Multisite musculoskeletal pain in adolescence as a predictor of medical and social welfare benefits in young adulthood: The Norwegian Arctic Adolescent Health Cohort Study
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BACKGROUND: Pain in adolescence is associated with mental health problems, the main reason for work disability in young adults. This study explores the relationship between multisite musculoskeletal pain in adolescence and later medical (sickness and medical rehabilitation benefits) and social welfare benefits, adjusted for sociodemographic, adolescent psychosocial and mental health problems. METHODS: Data were obtained by linkage between the National Insurance Registry (2003-11) and the Norwegian Arctic Adolescent Health Study, a school-based survey in North Norway (2003-05), accepted by 3987 fifteen- to sixteen-year-olds (68% of the total population). The start of the follow-up time was July 1st of the corresponding year the participants responded to the health study. Musculoskeletal pain was measured by the number of musculoskeletal pain sites. RESULTS: We found a positive linear relationship between adolescent musculoskeletal pain sites and the occurrence of medical and social welfare benefits in young adulthood (p ≤ 0.001). Adolescent musculoskeletal pain was a significant predictor of sickness (p < 0.001) and social welfare benefits in females (p = 0.036), when adjusted for adolescent psychosocial and mental health problems. The most important adolescent psychosocial predictors were externalizing problems, less parental involvement and adverse life events. CONCLUSION: Adolescent multisite musculoskeletal pain was found to be an important predictor of later sickness and social welfare benefit receipt from adolescence to young adulthood. SIGNIFICANCE: Adolescents with multisite musculoskeletal pain are at substantially increased risk of health and social difficulties into young adulthood. Identification and interventions for these adolescent problems could alleviate this risk and be a sound socioeconomic investment.
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The clinical progression of hEDS is believed to unfold in three phases: the hypermobility phase, the pain phase, and the stiffness phase.
“Limited data exist on gHSD prevalence and progression, but the clinical progression of hEDS is believed to unfold in three phases: the hypermobility phase, characterised by hypermobility and frequent joint sprains/strains; the pain phase, marked by widespread chronic pain; and the stiffness phase, with a notable decline in hypermobility. 43”
From No association between joint hypermobility, musculoskeletal pain and neurodevelopmental problems in a school-based sample of 11-year-old children (2025) · cites this paper as [43]
The Methods (§2.5.1) measure adolescent musculoskeletal pain by body site, and the Discussion (§4) concerns its association with later benefits. Searches for hEDS, hypermobility, and the proposed hypermobility–pain–stiffness phases found no passage in our copy addressing that clinical progression. Page numbers were not available. (LLM, conf=0.76)
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References 26 · Cited by 23
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) (2003). International Classification of Primary Care, Second edition (ICPC-2). http://www. who.int/classifications/icd/adaptations/icpc2/en/
- Authors
- Eckhoff, C., Straume, B., & Kvernmo, S.
- Affiliations
- University Hospital of North Norway (NO)
- UiT The Arctic University of Norway (NO)
- Corresponding author
- Eckhoff, C.
- Venue
- European Journal of Pain
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2017-07-06
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 1697-1706
- ISSN
- 1090-3801 (ISSN-L)
- 1532-2149
- OpenAlex
- W2725952486
- Cited by
- 23
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 2
- FWCI
- 1.53
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- European Journal of Pain (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Universitetet i Tromsø
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Pediatric Pain Management Techniques
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research
- Keywords
- adolescent pain, early adulthood, sickness benefits, welfare benefits, work disability, psychosocial problems, externalizing problems, parental involvement, life events, mental health, socioeconomic outcomes, longitudinal cohort
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent Health, Adolescent, Adult, Female, Humans, Male, Norway, Registries, Social Welfare, Cohort Studies, Young Adult, Musculoskeletal Pain
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