Cross-Sectional Psychometric Assessment of the Functional Status Questionnaire: Use with Geriatric versus Nongeriatric Ambulatory Medical Patients

Abstract

Objective: The Beth Israel/UCLA Functional Status Questionnaire (FSQ) is a multidimensional self-report instrument used for assessing the physical, social, and psychological status of children and adults. This study assessed the appropriateness of the FSQ for use with geriatric (at least 65 years of age) ambulatory medical patients. Method: Concurrent cohort convenience samples of forty geriatric and eighty-five nongeriatric ambulatory patients were drawn from a general internal medicine clinic. Patients completed the FSQ while waiting to see their physician. Analyses were conducted in order to: 1) address the magnitude and pattern of missing responses that are generated when the FSQ is administered to small groups; 2) assess whether, as was intended, each of the different FSQ subscales is unidimensional; 3) evaluate the magnitude and pattern of variances and covariances of items constituting FSQ subscales; 4) compare profiles of FSQ scores between geriatric versus nongeriatric samples; and 5) investigate whether FSQ subscales correlate with different self-report outcome measures in a convergent or divergent manner. Results: For both samples, FSQ subscales were internally consistent and moderately variable. Cross-sectional comparisons revealed both convergent and divergent relationships between FSQ subscales and measures of social support and satisfaction with health. Conclusions: The FSQ appears to be appropriate for use with geriatric ambulatory medical patients. Findings highlighted the positive influence of intermediate activities of daily life—involving moderate levels of physical activity—on satisfaction with health, and the negative effect of depression on physical activity.