ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This article describes culturally defined meanings of childhood function and disability in Puerto Rico to provide a context for the interpretation of test scores from the Spanish translation of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: More than 600 Puerto Rican teachers, parents and caregivers of children with and without disabilities, and members of the general community participated in ethnographic interviews, which were designed to describe their beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge about childhood function and disability. RESULTS: Qualitative and quantitative data analysis confirmed that differences exist between Puerto Ricans and the norms established in the United States for the performance of functional skills by children, and the analysis also described Puerto Rican beliefs and attitudes toward disability. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Puerto Rican values of interdependence, añoñar (pampering or nurturing behaviors), and sobre protectiva (overprotectiveness) influence parental expectations for the capability of children with disabilities and should be considered when interpreting scores from the PEDI and establishing plans of care. Additional research is needed on the influence of contextual variables on child development and behavioral adaptations to disability.
Subject(s)
Cultural Characteristics , Disability Evaluation , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Activities of Daily Living , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Caregivers/psychology , Child , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Interviews as Topic , Male , Middle Aged , Parents/psychology , Puerto Rico , Socioeconomic Factors , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Although Puerto Rican children with disabilities are at high risk for poor developmental outcomes, no standardized measures are validated for use with these children. In this study, we evaluated the content and construct validity of a Spanish translation of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) for use with children living in Puerto Rico. Methods included expert content review, surveys of parents, and the evaluation of 44 children with and without disabilities, who were matched for socio-economic status, age, and gender. The results demonstrated that the translated version of the PEDI is valid; yet additional research is warranted to identify socio-cultural influences on the performance and capability of typically developing Puerto Rican children.
Subject(s)
Disability Evaluation , Language , Surveys and Questionnaires , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Infant , Male , Puerto Rico , Reproducibility of ResultsABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to identify the compensations made when a child with normal motor control ascends and descends stairs while wearing a solid AFO. Ten healthy children were asked to ascend and descend stairs with shoes, right and bilateral AFOs. Repeated measures ANOVA identified differences in selected kinematic parameters. Peak-to-peak excursion of pelvic rotation, pelvic obliquity, and hip ab/adduction increased with AFO use (P<0.05). Mean anterior pelvic tilt increased with AFO use (P<0.05). Compensations at the trunk and the pelvis facilitated limb advancement and clearance. This information may be helpful in developing strategies for training patients with motor planning difficulties.
