Validity on the Activity Index in the Functional Assessment of Stroke Patients

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the validity and the reliability of the Activity Index to ascertain its value in the functional evaluation of stroke patients. METHOD: The Activity Index consists of sixteen variables divided into three main parts(mental capacity, motor activity, and ADL function) with a total value ranging from 16 to 92 points. A group of 96 stroke patients were included in this study. To determine the validity, kappa statistics between the Functional Independence Measure and the Activity Index were measured. RESULTS: In the validity study, the kappa statistics between the Functional Independence Measure and Activity Index were 0.79 and 0.84 for an initial total score and a discharge total score respectively, indicating a reasonable agreement between the two tests. In the reliability study, the Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.97 for the total score indicating a good internal consistency. CONCLUSION: The Activity Index demonstrated an acceptable validity and reliability for the evaluation of functional capacity of stroke patients in clinical practice.