Manual wheelchair skills: objective testing versus subjective questionnaire.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that the total scores of the Wheelchair Skills Test (WST) version 4.1, an observer-rated scale of wheelchair performance, and the Wheelchair Skills Test Questionnaire (WST-Q) version 4.1, a self-report of wheelchair skills, are highly correlated. We also anticipate that the WST-Q scores will be slightly higher, indicating an overestimation of capacity to perform wheelchair skills as compared with actual capacity.


METHODS
A cross-sectional, within-subjects comparison design.


METHODS
Three Canadian cities.


METHODS
Convenience sample of community-dwelling, experienced manual wheelchair users (N=89) ranging in age from 21 to 94 years.


METHODS
Not applicable.


METHODS
Participants completed the subjective WST-Q version 4.1 followed by the objective WST version 4.1 in 1 testing session.


RESULTS
The mean ± SD total percentage scores for WST and WST-Q were 79.5%±14.4% and 83.0%±12.1% for capacity and 99.4%±1.5% and 98.9%±2.5% for safety, respectively. The correlations between the WST and WST-Q scores were ρ=.89 (P=.000) for capacity and ρ=.12 (P=.251) for safety. WST-Q total score mean differences were an average of 3.5%±6.5% higher than WST scores for capacity (P=.000) and .52%±2.8% lower for safety (P=.343). For the 32 individual skills, the percentage agreement between the WST and WST-Q scores ranged from 82% to 100% for capacity and from 90% to 100% for safety.


CONCLUSIONS
WST and WST-Q version 4.1 capacity scores are highly correlated although the WST-Q scores are slightly higher. Decisions on which of these assessments to use can safely be based on the circumstances and objectives of the evaluation.
Rehabilitation Sciences Graduate Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. paula.rushton@umontreal.ca
Paula W
PW
Rushton
R Lee
RL
Kirby
William C
WC
Miller
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002170:Canada; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009048:Motor Skills; D019370:Observation; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014910:Wheelchairs