• DOI:10.1001/ARCHPEDI.157.12.1169
• Corpus ID: 24279950

Use of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist in a low-income, Mexican American population.

@article{Jutte2003UseOT,
  title={Use of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist in a low-income, Mexican American population.},
  author={Douglas P. Jutte and Anthony E. Burgos and Fernando S. Mendoza and Christine Blasey Ford and Lynne C. Huffman},
  journal={Archives of pediatrics \& adolescent medicine},
  year={2003},
  volume={157 12},
  pages={
          1169-76
        }
}

• D. Jutte, A. Burgos, +2 authors L. Huffman
• Published 1 December 2003
• Medicine, Psychology
• Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the usefulness of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC) in identifying behavioral problems in low-income, Mexican American children.

DESIGN
A cross-sectional study design was used to examine the PSC as a screening test, with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) as the criterion standard.

SETTING
The study was conducted at a health center in a diverse low-income community. Patients Eligible patients were children and adolescents, 4 to 16 years of age, who were seen for nonemergent, well-child care. Of 253 eligible children during a 9-month study period, 210 agreed to participate in the study. There was a 100% completion rate of the questionnaires. The average age of the children was 7.5 years, and 45% were female. Ninety-five percent of patients were of Hispanic descent (Mexican American); 86% of families spoke only Spanish. Socioeconomic status was low (more than three fourths of families earned <$20 000 annually).

RESULTS
The CBCL Total scale determined that 27 (13%) of the children had clinical levels of behavioral problems. With a cutoff score of 24, the PSC screened 2 (1%) of the 210 children as positive for behavioral problems. Using the CBCL as the criterion standard, the PSC sensitivity was 7.4%, and the specificity was 100%. Receiver operator characteristic analysis determined that a PSC cutoff score of 12 most correctly classified children with and without behavioral problems (sensitivity, 0.74; specificity, 0.94).

CONCLUSIONS
When using the PSC, a new cutoff score of 12 for clinical significance should be considered if screening low-income, Mexican American children for behavioral problems. Additional study is indicated to determine the causes of the PSC's apparently lower sensitivity in Mexican American populations.