Open AccessValidation of the Chinese Pain Catastrophizing Scale (HK‐PCS) in Patients with Chronic Pain
Author(s) -
Yap Jacqueline C.,
Lau Joseph,
Chen Phoon P.,
Gin Tony,
Wong Tony,
Chan Ide,
Chu Josephine,
Wong Emma
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
pain medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.893
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1526-4637
pISSN - 1526-2375
DOI - 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2007.00307.x
Subject(s) - medicine , intraclass correlation , construct validity , pain catastrophizing , anxiety , chronic pain , physical therapy , rumination , clinical psychology , patient health questionnaire , hospital anxiety and depression scale , confirmatory factor analysis , psychometrics , psychiatry , cognition , structural equation modeling , depressive symptoms , statistics , mathematics
Objective. This study was conducted to examine the psychometric properties of a Chinese translation of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (HK‐PCS). Design/Patients. Patients aged 18–79 years (N = 130) with chronic nonmalignant pain attending an outpatient multidisciplinary pain center in Hong Kong participated in this cross‐sectional study. Method. Subjects completed a set of health‐related instruments: HK‐PCS, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire, SF‐36 Health Survey, and a general demographic questionnaire. Data were analyzed for the distribution, internal consistency, reliability, and construct validity. Results. A satisfactory internal consistency was found (α = 0.927). The item–total correlation coefficients ranged from 0.575 to 0.777. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.969 for the total HK‐PCS score, 0.956 for helplessness, 0.945 for magnification, and 0.910 for rumination. Confirmatory factor analysis verified a second‐order factor structure with the comparative fit index = 1.00, root mean square error of approximation = 0.038, and normed fit index = 0.99 (χ 2 (58) = 68.84, P = 0.16). Significant correlations were found for pain intensity, disability, anxiety, and depression ( r = 0.223–0.597, P < 0.01). The general health, social function, role emotional, and mental health domains of the SF‐36 consistently demonstrated negative association with catastrophizing across all HK‐PCS scores ( r =−0.279 to −0.396, P < 0.01). No gender difference was noted for HK‐PCS scores ( P > 0.05), which is contrary to the existing literature. Conclusion. This study has illustrated satisfactory psychometric properties of the HK‐PCS. We provide evidence for the validity and reliability of the HK‐PCS as an instrument for measuring pain catastrophizing in the Chinese patient with chronic pain.