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A Systematic Review of the Psychometric Properties of the Modified Behavioral Pain Scale (MBPS)

Dianne J Crellin1, Franz E Babl2, Nick Santamaria3

  • 1Department of Nursing, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia; Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.

Journal of Pediatric Nursing
|May 20, 2018
PubMed

Insights

The Modified Behavioral Pain Scale (MBPS) is valid for infant immunization pain but not yet proven for other procedures or age groups. Further research is needed to assess its broader applicability in pediatric pain assessment.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pain Assessment
  • Psychometric Validation
  • Clinical Research

Background:

  • Accurate assessment of procedural pain in infants and children is crucial for effective clinical management.
  • The Modified Behavioral Pain Scale (MBPS) is utilized for assessing pain during immunizations, but its psychometric properties require rigorous evaluation.
  • The applicability of the MBPS beyond immunization pain remains uncertain.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically evaluate the psychometric properties of the Modified Behavioral Pain Scale (MBPS).
  • To determine the validity and reliability of the MBPS for assessing pediatric procedural pain.
  • To provide evidence-based recommendations for the use of the MBPS in clinical and research settings.

Main Methods:

  • A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify psychometric evaluation studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) utilizing the MBPS.
  • Studies included assessed feasibility, reliability, validity, or utility data for the MBPS in children aged 0-18 years.
  • A total of 28 studies (8 psychometric, 20 RCTs) were included in the systematic review.

Main Results:

  • The MBPS demonstrated sufficient validity for assessing immunization-related pain in infants aged 2 to 22 months.
  • Evidence supporting the psychometric properties of the MBPS in other age groups or for different procedures was insufficient.
  • No data were available regarding the clinical utility of the MBPS.

Conclusions:

  • The MBPS can be cautiously recommended for assessing immunization pain in young infants.
  • The current evidence does not support the use of the MBPS for assessing all types of procedural pain in young children.
  • Further studies are required to establish the MBPS's validity across diverse procedures and its ability to differentiate pain from non-pain distress.
Abstract

Keywords:
ChildInfantMBPS/Modified Behavioral Pain ScalePain assessmentPsychometric propertiesReliabilityValidation

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