Inter-rater reliability of the `Merkmalprofile zur Eingliederung
Leistungsgewandelter und Behinderter in Arbeit' (MELBA) in young disabled
adults with psychosocial limitations
Affiliations: Coronel Institute of Occupational Health, Academic
Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands | Department of Child and Adolescent Studies, Utrecht
University, Utrecht, The Netherlands | Mariasteen VZW, Sheltered Workshop, Gits,
Belgium
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Thea Achterberg, Coronel Institute
of Occupational Health, Academic Medical Center, P.O Box 22700, 1100 DE
Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Tel.: +31 20 56 64878; Fax: +31 20 56 69288;
E-mail: t.j.achterberg@amc.uva.nl
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the inter-rater reliability of the
Merkmalprofile zur Eingliederung Leistungsgewandelter und Behinderter in Arbeit (MELBA). PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-five young adults with psychosocial
limitations. METHODS: The MELBA measures work ability in five themes: cognitive,
social, work performance, psychomotor characteristics and cultural/technical
communication, divided into 29 work-related items, which are assessed by
work-related tasks and by observations during work performance. Two raters
independently evaluated one participant during the same time/test and
independently assigned scores on 19~items out of 29. For this observational
study the inter-rater reliability, expressed as the Intraclass Correlation
Coefficient (ICC), was calculated for every item. An ICC of at least 0.75 was
considered as showing good reliability, below 0.75 was considered poor to
moderate reliability. RESULTS: The ICC for six items was good: comprehension (0.81),
attentiveness (0.84), problem solving (0.79), imagination (0.88), independence
(0.79) and speed of reaction (1.0) showed good reliability. CONCLUSION: Especially the items of cognitive characteristics of the
MELBA showed a good inter-rater reliability and can be used to measure work
ability in people with psychosocial limitations.
Keywords: Work capacity assessment, intraclass correlation coefficient
