Assessing the Psychometric Properties of an Activity Pacing Questionnaire for Chronic XXXX and Fatigue.

@entity1 @entity1643 @entity308 @entity1295 @entity148 @entity158 @entity5815 @entity1118
BACKGROUND: Therapists frequently advise activity pacing as a coping strategy to manage long-term conditions (for example, @entity1643 , chronic @entity158 and @entity5815 / @entity5815 ). However, 'activity pacing' has not been clearly operationalised and there is a paucity of empirical evidence regarding pacing. This may be partly due to the absence of a widely-used pacing scale. We previously developed a 38-item Activity Pacing Questionnaire (APQ-38) using a Delphi technique. OBJECTIVE: Explore the psychometric properties of the APQ-38: identify underlying pacing themes, and assess the reliability and validity of the scale. DESIGN: Cross-sectional questionnaire study. METHODS: Three hundred and eleven adult @entity1 with @entity1118 and/or @entity1295 participated, of whom 69 completed the test-retest analysis. Data were analysed using exploratory factor analysis, internal and test-retest reliability, and validity against two existing pacing subscales and validated measures of @entity158 , @entity1295 , @entity148 , @entity308 , avoidance, and mental and physical function. RESULTS: Following factor analysis, twelve items were removed and five themes of pacing were identified in the resulting APQ-26: Activity adjustment, Activity consistency, Activity progression, Activity planning and Activity acceptance. These demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's a=0.72-0.92), test-retest reliability (ICC=0.50-0.78, p <=0.001) and construct validity. Activity adjustment, Activity progression and Activity acceptance correlated with worsened symptoms; Activity consistency correlated with improved symptoms; and Activity planning correlated with both improved and worsened symptoms. LIMITATIONS: Data were collected from self-report questionnaires only. CONCLUSIONS: Developed to be widely used across a heterogeneous group of @entity1 with @entity1118 and/or @entity1295 , the APQ-26 is multifaceted and demonstrates reliability and validity. Further study will explore the effects of pacing on @entity1 ' symptoms to guide therapists towards advising pacing themes with empirical benefits.
