Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Central Sensitization Inventory Among Chinese Patients with Chronic Non-Specific Low Back Pain

Rui Tang,1,2 Dongping Wan,3 Chuan Leng,2 Xiaohong Fan,2 Yang Li,1 Jianbing Ma,1 Yuanchi Huang,1 Chao Xu1 1Department of Knee Joint Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shanxi Province, People’s Republic of China; 2The Clinical Medical College, Chengdu University of Chinese Traditional Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China; 3The First Clinical Medical College, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Chao Xu; Yuanchi Huang, Department of Knee Joint Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi’an, Shanxi Province, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected]; [email protected]: This research aims to develop and validate the Chinese version of the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI-CV) for patients suffering from chronic non-specific low back pain (CNSLBP). The study evaluates both the validity and reliability of the CSI-CV.Patients and Methods: The cross-cultural adaptation of the scale strictly adhered to the principles of Bombardier and Beaton. Initially, two professors of Chinese-English translation independently translated the original CSI scale into the target language, and then collaborated with an expert in cross-cultural adaptation to merge into a single version. This version was back-translated into English by two professors whose native language is English. Following this, the scale underwent preliminary review by bilingual experts and the research team, and was preliminarily tested, ultimately culminating in the formation of the CSI-CV version. A total of 310 patients with CNSLBP completed the CSI-CV, while 50 of them repeated the survey one week later to test the stability of the scale. The CSI-CV’s reliability, validity, and internal consistency were assessed through exploratory factor analysis (EFA), correlation coefficients, and Cronbach’s α.Results: EFA revealed five distinct factors from the 25 CSI-CV items, covering physical symptoms, emotional distress, fatigue and sleep disturbances, headaches and jaw symptoms, and urinary issues, with a total explained variance of 60.24%. The Cronbach’s α was 0.910, and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.924, indicating strong reliability. Moderate correlations were observed between CSI-CV scores and Five-Level EuroQol Five-Dimensional Questionnaire (r = − 0.515), the Brief Pain Inventory (r = 0.586) and Oswestry Disability Index (r = 0.416), demonstrating significant associations with these measures.Conclusion: The CSI-CV exhibits excellent internal consistency, factor structure, and reliability. Its successful cultural adaptation offers valuable insights for improving treatment approaches for patients with CNSLBP.Keywords: central sensitization inventory, chronic non-specific low back pain, Chinese, cultural adaptation