ABSTRACT
Introduction. With the increasing number of COVID-19 cases, there is a growing need for tools that can assess not only the recovery process but also the impact of the disease on a person's functioning abilities. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate construct validity of Lithuanian version of Post-COVID-19 Functional Status (PCFS) Scale. Methods. The study was performed in two retrospective samples: hospitalized patients (n=133, 51.9% female, mean age 56.0 years old, date of assessment: 7.9±2.6 months after infection) and milder COVID-19 home-treated patients (n=230, 80,4% female, mean age 35.6 years old, date of assessment: 7.4±3.5 months after infection). A set of self-report questionnaires was used, which consisted of the PCFS Scale, the assessment of subjective symptoms of COVID-19 (acute symptoms, prolonged symptoms and cognitive complaints), PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scales. Results. 25.6% of hospitalized and 40.4% of home-treated COVID-19 patients reported functional limitations at various levels. In both samples, PCFS Scale scores were significantly correlated with the sum of acute COVID-19 symptoms (r=0.382 and r=0.259, respectively), the sum of prolonged COVID-19 symptoms (r=0.399 and r=0.346, respectively), and prolonged cognitive complains scales (r=0.346 and r=0.301, respectively). Subjects who had functional limitations were also found to have significantly higher rates of clinically significant depression and anxiety, compared to subjects with no limitations (p<0.001). Conclusions. Lithuanian version of the Post-COVID-19 Functional Status Scale can be considered as a valid instrument that can assess the functional status of adults with different severity of COVID-19 after 7 months after infection. (English) [ FROM AUTHOR]