Development and Validation of an Instrument to Assess Horseback Mobility in Hippotherapy.

This research focuses on the development and validation of a new instrument designed to assess the mobility of individuals participating in therapeutic horse riding or “hippotherapy.” The paper outlines the process of creating this tool and testing its effectiveness in accurately measuring improvements in rider movement.

Objective of the Research

The researchers recognized a gap in the field of hippotherapy – the absence of a methodological tool to track and quantify the progress of riders in their mobility. Hippotherapy patients often have disabilities, and an increase in their mobility while riding represents a significant improvement in their condition. However, without a standardized instrument to measure this progress, it is difficult to document and validate it. To fill this gap, the researchers decided to create and validate an instrument that would accurately assess the mobility of hippotherapy participants on horseback.

Development of the Instrument

The researchers followed a rigorous process to develop the instrument:

• Content validation: This phase involved ensuring that the items on the instrument accurately reflected the content area – in this case, the rider’s mobility on horseback.
• Construct validation: Here, the researchers tested if the instrument effectively measures the intended construct – rider mobility.
• Inter- and intra-rater reliability: These tests evaluated if the instrument yielded consistent results when used by different raters (inter-rater reliability) or the same rater at different times (intra-rater reliability).

Evaluation of the Instrument

Once the instrument was developed, the researchers scrutinized it for reliability and internal consistency. The factor structure was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis, which determined how the variables in the instrument linked together. The inter- and intra-rater reliability were calculated using the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), which measures the degree of agreement between raters. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha to measure how closely related a set of items in a group is.

The results showed high inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.991-0.999) meaning that different raters produced consistent results. Similarly, good intra-rater reliability (ICC = 0.997-1.0) indicated the same rater produced consistent results at different times. The high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.937-0.999) demonstrated that the instrument’s items were closely interrelated.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the instrument was found to be valid, reliable, and effective in assessing the horseback mobility of hippotherapy riders. Hence, it will be a valuable tool in the future to track patients’ progress, validate therapeutic intervention outcomes, and improve treatments in the field of hippotherapy.