Immigration background as a risk factor of chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain in children and adolescents living in Spain: differences as a function of age

Abstract

Abstract The number of people immigrating from one country to another is increasing worldwide. Research has shown that immigration background is associated with chronic pain and pain disability in adults. However, research in this issue in children and adolescents has yielded inconsistent results. The aims of this study were to examine (1) the association between immigration background and chronic pain in children and adolescents; (2) the association between immigration background and pain interference in children and adolescents with chronic pain; and (3) the extent these associations differed as a function of sex and age. Participants of this cross-sectional study were 1115 school children and adolescents (mean age = 11.67 years; 56% girls). Participants were asked to provide sociodemographic information and respond to a survey including measures of pain (location, extension, frequency, intensity, and interference). Results showed that having an immigration background was associated with a greater prevalence of chronic pain (odds ratio [OR] = 1.91, P < 0.001) and that this association was higher in children (OR = 6.92, P < 0.001) and younger adolescents (OR = 1.66, P < 0.05) than in older adolescents. No significant association between immigration background and pain interference was identified. Children and adolescents with an immigration background, especially younger children, are at higher risk for having chronic pain. More resources should be allocated in the prevention of chronic pain in children and adolescents with an immigration background.