Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Central Sensitization Inventory Into Simplified Chinese

Purpose: To translate the Central Sensitization Inventory from English into simplified Chinese (CSI-sC) and test the psychometric properties of the CSI-sC in patients with chronic pain. Design: A cross-sectional design was used. Methods: Cross-cultural adaptation of the CSI-sC was performed following Beaton's guidelines. Using a convenient sampling method, 172 patients with chronic spinal pain and 74 healthy individuals were enrolled. The Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), EuroQol Five Dimensions Questionnaire (EQ-5D), and Neck Disability Index (NDI) or Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were used to measure insomnia, pain, quality of life, and functional status. Associations between CSI-sC with these measures were examined for concurrent and convergent validity assessment. Discriminant validity was confirmed by comparing CSI-sC scores between different groups. Exploratory factor analysis was used for the structural validity assessment. Reliability was assessed by internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Results: The Cronbach's alpha of the CSI-sC was 0.886. The intra-class correlation coefficient was 0.757. The CSI-sC showed a five-factor structure (57.2% of variances). The CSI-sC was significantly correlated with the ISI (r = 0.625), EQ-5D index (r = -0.363), EQ-5D health score (r = -0.355), VAS (r = 0.290), NDI (r = 0.432) and ODI (r = 0.333). CSI-sC scores were statistically higher in females compared to males (p = .006) and in the patient population compared to healthy controls (p < .001). Conclusions: The CSI-sC demonstrated good reliability and validity in chronic spinal pain patients. Clinical Implications: This study offers a good tool for the assessment and identification of central sensitization symptomology in clinical nursing practice, which may help optimize the treatment for patients with chronic pain.