Cross-cultural translation and adaptation to Brazilian Portuguese of the paediatric pain profile in children with severe cerebral palsy.

CONTEXT

Pain is a prevalent symptom in children with severe cerebral palsy (CSCP), mainly as a result of the progression of muscle contractures, bone deformities, gastroesophageal reflux, and recurrent infections. Considering the lack of verbal communication in this population, both pain diagnosis and assessment of the analgesic treatment are often neglected. Although the Paediatric Pain Profile (PPP), an instrument with 20 items, is used to assess behavior indicative of pain in CSCP, it is not validated in Brazil.

OBJECTIVES

To translate, adapt, and evaluate the psychometric properties of the PPP to Brazilian Portuguese.

METHODS

The study was carried out at a philanthropic institution for CSCP and a university hospital. The sample of CSCP unable to communicate through speech or any device, their respective parents or primary caregivers, and health professionals were included. First, the instrument was translated and then back translated, and its clarity was evaluated by parents, primary caregivers, and professionals. The psychometric properties of the final version were evaluated for internal consistency (Cronbach's α) and stability (test-retest).

RESULTS

Forty-five children with a mean (SD) chronological age of 16 (8.69) years, 26 of whom were male, were included in the study. A total of 150 applications of PPP were carried out: 30 to assess clarity and 120 to assess the psychometric properties. Each item of the translated version showed a median between 3.00 and 4.00, considered to be clear and very clear, respectively. The internal consistency of the items was α=0.864, with no significant difference between test and retest (P=0.271).

CONCLUSION

The adapted version of the PPP in Brazilian Portuguese demonstrated good internal consistency (similar to the original instrument) and stability over time, decisive for the next step of clinical validation for CSCP.