The Effect of Back Pain on Quality of Life, Sleep Quality and Depression in Patients with Postmenopausal Osteoporosis

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to assess the effects of back pain on the quality of sleep, quality of life and depression in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis. We also evaluated the relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and these parameters. Materials and Methods: One hundred and five patients diagnosed with postmenopausal osteoporosis were included in this study. The patients were evaluated on the Quality of Life Questionnaire of the European Foundation for Osteoporosis (QUALEFFO-41), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The intensity of back pain was evaluated using the visual analog scale (VAS). Results: Patients ranged in age from 46 to 75, with a mean age of 61.16 +/- 7.59. As pain scores increased, depression scores increased and sleep quality and quality of life were impaired (p<0.01). There were strong positive correlations among depression, sleep quality and quality of life (p<0.01), but we did not find significant correlations among lumbar spine (L1-L4) T-scores, L1-L4 BMD values, VAS, PSQI total scores, QUALEFFO-41 total scores and BDI scores. Conclusion: High pain scores in postmenopausal patients may be related to low quality of sleep and of life, and depression. Depression, sleep disorder and low quality of life may affect each other. Treating back pain, a frequent symptom in postmenopausal osteoporosis patients, may produce favorable effects on quality of sleep and life and on depression, as well as basic management.