Validity and reliability of the Persian version of the Eating and Drinking Ability Classification System

Background/Aims The ability to eat and drink is the most important factor in health, survival and longevity. Children with cerebral palsy can suffer from severe dysphagia, which can lead to a high risk of aspiration and choking. As classifying eating and drinking ability in children with cerebral palsy is important in research and treatment, the aim of this study was to determine the cross-cultural validation and reliability of the Persian version of the Eating and Drinking Ability Classification System. Methods After translation procedures, the face validity, content validity, test-retest reliability and interrater reliability of the Eating and Drinking Ability Classification System were evaluated. In total, 130 parents of children with cerebral palsy and 34 therapists participated in the evaluation of the scale's reliability. The 73 boys and 57 girls with cerebral palsy were aged 3-20 years (mean age 4.4 years) and had various types of cerebral palsy. They were classified according to the Eating and Drinking Ability Classification System by both their parents and the therapists. Results The overall results indicated that the words and sentences used were simple, clear, understandable, relevant and necessary. The intraclass correlation coefficients for test-retest reliability for parents, occupational therapists and speech therapists were 0.98, 0.98 and 0.995, respectively. The interrater reliability between parents and occupational therapists was 0.96, between parents and speech therapists was 0.95, and between occupational therapists and speech therapists was 0.985. Conclusions The Persian version of the Eating and Drinking Ability Classification System seems to be valid and reliable. This system may be used to evaluate children with cerebral palsy.