A reliable and valid parent self-report tool to assess children's global health needs

Purpose: This study aimed to develop and validate a parent self-report questionnaire to explore global health needs in 2- to 6-year-old children. Design and methods: The development of the tool started with a conceptualization phase, followed by the design, pilot testing and psychometric validation of the questionnaire. The construct validity was assessed. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were carried out to explore the construct validity of the questionnaire. The normed fit index (NFI), root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), chi square test and comparative fit index (CFI) were used to test the goodness-of-fit. Reliability was explored through Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency. Results: A total of 973 parents completed the 119 items of the Necesidades de salud de la Población Infantil (NPI) questionnaire for the psychometric validation stage. The EFA identified seven factors: Lifestyles, Promotion of healthy lifestyles and influence of significant persons, Children's socioemotional aspects, Parents' socioemotional aspects, Parental self-efficacy, Situational influences, Professional advice. All the factors showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha N0.7). The CFA showed good adjustment to the model (RMSEA = 0.048). The values of NFI and CFI were 0.741 and 0.779 respectively. Conclusions: The NPI questionnaire is a reliable and valid instrument. Practice implications: The seven-factor questionnaire will be useful for analyzing children's global health needs, designing health promotion programs according to identified needs and assessing related interventions.