Development and psychometric properties of a tool to assess the Occupational Neck Pain Prevention Behaviors

Abstract

Abstract Background: Neck pain is a common problem among teachers. This study aimed to develop and evaluate an instrument for measuring occupational neck pain preventive behaviors among teachers. Method: In order to develop a neck pain preventive behavior this study was conducted in December 2020 in two phases: qualitative, and quantitative. In qualitative phase a purposeful sample of teachers were interviewed to generate an item pool. Then content validity and face validity were performed to provide a provisional version of the questionnaire. In the next stage, to evaluate the psychometric properties of the questionnaire, a cross sectional study was conducted. In total, 146 teachers participated in this study (with a mean age 36.7; SD 8.92 years). The questionnaire was distributed among a sample of teachers. Exploratory factor analysis was used to obtain the factor structure of the questionnaire. The item-scale correlation matrix was examined to further evaluate the validity of the questionnaire. Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) was calculated to assess reliability and intra class correlation coefficient (ICC) to assess stability. Results: Based on analysis of the exploratory factor, 8 factors with 43 substances, that together accounted for 65,25% variances were obtained. Also, the correlation matrix in the case scale to establish the validity of the questionnaire showed satisfactory results. The results of face validity showed that 4 factors were not approved and were removed from the questionnaire. Reliability evaluation with internal consistency method (Cronbach's alpha) showed excellent compatibility (0.87). The intra class correlation reliability assessment showed that the questionnaire has satisfactory stability (ICC) (0.92). Conclusion: This study provides the reliability and validity of the Occupational Pain Neck Preventive Behaviors Questionnaire. This study provides an instrument for evaluating occupational neck pain prevention behaviors among teachers. The instrument is useful for teachers and staff of administrative units and healthcare settings to implement appropriate interventions. Trial Registration: IRCT20210301050542N1