TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2024//
TI  - Assessing walking adaptability in children with cerebral palsy: validity and reliability of the walking adaptability ladder test for kids
JO  - Physiotherapy theory and practice
A1  - Taşvuran Horata, Emel
A1  - Kundakcı, Yunus Emre
A1  - Kundakcı, Rabia
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - INTRODUCTION: Assessing gait adaptation in children with cerebral palsy (CP) requires cost-effective and easily applicable methods. <br><br>OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Walking Adaptability Ladder Test for Kids (WAL-K) in assessing gait adaptation in children with CP. <br><br>METHODS: Sixty-six participants (40 children with CP and 26 controls), aged 6-18 years, underwent WAL-K testing under single- and double-run conditions with video recording. Test-retest reliability, interrater reliability, concurrent validity, and known-group validity were assessed. Concurrent validity was assessed using the Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT), Four-Square Step Test (FSST), and Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test. <br><br>RESULTS: Interrater intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC3,k) values were > 0.999 for the WAL-K single- and double-run tests. The test-retest reliability ICC3,k values were 0.988 for the WAL-K single-run, and 0.963, 0.962, and 0.963 for the WAL-K double-run (p < .05). WAL-K double-run showed a strong correlation with FSST (r = 0.791), while WAL-K single-run correlated weakly with TUGT (r = 0.394) (p < .01). Moderate correlations were observed between other tests (p < .01). Children with CP had higher scores in all WAL-K tests compared to controls (p < .001). <br><br>CONCLUSION: The WAL-K test demonstrated validity and reliability, making it suitable for clinical use without requiring specialized laboratory settings. It enables repeated assessments of gait adaptation in children with CP.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0959-3985
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09593985.2024.2346726
ID  - ref1
ER  -