Validity of a New Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale (WHEEL Scale) During Arm Cycle Ergometry in People with Spina Bifida

A total of 24 subjects with diagnosis of spina bifida, 24 subjects (females, n= 12), ages 17 to 72 years, participated in a one-time arm ergometry exercise stress test. The aim of this study was to investigate the construct and concurrent validity of two rating of perceived exertion scales, the Borg 6-20 Scale and a newly designed WHEEL Scale in adolescents and adults with spina bifida. The results of the study indicated that a modest significant correlation was found between physiological factors, oxygen uptake (VO2) and heart rate (HR), the Borg Scale and the WHEEL Scale during an arm ergometry exercise stress test. Rating of perceived exertion derived from the Borg Scale and from the WHEEL scale were significantly correlated with each other and both scales similar responses to increases in exercise intensity, indicating internal consistency. The WHEEL Scale shows promise as a tool for physical therapists and exercise physiologists to monitor exercise intensity in the spina bifida population. Future studies are needed to validate the WHEEL Scale in a larger cohort of people with spina bifida and to test inter and intra-reliability.