Article

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate construct validity, internal consistency and inter-rater
reliability of the Posture and Postural Ability Scale for children with cerebral
palsy. DESIGN: Evaluation of psychometric properties. SETTING: Five child
rehabilitation centres in the south of Sweden, in November 2013 to March 2014.
SUBJECTS: A total of 29 children with cerebral palsy (15 boys,
14 girls), 6-16
years old, classified at Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS)
levels II (n = 10), III (n = 7), IV
(n = 6) and V (n = 6). MAIN MEASURES: Three
independent raters (two physiotherapists and one orthopaedic surgeon) assessed
posture and postural ability of all children in supine, prone, sitting and
standing positions, according to the Posture and Postural Ability Scale.
Construct validity was evaluated based on averaged values for the raters relative
to known-groups in terms of GMFCS levels. Internal consistency was analysed with
Cronbach's alpha and corrected Item-Total correlation. Inter-rater reliability
was calculated using weighted kappa scores. RESULTS: The Posture and Postural
Ability Scale showed construct validity and median values differed between GMFCS
levels (p < 0.01). There was a good internal consistency (alpha = 0.95-0.96;
item-total correlation = 0.55-0.91), and an excellent inter-rater reliability
(kappa score = 0.77-0.99). CONCLUSION: The Posture and Postural Ability Scale
shows high psychometric properties for children with cerebral palsy, as
previously seen when evaluated for adults. It enables detection of postural
deficits and asymmetries indicating potential need for support and where it needs
to be applied.
CI - (c) The Author(s) 2015.

Langue : ANGLAIS