Validity and reliability of assessment tools for measuring unsupported sitting in people with a spinal cord injury.

Full Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To develop simple tests to assess the abilities of people with spinal cord injury (SCI) to sit unsupported and to assess the construct validity and test-retest reliability of these tests. DESIGN: Cross-sectional comparisons, convenience sample. SETTING: Biomechanical laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: People (N=30) with SCI between the C6 and the L2 level of 2 months to 37 years duration before assessment. The sample was stratified by impairment level (at T8) and time since injury (1 y postinjury). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: On 2 separate occasions, participants performed tests that measured the distance of upper-body sway and maximal torso leaning, errors made during a coordinated stability task, timed dressing/undressing of the upper body and alternating arm reaching, and percentage change in seated upper body/arm reaching. RESULTS: All tests showed good construct validity in that they distinguished between participants with higher (C6-T7) and lower (T8-L2) level impairments (P<.05) and between participants with acute (< or =1 y) and chronic (>1 y) lesions (P<.05). The tests also showed good to excellent test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coeffiecient(3,1) range, .51-.91). CONCLUSIONS: These simple and quick-to-administer tests have both construct validity and test-retest reliability. They would be appropriate for research and clinical purposes to quantify the abilities of people with SCI to sit unsupported.

Author information

Author/s: Boswell-Ruys, Claire L (CL); Sturnieks, Daina L (DL); Harvey, Lisa A (LA); Sherrington, Catherine (C); Middleton, James W (JW); Lord, Stephen R (SR);

Affiliation: Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute, University of New South Wales, Randwick, Australia. c.boswell-ruys(-atsign-)powmri.edu.au

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation (Arch Phys Med Rehabil), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Sep; vol 90 (issue 9) : pp 1571-7

Dates: Created 2009/09/08; Completed 2009/10/16;

PMID: 19735786, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 10/16/2009, IMS Date: )

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