Physical body experiences questionnaire simplified for active aging (PBE-QAG): Rasch validation

Abstract

Purpose To validate the Physical Body Experiences Questionnaire simplified for Active aGing (PBE-QAG) with Rasch Measurement Theory. PBE-QAG measures body awareness during physical activity. Methods Community-dwelling adults were recruited at the Minnesota State Fair, Highland Fest, and in the Brain Body Mind Lab (University of Minnesota). They completed demographic, clinical, and behavioral questionnaires and the PBE-QAG, which has 12 items, with scoring options ranging between 0 (totally true) and 4 (totally false). A lower total PBE-QAG score on reflects better body awareness. We validated the structural validity of PBE-QAG in community-dwelling older adults, and in community-dwelling adults (18–99 years of age). We also performed a pilot structural validity in community-dwelling adults with chronic stroke. We evaluated item and person fit, targeting, unidimensionality, person separation reliability, differential item functioning for demographic and clinical characteristics, principal component of residuals, and local item dependence. Results We obtained unidimensionality and item fit after deleting and rescoring items in older adults (n = 133), adults (n = 530), and adults with chronic stroke (n = 36). In community-dwelling adults, 7 participants did not fit the model (1.13%). There was minimal floor (5.28%), no ceiling effect (0.00%), and no local item dependence or differential item functioning. The person mean location was -1.77±1.22 logits. Conclusions PBE-QAG demonstrated good item and person fit, but the targeting is off. Therefore, the current version of PBE-QAG is not recommended for use in community-dwelling adults. We encourage further validation of PBE-QAG by adding more difficult items. We also recommend evaluating the PBE-QAG in a larger group of adults with stroke.