Validity and reliability of the postural habits and awareness scale in individuals with chronic low back pain in Turkey

BackgroundBody awareness is an important protective factor that helps individuals cope with negative situations and learn from positive movement experiences. Therefore, tools that assess postural habits and awareness are of great importance.ObjectiveThis study aims to examine the validity and reliability of the Postural Habits and Awareness Scale (PHAS) in individuals with chronic low back pain.MethodsThe study was prospectively designed, and face-to-face assessments were performed. The PHAS, Fremantle Back Awareness Questionnaire (FBAQ), and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were used as assessment parameters. All assessments except the PHAS were conducted only once, while the PHAS was repeated 7-10 days after the initial assessment for retest analyses.ResultsConfirmatory factor analysis showed that the model had an acceptable fit with the data (CMIN/d<i>f</i> = 1.46, RMSEA = 0.056, CFI = 0.92, GFI = 0.90). The scale's internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, which was found to be <i>α</i> = 0.721 for the total scale. Test-retest reliability was evaluated using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) for the subdimensions and the total score. The ICC values were 0.878, 0.629, 0.739, and 0.844 for the subdimensions, respectively, and 0.877 for the total score.ConclusionIn this study, the scale demonstrated satisfactory results in terms of both construct validity and reliability. The analysis findings indicate that the scale has a multidimensional structure consistent with the theoretical framework and shows an acceptable fit with the data. Overall, the scale is considered sufficiently valid and reliable, and it is an effective tool for assessing postural habits and awareness.