The German version of the Functional Walking Categories (FWC): translation and initial validation

TY - JOUR

T1 - The German version of the Functional Walking Categories (FWC): translation and initial validation

AU - Klotz, Susanne G R

AU - Petersen-Ewert, Corinna

AU - Ketels, Gesche

AU - Scherer, Martin

AU - Barzel, Anne

PY - 2019/1

Y1 - 2019/1

N2 - BACKGROUND: Community ambulation is often affected after a stroke. However, no validated assessment in German to measure community ambulation on a participation level exists.OBJECTIVES: The purpose was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the Functional Walking Categories (FWC) into German and to assess its validity and reliability in patients with stroke.METHODS: Cross-cultural adaptation guidelines were used for translation. Face and content validity were established with the aid of an expert committee. A pilot study with patients after stroke in a neurological rehabilitation setting checked for concurrent validity using Kendall's tau and reliability using intraclass correlation coefficients.RESULTS: The results indicated that the German version of the FWC has adequate face and content validity. A total of 30 patients (mean age 62 ± 12.315 years, 56.7% female) participated in the study. The FWC correlated well with the Functional Ambulation Categories (tau-b = 0.783), cadence (tau-b = 0.640), gait velocity (tau-b = 0.628), the comfortable 10-m timed walk (tau-b = -0.629), and the fast 10-m timed walk (tau-b = -0.634). Moderate correlations were found between the FWC and step length (tau-b = 0.483) and the Timed Up and Go (tau-b = -0.520), respectively. Intrarater reliability was moderate (ICC = 0.651) while interrater reliability was excellent (ICC = 0.751) (all correlations p < 0.001). However, the study was designed as pilot study, thus, full psychometric property testing was not possible.CONCLUSIONS: The German FWC offers a reasonable tool for measuring community ambulation on participation level. However, a user manual seems to be helpful.

AB - BACKGROUND: Community ambulation is often affected after a stroke. However, no validated assessment in German to measure community ambulation on a participation level exists.OBJECTIVES: The purpose was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the Functional Walking Categories (FWC) into German and to assess its validity and reliability in patients with stroke.METHODS: Cross-cultural adaptation guidelines were used for translation. Face and content validity were established with the aid of an expert committee. A pilot study with patients after stroke in a neurological rehabilitation setting checked for concurrent validity using Kendall's tau and reliability using intraclass correlation coefficients.RESULTS: The results indicated that the German version of the FWC has adequate face and content validity. A total of 30 patients (mean age 62 ± 12.315 years, 56.7% female) participated in the study. The FWC correlated well with the Functional Ambulation Categories (tau-b = 0.783), cadence (tau-b = 0.640), gait velocity (tau-b = 0.628), the comfortable 10-m timed walk (tau-b = -0.629), and the fast 10-m timed walk (tau-b = -0.634). Moderate correlations were found between the FWC and step length (tau-b = 0.483) and the Timed Up and Go (tau-b = -0.520), respectively. Intrarater reliability was moderate (ICC = 0.651) while interrater reliability was excellent (ICC = 0.751) (all correlations p < 0.001). However, the study was designed as pilot study, thus, full psychometric property testing was not possible.CONCLUSIONS: The German FWC offers a reasonable tool for measuring community ambulation on participation level. However, a user manual seems to be helpful.

KW - Journal Article

U2 - 10.1080/10749357.2018.1536022

DO - 10.1080/10749357.2018.1536022

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 30346912

VL - 26

SP - 49

EP - 57

JO - TOP STROKE REHABIL

JF - TOP STROKE REHABIL

SN - 1074-9357

IS - 1

ER -