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The Oswestry Disability Index, confirmatory factor analysis in a sample of 35,263 verifies a one-factor structure but practicality issues remain.

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2017-06-23

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Gabel, Charles Philip
Cuesta-Vargas, Antonio
Qian, Meihua
Vengust, Rok
Berlemann, Ulrich
Aghayev, Emin
Melloh, Markus

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Abstract

To analyze the factor structure of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) in a large symptomatic low back pain (LBP) population using exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Analysis of pooled baseline ODI LBP patient data from the international Spine Tango registry of EUROSPINE, the Spine Society of Europe. The sample, with n = 35,263 (55.2% female; age 15-99, median 59 years), included 76.1% of patients with a degenerative disease, and 23.9% of the patients with various other spinal conditions. The initial EFA provided a hypothetical construct for consideration. Subsequent CFA was considered in three scenarios: the full sample and separate genders. Models were compared empirically for best fit. The EFA indicated a one-factor solution accounting for 54% of the total variance. The CFA analysis based on the full sample confirmed this one-factor structure. Sub-group analyses by gender achieved good model fit for configural and partial metric invariance, but not scalar invariance. A possible two-construct model solution as outlined by previous researchers: dynamic-activities (personal care, lifting, walking, sex and social) and static-activities (pain, sleep, standing, travelling and sitting) was not preferred. The ODI demonstrated a one-factor structure in a large LBP sample. A potential two-factor model was considered, but not found appropriate for constructs of dynamic and static activity. The use of the single summary score for the ODI is psychometrically supported. However, practicality limitations were reported for use in the clinical and research settings. Researchers are encouraged to consider a shift towards newer, more sensitive and robustly developed instruments.

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Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Disability Evaluation
Europe
Factor Analysis, Statistical
Female
Humans
Low Back Pain
Male
Middle Aged
Patient Reported Outcome Measures
Psychometrics
Registries
Reproducibility of Results
Young Adult

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Keywords

Confirmatory factor analysis, Oswestry Disability Index, Patient-reported outcome instrument, Registry, Spine Tango, Validation

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