Validation of the Parenting, Nutrition, and Mental Health Scale in a Latin American context. Mental Health and Weight Scale

Abstract

Objective To present the creation and validation process of an instrument to detect mental health problems, including parental experience, excessive use of screens and low physical activity, in overweight children. Methods This cross-sectional study involved a validation process by judges, application of the instrument, and a factorial analysis to explore concurrent validity. The sample included 131 families of children and adolescents with a mean age of 11.2 years, living in urban, semi-urban, and rural areas of Colombia. Results The t-test indicates that the items correctly discriminate and have an adequate level of difficulty, the scale showed a medium-high reliability (Alpha=0.703), with an important correlation between scales such as CBCL in all its domains, which determines affective symptoms. and pediatric behavioral; and the Zarit, PHQ-9 and PAFAS scales, related to caregiver burden, affective symptoms in caregivers and parental adjustment. Discussion Excess weight and mental health issues are significant public health concerns, and community-based detection tools are essential for early identification and intervention. The Salud Mental y Peso (SMP) instrument has been found to be effective in detecting mental health and parenting problems in pediatric populations.