Pain characteristics of Turkish schoolchildren

Year 2011, Volume: 1 Issue: 1, 47 - 51, 31.01.2014

Hasibe Kadıoğlu , Ayşe Ergun Ayse Yıldız

Abstract

Objective: To assess characteristics of pain and gender differences and the impact of pain on daily living activities in Turkish schoolchildren who were admitted to health office with acute pain.
Methods: This study was designed descriptive and study population included 467 (302 girls, 165 boys) schoolchildren in a public elementary school in Istanbul, Turkey. Data were collected using the Pain Assessment Form and Numerical Rating Scale by interviewing between September of 2007-the June of 2008. The Pain Assessment Form included questions regarding the localization, intensity, quality of the pain, pain related symptoms, the effects of pain on the daily living activities and sociodemographic questions.
Results: Of the 1200 schoolchildren, 467 (39%) had admissions with pain to health office. Pain frequency in girls was significantly higher than that in boys in grade 4, 6 and total. The abdomen and head were most commonly cited as locations of pain. The mean pain intensity was 5.8(±2.2). School children reported pain affected their concentration, social relations, physical activities and their sleep in a negative way.
Conclusion: Our study provides a foundation for future studies to examine the incidence, characteristics, etiology and impact of pain in schoolchildren leading to the development of pain management programs at school.

Key words: Pain, schoolchildren, numerical rating scale

Keywords

-

Türk okul çocuklarında ağrı özellikleri

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı akut ağrı şikayeti ile sağlık ofisine başvuran Türk okul çocuklarında ağrının özelliklerini, cinsiyet göre farkını ve günlük yaşam aktiviteleri üzerine etkisini değerlendirmektir.
Yöntem: Bu çalışma İstanbul’daki bir devlet ilköğretim okulunda 467 (302 kız, 165 erkek) okul çocuğu üzerinde tanımlayıcı olarak yapılmıştır. Veriler Eylül 2007- Haziran 2008 tarihleri arasında Ağrı Değerlendirme Formu ve Sayısal Ağrı Ölçeği ile toplanmıştır. Ağrı Değerlendirme Formu ağrının yeri, şiddeti, kalitesi, ağrıya eşlik eden semptomlar, ağrının günlük yaşam aktiviteleri üzerine etkisi ve sosyo-demografik özelliklere ilişkin sorulardan oluşturulmuştur.
Bulgular: 1200 okul çocuğundan 467’si (%39) ağrı şikâyeti ile sağlık ofisine başvurdu. Ağrı şikâyeti dördüncü, altıncı sınıflarda ve toplamda kızlarda erkeklere göre daha yüksek bulundu. Ağrı yeri olarak en çok baş ve karın bölgesi bildirildi. Ortalama ağrı şiddeti 5.8 (±2.2) bulundu. Okul çocukları ağrının konsantrasyonlarını, sosyal ilişkilerini, fiziksel aktivitelerini ve uykularını olumsuz yönde etkilediğini bildirdiler.
Sonuç: Çalışmamız okulda ağrı yönetimi programlarının geliştirilmesine yönelik olarak ağrının okul çocukları üzerine etkisini, etiyolojisini, özelliklerini ve insidansını incelemeyi amaçlayan ileriki çalışmalara bir temel oluşturabilir. 

Anahtar Kelimeler: Ağrı, okul çocuğu, sayısal ağrı ölçeği

Keywords

Ağrı, okul çocuğu, sayısal ağrı ölçeği

References

• McCaffery M, Bebe A. Perspective on Pain: History, Current Status, and Developing the Nurse’s Role. Pain in Clinical Manual for Nursing Practice. St. Louis: Mosby Company; 1989. p.1
• Merskey H, Bogduk N. IASP Pain Terminology. Seattle: IASP Pres; 1994. p.209-214.
• Kuguoglu S. Pain of children. In: Aslan FE, ed. PAIN. Istanbul: Avrupa Tip press; 2006. p. 302-303 (in Turkish).
• Roth-Isigkeit A, Thyen U, Stöven H, Schwarzenberger J, Schmucker P. Pain among children and adolescents: restrictions in daily living and triggering factors. Pediatrics. 2005; 115:152-162.
• Goodman JE, McGrath PJ. The Epidemiology of pain in children and adolescents: a review. Pain. 1991; 46:247-264.
• Roth-Isigkeit A, Thyen U, Stöven H, Schwarzenberger J, Schmucker P. Reports of pain among German children and adolescents: an epidemiological study. Acta Paediatr. 2004; 93:258-263
• Alehan F. Prospective evaluation of headache in children. Journal of child health and disease. 2003; 46 (1): 38-42 (in Turkish).
• Cagirici S. Prevalance of migraine and tension headache schoolchildren in Istanbul [dissertation]: Ministry of Health; 2005(in Turkish).
• Vicdan K, Kukner S, Dabakoglu T, Ergin T, Keles G, Gokmen O. The prevalance of dysmenorrhea in adolescents. Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics. 1993; 3(3): 218-221 (in Turkish).
• Baeyer C, Spagrud LJ, McCormick JC, Choo E, Neville K and Connelly MA. Three new datasets supporting use of the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS-11) for children’s self-reports of pain intensity. Pain. 2009; 143(3): 223-227.
• Smedbraten B Kr, Natvig B, Rutle O, Bruusgaard D. Self- reported bodily pain in Schoolchildren. Scand J Rheumatol. 1998; 27: 273-276.
• Bakoula C, Kapi A, Veltsista A, Kavadias G, Kolaitis G. Prevalence of recurrent complaints of pain among Greek schoolchildren and associated factors: a population-based study. Acta Paediatr. 2006; 95 (8): 947-51.
• Peterson S, Brulin C, Bergström E. Reccurrent pain symptoms in young schoolchildren are often multiple. Pain. 2006; 121: 145-150.
• Sundblad CB, Jansson A, Saartok T, Renström P, Engström LM. Self- rated pain and perceived health in relation to stres and physical activity among school-students:A 3-year follow-up. Pain. 2008; 136 (3):239-249.
• Barajas C, Bosch F, Banos JE. A Pilot survey of pain prevalence in schoolchildren. The Pain Clinic. 2004; 13(2): 95-102
• Ostberg V, Alfven G, Hjern A. (2006). Living conditions and psychosomatic complaints in Swedish schoolchildren. Acta Paediatr. 2003; 95(8):929-934.
• Bugdayci R, Ozge A, Sasmaz T, Kurt AO, Kaleagasi H, Karakelle A, Tezcan H, Siva A. Prevalence and factors affecting headache in Turkish schoolchildren. Pediatr. Int. 2005; 47(3):316-322.
• Odegaard G, Lindbladh E, Hovelius B. Children who suffer from headaches - anarrative of insecurity in school and family. British Journal of General Practice, March:210-213.
• Shannon RA, Bergren MD, Matthews A. Frequent Visitors, Somatization in School-Age Children and Implications for School Nurses. The Journal of School Nursing. 2010; 26 (3):169-182.