Pediatric persistent pain is associated with poorer physical and psychosocial functioning in children, as well as immediate and long-term societal costs. Onset typically occurs in early adolescence, suggesting that late childhood is a key window for identifying potential intervention targets before pain symptoms become entrenched. This study used population-based data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (n=3812) and adopted a biopsychosocial and ecological systems approach to investigate child, family and sociodemographic factors associated with pain problems in children transitioning to adolescence. The prevalence of at least weekly parent-reported pain in the study sample was approximately 5% at 10-11 years of age, and pain continued at 12-13 years of age for 40% of these children. Key factors at 10-11 years that uniquely predicted parent-reported pain problems at 12-13 years were frequency of previous pain (1-3 times weekly: OR 7.49, 95%CI 4.3- 13.0; 4-7 times weekly: OR 17.8, 95%CI 8.7- 36.5) and sleep difficulties (OR 1.86, 95%CI 1.16- 2.97). This study highlights the importance of early intervention for persistent pain in childhood, given that pain complaints in late childhood tend to persist into early adolescence.
This article used a biopsychosocial and ecological systems approach to understanding predictors of pain problems during the transition to adolescence within a nationally representative community-based cohort. Sleep difficulties at 10-11 years uniquely predicted pain at ages 12-13 years, suggesting that early intervention using sleep interventions may be a promising direction for future research.