Psychometric properties of the caregiver-teacher report form in a sample of Norwegian preschool children

Abstract

Purpose

The caregiver-teacher report form (C-TRF) is included in the Achenbach system of empirically based assessment (ASEBA) and widely used to measure child psychopathology. In Norway, the C-TRF is frequently used by the Educational and Psychological Counselling Service or for referrals to special health services, however, its psychometric properties in the Norwegian context have not yet been explored. The aim of this study was to investigate the internal consistency of the C-TRF and its factorial validity in a Norwegian preschool context.

Method

This study is based on baseline data from the project Children in Central Norway, where a total of 169 preschool teachers reported on the C-TRF for 1430 children aged 1–6 years.

Results

The findings indicate promising psychometric properties for the C-TRF in terms of internal consistency and factorial validity, however, the somatic complaints scale seems problematic because of its poor psychometric properties.

Conclusion

Users of the C-TRF can be confident in the instrument’s applicability in a Norwegian context, however, careful considerations when applying the somatic complaints scale in clinical decision making is warranted.

Keywords:

• C-TRF
• Norway
• preschool children
• CFA

Acknowledgements

The authors are affiliated with Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Department of Mental Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

Ethical approval

The study was approved by the Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics (REK) (reference number: 2011/2252; 2012/1030; 2013/1363)

Disclosure statement

None of the authors declare any competing or potential conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kenneth Stensen

Kenneth Stensen, PhD, is an associate professor in medicine and health sciences. His research interests cover topics such as developmental psychopathology and psychometrics.

Thomas Jozefiak

Thomas Jozefiak, MD, PhD, is a child- and adolescent psychiatrist and professor in clinical medicine. His research interests are Quality of life and well-being, epidemiology, mental health/psychopathology and neuropsychiatry in children and adolescents, child maltreatment/childhood trauma, adolescents in child protection services and residential youth care.

Stian Lydersen

Stian Lydersen, PhD, is professor of medical statistics. He is one of the authors of the books ‘Medical Statistics in Clinical and Epidemiological Research’ (2012) and ‘Statistical Analysis of Contingency Tables’ (2017). He is a contributor to the column ‘Medicine and numbers’ in The Journal of the Norwegian Medical Association.