A Method for Use in Epidemiologic Studies of Behavior Disorders in Children

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Abstract
A definition of behavior disorders is proposed based on the coexistence in a representative sample of children of behavior deviations and malfunction. Characteristics related to behavior, adjustment, relationships and performance as reported by mothers are studied in 482 children aged 6-12 selected from a systematic sample of households in Buffalo, N.Y. Children''s behavior is measured by a method believed to be relatively objective because (1) standard and comparable information is collected on children by means of a structured interview schedule; (2) pre-designation of the relative abnormality of a characteristic is minimized through scoring not only its presence, but also its frequency, intensity and duration; and (3) a priori judgment of the importance of a characteristic is avoided by using a self-weighting system of scoring based on the observed frequency distributions. Some possible applications of this method to further studies are suggested.

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