Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBP
-
J Dev Behav Pediatr · Aug 2009
Sex differences in the relationship between maternal negative life events and children's laboratory pain responsivity.
Previous research has demonstrated links between psychosocial factors, including negative life events (NLE) and pain in children. This study examined sex differences in the relationship among mother-reported NLE, child NLE, mother somatization, and children's laboratory pain responses for heat, cold, and pressure pain tasks. We predicted that maternal NLE would be moderately associated with girls' pain responses but would not be associated with boys' pain responses. ⋯ The current findings underscore the importance of family variables in understanding sex differences in children's pain. Future research is needed to examine the mechanisms within the parent-child relationship that contribute to sex-differentiated pain outcomes, particularly under conditions of exacerbated parental stress.