Ahmad Ghotbi-Varzaneh; Mehdi Zarghami; Alireza Bahrami
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to examine the reliability and validity ofbalance performance clinical tests for hearing impaired persons with moderatehearing level. In this descriptive-survey study with repeated measures, 220 hearingimpaired subjects with normal intelligence and moderate hearing level ...
Read More
The aim of the present study was to examine the reliability and validity ofbalance performance clinical tests for hearing impaired persons with moderatehearing level. In this descriptive-survey study with repeated measures, 220 hearingimpaired subjects with normal intelligence and moderate hearing level wereselected as the statistical sample from all deaf and hearing impaired subjects whohad participated in national competitions in Arak city. The scale (3) of CattellCulture Fair Intelligence Test and motor performance clinical tests were used tocollect the data. After checking the date normality, data were analyzed with intraclassand interclass correlation coefficients and factor analysis tests. The resultsrevealed that finger-to-noise test with dominant hand (ICC=0.79), and with nondominanthand (ICC=0.81), time-up and go test (ICC=0.76), and tandem gait test(ICC=0.87) were reliable. But, the dominant and non-dominant single leg stancetests with open and closed eyes were not reliable (ICC<0.75). The validity ofbalance performance clinical tests was confirmed with factor analysis test. Overall,the finger-to-noise with dominant and non-dominant hand, the time-up and go, andthe tandem gait tests were the most stable tests to assess balance and coordinationof hearing impaired participants.
