Psychometric evaluation of the elderly mobility scale in Indonesia

BACKGROUND: The Elderly Mobility Scale (EMS) is widely used to identify mobility limitations in older adults, though it has not been validated in Indonesia. AIM: To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Indonesian version of the EMS (EMS-I). METHOD: A cross-sectional design involving 230 older adults in South Tangerang City, Indonesia, was used. The EMS was translated and culturally adapted following a multistage process. Psychometric testing included content validity, exploratory, and confirmatory factor analysis. RESULTS: The participants had a mean age of 70, with 65.7 % female. Results demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .942) and item content validity index (I-CVI > .75). Exploratory factor analysis confirmed a unidimensional structure, with confirmatory factor analysis supporting a good model fit. CONCLUSION: The EMS-I shows high reliability and validity, enabling healthcare professionals to monitor mobility status and facilitate targeted interventions for enhancing well-being in community-dwelling older adults in Indonesia.