Insights in the use of health care services in chronic benign pain in childhood and adolescence

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Alence study were asked to keep a 3-week diary on their pain and to fill out questionnaires on background factors, health care use and the impact of pain. Parent ratings were used for children aged 0–11 years, self-report was used in adolescents (12–18 years). In a 3-month period, in 53.4% of the cases medication was used for pain, and general practitioners and specialists were consulted for pain in 31.1% and 13.9% of subjects, respectively. Physiotherapists, psychologists and alternative health providers were visited by 11.5, 2.8, and 4.0%, respectively. In the preceding year, 6.4% had been hospitalized due to pain. The most important factors linked to utilizing medical services were gender, various pain characteristics, school absenteeism and disability. Although consulters reported to be less physically fit and less satisfied with health, their parents were better adapted to the pain, by talking and sharing, mutual support, normalization of the child and heightened self-esteem, than non-consulters. Prospective studies are needed to test causality of coping on care-seeking behavior....