Background and purpose: Assessing functional status in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) has a major role in determining how to help patients to reach their optimal level of living independently in the community. The Frenchay Activity Index (FAI) is a commonly used scale to evaluate functional status in rehabilitation research and practice settings. The aim of this study was to translate the FAI into the standard Arabic language through the process of cross-cultural adaptation and to explore the internal consistency and construct validity of the produced Arabic version of FAI (A-FAI) among a sample of Arabic-speaking PwMS.
Method: The English version of the FAI was translated into Arabic according to the published guidelines. Cronbach's α was used to assess the internal consistency of the A-FAI, and principal factor analysis was conducted to explore the construct validity.
Results: Hundred and six subjects participated in the study. The A-FAI has acceptable internal consistency as Cronbach's α was 0.70. The principal factor analysis revealed that the instrument has four main factors: domestic chore, leisure, hobbies, and work, rather than the original three factors scale.
Discussion: The A-FAI has acceptable internal consistency and validity. A-FAI provides essential information about the participation level in instrumental activities of daily living activities among PwMS speaking the Arabic language.
Keywords: Arabic; functional assessment; multiple sclerosis; psychometric.
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