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Development of a Chinese version of the Modified Barthel Index-- validity and reliability

Sharron O C Leung1, Chetwyn C H Chan, Surya Shah

  • 1Occupational Therapy Department, Caritas Medical Centre.

Clinical Rehabilitation
|November 6, 2007
PubMed

Insights

The Chinese version of the Modified Barthel Index (MBI-C) is a valid and reliable tool for assessing stroke patients. This culturally adapted MBI-C demonstrates robust structural validity and inter-rater reliability in older adults post-stroke.

Area of Science:

  • Rehabilitation Medicine
  • Geriatric Medicine
  • Clinical Assessment Tools

Background:

  • The Modified Barthel Index (MBI) is a widely used tool for assessing functional status in patients with stroke.
  • Cultural adaptation and validation of assessment tools are crucial for accurate clinical application in diverse populations.
  • Previous versions of the MBI may not fully capture the functional performance and needs of Chinese-speaking stroke survivors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To establish the structural validity of the Chinese version of the Modified Barthel Index (MBI-C).
  • To estimate the inter-rater reliability of the MBI-C for use with patients who have had a stroke.
  • To ensure the cultural relevance and accuracy of the MBI for Chinese older adults with stroke.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study conducted in Hong Kong involving 116 older adults with stroke for validity and 15 for reliability.
  • Translation of the Modified Barthel Index into Chinese, followed by factor analysis to determine structural validity.
  • Assessment of item quality and inter-rater reliability using kappa statistics.

Main Results:

  • Factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure for the MBI-C, explaining 75.7% of the variance.
  • Factor 1 comprised eight items on functional performance; Factor 2 included two items on physiological needs.
  • The test-retest reliability of the MBI-C at the item level was comparable to the original MBI, with kappa values from 0.63 to 1.00 (P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

  • The Chinese version of the Modified Barthel Index (MBI-C) is valid and reliable for assessing older stroke patients.
  • Cultural adaptations to item content and rating criteria enhance the MBI-C's applicability in Chinese culture.
  • The structural validity and reliability of the MBI-C are robust and consistent with the original MBI.
Abstract

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