title: Factorial validity of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (age band 2).
abstract: The Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (M-ABC-2) is one of the most commonly used tests for the diagnosis of specific developmental disorders of motor function (F82). The M-ABC-2 comprises eight subtests per age band (AB) that are assigned to three dimensions: manual dexterity, aiming and catching, and balance. However, while previous exploratory findings suggested the correctness of the assumption of factorial validity, there is no empirical evidence that the M-ABC-2 subtests allow for a valid reproduction of the postulated factorial structure. The purpose of this study was to empirically confirm the factorial validity of the M-ABC-2. The German normative sample of AB2 (7-10 years; N=323) was used as the study sample for the empirical analyses. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to verify the factorial validity of the M-ABC-2 (AB2). The incremental fit indices (χ2=28.675; df=17; Bollen-Stine p value=0.318; RMSEA=0.046 [0.011-0.075]; SRMR=0.038; CFI=0.960) provided evidence for the factorial validity of the M-ABC-2 (AB2). However, because of a lack of empirical verification for convergent and discriminant validity, there is still no evidence that F82 can be diagnosed using M-ABC-2 (AB2).
authors.affiliation: Institute for Health Science, Department of Sports and Movement, University of Education Schwäbisch Gmünd, Oberbettringer Str. 200, 73525 Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany. matthias.wagner@ph-gmuend.de
authors.forename: Matthias Oliver
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kastner
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Petermann
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bös
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results