Objectives: To examine the psychometric properties of the Parenting Concerns Questionnaire (PCQ) in a sample of Portuguese parents with cancer.
Methods: The PCQ was completed by 209 adults with cancer, who are parents of at least one minor child. Participants reported on parenting concerns, depressive and anxiety symptoms, parental stress as well as quality of life. Confirmatory factor analysis and Item Response Theory (IRT) were used to assess the psychometric properties of the PCQ. Cronbach's alpha was used to examine its reliability. Pearson correlation coefficients provided information regarding convergent validity. Criterion validity was analysed.
Results: Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the original three-factor structure. IRT indicated that most of the items were highly discriminant and better identified as moderate versus low or high levels of parenting concerns in the three dimensions of PCQ. The pattern of associations with depressive and anxiety symptoms, parental stress, and quality of life provided evidence for the convergent validity. The PCQ differentiated between parents with and without depressive symptoms.
Conclusion: Exploring parenting concerns provides additional relevant information about the experiences and the potential psychological distress experienced by these parents with cancer. The PCQ can be an important tool to identify parents with cancer who might benefit from psychological support regarding parenting.
Keywords: Parenting Concerns Questionnaire; cancer; item response theory; oncology; parents with cancer; validation study.
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