title: Test-retest reliability of the Screening Activity Limitation and Safety Awareness (SALSA) scale in North-West Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study examines the inter-tester and intra-tester reliability of the recently developed scale for Screening of Activity Limitation and Safety Awareness (SALSA) in North-West Nigeria. The scale was developed through collaborative research in five countries around the world.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and three people affected by leprosy from three states in North-West Nigeria participated in the study. A Hausa translation of the 20-item SALSA questionnaire was used by four trained health staff to interview the participants. Seventy-five paired interviews were conducted where the second interview was administered by a different interviewer from the first at intervals of 4-76 days (median 52). Twenty-eight paired interviews were conducted, both by the same interviewer, at intervals of 52-71 days (median 63).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Inter-tester reliability: All 20 items had Kappa's ranging from 0.45-0.8; 15 items had Kappa's > 0.6; 8 items had Kappa's > 0.7. Intra-tester reliability: All 20 items had Kappa's ranging from 0.51-1; 15 items had Kappa's > 0.6; 12 items had Kappa's > 0.7. For inter-tester reliability, the first interview had a mean SALSA score of 36.5 (95% CI = 34.96-38.05). The second interview had a mean of 35.02 (95% CI = 35.01-37.99). For intra-tester reliability, the mean SALSA scores of first and second interviews were 27.36 (95% CI = 24.36-30.36) and 26.68 (95% CI = 23.93-29.43), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Hausa translation of SALSA has an acceptable reliability in Nigeria provided the interviewers are well trained.
authors.affiliation: The Leprosy Mission International, 80 Windmill Road, Brentford, Middlesex TW8 0QH, UK. JannineE@tlmint.org
authors.forename: Jannine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ebenso
authors.forename: Johan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Velema
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006802:Human Activities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D015588:Observer Variation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult