Citation

Morgan MT, Friscia LA, Whitney SL, Furman JM, Sparto PJ. Otol. Neurotol. 2013; 34(6): 1104-1108.

Affiliation

*Department of Physical Therapy, and †Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/MAO.0b013e318281df5d

PMID

23542134

Abstract

HYPOTHESIS: The purpose of this research is to establish the test-retest reliability and convergent validity of the Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I) in people with vestibular disorders. BACKGROUND: Individuals with vestibular dysfunction have an increased risk of falling. The FES-I is a measure used to quantify an individual's concern of falling during different tasks. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study was used to determine the test-retest reliability and convergent validity of the FES-I. Fifty-three individuals with vestibular or balance dysfunction completed the FES-I twice during an initial evaluation by a neurotologist. Test-retest reliability was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient. The convergent validity was measured by correlating the FES-I with the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale, Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), Vestibular Activities and Participation (VAP) scale, 4-item Dynamic Gait Index (DGI-4), and measuring gait speed. RESULTS: The FES-I demonstrated high test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient, model 3,1: 0.94; 95% confidence interval, 0.90-0.97) and had concurrent validity with other self-report and physical performance measures (correlation coefficients for the ABC, -0.84; DHI, 0.75; VAP, 0.78; gait speed, -0.55; and DGI-4, -0.55). CONCLUSION: The FES-I is a reliable and valid tool for measuring an individual's concern of falling in a sample of people with vestibular disorders.

Language: en