NONSPECIFIC MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN IN PREADOLESCENTS - PREVALENCE AND 1-YEAR PERSISTENCE

A I-year follow-up study of 1756 third-and fifth-grade schoolchildren was conducted with a structured pain questionnaire to assess the preva lence and persistence of self-reported musculoskeletal pain symptoms a nd disability caused by pain. At follow-up, 1626 (92.7%) children part icipated in the study. Pain at least once a week persisted in 270 (52. 4%) of the 564 children who reported musculoskeletal pain at least onc e a week in at least one part of the body at baseline. Of the regional pain symptoms, neck pain had highest persistence and, in girls, signi ficantly more than in boys. Persistence of pain was not related to sch ool grade. Widespread pain, determined as in the criteria for fibromya lgia, was found in 132 children (7.5%) and persisted in 35 children (2 9.7%, 95% CI 21.9-38.4) at follow-up. Disability was more severe in ch ildren with pain symptoms in more than one area. This study showed tha t about half of the preadolescents complaining of musculoskeletal pain at least once a week at baseline had persistent pain symptoms at foll ow-up. The prognosis of widespread pain in preadolescents was almost t he same as the previous findings in adults. (C) 1997 International Ass ociation for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.