Functional assessment of pediatric pain patients: Psychometric properties of the Functional Disability Inventory

TLDR

The Functional Disability Inventory measures activity limitations in children and adolescents with various pediatric conditions, addressing a previously neglected dimension of child health status. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the FDI in pediatric pain patients. The study involved 596 children with chronic abdominal pain (ages 8‑17) and 151 parents who completed the FDI along with pain, school activity, somatic, and depressive symptom measures during a clinic visit. The FDI showed high test‑retest reliability at two weeks (.74 child, .64 parent) and moderate reliability at three months (.48 child, .39 parent), excellent internal consistency (.86‑.91), and strong validity evidenced by significant correlations with school‑related disability, pain, and somatic symptoms.

Abstract

The Functional Disability Inventory (FDI; Walker LS, Greene JW. The functional disability inventory: measuring a neglected dimension of child health status. J Pediatr Psychol 1991;16:39-58) assesses activity limitations in children and adolescents with a variety of pediatric conditions. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the FDI in pediatric pain patients. Participants included 596 patients with chronic abdominal pain, ages 8-17, and a subset of their parents (n = 151) who completed the FDI and measures of pain, limitations in school activities, and somatic and depressive symptoms at a clinic visit. Test-retest reliability was high at 2 weeks (child report, .74; parent-report, .64) and moderate at 3 months (child report, .48; parent report, .39). Internal consistency reliability was excellent, ranging from .86 to .91. Validity was supported by significant correlations of child- and parent-report FDI scores with measures of school-related disability, pain, and somatic symptoms. Study results add to a growing body of empirical literature supporting the reliability and validity of the FDI for functional assessment of pediatric patients with chronic pain.