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Functional limitations in children and adolescents suffering from chronic pain: validation and psychometric properties of the German Functional Disability Inventory (FDI-G)

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Abstract

Our objective was to translate the Functional Disability Inventory (FDI) into German, to evaluate its validity and to assess functional limitation in a large cohort of children and adolescents with juvenile fibromyalgia syndrome (jFMS). We administered several questions (e.g., sociodemographics, school-related issues) and questionnaires to 329 patients and one parent. The questionnaires included, among others, a German version of the FDI, the CHAQ (parent report), KIDSCREEN, tender point score (TPS), Depression Inventory for Children and Adolescents (DIKJ) and others. Patients were asked about the severity of pain today (NRS = numerical rating scale) and other symptoms. Internal consistency was evaluated with Cronbach’s alpha. Construct validity of the FDI was evaluated by correlating the FDI with the questionnaires as well as with the pain and other variables, e.g., days missed school. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was also performed. Mean age was 13.9 years (SD ±2.48). Means were for pain today 5.37 (±2.39) and for the TPS 39.71 (±21.56). Internal consistency was α = .90. Low-to-moderate correlations were obtained between the FDI and the CHAQ (ρ = .51**), KIDSCREEN (e.g., physical well-being ρ = −.62**; peers and social support ρ = −.28**) as well as the pain variables (NRS ρ = .24**; TPS ρ = .38**). Psychological variables were also correlated with the FDI (e.g., DIJK ρ = .28**). An EFA suggested a two-factor solution. The FDI is a valid instrument for measuring functional limitations in German children and adolescents with jFMS.

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Funding

This study was funded by the “Verein Hilfe für das rheumakranke Kind e.V.”.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of General Medicine, University Hospital, Pettenkoferstr. 8a, 80336, Munich, Germany

    Martin Offenbächer

  2. Division of Integrative Health Promotion, University of Applied Science and Arts, Friedrich Streib Str. 2, 96450, Coburg, Germany

    Niko Kohls

  3. Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 2200 Children’s Way, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA

    Lynn Walker

  4. Department of Psychology, University of Giessen, Otto-Behaghel-Straße 10F, 35394, Giessen, Germany

    Christiane Hermann

  5. German Center for Rheumatology in Children and Adolescents, Gehfeldstraße 24, 82467, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

    Boris Hügle, Natalie Jäger & Johannes-Peter Haas

  6. Department of Pediatrics, University of Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany

    Matthias Richter

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  1. Martin Offenbächer
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  2. Niko Kohls
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Correspondence to Martin Offenbächer.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Appendix

Appendix

The German version of the Functional Disability Inventory.

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Offenbächer, M., Kohls, N., Walker, L. et al. Functional limitations in children and adolescents suffering from chronic pain: validation and psychometric properties of the German Functional Disability Inventory (FDI-G). Rheumatol Int 36, 1439–1448 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-016-3504-5

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