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Reliability of the Assisting Hand Assessment in adolescents
Author(s) -
Louwers Annoek,
KrumlindeSundholm Lena,
Boeschoten Karin,
Beelen Anita
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
developmental medicine and child neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.658
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1469-8749
pISSN - 0012-1622
DOI - 10.1111/dmcn.13465
Subject(s) - intraclass correlation , inter rater reliability , reliability (semiconductor) , test (biology) , cerebral palsy , limits of agreement , medicine , standard error , psychology , physical therapy , audiology , psychometrics , statistics , rating scale , mathematics , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , nuclear medicine , power (physics) , physics , quantum mechanics , paleontology , biology
Aim To investigate the interrater and test–retest reliability of the Assisting Hand Assessment in adolescents (Ad‐ AHA ) with cerebral palsy ( CP ) and to evaluate the alternate‐form reliability of different test activities. Method Participants were 112 adolescents with unilateral CP (60 males, 52 females; mean age 14y 5mo [standard deviation { SD } 2y 8mo], Manual Ability Classification System levels I– III ). Reliability was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients ( ICC ), smallest detectable change ( SDC ), and Bland–Altman plots. Results ICC s for interrater ( n =38) and test–retest reliability ( n =31) were excellent: 0.97 (95% CI 0.94–0.98) and 0.99 (95% CI 0.98–0.99) respectively. The alternate‐form reliability of different test activities was excellent for children (age 10–12y, n =30) performing the School‐Kids AHA and Ad‐ AHA Board Game 0.99 (95% CI 0.98–0.99) and for adolescents (age 13–18y) performing the Ad‐ AHA Board Game compared to the Ad‐ AHA Present ( n =28) 0.99 (95% CI 0.95–0.98), or the Ad‐ AHA Sandwich ( n =29) 0.99 (95% CI 0.98–0.99) tasks. SDC for test–retest was 4.5 AHA ‐units. Interpretation Ad‐ AHA scores are consistent across different raters and occasions. The good alternate‐form reliability indicates that the different test activities can be used interchangeably in adolescents with unilateral CP . Differences greater than or equal to 5 AHA ‐units can be considered a change beyond measurement error. The use of logit based AHA ‐units makes change comparable for persons at different ability levels.