title: Impact of self-reported musculoskeletal pain on health-related quality of life among young adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate how self-reported musculoskeletal pain and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are associated among young adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of a subgroup of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 at the age of 19 (N=874), who completed the 15-dimensional (15D) HRQoL questionnaire (score 0 to 1) and answered questions about six-month period prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in neck, shoulder, low back, and peripheral location.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Half of the males and one third of the females reported a 15D score of at least 0.98 and were selected as the reference group in the multinomial logistic regression analysis. Young adults who reported multiple pains had significantly lower 15D scores than those reporting pain in only one location or no pain at all. After adjustments for other health problems, psychosocial distress, parental occupation, and the young adults' own employment status, the reporting of single musculoskeletal pain odds ratio (OR) 2.6 and multiple pains (ORs up to 11.9) among females, and multiple pains (ORs up to 4.6) among males were associated with a 15D score of 0.94 or less.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The number of involved sites of self-reported musculoskeletal pain was associated with the level of reduction in HRQoL among young adults.
authors.affiliation: Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Aapistie 1, Oulu, Finland. paananma@mail.student.oulu.fi
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paananen
authors.forename: Simo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taimela
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Auvinen
authors.forename: Tuija
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tammelin
authors.forename: Paavo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zitting
authors.forename: Jaro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Karppinen
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010290:Parents; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D020069:Shoulder Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult