Pain fear levels and affecting factors of health students in the university

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Fear of pain, which is defined as verbal, physiological, and behavioral responses against potentially painful situations, refers to extreme fear of pain, painful sensation, and anything that may cause this sensation. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the pain fear levels of students and factors affecting fear of pain. METHODS: The study sample consisted of 544 students. To measure the students’ pain fear levels, a 12-item questionnaire, developed by the researchers, and 30-item Fear of Pain Questionnaire-III (FPQ-III) was used. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software. RESULTS: Students the severity of pain subscale, 31.9±8.9; mild pain subscale, 23.8±7.5; medical pain subscale, 27.5±9.0; and average total FPQ score, 83.1±22.0 was foud as. Of the students participating in the study, 80% reported that they had previously experienced pain. Of those who experienced pain, 32.9% reported dysmenorrhea, 18.2% reported headache, and 16.6% reported posttraumatic pain. Moreover, 61.0% of the students attempted to relieve their pain by their own means (medicine, herbal medicine, hot–cold application, etc.), while 70.6% stated that they do not frequently use painkillers. CONCLUSION: It is recommended to develop multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches in the management of fear of pain, which has biological, psychological, social, cultural, economic aspects.