Developmental Data Supporting Simplification of Self-Report Pain Scales for Preschool-Age Children |
| |
Authors: | Carl L. von Baeyer Christine T. Chambers Sasha J. Forsyth Samantha Eisen Jennifer A. Parker |
| |
Affiliation: | ∗ University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada;† Dalhousie University & IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada;‡ Centre for Pediatric Pain Research, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| |
Abstract: | Claims regarding the ability of preschool-age children to provide accurate self-reports using standard pain scales are not well supported by age-specific evidence. Responses of children younger than 5 years are often idiosyncratic and subject to biases. Simplifying the task of self-report of pain would make it more developmentally appropriate for 3- to 5-year-olds. A binary question is asked: “Does it hurt?” or an equivalent. If yes, a simplified scale is presented, comprising 3 categories representing low, medium, and high pain severity. Children aged 3 to 5 years (N = 184) were recruited from preschools and day care centers. Following parental consent and child assent, children were randomly assigned to use either the Faces Pain Scale-Revised or a 3-face scale preceded by a yes-no question to rate pain in 9 picture stories from the Charleston Pediatric Pain Pictures portraying no pain, moderate pain, and severe pain. The simplified pain rating task made no difference for 5-year-olds, whose mean scores were nearly identical using the 2 approaches. However, discrimination of the 3 levels of Charleston Pediatric Pain Pictures items was significantly better in 3- and 4-year-olds with the simplified task than with the Faces Pain Scale-Revised. Simplifying the task improved preschool-age children's ability to estimate pain intensity. |
| |
Keywords: | Pain scale faces scale self-report preschool assessment child development |
本文献已被 ScienceDirect 等数据库收录! |
|