2023 Volume 1 Issue 1 Pages 18-27
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the inter-rater reliability and construct validity of the Index of Postural Stability (IPS) while seated as an assessment of sitting balance for patients with spastic cerebral palsy.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that included 29 patients with spastic cerebral palsy (Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I: 4, II: 4, III: 10, and IV: 11). The measures were the IPS while seated, the Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS), and the self-care and mobility domains of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI).
Results: The inter-rater reliability of the IPS while seated was intraclass correlation coefficient (2.1) = 0.92 (95% confidence intervals: 0.75-0.98), with a minimum detectable change of 0.46. The correlation coefficients with the TIS were 0.62, 0.57, and 0.57 for dynamic sitting balance, coordinated movement, and total score, respectively. The correlation coefficients with the PEDI were 0.55 and 0.46 for mobility, and 0.54 and 0.51 for self-care.
Conclusion: The seated IPS had good inter-rater reliability as an assessment of sitting balance in patients with spastic cerebral palsy using a gravimetric sway meter, which supports its construct validity.
