A Study on the Factor Structure, Construct Validity and Reliability of the Activities of Daily Living of Iranian Children (ADLIC) Scale

Background: The first and most basic area of occupational performance is the activities of daily living. These activities of life highly depend on the contextual and ecological (environmental) factors. Cultural values, parental expectations, social routines, and physical environment influence acquisition time of a child’s daily activities. At present, there is no comprehensive and adapted-culturally tool to evaluate the daily life activities of Iranian children aged 3 - 6 years. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the factor structure, construct validity, and reliability of the Activities of Daily Living in Iranian Children (ADLIC) scale. Methods: The participants were 470 Iranian parents of children among the ages from 3 to 6. Exploratory factor analysis, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability were conducted for data analysis. Convergent validity was measured by correlation to the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI). Results: The results indicated that ADLIC has excellent reliability due to internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha 0.96). Furthermore, the temporal stability of ADLIC was supported using the Intra-class correlations coefficient, which ranged between 0.95 and 0.98. Convergent validity between the ADLIC and two subscales of PEDI, including self-care (0.88) and mobility (0.80), was good. The ADLIC scale showed a clear factor structure with five main components and ten factors based on the findings. Conclusions: ADLIC has excellent psychometric properties, including internal consistency and temporal stability, and can be used as a reliable and valid measure to assess the daily living activities of children aged 3 - 6 years.