Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Gait, Arms, Legs, Spine locomotor screening test for detecting musculoskeletal disorders in Mexican adults.

Aim: Developed in the United Kingdom, the Gait, Arms, Legs and Spine (GALS) sensitive screening test enables doctors to examine joints and positions at rest and during motion. Therefore, patients with an early diagnosis for musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders, can enjoy a better quality of life than those diagnosed at a later stage. The objective was to adapt and validate a Mexican-Spanish version of the GALS measurement instrument for MSK disorders in Mexican adults.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional diagnostic test study among 18- 60-year-old adults in a hospital in the city of Guadalajara, Mexico. Based on international guidelines, we divided our work into 2 phases: first, we developed and adapted a cross-cultural, Mexican-Spanish version of the GALS; second, we validated the instrument as a diagnostic test among Mexican patients.

Results: The adapted version yielded the following scores as a measurement instrument: 0.92 under Cronbach's alpha, 0.695 (95% CI, 0.592-0.797) in the kappa index, 98.2% (95% CI, 90.3%-100%) in sensitivity, 80.6% (95% CI, 72.9%-86.9%) in specificity, and 5.06 for positive likelihood ratio. It also covered an area of 0.89 (95% CI, 0.85-0.93) under the receiver operating characteristic curve.

Conclusions: The GALS diagnostic test proved valid for detecting MSK disorders among Mexican adults. It can be used by specialized physicians, family doctors, general practitioners and even physicians in training.