Development of visual-motor integration scale for the Korean old people

Effective methods to detect old people cognitive decline in early stages are needed in Korea, which is the fastest aging country in the world. This study aimed to develop a brief cognitive function measurement, Visual-Motor Integration Scale for the Korean elderly (VMIS-KE). In this methodological research, 16 preliminary items on visual-motor integration for the old people were chosen after literature review and expert validation. One hundred eighty participants aged 20–79 years were recruited to verify the validity and reliability of this measurement from community sources in Daegu city. The collected data were analyzed by exploratory factor analysis and confirmative factor analysis using SPSS and AMOS 18.0 program. The three factors (figure cognition, memory, and spatial cognition) with 12 items were finally extracted. Goodness of the fit was confirmed through confirmatory factor analysis. The Cronbach α was 0.867. The scores of overall VMIS-KE and every subcategory significantly decreased with age, especially in the 70s. VMIS-KE is the first valid and reliable measurement to assess cognitive decline of the Korean old people through visual motor integration, and can easily and quickly detect high-risk groups of dementia regardless of their educational level.