Laura Menés Fernández ^1,2* Isabel Salvat ^1,2 Cristina Adillón ^1,2

• ¹ Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain
• ² Pere Virgili Health Research Institute (IISPV), Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain

Introduction: Chronic pain in childhood is a prevalent issue affecting approximately 20% of young people aged 8 to 16 years. This condition negatively impacts their quality of life, as well as their physical, psychological, and social functioning. In recent years, Pain Science Education has emerged as a promising strategy to enhance the conceptualisation of pain and mitigate maladaptive painrelated behaviours in children and teenagers. The primary aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of the Pain Science Education programme called "Learning Pain" in improving the conceptualisation of pain among11 to 13-year-old children enrolled in their first year of middle school. Materials and methods: A randomised controlled trial with single-blind parallel groups was conducted. Five participating institutes were randomly assigned to either the experimental group, which received the Pain Science Education intervention through the "Learning Pain" programme consisting of two sessions spaced one month apart, or the control group, which underwent only study assessments. Both groups underwent initial assessment and follow-up evaluations at 1 month (short term), 7 months (medium-term), and 13 months (long-term). The main outcome measure was the conceptualisation of pain, assessed using the Conceptualization of Pain Questionnaire (COPAQ).The "Learning Pain" programme, a specific Pain Science Education intervention, demonstrated effectiveness in improving the conceptualisation of pain at 1 month, 7 months, and 13 months follow-up assessments. Discussion: The "Learning Pain" programme, a specific Pain Science Education intervention, enhances the conceptualisation of pain in adolescents aged 11-13 years over short, medium, and long-term periods.