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Measuring parenting stress in those with chronically ill children: A psychometric evaluation
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Measuring parenting stress in those with chronically ill children: A psychometric evaluation

Amber L. English
Masters by Coursework, Murdoch University
2020
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Abstract

This study examined the measurement of parenting stress in caregivers of chronically ill children (N=203). The evaluation was focussed on the two most popular measures in the literature; the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form and the Paediatric Inventory for Parents. The Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF) it the most commonly used measure. However, while the PSI-SF has been well-supported in the healthy populations it was designed for, the evidence was poor for its utility with parents of chronically ill children. The Paediatric Inventory for Parents (PIP), developed with parents of children with cancer, has emerged as a popular alternative as a general measure for paediatric disease populations. However, the PIP had not been adequately investigated to make sure it is the best measure for this population. To address this, the present study conducted exploratory factor analyses of the PSI-SF and the PIP. The results failed to support the proposed factor structure for either measure. Instead, both demonstrated a univariate structure, indicating that they may lack the sensitivity to capture discrete aspects of parenting stress in this population. The implications of these results are discussed, and potential univariate solutions considered. The main recommendation for future research is to focus on condition-specific measures, as general measures appear to lack.

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