Högskolan i Skövde

Objective: to investigate the reliability and validity of the Acceptance Symptom Assessment Scale (ASAS) in assessing labour pain.

Design: a test-retest approach was used to assess reliability and validity.

Setting: labour ward with approximately 2,400 deliveries annually in western part of Sweden.

Participants: forty-seven pregnant women in the latent or active phase of labour.

Methods: a total of five pain assessments with both the ASAS and the VAS were conducted in three sessions.

Main outcome measures: correlation between ASAS and VAS.

Findings: both scales demonstrated high and significant test–retest correlations (r=0.83–0.92; p<0.001). High and significant alternative-form reliability correlations (r=0.76–0.93, p<0.001) were found between ASAS and VAS ratings at all five assessments. Construct validity was established when both the ASAS and the VAS identified a pain reduction(p<0.001) 2 hrs after birth, compared to the previous assessment. Over two-thirds of the women preferred the ASAS to the VAS ,mainly(n=30) because the ASAS provided more choices relating to the pain experience, making it possible to label pain acceptable/unacceptable.

Conclusions: the ASAS is interchangeable with the VAS for assessing labour pain. Over two-thirds of the women preferred it to the VAS.