Construct Validity of the Activities Scale for Kids Performance in Children with Cerebral Palsy: Brief Report

ABSTRACT

Aims: This study collects evidence of construct convergent validity of the Activity Scale for Kids performance (ASKp), comparing its results with the 66-item Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-66) and with the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) and testing the ASKp’s ability to discriminate between individuals with different functional capabilities.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 60 children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP) assessed with the GMFM-66 who self-administered the Italian version of the ASKp.

Results: Children were 10.9 (±3) years old with GMFCS Level I–III. Moderate correlations were found between GMFM and ASKp scores (r = 0.577; p < .001), and between GMFCS levels and ASKp score (r_s = −0.541, p < .001). The ASKp discriminated between children with different functional capabilities, determined by the GMFCS (F = 18.2, p < .001).

Conclusions: ASKp is valid to assess physical functioning, a crucial domain in rehabilitation of children with spastic CP.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03325842

KEYWORDS:

• Cerebral palsy
• outcome assessment
• construct validity
• child
• activities scale for kids

Acknowledgments

We thank Jacqueline M. Costa for the English language editing.

Declaration of interests

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed on the publisher’s website.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Surgical, Medical and Dental Department of Morphological Sciences related to Transplant, Oncology and Regenerative Medicine - University of Modena e Reggio Emilia [FAR 2017].