Flippin Pain Tees Valley dataset
Description
This dataset accompanies the article “An investigation of a novel public health campaign to improve understanding of persistent pain” and contains anonymised quantitative data collected before and after a series of public Pain Science Education (PSE) events delivered across the Tees Valley region in 2023. The research hypothesis was that attending a Flippin’ Pain public health event would be associated with immediate improvements in pain‑related beliefs and behavioural intentions among both the general public and healthcare professionals (HCPs). The dataset includes responses to the Pain Beliefs Questionnaire (PBQ) organic subscale—the primary outcome measure—which assesses biomedical versus contemporary biopsychosocial beliefs about pain. As described in the article, the PBQ is “a validated eight‑item questionnaire with a higher score indicating stronger biomedical beliefs regarding pain.” Secondary outcome measures capture beliefs about the safety and benefits of physical activity, self‑rated ability to manage pain, and intentions regarding opioid use. Demographic variables include age, gender, ethnicity, education level, pain history, and physical activity levels. Data were gathered using paper questionnaires completed immediately before and after each event, with optional electronic follow‑up at 3, 6 and 12 months. Events consisted of a 1‑hour PSE presentation followed by a 30‑minute panel discussion. As noted in the article, the educational content “communicated key broad concepts which were assessed by the outcome measures used,” but was not designed to teach to specific questionnaire items. The dataset shows clear immediate post‑event shifts in pain beliefs. PBQ scores improved for both groups: the public demonstrated a mean change of –0.76 and HCPs –0.41, indicating movement away from structural‑pathology beliefs and toward evidence‑based conceptualisations of pain. Similar positive shifts were observed across all secondary outcomes, including increased perceived safety and benefit of physical activity and more guideline‑concordant intentions regarding opioid use. These findings support the interpretation that PSE‑based public health events can rapidly influence understanding and behavioural intentions related to persistent pain. Follow‑up response rates were low, so long‑term effects cannot be inferred from the dataset. However, the data provide a detailed snapshot of immediate cognitive and behavioural intention changes following a real‑world public health intervention. Researchers may use the dataset to explore associations between demographic factors, pain history, and responsiveness to PSE; to replicate or extend analyses; or to inform future intervention design and evaluation. I can confirm that no personally identifiable data are included and that informed consent has been obtained to take part in this study and for the non-person identifiable data to be made publicly available on this repository.
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Steps to reproduce
Methods Overview This dataset was generated as part of an exploratory observational study evaluating the impact of Pain Science Education (PSE) public health events delivered across the Tees Valley region in 2023. The study followed the STROBE guidelines for observational research and was approved by Teesside University Research Ethics Committee. The protocol was preregistered on the Open Science Framework. 1. Recruitment and Setting Participants were members of the public and healthcare professionals (HCPs) who attended free Flippin’ Pain educational events. Recruitment used posters, leaflets, social media, and dissemination through local health networks. Events were held in community venues including theatres, a church, a town hall, and an amateur football club. 2. Intervention Delivery Each event consisted of: • A 1‑hour PSE presentation delivered by an experienced physiotherapist (CR or GLM). • A 30‑minute interactive panel discussion involving clinicians, researchers, and people with lived experience. The presentation content addressed the six Flippin’ Pain key messages. As stated in the article, the material “communicated key broad concepts… but was not targeted to individual response items,” ensuring no “teaching to the test.” 3. Data Collection Procedures Paper questionnaires were administered immediately before and after each event. Participants could optionally provide an email address to receive follow‑up questionnaires at 3, 6, and 12 months (via Qualtrics or equivalent online survey software). All questionnaires were anonymous unless follow‑up was requested. 4. Measures and Instruments Primary outcome: • Pain Beliefs Questionnaire (PBQ) – Organic Subscale, an 8‑item validated measure scored on a 6‑point scale (“always” to “never”). Higher scores indicate stronger biomedical beliefs. Secondary outcomes: • Beliefs about the safety and benefit of physical activity (0–10 scales). • Self‑rated ability to manage pain (1–4). • Intentions regarding opioid use (1–4). Demographic variables included age, gender, ethnicity, education, pain history, and physical activity levels. 5. Data Handling and Processing Only fully completed outcome measures were included. As reported, missing data were “missing completely at random (MCAR)” and listwise deletion was applied. Data were entered and analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics v28, but the repository dataset contains only raw, anonymised values. 6. Reproducibility Guidance To reproduce the dataset: • Deliver a comparable PSE session using the same six Flippin’ Pain key messages. • Administer the PBQ and secondary outcome questions immediately pre‑ and post‑event. • Use identical Likert scales and scoring rules. • Apply the same inclusion criteria (>16 years; public or HCP). • Use the same handling rules for missing data (listwise deletion). • Optional: replicate follow‑up using electronic surveys at 3, 6, and 12 months.
Institutions
- Teesside UniversityEngland, Middlesbrough