Criterion validity and reliability of Sinhala version of SNAP-IV: parent and teacher ratings of ADHD of primary graders in Sri Lanka

ABSTRACT

The study established criterion validity and reliability of the Swanson, Nalon, and Pelham-IV Teacher and Parent Rating Scale (SNAP-IV) for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a sample of 400 primary schoolchildren (PSC) in Sri Lanka. A consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist confirmed diagnosis. The cutoff for inattentive, hyperactive/impulsive, and combined subscales were 0.83, 0.94, 0.97 for primary caregivers (PCGs) and 1.16, 1.50, 1.08 for teachers, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity measures were 93.0% and 83.7% for PCGs and 81.4% and 73.7% for teachers. Test-retest correlation coefficients were 0.83–0.92, and Cronbach’s alphas were 0.91–0.97 across three subscales for both sets of respondents. SNAP-IV is a valid and reliable instrument to screen for ADHD among PSC in Sri Lanka.

Acknowledgments

We wish to extend our gratitude to the Post Graduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka for granting permission to conduct this study and to all participants.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, of this article: This work was supported by a university grant from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka [ASP/01/RE/MED/2019/39]