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Table 1 Characteristics at return visit (outpatient vs. inpatient)

From: Chronic pain treatment in children and adolescents: less is good, more is sometimes better

 

Outpatients (n = 992)

Inpatients (n = 320)

Statistics

 

Mean

SD

Range

n(%)

Mean

SD

Range

n(%)

Parameter ( t, Chi 2)

p-value

Effect size§

Days until return visit

97.0

38.1

12–344

992

128.6

47.4

29–313

320

t (1310) = 12.117

<.001

d = 0.83

Age

11.0

3.3

1–19

992

13.9

2.5

5–19

320

t (1310) = 14.234

<.001

d = 0.88

Sex

        

Chi 2 (1) = 14.125

<.001

V = .104

Male

   

421 (42)

   

98 (31)

   

Female

   

571 (58)

   

222 (69)

   

Main pain location

        

Chi 2 (3) = 128.2

<.001

V = .313

Head

   

813 (82)

   

168 (53)

   

Abdomen

   

110 (11)

   

68 (21)

  

Musculoskeletal

   

63 (6)

   

71 (22)

  

Other

   

4 (0.4)

   

12 (4)

   

Average pain intensity$

4.2

2.7

0–10

942

4.3

2.9

0–10

314

t(1254) = 0.546

.585

-

Pain-related disability#

24.8

10.7

12–60

894

23.9

10.0

12–60

298

t(1190) = -1.244

.214

-

School absence&

  

0–20

     

U = 184,632; Z = 12.2

<.001

r = .357

Low (0–1 day)

   

738 (84)

   

233 (78)

   

Moderate (2–5 days)

   

117 (13)

   

40 (13)

  

High (>5 days)

   

22 (3)

   

27 (9)

  
  1. §Effect sizes for t-tests = d; for U-Tests = r; and for Chi 2-test = Cramer’s V.
  2. $Numeric rating scale (NRS) 0–10: 0 = no pain, 10 = worst pain.
  3. #Paediatric Pain Disability Index (P-PDI [15], range 12–60).
  4. &There were n = 66 children aged younger than six years for whom school absence could not be assessed.
  5. Boldface data reflect significant differences between the two groups.
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BMC Pediatrics

ISSN: 1471-2431

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