Pain, obesity, and physical function in Mexican American older adults during 20 years of follow-up.
Wilma E Afunugo, Chih-Ying Li, Lin-Na Chou and 2 others
PMID 35322569WHAT IT FOUND
Older Mexican Americans with both pain and obesity had 2.31 times the odds of low physical function over 20 years compared to those with neither.
Pain alone also increased risk. Obesity alone did not show a significant association in this high-functioning group.
Key findings
01Participants with co-occurring pain and obesity had 2.31 times the odds of low physical function compared to those with no pain and no obesity.
02Participants with pain only also had greater odds of low physical function (1.70 times) compared to the reference group.
03Obesity by itself was not associated with low physical function after controlling for covariates.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study used a single question to assess pain ('pain or discomfort when you stood or walked'), which may have missed pain conditions not related to movement. Information on pain location, intensity, duration, and treatment was not collected. Physical activity levels were not measured, so the role of inactivity as a confounder or mediator could not be assessed. The initial sample excluded participants who were already disabled or had low physical function, potentially underestimating the true relationship between pain, obesity, and function in the broader population. Findings are specific to Mexican Americans living in the Southwestern U.S. and may not generalize to other Hispanic subgroups or non-Hispanic populations.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging (N.I.H.).
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that obesity alone is the primary driver of physical function decline in this population. In this cohort of high-functioning older adults, obesity without pain was not significantly associated with low physical function, whereas pain (with or without obesity) was a strong predictor.