Development of Persian version of the Spinal Cord Independence Measure III assessed by interview: a psychometric study

Abstract

Study design: Cross-sectional psychometric study. Objectives: To translate the Spinal Cord Independence Measure III (SCIM-III) into Persian, to evaluate it culturally and to analyze the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the SCIM-III (P-SCIM). Setting: Brain and Spinal Injury Research Center (BASIR), Tehran, Iran. Methods: The P-SCIM was developed by forward translation, back-translation, and cultural equivalence assessment procedure. The authors studied: (a) correlation of P-SCIM with the Functional Independence Measure (FIM ™ ) for determining convergence validity, (b) P-SCIM scores in neurological categories for comparison and evaluating discriminative validity, (c) Inter-rater reliability of P-SCIM, (d) Cronbach’s alpha for measuring internal consistency of P-SCIM-III. Results: The validity of the scale was supported by a Pearson correlation coefficient of > 0.9 (p < 0.001) between FIM ™ and P-SCIM . The Persian SCIM was found to be valid in discriminating different neurological categories. The Inter-rater reliability was concluded by Intraclass correlations of a coefficient > 0.9. Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated good agreement between our raters (mean difference: 0.7, limit of agreement: − 8.09–9.58). Also internal consistency of the scale was shown by Cronbach’s alpha to be > 0.7 (0.86). Conclusion: P-SCIM-III is a valid and consistent tool for determining functionality in Persian speaking people with spinal cord injury.