Translation, reliability and validity of the Greek functional mobility scale (FMS) for children with cerebral palsy

Abstract

Purpose

To translate and investigate the reliability and validity of the Greek version of the Functional Mobility Scale (FMS).

Methods

FMS was translated into Greek. Test-retest reliability (Cohen’s weighted kappa coefficient, κ_w) and concurrent validity (Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, r_s) of the Greek version of FMS were assessed in children with Cerebral Palsy (CP). Sixty children (mean age 7.82 ± 3.20 years) were recruited. Physical therapists administered the FMS by interviewing parents about their children’s mobility status. The Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) was additionally used for testing concurrent validity.

Results

The translation of the FMS was deemed easy to understand and administer. The Greek FMS was demonstrated to have almost perfect test-retest reliability (κ_w=0.98–1.00), and very strong correlation with the GMFCS (–0.85 ≤ r_s ≤ −0.89, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The Greek version of the FMS was shown to be a reliable and valid classification system for CP and can be used with confidence by Greek physical therapists.

Implications for rehabilitation

• The FMS provides a very simple and practical outcome measure of functional mobility in children with CP.

• The use of the reliable and valid Greek FMS will enhance the physical therapy assessment process in the Greek population, by offering the feasibility to detect the motor performance changes in children with CP as they grow or following interventions.

• The current study renders the Greek FMS available for utilization by physical therapists in order to quantify the independent mobility in children with CP.

Keywords:

• Cerebral palsy
• functional mobility scale
• reliability
• translation
• validity

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the parents of the children and the physiotherapists from the “ENA” and “Paidokinisi” paediatric practices for their participation. We are very grateful to Dr Adrienne Ruth Harvey, one of the developers of Functional Mobility Scale for her valuable contribution to the translation process.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.