Abstract
Physical functioning is often impaired in adolescents with chronic pain, which has
largely been demonstrated through subjective self-report measures. Actigraphy uses
motion monitoring as an objective means for assessing one dimension of physical functioning;
physical activity level. This study used subjective and objective measures to assess
multiple dimensions of physical functioning in a clinical sample of adolescents with
chronic pain (n = 78) and a comparison group of healthy adolescents (n = 59). Individual
and pain characteristics were also examined as predictors of actigraphy variables
within the chronic pain sample. Results indicated that adolescents with chronic pain
demonstrate significant impairment in subjective measures of physical functioning
and evidence lower levels of physical activity. Actigraphic measures of physical activity
were moderately correlated with self-report measures of physical functioning. Individual
characteristics, including adolescent age, sex, and Body Mass Index percentile, were
associated with physical activity levels among adolescents with chronic pain. Physical
activity represents a distinct dimension of physical functioning. Assessing physical
activity may provide additional description of physical functioning among adolescents
with chronic pain, and may help identify targets for intervention in this population.
Perspective
This study demonstrates that adolescents with chronic pain have lower physical activity
levels, as measured objectively via actigraphy, as well as poorer subjective reports
of physical functioning, compared to healthy adolescents. Actigraphic measurement
of physical activity provides objective source data about one dimension of physical
functioning.
Key words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 18, 2011
Accepted:
August 29,
2011
Received in revised form:
July 18,
2011
Received:
December 7,
2010
Footnotes
Supported by grants K23HD064705 (PI: Wilson) and R01HD05343 (PI: Palermo) from the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.
Identification
Copyright
© 2012 American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
