title: DISC Predictive Scales (DPS): Factor structure and uniform differential item functioning across gender and three racial/ethnic groups for ADHD, conduct disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder symptoms.
abstract: The factor structure and potential uniform differential item functioning (DIF) among gender and three racial/ethnic groups of adolescents (African American, Latino, White) were evaluated for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder (CD), and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptom scores of the DISC Predictive Scales (DPS; Leung et al., 2005; Lucas et al., 2001). Primary caregivers reported on DSM-IV ADHD, CD, and ODD symptoms for a probability sample of 4,491 children from three geographical regions who took part in the Healthy Passages study (mean age = 12.60 years, SD = 0.66). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the expected 3-factor structure was tenable for the data. Multiple indicators multiple causes (MIMIC) modeling revealed uniform DIF for three ADHD and 9 ODD item scores, but not for any of the CD item scores. Uniform DIF was observed predominantly as a function of child race/ethnicity, but minimally as a function of child gender. On the positive side, uniform DIF had little impact on latent mean differences of ADHD, CD, and ODD symptomatology among gender and racial/ethnic groups. Implications of the findings for researchers and practitioners are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Educational Psychology, University of Houston.
authors.forename: Margit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wiesner
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Emory University.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Windle
authors.affiliation: RAND Health, RAND Corporation.
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Kanouse
authors.affiliation: RAND Health, RAND Corporation.
authors.forename: Marc N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.affiliation: Division of General Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital/ Harvard Medical School.
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Schuster
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology; D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology; D002648:Child; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology