The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #48021

Sarah H. Ailey, MS, RN¹, Julia Muennich Cowell, PhD, RNC, FAAN¹, and Diane B. McNaughton, PhD, RN². (1) College of Nursing, Community and Mental Health Nursing, Rush University, 600 S. Paulina Street, 1080 AAC, Chicago, IL 60612, 312-942-3383, sarah_h_ailey@rush.edu, (2) Department of Community and Mental Health Nursing, Rush University College of Nursing, 600 S. Paulina Street, Suite 1080, Chicago, IL 60612

Detecting change following health interventions is an important issue facing researchers and practitioners. Rasch psychometric methods offer information not addressed in classical test theory in assessing the effects of interventions. Responses on measures produce an item difficulty order map and the item order gives information about how constructs such as depression are manifested in particular populations. In this presentation, Rasch psychometrics will be used to discuss the effect of the Mexican American Problems Solving Program (MAPS), a mother child focused problem solving intervention, on the depression scores of 100 4th and 5th grade Mexican-American boys and girls. Depression is assessed using the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI), the most commonly used depression instrument among children. Rasch measurement analysis is used to assess for changes is scores and item order. Prior to the intervention, the easiest items to endorse on the CDI for the Mexican American school children are items indicating worries that bad things will happen, inability to make up one’s mind, and suicidal ideation. These items were easier to endorse than sadness. As the intervention is designed to teach problem-solving, it is hypothesized that the item locations for these items will change for children receiving the intervention. The item order map gives information on how depression is manifested among Mexican-American school children and can give information on the particular effects of the problem solving intervention. The benefits of Rasch psychometrics in assessing interventions will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the importance of assessing change in depression scores following a mother/child problem solving intervention
• Identify the importance of assessing the direction and meaning of the construct of depression in Mexican-American school children

Keywords: Child/Adolescent Mental Health, Statistics

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.