Investigation of psychometric properties of the Falls Efficacy Scale using Rasch analysis in patients with hemiplegic stroke

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Falls Efficacy Scale using Rasch analysis in patients with hemiplegic stroke. [Subjects] Fifty-five community-dwelling hemiplegic stroke patients were selected as participants. [Methods] Data were analyzed using the Winsteps program (version 3.62) with the Rasch model to confirm the unidimensionality through item fit, reliability, and appropriateness of the rating scale. [Results] There were no misfit persons or items. Furthermore, infit and outfit statistics appeared adjacent. The person separation value was 3.07, and the reliability coefficient was 0.90. The reliability of all items was at an acceptable level for patients with hemiplegic stroke. [Conclusion] This was the first study to investigate the psychometric properties of the Falls Efficacy Scale using Rasch analysis. The results of this study suggest that the 6-point Falls Efficacy Scale is an appropriate tool for measuring the self-perceived fear of falling in patients with hemiplegic stroke.