Cross-cultural validation of the Persian version of the Manual Ability Classification System for children with cerebral palsy

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the reliability and cross-cultural validation of the Persian translation of the Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) for children with cerebral palsy (CP). Methods: After the forward-backward translation procedures and investigation of face and content validity, inter-rater and test-retest reliability was assessed between parents and occupational therapists using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Parents and therapists classified 100 children (4–18 years, mean age of 8.13 years, SD=3.40, 63 boys, 37 girls) with various types of CP using MACS. Additional data on the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), and accompanying conditions were also collected. Findings: The inter-rater reliability was high; the ICC was 0.96 (ranged between 0.94–0.97) among occupational therapists and parents. The ICC for the test-retest reliability was high; the ICC related to parents was 0.97 (ranged between 0.95–0.98) and the ICC related to occupational therapists was 0.97 (ranged between 0.96–0.98). Discussion: The Persian version of MACS is found to be valid and reliable, and is suggested to be appropriate for assessing the manual ability of children with CP within the Iranian population.

Effectiveness of cognitive orientation to (daily) occupational performance (CO-OP) on children with cerebral palsy: A mixed design

“…Level I describes the child with the highest manual function and ability to handle objects easily and successfully; level V refers to the child with the lowest manual function, inability to handle objects, and severely limited ability to perform simple actions (Eliasson et al, 2006). The MACS has been validated in Farsi and has a high level of psychometric properties (Riyahi, Rassafiani, AkbarFahimi, Sahaf, & Yazdani, 2013).…”

Manual Ability Classification System (MACS): reliability between therapists and parents in Brazil

“…The MACS has received international recognition 11 and has been used in conjunction with the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) 12 to classify children with cerebral palsy. The MACS has been translated into 25 languages as it is recognized as a valid and reliable system to classify the manual ability of children with cerebral palsy 7 , 8 , 13 - 18 .…”

“…The combination of the information provided by this classification and the medical diagnosis makes it possible to define subgroups within the heterogeneous group of cerebral palsy 20 . In clinical practice, it is important to improve communication between families and therapists 20 , helping guide therapeutic objectives and treatment priorities 18 , 21 . However, the MACS should not be used as an outcome measure to document the impact of intervention since the classifications, although stable over time 11 , do not have appropriate sensitivity.…”

The Communication Function Classification System: Cultural Adaptation, Validity, and Reliability of the Farsi Version for Patients With Cerebral Palsy

“…15,16 Communication is essential between individuals with CP and their families, health-care professionals, and caregivers at home and in society. It was necessary to develop a valid and reliable tool in Farsi to classify the communication function to assess the abilities of individuals with CP.…”