The Intra- and Inter-rater Reliabilities of the Forward Head Posture Assessment of Normal Healthy Subjects

[Purpose] Assessment of posture is an important goal of physical therapy interventionsfor preventing the progression of forward head posture (FHP). The purpose of this studywas to determine the inter- and intra-rater reliabilities of the assessment of FHP.[Subjects and Methods] We recruited 45 participants (20 male subjects, 25 female subjects)from a university student population. Two physical therapists assessed FHP using images ofhead extension. FHP is characterized by the measurement of angles and distances betweenanatomical landmarks. Forward shoulder angle of 54° or less was defined as FHP. Intra- andinter-rater reliabilities were estimated using Kendall’s Taub correlation coefficients.[Results] Intra-class correlation of intra-rater measurements indicated an excellent levelof reliability (0.91), and intra-class correlation of inter-rater measurements showed agood level of reliability in the assessment of FHP (0.75). [Conclusion] Assessment of FHPis an important component of evaluation and affects the design of the treatment regimen.The assessment of FHP was reliably measured by two physical therapists. It could thereforebecome a useful method for assessing FHP in the clinical setting. Future studies will beneeded to provide more detailed quantitative data for accurate assessment of posture.Key words: Forward head posture, Reliability, Posture assessment