Functional Capacity Index: cultural adaptation and measurement of validity and reliability

Objective  To carry out a cultural adaptation of the Functional Capacity Index (FCI) into Portuguese and to verify its reliability and validity in traffic accident victims.

Method  Methodological study for cultural adaptation of the FCI. Reliability and validity were verified in a convenience sample of traffic accident victims, in São Paulo city. Data from the patient’s medical record were collected retrospectively in 2015. Reliability verified by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and validity by Spearman’s correlation and Mann-Whitney test.

Results  The FCI in Portuguese was applied to 50 traffic accident victims. The internal consistency reached Cronbach’s alpha values >0.70. The FCI correlated with the Katz index, did not correlate with the severity of trauma and the FCI of trauma patients was higher compared to those without trauma.

Conclusion  The FCI in Portuguese showed satisfactory internal consistency, allowing the measurement of functional capacity, discriminating against people with and without traumatic injuries

Keywords
Translating; Validation study; Activities of daily living; Wounds and injuries; Accidents; traffic