Tsiros, Margarita D. and Buckley, Jonathan D. and Howe, Peter R. C. and Walkley, Jeff and Hills, Andrew P. and Coates, Alison M. (2014) Musculoskeletal pain in obese compared with healthy-weight children. The Clinical Journal of Pain, 30 (7). pp. 583-588. ISSN 0749-8047
Abstract
OBJECTIVES:: To investigate whether obesity is associated with musculoskeletal pain in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS:: Obese (n=107) and healthy-weight (n=132) 10-to 13-year-old children (132 males, 107 females) participated in an observational case-control study. Children self-reported pain location (excluding abdominal pain), pain intensity (current and prior week), and pain prevalence (overall and lower limb) using the Pediatric Pain Questionnaire. Body composition was assessed (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) and children wore an accelerometer for 8 days. RESULTS:: After adjustment for accelerometry (weekly average counts per hour) and socioeconomic status, obese children had more intense pain (worst pain, P=0.006), pain in more locations (P≤0.005), and a higher prevalence of lower limb pain (60% vs. 52% respectively, P=0.012) than healthy-weight children. Significant relationships were observed between body mass index and total pain locations (P≤0.004, unadjusted and adjusted) and worst pain intensity (P≤0.009, adjusted for socioeconomic status/accelerometry). There were no significant relationships between percent body fat and pain variables (unadjusted/adjusted analyses, P=0.262 to 1.0). DISCUSSION:: Obesity in children was associated with increased overall and lower limb musculoskeletal pain, for which body mass index was a stronger predictor than adiposity. Clinicians treating obese children should screen for pain and prescribe exercise programs that take their symptoms into account.
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