Development and initial validation of the Children Participation Questionnaire (CPQ).

PURPOSE To develop and test the psychometric properties of a parent-reported questionnaire measuring participation of preschool children (Children Participation Questionnaire; CPQ) aged 4-6 years in their everyday activities. METHODS Reliability was tested by Cronbach's alpha and by test-retest. Construct validity was computed by known group differences analysis. Convergent and divergent validities were calculated by correlation with the Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scale (VABS). Two hundred thirty-one children with mild to moderate developmental disabilities (mean age 5.16 +/- 0.66 years old) were compared to 249 children without disability (mean age 5.13 +/- 0.72 years old). RESULTS The CPQ has good internal reliability. Cronbach's alpha for the participation measures ranged between 0.79 and 0.90, indicating good homogeneity. The temporal stability of the CPQ was supported with intra-class correlations ranging from 0.71 to 1.00. Significant differences were found between children with and without disabilities in all the CPQ measures. The CPQ could also differentiate between age groups and groups of varying socio-economic status. Convergent and divergent validity were supported. CONCLUSIONS The CPQ has demonstrated good psychometric properties and can be used as a reliable and valid measure to assess children's participation at the age of 4-6 years.