Objectives: To investigate the interrater reliability of the REEDCO postural score (RPS) between a physical therapist (PT) and a schoolteacher in healthy adolescents.
Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated the interrater reliability. The standing postures of 86 adolescents were assessed using the RPS. The schoolteacher and PT independently observed and scored 10 items of posture.
Results: The Kappa coefficients of all items assessed were slight to fair. No significant agreement was observed between the assessors for seven items, including the head, shoulders, spine, and hip in the posterior view, and the upper back, abdomen, and lower back in the lateral view. Furthermore, significant differences were observed in the grading between the two assessors for seven items: the shoulders, hips, and ankles in the posterior view and the neck, upper back, trunk, and abdomen in the lateral view. The total RPS score was also significantly different between PT and schoolteachers (P<0.001).
Discussion: This study’s results showed poor to fair agreement levels for posture screening by RPS among schoolteachers. This may be due to the two assessors’ different observation skills. The sequence of assessments may also influence the results. The posture school screening program should consider more comprehensive training sessions to improve reliability between assessors.