Security and closeness with mothers and fathers in the transition to adolescence: Differences by temperament.

Relations between parental (mother and father) sensitivity and opportunity for productive activity during early and middle childhood and fifth graders' perceptions of security and closeness to each parent were examined for 771 children. In addition, differential susceptibility to parental sensitivity and opportunity for productive activity was examined for children with difficult temperaments. Perceived security with respect to both mothers and fathers was related to both parental sensitivity and opportunity for productive activity. In the case of opportunity for productive activity, relations were stronger for children with difficult temperaments. By contrast, productive activity was the only significant predictor of perceived closeness; and it was significant only for mothers. However, the productive activity by child temperament interaction was significant for both mothers and fathers. Overall, the findings are consistent with the idea that parent-child relationships often undergo transformations during the transition to adolescence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Infant temperament, parenting, and externalizing behavior in first grade: a test of the differential susceptibility hypothesis.

BACKGROUND: This study examines the differential susceptibility hypothesis as it pertains to relations between infant temperament, parenting, and behavior problems in first grade. METHOD: Data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care were used in a series of hierarchical regression analyses focused on interactions between three aspects of parenting (harshness, sensitivity, productive activity) and temperament as they affect teacher-reported externalizing behavior in first grade. Step #1 included family income-to-needs, maternal education, gender, life events, and amount of child care as control variables, plus infant temperament and the three parenting variables. Step #2 included a single interaction term, the interaction between one of the key parenting variables and child temperament. RESULTS: Results showed stronger relations between maternal sensitivity and behavior problems for children with difficult temperaments. Likewise, relations between opportunities for productivity and behavior problems were stronger for children with difficult temperaments. Trends were in the same direction for harsh parenting but did not quite reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Having access to experiences that promote coping and build self-regulatory capacities seems particularly valuable for children with difficult temperaments.

Externalizing problems in fifth grade: relations with productive activity, maternal sensitivity, and harsh parenting from infancy through middle childhood.

This study used data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development to examine relations between parenting, self-control, and externalizing behavior from infancy through 5th grade. Results indicate that self-control measured during middle childhood mediates relations between maternal sensitivity, opportunity for productive activity, and parental harshness and both mother-reported and teacher-reported externalizing behavior. Results showed that parenting measured during middle childhood was more strongly related to 5th-grade externalizing behavior compared with parenting measured during infancy and early childhood. However, there was evidence that parenting during the preschool years was related to 5th-grade externalizing behavior through later parenting and self-control.

Temperament and Physical Activity in Childhood.

BACKGROUND: Temperament activity level can serve as a proxy for nondeliberate activity and an important part of overall energy expenditure. However, little is known about any association between temperament activity level and children's levels of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity. We examined whether temperament activity level in young children is associated with moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity later in childhood and midadolescence. We also assessed if parenting behaviors moderate any association. METHODS: Data were obtained from 799 children and their mothers involved in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Growth curve analyses were used to examine the relationships over time, controlling for child and parent characteristics. RESULTS: High temperament activity level at age 4.5 was associated with higher moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity at age 9 (ß = 5.15; SE =2.47; P < .001). The association became no longer significant after 10.2 years of age. The association was moderated by parental support for physical activity (ß = -2.56; SE = 1.01; P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: Low temperament activity level in early childhood was a risk factor for low physical activity in later childhood and adolescence. Parental support for physical activity may be beneficial for children whose temperament activity level is low.

Classroom-level adversity: Associations with children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors across elementary school.

Concerns regarding the social-behavioral maladjustment of U.S. youth have spurred efforts among educators and policymakers to identify and remedy educational contexts that exacerbate children's anxiety, depression, aggression, and misconduct. However, investigations of the influence of collective classroom student characteristics on individuals' social-behavioral functioning are few. The present study examined concurrent and longitudinal relations between adversity factors facing the collective classroom student group and levels of children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors across the elementary school years, and whether the pattern of relations differed for girls and boys. First-, third-, and fifth-grade teachers reported on the extent to which adversity-related factors (e.g., home/family life, academic readiness, social readiness, English proficiency, tardiness/absenteeism, student mobility, health) presented a challenge in their classrooms (i.e., classroom-level adversity [CLA]). Mothers reported on their child's internalizing and externalizing behavior at each grade. Autoregressive, lagged panel models controlled for prior levels of internalizing and externalizing behavior, mothers' education, family income-to-needs, and class size. For all children at each grade, CLA was concurrently and positively associated with externalizing behavior. For first-grade girls, but not boys, CLA was also concurrently and positively associated with internalizing behavior. Indirect effects suggested CLA influenced later internalizing and externalizing behavior through its influence on maladjustment in a given year. Discussion highlights possible methods of intervention to reduce CLA or the negative consequences associated with being in a higher-adversity classroom. (PsycINFO Database Record

Effect of Sibling Birth on BMI Trajectory in the First 6 Years of Life.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: This study examined the longitudinal association between birth of a sibling and changes in body mass index z-score (BMIz) trajectory during the first 6 years of life. METHODS: Children (n = 697) were recruited across 10 sites in the United States at the time of birth. Sibship composition was assessed every 3 months. Anthropometry was completed when the child was age 15 months, 24 months, 36 months, 54 months, and in first grade. Children were classified based on the timing of their sibling's birth. A piecewise quadratic regression model adjusted for potential confounders examined the association of the birth of a sibling with subsequent BMIz trajectory. RESULTS: Children whose sibling was born when they were 24 to 36 months or 36 to 54 months old, compared with children who did not experience the birth of a sibling by first grade, had a lower subsequent BMIz trajectory and a significantly lower BMIz at first grade (0.27 vs 0.51, P value = 0.04 and 0.26 vs 0.51, P value = 0.03, respectively). Children who did not experience the birth of a sibling by the time they were in first grade had 2.94 greater odds of obesity (P value = 0.046) at first grade compared with children who experienced the birth of a sibling when they were between 36 to 54 months old. CONCLUSIONS: A birth of a sibling when the child is 24 to 54 months old is associated with a healthier BMIz trajectory. Identifying the underlying mechanism of association can help inform intervention programs.

Productive activity and the prevention of behavior problems.

This study used data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care to examine relations between parenting, self-control, and externalizing behavior among 1st graders. Of special concern was the relation between opportunities for productive activity and behavior problems and whether the relation was mediated by self-control. Evidence in favor of the hypothesis was observed for both mother-reported and teacher-reported externalizing behavior even with substantial controls on the models examined. Self-control also mediated relations for maternal harshness and maternal sensitivity. Somewhat surprisingly, the direct effect of maternal sensitivity on mother-reported externalizing behaviors was positive.

Overweight adolescents and life events in childhood.

OBJECTIVES: To test the association of life events in childhood with overweight risk in adolescence; to examine the effects of chronicity, timing, intensity, valence, and type of life events; and to test potential moderators. METHODS: Mothers of children enrolled in the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development responded to the Life Experiences Survey at ages 4, 9, and 11 years. Using logistic regression analysis, we tested the association of experiencing many negative life events with being overweight at age 15 years, controlling for child gender, race/ethnicity, maternal education, and maternal obesity. Child gender, maternal education, maternal obesity, child's ability to delay gratification for food, and maternal sensitivity were tested as moderators. RESULTS: Among the 848 study children (82% non-Hispanic white), experiencing many negative life events was associated with a higher risk of overweight (odds ratio: 1.47 [95% confidence interval: 1.04-2.10]). Greater chronicity and negative valence of the event were associated with greater overweight risk; timing of exposure and maternal reported impact of the event were not. The association was more robust for events related to family physical or mental health and among children of obese mothers and children who waited longer for food. CONCLUSIONS: Children who experience many negative life events are at higher risk of being overweight by age 15 years. Future work should investigate mechanisms involved in this association, particularly those connected to appetitive drive and self-regulation; these mechanisms may hold promise for obesity prevention strategies.

Observed assertive and intrusive maternal feeding behaviors increase child adiposity.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined observed maternal feeding behaviors and their potential association with child adiposity. The association between maternal prompting to eat and child adiposity has been inconsistent. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to identify factors associated with maternal feeding behaviors and to test the hypothesis that more maternal prompts to eat, more assertive prompts, and more intrusiveness are associated with greater child adiposity. DESIGN: Children (n = 1218) and their mothers were videotaped eating a standardized snack at ages 15, 24, and 36 mo. Maternal prompts to eat, the percentage of prompts that were assertive, and intrusiveness were coded. Adjusted regression analyses evaluated predictors of prompts, the percentage of assertive prompts, and intrusiveness and the relation of each of these factors with child adiposity (weight-for-length z score at 15 mo and BMI z score at 24 and 36 mo) after control for the child's race-ethnicity and sex, family income-to-needs ratio, and maternal education, weight status, and depressive symptoms. RESULTS: At 36 mo, mothers gave an average of 9.3 prompts; 61% of prompts were assertive, and 48% of mothers were intrusive. Lower maternal education and minority race-ethnicity were associated with a greater percentage of assertive prompts and intrusiveness. A greater percentage of assertive prompts and intrusiveness, but not total prompts, was associated with higher child adiposity. CONCLUSIONS: Assertive prompting and an intrusive style had small but significant associations with greater child adiposity. Future work should focus on maternal motivations for assertive and intrusive feeding styles and mechanisms through which these feeding styles might increase child adiposity.

Adolescent obesity and maternal and paternal sensitivity and monitoring.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if adolescent obesity is associated with parenting characterized by lower sensitivity and lower monitoring of adolescent activities. METHODS: We used data from 744 adolescents in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Height and weight were measured at age 15½ years and obesity defined as body mass index ≥ 95th percentile for age and sex. Maternal and paternal sensitivity were assessed by direct observation of a parent-adolescent interaction task. Maternal and paternal monitoring were assessed by parent report. Lower sensitivity and lower monitoring were each defined as the lowest quartiles. Two separate multivariate logistic regression models were created to evaluate, individually for mothers and fathers, associations of sensitivity and monitoring with adolescent obesity, controlling for adolescent sex and race, family income-to-needs ratio, and parental obesity. RESULTS: Fourteen percent of the adolescents were obese. Lower sensitivity was associated with adolescent obesity in the maternal parenting model (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.44-3.86, n = 709), but not paternal parenting model (AOR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.38-1.63, n = 460). Neither maternal nor paternal monitoring was associated with adolescent obesity (AOR = 1.03, 95% CI 0.63-1.68; AOR = 1.07, 95% CI 0.52-2.22, respectively). CONCLUSION: Lower maternal sensitivity, measured by direct observation of parent-adolescent interactions, was associated with adolescent obesity. Efforts to prevent and treat childhood obesity, both at the practitioner level and the community level, may be enhanced by educating parents that their reactions to their children's behaviors may have consequences related to obesity.

Body mass index and timing of pubertal initiation in boys.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between body mass index (BMI [calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared]) and timing of pubertal onset in a population-based sample of US boys. DESIGN: Longitudinal prospective study. SETTING: Ten US sites that participated in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. PARTICIPANTS: Of 705 boys initially enrolled in the study, information about height and weight measures and pubertal stage by age 11.5 years was available for 401 boys. MAIN EXPOSURE: The BMI trajectory created from measured heights and weights at ages 2, 3, 4.5, 7, 9, 9.5, 10.5, and 11.5 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Onset of puberty at age 11.5 years as measured by Tanner genitalia staging. RESULTS: Boys in the highest BMI trajectory (mean BMI z score at age 11.5 years, 1.84) had a greater relative risk of being prepubertal compared with boys in the lowest BMI trajectory (mean BMI z score at age 11.5 years, -0.76) (adjusted relative risk = 2.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-6.61; P = .04). CONCLUSIONS: The relationship between body fat and timing of pubertal onset is not the same in boys as it is in girls. Further studies are needed to better understand the physiological link between body fat and timing of pubertal onset in both sexes.

Weight status as a predictor of being bullied in third through sixth grades.

OBJECTIVES: Childhood obesity and bullying both are pervasive public health problems. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between childhood obesity and being bullied in third, fifth, and sixth grades while testing for potential confounding and moderation. METHODS: A total of 821 children who were participating in the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (50% male, 81% white, 17% obese, 15% overweight in third grade) were studied. Generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate the relationship between child weight status and the odds of being bullied as reported by child, mother, and teacher, accounting for repeated measures and adjusting for grade level in school, child gender, child race, family income-to-needs ratio, school racial and socioeconomic composition, and mother- and teacher-reported child social skills and child academic achievement. RESULTS: In sixth grade, 33.9%, 44.5%, and 24.9% of the children were reported to be bullied per teacher-, mother-, and self-report, respectively. There was a significant independent association between being obese and being bullied (odds ratio: 1.63 [95% confidence interval: 1.18-2.25]). The relationship between being obese and being bullied was attenuated but not eliminated by all covariates except gender. The relationship was not moderated by any of the covariates. CONCLUSIONS: Children who are obese are more likely to be bullied, regardless of a number of potential sociodemographic, social, and academic confounders. No protective factors were identified. Effective interventions to reduce bullying of obese children need to be identified.

Controlling maternal feeding practices associated with decreased dieting behavior in sixth-grade children.

Controlling maternal feeding practices have been linked to increased caloric intake, disinhibited eating, and obesity in children. Its relationship to child dieting behavior, however, is unknown. Using the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, this study examined whether controlling feeding practices are associated with increased or decreased dieting behavior in children. Controlling maternal feeding practices were assessed in third grade with the question, "Do you let your child eat what he/she feels like eating?" Answers ranged from 1 to 4; higher scores were reverse-coded to indicate greater control. Child dieting behavior was assessed in sixth grade and dichotomized into "any dieting behaviors" vs "none." Multiple logistic regression was used to investigate the relationship between controlling maternal feeding practices and dieting behavior and included the covariates of sex, race, maternal education, maternal weight status, child weight status in third grade, and change in body mass index z score between third and sixth grade. In sixth grade (n=776), 41.5% of children engaged in dieting behavior. In the multivariate analysis, greater maternal control over child eating predicted lower odds of child dieting in sixth grade (odds ratio=0.79; 95% confidence interval: 0.64 to 0.97). There was no interaction between controlling maternal feeding practices and child's sex or baseline obesity status. Exerting more control over what a child eats in third grade may protect against future dieting behavior in children, independent of child's weight status or rate of weight gain. Further work is needed to better define which controlling feeding practices are beneficial for the child.

Maternal perception of neighborhood safety as a predictor of child weight status: The moderating effect of gender and assessment of potential mediators.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if there is a relationship between maternal perception of neighborhood safety in 3(rd) grade and weight status in 5(th) grade children, to test if gender moderates this relationship, and to identify potential mediators. METHOD: Data from 868 children and their mothers involved in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (NICHD-SECCYD) were used to examine the relationship between maternal perception of neighborhood safety in the 3(rd) grade and child body mass index (BMI) z-score in the 5(th) grade. Multiple regression models tested this relationship, the effect of gender, and potential mediating variables (time outdoors in neighborhood, television viewing, child behavior problems and puberty status). RESULTS: Neighborhood safety ratings in the least safe tertile, compared with the safest tertile, were associated with an increased risk of obesity independent of gender, race and income-to-needs ratio (OR=1.59; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03, 2.46), and higher child BMI z-scores among girls, but not boys, compared with the safest tertile (beta=0.33; 95% CI: 0.09, 0.57). Neither amount of time spent outdoors in the neighborhood, television viewing, child behavior problems (internalizing or externalizing), nor puberty status altered the relationship. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal perception of the neighborhood as unsafe in 3(rd) grade independently predicted a higher risk of obesity, and a higher BMI z-score among girls, but not boys, in the 5(th) grade. The relationship was not explained by several potential mediators. Further investigation is needed to explore these gender differences and potential mediators.

Short stature in a population-based cohort: social, emotional, and behavioral functioning.

OBJECTIVE: The goal was to determine whether there were significant differences between children of normative versus short stature in behavioral functioning and peer relationships, according to teacher and child reports. METHODS: The study included 712 boys and girls in the sixth grade, from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Main outcome measures included Achenbach Teacher's Report Form internalizing, externalizing, and total scores; Children's Depression Inventory scores (child report); Life Orientation Test-Revised scores (child report); Child Behavior with Peers questionnaire asocial with peers, excluded by peers, and peer victimization subscale scores (teacher report); peer social support and victimization scores (child report); and relationships with peers score (teacher report). In bivariate comparisons, these outcomes were compared for children of relatively short (height of <10th percentile) versus nonshort (height of > or =10th percentile) stature, and effect sizes were calculated. Multivariate linear regression models adjusted for maternal education, income/needs ratio, race, and gender. RESULTS: Effect sizes ranged from 0.00 to 0.35. Short children reported marginally higher levels of self-perceived peer victimization, compared with their nonshort peers. There were no significant differences in the rest of the outcomes for children of short versus nonshort stature, in either unadjusted or adjusted models. CONCLUSION: Although short children from a population-based sample reported marginally higher levels of self-perceived peer victimization, they did not differ from their nonshort peers in a range of social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes.

Ability to delay gratification at age 4 years and risk of overweight at age 11 years.

OBJECTIVES: To determine if limited ability to delay gratification (ATDG) at age 4 years is independently associated with an increased risk of being overweight at age 11 years and to assess confounding or moderation by child body mass index z score at 4 years, self-reported maternal expectation of child ATDG for food, and maternal weight status. DESIGN: Longitudinal prospective study. SETTING: Ten US sites. PARTICIPANTS: Participants in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Main Exposure Ability to delay gratification at 4 years, measured as pass or fail on a validated task. OUTCOME MEASURES: Overweight at 11 years, defined as a body mass index greater than or equal to the 85th percentile based on measured weight and height. RESULTS: Of 805 children, 47% failed the ATDG task. Using multiple logistic regression, children who failed the ATDG task were more likely to be overweight at 11 years (relative risk, 1.29; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.58), independent of income to needs ratio. Body mass index z score at 4 years and maternal expectation of child ATDG for food did not alter the association, but maternal weight status reduced the association significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Children with limited ATDG at age 4 years were more likely to be overweight at age 11 years, but the association was at least partially explained by maternal weight status. Further understanding of the association between the child's ATDG and maternal and child weight status may lead to more effective obesity intervention and prevention programs.

Maternal feeding practices become more controlling after and not before excessive rates of weight gain.

It is unclear whether controlling maternal feeding practices (CMFPs) lead to or are a response to increases in a child's BMI. Our goal was to determine the direction of this relationship. Data were obtained from National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Child BMI z-score (zBMI) was calculated from measured weight and height. CMFP was defined by, "Do you let your child eat what he/she feels like eating?". Change in child zBMI was calculated between 4-7 years and 7-9 years, and dichotomized into "increasing" vs. "no change or decreasing". Change in CMFP was calculated over the same time periods, and dichotomized into "more controlling" vs. "no change or less controlling." Multiple logistic regression, stratified by gender and controlling for race, maternal education, maternal weight status, and baseline child weight status, was used for analysis. A total of 789 children were included. From 4 to 9 years, mean zBMI increased (P = 0.02) and mothers became more controlling (P < 0.001). Increasing CMFP between 4 and 7 years was associated with decreased odds of increasing zBMI between 7 and 9 years in boys (odds ratio = 0.52, 95% confidence interval = 0.27-1.00). There was no relationship in girls. Increasing zBMI between 4 and 7 years was associated with increasing CMFPs between 7 and 9 years in girls (odds ratio = 1.72, 95% confidence interval = 1.08-2.74), but not boys. Early increases in CMFP were not associated with later increases in zBMI for boys or girls. However, early increases in zBMI among girls were associated with later increases in CMFP. Clarifying the relationship between maternal feeding practices and child weight will inform future recommendations.

Weight status in young girls and the onset of puberty.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to examine the association between weight status in early childhood and onset of puberty. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 354 girls from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Girls were followed longitudinally with height and weight measurements at 36 and 54 months and grades 1, 4, 5, and 6 and with assessment of pubertal stage by physical examination and maternal report in grades 4 through 6. The main outcome was the presence of early puberty, indexed as follows: (a) breast development at or more than Tanner stage 2 by physical examination at grade 4; (b) breast development at or more than Tanner stage 3 by physical examination at grade 5; (c) maternal report of breast development at or more than Tanner stage 3 at grade 5; and (d) maternal report of menarche having already occurred (yes versus no) at grade 6. Multiple logistic regression models predicting early versus late puberty were constructed by using the covariate BMI z score at 36 months, rate of change of BMI and accelerated BMI between 36 months and grade 1, race, maternal education, and maternal age of menarche. RESULTS: BMI z score at 36 months, rate of change of BMI between 36 months and grade 1, an earlier age of maternal menarche, and nonwhite race were each consistently and positively associated with an earlier onset of puberty across the various measures of puberty. CONCLUSIONS: Higher BMI z score in girls as young as 36 months of age and higher rate of change of BMI between 36 months old and grade 1, a period well before the onset of puberty, are associated with earlier puberty, which suggests that increasing rates of obesity in the United States may result in an earlier average age of onset of puberty for US girls.

Shorter sleep duration is associated with increased risk for being overweight at ages 9 to 12 years.

OBJECTIVE: The potential association between short sleep duration or sleep problems and childhood overweight has not been well described. The objective of this study was to test the independent associations of sleep duration and problems with overweight risk in children. METHODS: Data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development were analyzed. In 3rd and 6th grades, sleep duration and problems were obtained by maternal report, and height and weight were measured, with overweight defined as a BMI of > or = 95th percentile for age and gender. Logistic regression evaluated the association of sleep duration and problems with overweight at 6th grade cross-sectionally adjusting for gender, race, and maternal education. Additional covariates tested individually included the level of chaos at home, the quality of the home environment, the lax-parenting subscale score of the Raising Children Checklist, and the Child Behavior Checklist internalizing and externalizing subscale scores. Logistic regression also evaluated the relationship of sleep duration at 3rd grade and overweight at 6th grade, adjusting for gender, race, maternal education, and the child's BMI z score in 3rd grade. RESULTS: Of 785 children, 50% were male, 81% were white, and 18% were overweight in 6th grade. Shorter sleep duration in 6th grade was independently associated with a greater likelihood of overweight in 6th grade. Shorter sleep duration in 3rd grade was also independently associated with overweight in 6th grade, independent of the child's weight status in 3rd grade. Sleep problems were not associated with overweight. CONCLUSION: One preventive approach to overweight may be to ensure adequate sleep in childhood.

Factor analysis and validity of the Conners Parent and Teacher Rating Scales in childhood cancer survivors.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the factor structure of the Conners Parent Rating Scale-Revised: Short Form (CPRS-R:S) and the Conners Teacher Rating Scale-Revised: Short Form (CTRS-R:S) in children who are long-term survivors of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) or brain tumors (BT)and who have received central nervous system directed treatment. METHOD: Parents and teachers of 150 long-term survivors completed the CPRS-R:S or CTRS-R:S as part of a screening battery. The data were submitted to a maximum likelihood confirmatory factor analysis to test the construct validity of the scales and the forms were compared. The CPRS-R:S was also compared to selected subscales of the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) for further validation. RESULTS: The analyses demonstrated an adequate fit of the original three-factor structure of the CTRS-R:S [oppositional, cognitive problems/inattention, hyperactivity]. The analyses of the CPRS-R:S suggested a less adequate fit of the original three-factor structure but principal components factor analysis yielded a three-factor solution with factors similar to those of Conners' original factor structure. Significant correlations were found between the CPRS-R:S and the selected subscales of the CBCL. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the similar construct validity of the original CTRS-R:S and CPRS-R:S. Although significantly correlated, the CPRS-R:S and CTRS-R:S are not interchangeable in the assessment of survivors of childhood cancer.