Does depression mediate the pain-frailty relationship? Latent variables approach

José M Tomás; Trinidad Sentandreu-Mañó; Sara Martínez-Gregorio

doi:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2023.04.006

Does depression mediate the pain-frailty relationship? Latent variables approach

Geriatr Nurs. 2023 May-Jun:51:388-393. doi: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2023.04.006. Epub 2023 Apr 30.

Authors

José M Tomás¹, Trinidad Sentandreu-Mañó², Sara Martínez-Gregorio¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Methodology for the Behavioral Sciences, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
² Department of Physical Therapy, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: trinidad.sentandreu@uv.es.

PMID: 37127015
DOI: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2023.04.006

Abstract

Frailty is highly prevalent among older adults. This study aims to add evidence to the mediational role of depression in the pain-frailty relationship. Data came from a sample of 2578 Spanish older adults recruited from the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). A set of competing structural equation models were performed: (a) independent prediction, (b) full mediation, and (c) partial mediation. Results showed a better fit for the partial mediation model. This model was extended including covariates. The effects of pain and depression remained relevant in the final model, which explained 91% of the frailty variance. These findings support the relevance of the pain-depression dyad in frailty development. Although the pain shows a direct impact on frailty, this association is partially mediated by depression. The interplay of these conditions could be crucial for treatment effectiveness.

Keywords: Depression; Frailty; Older adults; Pain; Structural equation modeling.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
Depression
Frail Elderly
Frailty*
Geriatric Assessment / methods
Humans
Pain