title: Cross-cultural acceptability and utility of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire: views of families.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Screening children for behavioural difficulties requires the use of a tool that is culturally valid. We explored the cross-cultural acceptability and utility of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for pre-school children (aged 3-5) as perceived by families in New Zealand.
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative interpretive descriptive study (focus groups and interviews) in which 65 participants from five key ethnic groups (New Zealand European, Māori, Pacific, Asian and other immigrant parents) took part. Thematic analysis using an inductive approach, in which the themes identified are strongly linked to the data, was employed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Many parents reported they were unclear about the purpose of the tool, affecting its perceived value. Participants reported not understanding the context in which they should consider the questions and had difficulty understanding some questions and response options. Māori parents generally did not support the questionnaire based approach, preferring face to face interaction. Parents from Māori, Pacific Island, Asian, and new immigrant groups reported the tool lacked explicit consideration of children in their cultural context. Parents discussed the importance of timing and multiple perspectives when interpreting scores from the tool.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In summary, this study posed a number of challenges to the use of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in New Zealand. Further work is required to develop a tool that is culturally appropriate with good content validity.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton, UK. p.kersten@brighton.ac.uk.|Faculty of Health & Environmental Sciences, AUT University, Auckland, New Zealand. p.kersten@brighton.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4038-0442
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kersten
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dudley
authors.affiliation: Centre for Person Centred Research, AUT University, Private Bag 92006, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Shoba
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nayar
authors.affiliation: Te Whare Mātai Aronui, Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Hinemoa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Elder
authors.affiliation: Centre for Person Centred Research, AUT University, Private Bag 92006, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.affiliation: Centre for Person Centred Research, AUT University, Private Bag 92006, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Robyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tauroa
authors.affiliation: Centre for Person Centred Research, AUT University, Private Bag 92006, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.|Chief Executive Health Research Council of New Zealand, 110 Stanley St, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Kathryn M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: McPherson
mesh_terms: D044466:Asian People; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D010139:Pacific Islands; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D044465:White People
keywords: Culture; Parents; SDQ; Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; Validity