Adolescents' perceptions of pain during labor

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Pain Management
• Adolescent Health

Background:

• Adolescent labor pain is complex, involving both sensory and affective components.
• Objective assessment tools are crucial for understanding and managing pain during childbirth.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically describe the quality and intensity of pain experienced by adolescents during labor progression.
• To evaluate the utility of the Gaston-Johansson Pain-o-Meter and Visual Analogue Scale in assessing adolescent labor pain.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive study involving 33 adolescent participants during three distinct labor phases (2-4 cm, 5-7 cm, 8-10 cm).
• Utilized the Gaston-Johansson Pain-o-Meter and Visual Analogue Scale to measure pain quality and intensity following contractions.
• Analyzed sensory and affective pain descriptors and total pain intensity scores.

Main Results:

• Sensory pain descriptors included 'cramping' (Phase I) and 'pressing' (Phases II & III).
• Affective descriptors 'miserable' and 'killing' were frequently reported across all phases.
• Total pain intensity scores were highest during Phase III (late labor and delivery).
• No significant differences in pain quality or intensity were found between primiparous and multiparous adolescents.

Conclusions:

• Objective measures like the Gaston-Johansson Pain-o-Meter are valuable for assessing adolescent labor pain.
• These tools can be effectively used by nurses with minimal training.
• Findings highlight the importance of consistent pain assessment throughout labor progression in adolescents.