Reliability and Agreement of 5 Ergo-Kit Functional Capacity Evaluation Lifting Tests in Subjects With Low Back Pain
Abstract
Gouttebarge V, Wind H, Kuijer PP, Sluiter JK, Frings-Dresen MH. Reliability and agreement of 5 Ergo-Kit functional capacity evaluation lifting tests in subjects with low back pain.
Objective
To assess interrater reliability and agreement of 5 Ergo-Kit functional capacity evaluation lifting tests in subjects with low back pain (LBP).
Design
Within-subjects design, with 2 repeated measurements.
Setting
Academic medical center in The Netherlands.
Participants
Twenty-four subjects (10 men, 14 women) with LBP.
Interventions
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measure
Five Ergo-Kit lifting tests (2 isometric, 3 dynamic) were assessed on 2 occasions (t1, t2), by 2 different raters (R1, R2). The interval between the test sessions was 3 days. Interrater reliability level was expressed with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and the level of agreement between raters with the standard error (SE) of measurement.
Results
ICCs means (reliability) of isometric and dynamic Ergo-Kit lifting tests ranged from .94 to .97, and SE of measurement values (agreement) ranged from 1.9 to 8.6kg.
Conclusions
There was good reliability and agreement between raters of the isometric and dynamic Ergo-Kit lifting tests in subjects with LBP, which supports the use of these tests to assess functional lifting capacity.
Coronel Institute of Occupational Health, Academic Medical Center, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Reprint requests to Vincent Gouttebarge, MSc, Coronel Institute of Occupational Health, Academic Medical Center, Universiteit van Amsterdam, PO Box 22700, 1100 DE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the author(s) or upon any organization with which the author(s) is/are associated.
ABSTRACT