Introduction: Currently used methods to collect self-reported information on pain status in population studies have remained unchanged over the past decades. Decreasing response rates and the necessity to collect more detailed information to advance on understanding declare the importance of updating these instruments. The aims of this thesis were to (1) explore different strategies to increase response rates and (2) assess whether population estimates of pain change when participants' pain management is considered for the pain assessment. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the general population in Grampian, Scotland. 4600 potential participants were randomly selected from the NHS community health index register and sent a self-completion questionnaire. Collected information included people's health status (SF-36), pain status (manikins, chronic pain grade), pain management and estimated pain status without pain treatments (enhanced pain status questionnaire). The newly developed pain management and enhanced pain status questionnaire were validated within a small sample of the questionnaire respondents who attended a subsequent interview. Results: The response rate was not significantly increased when single-sided questionnaires were sent to potential participants (OR=1.13, 95%CI=0.998, 1.28) or when an option to reply via the internet was provided (OR=1.06, 95%CI=0.94, 1.20). Population estimates of pain changed significantly with the use of the enhanced pain status questionnaire: the pain prevalence increased from 50.5% to 56.2% (difference=5.7%, 95% CI=2.2, 9.2). Likewise, respondents with pain estimated their pain to be significantly higher when they considered the effect of their treatments. Conclusions: Neither an option to reply via the internet nor single-sided questionnaires are effective methods to increase response rates to population studies. Conclusions: Neither an option to reply via the internet nor single-sided questionnaires are effective methods to increase response rates to population studies. The burden of pain is currently underestimated in population-based pain studies which do not include an assessment of pain management. As a result of the findings, pain management information should routinely be collected and considered in epidemiological studies assessing pain.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:619180 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Flüss, Elisa |
| Publisher | University of Aberdeen |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=211414 |
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