P98 An evaluation of a public health campaign in a high school setting targeting pain related knowledge and beliefs – a mixed methods study

Background

Persistent pain is a common condition affecting one in four adults. Public understanding of pain is limited. Delivering pain education within schools may improve public understanding in the longer term. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a Pain Science Education (PSE) informed public health campaign delivered within a high school setting, on students’ pain beliefs, knowledge and behavioural intentions towards persistent pain. Study objectives were to quantitatively measure any shift in student pain beliefs using the Pain Beliefs Questionnaire (PBQ) and COPI-Adult questionnaire, prior to and after a pain education day. The secondary objective was to quantitatively measure any shift in student pain knowledge using the COPI-Adult questionnaire, prior to PSE and after PSE. Another secondary outcome was to qualitatively understand the experience of receiving the PSE from the students’ perspective and explore their understanding of the material.

Methods

Exploratory, single-site, mixed-methods, single-arm study involving secondary school students ≥16 years old attending a pain education event. Outcome measures were Pain Beliefs Questionnaire (PBQ) and Concepts of Pain Inventory (COPI-ADULT), a vignette to assess pain behaviours. Quantitative data was managed in SPSS as follows: categorical data for appropriate recommendations in the vignette was presented as percentages and analysed using chi-squared tests. Between-group comparisons were made for the pre-education scores to assess baseline behaviours, and for the post-education scores. Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews was thematically analysed.

Results

Ninety participants (mean age 16.5 years, 74% female) of the 114 who attended, agreed to take part in the evaluation. PBQ scores improved on the Organic beliefs subscale [mean difference -5.9 (95% CI -6.8, -5.0), P<0.001] and Psychosocial Beliefs subscale [1.6 (1.0, 2.2) P<0.001] . The COPI-Adult revealed an improvement of [7.1 (6.0 to 8.1) P<0.001] between baseline and post intervention. Pain behavioural intentions improved post education for work, exercise, and bed rest related activities (p=0.001, p=0.003 and p=0.002 respectively). Thematic analysis of interviews (n=3) identified increased awareness of the chronic pain and its underpinning biology, beliefs that pain education should be widely available and pain management should be holistic.

Discussion

A pain education public health campaign can improve pain beliefs, knowledge and behavioural intentions in high school students and increase openness to holistic management. Future RCTs are needed to confirm these results and investigate potential long-term impacts.