Development and preliminary validation of the Child Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale in a community sample.
OBJECTIVE
To develop, and provide initial validation of, a 20-item Child Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale (CPASS), a modified version of the adult 20-item Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale.


METHODS
A community sample of children and adolescents (N = 959) aged 8-18 years completed the CPASS and measures of pain catastrophizing, anxiety sensitivity, and general anxiety. Factor structure was assessed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA and CFA).


RESULTS
EFA yielded a one- and a three-factor solution using 17 items of the CPASS. CFA supported a hierarchical model for both a 20-item four-factor solution (based on the adult literature) and a 20-item slightly modified four-factor solution. The CPASS showed excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .903) and good construct, discriminant, and concurrent validity.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides support for the relevance of pain anxiety in a community sample of children and adolescents and offers preliminary validity and reliability for the CPASS.
Pagé
M Gabrielle
MG
Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada.
Fuss
Samantha
S
Martin
Andrea L
AL
Escobar
E Manolo Romero
EM
Katz
Joel
J
D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009864:Ontario; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results