Clinical Manifestations Associated with Pain in Nursing Students in Emerging Adulthood with Long COVID.

Objective

To identify the clinical manifestations associated with pain in nursing students in emerging adulthood with Long COVID (LC).

Methods

A cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study was conducted. The universe comprised 1508 students from a Faculty of Nursing in the State of Mexico. The sample size of 307 participants was calculated using Cochran's formula (1977) with 95% confidence and a 5% margin of error, with correction for finite populations; participants were invited through an open call and selected non-probabilistically according to inclusion criteria and willingness to participate. Instrument: A questionnaire on post-SARS-CoV-2 health conditions was used, with reliability assessed in a pilot test through internal consistency measures, obtaining a Cronbach's Alpha = 0.86 and KR-20 = 0.87. It was administered between the third and fourth week following the three-month mark after COVID-19 onset. Descriptive analysis, Fisher's exact test, and a binary logistic regression model were used, with pain as the dependent variable (1 = yes, 0 = no); statistical significance was set at p < 0.05, with a 95% CI.

Results

40.4% of students reported pain-(46.6%) males and (39.0%) females-with a significant association between age group and pain (p < 0.001). A total of 198 painful clinical manifestations were reported: headache (48.0%), chest oppression (26.8%), and myalgias (23.2%). The model showed that taste alteration (p < 0.001) and decreased vision (p < 0.001) were associated with a lower likelihood of pain, while gastrointestinal alterations (p = 0.025) and fatigue (p = 0.048) were associated with a higher likelihood of pain.

Conclusions

Pain in students with LC is associated with clinical manifestations, mainly gastrointestinal alterations, and fatigue.