Background: Translation and transcultural adaptation of the Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument (PODCI) into Korean language was performed, and the validity was tested.
Methods: Korean version of PODCI was produced according to internationally accepted guideline, which included preparation, forward translation, reconciliation, back translation, review of back translation and harmonization, cognitive debriefing and review, and proof reading process. Eighty-two child controls (aged 5 to 10 y), 92 adolescent controls (aged 10 to 18 y), and 30 children with cerebral palsy (aged 5 to 10 y) undergoing single event multilevel surgery were included, and their parents also participated. Each subscale of Korean PODCI was tested in terms of internal consistency (Cronbach α), discriminant validity (difference of parental responses between child control and children with cerebral palsy), convergent validity (correlation between self-response and parental response in adolescent control), and responsiveness (postoperative changes of parental responses in children with cerebral palsy).
Results: All subscales except pain/comfort showed sufficient internal consistencies (Cronbach α > 0.7). Upper extremity/physical function, transfer/basic mobility, sports/physical functioning, and global functioning subscales showed significant discriminant validity (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P < 0.001, respectively). Correlation between self-response and parental response in adolescent controls were significant in all subscales, being highest in transfer/basic mobility subscale (r = 0.952, P < 0.001) and lowest in happiness subscale (r = 0.548, P < 0.001). Responsiveness was significant in transfer/basic mobility (P < 0.001), sports/physical functioning (P=0.001), and global functioning (P = 0.006) subscales after single event multilevel surgery.
Conclusions: Korean version of PODCI showed relevant internal consistency, discriminant validity, convergent validity, and responsiveness except for pain/comfort and happiness subscales. Care need to be taken when evaluating subjective measures, such as pain/comfort and happiness subscales.
Level of evidence: Diagnostic level I.