Chiu Y-P1, Wen P-S2, Karim R1, Pfost G1, Green R1, Sanchez V1, O'Dell N1
1Marshall University, Physical Therapy, Huntington, United States, 2Georgia State University, Occupational Therapy, Atlanta, United States
Background: The Functional Gait Assessment (FGA) is a 10-item clinical measure that assesses postural stability during various walking tasks. The FGA is a modification of the dynamic gait index. The DGI has been found to be feasible and valid in a population of children 5-15 years of age who are typically developing and in those with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder. Until this point, however, psychometric properties of the FGA have not been studied in the pediatric population.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the rater reliability and concurrent validity of the FGA with the Dynamic Gait Index (DGI), gait speed and the Functional Reach Test (FRT) in typically developing children aged 5-13 years.
Methods: Reliability- Raters: Three second-year DPT graduate students (2 woman and 1 man) participated in this study as raters. Prior to this research participation. Subjects. Ten participants (4 girls/6 boys; 8.8±1.8 years old) were randomly selected from a pool of 40 typically developed children aged 5-13 who met the inclusion criteria of this study and were consented (parental consent and/or child assent). Inclusion and exclusion criteria of this study were
1) participants must be able to follow instructions for the examination procedures;
2) Children with the following conditions will be excluded: history of concussion, diagnosed developmental delay or CNS pathology or recent lower extremity injury.
To investigate inter-rater reliability, each rater received 10 participants´ video clips of FGA from the primary investigator. In the laboratory, the raters played video clips at separate times to grade participants' performance. To investigate intra-rater reliability, one week after this grading session, the same raters were asked to grade the same participants' video clips.
Concurrent validity- A convenience sample of 40 typically developing children aged 5-13 (mean age: 9.38 years, 17 females, 23 males) were recruited. All participants, as well as parent/guardians, provided informed consent prior to participation in the study. Participants were randomly assigned to be assessed by the FGA, DGI, gait speed, and FRT.
Results: Inter-rater reliability of FGA total score was reported by an ICC of .997. Intra-rater reliability of FGA total score was reported by an overall ICC of .99, which ranged from .998 to 1. The overall percent of agreement for FGA individual items was 98%, which ranged from 96.7% to 100%.
The concurrent validity demonstrated by the relationship between each FGA total score of all 40 subjects to the FRT, gait speed and DGI total scores. The Pearson correlation coefficient between the FGA and FRT scores was r=.479 (p=.002), and the correlation between the FGA and gait speed scores was r=.585 (p=.000). The spearman correlation coefficient between the FGA and DGI was r=.662 (p=.000).
Conclusion(s): The results showed excellent interrater and intrarater reliability and indicated that the FGA can be assessed reliably in typically developing children. The FGA has a moderate to good relationship with the DGI and gait speed, but a fair correlation with the FRT.
Implications: The FGA, when used for typically developing children, is a reliable and valid assessment for dynamic balance.
Keywords: Balance, Reliability, Validity
Funding acknowledgements: Not Applicable
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the rater reliability and concurrent validity of the FGA with the Dynamic Gait Index (DGI), gait speed and the Functional Reach Test (FRT) in typically developing children aged 5-13 years.
Methods: Reliability- Raters: Three second-year DPT graduate students (2 woman and 1 man) participated in this study as raters. Prior to this research participation. Subjects. Ten participants (4 girls/6 boys; 8.8±1.8 years old) were randomly selected from a pool of 40 typically developed children aged 5-13 who met the inclusion criteria of this study and were consented (parental consent and/or child assent). Inclusion and exclusion criteria of this study were
1) participants must be able to follow instructions for the examination procedures;
2) Children with the following conditions will be excluded: history of concussion, diagnosed developmental delay or CNS pathology or recent lower extremity injury.
To investigate inter-rater reliability, each rater received 10 participants´ video clips of FGA from the primary investigator. In the laboratory, the raters played video clips at separate times to grade participants' performance. To investigate intra-rater reliability, one week after this grading session, the same raters were asked to grade the same participants' video clips.
Concurrent validity- A convenience sample of 40 typically developing children aged 5-13 (mean age: 9.38 years, 17 females, 23 males) were recruited. All participants, as well as parent/guardians, provided informed consent prior to participation in the study. Participants were randomly assigned to be assessed by the FGA, DGI, gait speed, and FRT.
Results: Inter-rater reliability of FGA total score was reported by an ICC of .997. Intra-rater reliability of FGA total score was reported by an overall ICC of .99, which ranged from .998 to 1. The overall percent of agreement for FGA individual items was 98%, which ranged from 96.7% to 100%.
The concurrent validity demonstrated by the relationship between each FGA total score of all 40 subjects to the FRT, gait speed and DGI total scores. The Pearson correlation coefficient between the FGA and FRT scores was r=.479 (p=.002), and the correlation between the FGA and gait speed scores was r=.585 (p=.000). The spearman correlation coefficient between the FGA and DGI was r=.662 (p=.000).
Conclusion(s): The results showed excellent interrater and intrarater reliability and indicated that the FGA can be assessed reliably in typically developing children. The FGA has a moderate to good relationship with the DGI and gait speed, but a fair correlation with the FRT.
Implications: The FGA, when used for typically developing children, is a reliable and valid assessment for dynamic balance.
Keywords: Balance, Reliability, Validity
Funding acknowledgements: Not Applicable
Topic: Paediatrics; Outcome measurement
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: Marshall University
Ethics committee: Institutional Review Board
Ethics number: 931039
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
