Reliability and validity of age band 1 of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children--second edition.
MABC-2 Age Band 1 is a solid, culture-friendly way to spot motor delays in preschoolers.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team tested the Greek version of the MABC-2 Age Band 1. They wanted to know if it gives steady scores and truly spots motor delays in preschoolers.
Kids aged 3–5 took the test twice. Researchers checked if scores stayed the same and if the test agreed with other motor measures.
What they found
The test showed good reliability and validity for Greek preschoolers. It can be trusted to flag children who may need motor support.
How this fits with other research
Hua et al. (2013) repeated the idea in China and got the same positive result. They only had to tweak two items, showing the test travels well.
Leung et al. (2014) widened the age span in Brazil. Their study included children up to 13 and still found strong numbers, building on the Greek work.
Holm et al. (2013) seems to disagree. They found high measurement error in MABC-2 Age Band 2 for older kids. The clash fades when you notice they tested a different age band, not the preschool one.
Why it matters
You now have proof that MABC-2 Age Band 1 works in at least three cultures. Use it at intake to screen 3- to 5-year-olds with autism or other delays. If a child scores low, you can start motor goals or refer to OT with confidence.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine specific aspects of the reliability and validity of age band 1 of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children--Second Edition (MABC-2) (Henderson, Sugden, & Barnett, 2007) in Greek preschool children. One hundred and eighty-three children participated in the study; the children ranged in age from 36 to 64 months old (M = 50 months, SD = 9 months). Test-retest reliability of the MABC-2 was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Cronbach's alpha for the items of each motor domain was estimated to determine internal consistency. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the factorial validity of the MABC-2 test. Correlation coefficients among individual item scores and the total score were also calculated to further examine validity. The ICC for all test items was good, except for the drawing trail task, which was moderate. Cronbach's alpha coefficient values were .51, .70 and .66 for manual dexterity, aiming and catching, and balance, respectively. In the confirmatory factor analysis, goodness-of-fit indices suggested a satisfactory fit of the data to the model. The correlation coefficients between each test item and the total score were moderate. The results suggest that the MABC-2 can be a reliable and valid tool for the assessment of movement difficulties among 3-5-year-old children.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2011 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2011.01.035