Parent coaching to enhance community participation in young children with developmental disabilities: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Parent coaching emerges as a preferred approach for enhancing performance and participation of children with developmental disabilities (DD), but limited clinical trials examine its effects on community participation. AIM: To evaluate whether parent coaching, specifically using Occupational Performance Coaching (OPC), enhances community participation among young children with DD. METHOD AND PROCEDURES: A pilot double-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted. Parents of 50 children with DD (31 male, 19 female, mean age 4 years 10 months) were randomly assigned to the OPC group (n = 25) or parent consultation group (n = 25). Each parent received a maximum of eight coaching sessions or consultations. The primary outcome was children's community participation as assessed through parent-report measures at baseline, pre-intervention, post-intervention, and an 8-week follow-up. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Both groups showed significant improvements in parent-identified, goal-specific community participation after the intervention (mean difference [MD]=2.26-2.56), and these improvements were sustained during the follow-up. Despite a trend favoring parent coaching, the group difference in the improvements was not evident (MD=0.18-0.28). Both groups displayed positive improvements in children's overall community involvement post-intervention (MD=0.32); however, the time effects were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: OPC, by coaching parents, could enhance goal-specific community participation in children with DD, producing effects similar to those achieved through parent consultation.

Intra-limb joint coordination measures of upper limb and hand movements: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: People with central nervous system disorders typically have difficulties in coordination of the upper limb and hand movements, which significantly impairs their activities of daily living. Laboratory-based measures can provide quantitative and objective information about intra-limb coordination to aid the rehabilitation process of this population. However, there is currently no comprehensive review of laboratory-based measures. RESEARCH QUESTIONS: The aim of this review was to identify and summarize laboratory-based intra-limb coordination measures for different upper limb and hand movements. METHODS: Searches were performed in the CINAHL, Embase, IEEE Xplore, MEDLINE, PubMed and Web of Science databases to identify studies published between 2013 and 2022. Two authors independently performed paper selection, data extraction and quality assessment. RESULTS: 21 papers were identified, and six types of coordination measures were classified. These included principal component analysis, continuous relative phase analysis, correlation analysis, regression analysis, uncontrolled manifold analysis, and uncorrelated surrogate data analysis, in descending order of occurrence. Regarding psychometric properties, all measures demonstrated good discriminative validity. However, only the principal component analysis approach and the continuous relative phase analysis approach were found to have good convergent validity and responsiveness, respectively. In terms of their practicality, these measures were primarily utilized for quantifying coordination in individuals with neurological disorders, with a greater emphasis on the coordination of upper limb movements rather than hand movements. SIGNIFICANCE: This review summarized and critiqued the characteristics of six types of joint coordination measures. Researchers and clinicians should therefore select appropriate measures based on individual needs. Future research should continue on analysing coordination in individuals with pathological conditions and exploring the application of these measures in quantifying hand movement coordination, to advance current knowledge and inform rehabilitation practices.

Relationship Between Change in Participation and Later Mental Health Problems in Children.

BACKGROUND: Participation in everyday activities is beneficial for mental health. However, little is known about the extent to which changes in children's participation are associated with later mental health. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between changes in the frequency and involvement in home, school, and community activities and subsequent mental health problems in children. Methodology: We recruited 242 school-aged children. Their parents completed the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth twice, and after 2 years, they completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. RESULTS: After controlling for demographic factors, hierarchical regression analysis revealed that reductions in children's involvement in home and community activities were significantly associated with elevated levels of externalizing and internalizing problems. Furthermore, an increase in children's involvement in school activities showed significant relationships with better mental health outcomes. CONCLUSION: These findings inform participation-based interventions for occupational therapists aimed at mitigating children's future mental health problems.

Participation in everyday activities is beneficial for mental health. However, little is known about the extent to which changes in children's participation are associated with later mental health. This study aimed to investigate the association between changes in the frequency and involvement in home, school, and community activities and subsequent mental health problems in children. We recruited 242 school-aged children. Their parents completed the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth twice, and after 2 years, they completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. After controlling for demographic characteristics, the analysis revealed that reductions in children's involvement in home and community activities were significantly associated with elevated levels of externalizing and internalizing problems. Furthermore, an increase in children's involvement in school activities showed significant relationships with better mental health outcomes. These findings inform participation-based interventions for occupational therapists aimed at mitigating children's future mental health problems.

Rapid online correction of reach-to-manipulate movements in children with developmental coordination disorder: A pilot kinematic comparison study.

BACKGROUND: Children with developmental coordination disorder show difficulties in making rapid online corrections, and this has been demonstrated in experiments where reaching/pointing movements were employed. However, typical hand movements in real-life contexts involve subsequent movements, such as grasping and manipulating objects after reaching. This study aimed to reinvestigate online correction of reaching movements that were connected with grasping and object manipulation and to explore its impact on the coordination of subsequent hand movements in children with developmental coordination disorder. METHODS: Five children with developmental coordination disorder and five children with typical development were recruited. Their reach-to-manipulate movements in a double-step task were recorded using motion analysis. The manipulative movements included simple and complex forms of pencil rotation. Movement time, movement velocity, and correlation coefficients between finger joints were derived to quantify their motor performances. FINDINGS: Children with developmental coordination disorder showed longer movement time and deceleration phases during online correction of reaching movement than children without developmental coordination disorder. In subsequent grasping and manipulation movements after online correction, they also exhibited lower correlation coefficients in four to five finger joint couplings that are essential for movement completion, compared to children without developmental coordination disorder. INTERPRETATION: Our findings from the current pilot study suggest that children with developmental coordination disorder have impairments in online correction when reaching for objects and may also have reduced coordination of some finger movements that are important for subsequent grasping and object manipulation. Future studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to confirm these findings.

Evaluation of the effect of using online database to enhance students' learning of occupational therapy theories in occupational therapy education.

Background: Learning about occupational therapy theories is crucial to occupational therapy education, and an online database is developed to facilitate students' learning of occupational therapy theories in this study. Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of this database on users' experiences. Methods: A mixed-method approach, including surveys and focus groups, was used. First- and third-year students who had studied occupational therapy theory at a university participated in this study. Results: One-hundred-and-twenty students completed the surveys, and 11 students participated in the focus groups. The students demonstrated a significant increase in the number of theories they named and their perceived understanding of theories after the semester. They rated the content, utility and satisfaction with the database in facilitating their understanding/learning of theories as moderate-good. Based on qualitative data, it appeared that the database provided specific information about occupational therapy theories and facilitated students' learning and level of interest in learning about them. However, the first-year students who accessed the database showed a significantly decreased level of interest in learning about theories, but such the decrease was not found in the third-year students. Conclusion: The study findings suggest that the use of an online database may enhance students' learning about occupational therapy theories in educational settings.

Participation of children with and without disabilities in home, school, and community in Hong Kong: A 2-year longitudinal study.

Background: Children with disabilities are reported to participate less in activities than their typically developing peers. However, owing to limited longitudinal studies, improvements or deteriorations in their participation over time remain unclear. No studies were also conducted in Hong Kong to describe children's activity participation over time. Aim: To investigate the changes in participation patterns of Hong Kong children with and without disabilities. Methods: Thirty-four children with disabilities and 138 without disabilities were recruited from four schools. Their parents completed the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth twice over 2 years. Results: After 2 years, both groups of children were found to engage more frequently in using electronic devices and less frequently in indoor play activities/games at home. They also participated more often in school extra-curriculum activities, events and field trips. However, the frequency of community activities remained relatively stable in the two groups. No changes in their levels of involvement in almost of home, school and community activities were identified. Conclusion: The findings of increased participation in some home and school activities over time are encouraging. However, stable or possibly decreased participation of children with disabilities in other activities requires further efforts in promoting their participation.

Effects of the Change in Activity Participation During the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children's Mental Health.

IMPORTANCE: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) containment measures such as school closure have been implemented to curb the spread of the virus among children. Subsequent changes in children's participation in daily activities may exacerbate the risk of mental health problems among them. OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between children's activity participation and mental health before and during the pandemic. DESIGN: Pretest-posttest design. SETTING: Communities in Hong Kong. PARTICIPANTS: Children (N = 114; 60 boys, 54 girls; M age 11 yr, 4 mo) who participated in a previous school-based study. Outcomes and Measures: Parents completed the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for their children. RESULTS: Parents completed the questionnaires before and during the pandemic. They reported a significant increase in their children's externalizing problems and a decrease in prosocial behaviors during the pandemic. Increased externalizing problems were found to be significantly associated with less frequency and involvement in school activities and less involvement in community activities. Significant associations were found between decreased prosocial behaviors and reduced participation in all types of activities. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Pandemic-related restrictions on children's participation were unfavorably related to their mental health. Strategies and services that promote children's involvement in daily activities are needed to decrease the risk of mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. What This Article Adds: Pandemic-related restrictions (e.g., school closure or social distancing) on activity participation unfavorably affect children's mental health. Occupational therapy practitioners can play an important role in promoting children's involvement in daily activities so as to prevent mental health problems among children.

Occupational Performance Coaching With Parents to Promote Community Participation of Young Children With Developmental Disabilities: Protocol for a Feasibility and Pilot Randomized Control Trial.

Background: High rates of restricted community participation have been reported in young children with developmental disabilities. Occupational performance coaching (OPC), grounded in self-determination theory, aims to facilitate children's participation in life situations through coaching parents. However, there have been limited randomized controlled trials demonstrating the efficacy of OPC, especially with a specific focus on children's community participation. The proposed study is the first step in evaluating the feasibility and acceptability of conducting a pilot randomized controlled trial of OPC in Hong Kong and testing its initial efficacy (in comparison to parent consultation) in promoting children's community participation. Method/Design: A feasibility and pilot double-blind randomized controlled trial will be undertaken. Fifty children aged 6 years or below with developmental disabilities and their parents will be recruited from early intervention centers and/or through social media in Hong Kong. Parents will be randomly assigned to receive OPC or consultation, and will be blinded to group allocation. Outcomes will be assessed by blinded assessors at baseline, pre-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up. Predetermined success criteria will be used to assess the feasibility of the trial. Qualitative interviews will be conducted with parents to explore the acceptability and perceived impact of OPC. Discussion: This trial will test whether the study protocol and OPC are feasible and acceptable, as well as assess the initial efficacy of OPC to obtain effect size estimates. The results of the trial will inform future preparations for conducting a full-scale efficacy trial of OPC. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health (#NCT04796909), Registered on 15th March 2021.

Psychometric Properties of the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short-Form (IGDS9-SF): Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: The Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) is among the best with regard to its psychometric properties. Therefore, clinical psychologists are likely guided to use the IGDS9-SF if they want to assess or screen the disordered gaming in their practice. However, the information, especially psychometric evidence, concerning the IGDS9-SF has not been fully examined and summarized. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review evaluated the psychometric properties of different language versions of the IGDS9-SF and assessed its methodological quality in order to improve the clinicians' understanding of the IGDS9-SF and facilitate its use. METHODS: Systematic literature searches were carried out using Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science. The review included English-language studies of any research design that have reported at least one psychometric property of the IGDS9-SF, as defined by the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstrument (COSMIN), and have aimed at testing the psychometric properties of the IGDS9-SF. RESULTS: In total, 21 studies comprising 15 language versions of the IGDS9-SF were included. Overall, the IGDS9-SF showed adequate internal consistency (although some items did not have satisfactory item-total correlation [IT]), excellent criterion validity, and the ability to distinguish different subgroups with measurement invariance being supported across gender and age. In terms of factor structure, the IGDS9-SF was shown to have a unidimensional factor structure across all 21 studies. CONCLUSIONS: Although there is insufficient evidence regarding the responsiveness and properties of the IGDS9-SF using item response theory, the existing evidence supports its use in assessing disordered gaming among individuals.

Community Participation of School-Age Children: Who is at Risk of Restricted Participation?

AIMS: This study aimed to identify children with restricted community participation and examine the extent to which the child, family, and environmental factors were associated with restricted participation. METHODS: A school-based sample of 92 children with disabilities and 391 children without disabilities aged 5-12 years was recruited in Hong Kong. Parents completed the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth and a demographic questionnaire. Moreover, children completed the Children's Depression Inventory. Rasch analysis was used to determine the criteria that differentiated between children with and without participation restriction, based on frequency of activities. Logistic regression was used to identify the factors associated with participation restriction. RESULTS: One hundred seventy-three children (35.8% of the sample), including 42 with disabilities, were identified as having restricted participation. Participation restriction was associated with higher depressive symptoms in children (odds ratio (OR) = 1.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.01, 1.08]), lower environmental resources (OR = 0.97, 95% CI [0.96, 0.99]), and coming from families with three or more children (OR = 2.80, 95% CI [1.44, 5.46]). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that a sizable number of children are at risk for restricted participation in the community. Healthcare services and strategies that address the associated factors are needed to promote children's community participation.

Overactivity assessment in chronic pain: The development and psychometric evaluation of a multifaceted self-report assessment.

BACKGROUND: Overactivity in the context of chronic pain (i.e. activity engagement that significantly exacerbates pain) is an important clinical issue that has gained empirical attention in the last decade. Current assessment concepts of overactivity tend to focus on frequency to quantify the severity of the pain behaviour. This study aimed to develop and validate a more comprehensive self-assessment, the Overactivity in Persistent Pain Assessment (OPPA). METHODS: A sample of 333 individuals with chronic pain completed the OPPA. A subset of 202 individuals also completed a set of existing measures of pain-related outcomes and activity patterns. The remaining 131 participants were provided with a second copy of the OPPA to fill in one week following their initial assessment. RESULTS: A principal component analysis confirmed that the OPPA items were best represented by a single construct. The OPPA was found to correlate with pain-related measures in an expected way that is supported by both theory and qualitative data. When compared to existing overactivity measures, the OPPA was the only measure to contribute significantly to the regression models predicting higher levels of pain severity, more pain interference and lower levels of activity participation after controlling for age, gender and activity avoidance. In addition, the OPPA scale exhibited acceptable internal consistency and good test-retest reliability. CONCLUSION: The results of this study reinforce the potentially important role of overactivity in the maintenance of pain-related suffering and supports a corresponding assessment tool with preliminary psychometric evidence for clinical and research applications. SIGNIFICANCE: This study deconstructs the overactivity concept and develop a corresponding assessment based on five quantifiable severity features: severity of pain exacerbation, maladaptive coping strategies used, impact on occupational performance, recovery time and frequency. Results of the psychometric evaluation indicate that this comprehensive assessment of overactivity severity features may be necessary to understand the impact of overactivity on pain severity and physical functioning from both a clinical and research perspective.

A Chinese version of the young children's participation and environment measure: psychometric evaluation in a Hong Kong sample.

PURPOSE: To investigate the psychometric properties of a Chinese-translated version of the Young Children's Participation and Environment Measure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Young Children's Participation and Environment Measure was translated into Chinese using cultural adaptation by adding/replacing with activities relevant to Chinese culture. Parents of 53 children aged 2-5 years with developmental disabilities and of 50 typical developing children completed the questionnaires. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, known-group validity, and discriminant validity were examined using Cronbach's alpha, intraclass correlation coefficient, Mann-Whitney U tests, and Spearman's rank correlation coefficients respectively. RESULTS: Internal consistency was acceptable for most scales (α = 0.42-0.89). Test-retest reliability of the summary scores was moderate to high for all scales (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.65-0.90). Known-group validity was supported by demonstrating significant differences by disability status in all community participation scales, two daycare/preschool participation scales, and one home participation scale. Low or negative correlations between the scores of some scales and children's cognition (ρ = 0.27-0.32; -0.36-to-0.35) and parental stress (ρ = -0.42-to-0.31) supported discriminant validity. CONCLUSION: This study provided psychometric evidence supporting the use of the Young Children's Participation and Environment Measure to assess Chinese children's participation and environmental support.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONThe Young Children's Participation and Environment Measure is translated into Chinese using a cultural adaptation process.The Chinese version of the Young Children's Participation and Environment Measure demonstrates evidence for internal consistency, test-retest reliability (including the minimal detectable change).The Chinese version of the Young Children's Participation and Environment Measure demonstrates evidence for known-group validity and discriminant validity.The Chinese version of the Young Children's Participation and Environment Measure holds promise for use in children aged 2-5 years to assess their participation and identify environmental barriers warranting intervention.

Using an International Role-Modeling Pedagogy to Engage First-Year Occupational Therapy Students in Learning Professionalism.

IMPORTANCE: Professionalism is a core attribute for competent occupational therapists, but teaching professionalism to students is challenging for educators. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether students can expand their understanding of professionalism by engaging with international role models. DESIGN: Pretest-posttest. SETTING: One academic institution in Hong Kong. PARTICIPANTS: First-year students (N = 102) enrolled in an introductory occupational therapy course. INTERVENTION: An international role-modeling pedagogy was informally embedded into a course curriculum. Students were divided into 16 groups and collaboratively interviewed eight role models (academic theory or practice model developers) to understand their inspiration and ideas about occupational therapy competence. OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: In addition to pre- and postclass surveys, students completed individual self-reflection reports as a course assignment. A postsemester focus group was also held. RESULTS: Sixty-three students completed the surveys, and 5 attended the focus group. The students showed significant improvements in their understanding of professionalism after the course (Wilcoxon signed rank Zs = 5.671-6.766, p < .001). Interviewing the role models enabled the students to become more aware of intrinsic aspects of professionalism. Major themes in the student focus group included gaining a better understanding of professionalism and committing to personal change. Some implementation challenges were also experienced. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: International experts (theory or practice model developers) can be integrated into occupational therapy curricula as role models to enhance the teaching of professionalism to students. WHAT THIS ARTICLE ADDS: Interviewing international role models who have developed theories or practice models can enhance student learning in the area of professionalism and complement traditional approaches to clinical education.

Occupational Performance Coaching with Parents to Promote Community Participation and Quality of Life of Young Children with Developmental Disabilities: A Feasibility Evaluation in Hong Kong.

Participation in community activities contributes to child development and health-related quality of life (HRQOL), but restricted participation has been reported in children with disabilities. Occupational performance coaching (OPC) is an intervention that targets participatory goals in child performance through coaching parents, with evidence of effectiveness for pediatric populations. Little is known about the feasibility of OPC in Hong Kong, or its effect on children's community participation and HRQOL. A mixed-methods case study design was applied to explore Hong Kong parents' experience of OPC in relation to goal achievement, community participation, and HRQOL change in children. Four parents of young children with developmental disabilities (aged five to six years) received OPC for three to eight sessions within one to three months. Quantitative pre- and post-intervention data were analyzed descriptively. Semi-structured interviews with parents were conducted at post-intervention, and analyzed using content analysis. Results showed a trend of improvement in goal performance, child involvement in community activities, and specific aspects of HRQOL among most participants. Parents perceived undertaking OPC positively, described gaining insights and skills, and felt supported. The findings suggest that OPC warrants further investigation for use in Hong Kong, to promote children's community participation and quality of life.

Effects of touch-screen technology usage on the hand skills dataset.

This data article describes the hand skills of pre-school children between five and six years old from five schools under the Ministry of Education Malaysia. These data may be used in a journal article later to show the effects of touch-screen technology usage on hand skills of pre-school children. Demographic characteristics, hand skills ability and frequency of touch-screen technology usage data that was collected from August to September 2019. These data may be used in a future systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis to conclude the effects of touch-screen technology usage on children's hand skills. Parents, teachers and health practitioners may refer to these data to note the effects of touch-screen technology usage on hand skills of pre-school children.

The Relationship between Affiliate Stigma in Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Children's Activity Participation.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are reported to participate less in everyday activities, and their parents face stigma on account of having a child with ASD, which they often internalize as affiliate stigma. Studies have examined the impact of affiliate stigma on parents' psychological well-being and social behaviors, but little is known about how affiliate stigma impacts their children's activity participation. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between parents' affiliate stigma and activity participation of their children with ASD. Sixty-three parents of children with ASD (aged 2-6 years) were recruited. They completed questionnaires, which captured affiliate stigma, their child's participation (frequency and involvement) in home, preschool, and community activities, and demographic characteristics. Results indicated that these parents had a moderate level of affiliate stigma, which did not correlate with the frequency of their children's participation in activities. However, the parents' affiliate stigma was found to have negative impacts on their children's involvement in overall community participation and participation in one particular activity at home. The findings highlight the importance of destigmatization of parents of children with ASD in order to promote their children's participation in community activities.

Effectiveness of hand-arm bimanual intensive training on upper extremity function in children with cerebral palsy: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the effectiveness of Hand-Arm Bimanual Intensive Training (HABIT) on upper limb function in children with cerebral palsy. METHODS: Six databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and PsycINFO) were searched for HABIT-related studies published in English between 2007 and 2017. The methodological quality of the included studies was classified based on the Levels of Evidence of the American Occupational Therapy Association guidelines. If the included studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), the methodological quality was evaluated using the Revised Cochrane risk of bias tool. Cohen's d effect sizes were computed and synthesized to assess the effectiveness. RESULTS: Among 646 studies, 15 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Eleven studies were RCTs, 64% of which were rated as having a high risk of bias; one was a quasi-RCT, one was a retrospective study, and two were longitudinal studies. Nearly half of the included studies used HABIT for 6 h a day for three consecutive weeks (totaling 90 h), and some studies used different doses/schedules or added training components to HABIT. Synthesis of the results demonstrated a significantly small effect size (d = 0.36, P = 0.017) for improving upper limb function immediately after the interventions, and the improvements were maintained at follow-up. Similarly, significantly moderate or large effect sizes were found for self-care function (d = 0.52, P = 0.003) and goal improvements (d = 1.78-2.28, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This review supports the effectiveness of HABIT as an intervention for improving upper limb function in children with cerebral palsy.

The effects of touch-screen technology usage on hand skills among preschool children: a case-control study.

Background: Little is known on how time spent on touch-screen technology affects the hand skills development of preschool children. This study aimed to investigate the effects of touch-screen technology usage on hand skills among preschool children. Methods: Case-control design was employed to compare the hand skills of children who were engaged in touch-screen technology. A total of 128 participants aged between five and six years old who attended preschool were recruited and divided into two groups: high usage touch-screen technology (HUTSTG) and, low usage touch-screen technology (LUTSTG). Children's Hand Skills ability Questionnaire (CHSQ) and Assessment of Children's Hand Skills (ACHS) were used to evaluate the children's hand skills. Results: There were significant differences in the hand skills of preschool children between HUTSTG and LUTSTG. Results showed that preschool children in LUTSTG had better hand skills in all domains of CHSQ (p≤0.001) and ACHS (p<0.001) as compared to HUTSTG. Conclusion: Frequent use of touch-screen technology might cause disadvantages to the development of hand skills among preschool children.

Development and psychometric evaluation of the Chinese version of the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth.

Purpose: To adapt the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth for use with Chinese children and youths, and to investigate its psychometric properties.Materials and methods: The Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth was translated into Chinese using a cultural adaptation process. Parents of 69 children aged 5-12 years with disabilities and 319 children without disabilities completed the questionnaires. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, factorial structure, and known-group validity were examined using Cronbach's alpha, intraclass correlation coefficient, confirmatory factor analysis and t-test, respectively.Results: We added and/or replaced activities with culturally-relevant activities in the Chinese version. Internal consistency was acceptable for most of the scales (0.55-0.86). Test-retest reliability of the summary scores was moderate to high (0.70-0.84). Data-model fit was confirmed in a one-factor structure for the participation scales and a two-factor structure for the environment scales. There were also significant differences in the summary scores between 65 gender- and age-matched pairs of children with and without disabilities on the school participation scales and all the environment scales.Conclusion: This study provides psychometric evidence supporting the use of the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth to assess Chinese children's participation and environmental supports/barriers.Implications for rehabilitationThe Chinese version of the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth was developed through a rigorous translation and cultural adaptation process.There is evidence for the reliability (internal consistency and test-retest reliability) and construct validity (factorial structure and known-group validity) of the Chinese version of the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth.The Chinese version of the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth can be used to assess children's participation in home, school and community settings and to identify environmental barriers that require further intervention.

The Relationship Between Sleep Duration and Participation in Home, School, and Community Activities Among School-Aged Children.

Sleep duration has important implications for children's participation in daily activities; however, past attempts to examine this relationship has been limited to specific types of physical or educational activities. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between sleep duration and participation in various daily activities among school-aged children. A school-based sample of 391 children aged 5-12 years (boys: 52.4%) participated in this cross-sectional survey. Sleep duration was quantified using parental reports of their children's bedtime and wake-up time on weekdays and weekends. The parent-reported Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth was used to measure their children's participation frequency and involvement in 25 home, school, and community activities. The results of hierarchical regression analyses showed that, when the demographic variables were controlled for, weekday sleep duration was positively related to homework involvement and negatively related to the frequency of TV viewing; however, it was unrelated to participation in school and community activities. Conversely, weekend sleep duration was positively related to overall participation in school activities, and participation frequency and involvement in some home and community activities. Furthermore, sleep duration was approximately an hour shorter on weekdays than on weekends. These results suggest that weekend sleep duration has stronger positive implications for children's participation in daily activities than does weekday sleep duration. Interventions aiming to promote children's activity participation may either prolong children's weekend sleep duration or address their shorter weekday sleep duration.