[Development of a Norwegian pain questionnaire for pain measurement]

This study was undertaken to develop a multidimensional instrument in the Norwegian language to measure pain. The McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) was used as a model, since it is a valid and reliable tool for pain measurement in English speaking countries. A series of steps were taken to develop a Norwegian pain questionnaire: 1) Words descriptive of pain were derived from 95 subjects (patients, students and health personnel). 2) Ten subjects allocated pain words into groups. 3) 36 college students validated the word groupings. 4) 72 patients graded the words contained in each group according to intensity. 5) A test of reliability of group items was performed. The study demonstrated that there are many words in Norwegian to describe pain. The Norwegian pain questionnaire came to contain 106 descriptors of pain placed in 18 groups. We demonstrated the validity of the word groupings and the reliability of group items. The actual value of the Norwegian pain questionnaire as a measuring instrument has not yet been documented.