Background: The Functional Gait Assessment (FGA) was developed to measure of gait-related activities. The FGA was translated in Korean but only a few psychometric characteristics had been studied. Objects: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Korean version of FGA scale using Rasch analysis. Methods: The study included 120 patients with stroke (age range=30∼83 years; mean±standard deviation=58.3±11.1). The FGA and Berg Balance Scale were performed, and were analysed for dimensionality of the scale, item difficulty, scale reliability and separation, and item-person map using Rasch analysis. Results: The 4 rating scale categories of FGA were satisfied with optimal rating scale criteria. The most items of the FGA showed sound item psychometric properties except 2 items (‘gait with the horizontal head turns’, and ‘gait with narrow base of support’), and the 2 misfit items were excluded for all further analyses. The 8 items were arranged in order of difficulty. The most difficult item was ‘gait with eyes closed’, the middle difficult item was ‘gait level surface’, and the easiest item was ‘gait with vertical head turns.’ A person separation reliability was .93 and the person separation index was 3.57. Conclusion: This study suggests that the 8-item Korean FGA are valid measure of assess the gait-related balance performance, and to set the goal of rehabilitation plan in patient with stroke.

Balance is a complex motor skill that depends on interactions between multiple sensorimotor processes and environmental and functional contexts. Many rehabilitation specialists believe that balance assessment under multitask conditions may be a more sensitive indicator of balance problems and falls than balance assessment in a single-task context. Functional Gait Assessment has many tasks that allow for testing under multitask conditions. The purpose of this study was to determine the concurrent validity between the Functional Gait Assessment (FGA), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and Timed "Up & Go" Test (TUG) in patients with stroke. One hundred and five participants with at least 3 months post stroke and able to walk at least 6 m with or without a mono cane, participated in this study. Concurrent validity between the FGA, BBS, and TUG was assessed using Spearman rank order correlation. The FGA correlated with the BBS (r=.80, p<.01) and TUG (r=-.77, p<.01). The good and moderate correlation between the FGA, BBS, and TUG establishes the concurrent validity of the FGA in patients with stroke. These measures provide clinicians with valuable information about patients' functional balance capabilities.

After stroke, many people have problems with balance during movement. Balance is essential for the optimal functioning of the locomotor system and the performance of many activities of daily living. The Functional Gait Assessment (FGA) is a clinical tool for evaluating balance ability during walking. The test consists of ten tasks, seven tasks of the Dynamic Gait Index and three additional tasks. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and internal consistency of data obtained with the Korean version of the FGA when used with people after suffering a stroke. One-hundred participants, at least three months poststroke and able to walk at least six meters with or without a walking aid, participated in the study (age range=30~83 years; ). Two physical therapists and two physical therapy students rated the FGA. Intrarater and interrater reliability of the FGA were assessed using kappa statistic and intraclass correlation coefficients (2,1). The internal consistency of the FGA was assessed using the Cronbach alpha. The Cronbach alpha was good (=.86~.93). The intrarater (intraclass correlation coefficient=.92~.95) and interrater reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient=.91, .95) of the total scores administered by the therapists and students were good, whereas the reliability for single item scores when administered by the physical therapists was moderate to good (kapa value=.42~.97). This study found that intrarater and interrater reliability for total FGA scores and internal consistency were good. Therefore, the Korean version of the FGA can be used as a reliable tool to assess the functional gait performance of patients after stroke.