Objective: To examine and confirm the factor structure of three widely used measures of parenting capacity: the Child Vulnerability Scale, Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, and Parental Protection Scale.
Method: Caregivers (N = 457) of children with cancer, asthma, diabetes, sickle cell disease, or cystic fibrosis completed each scale. Separate exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on each measure.
Results: The Child Vulnerability Scale and Parenting Stress Index-Short Form maintained their proposed factor structure; however, several items on the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form were not retained. Finally, multiple items were not retained on the Parental Protection Scale resulting in a proposed unidimensional structure.
Conclusion: Continued use of the Child Vulnerability Scale and a modified Parenting Stress Index-Short Form appears appropriate in a pediatric chronic illness population. However, further factor analytic studies are needed to examine the Parental Protection Scale. Future clinical and research implications are discussed.