title: Factors related to seeking health care among adolescents with musculoskeletal pain.
abstract: Musculoskeletal pain is common among adolescents, but little is known about the factors that affect seeking health care for the problem. We examined the care-seeking pattern among adolescents reporting musculoskeletal pain. The study consisted of adolescents aged 16 years from the 1986 Northern Finland Birth Cohort who responded to a mailed questionnaire in 2001 and reported musculoskeletal pain over the preceding 6 months (n=5052). Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess whether enabling resources, need factors, personal health habits, and psychological problems were associated with seeking health care for musculoskeletal pain. Musculoskeletal pain during the preceding 6 months was reported by 68% of boys and 83% of girls in the study population. Only 16% of boys and 20% of girls reporting pain had sought medical care. Among both boys and girls, care-seeking was associated with being a member of a sports club (boys, odds ratio [OR] 2.1; girls, OR 1.5) and having one (boys, OR 2.1; girls, OR 1.8) or at least 2 (boys, OR 2.2; girls, OR 2.1) other health disorders. In addition, it was associated with a high physical activity level (OR 1.5) and low self-rated (OR 1.5) health among girls. Reporting pain in other anatomical areas decreased the likelihood of seeking care for pain among both genders. In conclusion, relatively few adolescents with musculoskeletal pain had consulted a health professional for the problem. Being physically active (trauma), participating in organized sport (accessibility of care), and having other health problems may explain why an adolescent seeks care for musculoskeletal pain.
authors.affiliation: Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Oulu, Finland Institute of Clinical Sciences, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Finland LIKES Research Center for Sport and Health Sciences, Jyväskylä, Finland Institute of Health Sciences, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland Clinic of Child Psychiatry, University and University Hospital of Oulu, Oulu, Finland Unit of General Practice, University Hospital of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Markus V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Paananen
authors.forename: Simo P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Taimela
authors.forename: Tuija H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Tammelin
authors.forename: Marko T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Kantomaa
authors.forename: Hanna E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Ebeling
authors.forename: Anja M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Taanila
authors.forename: Paavo J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Zitting
authors.forename: Jaro I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Karppinen
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010146:Pain / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D059408:Pain Management; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires