Test-retest reliability and responsiveness of an adapted version of the ABILHAND questionnaire to assess performance in bimanual daily life activities in stroke patients in sub-Saharan Africa.

Abstract

The ABILHAND is a widely used questionnaire assessing bimanual daily life activities in adults with stroke. A recently modified version tailored for the sub-Saharan African population (ABILHAND-Stroke Benin) has been created. This study aimed to investigate its test-retest reliability and responsiveness. The study included 132 adults with stroke with a mean (SD) age = 54.6 (11.2) years and 40% women. The mean (SD) time since stroke was 15.2 (12) months for the subsample ( n  = 51) included in the reliability analysis and 1 (0.6) month for the subsample ( n  = 81) of the responsiveness analysis. Participants were assessed within a week interval with the ABILHAND-Stroke Benin questionnaire for the reliability analysis. As for the responsiveness analysis, they were additionally assessed with the ACTIVLIM-Stroke questionnaire, the Box and Block Test (BBT), and the Stroke Impairment Assessment Set, at baseline (T1), 2-month later (T2), and on average of 1.5 (0.5) years after stroke (T3). The ABILHAND-Stroke Benin questionnaire showed an excellent test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.98, P  < 0.001, minimal detectable change = 10.3%). Regarding the responsiveness analysis, participants showed a larger improvement during the acute phase (T1-T2) compared with the chronic phase (T2-T3). Changes with the ABILHAND-Stroke Benin questionnaire were significantly correlated with changes with the other outcome measures (correlations ranged from 0.36 to 0.70, P  < 0.05) except with the BBT less affected hand. The ABILHAND-Stroke Benin questionnaire demonstrates an excellent test-retest reliability and was responsive to changes in adults with stroke.