Idiopathic musculoskeletal pain in Indian children – prevalence and impact on daily routine

AbstractObjectivesTo study the prevalence of idiopathic musculoskeletal pain (IMSP) in school going children and its impact on daily life.MethodsOne thousand eighteen apparently healthy school children aged 5–16 years were assessed and analysed for IMSP and its associated problems. Standard tests for significance were applied.ResultsOne hundred and sixty-five (16.2%) children mostly males (55.2%) reported IMSP. Lower limbs (52.1%) were the most common location of pain. More than 1 year of pain history was present in 15%. Thirty-seven percent children complained of discomfort during walking, 30.9%, had pain during physical exercise, 29.2% had difficulty attending lessons and 4.2% had interference in pursuing hobbies. The children were also further sub grouped into preadolescents and adolescents. There was significant difference in pain duration and duration of each pain episode in the two groups (p=0.01). A significant number of children (21.2%) with IMSP reported school absenteeism (p