Peer-reviewed article
Child Well-Being Scales (CWBS): Psychometric Properties of the Portuguese Version
Cristina Nunes, Lara Ayala‐Nunes, Laura Inês Ferreira, Cátia Martins ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study validated the Portuguese version of the Child Well-Being Scales (CWBS), an instrument designed to identify children at risk of abuse and neglect. The researchers tested the tool with 276 families facing psychosocial challenges and confirmed it has reliable internal consistency and valid factor structure. The validated instrument is intended to help child protection professionals assess risk and make informed decisions about child safety interventions.
Key points
- The 3-factor structure of the CWBS was confirmed in the Portuguese sample, matching the original version
- Internal consistency was high (Cronbach's alpha between 0.82-0.86)
- Model fit was excellent (GFI = 0.97, RMSR = 0.06)
- Construct validity was supported through significant correlations with parental efficiency, satisfaction and symptomatology measures
- The instrument addresses a gap in validated assessment tools for child protection programs in Portugal
Limitations
This study validates a measurement instrument rather than evaluating an intervention to improve child well-being outcomes. The document does not report on whether use of this scale actually improves child protection decisions or child safety outcomes in practice.
Abstract
Abstract There is a lack of validated instruments to evaluate child protection programs in Portugal. The present study analyzed the psychometric characteristics of the Child Well-Being Scales (CWBS), a multidimensional measure of potential situations of abuse and neglect, in 276 families at psychosocial risk. Measures of parental efficiency, satisfaction and parental symptomatology were also collected. Through exploratory factor analysis, a 3-factor solution, similar to the original version was identified, with high levels of internal consistency (α between 0.82-0.86) and good model fit (GFI = 0.97, RMSR = 0.06). Regarding construct validity, significant correlations were found that were in line with theoretical expectation. Our results support the utility of EBI as a guide to the assessment and decision-making regarding child protection measures.