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An observation system to assess physical activity of children with developmental disabilities and delays in preschool
Michaela A Schenkelberg1, William H Brown2, Kerry L McIver3
1University of South Carolina, Department of Exercise Science, 921 Assembly Street, Suite 212, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA; University of Nebraska at Omaha, School of Health and Kinesiology, 6001 Dodge Street, H&K 207, Omaha, NE, 68182, USA.
Insights
A new observation tool reliably measures physical activity (PA) and environmental contexts for preschoolers with developmental disabilities (DD). This instrument is vital for understanding PA behaviors and informing future interventions in early childhood special education.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Special Education
- Public Health
Background:
- Physical activity (PA) is crucial for the health and development of children with developmental disabilities (DD).
- Existing observation systems lack the ability to simultaneously assess PA and preschool environmental contexts for this population.
- There is a need for a specialized tool to capture these simultaneous measures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an observation instrument for measuring PA and related contextual factors in preschoolers with DD.
- To establish the content validity and reliability of this new instrument.
- To provide a tool for better understanding PA in early childhood special education settings.
Main Methods:
- Content validity was established through expert consultation, informal observations, and literature reviews.
- An existing observational system was adapted to create new categories and codes.
- Reliability was assessed using momentary time sampling and inter-rater reliability checks in a sample of preschoolers with DD.
Main Results:
- The developed instrument includes ten coding categories covering PA levels, types, and environmental contexts.
- Data from 137.5 observation sessions (5498 intervals) demonstrated excellent interval-by-interval percent agreement (91%-100%) and high kappa values (0.82-0.99).
- The instrument proved to be a reliable measure for PA in preschoolers with DD.
Conclusions:
- The instrument reliably measures PA and provides crucial contextual information for preschoolers with DD.
- It enables simultaneous measurement of PA types and contexts, essential for early childhood special education.
- This tool will be valuable for describing PA behaviors and guiding future intervention strategies.
Background:
Physical activity (PA) behaviors during preschool settings can influence the health and development of children with developmental disabilities (DD). There is a need for a direct observation system that simultaneously assesses PA and preschool environmental contexts.
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to develop an observation instrument for measuring PA and related contextual factors of preschoolers with DD, and to establish content validity and reliability.
Methods:
Content validity was established through consultation with experts, informal observations in inclusive and special education preschools, and literature reviews. Categories and codes were identified and modified from existing observational systems for young children. Reliability was assessed in a convenience sample of preschool children with DD using a cross-sectional design. Data were collected using a momentary time sampling system (5-sec observe, 25-sec record) following a focal child. Inter-rater reliability was assessed during 20% of the observation sessions.
Results:
The instrument development process resulted in ten coding categories that accounted for PA levels, types, and social and physical environmental contexts relevant to preschoolers with disabilities. Observers completed 137.5 observation sessions, yielding 5498 30-s observation intervals. Interval-by-interval percent agreement was excellent (91%-100%) and kappa values were high (0.82-0.99).
Conclusions:
The instrument was found to be a reliable measure of PA of preschoolers with DD and provided important contextual information about PA behaviors in early childhood special education settings. Additionally, it allowed for the simultaneous measurement of specific types and contexts of PA behaviors of preschoolers with DD and will be useful for describing PA and informing future interventions.
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