Pain Neuroscience Education for Elementary School Students in Belize: An Exploratory Study

Introduction: Increasing school students’ knowledge and beliefs regarding pain yield positive behavior changes including decreased medication use and school absenteeism, as well as increased participation in physical activity. Objectives: To determine if a brief, one-time pain neuroscience education (PNE) lecture developed in the United States (US) to school students in Belize can yield similar positive shifts in pain knowledge and beliefs. Methods: One hundred and fourteen Belize elementary school students attended a 30-minute PNE lecture. Prior to and immediately following the lecture measurements regarding pain knowledge and pain beliefs were completed. Pain knowledge was measured using the revised Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire (rNPQ) and pain beliefs were measured using the adapted Health Care Provider’s Pain and Impairment Relationship Scale (HC-PAIRS). Results: Immediately following the lecture, overall pain knowledge improved significantly (p < 0.001) from 28.6% to 35.4%. Eight of the statements in the rNPQ shifted significantly following PNE. All pain beliefs shifted positive, with two reaching significance - “You can control how much pain you feel” (p = 0.02) and “Your brain decides if you feel pain, not your tissues” (p = 0.003). Conclusions: A one-time PNE lecture to elementary school students in Belize positively shifts pain knowledge and beliefs. The shift in pain knowledge, albeit significant, was less compared to previously US studies and with similar pre-PNE baseline scores indicate a need to further investigate and explore a PNE program specific to students in Belize to better match their ethnic and cultural needs.