Healthcare service use in adolescents with non-specific musculoskeletal pain.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate occurrence of non-specific musculoskeletal pain in a wide population sample of Italian adolescents, and to investigate their use of healthcare services (seeking of medical attention, referral for diagnostic tests and treatment use).


METHODS
We investigated 7542 high-school adolescents (aged between 12 and 16 years) by a structured questionnaire and consisting of personal data, presence of pain, health provider consulted, referral for diagnostic tests and compliance with the prescribed treatments.


RESULTS
In 3399 (45.1%) reported musculoskeletal pain (the most affected sites being the spine and knees), 2525 (74.2%) of whom had sought medical attention. Of the 2525 subjects who had sought healthcare, 1061 (42.0%) had consulted more than one health provider, 2410 (95.4%) had been referred for diagnostic tests, and some form of treatment had been recommended for 2445 (96.8%), but only 1694 (69.2%) had complied with prescribed therapies. The most important factors linked to health seeking behaviour were pain intensity, pain lasting longer than 3 months, injury, interruption to or absence of physical activity and localization in the spine and knee.


CONCLUSIONS
Non-specific musculoskeletal pain is a frequent event in Italian adolescents and that a large number of these subjects consult a healthcare service.
Masiero
Stefano
S
Department of Rehabilitation, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. stef.masiero@unipd.it
Carraro
Elena
E
Sarto
Diego
D
Bonaldo
Lara
L
Ferraro
Claudio
C
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires