Introduction
The How Is Your Family Brief Scale for Adolescents is a 14-item self-report scale that assesses family functioning from the adolescent's point of view. It measures communication and connection with the father, the mother and the nuclear family. The W. K. Kellogg Foundation developed it in 1996, in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
The scale, known in Spanish as ¿Cómo es tu familia? (abbreviated version), looks at family characteristics that protect adolescents from risky behaviors. This guide explains its items, scoring and evidence.
Key Features of the How Is Your Family? Brief Scale for Adolescents
Purpose and Use
The scale identifies key indicators of family health and their effects on adolescent well-being. It serves as a rapid screening tool for family functioning in public health, community and primary care settings.
Target Population
The scale is intended for adolescents aged 10 to 19.
Structure
The scale has 14 items in three subscales:
Subscale
What it covers
Items
Communication-Connection with the Father
Daily conversation, satisfaction with communication, ease of expressing feelings, feeling understood and confiding in difficult situations
1–5
Communication-Connection with the Mother
The same five aspects of the relationship with the mother
6–10
Communication-Connection with the Nuclear Family
Sharing a daily meal, weekly family activities, spending free time together and sharing household tasks
11–14
Scoring Method
Each item is scored by how often the behavior or feeling occurs:
Response
Score
Never
0
Very rarely
0
Sometimes
1
Frequently
2
Almost always
2
Subscale scores: add the items in each subscale.Missing items: all questions must be answered.Higher values indicate better communication with the family. The scale does not use clinical cut-off scores.
Administration Format
The scale is a short self-report questionnaire. Adolescents think about how things are in their family at present and mark their answers.
Applications of the How Is Your Family? Brief Scale for Adolescents
The scale supports several uses:
Public health screening: identifying family-related risks to adolescent health.Primary care and community settings: rapid administration in community and primary care.Research: studying family functioning, especially in Latin American and Latino populations.Languages and availability
The scale was first published in Spanish in the Kellogg Foundation's Familia y adolescencia manual and PAHO's abbreviated instrument manual. An English version appears in PAHO's Latino Families and Youth compendium of assessment tools.
The scale is free; researchers should use proper citation.
Reliability and Validity
According to the PAHO compendium, the scale has an internal consistency of 0.80. The reliability of the subscales is not specified, but the three subscales explain 79% of the variation in adolescents' perceptions of their families.
Validation studies:
Familia y adolescencia: indicadores de salud. Manual de aplicación de instrumentos: linkLatino Families and Youth: a compendium of assessment tools (2013): linkLimitations and Considerations
Keep these points in mind:
Limited psychometric detail: specific psychometric details remain mainly within the original manuals, and subscale reliability is not reported.No cut-offs: the scale does not use clinical cut-off scores.Complete answers needed: all questions must be answered for scoring.Other Versions And Related Questionnaires
The How Is Your Family? Brief Scale for Parents is an 11-item companion version for parents. The scale is an abbreviated adaptation of a more extensive assessment battery.
A related questionnaire is the McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD) General Functioning subscale, a similar brief measure of overall family health.
Additional Resources
The PAHO Latino Families and Youth compendium: linkFor inquiries, contact the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, 1 Michigan Ave. East, Battle Creek, MI 49017, at conciergedesk@wkkf.org, or visit the PAHO website.Browse more pediatrics questionnaires in the ResRef database.Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What does the How Is Your Family? Brief Scale for Adolescents measure?It measures family functioning from the adolescent's view: communication and connection with the father, with the mother and with the nuclear family as a whole, across 14 items.
How is the scale scored?Never and very rarely score 0, sometimes scores 1, and frequently and almost always score 2. The items in each subscale are added, and higher values mean better family communication.
Who can complete the scale?The scale is intended for adolescents aged 10 to 19. All questions must be answered for the scale to be scored.
Is the How Is Your Family? scale free?Yes. According to the PAHO compendium, the scale is free, and researchers should use proper citation of the original Kellogg Foundation and PAHO manuals.
A Word from ResRef About the How Is Your Family? Brief Scale for Adolescents
The How Is Your Family? Brief Scale for Adolescents stands as a commendable effort by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and PAHO to create a culturally attuned instrument for assessing family dynamics. Its brevity is a key strength for field research and clinical screening. While specific psychometric details remain within the original manuals, its use in academic literature, especially in Latin American contexts, highlights its value as a practical, accessible measure of an essential social determinant of health: the family environment.
References
Fundación W. K. Kellogg. (1996). Familia y adolescencia: Indicadores de salud. Manual de aplicación de instrumentos. http://www.paho.org/Spanish/HPP/HPF/ADOL/Family.pdfOrganización Panamericana de la Salud. (1999). Familia y adolescencia: Indicadores de salud. Manual de aplicación de instrumentos e instrumento abreviado. https://www.paho.org/es/documentos/familia-adolescencia-indicadores-salud-manual-aplicacion-instrumentosPan American Health Organization. (2013). Latino families and youth: A compendium of assessment tools. https://www.paho.org/sites/default/files/MeasurementManual_English.pdf