AtHOME in Scotland: validation of the home observation for measurement of the environment inventory

Background This study used the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) Inventory to measure aspects of the quality and quantity of psychological stimulation and cognitive support available in the home environment of a sample of Scottish children and to examine the effectiveness of this measure in a British context. Methods Forty-seven families who had previously attended parent-training programmes at family centres were assessed. The Middle Childhood (MC) and Early Adolescent (EA) version of the HOME were used with children aged between 8 and 13 years old. Measures of family adversity were also taken. Results There were no significant differences in the demographics of the MC-HOME and EA-HOME groups nor in their total HOME scores. Total HOME scores were compared with independent measures of family adversity. The results of the MC-HOME and the EA-HOME were similar to results reported for socially deprived American samples. Discussion This Scottish sample had similar MC-HOME and EA-HOME scores as previously reported in American samples and the HOME scores related strongly to family adversity, supplying a proximal link between social conditions and the environment of children. These results suggest that the HOME Inventory is reliable and has concurrent validity with measures of social adversity in a British sample.