Özet:

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.

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