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Concurrent validity and reliability of the pediatric evaluation of disability inventory-computer adaptive test
Helene M Dumas1, Maria A Fragala-Pinkham
1Research Center for Children with Special Health Care Needs, Franciscan Hospital for Children, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. hdumas@fhfc.org
Insights
The Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory-Computer Adaptive Test (PEDI-CAT) Mobility domain shows good validity and reliability when compared to the original PEDI Functional Skills (FS) Mobility Scale for children with disabilities.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Rehabilitation
- Disability Assessment
- Clinical Measurement
Background:
- The Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) is a widely used tool for assessing functional abilities in children.
- A computer adaptive test (PEDI-CAT) version has been developed to improve efficiency and precision.
- The Mobility domain of the PEDI-CAT requires validation against the original PEDI Functional Skills (FS) Mobility Scale.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the concurrent validity of the PEDI-CAT Mobility domain against the PEDI FS Mobility Scale.
- To assess item-specific reliability and score distributions for the PEDI-CAT Mobility domain.
- To determine the adequacy of the PEDI-CAT Mobility domain for diverse pediatric populations.
Main Methods:
- Thirty-five parents of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities participated.
- Parents completed both the PEDI-CAT Mobility domain on a computer and the paper-based PEDI FS Mobility Scale via interview.
- Statistical analyses included correlation coefficients and intraclass correlation coefficients.
Main Results:
- A strong association (r = 0.82) was found between PEDI-CAT Mobility and PEDI FS Mobility scores.
- Item-specific agreement ranged from 60% to 100%, with high reliability indicated by intraclass correlation coefficients.
- A ceiling effect was observed on the PEDI FS Mobility Scale for 26% of children, suggesting potential limitations in capturing higher function.
Conclusions:
- The PEDI-CAT Mobility domain demonstrates adequate concurrent validity and reliability for assessing mobility in children with various diagnoses.
- The findings support the use of the PEDI-CAT Mobility domain across a wide pediatric age range.
- The PEDI-CAT Mobility domain offers a potentially more efficient and precise alternative to the PEDI FS Mobility Scale.
Purpose:
To examine concurrent validity, item-specific reliability, and score distributions of the new Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory-Computer Adaptive Test (PEDI-CAT) Mobility domain with the original PEDI Functional Skills (FS) Mobility Scale.
Methods:
Thirty-five parents of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities completed the PEDI-CAT on a computer and the paper PEDI FS via interview.
Results:
Strength of association between the PEDI-CAT Mobility domain and PEDI FS Mobility Scale scores was good to excellent (r = 0.82; P < .001). Intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from .3390 to 1.000, and agreement ranged from 60% to 100% for 8 specific items. No child had the minimum score on either test, whereas 9 children (26%) had a maximum score on the PEDI FS Mobility Scale.
Conclusions:
This study provides evidence for potential users that the concurrent validity, reliability, and score distribution for the PEDI-CAT Mobility domain are adequate for use with children with varied diagnoses and throughout the pediatric age span.
