Further evidence for the agreement between patients with stroke and their proxies on the Frenchay Activities Index.
OBJECTIVE
To determine item, subscale and total score agreement on the Frenchay Activities Index (FAI) between stroke patients and proxies six months after discharge from rehabilitation.


METHODS
Prospective study design.


METHODS
Fifty patient-proxy pairs, interviewed separately, in the patient's residence.


METHODS
Modified FAI using 13 items. Individual FAI items, subscales and total score agreement as measured by weighted kappa and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC).


RESULTS
Excellent agreement was found for the total FAI (ICC 0.87, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.78-0.93), and domestic (ICC 0.85, 95% CI 0.73-0.91) and outdoor (ICC 0.87, 95% CI 0.78-0.95) subscales, with moderate agreement found for the work/leisure subscale (ICC 0.63, 95% CI 0.34-0.78). For the individual FAI items, good, moderate, fair and poor agreement was found for five, three, four and one item, respectively. The best agreement was for objective items of preparing meals, washing-up, washing clothes, shopping and driving. The poorest agreement was for participation in hobbies, social outings and heavy housework. Scoring biases associated with patient or proxy demographic characteristics were found. Female proxies, and those who were spouses, scored patients lower on domestic activities; male patients, and those who were younger, scored themselves higher on outdoor activities and higher patient FIM scores were positively correlated with higher FAI scores.


CONCLUSIONS
While total and subscale agreement on the FAI was high, individual item agreement varied. Proxy scores should be used with caution due to bias.
Tooth
Leigh R
LR
School of Population Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. L.Tooth@sph.uq.edu.au
McKenna
Kryss T
KT
Smith
Melinda
M
O'Rourke
Peter
P
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000145:classification*; D000368:Aged; D003071:Cognition / Q000145:classification; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019727:Proxy; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation