The association of expressive suppression with physical performance and pain perception in community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional study

Purpose To investigate the relationship between the expressive suppression and physical performance, as well as pain perception, in community-dwelling older adults.Methods This cross-sectional study included 105 older adults aged 65 and over. Expressive suppression (Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-ERQ), physical performance (Timed Up and Go-TUG Test, Senior Fitness Test-SFT), pain perception (Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Brief Pain Inventory), depressive symptoms (Geriatric Depression Scale) were assessed. The relationship between ERQ and pain-related outcomes and physical-performance outcomes was examined with Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (ρ). Two-step hierarchical multiple linear regression was performed to quantify the unique contribution of expressive suppression beyond relevant covariates.Results Expressive suppression was not significantly correlated with any pain-related outcome (all q > 0.05). Expressive suppression was associated with TUG and Chair Stand, 8-Foot Up-and-Go and 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) (q < 0.001). But expressive suppression was not related to SFT Arm Curl, Chair Sit-and-Reach, or Back Scratch in the SFT Battery (all q > 0.05). After adjustment for age, sex, and depressive symptoms, expressive suppression independently explained 17.2–22.8% of the variance in TUG, Chair Stand, 8-Foot Up-and-Go, and 6MWT performance (β range: −0.66 to 0.46; all p < 0.001).Conclusion Expressive suppression was independently associated with poorer objective physical performance, but not self-reported pain. These findings require validation in longitudinal studies addressing potential confounders.