Validity and reliability of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire 11-14 for Colombian school children.

purposeTo evaluate the validity and reliability of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire 11-14 (CPQ11-14) for children attending public educational institutions in Floridablanca (Colombia).

methodsAn evaluation study of diagnostic technology was conducted. The questionnaire was completed by 500 students aged 11-14 years who were selected by simple random sampling. The test-retest reproducibility was evaluated in 36 students chosen at random from one of the schools; the questionnaire was completed a second time by these students, with an interval of two weeks between administrations. Internal consistency was estimated using the Cronbach's alpha coefficient, and test-retest reproducibility was determined with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The Rasch Rating Scale Model was used to perform the validation; the structure of the categories, the quality of the items, the invariance and the one-dimensionality were analyzed; invariance was confirmed using differential item functioning (DIF). Informed consent was obtained from the parents or guardians, and assent was obtained from the minors.

resultsThe mean age was 12.7 ± 1.1 years, and 210 (42.0%) participants were female. The Cronbach's alpha and ICC values were 0.91 and 0.63, respectively. The 37 items fit the Rasch model, but a uniform DIF was observed for an item that was eliminated. The questionnaire was not one-dimensional, and the proportion of variance explained by the model was poor (26.3%).

conclusionThe CPQ11-14 showed unsatisfactory test-retest reproducibility and excellent internal consistency; no unidimensionality was observed, but the items fit the Rasch model.