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[Intraclass reliability of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale in the Brazilian version]
Larissa Paiva Silva1, Polyana Candeia Maia1, Márcia Maria Coelho Oliveira Lopes1
1Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil.
Insights
The Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) is reliable for assessing gross motor skills in Brazilian preterm and term infants. This study confirms its validity for use in diverse infant populations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Motor Development
- Reliability Studies
Context:
- Assessing gross motor development in infants is crucial for early identification of developmental delays.
- The Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) is a widely used tool for evaluating infant motor skills.
- Understanding the reliability of the Brazilian version of the AIMS in preterm and term infants is essential for clinical practice in Brazil.
Purpose:
- To analyze the intraclass reliability of the Brazilian version of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS).
- To evaluate the AIMS's consistency across different gestational ages (preterm and term infants).
- To determine the AIMS's suitability as a reliable tool for assessing gross motor performance in Brazilian infants.
Summary:
- A methodological study involving 50 preterm and term infants in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil, assessed the intraclass reliability of the AIMS.
- Three evaluators assessed infants in various positions (prone, supine, sitting, standing) and overall scores.
- Intraclass correlation indices for most categories and total scores were high (above 0.800), indicating good reliability, with some variation in the standing category.
Impact:
- The findings support the use of the Brazilian AIMS as a reliable instrument for evaluating gross motor development in both preterm and term infants.
- This study provides evidence for the AIMS's applicability in the Brazilian context, aiding clinicians and researchers in motor assessment.
- The results contribute to the validation of the AIMS for diverse infant populations, enhancing its global utility.
Abstract:
This study had as its objective to analyze the intraclass reliability of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS), in the Brazilian version, in preterm and term infants. It was a methodological study, conducted from November 2009 to April 2010, with 50 children receiving care in two public institutions in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. Children were grouped according to gestational age as preterm and term, and evaluated by three evaluators in the communication laboratory of a public institution or at home. The intraclass correlation indices for the categories prone, supine, sitting and standing ranged from 0.553 to 0.952; most remained above 0.800, except for the standing category of the third evaluator, in which the index was 0.553. As for the total score and percentile, rates ranged from 0.843 to 0.954. The scale proved to be a reliable instrument for assessing gross motor performance of Brazilian children, particularly in Ceará, regardless of gestational age at birth.
