Test-Retest Reliability and Validity of the Malay Version Life Habits Assessment (LIFE-H 3.1) to Measure Social Participation in Adults With Physical Disabilities.
OBJECTIVE
Social participation restriction is a common barrier encountered by older adults and individuals with physical disabilities. To best direct the limited resource to support social services for individuals with disability, there is a need to objectively measure social participation restriction. A number of tools to measure levels of social participation are available, but none of them has been translated into the Malay language. This cross-sectional study examined the test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of the Life Habits Assessment (LIFE-H 3.1) that had been translated and culturally adapted to the Malay language.


METHODS
Seventy-five individuals with physical disabilities (age, mean [standard deviation] = 58 [10] years; 49 males) participated in this study. Participants were interviewed twice with the Malay version LIFE-H 3.1, approximately 1 week apart. The Barthel Index (BI) and the World Health Organization Assessment of Quality of Life-Brief version (WHOQoL-BREF) were administered in the first interview as well. Intraclass correlation coefficients and the Bland-Altman Bias D were used to examine test-retest reliability. The Spearman correlation coefficients were computed to quantify the correlation between the Malay version LIFE-H 3.1 and the BI and the WHOQoL-BREF, respectively, to examine the concurrent validity of the Malay version LIFE-H 3.1. Furthermore, standard error of measurement and minimal detectable change were calculated.


RESULTS
The Malay version LIFE-H 3.1 had excellent test-retest reliability as evidenced by good to excellent intraclass correlation coefficients (0.71-0.95) and minimal Bland-Altman biases (0.01-0.12). The correlations between the Malay version LIFE-H 3.1 and the BI were fair to good (r = 0.28-0.69). The correlations between the Malay version LIFE-H 3.1 and the WHOQoL-BREF were weak to fair, ranging from 0.02 to 0.57.


CONCLUSIONS
The Malay version LIFE-H 3.1 demonstrates excellent test-retest reliability and satisfactory validity. This questionnaire is an appropriate tool to assess social participation in rehabilitation for native Malay language speakers.
1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 2Department of Nursing Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Hui-Ting
HT
Goh
Kavithah
K
Ramachandram
Aishah
A
Ahmad-Fauzi
Pathmawati
P
Subamanian
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000592:standards*; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D058992:Social Participation