title: Self-reported recurrent pain and medicine use behaviours among 15-year olds: results from the international study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is considerable variation in adolescent pain prevalence across epidemiological studies, with limited information on pain-related behaviours among adolescents, including medicine use. The aims of this study were (1) to examine the prevalence of recurrent pain among 15-year-old adolescents internationally; (2) to investigate the association between recurrent pain and medicine use behaviours among boys and girls; and (3) to evaluate the consistency of these associations across countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  The World Health Organization (WHO) collaborative international Health Behaviour in School-aged Children 2009/2010 study collects data about self-reported aches and medicine use from 36,762 15-year-old adolescents from 22 countries/regions in Europe and the United States. Multi-level multivariate logistic regression, stratified by gender, was used to analyse the association between recurrent pain and medicine use for headache, stomachache, nervousness and difficulties in getting to sleep.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than 30% of adolescents reported recurrent headache, almost 30% recurrent backache and approximately 20% recurrent stomachache. Although pain prevalence and medicine use for aches were much higher for girls, the association between pain and medicine use was similarly strong for both genders. Adolescents with recurrent pain are more likely to use medicines also for non-corresponding pain, nervousness and difficulties in getting to sleep. The association between recurrent pain and medicine use was consistent across countries despite large-country differences in the prevalence of recurrent pain and medicine use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recurrent pain in adolescence is common cross-nationally. Adolescents with recurrent pain are more likely to use medicine in general. Recurrent pain and medicine use should be addressed in adolescent health policies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Riga Stradins University, Latvia.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gobina
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Villberg
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Villerusa
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Välimaa
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tynjälä
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ottova-Jordan
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ravens-Sieberer
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cavallo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Borraccino
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sigmund
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Holstein
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D000293:Adolescent; D001416:Back Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012008:Recurrence; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires