ACF OPRE: National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW)

Overview of NSCAW Child Instrument

Module	CAPI Section	Construct	Measure	Author / Publisher	Child Age	Waves	Information Gathered
Child Household	CH	Child characteristics	Project-developed questions	N/A	All1	1, 3, 4	Child's demographic information, and height, weight, and head circumference for children < 4
Cognitive Status	KB	Developmental / Cognitive status	Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT): Expressive Vocabulary, Definitions, and Matrices	Kaufman & Kaufman, 1990, American Guidance Service, Inc.	4	1, 3, 4	Standardized assessment tool comprised of two subsets: Vocabulary (expressive vocabulary and definitions) & Matrices (ability to perceive relationships & complete analogies).
Cognitive Status	BD	Developmental / Cognitive status	Battelle Developmental Inventory (BDI) & Screening Test: Cognitive Skills section	Newborg, Stock, Wnek, Guidubaldi, & Svinicki, 1988, Riverside Publishing	<4	1, 3, 4	Cognitive skills; administered to age 4 and older if B-BIT score = 0
Neurodevelopmental Impairment	NI	Developmental / Cognitive status	Bayley Infant Neurodevelopmental Screener (BINS)	Aylward, 1995	<2	1, 32	Basic brain function, ability to comprehend and express, and intellectual processes
Communication	CO	Communication skills	Preschool Language Scales-3 (PLS-3)	Zimmerman, Steiner, & Pond, 1992, The Psychological Corporation	<6	1, 3, 4	Standardized assessment tool comprised of three scales: expressive communication, auditory comprehension, and total language, which include pre-linguistic and language skills
School Achievement	AH	Academic achievement	Mini Battery of Achievement (MBA)	Woodcock, McGrew, & Werder, 1994, Riverside Publishing	6	1, 3, 4	Standardized test of academic achievement with respect to reading and mathematics
Community Environment	CN	Neighborhood factors	Abridged Community Environment Scale from National Evaluation of Family Support Programs	Abt Associates, Inc., 1996	EY	4	Behavior of emancipated youth in terms of the environment of their community; items mirror Community Environment module in Current Caregiver Instrument
School Engagement	SE	School engagement	Drug Free Schools (DFSCA) Outcome Study Questions	U.S. Department of Education: Office of the Under Secretary	6	1, 3, 4	School achievement; student's disposition toward learning and school; administered only to children in school (excludes home schooled situations)
Relationship with Peers	RP	Peer relationships, including social rejection	Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Questionnaire for Young Children	Asher et al., 1984; Asher and Wheeler (rev.), 1985	5-7	1, 3, 4	Success in making and keeping friendships; school adjustment; administered only to children in school (excludes home schooled situations)
Relationship with Peers	RR	Peer relationships, including social rejection	Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Questionnaire for Young Children	Asher et al., 1984; Asher and Wheeler (rev.), 1985	8	1, 3, 4	Success in making and keeping friendships; school adjustment; administered only to children in school (excludes home schooled situations)
Protective Factors	PF	Protective factors	Resiliency Scale - LongSCAN	Runyan, Curtis, Hunter, Black, Kotch, Bangdiwala, Dubowitz, English, Everson, Landsverk, 1997	11	1, 3, 4	Resources that a child has that facilitate resiliency
Parental Monitoring	PM	Behavioral Monitoring	Parental Monitoring from UNOCCAP	Use, Need, Outcome, and Costs in Child and Adolescent Populations Steering Committee	10	1, 3, 4	Extent to which the caregiver monitors the child's activities
Independent Living	IP	Independent living	Project-developed questions	N/A	14	4	Life skills the youth may have developed and where he/she learned the skill
Questions for Children in Out-of-Home	OH	Child in out-of-home care; Perceptions of Permanency, Disruptions, Contact with Family	University of California at Berkeley Foster Care Study	Fox, Frasch, & Berrick, 2000	6	1, 3, 4	Adjustment of children in out-of-home placement, including concerns about how well they fit in with their foster family and how permanent they view the placement
Family Contact for Adopted and Emancipated Youth	AO	Perceptions of Permanency, Disruptions, Contact with Family	University of California at Berkeley Foster Care Study	Fox, Frasch, & Berrick, 2000	6	4	Adjustment of adopted and emancipated youth, including concerns about how well they fit in with their adoptive family (if applicable) and contact with biological family
Satisfaction with Caseworker Services	SW	Satisfaction with Caseworker services	Project developed satisfaction questions	N/A	11	1, 3, 4	Degree of satisfaction with caseworker services
Future Expectations	FE	Future expectations	Expectations About Employment, Education, and Life Span Section from Adolescent Health Survey	Bearman, Jones, and Udry, 1997	10	1, 3, 4	Expectations as related to children's life experiences
Social Support	SU	Social support and other family resources, including assistance with child-rearing	Adapted from Duke Functional Social Support Scale and Sarason Social Support Questionnaire-3	Sarasan, Levine, Basham, & Sarason, 1983; Sarason, Sarason, Shearin & Pearce, 1987	EY	4	Perceived social support for emancipated youth; items mirror Social Support module in Current Caregiver Instrument
Physical Health	PE	Physical health	Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12)	Ware, Kosinski & Keller, 1996	EY	4	Physical health status of emancipated youth; items mirror Physical Health module in Current Caregiver Instrument
Depression	CD	Mental health	Children's Depression Inventory	Kovacs, 1992; Multi Health Systems	7	1, 3, 4	All aspects of well-being, including behavior problems
Trauma	TR	Mental health	Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children - PTSD Section	Briere, 1996	8	1, 3, 4	Indicators of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Youth Activities	YA	Participation in activities	Youth Self Report - Social Competence Scale	Achenbach, 1991, University Associates in Psychiatry; Burlington, VT	11	1, 3, 4	Involvement in activities which may promote social skills or cognitive development
Youth Behavior	YB	Behavior problems	Youth Self Report - Syndrome and Total Problems Scale	Achenbach, 1991, University Associates in Psychiatry; Burlington, VT	11	1, 3, 4	Magnitude of aggressive behavior and impulse control
ACASI Introduction	AC	N/A	Project-developed practice questions	N/A	11	1, 3, 4	N/A
Relationship with Caregiver(s) (ACASI)	RC	Relationship with parents and other significant adults	Revised Adolescent Health Survey Questions; Relatedness Scale from Research Assessment Package for Schools - Self-Report Instrument for Middle School Students (RAPS-SM)	James P. Connell, 1998	11	1, 3, 4	Degree of supportive relationships between child and adult
Closeness to Caregiver(s) (ACASI)	CL	Relationship with parents and other significant adults	Project-developed questions	N/A	11	1, 3, 4	Degree of supportive relationships between child and adult
Exposure to Violence (ACASI)	EV	Loss, violence and other stressors in and out of the home	Violence Exposure Scale (VEX-R) - Home Set	Fox & Leavitt, 1995	5	1, 3, 4	Violence observed and experienced in the home
Services Received (ACASI)	SV	Services received	Project-developed questions	N/A	11	1, 3, 4	Factors that affect the service provision process; includes items administered only at Wave 4 for emancipated youth
Substance Abuse (ACASI)	SA	Substance abuse	Drug Free School Community Act Outcome Study Questions	U.S. Department of Education: Office of the Under Secretary	11	1, 3, 4	Misuse of controlled substances as associated with depression and maltreatment
Sexual Activity (ACASI)	SX	Sexual behavior	LongSCAN	Runyan, Curtis, Hunter, Black, Kotch, Bangdiwala, Dubowitz, English, Everson, Landsverk, 1997	11	1, 3, 4	Early sexual activity
Delinquency (ACASI)	DE	Delinquency	Modified Self Report of Delinquency Revised Adolescent Health Survey Questions	Achenbach, 1991, University Associates in Pyschiatry; Burlington, VT; Elliott and Busse, 1992	11	1, 3, 4	Participation in delinquent or criminal activities; includes items added at Wave 4 on reasons for recent arrests
Injuries (ACASI)	IJ	Maltreatment	Injury Questions from Child Health and Illness Profile-Adolescent Edition	Starfield, Ensminger, Green, Riley, Ryan, Kim-Harris, Crawford, Johnston, 1995	11	1, 3, 4	Nature and extent of injuries in the past 12 months
Victimization (ACASI)	VC	Victimization	Incidence and Prevalence of Drug Abuse Among Runaway and Homeless Youth Study - Shelter Sample Questionnaire	Research Triangle Institute, 2002	EY	4	Emancipated youth's victimization, including things that may have happened to the youth since he/she started living on own (e.g., robbery sexual assault)
Child Maltreatment (ACASI)	CM	Maltreatment	Adaption of Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale	Straus, M.A., Hamby, S.L., Finkelhor, D., Moore, D.W., & Runyan, D, 1998	11	1, 3, 4	Additional maltreatment information in order to better understand the effects of the severity and specific type of abuse
ACASI Finish	AF	N/A	Project-developed script to close ACASI module	N/A	11	1, 3, 4	N/A
Teacher Authorization	AU	N/A	Project-developed questions to collection contact information for the teacher survey	N/A	EY	4	Teacher contact information collected from emancipated youth, including school name, address, and phone number
Locator Form	LO	N/A	Project-developed questions to track respondent for future interview waves	N/A	EY	4	Locator information for emancipated youth and up to 3 contact persons
Data Linkage	LK	N/A	Project-developed script requesting permission for researchers to link NSCAW data to data from other sources	N/A	13	3, 4	N/A
Verifications	VO	N/A	Project-developed script informing respondent of potential recontact for interview QC purposes	N/A	EY	4	N/A
Child Interview Close	CC	N/A	Project-developed end-of-interview script	N/A	All	1, 3, 4	N/A

1Child household information was provided by caregivers for very young children.(back)

2The BINS is not administered at Wave 4 because sampled children have aged up.(back)

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