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Updated: Feb 13, 2026

Measurements of Motor Function and Other Clinical Outcome Parameters in Ambulant Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Published on: January 12, 2019
A new motor screening assessment for children at risk for motor disorders: construct validity
Paola Matiko Martins Okuda1, Melissa Pangelinan2, Carlo Chiorri3
1Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Departamento de Psiquiatria e Psicologia, São Paulo SP, Brasil.
Objective:
To develop a motor screening assessment and provide preliminary evidence of its psychometric properties.
Methods:
A sample of 365 elementary school students was assessed, with structural equation modeling applied to obtain evidence of the adequacy of the factor structure of the motor screening assessment. As well, differential item functioning was used to evaluate whether various identifiable subgroups of children (i.e., sex and grade) perform particular tasks differently.
Results:
Overall, girls obtained higher scores than boys while, for both sexes, the assessment scores increased with age. Furthermore, differential item function analysis revealed that the precision of the test was highest for those with moderate to low motor performance, suggesting that this tool would be appropriate for identifying individuals with movement difficulties.
Conclusion:
Although further tests of its psychometric properties are required, the motor screening assessment appears to be a reliable, valid, and quickly-administered tool for screening children's movements.
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