Construct validity of the Spanish version of the Post-COVID-19 Functional Status scale and validation of the web-based form in COVID-19 survivors

• Published in: PloS one 2022-06, Vol.17 (6), p.e0269274
• Main Authors: Sacristán-Galisteo, Cristina, Del Corral, Tamara, Ríos-León, Marta, Martín-Casas, Patricia, Plaza-Manzano, Gustavo, López-de-Uralde-Villanueva, Ibai
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living; Agreements; Analysis; Anxiety; Biology and Life Sciences; Coronaviruses; Correlation; COVID-19; Cross-Sectional Studies; Disease transmission; Dyspnea; Functional Status; Hospitals; Humans; Infections; Internet; Internet access; Interviews; Medicine and Health Sciences; Pandemics; Patients; Psychometrics; Quality of life; Quality of Life - psychology; Questionnaires; Reliability analysis; Reproducibility of Results; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Social Sciences; Statistical analysis; Survival; Survivors; Validation studies; Validity; Variables
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269274

To assess the psychometric characteristics of the Spanish Post-COVID-19 Functional Status (PCFS) scale (web-based and paper-based forms) and the test-retest reliability of the web-based form. Cross-sectional study of 125 COVID-19 survivors. The test-retest reliability of the web-based form was assessed at 7 days after the first evaluation. We collected symptoms, functional status (PCFS scale), health-related quality of life (EuroQol-5D questionnaire, EQ-5D-5L), activities of daily living limitations [Barthel Index and Global Activity Limitation Index, GALI] and psychological state (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, HADS). The paper- and web-based forms of the Spanish PCFS scale showed adequate construct validity, and the web-based form provided substantial test-retest reliability (kappa = 0.63). The percentage of agreement between the web-based and paper-based forms was high (88%). Functional status showed a high correlation with EQ-5D-5L (inverse) and GALI (direct) (both; Rho ≥ .743), a moderate correlation with HADS (Rho ≥ .409) and a low correlation with the Barthel Index (Rho < .30). The Kruskal-Wallis test showed statistically significant differences in EQ-5D-5L, GALI and HADS according to the degree of functional status. The Spanish version of the PCFS scale (web-based and paper-based forms) showed adequate construct validity, and the web-based form provided substantial test-retest reliability in COVID-19 survivors.