TY - JOUR
T1 - Developing an African youth psychosocial assessment: an application of item response theory
JF - Int J Methods Psychiatr Res
Y1 - 2014
A1 - Betancourt, T. S.
A1 - Yang, F.
A1 - Bolton, P.
A1 - Normand, S. L.
KW - *Models, Theoretical
KW - Adolescent
KW - Adolescent Behavior/*psychology
KW - Adolescent Development/*physiology
KW - Africa
KW - children and adolescents
KW - Factor Analysis, Statistical
KW - Female
KW - Humans
KW - item response theory (IRT)
KW - Male
KW - mental health assessment
KW - psychometric measurement
KW - Psychometrics/*methods
KW - Surveys and Questionnaires
KW - Uganda
AB - This study aimed to refine a dimensional scale for measuring psychosocial adjustment in African youth using item response theory (IRT). A 60-item scale derived from qualitative data was administered to 667 war-affected adolescents (55% female). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) determined the dimensionality of items based on goodness-of-fit indices. Items with loadings less than 0.4 were dropped. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to confirm the scale's dimensionality found under the EFA. Item discrimination and difficulty were estimated using a graded response model for each subscale using weighted least squares means and variances. Predictive validity was examined through correlations between IRT scores (theta) for each subscale and ratings of functional impairment. All models were assessed using goodness-of-fit and comparative fit indices. Fisher's Information curves examined item precision at different underlying ranges of each trait. Original scale items were optimized and reconfigured into an empirically-robust 41-item scale, the African Youth Psychosocial Assessment (AYPA). Refined subscales assess internalizing and externalizing problems, prosocial attitudes/behaviors and somatic complaints without medical cause. The AYPA is a refined dimensional assessment of emotional and behavioral problems in African youth with good psychometric properties. Validation studies in other cultures are recommended.
VL - 23
SN - 1557-0657 (Electronic)
1049-8931 (Linking)
N1 - Betancourt, Theresa S
Yang, Frances
Bolton, Paul
Normand, Sharon-Lise
eng
K01 MH077246/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/
P60 MD002261/MD/NIMHD NIH HHS/
1K01MH077246-01A2/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
2014/01/31 06:00
Int J Methods Psychiatr Res. 2014 Jun;23(2):142-60. doi: 10.1002/mpr.1420. Epub 2014 Jan 30.
U2 - 4098666
ER -