Appearance and Concurrent Validity of an Instrument for Assessing Disability in People with Chronic Spinal Cord Injury, Based on the ICF Core Set

Abstract

Objective. To determine the appearance and concurrent validity of an instrument for assessing disability in people with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI-DAS), based on the ICF Core Set. Metodology. The study was launched among a group of 100 Colombians from four cities suffering spinal cord injury for longer than six months. Eight physical therapists, with an average professional experience of over 6.75 years, participated in this study. Appearance validity was assessed through a focus group and a survey of observers, the items of coefficient of variation and the relevance and appropriateness index were calculated. Concurrent validity was analyzed with AIS (American Spinal Injury Association [ASIA] Impairment Scale) and Disability Scale WHO-DAS II, using the Spearman correlation coefficient. Results. The overall relevance and adequacy of the instrument yielded an average of 4.83/5 and 4.48/5, with a variation coefficient of 0.03. The agreement index among observers for qualifications of good and excellent reached 0.96 for relevance, and 0.86 for adequacy. The disability measured by the SCI-DAS showed a moderate significant correlation with the neurological level, the AIS motor and sensory indices, and a high correlation with disability, measured by WHO-DAS II (p<0. 001). A marginal statistically low-level correlation of functional compromise scale AIS (p = 0. 052) was found. Conclusions. In general, a good appearance validity of the instrument (SCIDAS) was found. The concurrent validity of the instrument (SCI-DAS) through the impairment scale AIS and the Disability Scale - WHO-DAS II was also evidenced.