Recurrent Abdominal Pain Among Children Attending Government and Private Schools in Delhi

Abstract

Recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) in school children is a common problem. The studies from Southeast Asian countries and India have largely been hospital based. The prevalence of RAP in a school population has never been undertaken in India. To study the prevalence of recurrent abdominal pain in the school going children in the age group of 7 -14 years. The parents of children from 10 schools (government and private) in Delhi were administered a predesigned questionnaire. A total of 1350 questionnaires were administered from Nov 04 to Sep 05. The questionnaire was based on the criteria used by Apley to define recurrent abdominal pain in children. 500 completed questionnaires, each from government and private schools were analyzed for the purpose of study. The prevalence of recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) was found to be 14.6%. There was a higher prevalence among girls (18.9%), than in boys (11.5%) and the difference was statistically significant. The prevalence among theprivate school children was higher (15.8%) than in government schools (13.4%). The maximum number of children with RAP was in the age group of 10-12 years (54.1%). The most common location for pain abdomen was periumblical (71.9%). 82% of children reported a diurnal variation in symptoms. Only 24.1% of children with RAP required hospitalization for the same in the preceding year. The results show that 14 out of every 100 children in urban Indian schools have complaints of recurrent abdominal pain. Girls are more affected than boys and despite the chronicity of symptoms no medical consultation is sought for these children. RAP is commonest in the age group of 10-12 years.