Validating the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire for use with children aged between five and fifteen in the Maltese context

[摘要] The Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ), developed by Wilson (2007), is a subjective parent/guardian screening tool which is used by Maltese paediatric Occupational Therapists. It is available solely in the English language and so within the local context poses several challenges for respondents who are not well versed in this language. This paper reports on a study which was carried out to address the gap in the current situation by translating and validating the original English DCDQ'07. This process involved a forward and backward translation of the DCDQ followed by its administration using a quantitative cross-sectional survey methodology. The translation team involved four translators who worked independently of each other and a moderator who facilitated the whole process. When the final Maltese version was completed, the bilingual test-retest technique using the split-half method was used to determine the validity and reliability of the final Maltese questionnaire. This involved data collected from 44 bilingual parents whose children were receiving Occupational Therapy at a local paediatric centre and completed both the Maltese and English versions at a seven-day interval. Data analysis of the findings compared the final scores achieved from the Maltese translation with those obtained from the original English questionnaire. Statistical tests yielded p values of 0.000 which indicated satisfactory intra-rater reliability implying that the translated Maltese questionnaire can be used with confidence. This would add to the available resources that assist Occupational Therapists in evaluating motor coordination difficulties in children.

[学科分类] 卫生学

[关键词] Coordination Disorder;Paediatric;Questionnaire;Multilingualism;Translation andOccupational Therapy