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Construction and Validation of the 4-Item Dynamic Gait Index

GF Marchetti, PT, PhD, is Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pa, and Assistant Professor, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa.
SL Whitney, PT, PhD, NCS, ATC, is Associate Professor, Departments of Physical Therapy and Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, 6035 Forbes Tower, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 (USA), and Program Director, Physical Therapy Department, Centers for Rehab Services, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pa. Address all correspondence to Dr Whitney at: whitney\@pitt.edu.

whitney{at}pitt.edu

Background and Purpose. People with balance disorders often have difficulty walking. The purpose of this study was to develop and test the psychometric properties of a short form of the Dynamic Gait Index (DGI) for the clinical measurement of walking function in people with balance and vestibular disorders. Subjects. A total of 123 subjects with such disorders (test subjects and 103 control subjects were included in this study. Methods. Rasch and factor analyses were used to create a short form of the DGI. Internal consistency and discriminative validity for test subjects versus control subjects and for falling versus nonfalling test subjects were evaluated. Results. Four items were selected for the shorter version of the test: gait on level surfaces, changes in gait speed, and horizontal and vertical head turns. Discussion and Conclusion. The clinical psychometric properties of the 4-item DGI were equivalent or superior to those of the 8-item test. The 4-item DGI can be used by clinicians to measure gait in people with balance and vestibular disorders without compromising important clinical measurement characteristics.

Key Words: Gait • Measurement • Validity • Vestibular system

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