Ken Tomida, RPT, MS, Genichi Tanino, RPT, PhD, Shigeru Sonoda, MD, DMSc, Satoshi Hirano, MD, DMSc, Norihide Itoh, RPT, PhD, Eiichi Saitoh, MD, DMSc, Hitoshi Kagaya, MD, DMSc, Akira Suzuki, RPT, Kenji Kawakami, RPT, MS, Takumi Miyajima, RPT, Misaki Takai, RPT
Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 12: 19-26, 2021
Objective: To develop the Gait Ability Assessment for
hemiplegics (GAA), and to verify its validity and
inter-rater reliability.
Methods: We developed the GAA, a new method for
the assessment of gait ability. Next, we examined the
inter-rater reliability of GAA by assessing gait ability
of post-stroke patients by two physical therapists.
Then, we verified the validity of GAA by comparing
with the existing assessments methods comprising
Functional Ambulation Categories (FAC), Functional
Independence Measure (FIM)-walk, maximum
walking speed, motor subscore of the FIM (FIM-M),
and total score of affected-side motor function of the
Stroke Impairment Assessment Set (SIAS-L/E).
Results: Regarding the inter-rater reliability of GAA,
κ coefficient was 0.76 and weighted κ coefficient was
0.96. The correlation coefficients between GAA scores
and existing assessment methods were: 0.95 for FAC
scores, 0.95 for FIM-walk scores, 0.82 for maximum
walking speed, 0.89 for FIM-M, and 0.61 for SIASL/
E, all of which showed a significant correlation
(p<0.01).
Conclusion: GAA has high inter-rater reliability as
well as high validity as a gait ability assessment method,
suggesting that it can be applied to research and clinical
settings.
Key words: stroke, Gait Ability Assessment for hemiplegics (GAA), inter-rater reliability, validity