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- a
Polar Electro Inc. 1111 Marcus Ave, Ste M15 Lake Success, NY 11042-1034.
- b
SPSS Inc, 233 S Wacker Dr, 11th Fl, Chicago, IL 60606.
Patients after stroke who received rehabilitation between January and April 2010 in 1 of 3 rehabilitation centers in the Netherlands were asked to participate. In addition, a convenience sample of discharged patients was recruited from the 2006 through 2009 database of 1 rehabilitation center. Inclusion criteria were (1) stroke verified by a physician; (2) age between 18 and 80 years; (3) walking without physical assistance; and (4) understanding simple instructions. Exclusion criteria were (1)
Not all 75 participants (table 1) were able to participate in both examinations (validity and reliability), because of the time poststroke (n=7), planning problems (n=14), or physical problems on the second measurement day (n=1).
The SWT is a reliable test to measure functional walking capacity of patients after stroke. Both hypotheses on construct validity were confirmed, and the measurement error and SDD/SD ratio were within the boundaries described in literature. Even though the 6MWT has some disadvantages, the 6MWT was used to determine construct validity because it is the most frequently used instrument in research and clinical practice. No systematic differences were found between the repeated tests, indicating
The SWT can be performed in groups and requires less space to conduct than the 6MWT. This, together with its sound measurement properties, favors the use of the SWT to determine functional walking capacity, especially for patients after stroke who have a relatively high walking speed.
Polar Electro Inc. 1111 Marcus Ave, Ste M15 Lake Success, NY 11042-1034. SPSS Inc, 233 S Wacker Dr, 11th Fl, Chicago, IL 60606.Suppliers
We thank the rehabilitation centers that participated in this study: Merem De Trappenberg, Huizen; De Hoogstraat, Utrecht; and Aardenburg Military Rehabilitation Center, Doorn. We also thank the assistants who helped carry out the SWTs, and A. Beelen, PhD, for critically reviewing the manuscript.
No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit on the authors or on any organization with which the authors are associated.