A comparison of the functional importance of pain expressions in the Wong-Baker...

• Author(s): Batalha, Luís Manuel da Cunha ; Fernandes, Ananda Maria ; Grácio, Joana Catarina Gonçalves ; Oliveira, Armando Luis Dinis Mónica
• Date: 2013
• Origin: Repositório Científico da Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Coimbra
• Subject(s): scale; pain; child
• Document Type: Conference Object
• Language: English

Description

Abstract title A comparison of the functional importance of pain expressions in the Wong-Baker pain scale and the Faces Pain Scale-Revised Background and aims An often raised issue about faces pain scales concerns children's preferences for one or another scale. This work contends that an equally significant but distinct issue is the importance children accord to faces within a scale as expressions of pain. Methods The methodology of Information Integration Theory was used. The Wong-Baker scale (WB) and the Faces Pain Scale-Revised were taken as factors in a 6 x 6 integration task. Children judged overall pain conveyed by pairs of faces on a continuous response scale. Participants: 3 groups aged 6-8 years old, undergoing distinct pain experiences (pain-free: n = 29; post-operative: n = 17; chronic pain: n = 19); 3 corresponding groups aged 9-11: n = 32; n = 27; n = 22). Results Children in all groups used averaging to integrate the information conveyed by pairs of pain faces. The importance (weight) of the contribution of each face to the overall judgment was estimated. Importance increased with intensity of expression in both scales, but more so in the WB. Higher intensity expressions of the WB were found more important than those of the FPS-R. Lower intensity levels were in turn found more important in the FPS-R. Conclusions Under children's views, FPS-R seems to offer a better representation of lower to moderate levels of pain, while WB better represents moderate to high intensity levels. Age differences and differences in pain history did not affect this overall result. Acknowledgements Work supported by grant PTDC/PSI-PCO/107910/2008 - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology