Development and standardization of a "do-eat" activity of daily living performance test for children.
BACKGROUND
The Do-Eat was developed to evaluate daily task performance abilities among children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). This study investigated the tool's reliability and validity.


METHODS
Participants were 59 children ages 5 to 6.5 years; 30 children diagnosed with DCD according to the DSM-IV-TR; and a control group of 29 children, who were matched for age, gender, and sociodemographic background.


RESULTS
Both the Do-Eat and the accompanying Parent Questionnaire yielded high internal consistency (alpha s = .89-.93). Construct validity was demonstrated by significant between-group differences on the Do-Eat (t[57] = 14.09, p<.001) and the Parent Questionnaire (t[57] = 3.64, p<.001). Significant correlations between children's scores on the sensory-motor component of the Do-Eat and the Movement Assessment Battery for Children final score confirmed concurrent validity (r = -.86, p<.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that the Do-Eat is a reliable, valid tool for identifying children at risk for DCD.
Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel. naomij@research.haifa.ac.il
Naomi
N
Josman
Ayelet
A
Goffer
Sara
S
Rosenblum
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004435:Eating; D017753:Ecosystem; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D053580:Muscle Strength; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011594:Psychometrics; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*