Aims: The EPInfant scale is a self-assessment for children that measures perceived exertion (PE) during physical exercise. This study aimed to translate the scale into Arabic (EPInfant-Ar) and test its psychometric properties.
Methods: The revised version was tested for face and content validity. Oxygen saturation, heart rate (HR), and ratings of perceived exertion were measured during a 3-minute step test with a sample of 93 children. PE and HR were examined using the Pearson correlation coefficient (r) to assess the concurrent validity. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were calculated using Cronbach's alpha (α), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC2,1), and r coefficient. A minimum detectable change with 95% confidence interval (MDC95) and percentage of change (MDC%) was also measured.
Results: Content validity showed an excellent level of expert agreement. There was a moderate correlation between PE rated by the scale and HR (r = 0.47, p < .001). The internal consistency and test-retest reliability were acceptable (α = 0.89; ICC2,1= 0.81; 95%Cl: 0.71-0.87, r = 0.81) with low measurement error (MDC95 = 2.66 and MDC% = 61.10%).
Conclusions: The EPInfant-Ar scale was considered valid and reliable for assessing PE after physical exercises in typically developing children aged 6-16 years.
Keywords: Child exercise; cultural adaptation; perceived exertion; reliability; scale validation; translation.