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Reliability of pediatric reach test in children with hearing impairment
Venkadesan Rajendran1, Finita Glory Roy, Deepa Jeevanantham
1Institute of Rehabilitation Science, Holy Cross College affiliated to Bharathidasan University, Trichy, Tamilnadu, India. venkadphysio@gmail.com
Insights
The Pediatric Reach Test (PRT) reliably measures balance in children with hearing impairment. This test establishes a baseline for interventions, aiding in identifying balance deficits.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Pediatrics
- Motor Control
Background:
- Children with hearing impairment often experience balance deficits.
- Reliable assessment tools are crucial for evaluating and managing balance issues in this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the reliability of the Pediatric Reach Test (PRT) for measuring the limits of stability in children with hearing impairment.
- To determine if PRT is a dependable tool for clinical use in this demographic.
Main Methods:
- Sixty-five children with hearing impairment participated in the standing section of the PRT.
- Two independent raters assessed participants on two separate occasions to evaluate intra-rater and inter-rater reliability.
- Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) and Standard Error of Measurement (SEM) were calculated.
Main Results:
- The PRT demonstrated good to excellent reliability for both intra-rater and inter-rater measurements (ICC values with 95% CI lower bounds above 0.4).
- The SEM values were consistently below 0.5cm, indicating high precision in measurements.
Conclusions:
- The Pediatric Reach Test is a reliable tool for assessing balance and limits of stability in children with hearing impairment.
- PRT can effectively identify balance deficits and establish reliable baseline measures for intervention planning in hearing-impaired children.
Objective:
The objective of this study was to evaluate the reliability of pediatric reach test in children with hearing impairment.
Methods:
A total of 65 hearing impaired children completed the standing section of PRT. Two raters evaluated all the included children in standing section of PRT on two separate occasions.
Results:
ICC was used to generate reliability coefficients for intra-rater and inter-rater PRT measurements using a two-way mixed effects model, single measure reliability with absolute agreement. The ICC values reported good to excellent reliability as the lower values of the 95% CI was above 0.4. The SEMs reported in this study was below 0.5cm.
Conclusion:
This study indicates that PRT can reliably measure the limits of stability in children with hearing impairment. Using the PRT, balance deficits can be identified, and a reliable baseline measures may be established for hearing impaired children before initiating interventions.
