Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29881544›Full record

ReviewArchives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique2018

Measuring disability: a systematic review of the validity and reliability of the Global Activity Limitations Indicator (GALI).

Herman Van Oyen, Petronille Bogaert, Renata T C Yokota, Nicolas Berger

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 56 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
56citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

56 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. [Physical functioning and frailty in very old age in Germany].Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Herman Van OyenDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, Sciensano, J. Wytsmanstraat 14, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0003-2119-4433
Petronille BogaertDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, Sciensano, J. Wytsmanstraat 14, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
Renata T C YokotaDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, Sciensano, J. Wytsmanstraat 14, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
Nicolas Berger4Department of Social & Environmental Health Research, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundGALI or Global Activity Limitation Indicator is a global survey instrument measuring participation restriction. GALI is the measure underlying the European indicator Healthy Life Years (HLY). Gali has a substantial policy use within the EU and its Member States. The objective of current paper is to bring together what is known from published manuscripts on the validity and the reliability of GALI.

methodsFollowing the PRISMA guidelines, two search strategies (PUBMED, Google Scholar) were combined to identify manuscripts published in English with publication date 2000 or beyond. Articles were classified as reliability studies, concurrent or predictive validity studies, in national or international populations.

resultsFour cross-sectional studies (of which 2 international) studied how GALI relates to other health measures (concurrent validity). A dose-response effect by GALI severity level on the association with the other health status measures was observed in the national studies. The 2 international studies (SHARE, EHIS) concluded that the odds of reporting participation restriction was higher in subjects with self-reported or observed functional limitations. In SHARE, the size of the Odds Ratio's (ORs) in the different countries was homogeneous, while in EHIS the size of the ORs varied more strongly. For the predictive validity, subjects were followed over time (4 studies of which one international). GALI proved, both in national and international data, to be a consistent predictor of future health outcomes both in terms of mortality and health care expenditure. As predictors of mortality, the two distinct health concepts, self-rated health and GALI, acted independently and complementary of each other. The one reliability study identified reported a sufficient reliability of GALI.

conclusionGALI as inclusive one question instrument fits all conceptual characteristics specified for a global measure on participation restriction. In none of the studies, included in the review, there was evidence of a failing validity. The review shows that GALI has a good and sufficient concurrent and predictive validity, and reliability.

Indexed as

DisabilityGALIHealthy life yearsParticipation restrictionReliabilitySummary measure of population healthValidity

Identifiers

PMID29881544
PMCPMC5985596

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.