Concurrent validity and reliability of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale in infants at dual risk for motor delays

Area of Science:

• Developmental Pediatrics
• Motor Development Assessment
• Infant Health

Background:

• Infants at dual risk (low birth weight and environmental risk) often experience motor delays.
• Accurate assessment tools are crucial for early identification and intervention in high-risk infant populations.
• The Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) and Peabody Developmental Gross Motor Scale-2 (PDGMS-2) are commonly used motor assessment tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the concurrent validity of the AIMS and PDGMS-2 in a sample of 35 infants at dual risk for motor delays.
• To assess the reliability of novice examiners using these measures.
• To explore the implications for using the AIMS in high-risk follow-up programs.

Main Methods:

• Concurrent validity was assessed using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients between AIMS and PDGMS-2 scores.
• A sample of 35 infants (< or = 1,500 g birth weight and low-income families) participated.
• Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to evaluate examiner reliability.

Main Results:

• High correlations (r = .90 to .97) were found between AIMS and PDGMS-2 scores, supporting concurrent validity.
• The strongest correlation was observed between the PDGMS-2 locomotion subscale and the AIMS total score.
• Novice examiners achieved high reliability (ICC range = .98 to .99) comparable to experienced examiners.

Conclusions:

• The AIMS and PDGMS-2 demonstrate concurrent validity for assessing motor skills in infants at dual risk.
• The AIMS is a suitable tool for high-risk follow-up programs, particularly for evaluating functional motor performance and ease of administration.
• Findings support the use of the AIMS for reliable motor assessments in vulnerable infant populations.