Psychometric properties of the Belgian LDCDQ (LDCDQ-BE) in a population based sample

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a neurodevelopmental condition typically diagnosed in school-aged children.
• Early identification of DCD is crucial due to potential secondary consequences.
• The Little Developmental Coordination Questionnaire (LDCDQ) is a screening tool for children at risk of DCD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Belgian version of the LDCDQ (LDCDQ-BE).
• To determine appropriate cut-off scores for the LDCDQ-BE in a Belgian population.

Main Methods:

• Parental (n=637) and teacher (n=249) questionnaires were administered to children aged 3-5 years.
• Motor development was assessed using the M-ABC-2, Beery-VMI-6, and teacher's Motor Skill Checklist (MSC) in a subset of 82 children.

Main Results:

• The LDCDQ-BE exhibited excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α=0.92).
• Convergent validity was moderate with M-ABC-2 (r=0.42), and weak to moderate with Beery-VMI-6 (r=0.30-0.31) and MSC (r=0.27).
• Discriminant validity was poor for M-ABC-2 and Beery-VMI-6 Visual-Motor Integration, but moderate for Beery-VMI-6 Motor Coordination and MSC.

Conclusions:

• The LDCDQ-BE demonstrates acceptable psychometric properties for screening purposes.
• Sensitivity of the LDCDQ-BE is low to moderate.
• Further research is needed to establish the predictive validity of the LDCDQ-BE for diagnosing DCD.