Purpose
The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) aims to develop self-reported item banks for clinical
research. The PROMIS pediatrics (aged 8–17) project focuses on the development of item banks across several health domains
(physical function, pain, fatigue, emotional distress, social role relationships, and asthma symptoms). The psychometric properties
of the anxiety and depressive symptom item banks are described.
Methods
Participants (n = 1,529) were recruited in public school settings, hospital-based outpatient and subspecialty pediatrics clinics. The anxiety
(k = 18) and depressive symptoms (k = 21) items were split between two test administration forms. Hierarchical confirmatory factor-analytic models (CFA) were
conducted to evaluate scale dimensionality and local dependence. IRT analyses were then used to finalize item banks and short
forms.
Results
CFA results confirmed that anxiety and depressive symptoms are separate constructs and indicative of negative affect. Items
with local dependence and DIF were removed resulting in 15 anxiety and 14 depressive symptoms items. The psychometric differences
between short forms and simulated computer adaptive tests are presented.
Conclusions
PROMIS pediatric item banks were developed to provide efficient assessment of health-related quality of life domains. This
sample provides initial calibrations of anxiety and depressive symptoms item banks and creates PROMIS pediatric instruments,
version 1.0.
Keywords PROMIS - Anxiety - Depressive symptoms - HRQOL - PRO - Scale development - Surveys - Pediatrics