Psychometric properties of the German Version of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI-G): A factor analysis

Background: Activities of daily living (ADL) are crucial for children because they enable them to participate in everyday life. For the evaluation of children`s ADL performance, health professionals such as occupational therapists use standardized ADL assessments. To implement assessments into practice it is important that the score generated from an assessment can be viewed as a unidimensional measure. Aim: To investigate the factor structure of the German Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI-G) in a sample of typically developing children and children with an impairment. Material and Methods: An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with factor rotation was performed to assess the factor structure for the PEDI-G domains (self-care, mobility and social function) of the Functional Skills Scale and the Caregiver Assistance Scale. Results: 262 children (118 (45%) girls and 144 (55%) boys) participated in this study. Their mean age (SD) was 4 years (SD 1.91). Results suggest that the PEDI domains of the Functional Skills Scale and the Caregivers Assistance Scale can be used as unidimensional measures to evaluate child`s ability to perform activities of daily living. Conclusion: The results of this study support the use of the PEDI-G for research and practice in Austria, Germany and Switzerland.