Back to Search Start Over

The Use of ABILHAND-Kids in Children with Unilateral Congenital Below-Elbow Deficiencies and Acquired Amputation: An Italian Cross-Sectional Study

Authors :
Gessica Della Bella
Luigino Santecchia
Paola Luttazi
Giordana Mariani
Lorenzo Pochiero
Alessandra Lacopo
Caterina Delia
Marco Tofani
Source :
Children, Vol 11, Iss 8, p 988 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2024.

Abstract

Congenital or acquired hand differences, including unilateral below-elbow deficiencies, present complex challenges in pediatric rehabilitation. Surgical management and prosthetic provision represent a big challenge to find a good balance for guaranteeing optimal hand function. There is no specific assessment tool for measuring these aspects in the Italian context. The present study investigates the psychometric properties of the ABILHAND-Kids in children with congenital unilateral below-elbow deficiencies and acquired amputation of the upper limb. We measure internal consistency using Cronbach coefficient alpha and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for measuring test-retest reliability. Differences in hand function in both children with acquired or congenital diseases were also investigated. Participants to the study were 107 (49 F and 58 M) children, with a mean (SD) age of 8.88 (4.25). For test retest reliability, conducted on a sub-sample of 58 children, the ICC was 0.92, while for internal consistency, the Cronbach coefficient alpha was 0.90. We did not find statistically significant differences in scoring (p = 0.33) in the use (mean 29.25 SD 6.58) or non-use of a prosthetic device (mean 30.74 SD 7.43), while statistically significant differences were found in hand function (p < 0.01) for children who had a congenital impairment (mean 31.87 SD 6.49) and children who had an acquired amputation (mean 27.77 SD 6.60). In conclusion, the ABILHAND-Kids showed good internal consistency and reliability and can capture differences in hand function in children with both congenital and acquired hand disorders.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
22279067
Volume :
11
Issue :
8
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Children
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.35132170f0a84a33ad27922e222bf83a
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/children11080988