Reliability of two Slovenian version low back related measurement tools
Abstract
Background: One particular criterium for measuring disability of patients with low back pain (LBP) with self-administered questionnaires for clinical decision making is reliability. Reliable measurement tools are needed for evaluating the effectiveness of physiotherapy treatment. Translating the original version of questionnaires may affect their reliability. The objective of this study was to determine the reliability and internal consistency of two low back pain (LBP)-related measurement tools translated into Slovenian language, the Modified Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (MRMQ) and the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ). The later was as recommended by the literature and divided into two parts. The first included statements about how physical activity may affect patient’s LBP, and the second included statements how regular work may affect it.
Methods: Twenty-eight (16 female, 12 male; age 46.3 ± 7.3 years) subjects with LBP referred to physiotherapy were invited to participate in this study. To assess test-retest reliability, the questionnaires were administrated with an interval of 3 to 4 days between test and retest.
Results: Test-retest reliability was high and statistical significant (p < 0.01) for the MRMQ, physical activity and work indices of the FABQ (ICC ≥ 0.89; r ≥ 0.90; p ≥ 0.87). Internal consistency, evaluated by Cronbach’s alpha, on test and retest ranged from 0.58 to 0.86 and 0.68 to 0.89, respectively.
Conclusions: Reliability of Slovenian version of the MRMQ and the FABQ was good and similar to results of previous studies. Both questionnaire may be suitable for use in Slovenia.
Downloads
References
Jacob T, Baras M, Zeev A, Epstein L. Low back pain: reliability of a set of pain measurement tools. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2001; 82: 735–42.
Waddell G, Newton M, Henderson I, Somerville D, Main CJ. A Fear-avoidance beliefs questionnaire (FABQ) and the role fear-avoidance beliefs in chronic low back pain and disability. Pain 1993; 52: 157–84.
Klenerman L, Slade PD, Stanley IM, et al. The prediction of chronicity in patients with an acute attack of low back pain in a general practise setting. Spine 1995; 20: 478–84.
Skovron ML, Szpalski M, Nordin M, Melot C, Cukier D. Sociocultural factors and back pain. A population-based study in Belgian adults. Spine 1994; 19: 129–37.
Hurri H. The Swedish back school in chronic low back pain. Part I. Benefits. Scand J Rehabil Med 1989; 21: 33–40.
Toroptsova NV, Benevolenskaya LI, Karyakin AN, Sergeev IL, Erdesz C. Cross sectional study of low back pain among workers at an industrial enterprise in Russia. Spine 1995; 20: 328–32.
Cox JM, Trier KK. Exercise and smoking habits in patients with and without low back pain and leg pain. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1987; 10: 239–45.
Deyo RA. Measuring the functional status of patients with low back pain. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 1988; 69: 1044–53.
Rankin G, Stokes M. Reliability of assessment tools in rehabilitation: an illustration of appropriate statistical analyses. Clin Rehabil 1998; 12: 187–99.
Bruton A, Conway JH, Holgate ST. Reliability: What is it, and how it is measured? Physiotherapy 2000; 86(2): 94–9.
Portney LG, Watkins MP. Foundation of clinical research, application to practice. Norwalk (CT): Appelton and Lange; 1993.
Hicks CM. Research methods for clinical therapists. Applied project design and analysis. 3rd ed. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone; 1999.
Bucik V. Osnove psihološkega testiranja. Ljubljana: Filozofska fakulteta Univerze v Ljubljani; 1997.
Polgar S, Thomas SA. Introduction to research in the health sciences. 4th ed. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone; 2000.
Waddell G, Sommerville D, Henderson I, Newton M. Objective clinical evaluation of physical impairment in chronic low back pain. Spine 1992; 17: 617–28.
Lethem J, Slade PD, Troup JDG, Bentley G. Outline of a fear-avoidance model of exaggerated pain perception-1. Behav Res Ther 1983; 21: 401–8.
Slade PD, Troup JDG, Lethem J. The fear-avoidance model of exaggerated pain perception-2. Preliminary studies of coping strategies for pain. Behav Res Ther 1983; 21: 409–16.
Troup JDG, Slade PD. Fear-avoidance and chronic musculoskeletal pain. Stress Med 1985; 1: 217–20.
Rose M, Reilly J, Pennie B, Slade PD. Chronic low back pain: A consequence of misinformation? Employee Counselling Today 1993; 5: 12–5.
Stratford PW, Binkley JM. Applying the results of self-report measures to individual patients: an example using the Roland-Morris questionnaire. JOSPT 1999; 29(4): 232–9.
Patrick DL, Deyo RA, Atlas SJ, et al. Assessing health – related quality of life in patients with sciatica. Spine 1995; 52: 1899–909.
Lee CE, Simmonds MJ, Novy DM. Self-reports and clinician-measured physical function among patients with low back pain: a comparison. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2001; 82(2): 227–31.
Pauda R, Pauda L, Ceccarelli E, et al. Italian version of the Roland-Morris disability questionnaire, specific for low back pain: cross-cultural adaptation and validation. Eur Spine J 2002; 11(2): 126–9.
Kovacs FM, Llobera J, Gil del Real MT, et al. Validation of Spanish version of the Roland-Morris questionnaire. Spine 2002; 27: 538–42.
Johansson E, Lindberg P. Subacute and chronic low back pain. Reliability and validity of Swedish version of the Roland and Morris disability questionnaire. Scan J Rehabil Med 1998; 30: 139–43.
Pfingsten M, Kroner-Herwig B, Leibing E, Kronshage U, Hildebrandt J. Validation of the German version of the Fear-avoidance beliefs questionnaire (FABQ). Eur J Pain 2000; 4(3): 259–66.
The Author transfers to the Publisher (Zdravniški vestnik/Slovenian Medical Journal) all economic copyrights following form Article 22 of the Slovene Copyright and Related Rights Act (ZASP), including the right of reproduction, the right of distribution, the rental right, the right of public performance, the right of public transmission, the right of public communication by means of phonograms and videograms, the right of public presentation, the right of broadcasting, the right of rebroadcasting, the right of secondary broadcasting, the right of communication to the public, the right of transformation, the right of audiovisual adaptation and all other rights of the author according to ZASP.
The aforementioned rights are transferred non-exclusively, for an unlimited number of editions, for the term of the statutory
The Author can make use of his work himself or transfer subjective rights to others only after 3 months from date of first publishing in the journal Zdravniški vestnik/Slovenian Medical Journal.
The Publisher (Zdravniški vestnik/Slovenian Medical Journal) has the right to transfer the rights, acquired parties without explicit consent of the Author.
The Author consents that the Article be published under the Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0 (attribution-non-commercial) or comparable licence.