ArticlesValidation of the Frenchay Activities index in a general population aged 16 years and older☆,☆☆
Section snippets
Methods
The study was conducted as a postal questionnaire survey in two phases, using a sample from the general population in England. The United Kingdom (UK) has had a comprehensive free-at-the-point-of-contact health service since 1948. The large majority of the population is registered, for the purposes of primary care delivery, with a general medical practitioner (GP). Health service management for the population of England is expedited by about 90 Health Authorities (HAs), each of which covers
Results
Of the 1280 people identified in both phases of this study, 58 were excluded because they had moved away, or judged themselves “too ill” or “too old” to complete the questionnaire, or had died. Of the remaining 1222 people, 602 valid questionnaires were returned, giving a response rate of 49.3%.
More women than men participated in the study (χ2 = 5.02; df = 1; p = .03, table 1). Some variation in response rates between age bands was observed, ranging from 62 (39%) in the age band of 16 to 24
Discussion
Our response rate of 49.3% falls short of the much-quoted acceptable rate of 65% for postal surveys. This is not for want of trying, however, and it seems unlikely that further questionnaire rounds would have made much improvement. It is worth exploring the possible reasons for this low rate, however. In the present study, 44% of respondents reported a long-standing illness or disability, which compares with the 35% in the general population.24 It appears, therefore, that people with a
Conclusion
The present study has established preliminary age and sex norms that should be interpreted with caution, given the low response rate and the fact that 44% of the sample reported a long-standing illness or disability. We found significant relations between self-reported health, the presence of a long-standing illness or disability, and levels of self-reported activity. The study showed that the FAI has good construct validity, particularly in middle-aged and elderly people, and has good
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the Health Authority groups and respondents who participated in the study. We thank also South and West Regional Health Authority for funding the study.
References (27)
- et al.
Comprehensive assessment of activities of daily living in stroke. The Copenhagen Stroke study
Arch Phys Med Rehabil
(1997) - et al.
The rehabilitation activities profile: a validation study of its use as a disability index with stroke patients
Arch Phys Med Rehabil
(1995) - et al.
Outpatient planning for persons with physical disabilities: a randomized prospective trial of physiatrist alone versus a multidisciplinary team
Arch Phys Med Rehabil
(1995) - et al.
An activities index for use with stroke patients
Age Ageing
(1983) - et al.
Functional evaluation: the Barthel Index
Md State Med J
(1965) - et al.
Is the EuroQol a valid measure of health-related quality of life after stroke?
Stroke
(1997) - et al.
Lifestyle activities of the elderly: composition and determinants
Disabil Rehabil
(1995) - et al.
Influence of cognitive function on social, domestic, and leisure activities of community-dwelling older people
Int Disabil Studies
(1990) - et al.
Cost effectiveness of community leg ulcer clinics: randomised controlled trial
Br Med J
(1998) - et al.
An examination of the factor structure of the Frenchay Activities Index
Disabil Rehabil
(1992)
Timed walking test: an all-embracing outcome measure for lower-limb amputees?
Clin Rehabil
Outcome of prosthetic management of bilateral lower-limb amputees
Disabil Rehabil
Social activities after stroke: measurement and natural history using the Frenchay Activities Index
Int Rehabil Med
Cited by (0)
- ☆
No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the authors or upon any organization with which the authors are associated.
- ☆☆
Reprint requests to Steve George, University of Southampton Health Care Research Unit, Mailpoint 805, Level B South Academic Block, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton SO16 6YD, United Kingdom.