Brazilian version, reliability and validity study of the Equiscale

Abstract

This articles presents the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Equiscale, and assesses its reliability and validity. The translation was tested on 11 randomly-selected patients with multiple sclerosis, who were also assessed by the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Functional Independence Measure (FIM), and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). The Equiscale was applied twice (test-retest) by three physical therapists. Test-retest reliability was verified by the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), and comparison between Equiscale and the other scales was made using Spearman correlation coefficient. Test-retest reliability was shown to be adequate (ICC=0.882; 0.906), as well as inter-examiner's (ICC=0.947; 0.933; 0.962). Good correlations were also found between Equiscale and BBS (rs=0.8940; p=0.0002), and EDSS (rs=-0.7139; p=0.0136). Results thus show that the Equiscale Brazilian version presents adequate reliability and validity, proving a useful instrument to assess balance in multiple sclerosis patients.