Tradução e adaptação cultural do Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ)

Abstract

In Brazil, there are no available instruments for the detection of children with developmental coordination disorders (DCD), which impairs its diagnosis and treatment. The cultural adaptation of the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ), a questionnaire for parents, represents an attempt to develop an instrument for the detection of children with motor coordination problems in Brazil. Aims of the present investigation were a) to translate the DCDQ to Portuguese and adapt it to the Brazilian culture; b) to examine the comprehension and adequacy of DCDQ-Brazil for the Brazilian population through the experimental application of the translated test; c) investigate the psychometrical qualities of the adapted questionnaire; d) indicate the instruments limitations and, if necessary, propose the review or exclusion of items to make it clinically useful for the DCD detection among Brazilian children.Methods included translation of the DCDQ according to internationally used procedures, followed by the use of the translated questionnaire DCDQ-Brazil in a sample of 45 children, 15 of which showed coordination problems and 30 with typical developmental patterns. Data analysis indicated that items 3) and 13) were not efficient for the discrimination of motor coordination problems and did not represent typical aspects of the Brazilian culture. Two other versions of the questionnaire, A and B, were then created in which these items were substituted by others with better psychometrical characteristics. There was an improvement in test-retest reliability (from 0,953 in the original version to 0,973 in both versions A and B) and in internal consistency (from 0,915 in the original version to 0,926 in version A and 0,918 in version B). Sensitivity (0,73) and specificity (0,87), as well as positive prediction value (0,73) and negative prediction value (0,87) also underlined version As superiority, which should be maintained in future investigations.It was concluded that the translation process was valid and that DCDQ-Brazil, as a short instrument with simple applicability, is potentially useful for the detection of DCD among Brazilian children. Further research involving broader samples is necessary to verify the score patterns of Brazilian children in different ages and to determine cut-off scores that allow a more reliable classification of children for diagnostic evaluation and epidemiological studies.