Index-Description

The FAI-15 is a modified version of the original Frenchay Activities Index, used to assess activities of daily living and participation in social and recreational activities. It focuses on recording the frequency of specific activities over the last three or six months. It is particularly useful for assessing functional recovery in individuals who have experienced a stroke.
The scale includes 15 questions concerning activities such as:
Shopping.
Use of transportation.
Household management.
Participation in social and recreational activities.

Data Analysis and Usage

The FAI-15 is based on data collected through self-report or interview, with participants indicating how often they engage in specific activities. Responses are typically scored on a Likert scale, usually from 0 to 3, where:
0 = No activity.
3 = Frequent activity.
The data can be used for:
Assessing independence and functional capacity of individuals.
Monitoring progress in rehabilitation programs after a stroke.
Comparing activity levels across different patient groups or over time.
Analysis may involve statistical techniques, such as factor analysis to identify key dimensions of functional ability, or reliability analysis to estimate the internal consistency of the scale’s items.

Purpose

The primary goal of the FAI-15 is to assess individuals’ reintegration into daily activities following trauma or neurological conditions such as stroke. It is also used to measure the degree to which people are independent and can manage daily activities without external assistance.

Calibration

The calibration of the FAI-15 involves using psychometric techniques to ensure the tool’s validity and reliability:
Reliability analysis through the calculation of Cronbach’s alpha to measure the internal consistency of the questions.
Content validity and construct validity to determine whether the tool accurately measures activities of daily living.
Test-retest reliability to assess the stability of results over time.

Bibliography

Holbrook, M., & Skilbeck, C. E. (1983). An activities index for use with stroke patients. Age and Ageing, 12(2), 166-170.
Schuling, J., de Haan, R., Limburg, M., & Groenier, K. H. (1993). The Frenchay Activities Index: Assessment of functional status in stroke patients. Stroke, 24(8), 1173-1177.
van der Zee, C. H., Visser-Meily, J. M. A., Lindeman, E., & Post, M. W. (2013). Measuring activity limitations in patients with chronic conditions: The Frenchay Activities Index as a useful tool. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 45(7), 630-636.