Prevalence of "growing pains" in young children.

Abstract

We estimated the prevalence of recurrent leg pains, often described as "growing pains" in children 4 to 6 years of age in South Australia. We used a survey of the parents of children 4 to 6 years of age, using a validated questionnaire previously developed for this purpose. The sample was systematic and randomized across rural and urban regions, with a total of 1445 valid responses achieved. Frequency statistics were used to obtain the prevalence estimate. The prevalence estimate obtained was 36.9% (95% CI, 32.7-41.1). This study estimated the prevalence of growing pains in a well-designed sample by using a validated instrument of measure. Previous studies have not addressed this age range discretely. The prevalence estimate demonstrates the community impact of this often disregarded condition.