One of the most reliable scale used to assess self-reported pain intensity is the Numerical Rating Scale-11 (NRS-11). However, the information regarding its psychometric properties for assessing the pain is limited. Thus, Castarlenas and colleagues conducted a study to evaluate the validity and reliability of NRS-11 as a self-reported measure of pediatric pain intensity.

The literature related to NRS-11 validity and reliability was searched by using databases like PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL and the Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection. This was searched from their inception to February 2016.

A total of 382 articles were selected, of which 301 were screened for evaluation and only 16 were included in the review. These reviews supported the reliability and validity of the NRS-11 among children and adolescents. Except these findings, additional research was needed to resolve some other related issues like minimum age of children to take participation in the test and the development of consensus regarding administration instructions. Hence, based on the findings, NRS-11 could be considered as a well-established test for pain intensity in pediatric populations.