Clinical Manifestations Associated with Pain in Nursing Students in Emerging Adulthood with Long COVID

Objective: To identify the clinical manifestations associated with pain in nursing students in emerging adulthood with Long COVID (LC). Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study was conducted. The universe comprised 1508 students from a Faculty of Nursing in the State of Mexico. The sample size of 307 participants was calculated using Cochran's formula (1977) with 95% confidence and a 5% margin of error, with correction for finite populations; participants were invited through an open call and selected non-probabilistically according to inclusion criteria and willingness to participate. Instrument: A questionnaire on post-SARS-CoV-2 health conditions was used, with reliability assessed in a pilot test through internal consistency measures, obtaining a Cronbach's Alpha = 0.86 and KR-20 = 0.87. It was administered between the third and fourth week following the three-month mark after COVID-19 onset. Descriptive analysis, Fisher's exact test, and a binary logistic regression model were used, with pain as the dependent variable (1 = yes, 0 = no); statistical significance was set at p < 0.05, with a 95% CI. Results: 40.4% of students reported pain-(46.6%) males and (39.0%) females-with a significant association between age group and pain (p < 0.001). A total of 198 painful clinical manifestations were reported: headache (48.0%), chest oppression (26.8%), and myalgias (23.2%). The model showed that taste alteration (p < 0.001) and decreased vision (p < 0.001) were associated with a lower likelihood of pain, while gastrointestinal alterations (p = 0.025) and fatigue (p = 0.048) were associated with a higher likelihood of pain. Conclusions: Pain in students with LC is associated with clinical manifestations, mainly gastrointestinal alterations, and fatigue.