Abstract
Research has shown a connection between negative parenting practices and child conduct problems. One of the most commonly used measures to assess parenting practices is the Alabama parenting questionnaire (APQ). The current study aimed to culturally adapt and assess the psychometric properties of a short version of the APQ for use in Arabic cultures, using a sample of 251 Qatari parents of children ages 4–12. An exploratory factor analysis proposed a five-model solution that corresponds to the original proposed model in the full version of the APQ. The five constructs of the APQ correlated in the expected direction with the Conduct Problem Subscale from the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire. This study provides support for the utility of the 15-item short version of the APQ in Arabic cultures. More studies are needed to validate the performance of the short version of APQ in clinical settings.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Hoeve M, Dubas JS, Eichelsheim VI, van der Laan PH, Smeenk W, Gerris JRM (2009) The relationship between parenting and delinquency: a meta-analysis. J Abnorm Child Psychol 37:749–775
Klahr AM, Klump KL, Burt SA (2014) The etiology of the association between child antisocial behavior and maternal negativity varies across aggressive and non-aggressive rule-breaking forms of antisocial behavior. J Abnorm Child Psychol 42:1299–1311
Lereya ST, Muthanna S, Wolke D (2013) Parenting behavior and the risk of becoming a victim and a bully/victim: a meta-analysis study. Child Abuse Negl 37:1091–1108
Calafat A, García F, Juan M, Becoña E, Fernández-Hermida JR (2014) Which parenting style is more protective against adolescent substance use? Evidence within the European context. Drug Alcohol Depend 138:185–192
Donath C, Graessel E, Baier D, Bleich S, Hillemacher T (2014) Is parenting style a predictor of suicide attempts in a representative sample of adolescents? BMC Pediatr 14:1–13
Khaleque A, Rohner RP (2012) Pancultural associations between perceived parental acceptance and psychological adjustment of children and adults: a meta-analytic review of worldwide research. J Cross Cult Psychol 43:784–800
Holden GW, Edwards LA (1989) Parental attitudes toward child-rearing: instruments, issues, and implications. Psychol Bull 106:29–58
Locke LM, Prinz RJ (2002) Measurement of parental discipline and nurturance. Clin Psychol Rev 22:895–929
Hurley KD, Huscroft-D’Angelo J, Trout A, Griffith A, Epstein M (2014) Assessing parenting skills and attitudes: a review of the psychometrics of parenting measures. J Child Fam Stud 23:812–823
Elgar FJ, Waschbusch DA, Dadds MR, Sigvaldason N (2007) Development and validation of a short form of the Alabama parenting questionnaire. J Child Fam Stud 16:243–259
Molinuevo B, Pardo Y, Torrubia R (2011) Psychometric analysis of the Catalan version of the Alabama parenting questionnaire (APQ) in a community sample. Span J Psychol 14:944–955
Escribano S, Aniorte J, Orgilés M (2013) Factor structure and psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Alabama parenting questionnaire (APQ) for children. Psicothema 25:324–329
de la Osa N, Granero R, Penelo E, Domènech JM, Ezpeleta L (2014) Psychometric properties of the Alabama parenting questionnaire-preschool revision (APQ-Pr) in 3 year-old Spanish preschoolers. J Child Fam Stud 23:776–784
Barry CT, Frick PJ, Grafeman SJ (2008) Child versus parent reports of parenting practices: implications for the conceptualization of child behavioral and emotional problems. Assessment 15:294–303
Hausman AJ, Baker CN, Komaroff E, Thomas N, Guerra T, Hohl BC, Leff SS (2013) Developing measures of community-relevant outcomes for violence prevention programs: a community-based participatory research approach to measurement. Am J Community Psychol 52:249–262
Scott S, Sylva K, Kallitsoglou A, Ford T (2014) Which type of parenting programme best improves child behaviour and reading? Follow-up of the helping children achieve trial. Nuffield Foundation, London
Eapen V, Swadi H, Sabri S, Abou-Saleh M (2001) Childhood behavioral disturbance in a community sample in Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates. East Mediterr Health J 7:428–434
Dwairy M, Achoui M, Abouserie R, Farah A (2006) Adolescent-family connectedness among Arabs: a second cross-regional research study. J Cross Cult Psychol 37:248–261
Abd Elhamid A, Howe A, Reading R (2009) Prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems among 6–12 year old children in Egypt. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 44:8–14
Parmar P, Ibrahim M, Rohner R (2008) Relations among perceived spouse acceptance, remembered parental acceptance in childhood, and psychological adjustment among married adults in Kuwait. Cross Cult Res 42:67–76
Thabet A, Stretch D, Vostanis P (2000) Child mental health problems in Arab children: application of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire. Int J Soc Psychiatry 46:266–280
The Pew Charitable Trusts (2014) From Polish and Italian to Arabic and Creole. Retrieved from http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2014/10/09/from-polish-and-italian-to-arabic-and-creole
Shelton KK, Frick PJ, Wootton J (1996) Assessment of parenting practices in families of elementary school-aged children. J Clin Child Psychol 25:317–329
Essau CA, Sasagawa S, Frick PJ (2006) Psychometric properties of the Alabama parenting questionnaire. J Child Fam Stud 15:597–616
Randolp KA, Radey M (2011) Measuring parenting practices among parents of elementary school–age youth. Res Soc Work Pract 21:88–97
Zlomke KR, Lamport D, Bauman S, Garland B, Talbot B (2014) Parenting adolescents: examining the factor structure of the Alabama parenting questionnaire for adolescents. J Child Fam Stud 23:1484–1490
Clerkin SM, Marks DJ, Policaro KL, Halperin JM (2007) Psychometric properties of the Alabama parenting questionnaire-preschool revision. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol 36:19–28
Osa N, de la Granero R, Penelo E, Doménech JM, Ezpeleta L (2014) Psychometric properties of the Alabama parenting questionnaire-preschool revision (APQ-Pr) in 3 year-old Spanish preschoolers. J Child Fam Stud 23:776–784
Scott S, Briskman J, Dadds MR (2011) Measuring parenting in community and public health research using brief child and parent reports. J Child Fam Stud 20:343–352
Hoff E, Laursen B, Tardif T (2002) Socioeconomic status and parenting. In: Bornstein M (ed) Handbook of parenting: vol. 2. Biology and ecology of parenting, 2nd edn. Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah, pp 231–252
Richman S, Mandara J (2013) Do socialization goals explain differences in parental control between black and white parents? Fam Relat 62:625–636
Prabhu ML (1963) Social class and parent-child relationships: an interpretation. Am J Sociol 134:471–480
UNDP (2014) Human development report 2014: sustaining human progress: reducing vulnerabilities and building resilience. United Nations Development Programme, New York
Blader JC (2004) Symptom, family, and service predictors of children’s psychiatric rehospitalization within one year of discharge. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 43:440–451
Frick PJ, Christian RE, Wootton JM (1999) Age trends in the association between parenting practices and conduct problems. Behav Modif 23:106–128
Goodman R (1997) The strengths and difficulties questionnaire: a research note. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 38:581–586
Alyahri A, Goodman R (2006) Validation of the Arabic strengths and difficulties questionnaire and the development and well-being assessment. East Mediterr Health J 12:S138–S146
Thabet A, Stretch D, Vostanis P (2000) Child mental health problems in Arab children: application of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire. Int J Soc Psychiatry 46:266–280
Stone LL, Otten Engels RC, Vermulst AA, Janssens JM (2010) Psychometric properties of the parent and teacher versions of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire for 4- to 12-year-olds: a review. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 13:254–274
Brislin RW (1970) Back-translation for cross-cultural research. J Cross Cult Psychol 1:187–216
Dwairy M, Achoui M, Abouserie R, Farah A, Sakhleh N, Fayad M, Khan H (2006) Parenting styles in Arab societies: a first cross-regional research study. J Cross Cult Psychol 37:230–247
Dadds MR, Maujein A, Fraser J (2003) Parenting and conduct problems in children: Australian data and psychometric properties of the Alabama parenting questionnaire. Aust Psychol 38:238–241
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Badahdah, A., Le, K.T. Parenting Young Arab Children: Psychometric Properties of an Adapted Arabic Brief Version of the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 47, 486–493 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-015-0581-8
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-015-0581-8