Reliability and concurrent validity of standardized walking obstacle course test in people with stroke.

Abstract

To investigate: (i) the intra-rater, inter-rater and test-retest reliabilities of completion times and step counts on the Standardized Walking Obstacle Course test (SWOC); (ii) correlations between SWOC scores and stroke-specific impairments; (iii) the cut-off SWOC completion times and step counts for distinguishing differences in obstacle negotiation ability in people with chronic stroke and healthy older adults. Cross-sectional study. University-based rehabilitation centre. Twenty-nine people with stroke and 30 healthy older adults. SWOC completion times and step counts were measured under 3 conditions: (i) normal walking; (ii) walking with a tray; and (iii) walking with dark-glasses. The Fugl-Meyer Assessment of lower extremity, the Five-Times-Sit-to-Stand Test, the Berg Balance Scale, the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), and the Community Integration Measure questionnaire, were also administered. SWOC completion times and step counts showed very satisfactory to excellent reliabilities (intraclass correlation coefficient; ICC = 0.851-0.993). TUG times correlated significantly with SWOC completion times and step counts under the 3 conditions (r = 0.586-0.815, p < 0.001). SWOC completion times of 14.73-16.00 s and step counts of 23.06-24.13, depending on different walking conditions, were able to discriminate between stroke survivors and healthy older adults. The SWOC is a reliable clinical tool for assessing obstacle negotiation ability in people with stroke.