title: Current analgesic use predicts low emotional quality of life in youth: a cross-sectional survey among university students in Sikkim, North East India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Occurrence of chronic physical pain is increasingly identified among youth, and medically unsupervised analgesic use is a possible risk factor for opioid dependence and other mental diseases in later life. Therefore, the present study was carried out in young student population in Sikkim, India, to explore predictors (including current chronic pain and current analgesic use) of low QoL in youth to identify a subset of population vulnerable to substance use and mental diseases in later life.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in a health university setting in Sikkim, North East India. In this cross-sectional study, 156 participants were enrolled with almost equal number of males and females. Generic instruments for demographics and current analgesic use and SF - 36, for assessment of quality of life (QoL), were used. QoL was measured in general, physical and emotional domains. Presence of chronic physical pain during past four weeks was captured using SF - 36.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Almost two-third participants reported presence of current physical pain (69%, n=108); and (14%, n=22) reported current analgesic use for pain. In logistic regression model controlled for age, ethnicity, gender and residence, higher body mass index (BMI) (β=-0.16, P=0.02) and current analgesic use (β=1.6, P=0.006) predicted low QoL in emotional domain (less accomplishment due to emotional problem). Current analgesic use also predicted low QoL in another measure of emotional domain (depressed β=2.0, P=0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study identified a subset of participants in their youth with low QoL in emotional domain predicted by current analgesic use and possible overweight problem. Low QoL in more than one emotional domain also identifies possibility of later psychiatric impairment. However, chronic pain did not emerge as a significant predictor of low QoL in emotional domain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences,Gangtok, India.
authors.forename: Shurmala
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahongshangbam
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chakrabarti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D008603:Mental Health; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012819:Sikkim / Q000453:epidemiology; D013334:Students; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics