title: Coping patterns of African American adolescents: a confirmatory factor analysis and cluster analysis of the Children's Coping Strategies Checklist.
abstract: The current study examined patterns of coping strategies in a sample of 497 low-income urban African American adolescents (mean age = 12.61 years). Results of confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the 4-factor structure of the Children's Coping Strategies Checklist (T. S. Ayers, I. N. Sandler, S. G. West, & M. W. Roosa, 1996) was not replicated in the current sample. The final model was a 3-factor model that was invariant across gender. The Active Coping factor and Revised Avoidant Coping factor were highly correlated in the present sample. Results of cluster analyses identified 2 coping groups differing on the frequency of coping use and preferred coping methods. The 1st group was more likely to use avoidant coping and less likely to use social support-seeking coping than the 2nd group, which showed more consistent use across coping strategies. There were no significant differences in the association between stressors and symptoms across the 2 groups. The results highlight the importance of examining factor structures of coping measures with underrepresented groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL 60626, USA. ngaylor@luc.edu
authors.forename: Noni K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Gaylord-Harden
authors.forename: Polly
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gipson
authors.forename: GiShawn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mance
authors.forename: Kathryn E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Grant
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012650:Self Disclosure; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data