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Confirmatory factor analysis of the Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire with burn patients
Shawn T Mason1, Lisa L Arceneaux, William Abouhassan
1Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. smason23@jhmi.edu
Abstract:
The Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) is an abbreviated version of McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) developed for pragmatic reasons to improve the clinical utility of the MPQ. Although the SF-MPQ has been used in more than 250 published studies, few studies have examined the core constructs it measures. The objective of this study was to evaluate in a sample with burn injuries whether the factor structure of the SF-MPQ is consistent with the theoretic pain constructs it purports to measure. Participants (n = 338) met American Burn Association's criteria for major burn injury and had a mean total body surface area burned of 14%. They were mostly male (70.1%) and Caucasian (63.4%) with an average age of 41.25 years. There were 2 primary findings. First, confirmatory factor analysis yielded fit index values demonstrating viability of a 2-factor, oblique, solution composed of sensory and affective latent constructs. These findings were consistent with previous work and the theoretic constructs. Second, results from a relatively new model consisting of 8 SF-MPQ items demonstrated potential viability for measuring similar constructs.
Insights
The Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) effectively measures sensory and affective pain constructs in burn injury patients. This validation supports its use in clinical settings for assessing pain.
Area of Science:
- Pain research
- Psychometrics
- Burn injury assessment
Background:
- The Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) is widely used but its underlying structure requires validation.
- Few studies have examined the core constructs measured by the SF-MPQ.
- Burn injuries present unique challenges for pain assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the factor structure of the SF-MPQ in burn injury patients.
- To determine if the SF-MPQ aligns with theoretical pain constructs (sensory and affective).
- To assess the viability of an 8-item SF-MPQ model.
Main Methods:
- Confirmatory factor analysis was performed on data from 338 major burn injury patients.
- The study sample comprised mostly males (70.1%) and Caucasians (63.4%), with a mean age of 41.25 years.
- American Burn Association criteria for major burn injury were used for participant selection.
Main Results:
- Confirmatory factor analysis supported a 2-factor oblique solution, aligning with sensory and affective pain constructs.
- The findings were consistent with previous research and theoretical models of pain.
- An 8-item SF-MPQ model showed potential for measuring similar pain constructs.
Conclusions:
- The SF-MPQ demonstrates structural validity for assessing sensory and affective pain dimensions in burn patients.
- The findings support the continued clinical utility of the SF-MPQ in burn populations.
- Further research into the 8-item model may offer a more concise pain assessment tool.
