Functional cervical scale : a reliability and validity study

Background. There are two specific scales designed to assess neck pain. They have weaknesses and limited assessment. A Functional Cervical Scale (FCS) based on neck disorders disability was developed after literature review and consultation with patients and medical specialists. Thirty-two items were tested.Study design. Two hundred and ten patients with neck pain answered the FCS and other questionnaires on work, medication intake and quality of life. Another copy of the FCS was mailed to the subjects who had to return it in a pre-stamped envelope.Methods. Item selection analyses were done. Test-retest and internal consistency were calculated to assess reliability. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted and correlations with other measures of neck pain were calculated to assess construct validity.Results. Through item selection procedures, the number of items was reduced from 32 to 30. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for test-retest was 0.93 and Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.97. Correlations for validity were good.Conclusion. FCS showed excellent reliability and good validity. The latter needs more assessment. The sensitivity to change should be estimated