Abstract
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Study of Aging Life-space Assessment questionnaire assesses the capacity, frequency and independence of elderly to move inside and outside their house. It has never been validated in elderly with COPD.
AIM: To test the measurement properties of the Life-Space Assessment questionnaire administered to elderly with COPD.
METHODS: This study involved 62 elderly with COPD (77±4 years; FEV1=59±12% predict; 27±5 Kg/m2; Gold II=34; Gold III n=17; Gold IV n=13). First, at baseline the questionnaire was administered and the accelerometry was started. Accelerometry (Actigraphy GTX3) on the waist was assessed during 7 consecutive days (validity test). After 7 days, the questionnaire was re-administered in all COPD (test-retest). Properties measured were reproducibility (reliability assessed by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC2,1), agreement by standard error of measurement (SEM) and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha)), construct validity (using a chi-square test) and ceiling and floor effects (the frequency of a maximum and a minimum score).
RESULTS: ICC2,1 of the test-retest was 0.90 (CI95%=0.84 to 0.94). SEM was of 3.65 points (0.3%). Cronbach's alpha was 0.80 (range=0.76 to 0.80). Association was observed between the questionnaire score and steps count (r=0.43; p=0.01) and moderate activities assessed by accelerometry (r=0.42; p=0.01). Ceiling (2%) or floor effects (6%) were not observed.
CONCLUSION: The University of Alabama at Birmingham Study of Aging Life-space Assessment questionnaire shows adequate measurement properties for the assessment of the mobility among life-spaces in elderly with COPD.
- Copyright ©the authors 2016
