PB0675 - Pain as a Determinant of the Quality of Everyday Functioning of Persons with Haemophilia

Monday, July 11, 2022

6:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Location: Exhibition

Presentation Format: In-Person

Presenting Author(s)

Marko Marinić, PhD

Senior research associate / President of Croatian Haemophilia Society
Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Zagreb, Croatia / Croatian Haemophilia Society
Zagreb, Grad Zagreb, Croatia

Co-Author(s)

SR

Stanko Rihtar

Expert advisor
Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Zagreb, Croatia
Zagreb, Grad Zagreb, Croatia
Ana Boban, MD, PhD

Professor of Internal Medicine
Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb University School of Medicine
Zagreb, Zagrebacka, Croatia

Background: Pain has been described commonly in persons with haemophilia, however, the effect of pain on various aspects of their everyday functioning is still underexplored.

Aims: The aim of this study was to analyse the frequency and intensity of pain among persons with haemophilia, its effect on daily activities, and correlation with disease severity and sociodemographic and psychological characteristics.

Methods: The data were obtained by a survey conducted in 2021 among adults with haemophilia in Croatia. The questions included sociodemographic data (age and education), details on haemophilia (type, severity, and frequency of bleeding), pain scales evaluating frequency, intensity, and the effect of pain on daily activities, and psychological characteristics (depression, optimism, happiness, and feeling of physical safety).

Results: A total of 98 patients responded to the survey. 24.7% of them reported that they suffer from pain daily, and 25.8% frequently. Pain was reported as moderately intensive in 45.4%, intensive in 13.4% and very intensive in 2.1% of the respondents. The influence of pain on daily activities demonstrated interaction with recreational activities (M=2.73), walking (M=2.63), working (M=2.42), and sleeping (M=2.16), when using the scoring scale (range 1-5).
Pain significantly correlated with haemophilia severity, frequency of bleeding, age, and was related to depression, optimism, and feelings of happiness and physical safety. Regarding the concurrent effect of pain intensity and/or frequency on these psychological variables, regression analysis shows that in both cases pain is a significant predictor only if it has a negative impact on daily activities as a mediator

Conclusion(s): Pain is present in many persons with haemophilia, particularly the older ones with severe disease, and affects various aspects of their everyday functioning. It is necessary to raise awareness of this problem, to continue working on pain prevention and treatment, and to provide effective mechanisms of psychological support.