Reliability of the seated postural control measure for adult wheelchair users.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the test-retest and interrater reliability of the Seated Postural Control Measure for Adults 1.0 (SPCMA 1.0).


METHODS
The participants were evaluated first by two raters and then, 3 weeks later, by one rater. Section 1 (one item, seven-point scale) evaluates the adult's overall ability to control its posture in a sitting position. Sections 2 and 3 (22 items each, scored on a seven-point scale), evaluate the adult's postural alignment in a static position and the changes in postural alignment induced by a dynamic activity.


RESULTS
For the test-retest reliability, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of section 1 was excellent (0.95) and moderate to good for sections 2 and 3 (0.60 - 0.62) and their subsections (0.47 - 0.78). For interrater reliability, the three sections had good to excellent ICCs (0.68 - 0.93) and their subsections had moderate to good ICCs (0.41 - 0.69). A large range was observed in Kappa coefficients (test-retest and interrater reliability) for the item analysis of the sections 2 and 3, due to a lack of variability in some items.


CONCLUSIONS
The results confirm that the SPCMA is reliable as a whole. Suitable information has been obtained for the development of the SPCMA 2.0 and, although further psychometric testing is needed, the latter should improve clinical evaluation of seated postural control in adult wheelchair users.
Gagnon
Brigitte
B
Rehabilitation Department, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada.
Noreau
Luc
L
Vincent
Claude
C
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009048:Motor Skills; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014910:Wheelchairs / Q000592:standards*