Pain in Children with Intellectual Disabilities: A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating Caregiver Knowledge Measures

Abstract

Inadequate knowledge has contributed to inaccurate pain assessment and treatment for children with intellectual disabilities. Aim: Develop and evaluate pain knowledge measures and accompanying self-report ratings; determine their sensitivity to change. Materials & methods: Young adults (n = 77; M_age = 18.89; standard deviation = 2.29; 67 females) were randomly assigned to one of two ‘caring for children with intellectual disabilities’ training programs (pain and visual supports). Participants completed pre–post-measures of pain knowledge and six self-report ratings of feasibility, confidence and perceived skill in pain assessment and treatment. Results: After controlling for pretraining scores, pain knowledge and self-report ratings were significantly higher following pain training versus visual support training. Conclusion: These measures show promise for the evaluation of pain knowledge in secondary caregivers.

KEYWORDS:

• caregiver knowledge
• children with intellectual disabilities
• pain assessment and treatment

Disclosure

This research was conducted as C Pomerleau’s honors thesis within the Pediatric Pain, Health and Communication (PPHC) Lab under the cosupervision of LM Genik and CM McMurtry.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This research was funded by a faculty start up grant at the University of Guelph. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by a faculty start up grant at the University of Guelph. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.