Background: The Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale-39 (SAQOL-39) is a valid, reliable quality of life (QoL) assessment for PWA (Hilari, 2003; Hilari, Byng, Lamping, & Smith, 2003). However, individuals with severe aphasia are unable to use it because their ability to comprehend the text is too severely impaired for accurate self-report (Hilari & Byng, 2009; Hilari et al., 2003; Hilari, Owen, & Farrelly, 2007). Proxy respondents often report on QoL measures for these individuals; however, studies suggest differences between proxy-reported and self-reported scores in less severe populations (e.g., Cruice, Worrall, Hickson, & Murison, 2005; Engell, Hütter, Willmes, & Huber, 2003; Hilari et al., 2007). Therefore, proxy-reported scores may not be reliable substitutes (Cruice et al., 2005). Incorporating images may increase accessibility of text to individuals with severe aphasia by drawing upon intact visuo-spatial abilities (Dietz, Hux, McKelvey, Beukelman, & Weissling, 2009; Dietz, McKelvey, & Beukelman, 2006; Elmore-Nicholas & Brookshire, 1981; Engell et al., 2003; Rautakoski, Korpijaakko-Huuhka, & Klippi, 2008).
Objective: This study assessed similarities between high-context, colored photographs and SAQOL-39 questions.
Methods: This study employed a non-experimental, within-group design. Twenty individuals between 65-85 with no history of aphasia completed a 7-point Likert scale rating task wherein they rated the degree of similarity between photographs and SAQOL-39 questions. Three expert reviewers evaluated the photographs before being used as stimuli.
Results: Results of the 7-point Likert scale rating task revealed a mean rating of 6.06 (range 5.05 6.70) for all 42 photograph-question pairings (i.e., three training items plus 39 items). Thirty-nine of the total 42 photographs (93%) were rated > 6 at least 60% of the time. Thirty-seven of the 39 actual scored SAQOL-39 questions (95%) were rated > 6 at least 60% of
the time. The mean standard error of the mean (SEM) for all 42 photographs was 1.44. The average mode was 7.00, and the average median was 6.74.
Conclusion: Results indicated that photographs were rated as being similar to SAQOL-39 questions. Further research is warranted to evaluate if the photographs enhance accessibility of the SAQOL-39 to individuals with severe aphasia allowing for self-report.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LSU/oai:etd.lsu.edu:etd-04082013-162925 |
| Date | 19 April 2013 |
| Creators | Brouwer, Ashley Renee |
| Contributors | Barker, Brittan, Norris, Janet, Donovan, Neila |
| Publisher | LSU |
| Source Sets | Louisiana State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-04082013-162925/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached herein a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to LSU or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below and in appropriate University policies, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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