Article

Cross-sectional descriptive survey design. With the
use of Rasch analysis, the following aspects of the Falls Prevention Strategies
Survey were evaluated: rating scale structure, item quality, participant fit and
participant ability, invariance structure, and the potential to change in
response to intervention.
SETTING: Community-based, national sample.
PARTICIPANTS: Adult registrants of the North America Research Committee on
Multiple Sclerosis volunteer patient registry (N=457). INTERVENTIONS: Not
applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The Falls Prevention Strategies Survey is a
self-report instrument addressing protective behaviors related to fall risk among
adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) (eg, monitoring MS symptoms, wearing proper
footwear, modifying activities). Response options reflect the frequency with
which the respondent engages in the behavior (ie, never, sometimes, regularly).
RESULTS: Analysis indicated that the rating scale structure (ie, response
options) was valid. Of the original 19 items, 8 of them misfit and needed to be
dropped to obtain a valid instrument under the Rasch model. With the final 11
items, the instrument was able to distinguish participants of different ability
levels across a range of 11.58 logits. Invariance structure analysis demonstrated
that the instrument functioned equally for men and women, for mobility device
users and nonusers, and for participants with diagnosed MS for less than or
greater than 10 years. Findings indicated that approximately 50% of respondents
would have room to improve on their Falls Prevention Strategies Survey scores
over time. CONCLUSIONS: Rasch analysis supports the use of the Falls Prevention
Strategies Survey to examine the frequency of engaging in protective behaviors
related to fall risk among adults with MS. The instrument shows potential to
track outcomes of behaviorally oriented fall reduction interventions in this population.

Langue : ANGLAIS