Article

OBJECTIVE: To investigate differential item functioning or item bias of the
Rivermead Mobility Index (RMI) and its impact on the drawing of valid comparisons
with the RMI between subgroups of patients after stroke who differ with respect
to age, sex, or side of lesion. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: A rehabilitation center in the Netherlands and 2 stroke rehabilitation units and
the wider community in the United Kingdom. PARTICIPANTS: The RMI was completed
for patients undergoing rehabilitation after stroke (N=620; mean age +/- SD,
69.2+/-12.5y; 297 [48%] men; 269 [43%] right hemisphere lesion, and 304 [49%]
left hemisphere lesion). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
Mokken scale analysis was used to investigate differential item functioning of
the RMI between subgroups of patients who differed with respect to age (young vs
older), sex (men vs women), and side of stroke lesion (right vs left hemisphere).
RESULTS: No differential item functioning was found for any of the comparison
subgroups. CONCLUSIONS:
The RMI allows valid comparisons to be made between
subgroups of patients undergoing rehabilitation after stroke who differ with
respect to age, sex, or side of lesion.
CI - Copyright (c) 2012 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS