title: The child behavior checklist and youth self-report in adolescents with epilepsy: testing measurement invariance of the attention and thought problems subscales.
abstract: The objective of this study was to test for the measurement invariance of the Attention and Thought Problems subscales of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Youth Self-Report (YSR) in a population-based sample of adolescents with and without epilepsy. Data were obtained from the 14-year follow-up of the Mater University Study of Pregnancy in which 33 adolescents with epilepsy and 1068 healthy controls were included for analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test for measurement invariance between adolescents with and without epilepsy. Structural equation modeling was used to test for group differences in attention and thought problems as measured with the CBCL and YSR. Measurement invariance was demonstrated for the original CBCL Attention Problems and YSR Thought Problems. After the removal of ambiguous items ("confused" and "daydreams"), measurement invariance was established for the YSR Attention Problems. The original and reduced CBCL Thought Problems were noninvariant. Adolescents with epilepsy had significantly more symptoms of behavioral problems on the CBCL Attention Problems, β=0.51, p=0.002, compared with healthy controls. In contrast, no significant differences were found for the YSR Attention and Thought Problems, β=-0.11, p=0.417 and β=-0.20, p=0.116, respectively. In this population-based sample of adolescents with epilepsy, the CBCL Attention Problems and YSR Thought Problems appear to be valid measures of behavioral problems, whereas the YSR Attention Problems was valid only after the removal of ambiguous items. Replication of these findings in clinical samples of adolescents with epilepsy that overcome the limitations of the current study is warranted.
authors: Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster University, Chedoke Site, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8K 4S1, Canada; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, West 5th Campus, Administration - J Wing, 100 West 5th Street, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3K7, Canada. Electronic address: ferroma@mcmaster.ca.
authors: Mark A
authors: MA
authors: Ferro
authors: Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster University, Chedoke Site, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8K 4S1, Canada; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, West 5th Campus, Administration - J Wing, 100 West 5th Street, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3K7, Canada; Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8K 4S1, Canada.
authors: Michael H
authors: MH
authors: Boyle
authors: Metro North Mental Health, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, QLD 4029, Australia; The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, Herston, QLD 4029, Australia.
authors: James G
authors: JG
authors: Scott
authors: School of Public Health & Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Herston, QLD 4059, Australia.
authors: Kaeleen
authors: K
authors: Dingle
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D057189:Checklist; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D018672:Community Health Planning; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D057566:Self Report
keywords: Behavior; Children; Chronic illness; Confirmatory factor analysis; Measurement equivalence; Proxy reports