Use of the LIFE-H in stroke rehabilitation: A structured review of its psychometric properties

Purpose. To perform a structured review of the psychometric properties specific to the stroke population of the Assessment of Life Habits (LIFE-H). This tool measures quality of social participation, an important but under-evaluated aspect of stroke recovery. Method. A structured review of publications at MEDLINE; Embase, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library using the following terms: LIFE-H, life habits, psychometric properties, measurement properties, reliability, repeatability, validity, responsiveness, appropriateness, ceiling effects, and floor effects. Results. Eleven studies were identified specific to stroke. Test retest reliability was excellent (Intraclass correlation coefficients [ICCs] ranging from 0.80 to 0.95). Inter-rater reliability ranged from adequate to excellent (r = 0.64-0.91) as well as agreement between responses of clients with stroke and their proxies (ICCs ranging from 0.73 to 0.82). Convergent validity was adequate to excellent (r = 0.57-0.91) between the LIFE-H and two measures of functional independence. Two studies, one using patients and one using caregivers, suggest the LIFE-H is able to detect change over time. Conclusions. The LIFE-H is a psychometrically sound measure of quality of social participation for use in post-stroke assessment and is responsive to change.