Research Insight No. (17)
10 Jun 2026
Research Highlight No. (17)
Verifying the Validity of the Arabic Version of the Nutritional Disability Scale for Children with Developmental Disabilities:
A Study from Beni Suef University Demonstrates the Development of an Arabic Version of the Nutritional Disability Scale for Children with Developmental Disabilities
Continuing our series of research highlights on Beni Suef University research, under the auspices of Professor Dr. Tarek Ali, University President, we shed light today on outstanding scientific output from the faculties within the Health Sciences sector. Researchers from the Faculty of Medicine at Beni Suef University, in collaboration with the Faculty of Postgraduate Studies for Childhood, Department of Medical Studies, Ain Shams University, have successfully developed an Arabic version of the Nutritional Disability Scale for Children with Developmental Disabilities.
They are Dr. Nasreen Fathi Mahmoud, Dr. Zeinab Mohamed, Dr. Hasnaa Mohamed Osman, and Dr. Shaimaa Mohsen Mohamed Lotfy, who published a scientific study entitled: “Validation of the Arabic Version of Feeding Handicap Index for Children with Developmental Disabilities (A-FHI-C)”
This study addressed feeding and swallowing difficulties in children with developmental disabilities. The current study aimed to develop an Arabic version of the Feeding Disability Scale for Children (FHI-C) and evaluate its validity, reliability, and dependability among Arab children with developmental disabilities. This assessment was intended to estimate the impact of feeding and swallowing difficulties on the physical, functional, and emotional aspects of their lives. The prospective study included 113 children (62 with autism spectrum disorder, 24 with cerebral palsy, and 27 with intellectual disabilities), aged 2–10 years, randomly selected from the Swallowing Clinic, Speech Therapy Unit, and ENT Department at Beni Suef University Hospital between September 2023 and December 2023. These children presented with feeding and swallowing difficulties. Validity was established by comparing the scores of these children with those of 31 typically developing children.
To assess test-retest reliability, forty parents re-completed the scale two weeks after their initial visit. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.986 for the Arabic version of the scale, indicating high internal consistency. The intragroup correlation coefficient was 0.850 within a 95% confidence interval of 0.779–0.898. All three clinical groups showed significantly higher scores on the FHI-C overall scale and its subscales compared to the control group.