Psychometric properties of the Persian version of Conners Early Childhood ADHD Questionnaire-Parents’ Form in Iranian children aged 3-6 years

Attention deficient-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most prevalent psychiatric diagnosis in preschool children. The present study aimed to translate and determine the validity and reliability of the Persian version of Conners Early Childhood Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder Questionnaire–Parents’ Form in Iranian children aged 3-6 years.

We included 1,013 pediatrics aged <6 years in 2017-18 in Tabriz, Iran. In the first step, the questionnaire was translated into Persian using the re-translation method. Then, the content validity of the questionnaire was evaluated by ten specialists. Finally, the concurrent validity of the questionnaire was simultaneously compared with the children’s Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). ROC curve was used to determine the best cut-off point, and sensitivity and specificity were measured to determine the questionnaire’s diagnostic value compared to the clinical psychiatric interview. The test-retest method was used to determine reproducibility using the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). The internal consistency was also evaluated with Cronbach’s alpha test.

Of all the 1,013 participants, 569 (56.2%) were female. The overall modified kappa agreement and concurrent validity coefficients were 0.76 and 0.70, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the questionnaire was estimated 86.8% and 79.4%, respectively. The ICC was calculated at 0.90, and the questionnaire’s internal consistency was calculated at an overall Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.88.

The Persian version of Conners Early Childhood Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder Questionnaire–Parents’ Form exhibited proper reliability and validity for screening the Iranian pediatric population.

The emerged validated tool from the present study can be used in the first-line health system in the public and private sectors for physician and non-physician healthcare providers, especially family physicians in primary health care.