Development of a disability measurement tool for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The juvenile arthritis functional assessment scale

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Abstract
A disability assessment tool, the Juvenile Arthritis Functional Assessment Scale, was developed for, and validated in, patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). Standards for this 10-item tool were developed using the scores of 63 normal school children as controls and comparing these results with those of 71 age-matched JRA patients (age 7–16 years). The JRA patients scored statistically significantly higher on the scale, which also demonstrated excellent internal and convergent validity and internal reliability. The test is easily administered in 10 minutes by a physical or occupational therapist in a clinical or office setting. This tool represents the first normalized disability assessment tool developed for JRA patients.