Reliability Study of the Items of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) Using Kappa Analysis

Area of Science:

• Pediatric physical therapy
• Infant motor development assessment
• Reliability studies

Background:

• The Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) is a widely used tool for assessing infant motor development.
• Validating translated versions of assessment tools is crucial for their effective use in diverse populations.
• Establishing the reliability of the Korean AIMS (K-AIMS) is essential for its clinical application in Korea.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the interrater and intrarater reliability of the Korean version of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (K-AIMS).
• To determine the consistency of K-AIMS assessments performed by different raters and by the same rater over time.

Main Methods:

• Six raters assessed 70 infants (0-18 months) using video clips for interrater reliability.
• One rater reassessed a subset of infants for intrarater reliability.
• Infants included 46 preterm and 24 full-term births.
• Reliability was analyzed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Fleiss' kappa statistics.

Main Results:

• Interrater reliability, measured by Fleiss' kappa, was highest for sitting and standing positions in the 4-7 months age group.
• Lower reliability was observed for the standing position in infants aged 3 months or under.
• Overall, higher Fleiss' kappa values were found for most positions when all infants were analyzed together, except for the standing position.

Conclusions:

• The Korean version of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (K-AIMS) demonstrates good interrater and intrarater reliability.
• The K-AIMS is a reliable tool for assessing the motor skills of both preterm and full-term Korean infants.
• Findings support the use of K-AIMS in clinical practice and research within the Korean population.