Psychometrics of the Home Safety Self-Assessment Tool (HSSAT) to prevent falls in community-dwelling older adults.
OBJECTIVE. To identify psychometric properties of the Home Safety Self-Assessment Tool (HSSAT) to prevent falls in community-dwelling older adults. METHOD. We tested content validity, test-retest reliability, interrater reliability, construct validity, convergent and discriminant validity, and responsiveness to change. RESULTS. The content validity index was .98, the intraclass correlation coefficient for test-retest reliability was .97, and the interrater reliability was .89. The difference on identified risk factors between the use and nonuse of the HSSAT was significant (p = .005). Convergent validity with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Home Safety Checklist was high (r = .65), and discriminant validity with fear of falling was very low (r = .10). The responsiveness to change was moderate (standardized response mean = 0.57). CONCLUSION. The HSSAT is a reliable and valid instrument to identify fall risks in a home environment, and the HSSAT booklet is effective as educational material leading to improvement in home safety.
Machiko R. Tomita, MA, PhD, is Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Science, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, 501 Kimball Tower, 3435 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14214; machikot@buffalo.edu.
Machiko R
MR
Tomita
Sumandeep Saharan, MS, OTR/L, is Occupational Therapist, Brinton Woods Health and Rehabilitation Center, Washington, DC.
Sumandeep
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Saharan
Sheela Rajendran, MS, OTR/L, is Occupational Therapist, Genesis Rehab Services, New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home, Edison.
Sheela
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Rajendran
Susan M. Nochajski, PhD, OTR/L, is Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Science, University at Buffalo, State University of New York.
Susan M
SM
Nochajski
Jo A. Schweitzer, MS, OTR/L, is Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Science, University at Buffalo, State University of New York.
Jo A
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Schweitzer
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004856:Postural Balance; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012647:Self-Assessment; D014481:United States