Obesity impedes functional improvement in youth with chronic pain: An initial investigation. Eur J Pain 2017 Oct;21(9):1495-1504
Date
06/03/2017Pubmed ID
28573749DOI
10.1002/ejp.1051Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85020118192 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 10 CitationsAbstract
BACKGROUND: Youth with chronic pain are at higher risk for obesity than the general population. In youth with chronic pain, obesity exacerbates pain-specific activity limitations, and in adults with chronic pain, obesity perpetuates a cycle of disability. The current study examined whether weight status predicts functional disability outcomes over time in youth with chronic pain.
METHODS: Data were obtained from a retrospective chart review of patients who consented to participate in a longitudinal outcomes study. The Child Activity Limitations Questionnaire was used to assess functional disability at intake, 1-, and 3-month follow-up. Height and weight were measured at intake. A linear mixed model was used to test whether weight status and time predicted functional disability. Trend analysis with polynomial contrasts was used to test whether improvements in functional disability showed a linear trend over time.
RESULTS: The linear mixed model analysis showed a main effect of weight, suggesting that youth with higher BMI demonstrated less improvement in functional disability over time. The trend analysis suggested that improvements in functional disability were consistent with a linear trend for both healthy weight and overweight participants, but not for obese participants.
CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate that obesity impedes improvement in functioning for youth with chronic pain. Despite multidisciplinary pain treatment, youth with comorbid chronic pain and obesity demonstrate greater functional disability at follow-up and little improvement over time. These results support the need for interventions specifically tailored to the unique challenges faced by youth with comorbid chronic pain and obesity.
SIGNIFICANCE: This study shows that obesity impedes improvement in functioning for youth with chronic pain. On the basis of these findings, interventions should be tailored to the unique challenges of this population.
Author List
Stoner AM, Jastrowski Mano KE, Weisman SJ, Hainsworth KRAuthors
Keri Hainsworth PhD Director, Associate Professor in the Anesthesiology department at Medical College of WisconsinSteven J. Weisman MD Professor in the Anesthesiology department at Medical College of Wisconsin
MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AdolescentBody Mass Index
Child
Chronic Pain
Disability Evaluation
Disabled Children
Female
Humans
Male
Obesity
Retrospective Studies
Surveys and Questionnaires
