What are the basic dimensions of respiration? A psychometric evaluation ofthe comprehensive body examination. II.

There has been a lack of psychometrically sound scales for physiotherapeuti c body examinations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychome tric properties of the respiration items of the Comprehensive Body :Examina tion (CBE). Ninety-nine persons were examined: 17 pain syndrome patients (P SP group), 27 psychotic patients (PP group), 4 non-psychotic patients (NPP group), and a comparison group consisting of 51 students and staff (SS grou p). On the basis of factor analysis five respiration subscales were made: 1 ) Changeability (C) with five items; 2) Movements Supine (MS) with five ite ms; 3) Tension (T) with six items; 4) Movements Upright (MU) with three ite ms; and 5) Position of the Thorax (PT) with four items. The subscales were weakly intercorrelated and showed high internal consistency (Chronbach's al pha, 0.71-0.84). The C subscale proved to distinguish significantly between the SS and both the PSP and the PP group; the MS subscale distinguished be tween the SS group and the PP group, and the T subscale distinguished betwe en the SS group and the PSP group. These three subscales distinguished sign ificantly between patient groups and controls, even when we controlled for use of medication. The MU and PT subscales did not distinguish between grou ps. The results indicate that the respiration items form five clinically me aningful subscales with satisfactory psychometric properties.