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Structural validity of the MABC-2 in European and African children: An analysis of age band 2
Evi Verbecque1, Dané Coetzee2, Ludvik Valtr3
1Rehabilitation Research Centre - REVAL, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium.
Insights
The Movement Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd edition (MABC-2) has a four-domain structure in European and African children aged 7-10. This finding highlights the need for region-specific MABC-2 data for accurate Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Motor Development
- Psychometrics
Background:
- The Movement Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd edition (MABC-2) is a key tool for identifying Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD).
- Structural validity of the MABC-2 is under-researched in children aged 7-10, a critical diagnostic period for DCD.
- This study investigates the MABC-2's structural validity in European and African children aged 7-10.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the structural validity of the MABC-2 in a large sample of European and African children aged 7-10.
- To determine if the MABC-2's proposed three-domain structure is applicable across different continents.
- To identify the underlying factor structure of the MABC-2 in these specific populations.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of a dataset comprising 3025 African and European children.
- Higher-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to assess the test-defined three-domain structure.
- Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) followed by CFA on randomly split halves of the dataset.
Main Results:
- The MABC-2's three-domain structure was not confirmed in either European or African samples.
- EFA revealed a consistent four-domain structure underlying the MABC-2 in both European and African children.
- Item 3 (drawing trail) was removed due to poor model fit; domain loadings varied between European and African samples.
Conclusions:
- A four-domain structure provides a better fit for the MABC-2 in European and African children aged 7-10.
- Observed variations in factor loadings underscore the necessity for region-specific normative data.
- Future standardization of the MABC-2 should incorporate these findings to improve diagnostic accuracy for DCD.
Background:
The Movement Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd edition (MABC-2) is a widely used motor assessment tool for identifying Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). However, the structural validity of the MABC-2 remains underinvestigated, particularly in children aged 7-10, when DCD is most frequently diagnosed. The primary aim of this study was to examine the structural validity of the MABC-2 in European and African children aged 7-10 years.
Methods:
We retrospectively analyzed a dataset (n = 3025) including African and European children. The test-defined three-domain structure was assessed with higher-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA, Asymptotically Distribution-free estimation). Next, the dataset was randomly divided in two: exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using oblique rotation was conducted in one half of the sample, and these factors were then reassessed with CFA in the other half.
Results:
Multiple group comparison yielded the need for separate analyses per continent. The test-defined structure was not confirmed in either European or African children. Instead, EFA identified a four-domain structure in both subsamples. The drawing trail (item 3) did not fit any CFA model and was therefore removed from the final model. In the European sample, the dynamic balance domain had the strongest loadings onto the total score, while "eye-hand/eye-foot coordination" showed the strongest loadings in the African sample.
Conclusion:
A four-domain structure appears to underlie the MABC-2 in a large sample of European and African children. Factor loadings shifted slightly depending on the subsample, further underscoring the need for region-specific normative data, which should be considered in future standardization procedures.
