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Construct validation and the Rasch model

Functional ability of healthy elderly people

Kirsten Avlund, Institute of Social Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Section of Prospective Medicine, Medical Department C, Glostrup Hospital, Correspondence: Kirsten Avlund Institute of Social Medicine Panum Institute Blegdamsvej 3 2200 Copenhagen N Denmark

Svend Kreiner

Svend Kreiner, Danish Institute of Educational Research, Copenhagen

Kirsten Schultz-Larsen

Kirsten Schultz-Larsen, Institute of Social Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Section of Prospective Medicine, Medical Department C, Glostrup Hospital

The purpose of this study was to test the construct validity of a measure of functional ability, developed with the intention of achieving a high degree of variability and capacity for discriminating among a group of healthy elderly people. Data were collected from 734 70-year-old people in Denmark in the county of Copenhagen. Functional ability was measured with the traditional activities of daily living and with a classification system developed specially for healthy elderly people. Construct validity was tested by the Rasch model for item analysis, addressing specifically the internal validity by assessing the homogeneity of items under different conditions. The results show that the proposed measure of functional ability is a combination of six different dimensions, divided into 3 types: mobility function, lower limb function and upper limb function. With regard to these three types decreased functional ability can appear by either tiredness or reduced speed.

Key Words: Construct validity • rasch model • functional ability • activities of daily living • mobility

Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, Vol. 21, No. 4, 233-244 (1993)
DOI: 10.1177/140349489302100403


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