Cross-cultural adaptation and measurement properties of the Arabic version of the ABILHAND-Kids scale

Abstract

Purpose: To cross-culturally adapt the ABILHAND-Kids into Arabic and to examine its measurement properties in children with cerebral palsy.

Materials and methods: The Cross-cultural adaption of the ABILHAND-Kids into Arabic language included forward translation, backward translation, expert committee followed by preliminary testing. Structural validity using Rasch analysis, internal consistency, test–retest reliability, measurement error, and construct validity of the Arabic ABILHAND-Kids were examined in children with cerebral palsy (N = 154; 54% male, mean age 7.4 years).

Results: Rasch analysis did not support the structural validity of the Arabic ABILHAND-Kids mainly due to response dependency. Removal of two items addressed the issue of the response dependency and resulted in a unidimensional scale meeting the requirement of the Rasch model. The scale had excellent internal consistency (Person Separation Index = 0.93) and excellent test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.98). The results supported 86% of the predefined hypotheses regarding correlation of the Arabic ABILHAND-Kids with the manual ability classification system, gross motor function classification system and the functional independence measure for children.

Conclusion: The Arabic ABILHAND-Kids demonstrated adequate evidence supporting its structural validity as a unidimensional measure along with evidence supporting its internal consistency, test–retest reliability and construct validity as a measure of manual ability in children with cerebral palsy.

Implications for rehabilitation

• The Arabic ABILHAND-Kids is a reliable and valid measure of manual ability in children with cerebral palsy.

• The Arabic ABILHAND-Kids can be used to quantify manual ability in children with cerebral palsy in clinical practice and for research purposes.

Keywords:

• Manual ability
• upper limb function
• cerebral palsy
• measurement properties
• validation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The authors extend their appreciation to the College of Applied Medical Sciences Research Center and the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud University for funding this research.