Skip to content
The Kids Research Institute Australia logo
Donate

Discover . Prevent . Cure .

Neck/shoulder pain is more strongly related to depressed mood in adolescent girls than in boys

A cross-sectional study of 1258, 14 year old girls and boys used self-report and physical examination measures to assess neck/shoulder pain in the last...

Authors:
Pollock, C. M.; Harries, R. L.; Smith, A. J.; Straker, L. M.; Kendall, G. E.; O'Sullivan, P. B.

Authors notes:
Manual Therapy. 2011;16(3):246-51

Keywords:
Adolescents, Depression, Neck/shoulder pain, Raine study

Abstract:
A cross-sectional study of 1258, 14 year old girls and boys used self-report and physical examination measures to assess neck/shoulder pain in the last month, depressed mood, physical fitness, body composition, self-efficacy, global self-worth, family functioning and social advantage.

The data was used to compare the relationship between depressed mood and neck/shoulder pain (NSP) in adolescent girls and boys. The prevalence of NSP in girls (34%, 211/621) was significantly greater than in boys (21%, 134/637; p < .001).

After controlling for covariates, girls with medium (OR = 4.28; CI = 2.31-7.92; p < .001) and high depressed mood (OR = 8.63; CI = 4.39-16.98; p < .001) were significantly more likely to report NSP than girls with low depressed mood. Depressed mood was also a significant correlate of NSP in boys after controlling for covariates, although the association was substantially weaker (OR = 2.44; CI = 1.29-4.61; p < .001).

After controlling for relevant biological, psychological and social covariates, depressed mood was a significant correlate of NSP in both sexes; but the association between depressed mood and NSP was significantly stronger for girls than for boys.