Translation, Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Turkish Validation of the 25-Question Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale

Aging is an inevitable process that begins after birth and continues until the death of the individual, affecting the person mentally and physically. Approximately 21% of elderly individuals requiring care have locomotive organ disorders involving the bone, joint, muscle and nervous system. 25-question Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale (GLFS-25), developed by Japanese researchers in 2012, is a patient-reported outcome measure consisting of 25 questions that evaluates locomotive functions and locomotive syndrome risk in elderly individuals. This scale provides an advantage in terms of locomotive ability and early detection of locomotive syndrome in the elderly. In addition, the scale provides the opportunity to decrease number of needing for hospital care of elderly individuals by early detection of locomotive functions and the risk of locomotive syndrome. Before a patient-reported outcome measure can be used in a society other than the one in which it was developed, it must be translated and culturally adapted. The GLFS-25 have been translated to different cultural settings and into many languages, including Brazilian, Iranian and Chinese. Data obtained from the culturally adapted versions contribute to a better understanding of the tools measurement properties. The studies reported that translated versions of GLFS-25 reliable and valid in older adults for functional assessment. Therefore, a Turkish version of the GLFS-25 would likely be that would be helpful in the functional state management and risk factor analyzes for locomotive syndrome of the Turkish older adult population. The purpose of this study was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the English version of the GLFS-25 into Turkish and to investigate the reliability and validity of the translated version of the scale.

Inclusion criteria

• over the age of 65
• who can answer the questionnaire on their own or with the help of their relatives

Exclusion criteria

• unable to walk without the assistance of another person
• having a brain disease or severe cardiovascular, pulmonary or renal disease
• having a history of lower extremity and/or spine fractures in the last 6 months
• were treated for acute trauma