Cultural validation of the adolescent pediatric pain tool (Appt) in Portuguese children with cancer

Abstract

Theoretical framework: Pain assessment in children with chronic conditions requires the use of multidimensional tools, such as the Adolescent Pediatric Pain Tool (APPT), which identify the intensity, location and quality of pain. Objectives: To validate the translation and cultural adaptation of the APPT for use in portuguese children and adolescents with cancer. Methodology: The translation was validated through an independent process of translation and back-translation of the tool and its analysis was performed by a panel of reviewers until consensus was reached. The semantic validation of the descriptors of pain quality was performed by children with cancer aged 8-17 years, using the Q-sort method. Results: A final version with conceptual, semantic, idiomatic and experiential equivalence to the original tool was obtained. Children revealed discriminative ability of the descriptors, being able to distinguish the words that they used to describe pain from those that they did not use. Conclusion: The Portuguese version of the APPT is a culturally adapted tool to assess the location, intensity and quality of pain in Portuguese children with cancer.