ABSTRACT
Various scales have been suggested for surveying of disability in the elderly. One of these tools is Disability Index for General Household Survey [DI-GHS]. Evaluating the reliability and validity of DI-GHS in older people residing in Kashan Golabchi nursing home The DI-GHS was translated from English to Persian through back and forward method. The sampling was performed using census method in Kashan Golabchi nursing home in 2006 [n=100]. Inter-rater agreement was assessed. Internal consistency was determined via Item-total Correlation; Cronbach's alpha and split-half. Validity was determined via Concurrent validity, Exploratory factor analysis and Known-groups approach. The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient, Intra-class correlation coefficient [ICC], Kappa, Equal-Length spearman-brown, Guttman, Cronbach's alpha coefficient, Kruskal-wallis test and factor analysis via principal component analysis with varimax rotation by SPSS-16. Interrater reliability coefficient for every item was excellent [Kappa>0/8]; Inter-rater reliability in the total DI-GHS was repo rted to be 0/992[ICC]. The questionnaire reliability coefficient [internal consistency] was calculated 0/9-0/95. Item-total correlation confirmed its reliability, too. Its concurrent validity with original Barthel index was confirmed[r=-0/91, p<0/0001]. The knowngroups approach revealed this tool is valid [p<0/0001]. The factor analysis extracted two main factors whose Eigen values were more than one; and these factors could explain%85/8 of the total variance. The Persian DI-GHS could be valid and reliable for the evaluation of disability in elderly people residing in Golabchi nursing home