Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33655417›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of pediatrics2021

Are psychological symptoms a risk factor for musculoskeletal pain in adolescents?

Alessandro Andreucci, Paul Campbell, Kate M Dunn

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of pediatrics, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
2.4field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Musculoskeletal Pain During Late Adolescence: The Generation R Study.European journal of pain (London, England) · 2026
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Alessandro AndreucciPrimary Care Centre Versus Arthritis, School of Primary, Community and Social Care, Keele University, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK. aa@dcm.aau.dk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6141-5056
Paul CampbellPrimary Care Centre Versus Arthritis, School of Primary, Community and Social Care, Keele University, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK.
Kate M DunnPrimary Care Centre Versus Arthritis, School of Primary, Community and Social Care, Keele University, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK.
Arthritis UK · GBMidlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust · GB

Funding

Medical Research Council G9815508Medical Research Council MC_PC_15018Medical Research Council MC_PC_19009Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust (GB) 084632/Z/08/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Adolescent musculoskeletal pain is common and is associated with musculoskeletal pain in adulthood. Psychological symptoms, also common in adolescence, have been shown to be associated with musculoskeletal pain, but the current evidence is mixed and may be dependent on effect modifiers. This study investigated whether adolescents with psychological symptoms (internalizing and externalizing constructs) at age 13 years were at higher odds for musculoskeletal pain at age 17 years and whether the associations were modified by pubertal status and sex. A prospective cohort design examined data on 3865 adolescents from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Associations between baseline (aged 13 years) internalizing and externalizing symptoms and musculoskeletal pain at follow-up (aged 17 years) were investigated using logistic regression producing odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). In total 43.1% of adolescents reported musculoskeletal pain at follow-up. Externalizing symptoms at baseline increased the odds of musculoskeletal pain (OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.28, 2.20), and internalizing symptoms demonstrated a non-significant increase (OR 1.26, 95% CI 0.98, 1.62). Effect modification analysis showed an increased effect dependent on pubertal status.Conclusion: Adolescents with externalizing symptoms, and to some extent internalizing symptoms, are at increased odds of later musculoskeletal pain. Future research is now required to understand the reasons for these associations. What is Known: • Current evidence regarding the association between internalizing symptoms and externalizing symptoms and future musculoskeletal pain in adolescents is mixed. What is New: • This study found that adolescents with externalizing symptoms, and to some extent internalizing symptoms, are at increased odds for musculoskeletal pain, with an increased influence dependent on pubertal status. • These results are of interest for the development of timely preventative interventions designed to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal pain.

Indexed as

Adolescent BehaviorMusculoskeletal PainAdolescentAdultChildHumansLongitudinal StudiesProspective StudiesRisk FactorsAdolescentALSPACExternalizingInternalizingMusculoskeletal painProspective study

Identifiers

PMID33655417
PMCPMC8195761
OpenAlexW3133617736

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.