Measurement of reported pain of childbirth: a comparison between Australian and Italian subjects.

A group of 22 Australian-born mothers, 10 mothers born in Italy and 8 born in Australia of Italian parents, were tested using the Present Pain Index, the Pain Rating Index (Ranking) and the Number of Words Chosen index from the McGill Pain Questionnaire. This questionnaire consists of words that can be used to describe and measure the intensity of the pain by using weighted words that have a sensory, an evaluative and an affective component. The subjects were mothers in the same maternity ward of a suburban public hospital. No statistically significant results were obtained.