The brief pain inventory—Interference Subscale has acceptable reliability but questionable validity in acute back and neck pain populations

Caitlin M.P. Jones*, Chung Wei Christine Lin, Joshua Zadro, Arianne Verhagen, Mark Hancock, Raymond Ostelo

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Background: The Brief Pain Inventory—Interference Subscale (BPI-IS) is a subscale of the BPI assessment tool developed to rapidly assess the impact of a person's pain on their function. It is uncertain whether it has one or two factors, and whether it has acceptable clinimetric properties in a mixed spinal pain (back and/or neck) population. Objectives: To determine the clinimetric properties of the BPI-IS in a population with mixed spinal pain. Methods: We completed a clinimetric evaluation with a test-retest design, factor analysis, and hypothesis testing. We used data collected for a randomised clinical trial including a population presenting to primary care or emergency departments with acute spinal pain (back and/or neck). Results: Confirmatory factor analysis better supported the two-factor model of the BPI-IS (physical interference factor and affective interference factor) as compared to the one-factor model. Both one and two-factor models had acceptable reliability (high internal consistency and no evidence of floor or ceiling effects). Both models failed to reach our a-priori thresholds for acceptable construct (cross sectional) validity, and responsiveness (longitudinal validity) in either back or neck pain populations. Conclusion: The BPI-IS has two factors and both have acceptable reliability, but tests for validity did not reach our a priori thresholds for acceptability (construct validity and responsiveness). The BPI-IS may not be suitable to measure the impact of pain on function in back and neck pain populations.

Original languageEnglish
Article number101150
JournalBrazilian Journal of Physical Therapy
Volume28
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors

Keywords

  • Back pain
  • Brief pain inventory
  • Clinimetric
  • Functional impairment
  • Interference subscale
  • Neck pain

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