Development and validation of a new self-report measure of pain behaviors

Pain behaviors that are maintained beyond the acute stage post-injury can contribute to subsequent psychosocial and physical disability. Critical to the study of pain behaviors is the availability of psychometrically sound pain behavior measures. In this study we developed a self-report measure of pain behaviors, the Pain Behaviors Self Report (PaB-SR). PaB-SR scores were developed using item response theory and evaluated using a rigorous, multiple-witness approach to validity testing. Participants included: a) 661 survey participants with chronic pain and with multiple sclerosis (MS), back pain, or arthritis; b) 618 survey participants who were significant others of a chronic pain participant; and c) 86 participants in a videotaped pain behavior observation protocol. Scores on the PaB-SR were found to be measurement invariant with respect to clinical condition. PaB-SR scores, observer-reports, and the video-taped protocol yielded distinct, but convergent views of pain behavior, supporting the validity of the new measure. The PaB-SR is expected to be of substantial utility to researchers wishing to explore the relationship between pain behaviors and constructs such as pain intensity, pain interference, and disability

Satisfaction with social role participation in adults living with chronic conditions: Comparison to a US general population sample

Purpose Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of adults living with a chronic condition or disease is an important patient-reported outcome. There is a need to better understand the social health dimension of HRQOL among adults living with a chronic condition (with or without physical/mental disability). This study examined self-reported satisfaction with participation in social roles (SPSR) in adults, grouped by different age groups, living with a chronic condition relative to the US general population. Materials and methods This cross-sectional survey study included a convenience sample of 1,822 community-dwelling adults living with one of four chronic conditions. Participants completed the self-report Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Satisfaction with Participation in Social Roles v1.0—Short Form 7a (SPSR-SF). PROMIS SPSR-SF scores were compared with a US general population using normative data collected by PROMIS (n = 2,555). Results Participants self-reported significantly lower SPSR (M = 45, SD = 8.3) than the US general population (M = 50, SD = 10), t(1821) = −25.65, p > .001. A regression analysis indicated that physical function explained more variance of PROMIS SPSR-SF scores than age. Conclusions Relative to the PROMIS national sample, adults living with a chronic condition reported lower levels of SPSR. Decreased physical function was associated with lower SPSR

Beyond fatigue: Assessing variables associated with sleep problems and use of sleep medications in multiple sclerosis

Alyssa M Bamer, Kurt L Johnson, Dagmar A Amtmann, George H KraftDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USABackground: Recent research indicates that sleep disturbances are common in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS), though research to date has primarily focused on the relationship between fatigue and sleep. In order to improve treatment of sleep disorders in MS, a better understanding of other factors that contribute to MS sleep disturbance and use of sleep medications in this population is needed.Methods: Individuals with MS (N = 473) involved in an ongoing self-report survey study were asked to report on use of over-the-counter and prescription sleep medications. Participants completed the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep (MOSS) scale and other common self-report symptom measures. Multiple regression was used to evaluate factors associated with sleep problems and descriptive statistics were generated to examine use of sleep medications.Results: The mean score on the MOSS scale was 35.9 (standard deviation, 20.2) and 46.8% of the sample had moderate or severe sleep problems. The majority of participants did not use over-the-counter (78%) or prescription (70%) sleep medications. In a regression model variables statistically significantly associated with sleep problems included depression, nighttime leg cramps, younger age, pain, female sex, fatigue, shorter duration of MS, and nocturia. The model explained 45% of the variance in sleep problems. Of the variance explained, depression accounted for the majority of variance in sleep problems (33%), with other variables explaining significantly less variance.Conclusions: Regression results indicate that fatigue may play a minor role in sleep disturbance in MS and that clinicians should consider the interrelationship between depression and sleep problems when treating either symptom in this population. More research is needed to explore the possibility of under-treatment of sleep disorders in MS and examine the potential effectiveness of nonpharmaceutical treatment options.Keywords: multiple sclerosis, sleep, depression, fatigue, nonpharmaceutical treatments, selfmedicatio

The prevalence of overweight and obesity in veterans with multiple sclerosis

To estimate the prevalence and factors associated with overweight and obesity in veterans with multiple sclerosis (MS) enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration (VA) and to compare the prevalence in this group with gender-specific published rates for the general population of veterans receiving outpatient care at VA medical facilities. Cross-sectional cohort study linking electronic medical record information to mailed survey from 1999 to 2004. A total of 4703 veterans with MS enrolled in VA who returned questionnaires as part of two cross-sectional studies. Main outcome measures included body mass index, demographic information, Veteran RAND 36-item Health Survey, frequency of physical exercise, and other health conditions. Overall, 28% of female and 42.8% of male veterans with MS were overweight. Another 25% of women and 21.2% of male veterans met the criteria for obesity. Compared with a historical cohort of veterans enrolled in the VA, veterans with MS had a slightly higher adjusted prevalence of overweight than did veterans in general (42.3% vs. 39.6%, respectively) but a lower adjusted prevalence of obesity (20.1% vs. 33.1%). In adjusted logistic regression, age, smoking, and lower levels of pain were associated with a lower likelihood of overweight or obesity. Being male, married, employed and having arthritis and diabetes were associated with a greater likelihood of overweight or obesity. Overweight and obesity are a problem for more than 60% of veterans with MS in the VA. Screening for overweight and obesity should be done routinely. Interventions to prevent and manage excessive weight in individuals with MS should be developed and evaluated