[Assessment of pain in The Child and Adolescent Health Survey].

Until now, there have been no nation-wide studies allowing a reliable estimation of the prevalence of pain in children and adolescents in Germany. In addition, data regarding the limitations and use of health care measures were also not available for children and adolescents, as well as data on influential factors that might provide valuable information on the occurrence and persistence of pain in the same epidemiological group. In the part of the survey entitled "Pain", the prevalence of pain generally as well as the features of persistent and/or recurring pain will be studied. An important result of this study shall be the first nation-wide representative figures on the prevalence of pain in general, as well as combinations of various types of pain in children and adolescents. In this way it should provide an up-to-date and representative data source to answer the following questions: How frequent is pain in children and adolescents? To what extent does pain in afflicted individuals lead to limitations? What kinds of health care measure does the individual who suffers such pain seek (medical consultation, medication)? According to the children (or their parents) or adolescents, what factors are involved in causing pain and allowing it to persist?