Validity and reliability of postural habits and awareness scale in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) is a complicated spinal malformation that originates during adolescence that affects patients' postural control, balance, and awareness levels. This assesses postural awareness, which is critical to preventing the progression of scoliosis and improving the quality of life of individuals. This study aimed to examine the validity and reliability of the Postural Habit and Awareness Scale (PHAS) among children diagnosed with AIS. A total of 50 children with a diagnosis of AIS (38 girls, 12 boys; mean age: 14.96 ± 2,16 years) participated in the study. Postural awareness and habit levels were assessed using the PHAS scale. Construct validity was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). For external validity, correlations were examined between the PHAS, the Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22) and the Body Awareness Questionnaire (BAQ). Internal consistency of the scale was determined through Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Test-retest reliability was analyzed on 30 participants at 7-14 day intervals. The CFA results partially supported the four-factor structure of the PHAS with 18 items; however, model fit indices indicated suboptimal model fit. External validity analysis revealed significant positive associations between PHAS factors and both the SRS-22 and BAQ. Regarding reliability, Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were between 0.588 and 0.836, while test–retest reliability was high (ICC: 0.710–0.908). The PHAS provides preliminary evidence of validity and reliability for evaluating postural habits and awareness in children with AIS. This scale can be essential in developing personalized treatment plans for individuals with AIS.