Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Consultation prevalence among children, adolescents and young adults with pain conditions : A description of age- And gender differences

Bondesson, E LU orcid ; Olofsson, T LU ; Caverius, U LU orcid ; Schelin, M E C LU and Jöud, A LU orcid (2020) In European Journal of Pain 24(3). p.649-658
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Pain is a common complaint presented in healthcare, but most epidemiological pain research has focused either on single pain conditions or on the adult population. The aim of this study was to investigate the 2017 consultation prevalence of a wide range of pain conditions in the general population of young people.

METHODS: We used the Skåne Healthcare Register, covering prospectively collected data on all healthcare delivered (primary and secondary care) to the population in the region of Skåne, southern Sweden (population 2017 n = 1,344,689). For individuals aged 1-24 in 2017 (n = 373,178), we calculated the consultation prevalence, stratified by sex and age, and the standardised morbidity ratio (SMR) to assess... (More)

BACKGROUND: Pain is a common complaint presented in healthcare, but most epidemiological pain research has focused either on single pain conditions or on the adult population. The aim of this study was to investigate the 2017 consultation prevalence of a wide range of pain conditions in the general population of young people.

METHODS: We used the Skåne Healthcare Register, covering prospectively collected data on all healthcare delivered (primary and secondary care) to the population in the region of Skåne, southern Sweden (population 2017 n = 1,344,689). For individuals aged 1-24 in 2017 (n = 373,178), we calculated the consultation prevalence, stratified by sex and age, and the standardised morbidity ratio (SMR) to assess overall healthcare consultation.

RESULTS: A total of 58,981 (15.8%) individuals consulted at least once for any of the predefined pain conditions. Of these, 13.5% (n = 7,996) consulted four or more times for pain. Abdominal pain, joint pain/myalgia, headache and back/neck pain were the most common complaints. Overall, females had higher consultation prevalence than males: 17.6% versus 14.1% (p < .0001). SMR was 1.82 (95% CI = 1.74-1.87) for females with pain and 1.51 (95% CI = 1.42-1.56) for males with pain. Consultation prevalence increased with age, but this pattern varied between sex and pain condition.

CONCLUSIONS: Among individuals under the age of 25, a significant proportion consult for pain already in early ages, and they also have high healthcare consultation rates for conditions other than pain. The even higher consultation rates among young females need additional attention, both in the clinic and in research.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
European Journal of Pain
volume
24
issue
3
pages
10 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:31797468
  • scopus:85077363998
ISSN
1090-3801
DOI
10.1002/ejp.1518
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
© 2019 European Pain Federation - EFIC®.
id
49aa10af-33d5-4525-a811-dcf5000a72cf
date added to LUP
2019-12-16 12:40:34
date last changed
2024-05-29 05:22:09
@article{49aa10af-33d5-4525-a811-dcf5000a72cf,
  abstract     = {{<p>BACKGROUND: Pain is a common complaint presented in healthcare, but most epidemiological pain research has focused either on single pain conditions or on the adult population. The aim of this study was to investigate the 2017 consultation prevalence of a wide range of pain conditions in the general population of young people.</p><p>METHODS: We used the Skåne Healthcare Register, covering prospectively collected data on all healthcare delivered (primary and secondary care) to the population in the region of Skåne, southern Sweden (population 2017 n = 1,344,689). For individuals aged 1-24 in 2017 (n = 373,178), we calculated the consultation prevalence, stratified by sex and age, and the standardised morbidity ratio (SMR) to assess overall healthcare consultation.</p><p>RESULTS: A total of 58,981 (15.8%) individuals consulted at least once for any of the predefined pain conditions. Of these, 13.5% (n = 7,996) consulted four or more times for pain. Abdominal pain, joint pain/myalgia, headache and back/neck pain were the most common complaints. Overall, females had higher consultation prevalence than males: 17.6% versus 14.1% (p &lt; .0001). SMR was 1.82 (95% CI = 1.74-1.87) for females with pain and 1.51 (95% CI = 1.42-1.56) for males with pain. Consultation prevalence increased with age, but this pattern varied between sex and pain condition.</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: Among individuals under the age of 25, a significant proportion consult for pain already in early ages, and they also have high healthcare consultation rates for conditions other than pain. The even higher consultation rates among young females need additional attention, both in the clinic and in research.</p>}},
  author       = {{Bondesson, E and Olofsson, T and Caverius, U and Schelin, M E C and Jöud, A}},
  issn         = {{1090-3801}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{649--658}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{European Journal of Pain}},
  title        = {{Consultation prevalence among children, adolescents and young adults with pain conditions : A description of age- And gender differences}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ejp.1518}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/ejp.1518}},
  volume       = {{24}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}