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Comparing reliability and validity of pediatric instruments for measuring health and well‐being of children with spastic cerebral palsy
Author(s) -
McCarthy Melissa L,
Silberstein Charles E,
Atkins Eileen A,
Harryman Susan E,
Sponseller Paul D,
HadleyMiller Nancy A
Publication year - 2002
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/j.1469-8749.2002.tb00308.x
Subject(s) - cerebral palsy , spastic diplegia , psychology , diplegia , gross motor function classification system , physical therapy , population , reliability (semiconductor) , medicine , psychiatry , environmental health , power (physics) , physics , quantum mechanics
This study sought to examine the reliability and validity of three generic instruments for measuring the health of children with cerebral palsy (CP) and to compare them with a disease‐specific measure, the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM). The Pediatric Evaluation and Disability Inventory (PEDI), the Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument (PODCI), and the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) were completed by the primary caregivers of 115 young children with spastic CP. The GMFM was administered to the children. The mean age of the sample was 5 years 8 months (range 3:1 to 10:4) and consisted of more males (58%) than females. The PEDI scales demonstrated higher internal consistency than the PODCI and CHQ scales. In comparison with the GMFM, the PODCI transfer and mobility scale (relative validity, 62%) and the PEDI mobility scale (relative validity, 53%) detected the most significant health differences between children with hemiplegia, diplegia, and quadriplegia. The PEDI social function scale detected the largest differences in cognitive function between children with an IQ of less than 70 compared with those with an IQ of 70 or greater. The reliability and validity of these different instruments varied significantly in this patient population.