Table 2.
Functional ability scale: resultant factors and factor loadings
| Factor “In the past month, have you had difficulty with…” | Meana | SD | Min | Max | Factor loading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Ability (α=0.879, 5 items) | |||||
| Feeding yourself? | 3.97 | 0.21 | 2 | 4 | 0.78 |
| Dressing yourself? | 3.95 | 0.25 | 2 | 4 | 0.90 |
| Moving in and out of bed? | 3.91 | 0.31 | 2 | 4 | 0.76 |
| Bathing yourself? | 3.95 | 0.23 | 2 | 4 | 0.90 |
| Walking around your home? | 3.91 | 0.29 | 2 | 4 | 0.59 |
| Strength and Mobility (α=0.861, 5 items) | |||||
| Walking several blocks? | 3.58 | 0.75 | 1 | 4 | 0.80 |
| Doing house chores such as cleaning? | 3.76 | 0.53 | 1 | 4 | 0.62 |
| Using public transportation? | 3.72 | 0.69 | 1 | 4 | 0.61 |
| Lifting heavy objects? | 3.18 | 0.92 | 1 | 4 | 0.82 |
| Doing physical activity such as running? | 3.11 | 10.05 | 1 | 4 | 0.85 |
| Social Ability (α=0.803, 3 items) | |||||
| Visiting other peoples’ homes? | 3.80 | 0.50 | 1 | 4 | 0.80 |
| Participating in community activities, such as religious services, social activities, or volunteer work? | 3.84 | 0.44 | 1 | 4 | 0.82 |
| Taking care of other people such as family members? | 3.72 | 0.64 | 1 | 4 | 0.53 |
| Errand Transportation (α=0.752, 2 items) | |||||
| Doing errands, such as grocery shopping? | 3.84 | 0.39 | 2 | 4 | 0.63 |
| Driving a car? | 3.92 | 0.31 | 2 | 4 | 0.88 |
Notes:
a
1= Too difficult to do; 4= no difficulty; to aid interpretation, this scale has been reverse-coded from the original survey instrument.
Abbreviations: Max, maximum; Min, minimum; SD, standard deviation.