Construct validity, test-retest reliability, and the ability to detect change of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure in a spinal cord injury population

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. OBJECTIVES: To examine the construct validity and the ability to detect change, of the Italian version of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) in a spinal cord injury (SCI) population. SETTINGS: Rehabilitation service of the Paraplegic Center of Ostia, Italy. METHODS: Thirty-nine spinal cord injury participants were recruited. The clinimetric properties of the measure were assessed following international guidelines. Cronbach’s alpha and the intraclass correlation coefficient were assessed for internal consistency and test-retest reliability, respectively. Construct validity was evaluated, by calculating correlation between COPM and the Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM) through Pearson’s correlation coefficient and Spearman’s Rho. The ability to detect change was evaluated on the overall sample. RESULTS: The COPM was shown to be reliable in a spinal cord injury sample with positive and statistically significant results for Cronbach’s alpha (0.89) and ICC (0.99 for the performance subtest and 0.98 for the satisfaction subtest). Correlation coefficients did not show a correlation between the COPM total score and the SCIM. The COPM scores improved significantly during in-patient rehabilitation, moreover the mean change between the start of treatment and the end of the therapy as evaluated with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was −4.25 points for the performance score and −2.96 points for the satisfaction score. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the COPM is a reliable tool for assessing SCI clients’ perceived performance of daily activities and their satisfaction with their performance.