Investigating school children’s behavioral and emotional problems using pediatric symptoms checklist-17 in a structural equation modeling framework

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The Pediatric Symptom Checklist-17 was originally used in primary care settings with parents to identify their children’s behavioral and emotional problems, but there has been some research supporting use of this scale in school settings. This study examined: (a) the factor structure and measurement invariance of the teacher-rated Pediatric Symptom Checklist-17 and (b) complex relationships among demographic characteristics, behavioral and emotional problems, and learning outcomes using structural equation modeling in elementary schools. A sample of 508 children in grades one and two were rated by their teachers with the Pediatric Symptom Checklist-17. Measures of Academic Progress test was utilized to measure participants’ learning outcomes in reading and math. The results confirmed a three-factor structure of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist-17 (internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and attention problems) and attested the measurement invariance across different demographic groups (i.e. gender, ethnicity, and grade levels). Boys were more likely to have severe attention problems which were associated with lower learning outcomes as seen by Measures of Academic Progress reading and math scores. Attention problems mediated the relationship between gender and learning outcomes. This study has implications for the use of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist-17 in school-based settings. Additionally, it highlights the potential relationships among gender, attention problems, and learning outcomes.