Measurement Properties of the Fremantle Back Awareness Questionnaire (FreBAQ): A Systematic Review

• Grant number: 23/16307-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2024
• End date: December 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Thaís Cristina Chaves
• Grantee: Clara Beltrami Munhoz
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Background: People with chronic pain can develop perceptual dysfunctions about their own body (sensorimotor changes), reinforcing defensive patterns of behavior and perpetuating painful symptoms. The Fremantle Back Awareness Questionnaire (FreBAQ) was developed to assess perceptual dysfunction about the spine. The application of FreBAQ is an effective alternative for the assessment of perceptual dysfunction in chronic low back pain, replacing special tests that have limited measurement properties. However, the quality of the measurement properties of this questionnaire has not yet been summarized in the literature. Objective: To analyze the measurement properties of the FreBAQ questionnaire, validated in several languages. Material and methods: This study is a systematic review of measurement properties that will be registered in PROSPERO. The search strategy will be carried out in PubMed (MEDLINE), SciELO, Lilacs, Embase, SportDiscus, CINAHL e PsychoINFO, without restriction on language and year of publication. Studies that investigated the measurement properties of the FreBAQ in different languages including participants aged between 18 to 59 years old. The process will be carried out following the recommendations of the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) and will consist of a search strategy, removal of duplicates, selection of studies, data extraction, analysis of methodological quality, analysis of the quality of evidence, analysis of the quality of measurement properties and synthesis of results. Expected results: The synthesis of evidence on the measurement properties of the FreBAQ will contribute to the understanding of the main limitations on the measurement properties of the questionnaire, prompting the conduct of more appropriate studies. This analysis is essential for using this questionnaire in research and clinical contexts.