BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:
Head, face and neck pain affects a large portion of the world population, however there are few studies reporting this condition in general Brazilian population. This study aimed at investigating the prevalence of head, face and neck pain and its impact on the quality of life of adults of Piracicaba city, São Paulo.
METHODS:
The sample was made up of 400 volunteers of both genders, aged between 20 and 50 years, who were randomly approached in six crossing points of the city. Socio-demographic, pain prevalence, location, frequency, duration and severity, and self-perception of quality of life data were collected by means of anonymous self-applied questionnaires: Orofacial Pain Questionnaire and WHOQOL-BREF.
RESULTS:
Pain prevalence was 54.75%, of predominantly severe intensity (21.30%), daily recurrence (41.10%) and present for more than six months (91.32%). Most affected region was the head (36%) being the intraoral region the less frequently reported (6%). There has been no significant association between pain and factors such as age, economic level and education (p>0.05); however there has been significant prevalence among females. No pain was frequently associated to better quality of life (p<0.05). Volunteers reporting pain were more unhappy with quality of sleep (p<0.05), however there has been no significant association with the frequency of negative feelings.
CONCLUSION:
The study has identified high prevalence of head, face and neck pain, significant morbidity of people affected by this condition and its negative impact on quality of life.
Chronic pain; Epidemiology; Prevalence; Quality of life