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[Study on the reliability and validity of the 66-item version on the gross motor function measure in 0-3 year olds
Su-juan Wang1, Wei Shi, Yuan-gui Liao
1Rehabilitation Center of Children' s Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Insights
The 66-item Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-66) is reliable and valid for assessing gross motor function in young children with cerebral palsy. This measure is suitable for children under three years old.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neurology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) significantly impacts gross motor function in young children.
- Accurate assessment tools are crucial for monitoring development and guiding interventions in children with CP.
- The Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) is a widely used tool, but its suitability for very young children with CP requires validation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the reliability and validity of the 66-item Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-66) for assessing gross motor function in children under three years old diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
- To compare the performance of the GMFM-66 with a specialized 73-item version (GMFM-73) derived from Rasch analysis.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 171 children with cerebral palsy (mean age 19 months, range 3-36 months) provided 298 valid samples.
- The GMFM-88 was administered, leading to the development of a GMFM-73 via Rasch analysis.
- Reliability and validity of the GMFM-66 were assessed by analyzing correlations between GMFM-66 and GMFM-73 scores and their changes over time.
Main Results:
- Significant correlations were observed between the scores and changes in scores of both the GMFM-66 and GMFM-73.
- The GMFM-73 demonstrated a 14% lesser gain in relative precision compared to the GMFM-66.
Conclusions:
- The GMFM-66 demonstrates good reliability and validity for assessing gross motor function in children under three years old with cerebral palsy.
- The findings support the continued use of the GMFM-66 as an effective assessment tool for this population.
Objective:
To examine the reliability and validity of the 66-item version on the gross motor function measure (GMFM-66) to assess the gross motor functions of children below 3 years oldwith cerebral palsy.
Methods:
298 valid samples were obtained from 171 children with cerebral palsy (male 126, female 45 with mean age 19 months, age range 3-36 months) measured with GMFM-88. Then a 73-item version of GMFM (GMFM-73) special for these children was obtained by Rasch analysis. Both GMFM-66 and GMFM-73 scores of to each sample were obtained. The reliability and validity of GMFM-66 were evaluated through analyzing the correlation between the scores and between the changed scores of these two GMFM versions. The relative precision of GMFM-73 versus GMFM-66 was also analyzed.
Results:
Significant correlations were found between the scores and between the changed scores of these two versions of GMFM. A 14% less gain in relative precision was achieved when using GMFM-73 versus GMFM-66.
Conclusion:
Results indicated that the GMFM-66 had good reliability and validity in assessing the gross motor functions of children below 3 years old with cerebral palsy.
