Concurrent validity, discriminatory power and feasibility of the instrument for Identification of Parents At Risk for child Abuse and Neglect (IPARAN)

Abstract

ObjectivesTo determine the feasibility, concurrent validity and discriminatory power of the instrument for Identification of Parents At Risk for child Abuse and Neglect (IPARAN) among Dutch parents with a newborn child.SettingCommunity paediatrics.ParticipantsData from a controlled trial were used. In total, 2659 Dutch parents with a newborn child were invited to participate. Of the 2659 parents, 759 parents filled in the consent form and participated in the study.Primary and secondary outcome measuresConcurrent validity was determined by calculating correlations—using the Pearson’s correlation (r)—between the IPARAN score and related constructs from the following instruments: the Empowerment Questionnaire 2.0, the Family Functioning Questionnaire and the Parenting Stress Questionnaire. Discriminatory power was determined by calculating receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves between high-risk mothers and low-risk mothers according to their scores on the related constructs. Feasibility was determined by examining the percentage of missing answers.ResultsIn terms of concurrent validity, we found that 3 out of 12 correlations between the IPARAN score and related constructs were strong (ie, r>0.50) and 4 out of 12 were medium (ie, r=0.30–0.49). In terms of discriminatory power, mothers with a score in the borderline/clinical range or lowest 10 percent (P10) range of the related constructs (high-risk mothers) had a higher IPARAN score than mothers with a score in the normal range or highest 90 percent (P90) range of the related constructs (low-risk mothers). Effect sizes varied from d=0.37 to d=1.93, and the area under the ROC curve varied from 0.62 to 0.93. Regarding feasibility, the part of the IPARAN filled in by the mother had on average 0.7% missing answers, whereas the part of the IPARAN filled in by the father had on average 1.7% missing answers.ConclusionThe results of this study support the concurrent validity, discriminatory power and feasibility of the IPARAN among a population of Dutch parents with a newborn child.

Systematic Review and Critical Appraisal of Five of the Most Recurrently Validated Child Maltreatment Assessment Instruments from 2010 to 2020

“…There were three studies in which all participants were female (Hernández et al, 2013; Schmidt et al, 2020; Wells et al, 2011), and two studies which did not give information regarding gender (Horrevorts et al, 2017; Karos et al, 2014).…”

“…Additionally, there is a general part of 5 items which are filled by both, mothers and fathers (or other caregivers) related to the first factor: child and family characteristics; and a specific part of 16 items which is filled separately by mothers, and fathers or other caregivers (related to the two remaining factors). This scale was validated with good psychometric properties in samples of parents of newborns considered at risk versus a control group (Horrevorts et al, 2017; van der Put et al, 2017a).…”

Adding Structured Components to Home Visitation to Reduce Mothers’ Risk for Child Maltreatment: a Randomized Controlled Trial

“…We used the Instrument for early Identification for Parents At Risk for child Abuse and Neglect (IPARAN; Horrevorts et al, 2017 ; Van der Put et al, 2017 ). This instrument consists of 16 questions on the presence of the most important risk factors for child abuse, such as “I can get so angry that I lose control”.…”

“…Supportive Parenting SP is a nurse home visiting intervention in the Netherlands (see Bouwmeester-Landweer, 2006). The intervention is intended for parents with an increased risk for parenting problems and child maltreatment, based on a postnatal risk screening instrument (i.e., Instrument for early Identification for Parents At Risk for child Abuse and Neglect, IPARAN; Horrevorts et al, 2017;Van der Put et al, 2017), led by the professional assessment of a youth health care nurse. The intervention consists of six to ten postnatal 90-minute home visits by a qualified youth health care nurse and aims to prevent severe parenting problems, including child maltreatment, for children up to 2 years old.…”

Developing and Validating a New Scale to Assess Signs of Neglect of Infants and Caregivers

“…A few studies have developed scales to identify risks of both physical abuse and neglect among parents with infants. One self-report scale used in the Netherlands focuses on identifying parenting stress (Horrevorts et al, 2017; van der Put, Bouwmeester-Landweer et al, 2017). Another scale, the Scale for Home-Visiting Nurses to Identify Risks of Physical Abuse and Neglect Among Mothers With Newborn Infants (SIRPAN), is based on home-visiting nurse reports.…”