Intra- and inter-rater reliability in the assessment and classification of the longitudinal plantar arch of children 6 to 10 years of age

Abstract Aims: This study aimed to analyze the intra- and inter-rater reliability in the assessment and classification of the longitudinal plantar arch of children from 6 to 10 years old in the eyes-open (EO) testing condition. Methods: A total of two-hundred and seventy-eight Brazilian children (556 feet), boys and girls, from 6 to 10 years of age participated in the study. The children's feet were examined on a baropodometric platform, and the Staheli index was used for calculating the plantar arch index. Footprint analyses were performed at two different times, with an interval of 7 to 10 days, by three physical therapists in a single testing condition, resulting in 3,336 footprints. To determine the reliability of the continuous measurements, the Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), Standard error of the mean (SEM), absolute value and percentage, and the Minimum Detectable Change (MDC) were calculated. To determine the reliability of the longitudinal arch classification, inter-rater reliability was evaluated by Weighted Fleiss Kappa Coefficient and the test-retest reliability was estimated by Weighted Cohen Kappa Coefficient. Results: Regarding inter-rater reliability, we observed values of ICC ranging from 0.79 to 0.96; thus, the results were classified as substantial to excellent reliability), being the lowest ICC values occur for line B, mainly in the first assessments. SEM ranges from 0.08 to 0.21 (percentage: 3.74 to 28.7), being the best, the lowest SEM values occur for Plantar Arch Index assessments and the MDC varies between 0.22 and 0.59. Regarding intra-rater reliability, the results indicated excellent reliability: values of ICC range from 0.92 to 0.99, being the lowest ICC values also occurs for line B analysis. SEM ranges from 0.03 to 0.20 (percentage: 2.32 to 26.6), being the lowest SEM values occur for Plantar Arch Index assessments and MDC varies between 0.09 and 0.54. Analyzing the inter-rater reliability for the longitudinal arch classifications, we observed values of Weighted Fleiss Kappa Coefficient ranging from 0.83 to 0.87, expressing almost perfect agreement among the raters before and after evaluations. The test-retest reliability of the longitudinal arch classification resulted in values of Weighted Cohen Kappa Coefficient ranging from 0.80 to 0.996, expressing substantial to almost perfect agreement intra-rater. Conclusion: The study showed high reliability in the clinical assessment of the longitudinal plantar arch index of children from 6 to 10 years of age indicating that the Staheli method is applicable to pressure platform assessments with intra- and inter-rate reliability.

Association between diabetes and vestibular dysfunction: an integrative review / Associação entre diabetes e disfunções do sistema vestibular: revisão integrativa

ABSTRACT Purpose: to identify, in the literature, the factors associated with the development of vestibular dysfunctions in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). Methods: an integrative review of the literature, whose survey was conducted in the databases ISI, SciELO, LILACS and PubMed, using the following descriptors: "type 2 diabetes mellitus", "vertigo", "dizziness", and "vestibular diseases". Articles published in the last 10 years that answered the research question ("What factors are associated with the development of vestibular disorders in individuals with DM2?") were included in the study. Results: the search returned 426 articles, 10 of which met the eligibility criteria. Most of the participants of the selected studies who had vestibular dysfunctions were women over 40 years old and had more than one comorbidity related to DM2, the main one being the systemic arterial hypertension (SAH). According to the literature, the physiology of the inner ear allows small glucose alterations to influence its normal functioning, which makes diabetic individuals more susceptible to developing vestibular dysfunctions. Conclusion: according to this study, DM2 can trigger or contribute to the manifestation of vestibular dysfunction, whose main associated factors are advanced age, female gender, and various comorbidities, as dyslipidemia, SAH and metabolic syndrome.

RESUMO Objetivo: identificar na literatura os fatores que estão associados ao desenvolvimento de disfunções vestibulares em indivíduos com diabetes mellitus tipo 2 (DM2). Métodos: trata-se de uma revisão integrativa da literatura, cuja busca foi realizada nas bases de dados ISI, Scielo, LILACS e PubMed, sendo utilizados os descritores: "type 2 diabetes mellitus", "vertigo", "dizziness" e "vestibular diseases". Foram incluídos artigos publicados nos últimos dez anos e que respondessem a seguinte questão: quais fatores estão associados ao desenvolvimento de disfunções vestibulares em indivíduos com DM2? Resultados: a busca resultou em 426 artigos, sendo que 10 atenderam aos critérios de elegibilidade. A maioria dos participantes dos estudos selecionados que apresentaram disfunções vestibulares eram do sexo feminino, idade superior a 40 anos e possuíam mais de uma comorbidade associada a DM2, sendo a principal, a hipertensão arterial sistêmica (HAS). De acordo com a literatura, a fisiologia da orelha interna permite que pequenas alterações de glicose influenciem seu funcionamento normal, o que torna os indivíduos diabéticos mais suscetíveis a desenvolverem disfunções vestibulares. Conclusão: o presente estudo constatou que a DM2 pode desencadear ou contribuir para a manifestação da disfunção vestibular, tendo como principais fatores associados a idade avançada, o sexo feminino e comorbidades diversas, tais como dislipidemia, HAS e síndrome metabólica.