General motor function assessment scale--reliability of a Norwegian version.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Frail older adults experience activity-related dependence, pain, and insecurity.
• The General Motor Function assessment scale (GMF) measures these factors.
• A Norwegian version (N-GMF) was needed to assess this population in Norway.

Purpose of the Study:

• Translate the GMF into Norwegian (N-GMF).
• Establish the reliability and clinical feasibility of the N-GMF.
• Validate the N-GMF for use with frail elderly individuals.

Main Methods:

• Forward and backward translation of the GMF.
• Testing with a convenience sample of 30 frail elderly individuals.
• Intra-rater and inter-rater reliability testing using Cronbach's α, Percentage Agreement, Svensson's rank transformable method, and Cohen's κ.

Main Results:

• Cronbach's α coefficients ranged from 0.68 to 0.75 for subscales.
• Intra-rater reliability showed moderate to fair agreement.
• Inter-rater reliability (Percentage Agreement) was 74-89%, with high agreement coefficients (r(a) = 0.97-0.99).

Conclusions:

• The N-GMF demonstrates fair reliability for assessing frail elderly individuals.
• The scale is suitable for screening and assessing activity-related dependence, pain, and insecurity.
• N-GMF is a useful communication tool for multidisciplinary teams in rehabilitation.