Protocol - Quality of the Childs Home Environment
Description
The Home Observational Measurement of the Environment is a 38-item questionnaire that evaluates the quality of a child’s home environment filled out by the child’s primary caregiver. The questions vary based on the age of the child.
Specific Instructions
Researchers are advised to direct respondents to note the age range in each question and only respond to questions geared toward the ages of the child being assessed.
Availability
Protocol
1. If your child is age 0 - 2: About how often does your child have a chance to get out of the house?
[ ] A few times a month or less
[ ] About once a week
[ ] A few times a week
[ ] 4 or more times a week
[ ] Every day
2. About how many childrens books does this child have?
[ ] None
1-2[ ]books
3-9[ ]books
10-19[ ]books
[ ] 20 or more books
3. If your child is less than 10 years old: How often do you or another adult in your home get a chance to read stories to your child?
[ ] Never
[ ] Several times a year
[ ] Several times a month
[ ] Once a week
[ ] About 3 times a week
[ ] Everyday
4. If your child is less than 6 years old: About how often do you or another adult in your home take your child to the grocery store?
[ ] Hardly ever
[ ] Once a month
[ ] Once a week
[ ] Twice a week or more
5. If your child is less than 3 years old: About how many, if any, cuddly, soft or role - playing toys (like a doll) does your child have? (May be shared with sister or brother.)
_____________
6. If your child is less than 3 years old: About how many, if any, push or pull toys does your child have?
(May be shared with sister or brother.)
_________
7. How often does this child eat a meal with family members?
[ ] Never
[ ] Once a month or less often
[ ] Once a week
[ ] Several times a week
[ ] Once a day
[ ] More than once a day
8. If your child is less than 3 years old: Children seem to demand attention when their parents are busy, doing housework, for example.
How often do you talk to your child while you are working?
[ ] Never talk to child when Im working
[ ] Rarely talk to child when Im working
[ ] Sometimes talk to child when Im working
[ ] Often talk to child when Im working
[ ] Always talk to child when Im working
9. If your child is less than 10 years old: Sometimes kids mind pretty well and sometimes they dont.
About how many times, if any, have you had to spank your child in the past week? ______
10. If your child is age 3-5: About how many magazines does your family get regularly?
[ ] None
[ ] One
[ ] Two
[ ] Three
[ ] Four or more
11. If your child is age 3-5: Does your child have the use of an iPod, iPhone, or other device to play music?
(May be shared with sister or brother.)
[ ] No
[ ] Yes
12. If your child is age 3-5: Are you (or another adult or older child in the home) helping your child learn numbers?
[ ] Never
[ ] Once a month or less often
[ ] Once a week
[ ] Several times a week
[ ] Once a day or more
13. If your child is age 3-5: Are you (or another adult or older child in the home) helping your child learn the alphabet?
[ ] Never
[ ] Once a month or less often
[ ] Once a week
[ ] Several times a week
[ ] Once a day or more
14. If your child is age 3-5: Are you (or another adult or older child in the home) helping your child learn colors?
[ ] Never
[ ] Once a month or less often
[ ] Once a week
[ ] Several times a week
[ ] Once a day or more
15. If your child is age 3-5: Are you (or another adult or older child in the home) helping your child learn shapes and sizes?
[ ] Never
[ ] Once a month or less often
[ ] Once a week
[ ] Several times a week
[ ] Once a day or more
16. If your child is age 3-5: How much choice is your child allowed in deciding what foods he/she eats at breakfast and lunch?
[ ] No choice
[ ] Little choice
[ ] Some choice
[ ] A great deal of choice
17. About how many hours are the TVs or other screens in your home in use each day? ________
If your child is age 3-5:
18. Most children get angry at their parents from time to time.
If your child got so angry that he/she hit you, what would you do?
Circle all that apply.
[ ] Hit him/her back
[ ] Send him/her to his/her room
[ ] Spank him/her
[ ] Talk to him/her
[ ] Ignore it
[ ] Give him/her household chore
[ ] Take away his/her allowance
[ ] Hold his/her hand until he/she was calm
[ ] Put him/her in a short "time out"
[ ] Other - please specify_____________
19. If your child is age 6 or older: Sometimes children get so angry at their parents that they say things like "I hate you" or swear in a temper tantrum.
If he/she got so angry that he/she said something like "I hate you" or swore at you, what would you do?
Please circle ALL actions you would take if this happened.
[ ] Ground him/her
[ ] Spank him/her
[ ] Talk with child
[ ] Give him or her household chore
[ ] Ignore it
[ ] Send him/her to room for more than one hour
[ ] Take away his/her allowance
[ ] Take away TV, phone, or other privileges
[ ] Put him/her in a short ‘time out’
[ ] Other – please specify ______________________________________
20. If your child is age 3 or older: How often has any family member taken or arranged to take him/her to any type of museum (childrens, scientific, art, historical, etc.) within the past year?
[ ] Never
[ ] Once or twice
[ ] Several times
[ ] About once a month or more
[ ] About once a week or more
21. If your child is age 6 or older: How often is he/she expected to make his/her own bed?
[ ] Almost never
[ ] Less than half the time
[ ] Half the time
[ ] More than half the time
[ ] Almost always
22. If your child is age 6 or older: How often is he/she expected to clean his/her own room?
[ ] Almost never
[ ] Less than half the time
[ ] Half the time
[ ] More than half the time
[ ] Almost always
23. If your child is age 6-9: How often is he/she expected to clean up after spills?
[ ] Almost never
[ ] Less than half the time
[ ] Half the time
[ ] More than half the time
[ ] Almost always
24. If your child is age 6-9: How often is he/she expected to bathe him/herself?
[ ] Almost never
[ ] Less than half the time
[ ] Half the time
[ ] More than half the time
[ ] Almost always
25. If your child is age 6 or older: How often is he/she expected to pick up after himself/herself?
[ ] Almost never
[ ] Less than half the time
[ ] Half the time
[ ] More than half the time
[ ] Almost always
26. If your child is age 10 or older: How often is he/she expected to keep shared living areas clean and straight?
[ ] Almost never
[ ] Less than half the time
[ ] Half the time
[ ] More than half the time
[ ] Almost always
27. If your child is age 10 or older: How often is he/she expected to do routine chores such as mow the lawn, help with dinner, wash dishes, etc.?
[ ] Almost never
[ ] Less than half the time
[ ] Half the time
[ ] More than half the time
[ ] Almost always
28. If your child is age 10 or older: How often is he/she expected to help manage his/her own time (get up on time, be ready for school, etc.?)
[ ] Almost never
[ ] Less than half the time
[ ] Half the time
[ ] More than half the time
[ ] Almost always
29. If your child is age 6 or older: Is there a musical instrument (for example, piano, drum, guitar, etc.) that he/she can use at home?
[ ] No
[ ] Yes
30. Does your family have reliable access to the Internet?
[ ] No
[ ] Yes
31. If your child is age 3 or older: Does your family have a computer that he/she has access to?
[ ] No
[ ] Yes
32. If your child is age 6 or older: About how often does he/she read for enjoyment?
[ ] Never
[ ] Several times a year
[ ] Several times a month
[ ] Several times a week
[ ] Every day
33. If your child is age 6 or older: Does your family encourage him/her to start and keep doing hobbies?
[ ] No
[ ] Yes
34. If your child is age 6 or older: Does he/she get special lessons or belong to any organization that encourages activities such as sports, music, art, dance, drama, etc.?
[ ] No
[ ] Yes
35. If your child is age 6 or older: How often has a family member taken or arranged to take him/her to any type of musical or theatrical performance within the past year?
[ ] Never
[ ] Once or twice
[ ] Several times
[ ] About once a month or more
[ ] About once a week or more
36. About how often does your whole family get together with relatives or friends?
[ ] Once a year or less
[ ] A few times a year
[ ] Once a month
[ ] Two or three times a month
[ ] Once a week or more
37. About how often does he/she spend time with you or another adult in the home in outdoor activities?
[ ] Never
[ ] A few times a year or less
[ ] Once a month
[ ] Once a week
[ ] At least 4 times a week
[ ] Once a day or more often
38. If your child is age 6 or older: When your family watches TV or view content online, do you or another adult in the home discuss TV programs or content with him/her?
[ ] No
[ ] Yes
Scoring
The total raw score for the HOME-SF is a simple summation of the recorded individual item scores and it varies by age group, as the number of individual items varies according to the age of the child. The procedure used to recode non-dichotomous responses into a 1,0 form is documented in Appendix A. The data transformation process used in all survey years was essentially the same.
The total HOME-SF score and the two subscores have one implied decimal place. For example, a score of 30 in the public data file is really 3, and so on. In addition, total scores were imputed for children where one or more of the component items had inadvertently been left unanswered. The imputation procedure assigns an average value, derived from all those items that had been completed, to each of the unanswered items. Proration flag variables specify the number of items that require imputation for the different age groups; a score of zero on this proration flag variable means that all individual component items were answered. Since the maximum number of missing items in the early paper questionnaire survey rounds can range up to a total of 26, users may wish to check the flags that indicate the total number of missing items (HOMEFA-Dyyyy) for the extent of imputation applied in the total score. For the two subscores specified below, a more stringent proration rule was followed: scores were derived only for cases where no more than one item was missing.
Recoding of HOME Items. Prior to constructing an overall score and the two subscores for the HOME-SF, all of the individual items were translated into dichotomous zero-one variables and then summed. The precise recoding used in computing the HOME scores can be found in Appendix A. The dichotomous HOME items, available for on the public data file, are assigned respectively to the following areas of interest:
ASSESSMENT 1996 (C17600.01-C17600.89)
ASSESSMENT 1998 (C18996.00-C19084.00)
ASSESSMENT 2000 (C25061.00-C25149.00)
ASSESSMENT 2002 (C25344.00-C25432.00)
ASSESSMENT 2004 (C28047.00-C28135.00)
ASSESSMENT 2006 (C31140.00-C31220.00)
ASSESSMENT 2008 (C36182.00-C36262.00)
ASSESSMENT 2010 (C39970.00-C40050.00)
ASSESSMENT 2012 (C55408.00-C55488.00)
ASSESSMENT 2014 (C58161.00-C58231.00)
Cognitive Stimulation and Emotional Support subscales. In addition to the overall HOME-SF score, the Child file includes two subscores: a cognitive stimulation and emotional support score. The (questionnaire item) components of the total scale, as well as cognitive stimulation and emotional support subscales are specified in the HOME Appendix A. Because there are no appropriate national norms available for the overall HOME-SF score or its components, internally normed standard and percentile scores are provided for the overall HOME-SF scores and for the cognitive stimulation and emotional support subscores.
The HOME Discipline Items. Several of the HOME-SF items required review and coding of verbatim comments from the mother in order to fully utilize the responses originally coded as "other." The HOME-SF Part B (for children 3-5) contains items concerning the mothers response to the child hitting her (question HOME-B08B starting in 2002). Part C (for children 6-9) and Part D (for children 10-14) of the HOME-SF contain items concerning the mothers response to the child saying "I hate you" or swearing at her in a tantrum (question series HOME-C22B and HOME-D21B respectively, starting in 2002). These items are recoded "1" if the parents response is moderate, defined as without harsh reprisal. NOTE: For question names prior to 2002, users should search on "spank" using Word in Title in NLS Investigator.
The discipline item for children ages 3-5 contributes to the HOME-SF scale scores only when certain alternatives ("send to room," "talk," "ignore," and "give a chore") are selected and the "other" alternative is without harsh reprisal--that is, if a mild reaction is the first response. The discipline item is scored zero if any of the following are selected: "hit," "spank," or the "other" alternative is harsh. Harshness is defined as either extensive or excessive deprivation (time-out longer than two hours; deprivation longer than two days) or physical punishment (firmly grasping the child, spanking then talking, or talking then spanking).
The HOME discipline item for children 6 and older was scored in a similar manner. Yelling back and withdrawal of love were assigned a value of "1" if there was no indication of a severe or physical response. The item is scored zero if "spanking" is selected or if the "other" alternative is excessive (longer than three hours of time-out; longer than three days of deprivation) or if physical means ("eat soap") are the first types of punishment selected. Examples of verbatim scores as harsh are "break him up," "spank and ground for two weeks," and "spank then explain why." If the length of time was not specified ("send to room"), then it was assumed to be a moderate amount of time, so scoring the item was mild. Other examples of verbatims scored non-harsh are "never happens," "depends on the situation," "stand in corner until apologizes." Another example of a mild response (conveying no harsh discipline) was "give him something to eat." A few other verbatims should be noted. Some mothers selected the "hit" category and commented, "Then say Im sorry," while others who checked "hit" said, "But not like Id hit an adult." The latter were scored as harsh and assigned a value of "0."
Personnel and Training Required
The interviewer must be trained to conduct personal interviews with individuals from the general population. The interviewer must be trained and found to be competent (i.e., tested by an expert) at the completion of personal interviews. The interviewer should be trained to prompt respondents further if a “don’t know” response is provided.
Equipment Needs
The PhenX Working Group acknowledges these questions can be administered in a computerized or noncomputerized format (i.e., paper-and-pencil instrument). Computer software is necessary to develop computer-assisted instruments. The interviewer will require a laptop computer/handheld computer to administer a computer-assisted questionnaire
Requirements
| Requirement Category | Required |
|---|---|
| Major equipment | No |
| Specialized training | No |
| Specialized requirements for biospecimen collection | No |
| Average time of greater than 15 minutes in an unaffected individual | No |
Mode of Administration
Interviewer-administered questionnaire
Lifestage
Infant, Toddler, Child
Participants
Parents of infants and young children
Selection Rationale
Quality of the home environment is a key factor in assessing pediatric development. The HOME assessment is one of the most used child assessments. It is widely employed both as an input, predicting many other child outcomes, and as an outcome in its own right.
Language
English
Standards
| Standard | Name | ID | Source |
|---|
Derived Variables
None
Process and Review
Not applicable.
Protocol Name from Source
Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME)-revised edition National Longitudinal Study of Youth Children & Young Adults
Source
Caldwell, B., & Bradley, R. (1984). Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME)-revised edition. Little Rock, AR: University of Arkansas, Little Rock.
General References
Jones, P. C., Pendergast, L. L., Schaefer, B. A., Rasheed, M., Svensen, E., Scharf, R., Shrestha, R., Maphula, A., Roshan, R., Rasmussen, Z., Seidman, J. C., Murray-Kolb, L. E., MAL-ED Network Investigators (2017). Measuring home environments across cultures: Invariance of the HOME scale across eight international sites from the MAL-ED study. Journal of school psychology, 64, 109-127.
Lai, W. W., O’Mahony, M., & Mulligan, A. (2018). The Home Observation Measure of the Environment is associated with symptoms of ADHD and oppositionality in a CAMHS sample. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 23(4), 503–513.
Protocol ID
301301
Variables
Export Variables| Variable Name | Variable ID | Variable Description | dbGaP Mapping | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Access_Musical_Instrument | ||||
| PX301301290000 | If your child is age 6 or older: Is there a more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Adult_Discuss_TVContent | ||||
| PX301301380000 | If your child is age 6 or older: When your more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Adult_Grocery_Store | ||||
| PX301301040000 | If your child is less than 6 years old: more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Adult_Help_Toddler_Learn_Alphabet | ||||
| PX301301130000 | If your child is age 3-5: Are you (or more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Adult_Help_Toddler_Learn_Colors | ||||
| PX301301140000 | If your child is age 3-5: Are you (or more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Adult_Help_Toddler_Learn_Numbers | ||||
| PX301301120000 | If your child is age 3-5: Are you (or more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Adult_Help_Toddler_Learn_Shapes | ||||
| PX301301150000 | If your child is age 3-5: Are you (or more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Adult_Museum | ||||
| PX301301200000 | If your child is age 3 or older: How often more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Adult_Read_Stories | ||||
| PX301301030000 | If your child is less than 10 years old: How more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Adult_Spend_Time_Outdoor | ||||
| PX301301370000 | About how often does he/she spend time with more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Expected_Clean_Room | ||||
| PX301301220000 | If your child is age 6 or older: How often more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Expected_Clean_Shared_Areas | ||||
| PX301301260000 | If your child is age 10 or older: How often more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Expected_Clean_Spills | ||||
| PX301301230000 | If your child is age 6-9: How often is more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Expected_Make_Bed | ||||
| PX301301210000 | If your child is age 6 or older: How often more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Expected_Manage_Time | ||||
| PX301301280000 | If your child is age 10 or older: How often more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Expected_Pickup_After_Themself | ||||
| PX301301250000 | If your child is age 6 or older: How often more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Expected_Routine_Chores | ||||
| PX301301270000 | If your child is age 10 or older: How often more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Expected_Self_Bathe | ||||
| PX301301240000 | If your child is age 6-9: How often is more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Family_Computer_Access | ||||
| PX301301310000 | If your child is age 3 or older: Does your more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Family_Encourage_Hobbies | ||||
| PX301301330000 | If your child is age 6 or older: Does your more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Family_Member_Theater | ||||
| PX301301350000 | If your child is age 6 or older: How often more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Family_Reliable_AccessInternet | ||||
| PX301301300000 | Does your family have reliable access to the more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Frequency_Family_Relatives_Friends | ||||
| PX301301360000 | About how often does your whole family get more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Hours_TV | ||||
| PX301301170000 | About how many hours are the TVs or other more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Infant_Outside | ||||
| PX301301010000 | If your child is age 0-2: About how often more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Lessons_Organization_Sports | ||||
| PX301301340000 | If your child is age 6 or older: Does he/she more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Meals_Family | ||||
| PX301301070000 | How often does this child eat a meal with more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Number_Childrens_Books | ||||
| PX301301020000 | About how many children's books does this more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Number_Push_Pull_Toys | ||||
| PX301301060000 | If your child is less than 3 years old: more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Number_Soft_Toys | ||||
| PX301301050000 | If your child is less than 3 years old: more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Read_Enjoyment | ||||
| PX301301320000 | If your child is age 6 or older: About how more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Swearing_Adult_Response | ||||
| PX301301190000 | If your child is age 6 or older: Sometimes more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Talk_Infant_While_Working | ||||
| PX301301080000 | If your child is less than 3 years old: more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Times_Spank | ||||
| PX301301090000 | If your child is less than 10 years old: more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Toddler_Anger_Hit | ||||
| PX301301180000 | If your child is age 3-5: Most children get more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Toddler_Choice_Breakfast_Lunch | ||||
| PX301301160000 | If your child is age 3-5: How much choice is more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Toddler_Number_Magazines | ||||
| PX301301100000 | If your child is age 3-5: About how many more | N/A | ||
| PX301301_Quality_Child_Home_Environment_Toddler_Use_Ipod | ||||
| PX301301110000 | If your child is age 3-5: Does your child more | N/A | ||
Measure Name
Quality of the Child''s Home Environment
Release Date
December 11, 2019
Definition
A questionnaire that evaluates the quality and extent of stimulation in a child’s home environment.
Purpose
The Home Observational Measurement of the Environment is a 38-item questionnaire that evaluates the quality of a child’s home environment which can have an affect on a child’s development.
Keywords
Pediatric Development, Home environment, cognitive stimulation, Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME)-revised edition
Measure Protocols
| Protocol ID | Protocol Name |
|---|---|
| 301301 | Quality of the Childs Home Environment |
Publications
There are no publications listed for this protocol.