title: Identifying Unbiased Items for Screening Preschoolers for Disruptive Behavior Problems.
abstract: Efficient identification and referral to behavioral services are crucial in addressing early-onset disruptive behavior problems. Existing screening instruments for preschoolers are not ideal for pediatric primary care settings serving diverse populations. Eighteen candidate items for a new brief screening instrument were examined to identify those exhibiting measurement bias (i.e., differential item functioning, DIF) by child characteristics.
  
  
  
  Parents/guardians of preschool-aged children ( N = 900) from four primary care settings completed two full-length behavioral rating scales. Items measuring disruptive behavior problems were tested for DIF by child race, sex, and socioeconomic status using two approaches: item response theory-based likelihood ratio tests and ordinal logistic regression.
  
  
  
  Of 18 items, eight were identified with statistically significant DIF by at least one method.
  
  
  
  The bias observed in 8 of 18 items made them undesirable for screening diverse populations of children. These items were excluded from the new brief screening tool.
authors: Department of Health, Behavior & Society, University of Kentucky.
authors: Christina R
authors: CR
authors: Studts
authors: Department of Family Medicine, East Tennessee State University.
authors: Jodi
authors: J
authors: Polaha
authors: Kent School of Social Work, University of Louisville.
authors: Michiel A
authors: MA
authors: van Zyl
mesh_terms: D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D000066553:Problem Behavior; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods
keywords: : bias; Identifying Unbiased Items for Screening Preschoolers for
                      Disruptive Behavior Problems; differential item functioning; disruptive behavior problems; item response theory; preschool; screening