Body image satisfaction and experimental pressure pain sensitivity in a cohort of 13-year-old adolescents

• Autor(a) principal: Beatriz Costa Vieira
• Data de Publicação: 2021
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: https://hdl.handle.net/10216/134433
• topic: Medicina clínica; Clinical medicine

Background: Adolescence is a crucial phase for the development of body image issues and also for the expression of pain phenotypes. Associations between these are described in disease-specific cohorts but little is known on whether pain sensitivity changes with body image satisfaction in adolescents. Objectives: We aimed to quantify the associations between body image satisfaction and pain detection and tolerance thresholds in 13-year-old girls and boys. Methods: We conducted an observational study in 1973 participants from the Generation XXI population-based cohort, recruited in 2005-06. Body Image Satisfaction was assessed using a self-administered questionnaire with the Children's Figure Rating Scale. Pain detection and tolerance thresholds were estimated using cuff pressure algometry with standardized stimuli. We express the results as linear regression coefficients (B) and as odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals. Models were computed crude and adjusted to Tanner pubic hair stage and body mass index. Results: Girls who were dissatisfied with their silhouette had lower odds of achieving the highest quarter of pressure pain threshold ("prefers thinner" adjusted OR = 0,67 [0,46; 0,97]; "prefers heavier" adjusted OR = 0,62 [0,39; 1,00]). Girls who preferred heavier silhouettes had lower average tolerance threshold than those who were satisfied (adjusted B = -4,43 [-8,76; -0,1]). Associations were similar but of lower magnitude among boys: "prefers thinner" adjusted B = -0,76 [-4,27; 2,74] and adjusted OR = 0,84 [0,55; 1,27]; "prefers heavier" adjusted B = -4,18 [-7,9; -0,46] and adjusted OR = 0,75 [0,49; 1,16]. Conclusion: Dissatisfaction with own body image was associated with lower tolerance to pain in this cohort of 13-year-old adolescents, especially among girls. These findings may indicate a role of dissatisfaction with own body in the establishment of maladaptive pain phenotypes in healthy adolescences building their body image.