Test–Retest Reliability and Construct Validity of the German Translation of the Gait Outcome Assessment List (GOAL) Questionnaire for Children with Ambulatory Cerebral Palsy

Michaela V. Bonfert; Evelyn Jelesch; Julia Hartmann; Helene Koenig; Birgit Warken; Anne Meuche; Nicolai H. Jung; Peter Bernius; Raphael Weinberger; Anna Lisa Sorg; Rüdiger von Kries; Unni G. Narayanan; Matthias Hoesl; Steffen Berweck; A. Sebastian Schroeder

doi:10.1055/s-0040-1722688

Neuropediatrics, Table of Contents

Neuropediatrics 2022; 53(02): 096-101
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1722688

Original Article

Test–Retest Reliability and Construct Validity of the German Translation of the Gait Outcome Assessment List (GOAL) Questionnaire for Children with Ambulatory Cerebral Palsy

Authors

Michaela V. Bonfert ‡^#

¹Department of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine, LMU Center for Children with Medical Complexity, Integrated Social Pediatric Center, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany
Evelyn Jelesch‡^#

²Specialist Center for Paediatric Neurology, Neurorehabilitation and Epileptology, Schoen Clinic Vogtareuth, Vogtareuth, Germany
Julia Hartmann

²Specialist Center for Paediatric Neurology, Neurorehabilitation and Epileptology, Schoen Clinic Vogtareuth, Vogtareuth, Germany
Helene Koenig

¹Department of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine, LMU Center for Children with Medical Complexity, Integrated Social Pediatric Center, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany
Birgit Warken

¹Department of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine, LMU Center for Children with Medical Complexity, Integrated Social Pediatric Center, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany
Anne Meuche

¹Department of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine, LMU Center for Children with Medical Complexity, Integrated Social Pediatric Center, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany
Nicolai H. Jung

³kbo-Kinderzentrum München, Social Pediatrics, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
Peter Bernius

⁴Specialist Center for Paediatric and Neuro-Orthopaedics, Schoen Clinic Muenchen Harlaching, Munich, Germany
Raphael Weinberger

⁵Institute of Social Paediatrics and Adolescents Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany
Anna Lisa Sorg

⁵Institute of Social Paediatrics and Adolescents Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany
Rüdiger von Kries

⁵Institute of Social Paediatrics and Adolescents Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany
Unni G. Narayanan

⁶Division of Orthopaedics, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Matthias Hoesl

⁷Gait and Motion Analyis Laboratory, Schoen Clinic Vogtareuth, Vogtareuth, Germany
Steffen Berweck^*

¹Department of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine, LMU Center for Children with Medical Complexity, Integrated Social Pediatric Center, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany

²Specialist Center for Paediatric Neurology, Neurorehabilitation and Epileptology, Schoen Clinic Vogtareuth, Vogtareuth, Germany
A. Sebastian Schroeder‡^*

¹Department of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine, LMU Center for Children with Medical Complexity, Integrated Social Pediatric Center, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany

Abstract

The Gait Outcome Assessment List (GOAL) is a patient or caregiver-reported assessment of gait-related function across different domains of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) developed for ambulant children with cerebral palsy (CP). So far, the questionnaire is only available in English. The aim of this study was to translate the GOAL into German and to evaluate its reliability and validity by studying the association between GOAL scores and gross motor function as categorized by the gross motor function classification system (GMFCS) in children with cerebral palsy (CP). The GOAL was administered to primary caregivers of n = 91 children and adolescents with CP (n = 32, GMFCS levels I; n = 27, GMFCS level II; and n = 32, GMFCS level III) and n = 15 patients were capable of independently completing the whole questionnaire (GMFCS level I). For assessing test–retest reliability, the questionnaire was completed for a second time 2 weeks after the first by the caregivers of n = 36 patients. Mean total GOAL scores decreased significantly with increasing GMFCS levels with scores of 71 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 66.90–74.77) for GMFCS level I, 56 (95% CI: 50.98–61.86) for GMFCS level II, and 45 (95% CI: 40.58–48.48) for GMFCS level III, respectively. In three out of seven domains, caregivers rated their children significantly lower than children rated themselves. The test–retest reliability was excellent as was internal consistency given the GOAL total score. The German GOAL may serve as a much needed patient-reported outcome measure of gait-related function in ambulant children and adolescents with CP.

Keywords

cerebral palsy - gait outcome assessment list - gait function - patient reported outcome measure - questionnaire

Full Text

References

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