Feasibility, reliability, and validity of adolescent health status measurement by the Child Health Questionnaire Child Form (CHQ-CF): internet administration compared with the standard paper version.
OBJECTIVE
In this study we evaluated indicators of the feasibility, reliability, and validity of the Child Health Questionnaire-Child Form (CHQ-CF). We compared the results in a subgroup of adolescents who completed the standard paper version of the CHQ-CF with the results in another subgroup of adolescents who completed an internet version, i.e., an online, web-based CHQ-CF questionnaire.


METHODS
Under supervision at school, 1,071 adolescents were randomized to complete the CHQ-CF and items on chronic conditions by a paper questionnaire or by an internet administered questionnaire.


RESULTS
The participation rate was 87%; age range 13-17 years. The internet administration resulted in fewer missing answers. All but one multi-item scale showed internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha > 0.70). All scales clearly discriminated between adolescents with no, a few, or many self-reported chronic conditions. The paper administration resulted in statistically significant, higher scores on 4 of 10 CHQ-CF scales compared with the internet administration (P < 0.05), but Cohen's effect sizes d were </= 0.21. Mode of administration interacted significantly with age (P < 0.05) on four CHQ-CF scales, but Cohen's effect sizes for these differences were also </= 0.21.


CONCLUSIONS
This study supports the feasibility, internal consistency reliability of the scales, and construct validity of the CHQ-CF administered by either a paper questionnaire or online questionnaire. Given Cohen's suggested guidelines for the interpretation of effect sizes, i.e., 0.20-0.50 indicates a small effect, differences in CHQ-CF scale scores between paper and internet administration can be considered as negligible or small.
Raat
Hein
H
Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. h.raat@erasmusmc.nl
Mangunkusumo
Resiti T
RT
Landgraf
Jeanne M
JM
Kloek
Gitte
G
Brug
Johannes
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000523:psychology*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012380:Role; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires