Development and validation of a questionnaire on musculoskeletal pain in musicians

Musculoskeletal pain is known to be prevalent among musicians. Unfortunately, there are a lack of standard measures to quantify perceived pain in this population. The principal objective of the present study was to develop a self-reported questionnaire targeting musculoskeletal pain that is specific to musical activity. The Musculoskeletal Pain Questionnaire for Musicians (MPQM) is composed of 10 items investigating diverse areas related to musculoskeletal pain, divided into three components: a set of items related to disability associated with pain (4 items, component 1), a second one related to pain intensity (4 items, component 2), and a third one related to the frequency and duration of pain episodes (2 items, component 3). Thirty-one professional musicians, from the province of Quebec (Canada), entered the study and answered to the MPQM. Data collected from the MPQM was submitted to a principal component analysis. It found that results from the 10 items of the questionnaire were structured around three factors: pain-related disability (32.71% of variance), pain intensity (25.42% of variance), and frequency and duration of pain (18.2% of variance). Convergent validity was also tested, and an adequate correlation was obtained between the MPQM and the Chronic Pain Grade Questionnaire (r = 0.65, p = <0.01). Internal consistency for the whole instrument was measured and supported by a Cronbach's alpha of 0.768. Because the MPQM shows adequate psychometric characteristics, it is believed that it could be helpful in research on the correlates of musculoskeletal pain in musicians.