Development of the Children's Health Ratings Scale

Following pilot testing, the 17-item Children's Health Ratings Scale was group administered to approximately 1,200 fourth- through sixth-grade students. The internal consistency reliability, concurrent validity, and construct validity of the scale were examined utilizing various statistical methods, including calculation of the alpha coefficient, factor analysis, and other correlational techniques. The scale was found to be reliable with an alpha coefficient of .83. Concurrent validity was supported by the finding that higher scale scores were associated with higher ratings on a single, general health item and with lower ratings on single items concerning pain, health worry, and the presence of sickness. Correlations between scores on the Children's Health Ratings Scale and sex, grade level, and a measure of response bias were of low magnitude and presented no serious threat to instrument validity. Five factors were identified for interpretation during factor analysis. A post hoc validity study compared the mean scale scores of a group of asthmatic children and a subsample from the scale development study. Suggestions for further study are presented.