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Validation of the Spanish version of the Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale for older adults

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Abstract

Background

The Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale (PFS) is the only validated scale for measuring perceived fatigability in older adults.

Aims

We validated the PFS Spanish version by assessing convergent validity with respect to several measures of physical performance, physical activity, physical function and disability.

Methods

A cross-sectional validation study of 79 community-dwelling older adults aged 70 and older from Barcelona, Spain was included. Translation–retrotranslation was performed. Convergent validity was assessed in relation to physical activity and performance measurements, and analyzed with Spearman correlation coefficients, a linear trend test and non-linear regression. We also assessed the discriminant validity of the PFS physical score between participants with different physical activity and performance levels.

Results

Higher PFS physical scores were inversely associated with the Short Physical Performance Battery (r = − 0.5, p < 0.001) and weak to moderately correlated with gait speed (r = 0.38, p = 0.001), and self-reported weekly walking time (r = 0.24, p = 0.035).

Conclusion

The PFS is a novel, brief instrument to assess fatigability in Spanish-speaking older adults, with good convergent validity against physical performance measurements. Thus, the PFS can be used in Spanish-speaking populations.

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Acknowledgements

Rosario Jimenez, Esperança Palacios and Palmira Villafuerte of the ABS Vallcarca-Sant Gervasi for their help in conducting the clinical trial and assessments. Jordi González-Guerra and Irene Garcia for their help in conducting the interviews. Àlex Domingo, Gabriela del Valle Gómez, Cristina Puchol, Ignasi Bolibar, Alejandro Carrera Rodriguez for their help in the translation procedure of the Spanish version of the PFS.

Funding

The sub-study is part of a clinical trial “Exercise Park Equipment for Improving Physical Function and Physical Activity Levels in the Elderly” (NCT02375594) that had partial funding by Lappset España—Lappset Group Oy. The NCT02375594 clinical trial sponsor had no role in conducting the analyses, interpreting or reviewing the data included in this paper. The original Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale development and validation was funded by a Pittsburgh Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center Developmental Pilot Grant NIH P30 AG024826 and also from the Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Intermediate Care Hospital, Parc Sanitari Pere Virgili, Av. Esteve Terrada No 30, 08023, Barcelona, Spain

    Laura M. Pérez, Maria T. Molins & Marco Inzitari

  2. Fundació Salut i Envelliment, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Marta Roqué, Maria Ramoneda & Laura Coll-Planas

  3. Department of Epidemiology, Center for Aging and Population Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Nancy W. Glynn & Adam J. Santanasto

  4. Catalan Board of Physical Therapists (ColFiCat), Barcelona, Spain

    Patricia Vidal

  5. Department of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Marco Inzitari

Authors
  1. Laura M. Pérez
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  2. Marta Roqué
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  3. Nancy W. Glynn
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  4. Adam J. Santanasto
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  5. Maria Ramoneda
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  6. Maria T. Molins
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  7. Laura Coll-Planas
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  8. Patricia Vidal
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Laura M. Pérez.

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On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

This study was approved by the Animal and Human Experimentation Ethics Committee of the Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona.

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Written informed consent was collected from all participants.

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Pérez, L.M., Roqué, M., Glynn, N.W. et al. Validation of the Spanish version of the Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale for older adults. Aging Clin Exp Res 31, 209–214 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-018-0959-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-018-0959-0

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