@article {El-Metwally1094, author = {A El-Metwally and S Halder and D Thompson and G J Macfarlane and G T Jones}, title = {Predictors of abdominal pain in schoolchildren: a 4-year population-based prospective study}, volume = {92}, number = {12}, pages = {1094--1098}, year = {2007}, doi = {10.1136/adc.2006.115089}, publisher = {BMJ Publishing Group Ltd}, abstract = {Background: Chronic abdominal pain (CAP) is common among schoolchildren, but risk factors for its onset are still largely unknown.Aims: To determine the frequency of onset of CAP in schoolchildren and investigate risk factors for its development.Methods: 1411 schoolchildren aged 11{\textendash}14 years were recruited from schools in North West England. Information was collected on recent pain symptoms and potential risk factors for developing CAP. Participants were followed up 1 and 4 years later and new episodes of CAP were identified.Results: 22\% reported new-onset abdominal pain at 1-year follow-up which persisted at 4-year follow-up (CAP). CAP was almost three times higher in girls than boys (34\% vs 13\%; χ2: 26.0; p\<0.001). In girls, reporting headache at baseline was the only predictive factor for CAP onset: those reporting headaches experienced a doubling in the risk of symptom onset (relative risk: 2.1; 95\% confidence interval: 0.95 to 4.7). In contrast, in boys, development of CAP was independently predicted by daytime tiredness (3.0; 1.2 to 7.6), lack of school enjoyment (2.0; 0.95 to 4.2), adverse psychosocial exposures (2.3; 1.2 to 4.5) and taller stature (1.9; 0.8 to 4.5).Conclusion: Our results suggest that over 20\% of adolescent schoolchildren experience new-onset non-self-limiting abdominal pain over a 1-year period. Future abdominal pain is predicted by previous somatic symptom reporting in girls and both somatic symptom reporting and psychosocial factors in boys. These risk factors indicate a possible mechanism for understanding the development of CAP, and might have important implications for both primary and secondary preventive strategies.}, issn = {0003-9888}, URL = {https://adc.bmj.com/content/92/12/1094}, eprint = {https://adc.bmj.com/content/92/12/1094.full.pdf}, journal = {Archives of Disease in Childhood} }