The development and validation of a measure off parent‐reported child health and morbidity: The Warwick Child Health and Morbidity Profile

Abstract

Summary Objective : to validate a simple instrument for the measurement of parentreported health and morbidity in infancy and childhood suitable for research and service planning purposes and capable of measuring both cross‐sectional and longitudinal health and morbidity experience in a child population. Setting : child health clinic (CIHC), child development unit (CDU) and paediatric outpatient department (OPD) in Coventry. Design : 3‐phase field testing to establish testretest rellabllity, validity and inter‐observer variation of the instrument. Field testing samples : phases 1 and 2; 188 parents of pre‐school children attending one of the three health service settings — CHC, CDU or paediatric OPD; phase 3; 40 parents of pre‐school children attending CHCs. Methods : test‐retest reliability of each domain of the WCHMP was estimated using weighted Kappa; criterion validity was estimated for selected domains against health records; construct validity against medically plausible constructs was tested by comparing responses between domains; inter‐observer variation was estimated using weighted Kappa. Results : the test‐retest reliability of the WCHMIP varied from ‘moderate’ for behaviour, functional health and life quality status to ‘very good’ for acute significant Illness and hospital admission status; criterion and construct validity were high; weighted Kappas for all domains for inter‐observer variation between the researcher and family health visitor were in the ‘good’ to ‘very good’ range and inter‐observer variation remained unaffected by change in the order of administration of the WCHMP. Conclusions : the WCHMP is a simple measure of parent‐reported health and Illness which, on Field‐testing, has been shown to be reliable and valid with low inter‐observer variation. After further development and validation including incorporation into the parent‐held record, it should be suitable for use in infancy and early childhood to collect cross‐sectional and longitudinal health and morbidity data for research and service planning purposes.