Development and Validation of a Parenting Stress Module for Parents of Children Using Cochlear Implants

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a cochlear implant (CI)-specific parenting stress measure using the FDA Guidance on Patient-Reported Outcomes (2009).

The development and psychometric validation of the Parenting Stress-CI module for both the Early Childhood (EC; 0-5 years) and School-Age (SA; 6-12 years) versions are reported in this article. Instrument development consisted of qualitative interviews with parents of children with CIs (EC: N = 19; SA: N = 21), content analysis, item development, and cognitive testing of the instrument. Last, we conducted the psychometric validation (EC: N = 72; SA: N = 64), including analyses of internal consistency, test-retest reliability (∼2 weeks between administrations; N = 24), and convergent validity with the Parenting Stress Index-4 (PSI-4).

The final EC version includes 15 questions, and the SA version includes 8 questions. Both the EC and SA versions had strong reliability (EC α = .88; SA α = .85), with all items significantly correlated with the overall module (r = .43-.80). Both versions also had strong test-retest reliability (r = .99, p < .001). Last, analyses of convergent validity demonstrated significant correlations with the PSI-4 Total Stress scale for both Parenting Stress-CI versions (EC r = .66, p < .00; SA r = .45, p < .001).

The Parenting Stress-CI modules are reliable and valid condition-specific parenting stress instruments for parents of children with CIs ages 0-12 years, filling a significant gap in the literature. These fully validated instruments can be used to assess parental needs for support and guide the development of targeted, family centered interventions.