Prevalence of recurrent complaints of pain among Greek schoolchildren and associated factors: a population-based study.

AIM: To determine the prevalence of recurrent complaints of pain (RCP) in Greek children, and to examine associations with socio-demographic characteristics and psychosocial factors.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study comprising a nationally representative population of 8130 7-y-old Greek schoolchildren. Data were collected by mailed questionnaires (response rate 89%). RCP was defined as present if at least one of the complaints of headache, abdominal pain or limb pain occurred at least once a week.

RESULTS

The RCP prevalence rate was 7.2%, with significant gender differences (8.8% of girls, 5.7% of boys; p<0.001). RCP was significantly positively associated with a chronic health problem among the children, frequent change of residence, poor school performance, often watching TV and rarely playing with other children. There were no statistically significant associations of RCP with family structure and socio-economic status.

CONCLUSION

The results are indicative of the prevalence of RCP in Greek schoolchildren. This study enlightens the psychosocial component of RCP and emphasizes the importance of gathering information on children's social background in medical settings.