Validation of the functional and social performance - DSF-84 checklist: preliminary study

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Prosthetics and Orthotics
• Health Sciences

Background:

• Young male adults with lower limb amputations face challenges in functional and social performance.
• Existing assessment tools may not fully capture the multifaceted needs of this population.
• The International Classification of Functionality, Incapacity and Health (ICF) provides a framework for comprehensive assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop, implement, and validate an instrument for assessing the functional and social performance of young male adults with lower limb amputees.
• To base the new instrument on the principles of the ICF.
• To ensure the instrument is reliable and valid for its intended population.

Main Methods:

• The instrument, DSF-84, was developed with items categorized into domains: organic aspects (OA), daily activities (DA), performance components (PC), social participation (SP), and environmental factors (EF).
• Validation involved filming the instrument's implementation, with four assessors scoring on two occasions.
• Statistical analyses included intra-class correlation for reproducibility, Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency, and t-tests/Mann-Whitney U-tests for criterion validity.

Main Results:

• The DSF-84 demonstrated good reliability for OA, DA, PC, and SP domains, and reasonable reliability for the EF domain.
• Analysis of variance showed no significant differences between assessors.
• Test-retest methods confirmed high intra-rater correspondence across all domains, indicating strong reliability.

Conclusions:

• The DSF-84 instrument is valid and reliable for assessing young male adults with lower limb amputations.
• The DSF-84 is a useful tool for evaluating the functional and social performance in this specific demographic.
• This validated instrument can inform and improve rehabilitation strategies for individuals with lower limb loss.