Intra and Inter-Rater Reliability of Web Plot Digitizer Software in Quantifying Head Posture Angles Muniandy Yughdtheswari1,2, Singh Devinder Kaur Ajit1,*, Mani Suresh1,3, Omar Baharudin1 1Physiotherapy Program, Centre for Rehabilitation and Special Needs, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2Physiotherapy Program, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, INTI International University, Nilai, 71800. Negeri Sembilan, West Malaysia 3Program, Department of Physiotherapy, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab *Corresponding Author: Devinder Kaur Ajit Singh, Physiotherapy Program, Centre for Rehabilitation and Special Needs, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Email: devinder@ukm.edu.my
Online published on 19 August, 2019. Abstract Background It is important to quantify postural misalignment to provide effective treatment. Web-plot digitizer software (WPDS) was developed for analysis of posture angles. However, the reliability of this software in quantifying head posture angles is not known. Study Design Repeated-measure study. Method A total of 31 participants were recruited. Head posture angles were measured using Photogrammetry method and analyzed using WPDS. Intra-rater evaluations were performed twice by a rater with a period of three weeks’ interval. Three raters reanalyzed all the photographic data for inter-rater reliability. Results High level of reliability was demonstrated for intra-rater analysis in participants with and without neck pain with ICCs ranging from 0.92 to 0.99 (SEMs: 0.10 to 0.88; CV: 1.65 to 10.77). The inter-rater reliability between three raters was also high (ICCs: 0.98 to 0.99). Conclusions Excellent intra and inter-rater reliability was demonstrated using WPDS. WPDS can be used in clinical setting for head posture assessment. Top Keywords Reliability, head posture angles, Web plot digitizer software. Top |