Development and psychometric evaluation of the Musculoskeletal Pain Intensity and Interference Questionnaire for professional orchestra Musicians

Abstract

Many epidemiological surveys on playing-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMDs) have been conducted on professional musicians, but none have evaluated or confirmed the psychometric properties of the self-report instruments that were used. The aim of the present study was to develop and validate a self-report instrument for professional orchestra musicians to measure musculoskeletal (MSK) pain and pain interference in terms of function and psychosocial constructs. 183 professional orchestra musicians in Scotland were eligible to participate in the study, of which 101 (55% response rate) took part. Development of the Musculoskeletal Pain Intensity and Interference Questionnaire for Musicians (MPIIQM) involved the selection and modification of the most appropriate instruments measuring MSK pain, followed by psychometric evaluation of the new instrument. Face and content validity were ascertained by expert panels. 37 participants completed the questionnaire. The percentage of missing scores was very low (2.7%). Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the MPIIQM had a strong and stable two-factor structure, with nine retained items explaining 71.3% of the variance in the data set. “Pain intensity” and “pain interference” were the two emerging factors. High internal consistency was achieved for each subscale (Cronbach's alpha = 0.91). Substantial test–retest reliability for the pain intensity items (range 0.78–0.82), and moderate to substantial test–retest reliability for the pain interference items (range 0.56–0.76) were obtained. The MPIIQM is a valid and reliable self-report instrument for the measurement and evaluation of MSK pain and pain interference in a population of professional orchestra musicians.