Item Scale English Portuguese A NVD

This article follows another, which presented the first phase of the cross-cultural adaptation process examining the psychometric properties of the Conflict Tactics Scales, Parent-child Version (CTSPC), Portuguese version. Fieldwork took place in three public maternity wards in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from March to September 2000. Interviews relate to siblings of randomly selected live births. Respondents were mothers. Information on partners was obtained by proxy. Almost all intra-observer reliability kappa estimates were above 0.75. Depending on the scale and type of perpetrator, internal consistency (a) estimates ranged from 0.49 to 0.68. Using the same sample, the iterated principal factor analysis identified four dimensions. Although most items performed well, some failed to adequately load in their expected factors. Construct validity involved exploring the relationship between several other theoretical dimensions and a variable encompassing the cumulative pattern of violence severity. All the hypotheses tested were corroborated. The current evaluation indicates that the CTSPC can be recommended for use in Portuguese-speaking contexts. Still, it also identified some important points needing further investigation and discussion. Domestic Violence; Questionnaires; Reliability and Validity Introduction In different parts of the world, family violence has had an important impact on the health and mortality of children, adolescents, and women 1,2,3,4,5,6. In Brazil, a clear picture has not yet been established, since information on the magnitude of family violence at the population level is scarce. Even so, some studies have shown violence at the family level as an escalating problem 7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14. The bio-psycho-social consequences of domestic violence have led to increasing interest in the scientific community with regard to prevention, follow-up of victims, and the development of pertinent research programs. Identification of violence in families is a major challenge 15,16. Accepting that comparing profiles between cultures in different settings is of great interest, it is essential that instruments conceived and widely researched in one country are also thoroughly adapted for use in the new context. Local or regional nuances need to be contemplated in order to achieve cross-cultural equivalence 17. This quest has motivated the Epidemiological Research Program on Family Violence at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to focus on studies aiming at providing Portuguese versions of several key instruments widely used in the field of family violence 18,19,20,21,22. Given the positive evaluaReichenheim ME, Moraes CL 504 Cad. Saúde Pública, Rio de Janeiro, 22(3):503-515, mar, 2006 tions of the Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS) and their successful use in at least 20 countries 7,12, 23,24,25,26, the Conflict Tactics Scales: Parentchild Version (CTSPC) was selected to be adapted to Portuguese for use in Brazil and possibly other Portuguese-speaking countries/communities. Straus et al. 26 conceived the instrument in English as an offshoot of the first Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS1) released in 1979 24. The basic form of CTSPC consists of 22 items divided into three scales: non-violent discipline, psychological aggression, and physical assault. The latter is further split into three subscales according to severity, which are respectively called corporal punishment, physical maltreatment, and severe physical maltreatment. The questionnaire also contains supplementary scales on disciplinary methods, neglect, and sexual abuse in the preceding week (7 days). The adaptation process underlying this paper is based on the guidelines proposed by Herdman et al. 27. The first three phases of the procedure – concept, item, and semantic equivalences evaluations – and a provisional Portuguese version proposed for use and further testing were presented elsewhere 22. The present paper carries the adaptation process a step further, formally assessing the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the instrument. The Portuguese version of the CTSPC is evaluated here in terms of intra-observer reliability, internal consistency, factor structure, and construct validity. Measurement equivalence between the original instrument developed in English and the version under test is granted if there is an overall similarity of estimates.