The Movement Assessment Battery for Children Second Edition in Ages 3 to 6 Years: A Cross-Cultural Comparison for Children in Taiwan

Abstract

Objective The Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2) is a popular assessment of children’s motor skills in both western and eastern countries. Since children’s motor skills are strongly influenced by the sociocultural context, it is essential to specifically examine the applicability of the MABC-2 in different cultures. The performance on the MABC-2 age band 1 of children in Taiwan was compared with the standardized sample from the United Kingdom. The sex differences in the performance on the MABC-2 were also investigated. Methods Children aged 3 to 6 years were recruited and categorized into 4 age groups. The researchers assessed the children in the MABC-2 age band 1, containing 8 tasks categorized into 3 components: manual dexterity, aiming and catching, and balance. Z tests and effect sizes were used to examine the cultural differences in the 3 components and in the total scale of the MABC-2. Independent t tests were used to check for sex differences in the MABC-2. Results Data on 615 children with a mean age of 4.95 years (SD = 0.98) were collected. Clinically significant differences (effect size >0.5) were found in 2 components and the total scale of the MABC-2 across most age groups. Children in Taiwan performed better on manual dexterity, balance, and the total scale. Marginally clinically significant differences (absolute effect size >0.4) were found in the aiming and catching component; children in Taiwan scored lower on aiming and catching than did children in the United Kingdom. Girls had significantly higher scores on manual dexterity, balance, and the total scale, while boys had significantly higher scores on aiming and catching. Conclusions Cultural and sex differences exist in the MABC-2. Constructing a norm for children in Taiwan of different sex and modification of the items are suggested for application of the MABC-2 in Taiwan.

Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of the Movement Assessment Battery Second Edition (M-ABC2): A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Consistent with previous studies of the M-ABC2 and according to the recommendations available in the literature, the authors of this study considered a minimum sample size of 30 subjects adequate. The sample estimation was decided considering the validations of the M-ABC 2 in the other languages [11,12,14,16,[19][20][21].…”

“…The movement assessment battery for children (M-ABC) is one of the most widely studied and validated assessment scales in several languages [11][12][13][14][15][16]. The M-ABC2 is a battery that comprehensively measures motor skills, which was developed based on a normative sample in the UK by Henderson et al as a revision of the previous version [17].…”

“…The study by Jaikaew et al established typical scores achieved by German children on the M-ABC to provide a basis for comparison for professionals in interpreting results and making motor diagnoses in German children [14]. A recent study also analyzed the applicability of the tool in children aged 3-6 years in Taiwan, comparing the results with those of a standardized sample population in the United Kingdom [11].…”