Factor validity and reliability of the Aberrant Behavior Checklist‐Community (ABC‐C) in an Indian population with intellectual disability

Background In this study realised in collaboration with the department of psychology and parapsychology of Andhra University, validation of the Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Community (ABC-C) in Telugu, the official language of Andhra Pradesh, one of India's 28 states, was carried out. Methods To assess the factor validity and reliability of this Telugu version, 120 participants with moderate to profound intellectual disability (94 men and 26 women, mean age 25.2, SD 7.1) were rated by the staff of the Lebenshilfe Institution for Mentally Handicapped in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. Rating data were analysed with a confirmatory factor analysis. The internal consistency was estimated by Cronbach's alpha. To confirm the test–retest reliability, 50 participants were rated twice with an interval of 4 weeks, and 50 were rated by pairs of raters to assess inter-rater reliability. Results Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) was equal to 0.06, the comparative fit index (CFI) was equal to 0.77, and the Tucker Lewis index (TLI) was equal to 0.77, which indicated that the model with five correlated factors had a good fit. Coefficient alpha ranged from 0.85 to 0.92 across the five subscales. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients for inter-rater reliability tests ranged from 0.65 to 0.75, and the correlations for test–retest reliability ranged from 0.58 to 0.76. All reliability coefficients were statistically significant (P < 0.01). Conclusion The factor validity and reliability of Telugu version of the ABC-C evidenced factor validity and reliability comparable to the original English version and appears to be useful for assessing behaviour disorders in Indian people with intellectual disabilities.