Validity And Reliability of The Full Cup Test In Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain

Abstract

This study aims to determine the validity and reliability of the full cup test (FCT), evaluating the pain severity in patients with chronic low back pain. Methods: A total of 100 patients (70 women and 30 men) aged over 18 years with mechanical low back pain were enrolled in the study. Demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded. Pain severity was evaluated using the visual analog scale (VAS) and FCT, the functional state was assessed by the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and the quality of life was assessed using the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP). FCT was performed on the 1 st day by two independent observers (G1 and G2) and 3 days after the first application, patients were readministered the FCT by G1. Results:The mean age of participants was 56.04±12.33 years and mean body mass index was 27.7±4.3 kg/m². The reliability of the FCT and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was found to be 0.989 for intrarater compliance, ICC was found to be 0.984 for inter-rater compliance, and Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient was α=0.994. External construct validity of the scale was confirmed with expected correlations with all subgroups of NHP except for social isolation, VAS and ODI (p<0.01). Conclusion:This study concludes that the FCT provides a reliable and valid instrument for measuring pain severity and loss of the function in patients with chronic mechanical back pain. We consider that FCT is a simple and easy test in patients with low education and advanced age.

Breaking barriers: Exploring the Full Cup Test (FCT) pain scale at a tertiary care hospital

“…Our study indicated a significant level of agreement amongst the raters, i.e., value of 0.596 (p < 0.0001), in assessing pain intensity using the selected pain scale similar to another study done by Hatice Agir in Turkey in 2022. 22 Our findings suggest that the pain scale utilized in our study aptly captured and expressed varying degrees of pain intensity, supporting its utility in clinical practice for accurate pain assessment, Table -IV. The subjective nature of pain and clinician discretion makes pain management susceptible to significant disparities across racial, ethnic, and language-based patient factors.…”

“…These findings suggest that the FCT may be a more accessible and easier-to-understand pain assessment tool for individuals with limited educational backgrounds. 10 , 12 , 20 , 22 …”

“…10,19 Other studies showed similar positive correlations between FCT and VAS. 12,[20][21][22] suggesting that both FCT and VAS are reliable tools for assessing pain intensity in clinical settings.…”

“…Nida Ghouri et al These findings suggest that the FCT may be a more accessible and easier-to-understand pain assessment tool for individuals with limited educational backgrounds. 10,12,20,22 Pain scales designed to capture the exact intensity experienced at that moment of pain, are generally categorized into mild, moderate, and severe to facilitate verbal expression. Our study indicated a significant level of agreement amongst the raters, i.e., value of 0.596 (p < 0.0001), in assessing pain intensity using the selected pain scale similar to another study done by Hatice Agir in Turkey in 2022.…”