Risk Factors for Disabling and Nondisabling Neck Pain in a Large Cohort of Adolescents

Area of Science:

• Adolescent health
• Musculoskeletal disorders
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Neck pain is a prevalent condition in adolescents, imposing a significant societal economic burden.
• Understanding risk factors is crucial for developing effective prevention and management strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the risk factors associated with both nondisabling and disabling neck pain in a large cohort of Italian adolescents.
• To differentiate between factors influencing general neck pain and those contributing to disabling symptoms.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 6,281 adolescents aged 14-19 years.
• An online questionnaire assessed anthropometric data, lifestyle factors, neck pain characteristics, and identified disabling neck pain (inability to participate in social activities).

Main Results:

• Sex, age, sports participation, sleep duration, and family history were identified as significant risk factors for neck pain (P < 0.001).
• Adolescents with disabling neck pain reported higher frequency and intensity of pain compared to those with nondisabling neck pain.
• Sleep duration showed a trend towards significance (P = 0.057) in differentiating between disabling and nondisabling neck pain groups.

Conclusions:

• This study identified various risk factors for neck pain in adolescents, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.
• Findings support the potential role of insufficient sleep quantity in the development of disabling neck pain.
• Further prospective research is warranted to confirm these findings and inform preventive strategies for adolescent neck pain.