Validation of the French version of the Dallas Pain Questionnaire in chronic low back pain patients.
OBJECTIVE
To translate and to validate the metrological properties of the Dallas Pain Questionnaire, an instrument designed to evaluate the impact of low back pain on four aspects of patients' lives: daily activities, work and leisure activities, anxiety/depression and social interest.


METHODS
The Dallas Pain Questionnaire, originally in English, was translated into French. The metrological properties of the French version were investigated in a cohort of 59 patients with chronic low back pain due to degenerative disk disease. Duration of the pain was between three and 24 months. Treatment consisted of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and/or analgesics, local corticosteroid injections and a plaster lumbar corset. Patients were evaluated at baseline, after ten days (under the same treatment), and at completion of the treatment.


RESULTS
Results were reproducible for all four areas of the questionnaire (CCI > 0.75). Internal structural validity was satisfactory for the four areas (Cronbach alpha test = 0.89 to 0.91). At baseline, the pain score on a visual analog scale was significantly correlated with the Dallas scores for daily activities, anxiety/depression and social interest (external structural validity). The daily activities, work/leisure and anxiety/depression scores were sensitive to change (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P = 0.003, respectively), whereas the social interest score was not (P = 0.11).


CONCLUSIONS
The French version of the Dallas Pain Questionnaire is valid, reproducible, and sensitive to change in chronic low back pain patients.
Marty
M
M
Clinica et Statistica, Montrouge, France.
Blotman
F
F
Avouac
B
B
Rozenberg
S
S
Valat
J P
JP
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities / Q000523:psychology; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012917:Social Adjustment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014937:Work / Q000523:psychology
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000700:Analgesics; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents