title: Construct validity of a kinesiophysical functional capacity evaluation administered within a worker's compensation environment.
abstract: The construct validity of a kinesiophysical Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) administered within a worker's compensation context was examined. A cross-sectional study design was employed. Clinical and demographic information on workers' compensation claimants was extracted from a rehabilitation facility's database. Measures of interest were the Isernhagen Work Systems' (Duluth, MN) FCE, the Pain Disability Index (PDI), and a pain visual analogue scale (VAS). A multitrait Pearson correlation matrix was created to observe the pattern of relationships between variables. The sample consisted of 321 subjects with work-related, medically stable low back pain of median duration of 307 days. FCE performance was moderately correlated with the PDI (r = -0.44-0.52) and with the pain VAS (r = 0.34-0.45). Pain intensity was correlated highly with the PDI (r = 0.79). The moderate relationship between FCE and the PDI supports the construct validity of FCE as a functional measure. However, kinesiophysical FCE performance was not unrelated to pain severity ratings as purported.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. dgross@ualberta.ca
authors.forename: Douglas P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: Michele C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Battié
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017770:Lifting; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement; D016272:Occupational Health; D010147:Pain Measurement; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation; D014942:Workers' Compensation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data