Validity of Scores from the 12-Item Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale Among Young, Middle-Aged, and Older Adults with Multiple Sclerosis.

Motl, Robert W; Šilić, Petra; Huynh, Trinh L T; Jeng, Brenda · Arch Phys Med Rehabil · 2025

cross_sectional · Level IV

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Abstract

To examine the construct validity of inferences from MSWS-12 scores as a PROM of walking dysfunction among young, middle-aged, and older adults with MS. Cross-sectional, comparative research design. University research laboratory. The sample included 187 participants with MS who were categorized into young (20-39 years, n=50), middle-aged (40-59 years, n=83), and older (60-79 years, n=54) adult age-groups. N/A MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The participants completed the MSWS-12; the Timed 25-Foot Walk (T25FW), Six-Minute Walk (6MW), and Timed-Up-and-Go (TUG); and Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS). The data analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Version 29.0.2.0 for the iOS platform. There were similar patterns of linear worsening of scores for the MSWS-12 (F<sub>1,187</sub>=12.7, p<.001, η<sup>2</sup>=.07), T25FW (F<sub>1,187</sub>=11.5, p<.001, η<sup>2</sup>=.06), 6MW (F<sub>1,187</sub>=13.1, p<.001, η<sup>2</sup>=.08), and TUG (F<sub>1,184</sub>=10.8, p<.001, η<sup>2</sup>=.06) across the three age-groups. MSWS-12 scores had strong partial correlations with T25FW, 6MW, and TUG in the overall sample (partial r's of .59, .66, .55, respectively) and across the three age-groups, when controlling for BICAMS outcomes. We provide new evidence for the construct validity of MSWS-12 scores as a PROM of walking dysfunction across the adult lifespan in MS. Our results, in particular, support the application of the MSWS-12 in clinical research and practice involving older adults with MS who experience the combined effects of advanced age and MS disease progression.