Adolescent chronic pain and association to perinatal factors: Linkage of Birth Registry data with the Young-HUNT Study

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to examine the associations of birthweight, gestation and 5-min Apgar score with self-reported chronic nonspecific pain in a large, unselected adolescent population. MethodsThe third population-based Nord-TrOndelag Health Study (HUNT) included 8200 adolescents aged 13-19 years, constituting 78.2% of adolescents in Nord-TrOndelag County. In the target age group, 13-18 years, data on pain frequency from 10 localizations were available from 7373 adolescents. Chronic nonspecific pain was defined as pain at least once a week during the last 3 months, not related to any known disease or injury. Chronic multisite pain was defined as chronic pain in at least three localizations, and chronic daily pain was defined as chronic pain almost every day. Perinatal data were retrieved from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway, and data were available for 7120 of the 7373 adolescents. Covariates included adolescent and maternal general health measures from the HUNT study. ResultsWe found no consistent association between preterm birth and chronic pain and no clear association between birthweight and chronic pain complaints in adolescence. Post-term birth in boys and a low 5-min Apgar score in both sexes tended to increase the reporting of chronic pain in adolescence. ConclusionsPerinatal factors, and especially preterm birth and low birthweight, did not seem to have a major impact on pain complaints in adolescence.