The structure of attention-deficit and hyperactivity symptoms among native and non-native elementary school children

• Published in: Journal of abnormal child psychology Vol. 28; no. 5; pp. 425 - 437
• Main Authors: BEISER, Morton, DION, Rene, GOTOWIEC, Andrew
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Springer 01-10-2000; Plenum Press; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescents; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - diagnosis; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - ethnology; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - psychology; Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Biological and medical sciences; Canada; Child; Child psychology; Children & youth; Cross-Cultural Comparison; Cultural Characteristics; Elementary School Students; European Continental Ancestry Group - psychology; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Female; Humans; Indians, North American - psychology; Male; Medical sciences; Models, Psychological; Native North Americans; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychological tests; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychometrics. Diagnostic aid systems; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Techniques and methods; United States; North America; America; Canada; United States; Human; Social environment; Evaluation; Methodology; Hyperactivity; Nosology; Psychometrics; Revised drafting; Test reliability; Ethnic group; Test validation; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual III; School age; Attentional disorder; Criterion; Classification; Clinical investigation; Diagnosis; Autochtonous; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV; Child; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0091-0627; 2730-7166; 1573-2835; 2730-7174
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1005179521820

This study evaluated the psychometric properties of a measure of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with Native and non-Native children. Two models, corresponding to DSM-III-R and DSM-IV symptom categorizations of ADHD, were assessed by (a) determining which DSM schema of ADHD best fit the data within each culture group and (b) testing the cross-cultural equivalence of the best-fitting model. Data were taken from the Flower of Two Soils and School Options for Native Children studies, examinations of emotional health and academic achievement among Native and non-Native children. The studies included teacher, parent, and self-report ratings of symptoms among 1555 Native and 489 non-Native children in grades 2 and 4 at four different locations across North America. For the data derived from teacher and parent ratings, a 2-factor solution corresponding to the DSM-IV conceptualization of two subtypes provided the best fit. For student self-ratings, the 2-factor solution showed no improvement over a 1-factor model. The respective factor solutions were culturally invariant. Acceptable internal consistency was observed across raters and within culture groups.