Short Physical Performance Battery reliability and validity in adults with mild to moderate intellectual disability

ABSTRACT

Background

People with intellectual disability have poor balance skills and greater fall risk. The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) provides comprehensive information on functional status and can predict fall risk. However, the reliability and validity of the SPPB have not been evaluated in people with intellectual disability.

Methods

Seventy-eight adults with intellectual disability were assessed using the SPPB twice. Reliability was analysed with intraclass correlation coefficient and validity was assessed against the Timed Up & Go (TUG) test and the stabilometric test using Spearman’s rho.

Results

Reliability was moderate to high in all SPPB components except for the semi-tandem and full tandem positions. The SPPB summary score indicated moderate test–retest reliability and showed mostly significant moderate associations with the TUG and poor agreement with the stabilometric test.

Conclusions

The SPPB summary score indicated high internal consistency, moderate reliability, and moderate validity when applied to adults with intellectual disability.

KEYWORDS:

• Intellectual disability
• Short Physical Performance Battery
• reliability
• balance
• validity

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the staff and participants from Lantegi Batuak for their assistance and willingness to be part of the study. This study was facilitated by an agreement between the regional Government Diputación Foral de Bizkaia/Bizkaiko Foru Aldundia (Departamento de Acción Social/Gizarte Ekintza Zaila) and Lantegi Batuak.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, JTU, upon reasonable request.