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Construct Validity of the Revised High-Level Mobility Assessment Tool for Children Who Are Developing Typically
Bridget Hill1,2, Beverly Eldridge2,3, Gavin Williams2,4
1Epworth Monash Rehabilitation Medicine Unit, Epworth HealthCare, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Physical Therapy
|June 11, 2022
Summary
The High-Level Mobility Assessment Tool (HiMAT) is a valid measure for typically developing children aged 5-12 years. Rasch analysis confirmed its unidimensionality and good reliability, though some items may be too easy.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric physical therapy
- Motor development assessment
- Psychometrics in child development
Background:
- The High-Level Mobility Assessment Tool (HiMAT) is a revised 8-item measure designed to assess advanced mobility skills.
- Validating assessment tools is crucial for accurately measuring developmental progress in children.
- Understanding the construct validity of the HiMAT in typically developing children is essential for its appropriate application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the construct validity of the High-Level Mobility Assessment Tool (HiMAT).
- To assess the HiMAT's suitability for children aged 5 to 12 years with typical development.
- To determine if the HiMAT effectively measures the single construct of high-level mobility in this pediatric population.
Main Methods:
- Rasch analysis was employed to evaluate the HiMAT's fit to the Rasch model.
- Key aspects assessed included unidimensionality, person separation index, local dependency, item targeting, and differential item functioning.
- Data were collected from 1091 typically developing children (5-12 years) across 8 schools.
Main Results:
- The HiMAT demonstrated fit to the Rasch model, confirming its unidimensionality and ability to measure high-level mobility.
- A person separation index of .86 indicated good reliability of the scale.
- Differential item functioning was observed for one item based on sex, and two items showed local dependency, suggesting potential redundancy.
Conclusions:
- The HiMAT is a unidimensional and well-targeted performance measure for assessing high-level mobility in typically developing children aged 5-12 years.
- Further investigation into the relationship between the 'walk' and 'walk over obstacle' items is recommended to ensure score independence.
- The findings support the HiMAT's use as a valid assessment tool for this population, with minor considerations for specific items.
