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Psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the behavior assessment for children (BAC) scale

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Abstract

Behavioral problems are seen in one out of four school-age children. There are difficulties in evaluating children’s behavior in Turkish culture and therefore a valid and reliable measuring tool is needed for assessing behavioral problems in this age group. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Behavior Assessment for Children (BAC). The study was conducted using the cross-sectional data collection method to examine the content validity, factor structure, measurement invariance, reliability of BAC based on data from 495 parents and 14 teachers. The Content Validity Index (CVI) was used for testing content validity. Reliability analysis was carried out with Cronbach’s alpha, MacDonald’s omega test, item total correlations, Spearman Brown’s and Guttman’s split-half reliability coefficients, percent agreement and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Construct validity was evaluated by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The measurement invariance was examined by multiple-group CFA. The CVI of the BAC was found to be .92. Three models were tested with CFA, and a 17-item, three-factor (attention, emotion, self-control) structure of the BAC was finally supported; this dimensional structure proved to be invariant across gender. Factor loadings varied between .56 and .83. Cronbach’s alpha was .93; ICC was .60. Percent agreement varied between 41.6%–63.1%. It was determined that the BAC scale is a valid and reliable instrument that can be used to assess the behavioral problems of Turkish children. Its results can moreover contribute to the cross-cultural study of behavior problems and add to worldwide discussions.

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Data Availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge this study was supported by the Marmara University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit (Project Number: SAG-A-150218-0031).

Funding

This study was supported by the Marmara University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit (Project Number: SAG-A-150218-0031).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nursing Department, Marmara Unıversity Health Science Faculty, Basibuyuk, Maltepe, Istanbul, Turkey

    Fatma Nevin Sisman, Ayse Ergun & Ayse Sezer Balci

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  1. Fatma Nevin Sisman
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  2. Ayse Ergun
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by FNS, AE, ASB. The first draft of the manuscript was written by FNS, AE, ASB and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Fatma Nevin Sisman.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards (Ethical Approval No: 06.11.2017-212).

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Supplementary material is given as an Appendix “English and Turkish forms of the Behavior Assessment for Children (BAC)”.

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Sisman, F.N., Ergun, A. & Sezer Balci, A. Psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the behavior assessment for children (BAC) scale. Curr Psychol 40, 5678–5690 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02098-4

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