Factor Analyses of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist-17 With African-American and Caucasian Pediatric Populations

Authors

Laura Stoppelbein, University of Alabama, BirminghamFollow
Leilani Greening, University of Mississippi Medical CenterFollow
George Moll, University of Mississippi Medical CenterFollow
Sara Sytsma Jordan, University of Southern MississippiFollow
Alexis Suozzi, University of Southern Mississippi

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-1-2012

School

Psychology

Abstract

Objectives To validate a three-factor model for the Pediatric Symptom Checklist-17 (PSC-17) and evaluate its diagnostic accuracy with African-American and Caucasian children with and without a chronic illness. Methods Mothers of 723 youth diagnosed with either type I diabetes (n = 210) or sickle cell disease (n = 191) and a nonill peer group (n = 322) completed a demographic questionnaire, the PSC-17, and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Results Confirmatory factor analyses and tests of measurement invariance validated a three-factor structure for the PSC-17 with African-American and Caucasian youth with and without a chronic illness. Receiver operating characteristic curves revealed optimal cut-off scores that are similar to published reports. Conclusions A three-factor solution was replicated for the PSC-17 with African-American and Caucasian children with and without a chronic illness. Cut-off scores for identifying children at risk for emotional/behavioral problems were evaluated using the CBCL as the gold standard and are discussed.

Publication Title

Journal of Pediatric Psychology

Volume

37

Issue

3

First Page

348

Last Page

357

Recommended Citation

Stoppelbein, L., Greening, L., Moll, G., Jordan, S. S., Suozzi, A. (2012). Factor Analyses of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist-17 With African-American and Caucasian Pediatric Populations. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 37(3), 348-357.
Available at: https://aquila.usm.edu/fac_pubs/95