Alessandro Andreucci
Institute for Primary Care and Health Sciences
Risk factors for the onset of musculoskeletal pain in children and
adolescents: A systematic review
Musculoskeletal pain is a major burden on society and the leading cause of years
lived with disability globally. Risk factors for the onset of musculoskeletal conditions
have been extensively investigated in adult populations; however, information on risk
factors in children and adolescents is lacking. More information is needed on the
underlying causes of musculoskeletal conditions in children and adolescents,
especially as evidence suggests a link between the experience of musculoskeletal
pain in childhood and future pain in adulthood. A systematic review to summarize
evidence on the risk factors for the onset of musculoskeletal pain in children and
adolescents (aged 6 to 19 years old) was performed. Five research databases were
searched and over 35.000 references were retrieved. After the screening of titles,
abstracts and full-texts, 43 articles were included in the review. Analysis of the
evidence included qualitative synthesis considering both study quality and
consistency/direction of findings. Several risk factors for the onset of musculoskeletal
pain in children and adolescents were identified: sleep problems, day-time tiredness,
high levels of psychopathologies, early puberty, headache and parental pain
presence. These findings generate the possibility to design and test interventions on
the targets identified to reduce the onset of musculoskeletal pain.
Postgraduate Conference 2016
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