Psychometric properties of the Hebrew KIDSCREEN 52, 27 and 10 items: a cross-sectional study of self and parents reports in youth with and without physical disabilities

The KIDSCREEN health related quality of life (HRQoL) measures have not been validated in Hebrew and are under-studied in youth with physical disabilities. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Hebrew KIDSCREEN-52, 27, and 10, in self-report and parent versions, among youth with and without physical disabilities.

Youth (ages 10–18) with and without physical disabilities, and their parents, completed the KIDSCREEN questionnaires. Disability-related data were collected using the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI), along with psychological evaluations. Internal consistency was measured with Guttman's Lambada, and parent–child concordance using paired t-tests and intraclass correlation (ICC). Convergent validity was assessed with correlations and known group's and discriminative validity were tested by independent t-tests and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), respectively. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFI) was also conducted.

This study involved 566 child-parent dyads of youth without disabilities and 379 with disabilities, with a mean age of 12.42–13.54 years. Guttman's Lambada was acceptable (≥ 0.7) for all KIDSCREEN subscales. No significant differences were found between self- and parent-reports in the non-disability group, but parents scored lower in the disability group. ICC ranged from 0.5-to-0.90. Convergent validity was confirmed by significant associations between PEDI, psychological health and KIDSCREEN scales. Youth without disabilities reported better HRQoL than those with disabilities. The KIDSCREEN's discriminative ability ranged from very high accuracy in the self-reported KIDSCREEN-52 (AUC = 0.85) to moderate accuracy in the proxy-reported KIDSCREEN-10 (AUC = 0.683). The CFI showed overall good model fit.

The Hebrew KIDSCREEN scales show reliability and validity but should be interpreted cautiously due to study limitations. Parent reports should only be primary when self-report isn't possible, as youth with disabilities often differ in their HRQoL evaluations. Youth without physical disabilities reported better HRQoL across multiple dimensions, highlighting the importance of evaluating HRQoL in youth with physical disabilities to address their unique needs.