TY - JOUR
T1 - Dutch normative data and psychometric properties for the Distress Thermometer for Parents
AU - van Oers, Hedy A.
AU - Schepers, Sasja A.
AU - Grootenhuis, Martha A.
AU - Haverman, Lotte
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016, The Author(s).
PY - 2017/1/1
Y1 - 2017/1/1
N2 - Purpose: The aim of this study was to provide Dutch normative data for the Distress Thermometer for Parents (DT-P) and to assess internal consistency and known-groups validity. Methods: A sample of 1421 parents (60.7 % mothers), representative of the Dutch population, completed online sociodemographic questionnaire and the DT-P, which includes a thermometer (0 (no distress) to 10 (extreme distress), ≥4 clinically elevated distress) and everyday problems across six problem domains (practical, social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and parenting). Internal consistency was calculated using Cronbach’s alphas. Known-groups validity was assessed by comparing parents of a child with a chronic condition (N = 287, 20.2 %) with parents of healthy children, using Mann–Whitney U tests and Chi-square tests. Results: The DT-P showed acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s alphas = .52–.89). Parents of a child with a chronic condition more often reported clinically elevated distress than parents of healthy children (53.0 versus 38.2 %, p < .001). Also, on all domains they reported more problems (p = .000–.022). Normative scores for mothers and fathers separately were provided. Conclusion: The DT-P distinguishes well between parents of a child with and without a chronic condition. With the current norms available, distress can be evaluated in parents of a child with a chronic condition compared to parents of healthy children in pediatric clinical practice.
AB - Purpose: The aim of this study was to provide Dutch normative data for the Distress Thermometer for Parents (DT-P) and to assess internal consistency and known-groups validity. Methods: A sample of 1421 parents (60.7 % mothers), representative of the Dutch population, completed online sociodemographic questionnaire and the DT-P, which includes a thermometer (0 (no distress) to 10 (extreme distress), ≥4 clinically elevated distress) and everyday problems across six problem domains (practical, social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and parenting). Internal consistency was calculated using Cronbach’s alphas. Known-groups validity was assessed by comparing parents of a child with a chronic condition (N = 287, 20.2 %) with parents of healthy children, using Mann–Whitney U tests and Chi-square tests. Results: The DT-P showed acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s alphas = .52–.89). Parents of a child with a chronic condition more often reported clinically elevated distress than parents of healthy children (53.0 versus 38.2 %, p < .001). Also, on all domains they reported more problems (p = .000–.022). Normative scores for mothers and fathers separately were provided. Conclusion: The DT-P distinguishes well between parents of a child with and without a chronic condition. With the current norms available, distress can be evaluated in parents of a child with a chronic condition compared to parents of healthy children in pediatric clinical practice.
KW - Distress
KW - Parents
KW - Pediatrics
KW - Psychosocial functioning
KW - Questionnaire
KW - Screening
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84984920978&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11136-016-1405-4
DO - 10.1007/s11136-016-1405-4
M3 - Article
C2 - 27589979
AN - SCOPUS:84984920978
SN - 0962-9343
VL - 26
SP - 177
EP - 182
JO - Quality of Life Research
JF - Quality of Life Research
IS - 1
ER -