• B Hübner, T Hechler, M Dobe, U Damschen, J Kosfelder, H Denecke, S Schroeder, and B Zernikow.
• Vodafone Stiftungsinstitut für Kinderschmerztherapie und Pädiatrische Palliativmedizin, Vestische Kinder- und Jugendklinik Datteln, Universität Witten/Herdecke, Dr.-Friedrich-Steiner-Str. 5, 45711 Datteln, Deutschland.
• Schmerz. 2009 Feb 1;23(1):20-32.

BackgroundPain-related disability affects many children and adolescents suffering from chronic pain and may exert an impact on all areas of their lives. Reduction of pain-related disability is, therefore, a fundamental aim of treatment; however, no validated means exist to assess pain-related disability in children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to translate the Pediatric Pain Disability Index (P-PDI) of Varni into German and to investigate its psychometric qualities.MethodsPrincipal component and item analyses were conducted on outpatient (n=163) and inpatient samples (n=167) of adolescents suffering from chronic pain. Changes in pain-related disability 3 months after starting treatment were analysed in an outpatient sample of 110 adolescents. Correlations between pain-related disability, emotional variables and school absence as well as concordance with parents' ratings were investigated.ResultsThe P-PDI is a one-dimensional assessment tool with sufficient reliability. There were significant correlations between pain-related disability and pain intensity and school absence but not with pain duration, fear and depression. Parents and adolescents ratings correlated significantly, but 57% of parents underestimated the pain-related disability of their children.ConclusionThere is now a validated German version of the P-PDI to measure pain-related disability in adolescents suffering from chronic pain, which can be used in studies investigating treatment effectiveness.

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