Pediatric psychoSocial Risk Index: Factor Analysis and Item Reduction Study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric psychoSocial Risk Index (PSRI)
• Psychosocial risk screening
• Health practitioner tools

Background:

• The Pediatric psychoSocial Risk Index (PSRI) is a screening instrument for psychosocial risk.
• Health practitioners utilize the PSRI to assess risks in families with children.
• Validating a shortened version of the PSRI is crucial for efficient clinical application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To confirm the validity evidence of a truncated version of the Pediatric psychoSocial Risk Index (PSRI).
• To develop a more concise and efficient psychosocial risk screening tool for pediatric health settings.

Main Methods:

• Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed for item reduction.
• Test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the shortened instrument were assessed.
• The study involved 100 parents of children aged 0-18 years, with 50 completing the PSRI twice.

Main Results:

• The PSRI was successfully reduced from 86 to 16 items.
• The final 16-item PSRI demonstrated high test-retest reliability (0.98) and internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.9).
• The shortened PSRI encompasses 9 key social risk themes.

Conclusions:

• The 16-item PSRI retains high internal consistency and reliability.
• The validated, shortened PSRI effectively supports practitioners in screening families for psychosocial risks.
• This tool enhances the ability to identify and address psychosocial challenges in pediatric care.