Prevalence and associated factors of musculoskeletal pain among hypermobile school-going children in Moodbidri, South India

BACKGROUND: Hypermobility is often under-recognised in children, leading to significant delay in diagnosing the cause of musculoskeletal pain and other physical impairments. Due to multifaceted factors, pain in hypermobile children is indeed challenging to treat. The mechanism underlying the development of musculoskeletal pain in hypermobile children is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence and factors associated with musculoskeletal pain in hypermobile children in Moodbidri, South India. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted according to STROBE guidelines. Using the Beighton score, schoolchildren in Moodbidri were screened for hypermobility. Through multi-stage cluster sampling, 177 (65 boys and 112 girls) hypermobile children were enrolled in this study with parents' consent. The Nordic pain questionnaire is used to measure the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain. A structured questionnaire was designed to measure factors associated with musculoskeletal pain in hypermobile children. Demographic variables, characteristics of transport and school bags, characteristics of the school, participation in extracurricular activities, and screen time were the data collected. Descriptive data were analyzed using the chi-square test. Uni and multivariate logistic regression were performed for independent variables. RESULT: The overall prevalence for musculoskeletal pain in hypermobile children was 19.77% (6.77% in males and 12.99% in females). Spinal pain is more prevalent in both sexes. Musculoskeletal pain in hypermobile children is significantly associated with the type of school, classroom distance from school entrance, and increased sitting hours. The interaction of private school education and classrooms located on the 1st and 2nd floors increases the odds for occurrence of musculoskeletal pain in hypermobile children. CONCLUSION: The study result suggests that the prevalence (19.77%) of musculoskeletal pain in hypermobile children from Moodbidri, South India, is slightly higher than the prevalence reported from other regions of India. Hypermobile students studying in private institutions and their classrooms located on the 1st and 2nd floors are at risk for musculoskeletal pain.