Intra-class correlation coefficient for HURT questions 1-7 ranged from 0.66 to 0.93, with highly significant P-values in each case (Table 1).
Test-retest reliability coefficients for the 'pain and hurt' subscale and 'treatment anxiety' subscale in children aged 5 to 7 years were also low in the validation study of the Chinese version [ 17].
The Kendall coefficient is "substantial" for the category A (hurt) and category C (upset with my family) questions, and "almost perfect" for the category B (cross) question (using Landis & Koch definitions [ 16]).
Internal consistency was relatively high for all scales (Cronbach's coefficient alpha > 0.70) except the Pain and Hurt scale for the child-report, and sufficient test-retest reliability was demonstrated for all scales (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.45-0.95).
Table 1 Correlations between test and retest responses 4-6 weeks apart to HURT questions 1-8 (n = 40) HURT question Intra-class correlation coefficient P-value 1.
All scales except the Pain and Hurt scale for the child-report indicated good internal consistency (Cronbach's coefficient alpha = 0.50) (Table 3).
On the PedsQL™ Rheumatology Module Pain and Hurt Scale, the child self-report and parent proxy-report alpha coefficients approached or exceeded the minimum reliability standard of 0.70 required for group comparisons.
However, for children aged 5 to 7 years, Cronbach's coefficient alpha ranged from 0.53 to 0.67 in the 'pain and hurt,'cognitiveve problems,'perceiveded physical appearance,' and 'communication' subscales in self-reports.
For internal consistency, Cronbach's coefficient alpha for the overall scale exceeded 0.70 except for the 'pain and hurt,'cognitiveve problems,'perceiveded physical appearance,' and 'communication' subscales in child self-reports for children aged 5 to 7 years.
For the Pain and Hurt scale for the child-report in particular, the narrow range may result in a lower Cronbach's coefficient alpha.
