Pain prevalence in nine- to 13-year-old schoolchildren

Despite significant progress in the epidemiology of chronic pain in adults, major gaps remain in our understanding of the epidemiology of chronic pain in children. In particular, the incidence, prevalence and sensory characteristics of many types of pain in Canadian children are unknown.

A study to obtain the lifetime and point prevalence of common acute pains, recurrent pain syndromes and chronic pains was conducted in a cohort of 495 school children, nine to 13 years of age, in eastern Ontario.

Children reported their pain experiences and described the intensity, affect and duration of the pains experienced over the previous month by completing the Pain Experience Interview -- Short Form.

The majority of children (96%) experienced some acute pain over the previous month, with headache (78%) being most frequently reported. Lifetime prevalence for certain acute pains differed significantly by sex (P<0.05). Fifty-seven per cent of children reported experiencing at least one recurrent pain, while 6% were identified as having had or currently having chronic pain.

The prevalence of acute pain in this Canadian cohort is consistent with international estimates of acute pain experiences (ie, headache) and recurrent pain problems (ie, recurring headache, abdominal pain and growing pains). However, 6% of children reported chronic pain. The self-completed Pain Experience Interview--Short Form provides a feasible administration technique for obtaining population estimates of childhood pain, and for conducting longitudinal studies to identify risk and prognostic factors for chronic pain.