Cultural Validation of Pediatric Pain Assessment Tools: Jordanian Perspective

The purpose of this study was to examine the cultural validity, reliability, and preference of three pain assessment tools among 95 Jordanian children. Pain intensity was assessed using the Poker Chip, the Faces, and the Word Description Scales. The test-retest reliability and the convergent validity were supported for the three scales. Jordanian children preferred the Poker Chip Tool to the Faces Scale and the Word Descriptive Scale. Gender differences in relation to scale preference were evident: female children preferred the Poker Chip Tool and male children preferred the Faces Scale; such differences were contributes of the socialization process within the Arab culture. The three scales are valid, reliable, and can be used with confidence to assess pain among Jordanian children. Findings also showed that children have a subculture of their own regardless of their cultural orientation. Findings have implication to nurses in Jordan as well as to transcultural nursing.