Illness perception of patients with chronic pain: An internal validation of the subscales of the Filipino version of the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) in a sample of adult patients with chronic pain presenting for pain management at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH)

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to determine the internal validity of the different subscales of the Filipino version of Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) among patients with chronic pain.METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving chronic pain outpatients at the Philippine General Hospital Pain Clinic and inpatients admitted between September 2016 to November 2016 was done. Data were obtained through self-administered Filipino version of the IPQ-R. Internal structure of the questionnaire was analyzed using Cronbach's alpha coefficients and confirmatory factor analysis.RESULTS: A total of 143 patients with chronic pain participated; mean age was 54.9 years. The consistencies of the Filipino version of IPQ-R dimensions for consequence, illness coherence, timeline (cyclical), and emotional representation were within conventional limits with small variations from the original English IPQ-R. However, timeline (acute/chronic), personal control,and treatment control scales failed to reach consistency. By excluding seven items nevertheless, there was noted improvement in the Cronbach's alpha of the corresponding scales.CONCLUSION:The inter-factor correlations of the Filipino version were relatively similar to those reported in the original English IPQ-R. The modified questionnaire showed good validity and could be a valuable instrument in the assessment of illness perceptions in the Filipino health care setting.