ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Despite increasing attention to the epidemiology of pain, relatively little is known about the association between pain and health in children. In particular, no studies have examined this relationship in the general population of children in Canada. OBJECTIVES: To assess the association between self-reported pain experiences and health in school children in southeastern Ontario. Health measures included perceived health status, psychological complaints and satisfaction with school. METHODS: A total of 495 nine- to 13-year-old school children completed the Pain Experience Interview -- Short Form and health-related questions from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children questionnaire. RESULTS: Of the 495 children in the present study, 8% rated their health as 'fair' to 'poor', 56% reported experiencing at least one of four psychological symptoms more than once a week and 24% said they disliked school. The strongest associations existed between headaches and poor self-rated health (OR=10.1; 95% CI 1.3 to 78.3), recurrent pain and psychological outcomes (OR=3.6; 95% CI 2.0 to 6.3), and recurrent pain and disliking school (OR=3.6; 95% CI 1.9 to 6.7). DISCUSSION: These findings indicate that common childhood pains are associated with childhood health. Further studies are needed to assess the causal relationship between pain and health in children, to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the personal and economic impact of childhood pain, and to monitor changes in the lives of children living with chronic pain.
Subject(s)
Health Status , Pain/epidemiology , Pain/psychology , Acute Disease , Adolescent , Canada/epidemiology , Child , Chronic Disease , Cohort Studies , Female , Headache/epidemiology , Headache/psychology , Health Surveys , Humans , Male , Recurrence , Schools/statistics & numerical data , Sex Factors , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To compare the health status of Riverdale residents with residents of the rest of Toronto. DESIGN: Cross-sectional telephone survey. SETTING: Toronto. TIME FRAME: October 1988-June 1989. PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred and fourteen residents of Riverdale, a residential-industrial area of Toronto, and 866 residents of the rest of Toronto, age 15 years and older in households with telephones. MAIN RESULTS: Respondents in Riverdale compared to respondents in the rest of Toronto were more likely to speak languages other than English, have less formal education, and be of Oriental ethnic origin. Perceived health status varied between the two areas, but no significant difference existed in diagnosed morbidity. Riverdale respondents were much more aware of food and soil contamination than respondents from the rest of Toronto.
