Parent Ratings of ADHD Symptoms in Chinese Urban Schoolchildren: Assessment With the Chinese ADHD Rating Scale-IV: Home Version.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Chinese ADHD Rating Scale-IV (ADHD RS-IV): Home Version and to explore parent ratings of ADHD symptoms in a large sample of urban schoolchildren in China. METHOD: Parents of a representative sample of 1,616 schoolchildren (aged 6-17) in 12 Chinese cities completed the ADHD RS-IV: Home Version. RESULTS: The Chinese ADHD RS-IV: Home Version demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency, test-retest reliability, parent-teacher correlation, discriminant validity, and convergent validity. Factor analysis revealed the DSM-IV two-factor model with "inattention" and "hyperactivity-impulsivity" dimensions, accounting for equal variances. Parent ratings revealed lower/similar scores for Chinese schoolchildren compared with the U.S. CONCLUSION: The ADHD RS-IV: Home Version is a reliable and valid ADHD rating scale in China. The factor structure is similar but not identical to the U.S. STUDY: Normative data reveal cultural differences in some aspects of the parent ratings of ADHD.