Latent structure of fear of pain: An empirical test among a sample of community dwelling older adults

Recent findings from a sample of patients with acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain and headache indicate that fear of pain is characterized by latent continuity; that is, it is non‐taxonic. It remains to be determined whether the latent structure of fear of pain is consistent between patients seeking treatment for pain versus those drawn from representative community samples. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine if the latent structure of fear of pain is characterized by latent continuity in a representative community sample of older adults. Using taxometric methods in a sample of 459 community dwelling older adults, we sought to evaluate the latent structure of fear of pain as indexed by the Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale. Results from analyses of simulated Monte Carlo data, MAXEIG‐HITMAX, and L‐mode consistency tests indicated that the latent structure of fear of pain in this sample was the same as that previously reported in clinical samples, being non‐taxonic and characterized by latent continuity. These findings confirm initial findings that fear of pain, at least as measured by the Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale, is continuous, occurring along a latent continuum ranging from low to high. Results are discussed in relation to the conceptual understanding of fear of pain, implications for assessment and treatment, and future research directions.