ArticleBMJ open2017
Chronic symptoms in a representative sample of community-dwelling older people: a cross-sectional study in Switzerland.
Article in BMJ open, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers.
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Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 36 citations in OpenAlex.
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- Subjective geriatric complaints as predictors of disability and mortality in community-dwelling older adults: a 5-year cohort study.Age and ageing · 2025Article
- 'What does "remaining living at home" really mean?' Stakeholders' perspectives on everyday difficulties among older people with chronic conditions.The British journal of occupational therapy · 2025Article
- Pain Status and Disability in Activities of Daily Living Among Older Adults in China: Evidence From CHARLS 2020.Pain research & management · 2025Article
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- Shared decision-making and disease management in advanced cancer and chronic kidney disease using patient-reported outcome dashboards.Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA · 2024Article
- Skin health of community-living older people: a scoping review.Archives of dermatological research · 2024Article
- The Relationship between Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain and Sarcopenia Risk in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.Annals of geriatric medicine and research · 2023Article
- Patient-Reported Outcome Dashboards Within the Electronic Health Record to Support Shared Decision-making: Protocol for Co-design and Clinical Evaluation With Patients With Advanced Cancer and Chronic Kidney Disease.JMIR research protocols · 2022Article
- Cohort Profile: The Lausanne cohort 65+ (Lc65+).International journal of epidemiology · 2022Article
- Article
- Transcultural adaptation and validation of a French version of the University of California, Los Angeles geriatrics attitudes scale (UCLA-GAS-F).Archives of physiotherapy · 2021Article
- Symptom Profiles, Health-Related Quality of Life, and Clinical Blood Markers among Korean Community-Dwelling Older Adults Living with Chronic Conditions.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Outcomes in asymptomatic, severe aortic stenosis.PloS one · 2021Article
- Exploring Experiences of Survivors and Caregivers Regarding Lung Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment, and Survivorship.Journal of patient experience · 2020Article
- Symptom Burden Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in the United States.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · 2019Article
- Chronic pain and geriatric syndromes in community-dwelling patients aged ≥65 years.Journal of pain research · 2018Article
- Daily Functional Characteristics and Health Among Older Adults During COVID-19: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach.Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financingArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesThe burden of multiple diagnoses is well documented in older people, but less is known about chronic symptoms, many of which are even not brought to medical attention. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of chronic symptoms, their relationships with disability in basic activities of daily living (BADL) and quality of life (QoL), and their public health impact.
designA large cross-sectional population-based study.
settingCommunity in 2 regions of French-speaking Switzerland.
participantsCommunity-dwelling older adults aged 68 years and older in 2011 (N=5300). OUTCOMES: Disability in BADL defined as difficulty or help needed with any of dressing, bathing, eating, getting in/out of bed or an arm chair, and using the toilet. Overall QoL dichotomised as favourable (ie, excellent or very good) or unfavourable (ie, good, fair or poor). Disturbance by any of the following 14 chronic symptoms for at least 6 months: joint pain, back pain, chest pain, dyspnoea, persistent cough, swollen legs, memory gaps, difficulty concentrating, difficulty making decisions, dizziness/vertigo, skin problems, stomach/intestine problems, urinary incontinence and impaired sexual life.
resultsOnly 17.1% of participants did not report being disturbed by any of these chronic symptoms. Weighted prevalence ranged from 3.1% (chest pain) to 47.7% (joint pain). Most chronic symptoms were significantly associated with disability in BADL or unfavourable QoL, with substantial gender differences. The number of chronic symptoms was significantly associated with disability in BADL and unfavourable QoL, with gradients suggesting dose-response relationships. Joint pain and back pain had the highest population attributable fractions.
conclusionsChronic symptoms are highly prevalent in older people, and are associated with disability in BADL and unfavourable QoL, particularly when multiple chronic symptoms co-occur. Owing to their high public health impact, musculoskeletal chronic symptoms represent good targets for preventive interventions.
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