Assessment of the psychometric properties of the Frailty and Injuries: Cooperative Studies of Intervention Techniques–4 in people with stroke

Background: The Frailty and Injuries: Cooperative Studies of Intervention Techniques − 4 (FICSIT-4) is a measure that assesses standing balance ability. However, the psychometric properties of the FICSIT-4 have not been examined in people with stroke. Objectives: To investigate the psychometric properties of the FICSIT-4, including its internal consistency, test–retest reliability, concurrent validity, and known-group validity, and identify the cutoff score on the FICSIT-4 that discriminates people with stroke from healthy older people. Methods: Sixty-two participants with stroke and 49 age-matched healthy controls were recruited. The FICSIT-4 was administered twice, on days 1 and 2, with a 1-week interval, to the participants with stroke to examine test–retest reliability. Various health-related measures were also administered to the stroke participants on day 1. The FICISIT-4 was only administered once, on day 1, to the healthy participants. Results: The FICIST-4 was found to exhibit fair internal consistency, good test–retest reliability and significant correlations with various health-related outcome measures. It also demonstrated known-group validity, and a score of 25 was found to distinguish people with stroke from healthy older people. Conclusion: The FICISIT-4 is a reliable and valid measure for assessing the standing balance ability of people with stroke.