Face and content validity of the of the Language Independent Functional Evaluation (L.I.F.E.)

• Autor(a) principal: Yam, Julie; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
• Data de Publicação: 2013
• Outros Autores: Haig, Andrew J.; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Yamakawa, Karen S. J.; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: https://doi.org/10.25759/spmfr.47

Purpose: Given the global scope of disability, it is important that tools used to measure disability are not biasedby the language or literacy of the respondents. Yet it is impossible to accurately translate tools into the world’s7000 languages. The Language Independent Functional Evaluation (L.I.F.E.) is a video animated functionalassessment that bypasses language and literacy. This study assesses the face validity and content validity of theL.I.F.E.Methods: Rehabilitation professionals and non-rehabilitation students wrote descriptions of the 30 graphicanimations representing functional stages for 11 activities portrayed in the L.I.F.E. The relationship betweendescriptions and the principle L.I.F.E. designer’s description was rated by consensus of three reviewers on a 4-pointagreement scale.Results: Exact agreement was obtained for 82% of 600 responses provided by 12 rehabilitation professionals and8 students. Complete misunderstanding of the concept occurred in only 6% of cases. Most of these were in therealms of bowel, bladder, and mobility. There was no difference in understanding between the professionals(content validity) and students (face validity).Conclusions: The face and content validity of the L.I.F.E. are good enough for users to trust that the test portraysintended functions. This paves the way for easier measurement of functional ability regardless of language orliteracy.Keywords: Disability Evaluation, Language Tests, Physical Therapy Modalities.