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Title: Simultaneous Factor Analysis of the Behavior Problem Index across Racial Groups
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Spencer, Michael Fitch, Dale Grogan-Kaylor, Andrew McBeath, Bowen |
Simultaneous Factor Analysis of the Behavior Problem Index across Racial Groups Presented: Washington, DC, Society for Social Work and Research Meetings, 2003 Cohort(s): Children of the NLSY79 Publisher: Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) Keyword(s): Behavior Problems Index (BPI); Behavior, Antisocial; Children, Adjustment Problems; Children, Behavioral Development; Children, Mental Health; Delinquency/Gang Activity; Depression (see also CESD); Drug Use; Ethnic Differences; Hispanics; Peers/Peer influence/Peer relations; Racial Differences; Scale Construction Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher. While researchers and practitioners often use symptom checklists of behavioral and emotional problems, such as the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and its abbreviated version, the Behavior Problem Checklist (BPI) to measure and understand mental health problems in children, less research has been done to assess whether the underlying theory and assumptions of such checklists are equally understood and valid across major U.S. racial groups. Methods The purpose of this study is to test whether the same factor model of the BPI (Baker & Mott, 1989) holds across groups of 477 Black, 324 Hispanic, and 890 Caucasian children. The study uses data from the 1998 Children of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY). We use multi-group confirmatory factor analysis to examine the equivalence of the BPI and its six subscales (antisocial, anxious/depressed, dependent, headstrong, hyperactive, and peer problems). Results Our findings indicated differences between racial groups. The 'critical ratios of differences' among all pairs of free parameters were examined to test for significant group differences with respect to any single parameter. Statistically significant differences were found between Hispanics & African Americans and Caucasians & African Americans on the Anxious/Depressed factor; Hispanics & African Americans and Caucasians & African Americans on the Antisocial factor; Caucasians & African Americans on the Dependent factor; and Hispanics & African Americans on the Peer Problems factor. Discussion The stability of the factor structure of the BPI across racial groups has implications for the culturally competent assessment of children's mental health problems. Accurate assessments for racial minorities are important because it may lead to early identification and treatment, potentially altering the trajectory of children who might otherwise engage in problem behaviors (i.e., drug use, delinquency, school problems, and risky sexual behavior) or find their way into our child welfare, special education, and juvenile justice systems. |
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Bibliography Citation
Spencer, Michael, Dale Fitch, Andrew Grogan-Kaylor and Bowen McBeath. "Simultaneous Factor Analysis of the Behavior Problem Index across Racial Groups." Presented: Washington, DC, Society for Social Work and Research Meetings, 2003. |