Abstract
Objectives:
To test the psychometric properties and measurement results of the KIDSCREEN-10 Mental Health Index in school children from 15 European countries.
Methods:
Within the cross-sectional Health Behaviour in School-aged Children 2005/2006 Survey, 78,000 pupils aged 11, 13, 15 answered the KIDSCREEN and additional measures. Cronbach’s alpha, Rasch partial credit model itemfit and ANOVAs were conducted.
Results:
Cronbach’s alpha was 0.81, Rasch infit mean square residuals were 0.7–1.3. Mean scores varied 0.8 standard deviation across countries. Older pupils (effect size [ES] = 0.6), girls (ES = 0.2), pupils with low socio-economic status (ES = 0.5) or frequent health complaints (r = 0.5) reported decreased mental health.
Conclusions:
The KIDSCREEN-10 displayed good psychometric properties. Measured differences between countries, age, gender, SES, and health complaints comply with theoretical considerations.
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Members of the HBSC Positive Health Focus Group: Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer (DE) (Coordinator), Torbjørn Torsheim (NO), Bogdana Alexandrova (BG), Fiona Brooks (GB), Antony Morgan (GB), Cath Fenton (GB), Kädi Lepp (EE), Raili Välimäa (FI) Céline Vignes (FR), Mariane Sentenac (FR), Veronika Ottova (DE), Christina Schnohr (GL), Gyöngyi Kökönyei (HU), Kjartan Unak (IS), Franco Cavallo (IT), Inese Gobina (LV), Wilma Vollebergh (NL), Saskia van Dorsselaer (NL), Jørn Hetland (NO), Joanna Mazur (PL), Tania Gaspar (PT), Viorel Mih (RO), Aurora Szentagotai (RO), Eva Kallay (RO), Andrea Geckova (SK), Zuzana Katreniakova (SK), Helena Jericek (SI), Eva Stergar (SI), Vesna Pucelj (SI), Pilar Ramos (ES), Mia Danielson (SE), Lilly Eriksson (SE), Mujgan Alikasifoglu (TR), Ethem Erginoz (TR)
Submitted: 18 September 2008; revised 04 May 2009; accepted: 04 June 2009
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Erhart, M., Ottova, V., Gaspar, T. et al. Measuring mental health and well-being of school-children in 15 European countries using the KIDSCREEN-10 Index. Int J Public Health 54 (Suppl 2), 160–166 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-009-5407-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-009-5407-7