Development of Multidimensional Medical Neglect of Children Scale: Validity and Reliability Studies

The aim of this study was to develop the Multidimensional Medical Neglect of Children Scale (MMNCS) and assess its validity and reliability. The scale consists of three separate forms, intended for parents with children in the age groups of 3-6, 7-11, and 12-18. In Study 1, a total of 1101 Turkish parents (339 for the 3-6 years old form, 452 for the 7-11 years old form, and 310 for the 12-18 years old form) were included. Principal factor analysis indicated that all three scales had a three-factor structure. In Study 2, 894 Turkish parents (265 for the 3-6 years old form, 311 for the 7-11 years old form, and 318 for the 12-18 years old form) were included. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the three-factor structure for all three forms. Criterion-related validity analyses showed significant and positive correlations between the sub-dimensions and total scores of the MMNCS and the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire for all three forms. Reliability analyses, using Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega coefficients, demonstrated that the internal consistency coefficients of the total scores for all three forms exceeded 0.70. In conclusion, the findings of this study indicate that the MMNCS can be regarded as a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the medical neglect of parents towards their children in a Turkish sample.