Language equivalence of the modified falls efficacy scale (MFES) among English- and Spanish-speaking older adults: Rasch analysis

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Robert J. Lucero, University of Florida; Sergio Romero, North Florida South Georgia Veteran Health System; Robert Fieo, University of Florida; Yamnia Cortes, University of North Carolina; Jeannie Cimiotti, Emory University; Lusine Poghosyan, Columbia University
• Language: English
• Date: 2020-08-12
• Publisher: BMC
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © The Author(s) 2020
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12877-020-01627-3
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: BMC GERIATRICS
• Volume: 20
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 286
• End Page: 286
• Grant/Funding Information: Preparation of the manuscript was supported by the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Nursing Research, Center for Evidence-based Practice in the Underserved (P30NR010677; P30NR010677-S1, Suzanne Bakken, PI).
• Keywords: Geriatrics & Gerontology; PEOPLE; MEASUREMENT MODEL; FEAR; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; ELDERLY PERSONS; MOBILITY; Gerontology; Fear of falling; RISK; Science & Technology; VALIDATION; Language equivalence; Psychometric measurement; BALANCE; QUALITY-OF-LIFE; Modified falls efficacy scale; Rash analysis
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Health Care Management; Gerontology

Abstract

Background: To investigate item-level measurement properties of the Modified Falls Efficacy (MFES) Scale among English- and Spanish-speaking urban-dwelling older adults as a means to evaluate language equivalence of the tool. Methods: Secondary analysis of survey data from 170 English (n = 83) and Spanish (n = 87) speaking older adults who reported to the emergency department of a quaternary medical center in New York City between February 2010 and August 2011. The Rasch rating scale model was used to investigate item statistics and ordering of items, item and person reliability, and model performance of the Modified Falls Efficacy Scale. Results: The Modified Falls Efficacy Scale, for English- and Spanish-speakers, demonstrated acceptable fit to the Rasch model of a unidimensional measure. While the range of the construct is more limited for the Spanish group, the interval between tasks are much closer, reflecting little to no construct under-representation. Conclusion: There is rationale for continued testing of a unidemsional English- and Spanish-MFES among urban community-dwelling older adults. Large-scale international studies linking the unidemsional MFES to patient outcomes will support the validity of this tool for research and practice.