Measuring joint hypermobility using the Beighton scale in children with intellectual disability

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Developmental Disabilities
• Clinical Assessment

Background:

• Joint hypermobility is common in the general population but understudied in youth with intellectual disabilities.
• Accurate assessment tools are crucial for understanding the impact of hypermobility on this population's health and function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and reliability of the 9-point Beighton Hypermobility Score (9-BHS) in youth with intellectual disabilities.
• To assess the effectiveness of a least to most prompting technique for administering the 9-BHS.

Main Methods:

• One hundred one youth aged 5-18 years participated.
• A least to most prompting technique was used for the 9-point Beighton Hypermobility Score (9-BHS) administration.
• Test-retest reliability was assessed on 25 participants over 3-4 weeks.

Main Results:

• Eighty-five participants successfully completed all 9-BHS maneuvers.
• No significant differences in scores were found for age and gender.
• Participants with Down syndrome exhibited significantly higher hypermobility scores.
• Test-retest agreement ranged from 80% to 90%, with a high intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.88 for total scores.

Conclusions:

• The 9-point Beighton Hypermobility Score (9-BHS) is a feasible and reliable tool for assessing joint hypermobility in youth with intellectual disabilities.
• The findings support the use of the 9-BHS with a least to most prompting technique in this population.
• This study provides evidence for the clinical utility of the 9-BHS in individuals with intellectual disabilities.