title: Test-retest reliability of lifting and carrying in a 2-day functional capacity evaluation.
abstract: The objectives of this study were to establish test-retest reliability of lifting and carrying of a functional capacity evaluation (FCE) on two consecutive days and to verify the need for a 2-day protocol. A cohort of 50 patients (39 men, 11 women) with nonspecific low back pain were evaluated using a 2-day FCE protocol. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated for weight lifted and carried. Predictive relationships between test and retest were explored by means of a regression analysis. The results of ICC were lifting low 0.87, lifting overhead 0.87, and carrying 0.77. Performances on day 2 were on an average 6-9% higher. Other than the amount of weight handled on day 1, no variable was found to predict performance on day 2. It was concluded that test-retest reliability of lifting and carrying was good, and the need for a 2-day protocol could not be confirmed.
authors.affiliation: Center for Rehabilitation, University Hospital Groningen, P.O. Box 30002, 9750 RA Haren, The Netherlands. m.reneman@beatrixoord.nl
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Reneman
authors.forename: P U
authors.initials: PU
authors.lastname: Dijkstra
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Westmaas
authors.forename: L N H
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Göeken
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017770:Lifting; D016014:Linear Models; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000379:methods*; D011336:Probability; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013997:Time Factors; D014894:Weights and Measures; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation