BACKGROUND: Aimed to develop a unitary scoring system for the 'Health Behaviour in school-aged Children' (HBSC) symptom checklist that would facilitate cross-national comparisons and interpretation. Rasch measurement analysis and investigation of differential item functioning (DIF) were conducted. METHODS: Data were obtained from the 'WHO collaborative study HBSC 2001/2002'. A total of 162,305 students aged 11, 13 and 15 years from 35 European and North American Countries were surveyed. Unidimensionality of the items and local independence were tested using means of confirmatory factor analysis. DIF across countries, age groups and gender was investigated using a logistic regression procedure. Item and person parameters were estimated according to the Rating Scale Model (RSM). RESULTS: All items proved to be unidimensional. One item displayed noticeable DIF across countries and was discarded. The remaining items were functioning equally across subgroups. The RSM analysis resulted in Rasch model conform item parameter estimation. Infit mean square values between 0.84 and 1.35 revealed acceptable item fit. CONCLUSION: The control of DIF enables comparable and unbiased assessment of subjective health complaints across countries, age groups and gender. A scoring algorithm could be developed which enables a cross-cultural comparable and interval-scaled assessment of subjective health complaints.
BACKGROUND: Aimed to develop a unitary scoring system for the 'Health Behaviour in school-aged Children' (HBSC) symptom checklist that would facilitate cross-national comparisons and interpretation. Rasch measurement analysis and investigation of differential item functioning (DIF) were conducted. METHODS: Data were obtained from the 'WHO collaborative study HBSC 2001/2002'. A total of 162,305 students aged 11, 13 and 15 years from 35 European and North American Countries were surveyed. Unidimensionality of the items and local independence were tested using means of confirmatory factor analysis. DIF across countries, age groups and gender was investigated using a logistic regression procedure. Item and person parameters were estimated according to the Rating Scale Model (RSM). RESULTS: All items proved to be unidimensional. One item displayed noticeable DIF across countries and was discarded. The remaining items were functioning equally across subgroups. The RSM analysis resulted in Rasch model conform item parameter estimation. Infit mean square values between 0.84 and 1.35 revealed acceptable item fit. CONCLUSION: The control of DIF enables comparable and unbiased assessment of subjective health complaints across countries, age groups and gender. A scoring algorithm could be developed which enables a cross-cultural comparable and interval-scaled assessment of subjective health complaints.
Authors: Charlotte Meilstrup; Lau Caspar Thygesen; Line Nielsen; Vibeke Koushede; Donna Cross; Bjørn Evald Holstein Journal: Int J Public Health Date: 2016-02-03 Impact factor: 3.380
Authors: Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer; Michael Erhart; Luis Rajmil; Michael Herdman; Pascal Auquier; Jeanet Bruil; Mick Power; Wolfgang Duer; Thomas Abel; Ladislav Czemy; Joanna Mazur; Agnes Czimbalmos; Yannis Tountas; Curt Hagquist; Jean Kilroe Journal: Qual Life Res Date: 2010-07-30 Impact factor: 4.147
Authors: Katharina Rathmann; Timo-Kolja Pförtner; Klaus Hurrelmann; Ana M Osorio; Lucia Bosakova; Frank J Elgar; Matthias Richter Journal: Int J Public Health Date: 2016-08-08 Impact factor: 3.380
Authors: C Roberts; J Freeman; O Samdal; C W Schnohr; M E de Looze; S Nic Gabhainn; R Iannotti; M Rasmussen Journal: Int J Public Health Date: 2009-09 Impact factor: 3.380