Brief Pain Inventory: A proposal to extend its clinical application

Area of Science:

• Pain Research
• Psychometrics
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) is a widely used tool for pain assessment.
• Adaptations were necessary to include individuals with chronic pain and broaden its applicability.
• Evaluating the psychometric properties of the adapted BPI in a Brazilian adult sample was crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt and validate the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) for use in clinical and epidemiological settings.
• To assess the psychometric properties of the adapted BPI (short form) in Brazilian adults.
• To extend the utility of the BPI for diverse pain experiences and populations.

Main Methods:

• Modified the BPI by removing a problematic item and introducing a "last pain experience" reference period alongside the "last 24 hours" period.
• Administered the adapted BPI to 1,176 Brazilian adults, collecting data on pain presence, onset, and duration.
• Utilized confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate the fit of five theoretical BPI models using the new reference periods.

Main Results:

• All five theoretical BPI models showed adequate fit indices (GFI ≥ 0.9; RMSEA < 0.1; α ≥ 0.7) when utilizing both reference periods.
• The adapted BPI proved effective in assessing pain in adults regardless of recent pain reporting.
• The study included a diverse sample of 1,176 adults, with 79.0% women, and varying pain durations.

Conclusions:

• The proposed adaptations enhance the Brief Pain Inventory's (BPI) applicability in clinical and epidemiological research.
• The choice of reference period and theoretical model should align with specific research or clinical objectives.
• The validated BPI provides valuable data for pain management in adults, accommodating various pain experiences.