Measurement of the Experience of Living with Primary Recurrent Headache

Recurrent primary headache is a major public health concern that impacts both society and the individual, reducing productivity and limiting participation in work, social, and leisure activities. The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable instrument to measure the experience of living with chronic recurrent primary headache. This tool, Chronic Pain Experience Instrument-Headache Version (CPEI-HA), is intended to provide a measure of the affective component of headache that could complement the assessment of intensity, density, and disability. Psychometric testing of 25 items with a community-based headache sample (N = 150) resulted in a 19-item tool with high internal consistency (α = .92). Principal components analysis was used to explore the meaning of the headache experience, and three underlying dimensions (i.e., Helplessness, Stress-Personal and Interpersonal, and Emotional Struggle) emerged to provide a better understanding of the experience. Construct validity was supported by the empiric relationships between the CPEI-HA and the eight theoretically related health concept subscales of the RAND 36-Item Health Survey 1.0. As predicted, all of the relationships were positive and in the moderate range (.31-.52). Findings suggest that the CPEI-HA has the potential for providing a valid and reliable tool for both clinical and research applications with persons who experience primary recurrent headaches.