Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 89, Issue 9 , Pages 1720-1723, September 2008

A Comparison Between Self-Reported and Observed Activity Limitations in Adults With Neuromuscular Disorders

  • Laure Vandervelde, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine Unit, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
  • ,
  • Delphine Dispa, PT

      Affiliations

    • Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine Unit, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
  • ,
  • Peter Y. Van den Bergh, MD

      Affiliations

    • Neuromuscular Center & Neurology Department, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
  • ,
  • Jean-Louis Thonnard, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine Unit, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests to Jean-Louis Thonnard, PhD, Université catholique de Louvain, Unité de Réadaptation et de Médecine Physique 53, Av Mounier (5375), B-1200 Brussels, Belgium

Abstract 

Vandervelde L, Dispa D, Van den Bergh PY, Thonnard J-L. A comparison between self-reported and observed activity limitations in adults with neuromuscular disorders.

Objective

To investigate the agreement between the self-reported and examiner-reported difficulties of patients with neuromuscular disorders (NMDs) in performing daily activities at home.

Design

A comparison between 2 methods of administering a measurement instrument.

Setting

Neuromuscular reference center in a university hospital.

Participants

Adult patients (N=57) with diagnosed NMDs living at home.

Interventions

Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measure

The ACTIVLIM questionnaire.

Results

The intraclass correlation coefficient, model 2,1 (ICC2,1), between the measures was very good (ICC2,1=.87), indicating a good agreement between self-perceived and observed measures.

Conclusions

The use of ACTIVLIM as a self-reporting questionnaire is a valid method for assessing activity limitations in patients with NMD.

Key Words: Neuromuscular diseases, Outcome assessment (health care), Questionnaires, Rehabilitation, Task performance and analysis

List of Abbreviations: DIF, differential item functioning, ICC, intraclass correlation coefficient, NMD, neuromuscular disorder

 

 Supported by the Association Belge contre les Maladies NeuroMusculaires, the Fonds Spéciaux de Recherche of the Université catholique de Louvain, the Association Nationale d'Aide aux Handicapés, and the Fondation Saint-Luc.

 No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit on the authors or on any organization with which the authors are associated.

PII: S0003-9993(08)00398-5

doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2008.01.024

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 89, Issue 9 , Pages 1720-1723, September 2008