OBJECTIVE: to investigate the reliability and validity of the Acceptance Symptom Assessment Scale (ASAS) in assessing labour pain. DESIGN: a test-retest approach was used to assess reliability and validity. SETTING: labour ward with approximately 2,400 deliveries annually in western part of Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: forty-seven pregnant women in the latent or active phase of labour. METHODS: a total of five pain assessments with both the ASAS and the VAS were conducted in three sessions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: correlation between ASAS and VAS. FINDINGS: both scales demonstrated high and significant test-retest correlations (r=0.83-0.92; p<0.001). High and significant alternative-form reliability correlations (r=0.76-0.93, p<0.001) were found between ASAS and VAS ratings at all five assessments. Construct validity was established when both the ASAS and the VAS identified a pain reduction (p<0.001) 2 hrs after birth, compared to the previous assessment. Over two-thirds of the women preferred the ASAS to the VAS, mainly (n=30) because the ASAS provided more choices relating to the pain experience, making it possible to label pain acceptable/unacceptable. CONCLUSIONS: the ASAS is interchangeable with the VAS for assessing labour pain. Over two-thirds of the women preferred it to the VAS.
OBJECTIVE: to investigate the reliability and validity of the Acceptance Symptom Assessment Scale (ASAS) in assessing labour pain. DESIGN: a test-retest approach was used to assess reliability and validity. SETTING: labour ward with approximately 2,400 deliveries annually in western part of Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: forty-seven pregnant women in the latent or active phase of labour. METHODS: a total of five pain assessments with both the ASAS and the VAS were conducted in three sessions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: correlation between ASAS and VAS. FINDINGS: both scales demonstrated high and significant test-retest correlations (r=0.83-0.92; p<0.001). High and significant alternative-form reliability correlations (r=0.76-0.93, p<0.001) were found between ASAS and VAS ratings at all five assessments. Construct validity was established when both the ASAS and the VAS identified a pain reduction (p<0.001) 2 hrs after birth, compared to the previous assessment. Over two-thirds of the women preferred the ASAS to the VAS, mainly (n=30) because the ASAS provided more choices relating to the pain experience, making it possible to label pain acceptable/unacceptable. CONCLUSIONS: the ASAS is interchangeable with the VAS for assessing labour pain. Over two-thirds of the women preferred it to the VAS.
Authors: Silvia Navarro-Prado; María Angustias Sánchez-Ojeda; Adelina Martín-Salvador; Trinidad Luque-Vara; Elisabet Fernández-Gómez; Elena Caro-Morán Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2020-08-12 Impact factor: 3.390