Polish translation and cultural adaptation of the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) for adults with lower extremity complaints

The patient's functional status is important for assessing treatment progress, so cultural adaptation of self-reported scales and questionnaires is necessary. This study aimed to translate and culturally adapt the LEFS into Polish in a sample of Polish-speaking patients with lower extremity disorders. The respondent group included 84 physically active adults (age = 35.87 ± 8.60 years), comprising 49 women and 35 men. Exploratory factor analysis showed the questionnaire had a two-factor structure (activities of daily living and sport activities). The internal agreement of the factors was excellent and good (Cronbach's α = 0.98 and 0.89, respectively). As a result, a Polish-language version of the LEFS is now available for Polish-speaking individuals with lower extremity complaints. The analysis revealed that active adults suffering from foot pain reported significant difficulties in sporting activities, even though their overall functioning in activities of daily living was not notably affected. For back pain, only a small, non-significant tendency toward lower daily-activity scores was observed. These findings indicate the need for further research to better understand the connection between pain and activity levels.