Scale of the Medical Outcomes Study. Descriptive analyses and correlation tests were performed, with significance set at p<0.05. All ethical guidelines for research involving human participants were adhered to. Results: The sample predominantly consisted of married women, with low education levels and mostly retired. The prevalence of pain was 84.6%, of which 88.46% was chronic, with an average intensity of 7.2 (±2.69). Regarding social support, the highest score was in the affective dimension, and the lowest in the positive social interaction dimension. There was no statistically significant correlation between the intensity or type of pain and the dimensions of social support (material, affective, emotional, informational, and positive social interaction). Conclusion: Although prevalent, pain did not show a significant correlation with social support among older people in a context of high vulnerability.