Peer-reviewed article
Parental Factors Associated to Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders in the Pediatric Age Group: A Case-Control Study.
Ensieh Taheri, Peiman Nasri, Fatemeh Famori, Majid Khademian, Hosein Saneian et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined how parental personality traits and behaviors are associated with functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPD) in children aged 4-16 years. Researchers compared children with FAPD to those without abdominal pain and found that children with FAPD had parents with higher neuroticism, fathers with more authoritarian behaviors, and mothers with more obsessive behaviors and control over nutrition and weight. The study suggests that parental personality characteristics may contribute to the development of FAPD in children.
Key points
- Children with FAPD had parents scoring significantly higher on neuroticism (P = 0.002)
- Extraversion and conscientiousness were more common in parents of children without abdominal pain
- Fathers of children with FAPD showed more authoritarian behaviors
- Mothers of children with FAPD demonstrated more obsessive behaviors and greater control over nutrition and weight
- The study suggests a dyadic and reciprocal relationship between parental factors and child functional abdominal pain
Limitations
The document does not specify which country the study was conducted in, and no information is provided about the sample size, statistical power, or potential confounding variables that could affect the results.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Functional abdominal pain disorder (FAPD) is one of the most common reasons for medical visits in child and adolescents. While exact mechanisms remain incompletely understood, it is believed that psychosocial and parental factors contribute to the pathophysiology of FAPDs. Some research suggests a dyadic and reciprocal relationship between children and their parents in this context. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a case-control study that performed in pediatrics gastrointestinal clinics. All 4-16 years old children with abdominal pain, who were referred to pediatric clinics, were recruited consecutively. Individuals with abdominal pain complaint were classified as FAPD using Rome IV criteria. NEO Five-Factor Inventory was completed by all parents, both parents. RESULTS: The mean and standard deviation age of the children in the case and control groups were 2.45 ± 8.10 and 3.04 ± 7.68, respectively, and there was no significant difference between the groups. However, the personality trait of neuroticism (P = 0.002) was significantly higher in the group of children with abdominal pain. The personality traits of extraversion and consciousness were more frequent in the control group than in the case group. Fathers' authoritarian behaviors and the frequency of mothers who showed more obsessive behaviors and had more control over their nutrition and weight were more common in the group of children who had abdominal pain. CONCLUSION: Parent's personality may be affected through different ways on FAPD in children. Diluting the adverse personality of parents alongside changing the relationship with their offspring is crucial to prevent or treatment of FAPD.