Psychometric properties of the occupational value with pre-defined items in stroke patients

In stroke rehabilitation, instruments assessing the value individuals attribute to everyday activities are vital. The Occupational Value with pre-defined items (OVal-pd) questionnaire was devised for this purpose.

To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Swedish OVal-pd-floor and ceiling effects, internal consistency, construct validity, responsiveness, long-term stability, and measurement error-in individuals with stroke who maintained independence in activities of daily living and had preserved cognitive abilities.

Stroke patients (n = 95) were included in a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial with a 14-month follow-up. Participants completed the OVal-pd and questionnaires addressing quality of life, emotional status, and mental fatigue. Cronbach's α, Pearson's correlation, ROC analysis, intraclass correlations, and smallest detectable change were calculated.

The Swedish OVal-pd showed good psychometric properties concerning construct validity, internal consistency, test-retest stability, with no floor or ceiling effects. However, the low rate of improvement in mental fatigue over the follow-up period limited the ability to evaluate responsiveness using an anchor-based method.

The 18-item Swedish OVal-pd is suitable for use in clinical and research contexts, though further trials are recommended.

The OVal-pd can facilitate dialogue between individuals with stroke and occupational therapists and be used for cross-sectional comparisons.