Internal consistency and validity of the Italian version of the Jebsen–Taylor hand function test (JTHFT-IT) in people with tetraplegia

Study design: Psychometric study. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the internal consistency and validity of the Italian version of the Jebsen–Taylor hand function test (JTHFT-IT) in people with tetraplegia. Setting: Italian spinal units. Methods: Psychometric properties of the JTHFT-IT were assessed following international guidelines. The internal consistency was examined using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was calculated for the concurrent validity of JTHFT-IT with a dynamometer, while the construct validity was calculated in comparison to that of the Van Lieshout test short version in Italian (VLT-SV-IT). Results: The test was administered to 48 right-hand dominant people with tetraplegia. Cronbach’s alpha calculation resulted in a value of 0.96 for the right hand and 0.94 for the left hand. In terms of the validity of the scale, the Pearson’s correlation, as measured in relation to the VLT-SV-IT and dynamometer, showed statistically significant results (range for the correlation coefficient of between −0.96 and −0.12, p < 0.05). Conclusions: The findings of this study support the internal consistency and validity of the JTHFT-IT and its use among a population with cervical SCI as a measure of hand functionality.