Living with a chronic illness: a measure of social functioning for children and adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the development and initial psychometric evaluation of a measure of social functioning in children and adolescents with chronic medical conditions, Living with a Chronic Illness (LCI), designed to distinguish social difficulties related to the illness from those social difficulties associated with other factors (e.g., limited income).


METHODS
Parents (n = 108) and youths (n = 115) completed the LCI, along with other psychological measures (e.g., Youth Self-Report). Teachers completed the Teacher Report Form and provided grade and absence data. Health care utilization data were obtained from medical charts.


RESULTS
Statistical analyses supported the internal consistency and initial validity of LCI scores. Correlational results strongly point to the distinction made between illness-related and non-illness-related social difficulties and suggest that the LCI has some relation to existing measures (e.g., Child Behavior Checklist), while still providing a unique perspective on children's social functioning. Univariate and regression analyses revealed significant relations between LCI scores and health care utilization.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings support the initial psychometric properties and clinical utility of the LCI scores. We discuss strengths and limitations of this study, as well as potential clinical applications for the LCI questionnaire.
Adams
Christina D
CD
West Virginia University, West Virginia 25506-6040, USA. Chirstina.Adams@mail.wvu.edu
Streisand
Randi M
RM
Zawacki
Tricia
T
Joseph
Karen E
KE
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005178:Faculty; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents; D011594:Psychometrics; D012917:Social Adjustment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*