Validation of the Japanese version of the patterns of activity measure-pain in individuals with chronic pain

Background The Patterns of Activity Measure-Pain (POAM-P) is a self-report questionnaire that measures avoidance, overdoing, and pacing in individuals with chronic pain. We aimed to develop and confirm the psychometric properties of the Japanese version of the POAM-P(POAM-P-J) in Japanese individuals with chronic pain. Methods We recruited 147 Japanese individuals with chronic pain (106 women; mean age 64.89 +/- 12.13 years). The individuals completed the POAM-P-J, the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The following psychometric properties of the POAM-P-J were confirmed: structural validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and concurrent validity. Results We tested factor structure via confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). We chose the 3-factor model with six covariances. The POAM-P-J's internal consistency and test-retest reliability were acceptable to good (alpha = 0.79-0.86; ICC = 0.72-0.87). The avoidance and overdoing subscales were positively associated with pain severity, pain interference, and anxiety measures (all p < 0.05), but the pacing subscale was not significantly associated with these pain-related measures. Conclusions Although the structural validity of the POAM-P-J remains questionable, its internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and concurrent validity were confirmed. The POAM-P-J is useful in both research and clinical practice for evaluating the activity patterns of Japanese patients with chronic pain.

Automated summary

This study aimed to develop and validate the psychometric properties of the Japanese version of the POAM-P (POAM-P-J) in Japanese individuals with chronic pain. The results confirmed the internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and concurrent validity of the POAM-P-J, although its structural validity remains questionable. The POAM-P-J is useful in both research and clinical practice for evaluating the activity patterns of Japanese patients with chronic pain.