An examination of the psychometric structure of the Multidimensional Pain Inventory in temporomandibular disorder patients: a confirmatory factor analysis

• Published in: Head & face medicine Vol. 2; no. 1; p. 48
• Main Authors: Andreu, Yolanda, Galdon, Maria J, Durá, Estrella, Ferrando, Maite, Pascual, Juan, Turk, Dennis C, Jiménez, Yolanda, Poveda, Rafael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 14.12.2006; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Dentistry; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pain - physiopathology; Pain - psychology; Pain Measurement - instrumentation; Psychometrics; Reproducibility of Results; Spain; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders - physiopathology; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders - psychology; Translations; Spain
• ISSN: 1746-160X; 1746-160X
• DOI: 10.1186/1746-160x-2-48

This paper seeks to analyse the psychometric and structural properties of the Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI) in a sample of temporomandibular disorder patients. The internal consistency of the scales was obtained. Confirmatory Factor Analysis was carried out to test the MPI structure section by section in a sample of 114 temporomandibular disorder patients. Nearly all scales obtained good reliability indexes. The original structure could not be totally confirmed. However, with a few adjustments we obtained a satisfactory structural model of the MPI which was slightly different from the original: certain items and the Self control scale were eliminated; in two cases, two original scales were grouped in one factor, Solicitous and Distracting responses on the one hand, and Social activities and Away from home activities, on the other. The MPI has been demonstrated to be a reliable tool for the assessment of pain in temporomandibular disorder patients. Some divergences to be taken into account have been clarified.