Cross cultural validation of functional autonomy measurement system (SMAF) into Arabic geriatric rehab-culture

Abstract

The Functional Autonomy Measurement System (FAMS) measures functional ability in Five domain: mobility, activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, mental function and communication. FAMS however was validated into many languages such are English, Spanish, Japanese and Dutch, but it was not validated into Arabic. So, it may not suit Arabian cultures and society. Thus, the validation of FAMS into Arabic is vital. The aim therefore was to validate FAMS into Arabic culture. This is a prospective cross-sectional design. The study was conducted in Riyadh at King Abdul-Aziz Medical city (KAMC), in King Fahad Hospital (KFH) /in rehabilitation department. The FAMS was translated from original English version into Arabic. Translated Arabic version was distributed to 30 health professionals who work in rehabilitation department to check it for contents and accordingly FAMS was modified. Then, the final modified version of Arabic FAMS was distributed to 30 Saudis elderly who are 60 years old and above to test the question applicability and clarity. The results showed a measure of the internal consistency of our study by using Cronbach's alpha. The optimal value of this test is 0.7 and above. So, we found the value of our study was more than 0.7. The value was 0.9 for the 5 domains (ADL, Mobility, Communication, Mental function, IADL) which means it reliable for Arabic patients in Arabic cultures. The result revealed a new Arabic version of important assessment tool in the field of rehabilitation for the first time ever. The internal consistency of the FAMS assessment tool is in line with other previous similar validation research globally. Conclusion and clinical implications: The new translated Arabic version of FAMS was produced with Arabic cultural modifications. Further studies are needed to test this important assessment tools with larger population of Arab patients.