The Relationship Between Pain Perception and Colour Preferences in the Paediatric Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

AbstractBackground/Aims: Children's color preferences serve as significant projective indicators of their internal emotional states and sensory experiences.This study aimed to investigate the relationship between localized pain (joint, chest, throat, head, and abdominal) and color selection among pediatric patients diagnosed with Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF).Methods: In this cross-sectional clinical study, 93 pediatric FMF patients visiting a Pediatric Dentistry clinic were evaluated. Participants were questioned regarding the presence and localization of pain characteristic of FMF.Color preferences during both symptomatic and asymptomatic periods were recorded. Initial data categorization included a broad spectrum (white, red, blue, purple, yellow, black, and green), which was subsequently refined into reduced color clusters (white, red, blue, and black) for advanced statistical modeling.Results: Statistical analysis revealed no significant correlation between unique color preferences and the presence of joint, chest, head, or abdominal pain (p0.05). Similarly, color choices remained consistent during pain-free intervals. However, when utilizing reduced color groupings, a statistically significant association was identified specifically between the presence of throat pain and color preference (p=0.038).Observations indicated a notable shift toward the color red during episodes of pharyngeal discomfort.Conclusion: While the presence of generalized FMF-related pain does not universally dictate color choice, the specific correlation between sore throats and an increased preference for red suggests that certain physiological stressors trigger distinct emotional and perceptual associations.These findings indicate that color-based assessment tools can serve as valuable non-verbal adjuncts for dental and medical practitioners in decoding the subjective pain experiences of children.