Functional Rating Index: translation, cultural adaptation and validation of the Italian version

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: The main purposes of this study were the translation, the validation and cultural adaptation of the Functional Rating Index (FRI) a scale used for the evaluation of pain and disability in patients affected by neck pain. METHODS: translation and cultural adaptation were performed following international guidelines. The sample was composed by 100 individuals between 19 and 64 years old affected by neck pain. All the individuals have completed the FRI, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), the Neck Disability Index (NDI) and the Neck Pain and Disability Scale (NDPI). All the individuals have completed the re-test after a week from the first administration. The results were analyzed through the calculation of the Crobach’s alpha, the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and the Pearson’s correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The value of the Cronbach’s alpha was 0.916 (p<0.01) and the value of ICC was >0.7. The value of the Pearson’s correlation coefficient between FRI and NDPI was 0.761, between FRI and VAS was 0.661 and between FRI and NDI was 0.773. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the FRI is a reliable and valid scale for the evaluation of neck pain in the Italian population.