Avoidance-Endurance Questionnaire

Spanish Version of the Avoidance-Endurance Questionnaire: Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties

“…Regarding the criterion-related validity, the FAR scales showed positive associations with pain, disability and other variables related to the pain experience, such as depression, anxiety and fear-avoidance beliefs (ranging between r = .26 and r = .58), whereas the ER scales showed negative associations with these variables (ranging between r = -.19 and r = -.48). The only exception was positive correlations between both FAR and ER and pain intensity (Hasenbring et al, 2009). In relation to content validity, most AEQ scales revealed associations in the expected direction.…”

“…In addition, there were medium to high correlations between most of the cognitive and behavioral scales of the AEQ and BDI, PASS, Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ) and Tampa Scale for Kinesophobia (TSK), with positive correlations for FAR and negative for ER. The thought suppression was only related to depression (r = .26), but not to other fear-avoidance variables (Hasenbring et al, 2009). Moreover, a recent study of Hasenbring et al (2012) provides preliminary evidence for the construct and prospective validity of the AEQ identifying AEM-based subgroups of patients with subacute, nonspecific back pain.…”

“…Patients resist the interruption of daily activities at the expense of an increase in pain. Moreover, research has found a negative association between endurance behavior and self-reported disability (Hasenbring, Hallner, & Rusu, 2009). Specifically, the AEM suggests 2 G. T. Ruiz-Párraga et al specific sub-groupings of patients with homogenous patterns of pain responses and differential pain and disability outcomes.…”

“…Third, an adaptive response pattern is characterized by a high degree of flexibility between FAR and ER to pain, supporting the effect of biomedical treatments. However, research on the relations between persistence behavior and disability and well-being has yielded mixed results (Hasenbring et al, 2009;Huijnen et al, 2011;Kindermans et al, 2011;McCracken & Samuel, 2007). Specifically, factor analyses on several persistence items from different self-report questionnaires indicated three factors underlying persistence behavior namely, task contingent, pain contingent, and excessive persistence.…”

“…Due to the relevance of FAR and ER responses in the chronic pain experience, it is important to identify these subgroups using an appropriate measure to develop treatments tailored to the different profiles in order to improve secondary and tertiary prevention in back and neck pain. Thus, Hasenbring and colleagues developed the Avoidance-Endurance Questionnaire (AEQ; Hasenbring et al, 2009). The AEQ is a self-report measure based on the AEM to assess FAR and ER distinguishing between affective, cognitive and behavioral responses.…”