title: Comparison between children and adolescents with and without chronic benign pain: consultation rate and pain characteristics.
abstract: The aim of the study was to determine whether children with chronic benign pain are in contact with their general practitioner (GP) more frequently than those without chronic benign pain. A random sample of children and adolescents aged between 0 and 18 years of age was drawn from the records of ten general practices. According to their responses to a pain questionnaire, subjects were assigned to the chronic benign pain group (n = 95) if they had pain of more than three months' duration, or to the control group (n = 105) if they had pain of less than three months' duration or no pain at all. All the subjects had an average GP consultation rate of 2.6 contacts per year. No significant age and sex differences were found. Chronic benign pain in childhood and adolescence is not related to increased use of healthcare services, suggesting that somatisation does not play a major role in children with chronic benign pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, Netherlands Institute of Health Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam.
authors.forename: Francijna C A
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: van Eekelen
authors.forename: Christel W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Perquin
authors.forename: Joke A M
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hunfeld
authors.forename: Alice A J M
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Hazebroek-Kampschreur
authors.forename: Lisette W A
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: van Suijlekom-Smit
authors.forename: Bart W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Koes
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Passchier
authors.forename: Johannes C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: van der Wouden
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D059408:Pain Management; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*