Reliability and Validity of the Korean Version of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire in Primary School Children.
10.3346/jkms.2010.25.8.1210
- Author:
Sung Goo KANG
1
;
Jin Hee SHIN
;
Sang Wook SONG
Author Information
1. Department of Family Medicine, St. Vincent's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Suwon, Korea. sswkoj@unitel.co.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article ; Validation Studies
- Keywords:
Worry;
Anxiety;
Child;
the Korean version of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire for Children
- MeSH:
Anxiety/*diagnosis/psychology;
Anxiety Disorders/*diagnosis/psychology;
Child;
Female;
Humans;
Male;
Psychometrics;
*Questionnaires;
Reference Values;
Republic of Korea;
Translating
- From:Journal of Korean Medical Science
2010;25(8):1210-1216
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Worry is a generalized psychological phenomenon seen among most people. When worry is excessive and nearly uncontrollable, people usually suffer psychological pain. The Penn State Worry Questionnaire for Children (PSWQ-C) was developed to measure worry objectively. It comprises 14 items for measuring excessive, generalized, and uncontrollable worry in children. This study, conducted with a large group of elementary children (3rd through 6th graders, ages 8-12 yr; N=973), investigated the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire for Children (PSWQ-CK). The PSWQ-CK showed high reliability by test-retest and also excellent internal consistency results. To examine the validity of the PSWQ-CK, we calculated its correlation with the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS). The PSWQ-CK had a higher correlation with the worry/oversensitivity factor than with other subscales of the RCMAS, and it showed no correlation with the lie factor. When 3 reversed PSWQ-CK items were eliminated, the instrument showed higher internal consistency. However, this did not improve its correlation with other anxiety-measuring tools. In conclusion, the PSWQ-CK's reliability and validity were satisfactory, and it is a useful tool for objectively measuring the worry of Korean children of this age group.
