Inter-rater reliability of the Strain Index

Due to the character of the original source materials and the nature of batch digitization, quality control issues may be present in this document. Please report any quality issues you encounter to digital@library.tamu.edu, referencing the URI of the item.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 22-24).Issued also on microfiche from Lange Micrographics.The Strain Index is one of several tools available to evaluate exposure to musculoskeletal stressors in the workplace in order to predict whether or not workers are at an increased risk of developing distal upper extremity disorders. The purpose of this study was to determine the inter-rater reliability of the Strain Index. Using a computer to view digitized segments of job tasks that represented a balanced spectrum of task variable ratings, fifteen raters initially estimated or measured data for five of the Strain Index task variables and then assigned rating values to the variables according to published procedures. For other video segments, raters performed complete analyses, including calculation of a Strain Index Score that directs the assignment of a Hazard Classification. The raters performed these tasks both as individuals and then as members of five three-person teams. Inter-rater reliability of the procedures leading to and including the Strain Index Score were measured using an Intraclass Correlation Coefficient, ICC(2,1). Inter-rater reliability for the dichotomous Hazard Classification was measured using KR-20. For the task variables and estimated data, ICC(2,1) varied between 0.66-0.84 for the individuals and 0.48-0.93 for the teams. The SI Score had an ICC(2,1) of 0.43 and 0.64 for the individuals and teams, respectively. For the most important variable, Hazard Classification, KR-20 was 0.91 for the individuals and 0.89 for the teams