The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a popular instrument typically used to screen for emotional and behavioural problems in children and adolescents. However, more evidence is needed on the psychometric properties of the parent-rated preschool SDQ. In addition, the SDQ has been used to screen for behavioural difficulties in 2 year olds, though the questionnaire is yet to be evaluated in children under the age of 3 years. This presentation describes two separate studies, both conducted using data from the Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal study.
Study 1 addressed the psychometric properties of the mother-rated SDQ in 2 year old children from the Growing Up in New Zealand cohort (N = 5,481). Specifically the structural validity and internal consistency reliability of the mother-rated SDQ was evaluated. Both the original model and a modified model accounting for a positive construal method effect were tested. The study also addressed measurement invariance of the superior model identified across child’s gender, mother’s ethnicity and area-level deprivation, to ensure that the factor structure of the SDQ remained consistent across the different demographic groups.
Study 2 elaborated on the psychometric properties of the preschool SDQ by evaluating the structural validity and internal consistency reliability from the father-report, and also testing measurement invariance across mothers and fathers. This was conducted with a subsample of the Growing Up in New Zealand cohort that had data available from fathers (N = 3,759).
Broadly, both studies evaluated whether the parent-rated preschool SDQ can be used to measure behavioural difficulties in very young children.