Validation of the brief pain inventory in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Abstract

Introduction: Pain is prevalent in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) is commonly used to evaluate pain magnitude and its interference with daily aspects of living. Although its reliability and validity have been determined in people who experience pain due to cancer or other conditions, the BPI has not been validated in people with COPD. Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the internal consistency and convergent, divergent, discriminant, and construct validity of the BPI in people with COPD. Methods: A secondary analysis was performed on data (n=85) retrieved from two previous studies that had utilized the following questionnaires: BPI, McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), and the Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors (CHAMPS) Physical Activity Questionnaire. Results: The BPI had excellent internal consistency (Cronbach9s α=0.96). The convergent validity of the BPI and MPQ was high (ρ=-0.86). Factor analysis demonstrated that the items in the BPI measured the intended construct and thus, good construct validity. Divergent validity determined by correlations of BPI and SF-36 domains showed low values (r=-0.23 to -0.33), with the exception of a moderate correlation with bodily pain (r=-0.57, p Conclusions: The BPI showed good internal consistency and different types of validity in people with COPD. Its responsiveness to examine changes after interventions is worthy of future studies.