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. 2021 Mar;110(3):909-913.
doi: 10.1111/apa.15493. Epub 2020 Aug 7.

Schoolchildren's experience of pain-A focus group interview study

Sara Persson  1 , Alexandra Warghoff  1 , Eva-Lena Einberg  1 , Pernilla Garmy  1   2
Affiliations

Schoolchildren's experience of pain-A focus group interview study

Sara Persson et al. Acta Paediatr. 2021 Mar.

Abstract

Aim: To explore the experience of pain in 10- to 12-year-old children.

Methods: This interview study included students (n = 42) in grade 4-6 in focus groups (n = 10) in southern Sweden (52% girls); mean age, 11.3 years (range 10-12 years). The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim and analysed with qualitative content analysis.

Results: The analysis resulted in one theme: Pain as a unique experience for each individual, which was divided into five categories: (a) Feeling bodily pain; (b) Pain related to the school environment and schoolwork; (c) Internal pain related to sorrow and grief; (d) Pain related to conflicts and remorse; and (e) Pain can be good.

Conclusion: The children made distinctions between physical pain and emotional pain. Bullying, noisy school environments, grief and remorse were reported to be linked with headaches, stomachache and heartache.

Keywords: experience; focus group; pain; qualitative study; school-aged children.

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References

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