OBJECTIVE:To validate the psychometric properties of the questionnaire on hand function assessment in leprosy.
METHODS:Study conducted with a convenience sample of 101 consecutive patients in Brasília (Central-Western Brazil), from June 2008 to July 2009. The individuals were adults affected by leprosy, with impairment of the ulnar, median and radial nerves. Interobservers and intraobserver reproducibility was analyzed through successive interviews, and construct validity was analyzed through association between age, clinical form of leprosy, duration of nerve injury, grip and pinch strength measured with a dynamometer, sensibility test performed with Semmes-Weinstein monofi laments and manual ability assessment using the Jebsen test of hand function. Pondered kappa coeffi cient was calculated and a Bland-Altman plot was constructed to assess the reproducibility of the instrument. For internal consistency, Cronbach's alpha coeffi cient was utilized. Pearson's correlation coeffi cient was calculated and a multiple regression model was used.
RESULTS:The pondered kappa values for interobservers and intraobserver assessments ranged from 0.86 to 0.97 and from 0.85 to 0.97, respectively. The value of Cronbach's alpha coeffi cient was 0.967. Pearson's correlation coeffi cient showed an association (p < 0.001) among duration of nerve injury, grip and pinch strength, cutaneous sensibility and mean score in the Jebsen Test. The mean score of the questionnaire on hand functional assessment in leprosy was associated with operational classifi cation of leprosy, duration of nerve injury, grip strength, cutaneous sensibility and manual ability (p < 0.0001 for the model as a whole).
CONCLUSIONS:The questionnaire on hand functional assessment in leprosy presents almost perfect interobservers and intraobserver reproducibility, high internal consistency and correlation with operational classifi cation of leprosy, duration of nerve injury, grip strength, cutaneous sensibility in the hands and manual ability.