Validity and Reliability of the Japanese Version of the Örebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire-Short Form for Chronic Low Back Pain

Abstract

Background: Identifying patients at risk of developing persistent musculoskeletal pain problems with psychosocial aspects is crucial for targeted interventions. The Örebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire-Short Form (ÖMPSQ-SF) is a valid screening instrument that is widely used for this purpose.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the Japanese version of the ÖMPSQ-SF.

Study design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: A Japanese population of voluntary patients in a web-based survey.

Methods: A sample of 262 individuals with chronic low back pain was included to assess the internal consistency and concurrent validity of the Japanese questionnaire. Internal consistency was evaluated by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficients. Concurrent validity was assessed using the short form of the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Pain Disability Assessment Scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire 2 items. Forty-one patients were asked to complete the ÖMPSQ-SF twice, a week apart, to evaluate test-retest reliability. Reliability was evaluated by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).

Results: The Cronbach's alpha coefficient and ICC for the ÖMPSQ-SF total score were 0.71 and 0.77, respectively, indicating acceptable internal consistency and reliability. The concurrent validity results showed moderate-to-strong correlations between the ÖMPSQ-SF and other reference questionnaires (r = 0.38-0.65). The ÖMPSQ-SF domains on pain intensity, function, distress, fear-avoidance beliefs, and expectations showed the highest correlations with their counterpart standard questionnaires.

Limitations: Our study included only individuals with chronic low back pain.

Conclusions: The Japanese version of the ÖMPSQ-SF showed acceptable psychometric properties in Japanese adults with chronic low back pain, supporting its use in clinical and research settings.

Keywords: Japanese; low back pain; psychometric properties; reliability; screening; short form; validity; Örebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire.