PAIN AND FEAR RATINGS - CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS OF AGE AND GENDER DIFFERENCES

The study investigated the relationships among children's self-report of anticipatory pain and fear, physiological measures of distress, and previous medical experience in 62 outpatients during allergy skin tes ting. Younger (aged 3-7 years) and older (aged 8-12 years) children re ported similar amounts of pain and fear. Girls reported more pain than boys. Older children and boys provided differential pain and fear rat ings compared with younger children and girls. Younger children's self -report of distress was not related to any physiological measures, but older children's report of fear was significantly related to blood pr essure. In girls, positive medical experience was correlated with less pain. The implications of these findings for the clinical measurement and intervention of children's distress during painful medical proced ures are discussed. (C) U.S. Pain Relief Committee 1998.