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Background: For many adults, their role as a parent is a vital part of their lives. This role is likely to be associated with a parent's health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The aim of this study was to explore the associations between gender, demographic and psychosocial variables, pain, and HRQOL in parents of 14-15-year-old adolescents., Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that included 561 parents. Data on demographic, psychosocial variables and pain were collected using validated instruments. HRQOL was assessed using the RAND-36. Data were analysed using univariate and hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses., Results: Four hundred and thirty-six (78%) mothers and 125 (22%) fathers with a mean age of 45 (SD = 5) years were included. Eighty-one per cent were married/cohabiting, 74% worked full time, and 50% had university education of more than 4 years. Almost one-third reported daily or weekly pain, and more than half (58%) reported using pain analgesics during the previous 4 weeks. Mothers reported significantly lower scores on self-efficacy, self-esteem and for all RAND-36 domains, including the physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) and experienced greater stress than fathers. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that working part-time (beta = 0.40) or full time (beta = 0.52) (reference: not working) had the strongest positive effect on PCS. Absence from work for > 10 days (beta = -0.24) (reference: no absence), short-term pain (beta = -0.14), chronic pain (beta = -0.37) (reference: no pain), and stress (beta = -0.10) had the strongest negative effects on PCS. High self-esteem (beta = 0.11) had the strongest positive effect, whereas stress (beta = -0.58) and absence from work for > 10 days (beta = -0.11) (reference: no absence) had the strongest negative effects on MCS., Conclusion: Mothers reported significantly lower scores on self-efficacy, self-esteem, and HRQOL, and experienced greater stress than the fathers. A high proportion of parents reported pain. Pain, stress, and low work affiliation were strongly associated with decreased HRQOL in parents. We recommend that parents of adolescents should be provided guidance about coping with pain and stress, and facilitation of a strong work affiliation because these seem to be important to parents' HRQOL., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Chronic pain is a major health problem globally with severe personal and economic consequences. Maternal chronic pain is associated with their children's pain. Family pain models and shared environmental aspects are important in the understanding of chronic pain among adolescents. Pain in itself impairs the quality of life (QoL). However, satisfaction in the aspects of health and functioning, social and economic, psychological, and family life will together constitute a person's subjective experience of QoL. On this background, we considered it important to gain an understanding of the QoL of mothers who have children with chronic pain. We aimed to gain a broader understanding of the QoL in mothers of children with chronic pain and to investigate how they managed their children's pain., Methods: This study had a qualitative design with face-to-face, in-depth interviews. The concept of QoL was used as a framework for developing a thematic, semi-structured interview guide. Eight mothers of adolescents with chronic pain (two boys and six girls) participated with signed consent., Results: Socio-economic difficulties and health complaints were common. Psychological stress, because of their children's physical pain and other stressful experiences such as bullying, dominated everyday life. Lack of predictability and of responsible involvement from the fathers' side increased the mothers' burden considerably. Experiencing not being helped by others such as health professionals resulted in feelings of helplessness., Conclusions: These mothers had reduced QoL caused by their own health problems, concern for the child's well-being and lack of social support, which affected the child's upbringing and pain management. By improving these mothers' QoL, family-based shared pain management strategies could help in health promotion, leading to a more positive QoL circle. Elements of family and cognitive therapy could be applied when supporting the mothers and children and improving their QoL.