Interrater reliability of students using hand and pinch dynamometers.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to analyze the interrater reliability of occupational therapy students using standard hand-strength instruments.

METHOD

Seventy-three healthy students, faculty, and staff members from a midwestern university participated in this study. Each participant completed three trials for both grip and pinch strength bilaterally. Two student raters independently scored each trial.

RESULTS

The interrater reliability of the grip and pinch strength trials was determined using an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) one-way random effects model (1,1). The ICC for the Jamar dynamometer ranged from .996 to .998 (p < .05). The ICC of the pinch gauge ranged from .949 to .990 (p < .05).

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that occupational therapy students can be reliable raters after being trained and tested for competency. To improve psychometric properties for instruments commonly used in the profession, students can participate in collecting normative data for hand-held dynamometry.