Prevalence and associated psychosocial and health factors of chronic pain in adolescents: differences by sex and age

Abstract

Background

Chronic pain is a common issue in adolescents. Prevalence of pain and associated factors present differently in sex and age subgroups, however, the interaction of sex and age combined has not been thoroughly assessed. This study aimed to identify psychosocial and health factors associated with chronic pain in younger and older adolescent girls and boys.

Methods

Students from 5 schools in grades 5‐10 self‐completed a pain survey. Participants were 2280 adolescents (52% female) aged 10‐18 years (M=12.95, SD=1.84). Data were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression models.

Results

Chronic pain was present in 33% of participants. The risk of chronic pain increased by 29% in girls, compared to 16% in boys, per year of age (p=.039). Overall, depression (OR=2.05, p<.001), anxiety (OR=1.51, p<.001), lower school satisfaction (OR=1.41, p=.034) and sleep issues (OR=2.34, p<.001) were associated with chronic pain. Stratified analyses identified unique significant associations between chronic pain and psychosocial factors. In boys aged 10‐13 years, higher socioeconomic status (OR=1.76, p=.024) and poorer school performance (OR=1.60, p=.027) were uniquely important; in girls aged 10‐13 years, lower school satisfaction (OR=2.92, p=.003) was associated with pain, and in older girls aged 14‐18 years, anxiety (OR=1.74, p=.009) was significantly associated with pain. When these differences were assessed statistically, only lower school satisfaction had significant differences between subgroups (p=.049).

Conclusions

Many psychosocial and health factors are similarly important, with few differences, for chronic pain in girls and boys at different stages of adolescence.

from Wiley: European Journal of Pain: Table of Contents https://ift.tt/39uBDDC
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