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. 2013 Feb;58(1):98-105.
doi: 10.1037/a0031555.

The Kennedy Krieger Independence Scales-Spina Bifida Version: a measure of executive components of self-management

Lisa A Jacobson  1 , Reem A Tarazi, Mark D McCurdy, Scott Schultz, Eric Levey, E Mark Mahone, T Andrew Zabel
Affiliations

The Kennedy Krieger Independence Scales-Spina Bifida Version: a measure of executive components of self-management

Lisa A Jacobson et al. Rehabil Psychol. 2013 Feb.

Abstract

Purpose/objective: Successful implementation of functional self-care skills depends upon adequate executive functioning; however, many scales assessing adaptive skills do not address the inherent executive burden of these tasks. This omission is especially relevant for individuals with spina bifida, for whom medical self-care tasks impose a significant burden requiring initiation and prospective memory. The Kennedy Krieger Independence Scales-Spina Bifida Version (KKIS-SB) is a caregiver-reported measure designed to address this gap; it assesses skills for managing both typical and spina bifida-related daily self-care demands, with a focus on the timely and independent initiation of adaptive skills.

Research method/design: Parents of 100 youth and young adults with spina bifida completed the KKIS-SB. Exploratory factor analysis and Pearson's correlations were used to assess the factor structure, reliability, and construct validity of the KKIS-SB.

Results: The scale demonstrates excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .891). Exploratory factor analysis yielded four factors, explaining 65.1% of the total variance. Two primary subscales were created, initiation of routines and prospective memory, which provide meaningful clinical information regarding management of a variety of typical (e.g., get up on time, complete daily hygiene routines on time) and spina bifida-specific self-care tasks (e.g., begin self-catheterization on time, perform self-examination for pressure sores).

Conclusions/implications: Based upon internal consistency estimates and correlations with measures of similar constructs, initial data suggest good preliminary reliability and validity of the KKIS-SB.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Age-related change for KKIS–SB subscale scores. Note. Bars represent standard error. Scores ranged from 6–18 for both scales. KKIS–SB = Kennedy Krieger Independence Scales–Spina Bifida Version; Adol = Adolescent; YA = Young Adult.
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