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D. Rupareliya1, Y. Shukla2, A. Bhise2
1Gujarat University/Government Physiotherapy College/Civil Hospital, Physiotherapy, Ahmedabad, India, 2Government Physiotherapy College/ Civil Hospital, Physiotherapy, Ahmedabad, India
Background: Lower extremity functional scale (LEFS), originally developed by Binkley et. al in 1999, is a valid Patient rated outcome measure (PROM) for various musculoskeletal conditions. It contains 20 items for measuring patient function and activity limitation. The scale is originally developed in English language, and has been translated and cross culturally adapted into Italian, Canadian French, Dutch, Arabic, Brazilian Portugese, Malaysian, Finnish, Persian etc. population. In India, the scale is still applied in the original language, i.e. English, and also in its original form. Hence, the need of the study is to validate the Gujarati translated LEFS in Gujarati population.
Purpose: To find the face validity of Gujarati translated LEFS in accordance with functional activities of Gujarati population. Objective is to find whether Gujarati LEFS is valid when individuals themselves report about the questionnaire according to their lifestyle.
Methods: Individuals referred to Physiotherapy clinic and having lower limb musculoskeletal condition were screened for the eligibility. Those who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included in the study after taking written informed consent. Face validity of Gujarati LEFS was calculated by asking the individuals to grade items of Gujarati translated LEFS according to 5 point Likert scale, including very important, important, relatively important, slightly important and unimportant, as how each item appear to them for measuring lower extremity function.
Results: Item impact score for each item was calculated from frequency and mean item importance score. Item impact score of 15 out of 20 items was more than 1.5, 5 items scored less than 1.5. Results show statistically significant need to change the items of Gujarati translated LEFS.
Conclusion(s): 5 out of 20 items in Gujarati translated LEFS needs to be modified/eliminated for its implication into Gujarati population.
Implications: Finding face validity of Gujarati translated LEFS helps to know how important each item appears to the participants. Eliminating or modifying the low scoring item will help in better evaluation of the individual’s dysfunction and adapting the scale according to the lifestyle of Gujarati population. Further, after finding face validity, scale will be considered for other forms of validity like content validity.
Funding, acknowledgements: This study is not funded by any source. No participant was financially burdened for this study.
Keywords: Gujarati LEFS, Lower extremity functional scale (LEFS), Validity
Topic: Musculoskeletal: lower limb
Did this work require ethics approval? Yes
Institution: The Institutional Ethics Committee
Committee: B. J. Medical College & Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad
Ethics number: GSIIESC/06/18
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
