School Nurse Knowledge and Perceptions of Recurrent Abdominal Pain: Opportunity for Therapeutic Alliance?

Recurrent abdominal pain of childhood affects up to 15% of school-age children, who face significant psychosocial consequences, including school absence. Because assessment of recurrent abdominal pain is frequently made at the school nurse level, a questionnaire was sent to 425 school nurses to evaluate perceptions about recurrent abdominal pain. Among the responses, 47.1% believed children were faking or seeking attention; 3.6% considered it a serious disease, 77.9% stated that affected children should see a physician, 51.5% believed they should relax, and 25.0% believed they needed medicine. Results indicated that school nurses were unclear on epidemiologic and etiologic features of recurrent abdominal pain and had negative views that may inadvertently contribute to the anxiety felt by affected children. Education of school nurses and communication from physicians may advance strategies designed to reduce the fiscal and social costs associated with this common childhood condition.