Objective The aim of this study was to assess the
correlation between pain severity measured on a numeric
rating scale and restrictions of functioning measured with
the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0).
Patients and methods This was a cross-sectional study of
1207 patients with musculoskeletal pain conditions.
Correlation was assessed using Spearman’s and
Pearson tests.
Results Although all the Spearman’s rank correlations
between WHODAS 2.0 items and pain severity were
statistically significant, they were mostly weak, with only a
few moderate associations for ‘S2 household
responsibilities’, ‘S8 washing’, ‘S9 dressing’, and ‘S12 day-today
work’. The correlation between the WHODAS 2.0 total
score and pain severity was also moderate: 0.41 [95%
confidence interval (CI): 0.36–0.45] for average pain and
0.42 (95% CI: 0.37–0.46) for worst pain. The correlation
between the WHODAS 2.0 total score and pain level was
also assessed using Pearson’s product–moment
correlation, yielding figures that were similar to Spearman’s
correlation: 0.42 (P < 0.0001, 95% CI: 0.37–0.46) for average
pain and 0.39 (P < 0.0001, 95% CI: 0.34–0.44) for worst pain.