PAINception: identification of contents and methods for delivering information about pain to children, adolescents, parents, and teachers.

BACKGROUND: Pain in children is influenced by multiple factors, including parents and teachers, requiring better pain education programs and methods. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore pain knowledge, beliefs, key educational content, and preferred methods for learning about pain among children, adolescents, parents, and teachers. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey with children aged 8-18 years, parents, and teachers. Children's pain knowledge was measured via the Conceptualisation of Pain Questionnaire (COPAQ), whereas parents' and teachers' pain knowledge was measured via the Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire (NPQ). We also evaluated the importance of receiving pain-related information and gathered participants' preferences regarding pain-related content and delivery methods. RESULTS: We recruited 189 children (mean age = 12), their parents (mean age = 43), and 63 teachers (mean age = 40). Children had a mean pain knowledge score of 8/15 (SD=2.1; 95% CI 7.6 to 8.2) on the COPAQ, whereas parents and teachers had scores of 8/12 (SD=3.6; 95% CI 7.2 to 8.2) and 7/12 (SD=1.5; 95% CI 6.3 to 7.1), respectively, as assessed by the NPQ. Nearly 90% of participants considered learning about pain "moderately" or "extremely" important, with the greatest interest in pain treatments, causes, and types. Participants preferred receiving information through online videos featuring healthcare professionals. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that children and adults value learning about pain and prefer online and visual teaching methods, emphasising the need for tailored, accessible and interactive educational interventions. This presents an opportunity to design programs aligned with their learning preferences to enhance future outcomes.