Reliability and validity of applying Kirkpatrick model for evaluating exercise rehabilitation program

This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Kirkpatrick four-level questionnaire-comprising reaction (R), learning (L), behavior (B), and results (Res)-in the context of an exercise rehabilitation program. A total of 141 university students, aged 21 to 25, participated in a 15-week exercise rehabilitation program. Intrarater reliability was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) in a pre-posttest setup and analyzed through Bland-Altman plots. Convergent validity was examined using Pearson correlation. The results of this study were as follows. 'R,' consisting of six questions, showed an ICC ranging from 0.954 to 0.990. 'L,' composed of seven questions, demonstrated an ICC between 0.883 and 0.978. 'B,' made up of five questions, displayed an ICC ranging from 0.859 to 0.974. Additionally, 'Res,' consisting of five questions, showed an ICC between 0.834 and 0.926. Significant correlations were observed among all 23 items (P<0.001), suggesting that the application of the Kirkpatrick model to evaluate the exercise rehabilitation program demonstrates strong reliability and validity. These findings suggest that the evaluation metrics can effectively monitor program outcomes at each level through the application of the Kirkpatrick model.