Psychometric evaluation of an Icelandic translation of the adolescent and parent report versions of the BATH pain questionnaires and investigation of the psychosocial impact of pain on adolescents with chronic disease

Abstract

Adolescents commonly experience chronic pain, which can have considerable multidimensional effects on their lives, impacting, for example, their school functioning, leisure activities, sleep, and emotional functioning. Therefore, valid and reliable measurements of these multidimensional and potentially adverse effects, reflecting both the adolescents' and parents' perceptions, are essential. At present, no such measures are available in Iceland. The primary aim of the current study was to translate the Bath Adolescent Pain Questionnaire (BAPQ) and the Bath Adolescent Pain Questionnaire parent version (BAPQ‐P) and evaluate the psychometric qualities of the Icelandic translation. The study's secondary aim was to investigate the multidimensional impact of chronic pain on adolescents with chronic illness using these instruments. Participants were 45 adolescents (11–16 years old) registered in the medical records of the National University Hospital of Iceland with one of the following diagnoses: (1) Crohn's or colitis (IBD); (2) migraine; or (3) arthritis. Sixty‐nine parents of the diagnosed adolescents also participated (a total of 41 adolescent and parent dyads). To establish the psychometric qualities of the BAPQ and BAPQ‐P, participants were asked to complete several questionnaires online. The preliminary results showed that the Icelandic translations of the BAPQ and BAPQ‐P scales have good psychometric qualities, providing valid and reliable measures to assess the multidimensional effects of chronic pain in adolescents in both clinical and research settings. Moreover, the results showed that chronic pain impacts various domains in the adolescents’ lives and that the prevalence of anxiety and depression was quite high among them.