Translation, Cross‐Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Karaduman Chewing Performance Scale for the Italian Paediatric Population

Background: Chewing is a fundamental motor activity, but there is no specific assessment tool in Italian for paediatric rehabilitation. The Karaduman Chewing Performance Scale (KCPS) is a performance-based assessment tool that allow to classify chewing performance in childhood. Objective: To translate, culturally adapt and assess reliability, criterion validity and cross-cultural validity of the KCPS into Italian in a paediatric population. Methods: Following international guidelines, the KCPS was translated and culturally adapted into Italian. Inter-rater reliability was measured using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), the criterion validity using the Pearson correlation coefficient comparing KCPS score with the Paediatric Screening-Priority Evaluation Dysphagia (PS-PED), and cross-cultural validity was examined across diagnostic groups. Results: The study included 165 children with a mean age of 6.33 with different health conditions, namely autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy and genetic syndromes. The analysis revealed that KCPS was reliable measure with a ICC 0.93, and a moderate positive linear correlation with the PS-PED (Pearson 0.48) was found. In each diagnostic group, chewing performance disorders were found, highlighting specific characteristics. Conclusions: Despite limited sample in reliability analysis and the need of exploring the relationship with chewing abilities and severity of diseases, the KCPS was found a reliable and valid tool for determining the level of chewing performance in paediatric population. Now Italian clinicians can use it with more confidence in their clinical practice and research.