Reliability of a Spinal Cord Injury-Specific Extension of the Work Rehabilitation Questionnaire (WORQ-SCI)
摘要
The Work Rehabilitation Questionnaire (WORQ), an International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF)-based questionnaire, was developed to assess work-related functioning of persons with a range of health conditions. The WORQ has shown limitations in its applicability to persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). The purpose of this study was to investigate internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and agreement of the WORQ-SCI, a newly developed extension to the WORQ for use in persons with SCI.
MethodsA cross-sectional and test–retest reliability study was performed in eight Dutch rehabilitation centers specialized in SCI rehabilitation. Persons with SCI with first inpatient rehabilitation between 2015 and 2022 and work participation as a goal, completed the WORQ-SCI twice. Internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha), test–retest reliability (intra-class correlation, ICC), and agreement between measurement points (Bland–Altman plot) were analyzed.
ResultsA total of 175 participants completed the WORQ-SCI questionnaire at baseline (T1), of whom 59 completed the WORQ-SCI questionnaire a second time, with 52 reporting no changes in health or work status. Internal consistency for the WORQ-SCI was: 0.93 (23 items, N = 175). Test–retest reliability for the subgroup with no changes was ICC = 0.91 (95%-CI 0.84–0.95, N = 52). Bland–Altman plot for agreement between WORQ-SCI T1 and T2 (retest) suggested no systematic bias, with a mean difference of − 1.5 (SD 15.2) and 95% limits of agreement: ± 29.7.
ConclusionThe WORQ-SCI showed good internal consistency and test–retest reliability. The test–retest results provide insight into measurement error, emphasizing the robustness of the instrument over time. The WORQ-SCI could be used reliably to assess work-related functioning in persons with SCI, although limits of agreement suggest caution when interpreting change at the level of the individual.