Development and validation of the PrePain questionnaire for predicting pain

Area of Science:

• Psychometric evaluation
• Pain assessment tools
• Health psychology

Background:

• The PrePain questionnaire is an 11-item tool assessing pain intensity, history, and related attitudes/behaviors.
• Validating such tools is crucial for accurate pain management and research.
• Existing tools may not fully capture the multifaceted nature of pain experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the psychometric properties and construct validity of the PrePain questionnaire.
• To assess its reliability and validity in both the general population and individuals with long-term pain.
• To determine if the questionnaire can effectively measure pain-related attitudes, emotions, and behaviors.

Main Methods:

• A non-randomized observational study with 187 participants (100 long-term pain, 87 general population).
• Utilized the PrePain questionnaire, Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI-14), and Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ).
• Statistical analyses included reliability (test-retest, internal consistency), validity (criterion, construct via PCA), and sensitivity to change analyses.

Main Results:

• The PrePain questionnaire demonstrated acceptable face validity and moderate test-retest reliability (0.58–0.73).
• Internal consistency was adequate (Cronbach's α = 0.63), with PCA suggesting a two or three-factor structure.
• Criterion validity was supported by significant correlations with SHAI-14 and CSQ catastrophizing, though pain sensitivity item showed no significant correlation.

Conclusions:

• The PrePain questionnaire provides preliminary evidence of reliability and validity for assessing pain-related attitudes, emotions, and behaviors.
• It appears suitable for use in both clinical and non-clinical populations.
• Further research is recommended to explore its sensitivity to change and clinical utility.