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This study examined the relationship between the accuracy of parental reporting of children's sleep duration compared to objectively measured child sleep and tested whether any discrepancies were related to childhood obesity prevalence in a sample of Latinx families (N = 119). A paired sample t-test revealed that parents significantly overestimated their child's sleep duration by 1.33 hours, t (86) = 6.69, p <.001. Using a one-way ANOVA, no significant differences were found in children's BMI percentile when grouped by the parent's accuracy of their child's sleep duration F (3, 83) =.76, p =.52. A potential, although non-significant, trend regarding parent accuracy and child BMI may merit further examination. Future research should seek to determine if the discrepancy in parent reported child sleep duration is indeed linked with increased child BMI and if this knowledge could be used in targeted intervention efforts to reduce childhood obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As a group, autistic children with high support needs (with adaptive functioning in the range of an intellectual disability) are at risk of significant literacy difficulties. We investigated the parent‐reported home literacy environment of this group of children. Method: Sixty‐two parents of autistic children (4.5 to 18.25 years) attending an autism‐specific school completed a home literacy survey reporting on their child's: (1) alphabet knowledge, (2) interest in reading, (3) activities/interactions around books, (4) reading ability, and (5) writing ability. Results: We found significant positive correlations between parent‐reported child interest in reading and literacy‐related interactions and skills, but not with child age. Children using spoken words to communicate obtained significantly greater scores on four home‐literacy subscales, but not on reading interest. Conclusions: A better understanding of the home literacy activities of autistic children with high‐support needs is needed to inform educational practices aimed at promoting literacy development in this vulnerable population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: We examined the comparability of children's nocturnal sleep estimates using accelerometry data, processed with and without a sleep log. In a secondary analysis, we evaluated factors associated with disagreement between processing approaches. Children (n = 722, age 5–12 years) wore a wrist‐based accelerometer for 14 days during Autumn 2020, Spring 2021, and/or Summer 2021. Outcomes included sleep period, duration, wake after sleep onset (WASO), and timing (onset, midpoint, waketime). Parents completed surveys including children's nightly bed/wake time. Data were processed with parent‐reported bed/wake time (sleep log), the Heuristic algorithm looking at Distribution of Change in Z‐Angle (HDCZA) algorithm (no log), and an 8 p.m.–8 a.m. window (generic log) using the R‐package 'GGIR' (version 2.6‐4). Mean/absolute bias and limits of agreement were calculated and visualised with Bland–Altman plots. Associations between child, home, and survey characteristics and disagreement were examined with tobit regression. Just over half of nights demonstrated no difference in sleep period between sleep log and no log approaches. Among all nights, the sleep log approach produced longer sleep periods (9.3 min; absolute mean bias [AMB] = 28.0 min), shorter duration (1.4 min; AMB = 14.0 min), greater WASO (11.0 min; AMB = 15.4 min), and earlier onset (13.4 min; AMB = 17.4 min), midpoint (8.8 min; AMB = 15.3 min), and waketime (3.9 min; AMB = 14.8 min) than no log. Factors associated with discrepancies included smartphone ownership, bedroom screens, nontraditional parent work schedule, and completion on weekend/summer nights (range = 0.4–10.2 min). The generic log resulted in greater AMB among sleep outcomes. Small mean differences were observed between nights with and without a sleep log. Discrepancies existed on weekends, in summer, and for children with smartphones and screens in the bedroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act mandates that eligible children under age three receive free access to early intervention (EI) through state-based programs. Despite a robust "Child Find" system, enrollment remains lower than expected. Community and medical professionals often rely on parent report of service utilization to gauge whether children are receiving developmental services. Understanding the reliability of parent report of EI can guide strategies to increase EI participation. Objective: To assess the extent to which parental reports of Part C EI services agree with state-based service records. Method: We address this research objective among 162 children and their parents from marginalized communities in Boston, MA and New Haven, CT who were identified as having a higher likelihood of autism and participated in a randomized controlled trial to facilitate access to autism evaluation and treatment. Parents reported whether their child was currently receiving EI services at four time points and released their child's EI service records from state agencies. Results: Overall agreement between parent and service records was 70% and ranged from fair to moderate and service-specific agreement ranged from 46% to 81.6%. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive/negative predictive values ranged widely for both overall and service-specific EI use. We found no differences in agreement by sociodemographic characteristics, but agreement was higher when children received EI services at home. Conclusions: Our findings support community and medical professionals' elicitation of children's EI service use from parents, especially for participation in EI overall and for physical and occupational therapy. Trial Registration Number: Clinical Trials.gov Identifier: NCT02359084 Date of Trial Registration: February 9, 2015 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Certain personality traits and facets are well-known risk factors that predict first-onset depression during adolescence. However, prior research predominantly relied on self-reported data, which has limitations as a source of personality information. Reports from close informants have the potential to increase the predictive power of personality on first-onsets of depression in adolescents. With easy access to adolescents' behaviors across settings and time, parents may provide important additional information about their children's personality. The same personality trait(s) and facet(s) rated by selves (mean age 14.4 years old) and biological parents at baseline were used to prospectively predict depression onsets among 442 adolescent girls during a 72-month follow-up. First, bivariate logistic regression was used to examine whether parent-reported personality measures predicted adolescent girls' depression onsets; then multivariate logistic regression was used to test whether parent reports provided additional predictive power above and beyond self-reports of same trait or facet. Parent-reported personality traits and facets predicted adolescents' depression onsets, similar to findings using self-reported data. After controlling for the corresponding self-report measures, parent-reported higher openness (at the trait level) and higher depressivity (at the facet-level) incrementally predicted first-onset of depression in the sample. Findings demonstrated additional variance contributed by parent-reported personality measures and validated a multi-informant approach in using personality to prospectively predict onsets of depression in adolescent girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood represents a critical window for the emergence and treatment of mental health disorders, yet many are not being identified, or are identified too late to receive adequate intervention. This systematic review (Prospero registration: CRD42022299560) aimed to determine the effectiveness and acceptability of parent reported universal mental health screening (UMHS) to improve the early identification of children at-risk of mental health difficulties, and to identify barriers and enablers that may influence parental engagement. Six databases were searched in February 2022 for peer-reviewed, primary research. Studies conducted in targeted populations, evaluating psychometric properties, or focused on screening non-psychological problems were excluded. Ten studies examined parent reported (n = 3,464 parents) UMHS for children from birth to 18 years, suggesting an overall scarcity of research. Findings are presented in a table of study characteristics and a narrative summary of acceptability, effectiveness, barriers, and enablers. Quantitative findings indicated that parents generally support and accept UMHS. Research assessing effectiveness was limited, although two studies indicated increased referrals and referral adherence following positive screens. Confidentiality and stigma were commonly identified barriers. Quality assessment using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool indicated that studies varied in quality, meeting four to seven of the seven quality criteria. Understanding and addressing parent attitudes to UMHS across settings is necessary for the successful implementation of screening and improvement of child mental health outcomes. More high-quality research studies, including randomized controlled trials are therefore needed to examine the acceptability and effectiveness of UMHS for parents and their children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on tonic (persistently angry or grumpy mood) and phasic (temper tantrums/outbursts) irritability in youth has utilized community samples and information from parents and youth. We examined whether tonic and phasic irritability are empirically distinguishable and have similar correlates using teacher, in addition to parent, reports in a clinical sample of children and adolescents. The sample included youth aged 5–18 evaluated at a university outpatient clinic, with complete information from 2481 parents and 2449 teachers. We conducted confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using items from several parent- and teacher-report inventories and examined concurrent associations with psychopathology and functioning. The CFA supported a two-factor model consistent with tonic and phasic irritability in both parent- and teacher-reports. Parent-reported tonic irritability was associated with higher rates of depression and anxiety disorders, suicidality, and antidepressant medication use. Teacher-reported tonic irritability was associated with elevated rates of depression and antidepressant use. Both parent- and teacher-reported phasic irritability were linked to higher rates of ADHD combined type, oppositional defiant/conduct disorders, and referral for rages. Parent- and teacher-reported tonic and phasic irritability were all associated with impaired social functioning. Parents and teachers can distinguish tonic and phasic irritability, which are associated with internalizing and externalizing problems, respectively. Findings were generally consistent across informants, and with prior studies using community samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Executive functions (EFs) are a set of high-level cognitive processes that enable children to perform a goal-directed behaviour. During the preschool years, EFs undergo significant developmental changes. Therefore, it is crucial to have reliable measures that accurately evaluate preschoolers' EFs in preschool-aged children. The present study aimed to investigate the factor structure of the Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory (CHEXI), replicating the expected two-factor model in Italian preschoolers. A total of 210 Italian parents completed an online survey on their children aged between 36 and 72 months (Mage = 54.12; SDage = 11.22; 44.3% girls). A confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the two-factor model of the CHEXI (working memory and inhibition) for Italian preschoolers, also demonstrating the invariance of the model across gender and age. Furthermore, the criterion validity of the CHEXI was established by examining correlations with the Children's Behavior Questionnaire. The present study provides evidence that the CHEXI is a valid and reliable rating measure for assessing EFs abilities of Italian preschoolers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Recently, research focus has shifted to the combination of all 24-h movement behaviors (physical activity, sedentary behavior and sleep) instead of each behavior separately. Yet, no reliable and valid proxy-report tools exist to assess all these behaviors in 0–4-year-old children. By involving end-users (parents) and key stakeholders (researchers, professionals working with young children), this mixed-methods study aimed to 1) develop a mobile application (app)-based proxy-report tool to assess 24-h movement behaviors in 0–4-year-olds, and 2) examine its content validity. Methods First, we used concept mapping to identify activities 0–4-year-olds engage in. Parents (n = 58) and professionals working with young children (n = 21) generated a list of activities, sorted related activities, and rated the frequency children perform these activities. Second, using multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis, we created activity categories based on the sorted activities of the participants. Third, we developed the My Little Moves app in collaboration with a software developer. Finally, we examined the content validity of the app with parents (n = 14) and researchers (n = 6) using focus groups and individual interviews. Results The app has a time-use format in which parents proxy-report the activities of their child, using eight activity categories: personal care, eating/drinking, active transport, passive transport, playing, screen use, sitting/lying calmly, and sleeping. Categories are clarified by providing examples of children’s activities. Additionally, 1–4 follow-up questions collect information on intensity (e.g., active or calm), posture, and/or context (e.g., location) of the activity. Parents and researchers considered filling in the app as feasible, taking 10–30 min per day. The activity categories were considered comprehensive, but alternative examples for several activity categories were suggested to increase the comprehensibility and relevance. Some follow-up questions were considered less relevant. These suggestions were adopted in the second version of the My Little Moves app. Conclusions Involving end-users and key stakeholders in the development of the My Little Moves app resulted in a tailored tool to assess 24-h movement behaviors in 0–4-year-olds with adequate content validity. Future studies are needed to evaluate other measurement properties of the app.

Background: Recently, research focus has shifted to the combination of all 24-h movement behaviors (physical activity, sedentary behavior and sleep) instead of each behavior separately. Yet, no reliable and valid proxy-report tools exist to assess all these behaviors in 0–4-year-old children. By involving end-users (parents) and key stakeholders (researchers, professionals working with young children), this mixed-methods study aimed to 1) develop a mobile application (app)-based proxy-report tool to assess 24-h movement behaviors in 0–4-year-olds, and 2) examine its content validity. Methods: First, we used concept mapping to identify activities 0–4-year-olds engage in. Parents (n = 58) and professionals working with young children (n = 21) generated a list of activities, sorted related activities, and rated the frequency children perform these activities. Second, using multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis, we created activity categories based on the sorted activities of the participants. Third, we developed the My Little Moves app in collaboration with a software developer. Finally, we examined the content validity of the app with parents (n = 14) and researchers (n = 6) using focus groups and individual interviews. Results: The app has a time-use format in which parents proxy-report the activities of their child, using eight activity categories: personal care, eating/drinking, active transport, passive transport, playing, screen use, sitting/lying calmly, and sleeping. Categories are clarified by providing examples of children's activities. Additionally, 1–4 follow-up questions collect information on intensity (e.g., active or calm), posture, and/or context (e.g., location) of the activity. Parents and researchers considered filling in the app as feasible, taking 10–30 min per day. The activity categories were considered comprehensive, but alternative examples for several activity categories were suggested to increase the comprehensibility and relevance. Some follow-up questions were considered less relevant. These suggestions were adopted in the second version of the My Little Moves app. Conclusions: Involving end-users and key stakeholders in the development of the My Little Moves app resulted in a tailored tool to assess 24-h movement behaviors in 0–4-year-olds with adequate content validity. Future studies are needed to evaluate other measurement properties of the app. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a brief screening questionnaire of child behaviour, used to evaluate mental health. It is applicable for children 2–17 years, available to both parents and professionals, and exists in a self-report version available from the age of 11 years. This paper aims to generate Greenlandic norms on the self-report and parent-report versions of the SDQ. In 2023, the self-report version was translated, and a representative sample of children and adolescents completed the SDQ (N = 641). In 2008, the parent-report version was translated into Greenlandic and used in a study of children's well-being (N = 939). Data from both samples were analysed, generating normative scores. Results show significant differences between genders (effect sizes of.006-.145), and discrepancies between parent and self-report. Parents report higher total problems for boys, while self-reporting indicate higher total problems for girls. Cut-off values are higher for self-report norms than parent-report norms. Mean scores on the SDQ total score and subscales differ across age, area of living, caregiver constellation and caregiver's educational level (effect sizes of.011–.064). With the availability of Greenlandic norms, we anticipate further use of the SDQ in clinical practice and research settings, strengthening screening and assessment of children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACTThe Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a brief screening questionnaire of child behaviour, used to evaluate mental health. It is applicable for children 2–17 years, available to both parents and professionals, and exists in a self-report version available from the age of 11 years. This paper aims to generate Greenlandic norms on the self-report and parent-report versions of the SDQ. In 2023, the self-report version was translated, and a representative sample of children and adolescents completed the SDQ (N = 641). In 2008, the parent-report version was translated into Greenlandic and used in a study of children’s well-being (N = 939). Data from both samples were analysed, generating normative scores. Results show significant differences between genders (effect sizes of .006-.145), and discrepancies between parent and self-report. Parents report higher total problems for boys, while self-reporting indicate higher total problems for girls. Cut-off values are higher for self-report norms than parent-report norms. Mean scores on the SDQ total score and subscales differ across age, area of living, caregiver constellation and caregiver’s educational level (effect sizes of .011–.064). With the availability of Greenlandic norms, we anticipate further use of the SDQ in clinical practice and research settings, strengthening screening and assessment of children and adolescents.

Empathy is a critical socioemotional skill that motivates prosocial behavior and supports the ability to respond to the emotions of others. Although accurate measurement of empathy in young children is critical for identifying and remediating empathy deficits, currently available parent-report measures of childhood empathy have several psychometric limitations. The present study tested the reliability, validity, and clinical utility of scores on the Measure of Empathy in Early Childhood (MEEC), a new multidimensional, parent-report empathy scale, in 4- to 7-year-old children. The psychometric properties of MEEC scores were assessed by examining their associations with criterion, construct, discriminant, and clinical validity measures. A sample of 129 parents of community and clinic-referred children (Mage = 5.62 years, SD = 1.01, 65.9% boys) completed the MEEC and other relevant parent-report questionnaires. Internal consistencies (α =.79−.93) of MEEC scores were good. Correlations between MEEC scores and parent-report measures, sex, and age robustly supported their validity in 4- to 7-year-old children. Logistic regression analyses demonstrated that MEEC scores significantly predicted membership into clinical subgroups characterized by empathy deficits. Linear regression analyses indicated that prosocial behavior and sympathy MEEC subscales, but not affective empathy, statistically predicted parent-reported callous–unemotional traits. Theoretical and clinical implications of these findings for developmental models of empathy and empathy-related disorders are discussed. Public Significance Statement: This study suggests that the Measure of Empathy in Early Childhood (MEEC) is a reliable and valid parent-report measure of childhood empathy. Accurate measurement of empathy is critical for identifying and intervening with young children at risk of poor psychosocial outcomes in later life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptive functioning of autistic children is traditionally measured through informant-report, often from parents. Behaviour varies across settings though, and context-specific reports should be considered. Limited and inconsistent results show low parent-education professional concordance, but no research has yet explored item level response variation. We investigated Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales-II concordance using 233 lower ability autistic children from the PACT-G sample. Domain and item level agreement was low, but better on objectively measured behaviours. Higher child nonverbal ability improved concordance. Where disagreements occurred, education professionals identified emergent skills more and parents were more likely to rate present/absent. Parents and education professionals view the adaptive abilities of autistic children differently and both should be considered when developing personalised interventions and support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was aimed to define swallowing related problems of toddlers with Down syndrome (DS) by comparing toddlers with typically developing children (TDC). A total of 127 children (96 DS, 31 TDC), and their mothers included in the study. The presence of chewing disorders, food selectivity, drooling, coughing during swallowing was scored as 'absent' or 'present'. The Pediatric version of the Eating Assessment Tool-10 (PEDI EAT-10) was used to determine dysphagia symptom severity, and the Turkish version of the Feeding/Swallowing Impact Survey (T-FS-IS) was used to measure the impact of swallowing disorders on caregivers. Mothers of DS reported higher rates of chewing disorders (n = 39, 40.6%), drooling (n = 30, 31.3%) and coughing during swallowing (n = 50, 41.7%) than mothers of TDC (p < 0.01). The mean PEDI-EAT-10 score of children with DS was higher than TDC (p = 0.006). There were significant differences between groups in terms of T-FS-IS. Moderate to strong correlations were detected between PEDI-EAT-10 and total and subscale scores from T-FS-IS (p < 0.001). This prospective study defines swallowing related problems of toddlers with DS. The study results highlight the importance of early investigation of (i) swallowing concerns in children with DS, and (ii) caregivers' quality of life to define swallowing problems and plan an appropriate swallowing related management program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Affective dysregulation (AD) in children is characterized by persistent irritability and severe temper outbursts. This study developed and evaluated a screening questionnaire for AD in children. The development included the generation of an initial item pool from existing instruments, a Delphi rating of experts, focus groups with experts and parents, and psychometric analyses of clinical and population-based samples. Based on data of a large community-based study, the final screening questionnaire was developed (n = 771; 49.7 % female; age M = 10.02 years; SD = 1.34) and evaluated (n = 8,974; 48.7 % female; age M = 10.00 years; SD = 1.38) with methods from classical test theory and item response theory. The developed DADYS-Screen (D iagnostic Tool for A ffective Dys regulation in Children— Screen ing Questionnaire) includes 12 items with good psychometric properties and scale characteristics including a good fit to a one-factorial model in comparison to the baseline model, although only a "mediocre" fit according to the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA). Results could be confirmed using a second and larger data set. Overall, the DADYS-Screen is able to identify children with AD, although it needs further investigation using clinical data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of standardized diagnostic instruments has facilitated the systematic characterization of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in clinical and research settings. However, overemphasis on scores from specific instruments has significantly detracted from the original purpose of these tools. Rather than provide a definitive "answer," or even a confirmation of diagnosis, standardized diagnostic instruments were designed to aid clinicians in the process of gathering information about social communication, play, and repetitive and sensory behaviors relevant to diagnosis and treatment planning. Importantly, many autism diagnostic instruments are not validated for certain patient populations, including those with severe vision, hearing, motor, and/or cognitive impairments, and they cannot be administered via a translator. In addition, certain circumstances, such as the need to wear personal protective equipment (PPE), or behavioral factors (e.g., selective mutism) may interfere with standardized administration or scoring procedures, rendering scores invalid. Thus, understanding the uses and limitations of specific tools within specific clinical or research populations, as well as similarities or differences between these populations and the instrument validation samples, is paramount. Accordingly, payers and other systems must not mandate the use of specific tools in cases when their use would be inappropriate. To ensure equitable access to appropriate assessment and treatment services, it is imperative that diagnosticians be trained in best practice methods for the assessment of autism, including if, how, and when to appropriately employ standardized diagnostic instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empathy is critical to young children's socioemotional development and deficient levels characterize a severe and pervasive type of Conduct Disorder (i.e., with limited prosocial emotions). With the emergence of novel, targeted early interventions to treat this psychopathology, the critical limitations of existing parent-report empathy measures reveal their unsuitability for assessing empathy levels and outcomes in young children. The present study aimed to develop a reliable and comprehensive parent-rated empathy scale for young children. This was accomplished by first generating a large list of empathy items sourced from both preexisting empathy measures and from statements made by parents during a clinical interview about their young child's empathy. Second, this item set was refined using exploratory factor analysis of item scores from parents of children aged 2 to 8 years (56.6% male), recruited online using Amazon's Mechanical Turk. A five-factor solution provided the best fit to the data: Attention to Others' Emotions, Personal Distress (i.e., Emotional Contagion/Affective Empathy), Personal Distress–Fictional Characters, Prosocial Behavior, and Sympathy. Total and subscale scores on the new "Measure of Empathy in Early Childhood" (MEEC) were internally consistent. Finally, this five-factor structure was tested using confirmatory factor analysis and model fit was adequate. With further research into the validity of MEEC scores, this new rater-based empathy measure for young children may hold promise for assessing empathy in early childhood and advancing research into the origins of empathy and empathy-related disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were to (1) demonstrate the application of percentiles to advance the interpretation of patient‐reported outcomes and (2) establish autism‐specific percentiles for four Patient‐Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) measures. PROMIS measures were completed by parents of autistic children and adolescents ages 5–17 years as part of two studies (n = 939 parents in the first study and n = 406 parents in the second study). Data from the first study were used to develop autism‐specific percentiles for PROMIS parent‐proxy sleep disturbance, sleep‐related impairment, fatigue, and anxiety. Previously established United States general population percentiles were applied to interpret PROMIS scores in both studies. Results of logistic regression models showed that parent‐reported material hardship was associated with scoring in the moderate–severe range (defined as ≥75th percentile in the general population) on all four PROMIS measures (odds ratios 1.7–2.2). In the second study, the percentage of children with severe scores (defined as ≥95th percentile in the general population) was 30% for anxiety, 25% for sleep disturbance, and 17% for sleep‐related impairment, indicating a high burden of these problems among autistic children. Few children had scores at or above the autism‐specific 95th percentile on these measures (3%–4%), indicating that their scores were similar to other autistic children. The general population and condition‐specific percentiles provide two complementary reference points to aid interpretation of PROMIS scores, including corresponding severity categories that are comparable across different PROMIS measures. Lay Summary: Patient‐reported outcome measures are used to assess patients' health from the perspective of patients and their families, but it can be difficult to interpret scores on these measures. This study demonstrated how percentiles may help clinicians and others understand patient‐reported outcome scores for children on the autism spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Accurate proxy-report questionnaires, adapted to the child’s developmental stage, are required to monitor 24-h movement behaviors in young children, especially for large samples and low-resource settings. Objectives This review aimed to summarize available studies evaluating measurement properties of proxy-report questionnaires assessing physical activity, sedentary behavior and/or sleep in children aged 0–5 years. Methods Systematic literature searches were carried out in the PubMed, Embase and SPORTDiscus databases, up to January 2021. For physical activity and sedentary behavior questionnaires this is a review update, whereas for sleep questionnaires we included all relevant studies published up to now. Studies had to evaluate at least one of the measurement properties of a proxy-report questionnaire assessing at least duration and/or frequency of physical activity, sedentary behavior and/or sleep in 0- to 5-year-old children. The COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) guideline was used to evaluate the quality of evidence. Results Thirty-three studies were included, examining a total of 37 questionnaires. Ten questionnaires were designed for infants, two for toddlers, 11 for preschoolers, and 14 for a broader age range targeting multiple of these age groups. Twenty questionnaires assessed constructs of sleep, four assessed constructs of physical activity, two assessed screen behavior, five assessed constructs of both physical activity and sedentary behavior, and six assessed constructs of all 24-h movement behaviors. Content validity was evaluated for six questionnaires, structural validity for two, internal consistency for three, test-retest reliability for 16, measurement error for one, criterion validity for one, and construct validity for 26 questionnaires. None of the questionnaires were considered sufficiently valid and/or reliable for assessing one or more movement behaviors in 0- to 5-year-old children, and the quality of evidence was mostly low or very low. Conclusions Valid and/or reliable questionnaires assessing 24-h movement behaviors in 0- to 5-year-olds are lacking. High-quality studies are therefore required, to develop proxy-report questionnaires and evaluate their measurement properties. PROSPERO registration number CRD42020169268.

Quality of life is both a goal and an outcome in Cerebral Palsy (CP) rehabilitation. Children with CP may show impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL) compared to their typical peers. Parents' perceptions of HRQoL of their children could help rehabilitation professionals to identify areas for intervention aiming to improve health and wellbeing. This study aims to compare the proxy HRQoL of Portuguese school-aged children with CP and the general population, and to analyze child and family correlation. Differences were examined using European normative data for children from 8 to 18 years. Correlation and regression analysis examined the association between child and family variables in the CP group with statistically significant low scores. Sixty-eight parents of children and adolescents with CP (12.5 ± 2.91 years) answered the KIDSCREEN-52 parent version. We identified clinically significantly lower HRQoL in four out of ten HRQoL domains (Physical well-being, Autonomy, Moods & Emotions, and Bullying) than the norm peers. Correlations were found between the number of siblings and Autonomy (r = .315), meaning that having more siblings was associated with greater autonomy, and between mobility and Moods & Emotions (r = −.261), where children with impaired mobility shown low scores as perceived by their parents. Age, sex, mobility and cognitive impairment explained 32% of Physical well-being scores (p

Adolescents with suboptimal medication taking may deceive caregivers about non-adherence. We conducted a 5-year longitudinal study of adolescents monitored simultaneously with both easily manipulated (e.g., self-report) and hard to manipulate (e.g., microelectronic data) strategies. Adolescents with repeatedly high adherence on the former and low adherence on the latter were invited along with their parental figures ("parents") to participate. We conducted focus groups and semi-structured interviews, separately for adolescents and parents, to elucidate drivers of discordant measures. Forty-seven adolescents and 26 parents participated in focus groups and 4 adolescents were interviewed. Adolescents described hiding pills, discarding pills, and lying. Their motivations included fear of disappointing those who care about them, desire to avoid admonishment by parents and clinic staff, and desire to avoid remedial adherence counseling. Both adolescents and parents considered negative feedback for prior poor adherence to be key motivation to hide current poor adherence from clinic staff. Providing positive feedback for truth-telling, rather than for "evidence" of excellent adherence, might help adolescent patients and their parents to develop stronger treatment alliances with each other and with clinic staff. Such alliances would allow adherence interventions to be better targeted and more fruitful in increasing adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a new 18-item parent-report measure of pretense development for 4- to 47-month-olds: the Early Pretending Survey (EPS). Study 1 (N = 231) demonstrated good internal reliability, and a strongly correlated 2-factor structure for 4- to 47-month-olds. Study 2 (N = 587) also showed good internal reliability, and found the two factors loaded onto a latent second-order Pretend Play factor. Study 3 (N = 84) found the EPS correlated with a researcher-led pretense experiment, however it no longer correlated when controlling for age. Additional analyses using subsamples of parents from Studies 2 and 3 showed good inter-observer reliability between parents (N = 29), and good longitudinal stability after 6 months (N = 196). Additional analyses combining Study 1–3 participants (N ≤ 902) found no item functioning differences across demographic variables, including child age, country, and socio-economic factors. Children's EPS scores increased as they aged; girls had higher scores than boys; and children of younger parents had higher scores. Finally, we examined the age patterns of each EPS item, demonstrating when 25 %, 50 %, and 75 % of children were predicted to pass each pretense type. The EPS is useful for researchers to better understand how pretending relates to other areas of development (e.g., cognition, language). The EPS could also help parents, early years educators, and children's media professionals decide which pretense types to use with children of different ages. • We developed the Early Pretending Survey (EPS) for 4–47 months. • The EPS has good internal reliability. • The EPS showed longitudinal stability. • The EPS showed inter-observer agreement. • EPS scores were higher for older children, girls, and children with younger parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the perceptions of parents who had a child or adolescent (6-18 years) diagnosed with a rare disease who attended a mainstream school in Western Australia. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 41 parents of children with a rare disease. Here we report the findings of 14 open-ended questions on their experience of illness-related factors and impact on school-related social activities, such as sports, school camps and leadership roles whilst their child with a rare disease attended a mainstream school in Australia. Responses were analysed using an inductive thematic content approach. We identified three themes (resources, experiences and needs), seven categories (illness, support, knowledge, acceptance, isolation, activities of daily living and adjunctive therapy) and 24 codes from the parents' responses describing the experiences of their child at school. Parents want the government and educational systems to provide the necessary funding and resources to reflect an inclusive curricula and supportive environment that can meet the learning needs of children with a rare disease at a mainstream school. Further research, policy development and interventions are needed to explore how schools can meet the diverse psychosocial physical and emotional needs of children diagnosed with a rare disease who attend a mainstream school in Australia. A child needs to be viewed from a holistic ecological viewpoint; future research with larger representative samples to explore rare disease experiences and a critical review of existing legislation, interventions and initiatives is required. • A child with a rare condition needs to be viewed through a holistic ecological viewpoint. • The needs of many children with a rare disease are not being met at school. • An inclusive school environment requires input through a multi-disciplinary lens. • Future rare disease research with larger representative samples are required. • Educational providers need to be aware of the latest legislation on rare diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accurate proxy-report questionnaires, adapted to the child's developmental stage, are required to monitor 24-h movement behaviors in young children, especially for large samples and low-resource settings. Objectives: This review aimed to summarize available studies evaluating measurement properties of proxy-report questionnaires assessing physical activity, sedentary behavior and/or sleep in children aged 0–5 years. Methods: Systematic literature searches were carried out in the PubMed, Embase and SPORTDiscus databases, up to January 2021. For physical activity and sedentary behavior questionnaires this is a review update, whereas for sleep questionnaires we included all relevant studies published up to now. Studies had to evaluate at least one of the measurement properties of a proxy-report questionnaire assessing at least duration and/or frequency of physical activity, sedentary behavior and/or sleep in 0- to 5-year-old children. The COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) guideline was used to evaluate the quality of evidence. Results: Thirty-three studies were included, examining a total of 37 questionnaires. Ten questionnaires were designed for infants, two for toddlers, 11 for preschoolers, and 14 for a broader age range targeting multiple of these age groups. Twenty questionnaires assessed constructs of sleep, four assessed constructs of physical activity, two assessed screen behavior, five assessed constructs of both physical activity and sedentary behavior, and six assessed constructs of all 24-h movement behaviors. Content validity was evaluated for six questionnaires, structural validity for two, internal consistency for three, test-retest reliability for 16, measurement error for one, criterion validity for one, and construct validity for 26 questionnaires. None of the questionnaires were considered sufficiently valid and/or reliable for assessing one or more movement behaviors in 0- to 5-year-old children, and the quality of evidence was mostly low or very low. Conclusions: Valid and/or reliable questionnaires assessing 24-h movement behaviors in 0- to 5-year-olds are lacking. High-quality studies are therefore required, to develop proxy-report questionnaires and evaluate their measurement properties. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42020169268. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Participation-outcome measures are required in the phoniatric and speech-language pathology practice to evaluate real-life changes during interventions. In line with the bio-psycho-social model of health, 'Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six' (FOCUS) is a validated scale by which parents rate their child's Communicative Participation (CP). CP has been widely investigated in atypically-developing population, and it may be an innovative construct also for typically-developing children (TDC). The aim of the study is to describe the CP and its components observed in a large group of TDC, exploring whether children's CP is influenced by their age. Through a cross-sectional observational study, parents of 355 Italian-speaking TDC aged 3.0–5.11 years without developmental impairments completed the Italian FOCUS (FOCUS-I). CP significantly increased with age (p <.001). Components' scores differed by age, with some competences ('pragmatics', 'receptive language/attention', 'social competence/play', 'coping strategies/emotions') increased with age less than others ('speech', 'intelligibility', 'independence', 'expressive language'). The study suggests that a spontaneous significant increase in CP should be expected with a child's development and it discusses the differences in the profile scores. When exploring real-life communicative participation, parents rate their children as changing mostly in their speech and expressive-linguistic competences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine agreement between parental reports of head injury and evidence of head injury in medical records and to compare these two measures in predicting early conduct disorder (CD)., Design and Setting: Parent survey data was compared with records of child head injury from the National Health Services Register (Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec, RAMQ) administrative database., Participants: Children ( N  = 685) ages 6-9 with and without CD. There were 147 children with RAMQ recorded head injury and 39 children with parent-reported head injury., Main Measures: Indication of one or more head injury before 6 years of age as reported by parents and/or as noted in medical data. Early CD (present by age 9) according to parents and/or teachers., Results: Results indicated poor agreement between the two forms of reporting κ = .161 (95% CI, .083 to .239), p  < 0.001. Medical data significantly predicted the presence of CD in children, with a RAMQ coded head injury suggesting a child was 1.88 times more likely to have CD. Parent reports of head injuries did not significantly predict CD. Conclusion: Medical data should be prioritized in research addressing pediatric head injury, given that parent reports may fail to capture incidence of injury and therefore may be less predictive of other known correlates of head injury.

Objective: Empathy is a key factor to examine in development, because of its predictive associations with both aggression and successful prosocial behaviour. However, established measures of empathy for Low-to-Middle Income Countries, including South Africa, are lacking. In children, parent-report measures are key. However, a local study examining empathy and aggression (Malcolm-Smith et al ., 2015) found poor psychometric performance for a widely used parent-report measure of dispositional empathy, the Griffith Empathy Measure (GEM). We thus investigated which of two questionnaires measuring dispositional cognitive and affective empathy perform better in this context., Method: We contrasted internal consistency reliability of a simplified version of the GEM (SGEM; n = 160) and a parent-report version of the Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (QCAE; n = 440) in a low-mid socio-economic status sample. Convergence between the measures and factor structure were also assessed., Results: The parent-report version of the QCAE performed well as a measure of child dispositional cognitive and affective empathy, with good reliability (overall α = 0.90 vs. SGEM α = .63), and confirmatory factor analysis supporting the two-factor structure. The SGEM's reliability and failure to correlate with QCAE indicated poor psychometric performance., Conclusion: This is the first psychometric evaluation of the QCAE as a parent-report measure, and our results indicate that it should prove useful for future assessments of dispositional empathy in children across a variety of contexts.

Purpose: This cross-sectional study explored home participation of children with and without cerebral palsy aged 7–18 years and the effect of the environment on this participation. Method: A convenience sample of 110 children with cerebral palsy (55% males; mean age 12.7 years) and 134 children without cerebral palsy (49% males; mean age 12.0 years) was included. Parents completed the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth. Mann–Whitney U-test, χ2 tests and radar plots were used to analyze item-level differences between two groups. Participation of children with cerebral palsy was analyzed subsequently in relation to their functional limitations using the Spearman's rank correlation. Results: Children with cerebral palsy participated in home activities less than children without cerebral palsy did, as perceived by their parents. The least differences were observed in activities that typically did not require much physical engagement. Number of activities done at home and the involvement level mostly correlated with fine manual and intellectual functioning. Barriers included physical layout, factors related to the activity (physical and cognitive demands), and limited resources (services, information, money). Conclusions: It is important to understand the uniqueness of each home environment in order to enhance participation of children with cerebral palsy in home setting. The child's relationships with family members, social demands of activities and attitudes and actions of others, as supportive factors, should be considered by professionals to facilitate home participation. There is the need to develop strategies to facilitate children's independence in order to optimize participation outcomes in home-based activities. Differences identified in this study may assist professionals in the design of a context that improves home participation of children with cerebral palsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale—Parent Version (RCADS-P) is a 47-item parent-report questionnaire of youth anxiety and depression, with scales corresponding to the DSM-IV categories of Separation Anxiety Disorder, Social Phobia, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Panic Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The RCADS-P is currently the only parent-report questionnaire that concurrently assesses youth symptomatology of individual anxiety disorders as well as depression in accordance with DSM-IV nosology. The present study examined the psychometric properties of the RCADS-P in a large (N = 490), clinic-referred sample of youths. The RCADS-P demonstrated favorable psychometric properties, including high internal consistency, convergent/divergent validity, as well as strong discriminant validity—evidencing an ability to discriminate between anxiety and depressive disorders, as well as between the targeted anxiety disorders. Support for the DSM-related six-factor RCADS-P structure was also evidenced. This structure demonstrated superior fit to a recently suggested alternative to the DSM-IV classification of anxiety and affective disorders—namely, the MDD/GAD “distress” factor.

The Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS) is a brief global measure of functional impairment that is widely used in adult health. We have adapted the WSAS for its use in youth, the WSAS-Youth version (WSAS-Y) and WSAS-Parent version (WSAS-P). This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the scale. The internal consistency, factor structure, convergent and divergent validity, test-retest reliability and sensitivity to change of the WSAS-Y/P were studied in 525 children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder and related disorders receiving treatment. The internal consistency of the WSAS-Y/P was excellent across diagnostic groups and time-points. Exploratory factor analysis extracted a single-factor of functional impairment, explaining in excess of 85% of the variance. The test-retest reliability was adequate. The WSAS-Y/P correlated more strongly with other measures of functional impairment than with measures of symptom severity, indicating good convergent/divergent validity. Finally, the WSAS-Y/P was highly sensitive to change after treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sleep health in rare disease is often overlooked due to the complex nature of the disease. For males with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, sleep assessment is typically focused on pulmonary function and identification of sleep disordered breathing. Unfortunately for young boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, sleep assessment is often neglected, resulting in a dearth of knowledge on sleep health in this population. This study describes sleep quantity and quality in both younger (4–9 years) and older (10–17 years) males with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (n = 19) and compares these characteristics with sleep characteristics of unaffected peers (n = 17). This study was a longitudinal, observational study. Sleep measures were collected using the parent-proxy Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire-Abbreviated version and objective sleep measures from actigraphy (sleep efficiency, awakenings, and awakening duration) over 30 days for all participants. Means and standard deviations were examined, and effect sizes were computed to quantify the magnitude of difference between the Duchenne muscular dystrophy and unaffected groups. Overall, boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy were found to experience worse sleep than their unaffected peers as measured by parent report and actigraphy. Effect sizes of both measures demonstrated moderate to large magnitudes of difference in many of the sleep variables. Parents of boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy reported higher scores (indicating worse sleep) in all subsections and total score of the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire – Abbreviated version. Actigraphy data indicated that the Duchenne muscular dystrophy group had lower percent sleep efficiency, more night awakenings and longer duration of night awakenings than their unaffected peers. Our findings offer a novel look into sleep in young boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Both parent-report and actigraphy data indicate poor sleep health in this population compared with age-matched unaffected peers. Actigraphy was found to align with parent-report of sleep in this population, supporting the use of these two different ways to measure sleep in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Results from this study should encourage clinicians and researchers alike to further explore sleep and its impact on disease in young boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. • Parent-proxy questionnaires and actigraphy were used to measure sleep. • Parents reported sleep concerns in boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.. • Actigraphy measures supported parent report of poor sleep in boys with Duchenne. • Effect sizes show impairment in sleep quality and quantity in the Duchenne group.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Future-oriented cognition (planning, prospective memory, episodic foresight, saving, and delay of gratification) involves a critical set of skills that children must develop for successful daily functioning. The current study developed the Children's Future Thinking Questionnaire (CFTQ), a parent-report on 3- to 7-year-olds' future-oriented cognition. The CFTQ showed high internal consistency and detected development of future-oriented cognition (Study 1; N = 145). Study 2 (N = 255) showed high internal consistency reliability and preliminary validity of the CFTQ. Study 3 (N = 101) confirmed strong reliability and validity of the CFTQ. Study 4 (N = 105) revealed excellent test–retest reliability of the CFTQ. Thus, the CFTQ is the first reliable and valid parent-report measure of children's developing future-oriented cognitive abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clinical relevance of using a multi-informant approach to assess behavioral problems in youths is well established. However, empirical studies have consistently shown weak agreement across informants (parents, teachers, youths). Moreover, there is no consensus regarding the most valid strategy for combining informant reports to assess these problems. The aim of this study was to compare the discriminant validity of different strategies for combining parent and teacher reports (mean score, highest score, independent assessments) by testing their sensitivity and specificity in assessing different constructs of behavioral problems (conduct, oppositional and attention/hyperactivity) in youths referred and non-referred to school-based services for these problems. The strategies were tested in terms of their capacity to discriminate between a sample of children (n = 370, 6–9 years old, 40% girls) with emotional or behavioral problems referred for special school services and another sample of children (n = 183, 6–9 years old, 52% girls) never referred for such services. All the children were recruited in the same school boards across the province of Quebec, Canada. High specificity rates were obtained across informants and combination strategies. Low sensitivity rates were obtained for parents, teachers and mean scores, but the use of the highest score yielded higher sensitivity without lowering specificity rates and optimized classification rates across constructs and cutoffs (98th, 93rd percentiles) among both boys and girls. This combination strategy therefore appeared to optimize balance between specificity and sensitivity. These results suggest that, when available, use of parent/teacher highest score should be preferred over use of a single informant score or of a parent-teacher mean score in assessing behavioral problems in youths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Autism-Spectrum Quotient-Adult (AQ-Adult) is a screening tool for adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The present study examined the psychometric properties of the Chinese self- and parent-report versions of the AQ-Adult in Hong Kong (AQ-Adult-HK). Participants included adults with ASD (n = 27) and community controls (n = 345). Parents of a subset of adults with ASD (n = 21) and controls (n = 87) also participated as informants. The parent-report version showed significantly stronger psychometric properties, including a larger area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and higher sensitivity/specificity, than those of the self-report version. The stronger psychometric properties of the former were related to its significantly higher ratings of ASD symptoms in the ASD adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The PEDI-CAT mobility domain (PEDI-mob) is a parent-reported measure of mobility for children up to 21 years of age. The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between the PEDI-mob and Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM)-66 and Gross Motor Function Classification Scale (GMFCS) levels. Methods: Fifty-seven children (N = 57), ages 2–8.8 years participated. PEDI-mob and GMFM were administered and GMFCS was confirmed during the same session. A Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated for PEDI-mob and GMFM-66 scores to evaluate the association between these two measures. An ANOVA was used to analyze PEDI-mob across GMFCS levels. Results: Large, statistically significant correlation was found between PEDI-mob and GMFM-66 scores (r = 0.894, p-value<0.001). Differences in PEDI-mob scores were found across GMFCS levels (p-value <0.001), where patients with higher GMFCS levels had lower PEDI-mob scores. Conclusion: These results support a strong relationship between parent-reported and clinically measured motor function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined the psychometric properties of a brief parent-report daily checklist of toddler behavior (Parent Daily Report—Toddler Version; PDR-T). Data were collected from three groups of 18–36 month-olds who were followed longitudinally for approximately one year: (a) internationally adopted children (N = 156); (b) children placed in foster care due to child maltreatment (N = 79); and (c) community comparison children raised by their biological families (N = 80). An exploratory factor analysis of this measure resulted in three factors, measuring aggressive/noncompliant, positive, and distress behaviors. While there were estimation issues with the positive and distress factors, the aggressive/noncompliant factor exhibited invariance across time and groups, and partial invariance between genders. Significant correlations were observed between this factor and measures of externalizing behavior and inhibitory control (r = 0.26–0.56), but not shyness, fearfulness, or negative affect. This provides support for both convergent and discriminant validity. Reliability of this factor was adequate to good across time and group. Results provide preliminary support for the utility, reliability, and consistency of one factor of the PDR-T as an easy parent-report tool to assess daily patterns and changes in child aggressive/noncompliant behavior over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Most parent-report autism screening and assessment tools are developed and validated in English. Tools developed in one language with a specific culture require translation and cultural adaptation for use with a culturally or linguistically different population. Traditional translation methods are not sufficient to maintain the validity of these tools in the new population. A more rigorous methodology that maintains linguistic, construct, and technical equivalence is recommended. This article summarizes the basic stages in this translation and cultural adaptation process along with descriptions and rationales for various possible strategies used to complete each stage. A quality appraisal checklist is provided to allow readers to systematically analyze the quality of a translation or to guide instrument developers in the translation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Agreement between administrative and survey data has been shown to vary by the condition of interest and there is limited research dedicated to parental report of asthma among children. The current study assesses the concordance between parent-reported asthma from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) with Medicaid administrative claims data among linkage eligible children from the NHIS. Methods: Medicaid Analytic eXtract (MAX) files from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) (years 2000–2005) were linked to participants of the NHIS (years 2001–2005). Concordance measures were calculated to assess overall agreement between a claims-based asthma diagnosis and a survey-based asthma diagnosis. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the association between demographic, service utilization, and co-occurring conditions factors and agreement. Results: Percent agreement between the two data sources was high (90%) with a prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted kappa of 0.80 and Cohen's kappa of 0.55. Agreement varied by demographic characteristics, service utilization characteristics, and the presence of allergies and other health conditions. Structural equation modeling results found the presence of a series of co-occurring conditions, namely allergies, resulted in significantly lower agreement after controlling for demographics and service utilization. Conclusions: There was general agreement between asthma diagnoses reported in the NHIS when compared to medical claims. Discordance was greatest among children with co-occurring conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) underreport symptoms compared with informants and objective measures. This study applied enhanced statistical methodology (polynomial regression) to the study of ADHD self-reporting to clarify what contributes to symptom underreporting by adolescents with ADHD (N = 107; ages = 11-15 years). Polynomial regression models were conducted to test competing hypotheses about the nature of self-reporting problems. Traditional difference score models were nested within polynomial regression models to examine how modeling strategy influences results. Sixty-six percent of the sample substantially underreported symptoms compared with parents and 23.6% denied all symptoms. Polynomial regression models provided no evidence that the size of the discrepancy between parent and adolescent symptom reports possessed meaningful linear associations with any of the hypothesized predictors. Nested models indicated that the difference score approach led to very poor model fit and increased risk for Type I errors when examining underreporting among youth with ADHD. This finding suggests that past evaluations using a difference score approach should be replicated using polynomial regression to ensure that significant effects do not represent statistical artifact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the accuracy of parent-report child fruit/vegetable (FV) liking. Child/parent dyads (n = 24) were recruited from six Head Start preschools in North Carolina. Liking for 10 FVs was assessed using a validated pictorial tool for children; a similar scale was used for parents. Negative relationships were observed between parent/child for one fruit (grapes) and one vegetable (broccoli). Positive relationships were observed among oranges, grapes, and overall fruit rankings. Parents tended to rank children's liking of fruits higher than their children, while children ranked liking vegetables higher. Findings suggest parents may not be accurate respondents for preschool children's FV liking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impairment of adaptive functioning is a critical criterion in the diagnostic process for mental disorders, as well as clinicians’ preferred target when treating clients. At the same time, clinical research with youth overemphasizes mental health symptoms and undervalues measures of adaptive functioning. Moreover, there is a dearth of comprehensive assessments of functioning that are practical and validated for use with both youth and parents in clinical outpatient settings. The current study addresses these issues by examining the factor structure of both youth and parent versions of a measure of functional impairment. This study used an archival dataset of adolescents aged 11-19 years (87% Caucasian, 50% female) receiving services at a semi-rural community mental health clinic in Northwest Ohio. To determine the factor structure of functional impairment, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted separately on youth and parent versions of the Ohio Scales Functioning Scale. Prior to analyses, the final sample of 1080 adolescents was randomly split in half in order to perform principal axis factoring on one half and confirmatory factor analysis on the other half. Overall, youth and parent Functioning Scales tapped into five domains encompassing youths’ school, social-emotional, recreation, self-care, and responsible behavior. However, there were slight differences in the item compositions of some domains, suggesting that youth and parents view certain behaviors as indicators of different aspects of functioning. Results support that youth adaptive functioning is a multi-dimensional construct, and the Ohio Scales may offer a more comprehensive assessment of functional impairment than other measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding parenting from both parent and child perspectives is critical to child clinical and developmental research. Similarities and differences between parents' and children's reports can be highly informative, but only if they derive from psychometrically sound measures that assess the same parenting constructs. We examined the psychometric properties of the child and parent forms of the Parenting Perception Inventory (Bruce et al., 2006), which measures perceptions of two higher-order dimensions: positive, warm, supportive parenting; and negative, harsh, critical parenting. Data from a four-wave, longitudinal study of community children and adolescents (n = 876, Mage = 9.5 at the beginning), and data from a study of children (n = 131, Mage = 9.35) of depressed and nondepressed mothers provided psychometric support for both measures. Factor analyses revealed the existence of two factors in both the child and parent forms, and showed strong congruence across the two forms. Other analyses examined longitudinal structure, item difficulty, item discriminations, and scale coverage of the child form. Parents' and children's perceptions of parenting were related to children's affect, emotionality, and depressive symptoms. Parents' perceptions of parenting were related to parents' depressive symptoms and to parenting self-efficacy. (PsycINFO Database Record [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have focused on home participation of high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder. We employed a mixed-methods design to explore and compare parent perspectives on (1) participation of children with and without autism spectrum disorder in activities at home, (2) the environmental features and resources that affect these children’s home participation and (3) the strategies parents use to help their children participate at home. The Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth (PEM-CY) was used to gather online survey and qualitative data from parents of 99 high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder and 241 children without autism spectrum disorder. Independent sample t-tests and χ2 tests were used to explore differences between groups, and Cohen’s d was calculated to examine effect sizes. Differences were obtained on all Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth dimensions but particularly when comparing parents’ satisfaction and perceived environmental barriers to their children’s participation. The qualitative analyses revealed that parents in both groups used similar strategies to facilitate their children’s participation at home, although parents of children with autism spectrum disorder made use of more distinct modifications. Our results highlight the importance of environmental aspects and point to how practitioners can support families in their efforts to promote their child’s participation at home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Parental reporting of childhood vaccination status is often used for policy and program evaluation and research purposes. Many factors can bias parental reporting of childhood vaccination status, however, to our knowledge, no analysis has assessed whether time since vaccination impacts reporting accuracy. Therefore, using the Calgary electronic vaccine registry (PHANTIM) as the gold standard, we aimed to test the accuracy of parental reporting of childhood vaccination status at three different time-points since vaccination. Methods The All Our Families (AOF) cohort study asked parents to report their child’s 2, 4, 6, 12 and 18 month vaccines (vaccination time-point) on questionnaires given when the child was 1, 2 and 3 years of age (survey time-point). We linked the AOF parental reporting of vaccination status to the PHANTIM registry and calculated the percent agreement and difference in coverage estimates between PHANTIM and AOF at each vaccination and survey time-point combination. Furthermore, we measured the sensitivity and specificity, and negative (NPV) and positive predictive values (PPV) of parental vaccine recall across time. Results AOF parent reports of coverage rates were consistently higher than the PHANTIM estimates. While we saw significant differences in percent agreement for certain vaccination time-points, we saw no consistent directional difference by survey time-point, suggesting that parental accuracy did not change with time. We found a uniformly high sensitivity across all vaccination and survey time-points, and no consistent patterns in the specificity, PPV and NPV results. Conclusion Time since vaccination may not be the most important consideration when designing and implementing a vaccination survey. Other factors that may contribute to the bias associated with parental reporting of vaccination status include the complexity of the vaccine schedule, schedule changes over time, and the wording and structure of the questionnaires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used a theoretically-derived set of items of the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment to develop the Achenbach Self-Control Scale (ASCS) for 7-16 year olds. Using a large dataset of over 20,000 children, who are enrolled in the Netherlands Twin Register, we demonstrated the psychometric properties of the ASCS for parent-, self- and teacherreport by examining internal and criterion validity, and inter-rater and test--retest reliability. We found associations between the ASCS and measures of well-being, educational achievement, and substance use. Next, we applied the classical twin design to estimate the genetic and environmental contributions to self-control. Genetic influences accounted for 64-75% of the variance in self-control based on parent- and teacher-report (age 7-12), and for 47-49% of the variance in self-control based on self-report (age 12-16), with the remaining variance accounted by non-shared environmental influences. In conclusion, we developed a validated and accessible self-control scale, and show that genetic influences explain a majority of the individual differences in self-control across youth aged 7-16 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose state: Orthotic wearing time may be an important confounder in efficacy studies of treatment in children with spastic cerebral palsy (SCP). Most studies measure parent-reported wearing time (WTparent) with questionnaires, but it is questionable whether this yields valid results. This study aims to compare WTparent with objectively measured wearing time (WTobj) in children with SCP receiving orthotic treatment. Method: Eight children with SCP participated in this observational study. For one year, they received knee-ankle-foot orthosis (KAFO) treatment. WTparent was measured using questionnaires. WTobj was measured using temperature sensor-data-loggers that were attached to the KAFOs. The 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles and median of differences between methods (per participant) were used to calculate limits of agreement and systematic differences. Results: There was no systematic difference between WTparent and WTobj (0.1 h per week), but high inter-individual variation of the difference was found, as reflected by large limits of agreement (lower limit/2.5th percentile: −1.7 h/week; upper limit/97.5th percentile: 11.1 h/week). Conclusions: Parent-reported wearing time (WTparent) of a KAFO differs largely from objectively measured wearing time (WTobj) using temperature sensors. Therefore, parent-reported wearing time (WTparent) of KAFOs should be interpreted with utmost care. Low wearing time of orthoses may be a cause of inefficacy of orthotic treatment and incorrect reported wearing time may bias results of efficacy studies. Results of this study show that parent-reported wearing time is not in agreement with objectively measured wearing time. Parent-reported wearing time of KAFOs should be interpreted with utmost care. Objective methods are recommended for measuring orthotic wearing time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although anxiety is frequently reported in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), existing anxiety scales are often psychometrically inappropriate for this population. This study examined the internal structure, reliability, convergent and discriminant validity of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale-Parent Report (SCAS-P; Spence 1999) in 238 school-aged children with ASD. While confirmatory factor analysis did not support the original six-correlated-factor structure, structural support as well as acceptable internal consistency and convergent validity was found for Generalized Anxiety, Separation Anxiety, Panic, and Agoraphobia subscales. Use of the SCAS-P in its original form for assessment in children with ASD was not supported. However, four subscales showed viability, and may benefit re-analyses of existing SCAS-P data and future scale adaptations for research and clinical purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]