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

OBJECTIVES 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. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING University-based rehabilitation centre. SUBJECTS Twenty-nine people with stroke and 30 healthy older adults. METHODS 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. RESULTS 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. CONCLUSION The SWOC is a reliable clinical tool for assessing obstacle negotiation ability in people with stroke.