What is the most appropriate way to analyse the WHODAS 2.0 score?

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Castro, Shamyr S.^{a; *} | Ferreira, Anderson Fuentes^b | Sampaio, Edgar G.M.^b | Araujo, Camilla M.^c | Dantas, Thaissa H.M.^d | Dantas, Diego de Sousa^c

Affiliations: [a] Department of Physiotherapy, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil | [b] Department of Community Health, School of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará (UFC), Fortaleza, CE, Brazil | [c] Department of Physiotherapy, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil | [d] Faculty of Health Sciences of Trairi, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Santa Cruz, RN, Brazil

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Shamyr Sulyvan de Castro, PhD, Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC), 1121 Coronel Nunes de Melo Street, 1st floor, Zip Code: 60430-275, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil. E-mail: shamyrsulyvan@gmail.com.

Abstract: BACKGROUND:The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) is a practical, generic and widely used tool to assess the functioning and disability in several settings and health conditions. Although the use of categorical variables is common, this choice to present data could separate persons with very close functioning profiles into different categories. PURPOSE:This study aims to compare different ways of expressing the WHODAS score and give elements for the researcher to understand and choose the most appropriate way to statistically analyse the WHODAS scores. METHODS:A methodological study with secondary data of one hundred ninety-five women. The WHODAS score was analysed in different ways and associated with sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, and health aspects. The Poisson regression was chosen with the final WHODAS score in four variations (continuous, dichotomous, polytomous, and quartiles), and the presence of chronic disease. RESULTS:The analysis showed statistical significance in the univariate analysis for the adjustment variables and all the variations of the disability variable. The distribution analysis of the prevalence ratio and the AIC evidenced that the WHODAS score as a continuous variable had the lower AIC and statistical significance, as well as the most significant area under the ROC curve. CONCLUSIONS:These results show that the use of the continuous variable is the most indicated and that the categorization of the WHODAS score should be avoided.

Keywords: Data interpretation, functioning assessment, World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule–WHODAS

DOI: 10.3233/PPR-200448

Journal: Physiotherapy Practice and Research, vol. 42, no. 1, pp. 35-41, 2021