BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: People with balance disorders often have difficulty walking. The purpose of this study was to develop and test the psychometric properties of a short form of the Dynamic Gait Index (DGI) for the clinical measurement of walking function in people with balance and vestibular disorders. SUBJECTS: A total of 123 subjects with such disorders (test subjects) and 103 control subjects were included in this study. METHODS: Rasch and factor analyses were used to create a short form of the DGI. Internal consistency and discriminative validity for test subjects versus control subjects and for falling versus nonfalling test subjects were evaluated. RESULTS: Four items were selected for the shorter version of the test: gait on level surfaces, changes in gait speed, and horizontal and vertical head turns. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The clinical psychometric properties of the 4-item DGI were equivalent or superior to those of the 8-item test. The 4-item DGI can be used by clinicians to measure gait in people with balance and vestibular disorders without compromising important clinical measurement characteristics.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:People with balance disorders often have difficulty walking. The purpose of this study was to develop and test the psychometric properties of a short form of the Dynamic Gait Index (DGI) for the clinical measurement of walking function in people with balance and vestibular disorders. SUBJECTS: A total of 123 subjects with such disorders (test subjects) and 103 control subjects were included in this study. METHODS: Rasch and factor analyses were used to create a short form of the DGI. Internal consistency and discriminative validity for test subjects versus control subjects and for falling versus nonfalling test subjects were evaluated. RESULTS: Four items were selected for the shorter version of the test: gait on level surfaces, changes in gait speed, and horizontal and vertical head turns. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The clinical psychometric properties of the 4-item DGI were equivalent or superior to those of the 8-item test. The 4-item DGI can be used by clinicians to measure gait in people with balance and vestibular disorders without compromising important clinical measurement characteristics.
Authors: Charles A Odonkor; Julia C Thomas; Nicole Holt; Nancy Latham; Jessie Vanswearingen; Jennifer Sokol Brach; Suzanne G Leveille; Alan Jette; Jonathan Bean Journal: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci Date: 2013-05-08 Impact factor: 6.053
Authors: Vicki L Gray; Andrew P Goldberg; Mark W Rogers; Laila Anthony; Michael L Terrin; Jack M Guralnik; William C Blackwelder; Diana F H Lam; Siddhartha Sikdar; Brajesh K Lal Journal: J Vasc Surg Date: 2019-11-04 Impact factor: 4.268
Authors: Michael T Morgan; Lauren A Friscia; Susan L Whitney; Joseph M Furman; Patrick J Sparto Journal: Otol Neurotol Date: 2013-08 Impact factor: 2.311
Authors: Jennifer L Moore; Kirsten Potter; Kathleen Blankshain; Sandra L Kaplan; Linda C OʼDwyer; Jane E Sullivan Journal: J Neurol Phys Ther Date: 2018-07 Impact factor: 3.649