Investigating Spinal Pain in Youth (I-SPY)
The purpose of the I-SPY study is to test a new questionnaire that measures important aspects of spinal pain in teenagers.
Spinal pain during adolescence is common and often persists into adulthood, however, few tools are available to accurately capture the functional and social impacts of spinal pain in this age group.
The Young Spine Questionnaire (YSQ) and Young Disability Questionnaire – Spine (YDQ-S) were developed in Denmark to measure the effects of spinal pain on adolescent life, including both functional and social aspects. To use these questionnaires reliably with English-speaking groups, it is important to adapt them culturally and linguistically so that their meaning, relevance and validity are maintained.
About the study
The I-SPY study has received funding from the Chiropractic Australia Research Foundation (CARF) and The Australian Chiropractic Education and Research Foundation (ACERF). It is a collaboration with Sydney University and Southern Denmark University.
We will recruit a clinical population of 100 adolescents aged 13-18 who report spinal pain (NPRS ≥3/10 in the past month) and have sought care from a chiropractor, physiotherapist, osteopath or GP in the past year.
Participants will complete electronic self-reported questionnaires at:
- baseline
- 1-week
- 8-weeks.
A sub-sample of adolescents will participate in semi-structured interviews to assess relevance, comprehensiveness and comprehensibility.
Objectives
By cross-culturally adapting and validating the YSQ/YDQ-S_13-18, we seek to equip healthcare professionals and researchers with valid, reliable and internationally comparable questionnaire that provides a standardised outcome measurement for the lived experiences of adolescents with spinal pain.