Bilgehan Kolutek AY, Cem Zafer YILDIR
The Eurasian Journal of Medicine - 2026;58(1):1-5
Background: Chronic and night pain are common challenges in the geriatric population, often complicating pain management. This study aimed to evaluate sleep quality, night pain frequency, and associated factors in regional degenerative pain among elderly patients to identify individuals at risk for night pain early. Methods: A total of 130 geriatric patients diagnosed with degenerative osteoarthritis and experiencing regional chronic pain were included. Demographic data, sleep quality, and bone mineral density were assessed. Patients were grouped based on the presence of night pain, and comparisons were made accordingly. Results: Night pain was reported by 95 patients (73%), and 76 participants (58%) had poor sleep quality. Those with night pain showed significantly worse sleep quality (P < .001). No significant differences were found between groups in terms of pain location, gender, or number of chronic conditions (P = .41, P = .368, P = .206). However, night pain was significantly more common among participants with low education levels or illiteracy (P = .006). Resistance to simple analgesics was also higher in the night pain group (P = .009). Bone mineral density values did not significantly differ between groups (P = .785, P = .398, P = .232). Conclusion: Early identification of geriatric patients at risk for night pain is essential for optimal pain management. Poor sleep quality, inadequate response to analgesics, and lower education levels were significantly associated with night pain. Proactive follow-up and individualized treatment approaches may improve outcomes in this vulnerable population.
