Content Validation of a Questionnaire on Sports Activities in Children With Limb Amputation (VESAQ)

August 20, 2026 updated by: Hopitaux de Saint-Maurice

Content Validation of the VESAQ Questionnaire on Sports Activities in Children With Limb Amputation Using a Delphi Method

The VESAQ study aims to validate the content of a questionnaire designed to assess sports participation in children with limb amputation. Content validation was conducted using a three-round Delphi method involving a multidisciplinary panel of adult experts with professional or experiential expertise relevant to pediatric limb amputation, rehabilitation, prosthetic management, and adapted physical activity.

Children with limb amputation are the future target population of the questionnaire but did not participate in this content-validation study, and no individual medical data from pediatric patients were collected.

The Delphi process aimed to establish expert consensus on the relevance and clarity of the questionnaire content and to produce a final consensual version of the VESAQ.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The VESAQ (Questionnaire on Sports Activities in Children With Limb Amputation) was developed to provide a structured and multidimensional tool for assessing sports participation in children with limb amputation. The questionnaire addresses dimensions related to limb amputation, prosthetic devices when applicable, sports participation, functional limitations, barriers and facilitators, family, school and sports environments, the child's experience, and the support provided.

Content validation was conducted using a three-round Delphi process involving a multidisciplinary panel of adult experts with relevant professional or experiential expertise in the field of pediatric limb amputation, rehabilitation, prosthetic management, and adapted physical activity.

During the successive Delphi rounds, participants assessed proposed domains and questionnaire items using Likert scales and could provide qualitative comments and suggestions for reformulation. Following each round, responses were analyzed and the questionnaire was progressively revised to improve the clarity, relevance, and organization of its items.

Consensus was predefined as a median score of at least 4, an interquartile range of 1 or less, and an agreement rate of at least 70%. The first Delphi round focused on the main questionnaire domains, the second round evaluated the proposed items in greater detail, and the third round aimed to stabilize consensus and finalize the questionnaire.

A total of 26 experts were included in the study, of whom 23 participated through the end of the third Delphi round. Children with limb amputation did not participate in this content-validation study, and no individual medical data from pediatric patients were collected.

The objective of the study is to establish a final consensual version of the VESAQ based on the Delphi results. This content-validation phase is intended as a methodological step before subsequent studies evaluating the psychometric properties of the questionnaire, including its validity, reliability, reproducibility, and responsiveness to change.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

26

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • Demande
      • Saint-Maurice, Demande, France, 94410
        • Hôpitaux Paris Est Val-de-Marne - Centre de Référence des Malformations des Membres

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Adult experts with professional or experiential expertise relevant to pediatric limb amputation, rehabilitation, prosthetic management, and adapted physical activity. Participants were recruited to form a multidisciplinary expert panel for the content validation of the VESAQ questionnaire using a three-round Delphi process.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Healthcare professionals or other specialists involved in the care or support of children with limb amputation, including physical and rehabilitation medicine physicians, physiotherapists, prosthetists and orthotists, occupational therapists, adapted physical activity professionals, and sports educators.
  • Patient experts.
  • At least one year of experience in the field of pediatrics, limb amputation, and/or prosthetic management.
  • Willingness to participate in the Delphi process and to provide informed consent and agree to confidentiality requirements

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Refusal or withdrawal of consent for the use of study data.
  • Non-participation in the Delphi rounds or prolonged disengagement from the Delphi process.
  • Conflict of interest related to the validation of the questionnaire, including authorship of the VESAQ or commercial involvement.
  • Minors.
  • Individuals under legal protection or unable to provide informed consent.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Multidisciplinary Expert Panel
Adult experts with professional or experiential expertise relevant to pediatric limb amputation, rehabilitation, prosthetic management, and adapted physical activity participated in a three-round Delphi process to assess the relevance and clarity of the VESAQ questionnaire content and establish expert consensus.
Participants completed three successive Delphi rounds to evaluate the domains and items of the VESAQ questionnaire. Items were rated using Likert scales for relevance and clarity, with the possibility of providing qualitative comments and suggestions for reformulation. After each round, responses were analyzed using predefined consensus criteria, and the questionnaire was progressively revised. Consensus was defined as a median score of at least 4, an interquartile range of 1 or less, and an agreement rate of at least 70%.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Expert Consensus on VESAQ Questionnaire Items
Time Frame: Through completion of the three-round Delphi process, approximately 7 months
Expert consensus on the content of the VESAQ questionnaire, assessed using Likert-scale ratings. Consensus for an item was defined as a median rating of at least 4, an interquartile range of 1 or less, and an agreement rate of at least 70%, with agreement defined as the proportion of ratings of 4 or higher.
Through completion of the three-round Delphi process, approximately 7 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Romane RP PIAUD, Institut Merle d'Aubigné
  • Study Chair: Mathilde MC CARET, Hôpitaux Paris Est Val-de-Marne (HPEVM)

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

September 28, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

April 9, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

April 9, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 20, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 20, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

August 24, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

August 24, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 20, 2026

Last Verified

August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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