Two-thirds of outcome measures used in research on children and adolescents with hip and/or groin disorders are radiographic: A scoping review.

Abstract

Using domain specific and valid outcome assessments in children and adolescents with hip and groin disorders is important. However, no overview is currently available for the outcome measures that have been used, what domains of the International Classification of Function (ICF) they cover, and whether the reliability and validity of these measures have been considered. The objective was to provide an overview of outcome measures used for hip and groin disorders in children and adolescents, which ICF-domains (body functions and structure, activity, participation) they cover, and whether the reliability and validity of the measures are reported. A scoping review was conducted according to the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines. We searched the Medline, Embase, Scopus, and Cinahl databases. Studies published in English in the last 11 years, with participants between 0 and 18 years of age with hip and/or groin disorders measured with outcomes related to the ICF-domains were included. Screening of abstracts/full texts, and data extraction, was performed by at least two reviewers. Types of outcomes, ICF-domains of interest, and whether information on reliability and validity was reported, were extracted, and summarized using descriptive statistics. The search yielded 4736 unique hits, from which 194 studies were included. From these 194 studies, 120 different outcomes for children and adolescents with hip and/or groin disorders were identified. In total, 92 outcomes (77%) covered only the body functions and structure domain of the ICF. Of the 120 different outcomes, 80 (67%) were radiographic, and 40 (33%) were patient-reported and/or clinical outcomes. Reported information in relation to the reliability and validity of the included outcome measures was present in 28% and 9% of the included studies, respectively. More than 3 out of 4 outcome measures, used in research on children and adolescents with hip and/or groin disorders, cover the body functions and structure domain, and 2 out of 3 outcomes used are radiographic. In comparison, only 23% of outcomes cover the activity and participation domains. Therefore, a need for valid outcome measures that also cover activity and participation is warranted for future research on children and adolescents with hip and groin disorders.