Abstract

Stroke is a major cause of long-term disability and the second leading cause of death globally. Majority of stroke survivors (SS) have varying degrees of disability that restrict their community reintegration (CR). The Reintegration to Normal Living Index (RNLI) is a good measure for assessing CR, but cannot be used by Non-English Speaking SS and thus the need to cross-culturally adapt it for Igbo-Speaking SS. This study assessed the validity and reliability of a back translated Igbo version of RNLI. A total of 40 participants involving 20SS and 20 age- and sex-matched normal subjects completed an Igbo version of the RNLI. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the Igbo translated RNLI tool were assessed using cronbach-α and Spearman correlation respectively while the construct and criterion-related validities were evaluated using independent t-test and Spearman correlation respectively. Level of significance was set at α = 0.05. The items of the RNLI instruments, demonstrated excellent internal consistency with a  Cronbach’s alphas of 0.90. The RNLI Igbo version had a weak test-retest reliability (r = 0.325, p = 0.162) and its criterion-related validity was also weak (r =0.421, p = 0.065). However, the instrument had an excellent construct validity (t = 14.801, p<0.001). This Igbo translated version of the RNLI tool may be useful for assessing CR among stroke survivors but is a weak version of the original English RNLI. A more robust approach using larger sample size is recommended.

Key words: Community Reintegration, Igbo, Reintegration to Normal Living Index, Psychometric Testing, Stroke Survivors