M. Thastum et al., A Danish adaptation of the Pain Coping Questionnaire for children: preliminary data concerning reliability and validity, ACT PAEDIAT, 88(2), 1999, pp. 132-138
The aim of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of a Da
nish translation of the Pain Coping Questionnaire (PCQ) for children in Dan
ish children. The PCQ was translated using a translation-back-translation m
ethod. The subjects were 352 healthy children and 40 children with juvenile
arthritis (JA), aged 8-17 y. Sixteen of the JA children were divided into
a high-pain group (n = 7) and a low-pain group (n = 9). The results were fa
ctor analysed using principal component analysis with varimax rotation. Cli
nical pain intensity was measured using visual analogue scales (VAS) from t
he Varni/Thompson Pediatric Pain Questionnaire. Experimental pain was induc
ed using a cold presser pain paradigm and outcome measures were pain intens
ity, pain discomfort and tolerance to cold presser pain. A seven-factor sol
ution emerged as the most consistent factor structure. Four subscales, Seek
ing Social Support (SSS), Cognitive Distraction (CD), Externalizing (EXT) a
nd Internalizing/Catastrophizing (INT), corresponded with the parallel subs
cales proposed by Reid et al. (Pain 1998; 76: 83-96). Two subscales, Positi
ve Self-Statements (PSS) and Behavioral Distraction (BD), were composed of
four of the five items from the previously proposed subscales. One subscale
, Information Seeking/Problem Solving (IP), consisted of items from two sub
scales proposed by Reid et al., i.e. Information Seeking and Problem Solvin
g. Internal consistencies of the subscales were acceptable, with reliabilit
y coefficients ranging from 0.60 (BD) to 0.83 (IP) and with test-retest rel
iabilities between 0.59 and 0.78. Low-pain JA patients showed significantly
higher levels of ED than High-pain JA patients (p < 0.05). Greater utiliza
tion of PSS and ED was associated with less patient-reported present pain a
nd less average everyday pain (p < 0.05-0.01), and greater utilization of I
NT was significantly associated with higher experimental pain intensity (p
< 0.01). These preliminary findings provide support for the reliability and
validity of the Danish modification of the PCQ in a Danish population and
for the hypothesis that paediatric pain-coping strategies are associated wi
th the intensity of clinical and experimental pain.