Abstract
BACKGROUND: Pain intensity frequently increases with age, impacting quality of life in older adults. Fish and coffee consumption, may influence pain trajectories, but longitudinal evidence remains limited. AIM: To investigate the association between changes in fish and coffee consumption frequency and alterations in pain intensity over 2 years in older adults. DESIGN: A longitudinal observational study assessing changes in dietary patterns and pain intensity over a 2-year follow-up. METHODS: A sample of 205 healthy older adults was evaluated at baseline and after 2 years. Pain intensity was measured using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (0-10). Coffee and fish consumption frequencies were recorded weekly and categorized as decreased, no change, or increased over the study period. Analyses were adjusted for confounders: age, sex, depression severity changes, health self-assessment, and analgesic use. RESULTS: An increase in fish consumption, compared to a decrease, was associated with a 4.45-point reduction in pain intensity (95% CI: -7.06 to -1.84; P = 0.003). Increasing fish intake relative to no change corresponded to a 2-point reduction (95% CI: -3.71 to -0.29; P = 0.03). Conversely, increased coffee intake, compared to a decrease, was linked to a 6.56-point rise in pain intensity (95% CI: 3.93 to 9.19; P = 0.0001), and compared to no change, with a 2.83-point increase (95% CI: 1.48 to 4.18; P = 0.0004). CONCLUSIONS: Increasing fish consumption was associated with changes in pain intensity in older adults, while increased coffee intake was linked to higher pain levels, however, caution is needed interpreting conclusions.