Adiposity trajectory as a predictor of chronic and multisite pain in the transition from childhood to adolescence: A prospective study of a large birth cohort
Authors' conclusion
Higher adiposity during childhood and early adolescence was a predictor of chronic and multisite pain reports at age 13 among girls.
Study context
- Population
- Children from Generation XXI, a population-based birth cohort in Porto, Portugal, evaluated at 4, 7, 10 and 13 years
- Participants
- 4,563 children
- Exposure
- Adiposity trajectories vs pain at age 13
- Outcome
- Chronic pain (above three months) and multisite pain (two or more sites), Luebeck Pain Questionnaire
- Follow-up
- Age 13
Methodological detailsmixed-effects polynomial trend models, logistic regression adjusted for pubertal development and programmed physical activity, cross-lagged analysis
- Mixed-effects polynomial trend models
- Logistic regression adjusted for pubertal development and programmed physical activity
- Cross-lagged analysis
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Girls: quadratic fat mass trajectories (accelerated fat mass (FM) gain) and pain
Chronic pain, quadratic coefficient OR (girls)
1.37
95% CI 1.12, 1.69
Multisite pain, quadratic coefficient OR (girls)
1.27
95% CI 1.05, 1.53
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Cross-lagged analysis, girls
- Associations suggested between adiposity at age 10 and pain reports at age 13 in girls
Boys: quadratic BMI z-score trajectories and chronic pain · age 13
- Only suggestive associations in boys; chronic pain, quadratic BMI z-score OR
- 1.34 (95% CI: 0.96, 1.86)
Original publication
Adiposity trajectory as a predictor of chronic and multisite pain in the transition from childhood to adolescence: A prospective study of a large birth cohort. Int J Obes (Lond). Published 22 September 2026. doi:10.
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