Investigation of the Prevalence of Primary Headaches and the Factors Affecting the Acceptance of Perceived Pain in Elderly Individuals with Headaches

Background: Pain can have irreversible consequences for patients, and one common type of perceived pain is headaches. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of primary headaches and the factors affecting the acceptance of perceived pain in elderly individuals with headaches. Methods: A total of 238 patients were enrolled in this study. The tools used included the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire, the Headache Disability Index (HIT-6), and the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI). The study was conducted in accordance with ethical guidelines and ethical codes. The study data were analyzed using SPSS version 16 software. Results: Out of 1260 patients included in the study, 238 elderly individuals experienced one of the types of headaches. The mean ± SD score of Pain Interference was 6.37 ± 2.34, the Headache Disability score was 14.75 ± 8.52, and the Chronic Pain Acceptance score was 75.05 ± 32.02. Additionally, pain intensity and disability scores were lower in patients who demonstrated higher levels of pain acceptance. Conclusions: Considering that pain and disability were reported to be less in patients with higher pain acceptance scores, therapeutic and psychological interventions to increase pain acceptance are suggested.