Research article
The chronic pain coping inventory: Confirmatory factor analysis of the French version
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* Corresponding author: Manon Truchon manon.truchon@rlt.ulaval.ca
1 Centre for interdisciplinary research in rehabilitation and social integration, 525, boul. Hamel, Québec, QC, G1M 2S8, Canada
2 Département des relations industrielles, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1K 7P4, Canada
3 Université Pierre Mendès France Grenoble II, IUT II, département carrières sociales, 2 place Doyen Gosse, 38031 Grenoble cedex, France
4 Equipe de psychologie de la santé, Laboratoire EA526, Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux II, 3ter Place de la Victoire, 33000 Bordeaux, France
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2006, 7:13 doi:10.1186/1471-2474-7-13
Published: 14 February 2006Abstract
Background
Coping strategies are among the psychosocial factors hypothesized to contribute to the development of chronic musculoskeletal disability. The Chronic Pain Coping Inventory (CPCI) was developed to assess eight behavioral coping strategies targeted in multidisciplinary pain treatment (Guarding, Resting, Asking for Assistance, Task Persistence, Relaxation, Exercise/Stretch, Coping Self-Statements and Seeking Social Support). The present study had two objectives. First, it aimed at measuring the internal consistency and the construct validity of the French version of the CPCI. Second, it aimed to verify if, as suggested by the CPCI authors, the scales of this instrument can be grouped according to the following coping families: Illness-focused coping and Wellness-focused coping.
Method
The CPCI was translated into French with the forward and backward translation procedure. To evaluate internal consistency, Cronbach's alphas were computed. Construct validity of the inventory was estimated through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in two samples: a group of 439 Quebecois workers on sick leave in the sub-acute stage of low back pain (less than 84 days after the work accident) and a group of 388 French chronic pain patients seen in a pain clinic. A CFA was also performed to evaluate if the CPCI scales were grouped into two coping families (i.e. Wellness-focused and Illness-focused coping).
Results
The French version of the CPCI had adequate internal consistency in both samples. The CFA confirmed the eight-scale structure of the CPCI. A series of second-order CFA confirmed the composition of the Illness-focused family of coping (Guarding, Resting and Asking for Assistance). However, the composition of the Wellness-focused family of coping (Relaxation, Exercise/Stretch, Coping Self-Statements and Seeking Social Support) was different than the one proposed by the authors of the CPCI. Also, a positive correlation was observed between Illness and Wellness coping families.
Conclusion
The present study indicates that the internal consistency and construct validity of the French version of the CPCI were adequate, but the grouping and labeling of the CPCI families of coping are debatable and deserve further analysis in the context of musculoskeletal and pain rehabilitation.