The Development and Validation of a Scale for the Activities of Daily Living in Iranian Children

Activities of Daily Living (ADL), as an ultimate goal of rehabilitation, rely on cultural and environmental factors. This study aimed to develop a questionnaire based on the occupational therapy practice frame to accurately evaluate Iranian children’s occupational performance.

This scale was developed in two phases of planning and construction. The planning phase involved a literature review and a collection of the available evaluation tools in the area. The advice of two expert panels was used to develop a preliminary 87-item questionnaire. In the construction phase, 40 parents were surveyed to assess the popularity of the activities in Iran. After a face to content validation, the final version of the questionnaire was prepared with 93 items.

The final 93-item questionnaire was used to assess the ADL of 3-6-year-old children. The 93 items, selected according to criteria found in the literature and the panel of experts, were categorized into six ranges of occupational therapy practice framework (bathing/washing/personal hygiene, toileting, dressing, eating/feeding, functional mobility, and others).

The ADL in Iranian children is a practical and culturally relevant tool for measuring the occupational performance of Iranian children. It can be used in clinical and population-based research.