Validity and Reliability of Sitting Star Excursion Balance Test in People with Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury with destruction of the ascending and descending pathways of the spinal cord leads to changes in the postural control system and the inability to sit without support. Sitting balance as one of the components of physical fitness is associated with a motion for sport and daily activities with particular importance for people with spinal cord injuries. Most daily activities of oblique trunk movements are in several movement plates. However, no testing protocols have been developed to test sitting balance in all directions. Thus, the primary aim of this study was to introduce a sitting balance test and investigate the reliability, validity, and usefulness of a newly-developed Sitting Star Excursion Balance Test (SSEBT). Materials and ۱۰۱ female and male subjects with chronic spinal cord injury (average of ۱۰.۲۵ years post injury) participated in this study voluntarily. To investigate the reliability and validity of (SSEBT), Pearson s coefficient of correlation and interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used at a significant level of p <۰.۰۱. (SSEBT)was highly correlated with the modified functional test (r = ۰.۸۴), indicating the concurrent validity between the two tests. The inter Intra-class Correlation Coefficient was above ۰.۹۰, also the Inter class correlation coefficient for (SSEBT)was higher than ۰.۹۰. The results of this study showed that (SSEBT)has good validity and reliability to measure the sitting balance test in people with spinal cord injuries. Therefore, the use of this novel test is recommended to sports specialists and rehabilitation and physiotherapy centers for accurate and fast measurement of sitting balance in this population.

Keywords:

Validity , Reliability , Sitting Balance , Spinal Cord Injury