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Advancing Our Knowledge of ADHD in Latino Children: Psychometric and Cultural Properties of Spanish-Versions of Parental/Family Functioning Measures

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Abstract

The lack of available Spanish versions of assessment measures contributes to insufficient research and underutilization of mental health services for Latino children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Thus, the goal of the current study was to examine the psychometric and cultural properties of several Spanish versions of parental/family functioning measures commonly used in comprehensive ADHD assessments (i.e., the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale, Alabama Parenting Questionnaire, and Confusion, Hubbub, and Order Scale). Participants included 68 Spanish-speaking, Latino parents in Southeast Wisconsin. In general, the Spanish translations of the measures demonstrated good reliability and validity. Furthermore, the psychometrically-sound measures were significantly related to acculturation as predicted, suggesting that the scales are not only psychometrically valid, but also culturally valid for use with Spanish-speaking, Latino families.

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Notes

  1. It should be noted that only 2 parents had children who were five years of age. Their data was not included in analyses examining the APQ or CBCL/6-18, since these measures are normed for parents of children who are at least six years of age (Achenbach and Rescorla 2001; Shelton et al. 1996).

  2. Due to busy parental schedules, several parents needed to leave the session prior to completing their packets. These parents either completed the remainder of their packets over the phone with a bilingual research assistant or returned their own packet via mail. Analyses were run with and without data from these parents, and the pattern of findings remained the same.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychology Department, Marquette University, 307 Cramer Hall, 604 N. 16th Street, Milwaukee, WI, 53233, USA

    Lauren M. Haack, Alyson C. Gerdes & Brian W. Schneider

  2. Sixteenth Street Community Health Center, Milwaukee, WI, USA

    Gabriela Dieguez Hurtado

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  1. Lauren M. Haack
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  2. Alyson C. Gerdes
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  4. Gabriela Dieguez Hurtado
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Correspondence to Lauren M. Haack.

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Haack, L.M., Gerdes, A.C., Schneider, B.W. et al. Advancing Our Knowledge of ADHD in Latino Children: Psychometric and Cultural Properties of Spanish-Versions of Parental/Family Functioning Measures. J Abnorm Child Psychol 39, 33–43 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-010-9441-y

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