Variability of Pain Outcomes and Physical Activity Among a Diverse Sample of Older Men: Is It More Than Just Race?

Abstract

There is a compendium of data documenting the increasing number of older adults. This suggests the continued need to understand identified health outcomes across domains of pain and physical activity, particularly among older men. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate race similarities and/or differences in pain and rates of physical activity among White, Black, and Hispanic men 60+ years of age. Data were taken from the Health and Retirement Study, a longitudinal panel study surveying a representative sample of people in the United States. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine associations between race and pain and the odds of regular physical activity. Results showed that Black men were less likely to participate in light or moderate/vigorous physical activity. Similarly, pain increased the odds of physical activity among Hispanics, but decreased the odds of physical activity among White men. Findings may reflect a number of factors that impact the well-being of what it means to experience pain and physical functioning, while also assuming a masculine identity. This perspective may allow for a better understanding of short- and long-term implications of the pain experience and the pain and physical functioning dyad among this group of men.