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Research Article: Does the Dizziness Handicap Inventory—Children and Adolescents (DHI-CA) Demonstrate Properties to Support Clinical Application in the Post-Concussion Population: A Rasch Analysis

Date Published: 2023-08-22

Abstract:
The purpose of this cross-sectional validation study was to evaluate the clinical utility of the DHI-CA by (1) examining its dimensionality using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and (2) calibrating DHI-CA items (using the multidimensional Rasch model) to obtain item difficulty levels. A retrospective chart review was conducted for 132 patients between the ages of 8 and 18 years (mean age = 15.3 ± 2.1 years) from a multidisciplinary post-concussion management tertiary center. Data were extracted on age, sex, and DHI-CA. EFA revealed that 12 out of 25 items did not fit in the subscale that they were originally described under, indicating poor dimensionality. Calibration of items on the Wright Maps revealed that 50% of the items pooled in the lower difficulty level, indicating a potential ceiling effect. Corrected item–rest correlations for the physical, emotional, walking/mobility, and community participation ranged from 0.44–0.66, 0.27–0.61, 0.54–0.57, and 0.32–0.69 (p < 0.001), respectively. The clinical utility of the DHI-CA was found to be questionable due to the presence of double-barreled items and the ceiling effect. Clinicians must supplement data from the DHI-CA with other measures and patient interviews to make informed clinical decisions specific to the post-concussion population until new, robust, and valid measures are developed.

Introduction:
The incidence of concussion in children has risen by 60% since 2007, presenting a cause of significant concern, primarily due to the associated lasting symptoms such as dizziness [1]. The occurrence of dizziness post-concussion is alarmingly high (up to 80%) among children [2]. Dizziness post-concussion can originate from multiple factors, including peripheral vestibular dysfunction, cervical spine, and/or cardiovascular system dysfunction [3]. Dizziness is often associated with other symptoms, including poor…

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