The Utility and Construct Validity of Four Measures of Pain Intensity: Results from a University-Based Study in Spain

Pain Medicine ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (12) ◽  
pp. 2411-2420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark P Jensen ◽  
Elena Castarlenas ◽  
Rubén Roy ◽  
Catarina Tomé Pires ◽  
Mélanie Racine ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective Pain intensity is the most commonly assessed domain in pain research and clinical settings. To facilitate cross-cultural research, knowledge regarding the psychometric properties of pain intensity measures in individuals from different countries is needed. However, the majority of this research has been conducted in English-speaking countries. Design Survey study. Setting University. Subjects Four hundred nineteen college students. Methods Participants were asked to complete four measures assessing average pain intensity: 1) the 0–10 numerical rating scale (NRS-11), 2) the 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS), 3) the four-point verbal rating scale (VRS-4), and 4) the Faces Pain Scale–Revised (FPS-R). Results The rates of incorrect completion of the four scales were uniformly low (range = 1–2%). The NRS-11 had the highest preference rate (31%), although a substantial number of participants also preferred each of the other three scales (range = 22–24%). The findings support the utility and construct validity of all four pain intensity scales in this Spanish-speaking sample. Conclusions When considered in light of research from other non-English-speaking samples indicating significant psychometric weaknesses for the NRS-11 and VAS and relative strengths of the FPS-R in some groups, the findings suggest that the FPS-R might be the most appropriate pain intensity scale to use when comparisons across populations from different countries is a goal. More research is needed to determine the extent to which demographic (i.e., age, education levels, socioeconomic status) vs cultural factors (i.e., country of origin) influence the reliability, validity, and utility of different pain measures.

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (13) ◽  
pp. 1658-1667 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabet Sánchez-Rodríguez ◽  
Elena Castarlenas ◽  
Rocío de la Vega ◽  
Roman Roset ◽  
Jordi Miró

The objective of this work was to study the agreement between four pain intensity scales when administered electronically: the Numerical Rating Scale-11, the Faces Pain Scale-Revised, the Visual Analogue Scale and the Coloured Analogue Scale. In all, 180 schoolchildren between 12 and 19 years old participated in the study. They had to report the maximum intensity of their most frequent pain using the electronic versions of the four scales. Agreement was calculated using the Bland–Altman method. Results show that the electronic versions of Numerical Rating Scale-11, Coloured Analogue Scale and Visual Analogue Scale can be used interchangeably.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 77-81
Author(s):  
Sasikaan Nimmaanrat

Pain intensity is considered as the fifth vital sign. However, it is the only vital sign which is subjective, with there being many pain measurement tools for adults to rate their level of pain. Additionally, there is an increasing number of aging populations throughout the world, and pain measurement in this group of people is challenging as geriatrics have both physical and cognitive impairment. The most frequently utilized pain measurement tools are; the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Verbal Rating Scale (VRS), Numerical Rating Scale (NRS); and faces scales [Faces Pain Scale (FPS) and Faces Pain Scale-Revised (FPS-R) are the faces scales studied most often] tend to be valid for measuring pain severity in cognitively intact elderly. When problems arise, the VAS is the pain measurement tool found to have more difficulties (including higher rates of failure) than the other tools. In elderly with cognitive deficits, fewer difficulties tend to occur as the tools become simpler, with the most valid and useful tools in the following order: the FPS/FPS-R, the VRS, the 0-10 NRS, and the VAS. Furthermore, simpler pain measurement tools tend to be favored over more complicated tools. Keywords: aging; elderly; geriatrics; older; pain measurement; pain measurement tools


Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 1184
Author(s):  
Jessica Finianos ◽  
Elisabet Sánchez-Rodríguez ◽  
Jordi Miró

The Faces Pain Scale-Revised (FPS-R) is widely used to assess pain intensity in young people. The aims of this research were to study the convergent and discriminant validity and reliability properties of a culturally adapted version of the FPS-R for its use with Arabic-speaking individuals. The sample consisted of 292 students living in Lebanon. They were interviewed online, asked to imagine themselves in one of two given situations based on their age (8–12 and 13–18 years old), and then asked rate the intensity of pain they would experience using the FPS-R-Arabic and a Numerical Rating Scale (NRS-11-Arabic). They were also asked to respond to the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS-C-Arabic). Two weeks later, participants were asked to repeat the same procedure. The data showed strong associations between the scores of the FPS-R-Arabic and NRS-11-Arabic (r = 0.72; p < 0.001), which were higher than the associations of the scores of the FPS-Arabic with the PCS-C-Arabic scores (z = 7.36, p < 0.001). The associations between the FPS-R-Arabic scores on the two measurements were also strong (r = 0.76; p < 0.001). The findings support the convergent and discriminant validity and reliability of the FPS-R-Arabic scores when used to measure pain intensity in young people aged 8 to 18 years old.


2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (10) ◽  
pp. 1536-1543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan J. Bartlett ◽  
Skye P. Barbic ◽  
Vivian P. Bykerk ◽  
Ernest H. Choy ◽  
Rieke Alten ◽  
...  

Objective.The Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Flare Group was established to develop a reliable way to identify and measure RA flares in randomized controlled trials (RCT). Here, we summarized the development and field testing of the RA Flare Questionnaire (RA-FQ), and the voting results at OMERACT 2016.Methods.Classic and modern psychometric methods were used to assess reliability, validity, sensitivity, factor structure, scoring, and thresholds. Interviews with patients and clinicians also assessed content validity, utility, and meaningfulness of RA-FQ scores.Results.People with RA in observational trials in Canada (n = 896) and France (n = 138), and an RCT in the Netherlands (n = 178) completed 5 items (11-point numerical rating scale) representing RA Flare core domains. There was moderate to high evidence of reliability, content and construct validity, and responsiveness. Factor analysis supported unidimensionality. Rasch analysis showed acceptable fit to the Rasch model, with items and people covering a broad measurement continuum and evidence of appropriate targeting of items to people, ordered thresholds, minimal differential item functioning by language, sex, or age. A summative score across items is defensible, yielding an interval score (0–50) where higher scores reflect worsening flare. The RA-FQ received endorsement from 88% of attendees that it passed the OMERACT Filter 2.0 “Eyeball Test” for instrument selection.Conclusion.The RA-FQ has been developed to identify and measure RA flares. Its review through OMERACT Filter 2.0 shows evidence of reliability, content and construct validity, and responsiveness. These properties merit its further validation as an outcome for clinical trials.


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 47
Author(s):  
Mohammad Hosseinifar ◽  
Razieh Bazghandi ◽  
Zahra Azimi ◽  
Bahareh Khodadadi Bohlouli

PURPOSE: Tension type headache (TTH) is one of the most prevalent types of headache. TTH is classified as episodic if it occurs on less than 15 days a month and as chronic if it occurs more often. Tension, anxiety and depression are some etiological factors for TTH which leads to work efficiency reduction. Today the interest in non-pharmacological methods is increasing; massage is one of these approaches which has no side effects. Aim of this study was to investigate the effects of neck Myofascial Release (MFR) techniques and exercise therapy on pain intensity and disability in patients with chronic tension-type headache.METHODS: This randomized clinical trial study was investigated on 30 females suffering from TTH. Participants were randomly assigned into two equal groups (n=15). The MFR group received neck MFR massage and exercise therapy four times a week for 3 weeks, each session lasting 45 minutes. Control group had no intervention. Outcomes were headache intensity and disability measured by numerical rating scale (NRS) and headache disability index (HDI), respectively. Data was analysed through independent and pair t-test.RESULTS: Between group comparison showed significant improvement of headache intensity and disability rate in MFR group (p<0.05) than control group (p=0.000).DISCUSSION: This study provides evidences that MFR technique and exercise therapy have significant effect on patients with TTH.


Author(s):  
Dariusz Kosson ◽  
Marcin Kołacz ◽  
Robert Gałązkowski ◽  
Patryk Rzońca ◽  
Barbara Lisowska

The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of the treatment given to patients in a pain clinic on their assessment of pain intensity and the incidence of emotional disturbances in the form of anxiety, depression, and aggression. The study was conducted from January 2014 to April 2018 among patients under the care of two Warsaw pain clinics. The study tools were the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale—Modified Version (HADS-M) and the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS). The project enrolled 325 patients, with women comprising 60.62% of patients, and the age bracked of 65–79 years comprising 39.38% of patient. The major reasons for attending the pain clinic were osteoarticular pain (44.92%) and neuropathic pain (42.77%). The therapy applied lowered the patients’ pain intensity (4.98 vs. 3.83), anxiety (8.71 vs. 8.12), aggression (3.30 vs. 3.08), and the overall HADS-M score (18.93 vs. 17.90), which shows that the treatment of both the pain symptoms and the associated emotional disturbances in the form of anxiety and aggression was effective. Sex is a factor affecting pain intensity. The level of mental disorders was influenced by the sex and age of the patients and how long they had been treated in the pain clinics.


Author(s):  
Alison Bliss

The landmark paper discussed in this chapter is a systematic review assessing the commonly used faces pain scales employed to aid children in the self-report of their pain intensity. The review provides a critical evaluation of the Faces Pain Scale, the Faces Pain Scale-Revised (FPS-R), the Oucher pain scale, and the Wong–Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale (WBFPRS). The reviewers found that the psychometric properties of the FPS-R supported its superiority for use in research. Although they found that children, and many staff, expressed a preference for the WBFPRS, the reviewers had major concerns about this scale confounding pain intensity with affect. They also noted the paucity of research in younger children, and concluded that future research should not focus on developing more pain scales for paediatric use but on examining the appropriate application of existing scales in a wider range of clinical settings.


Author(s):  
Zahra Abbas Ali Madadi ◽  
Jalil Azimian ◽  
Farzaneh Falahatpishe ◽  
Mahmoud Alipour Heidari

Background: Pain and stress of hemodialysis are experienced by more than 50% of patients who are suffering from renal disease; hence decreasing a part of these adverse effects can be effective on individual’s long term coping with hemodialysis. The current study was done to determine the effect of warm footbath with vibration on arteriovenous fistula puncture-related pain in hemodialysis patients.Methods: This clinical trial was conducted on 31 hemodialysis patients in 2014. The patients were selected by simple random sampling method and placed in one group. First, the pain intensity of all patients was measured in the six frequent hemodialysis sessions without any intervention (control method). After two weeks, the intervention of warm footbath with vibration was done on all patients and the pain intensity was measured for six frequent hemodialysis sessions (intervention method). The patients were received 40±2 °C footbath with vibration by foot massage spa machine for ten minutes; then, fistula needles were placed and the pain intensity was assessed by using a numerical rating scale. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and T test.Results: The study group had contained 20 males (64.5%), 11 females (35.5%), with an average age of 44.16±14.85 and a range of 18 to 65 years old, which shows that the pain intensity of the warm footbath with vibration method was lower than the control method (P< 0.05).Conclusions: Warm footbath with vibration can be used as an effective palliative method to reduce pain of hemodialysis patients.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
Anisa Fitri Marsyia ◽  
Widyatuti Widyatuti

<p align="left"><strong>Objective: </strong>Pain is a health problem that often occurs in the elderly with various precipitation factors. This study aims to analyze nursing care on elderly with acute pain through traditional music therapy at Jakarta Elderly Social Institution</p><p align="left"><strong>Methods: </strong>Three older adults were given traditional music therapy intervention about twenty minutes each day within five weeks.</p><p align="left"><strong>Results:</strong> The result of this study showed that the pain perception of clients decreased after intervention. It was showed by pain scale (Numerical Rating Scale), blood pressure and pulse decreasing.</p><p align="left"> </p><p align="left"><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Elderly Social Institution as a health service provider can apply traditional music therapy as a program in reducing acute pain on elderly.</p><p align="left"> </p><p align="left"><strong>Keywords</strong><em>: </em>acute pain; elderly; traditional music therapy</p>


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