Brief self-report questionnaires that assess attenuated psychosis symptoms have the potential to quickly and effectively screen many people who may benefit from clinical monitoring or early intervention. The current study sought to examine and compare the criterion validities of attenuated symptoms screening tools with diagnoses obtained from the clinician-administered Structured Interview for Psychosis Risk Syndromes (SIPS). Three screening questionnaires (Prime Screen, Prodromal Questionnaire-Brief, and Youth Psychosis At-Risk Questionnaire-Brief) were administered just prior to the SIPS interview in a sample of adolescents and young adults seeking mental health services. Using thresholds recommended by instrument authors as well as empirically derived optimal thresholds, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and overall accuracy of each self-report measure with regard to SIPS diagnosis were obtained. Screeners correlated highly with the SIPS and demonstrated equivalent overall efficiency in capturing psychosis risk status. All three screeners appear to be useful and valid assessment tools for attenuated symptoms, with each instrument demonstrating relative benefits. The validation of attenuated symptoms screening tools is an important step toward enabling early, wide-reaching identification of individuals on a course toward psychotic illness. PMID:22921375

BACKGROUND: The National Health Service National Patient Survey Programme systematically gathers patients' experiences about the care they have recently received. Prioritising quality improvement activities in the accident and emergency (A&E) department requires that survey outcomes are meaningful and reliable. We aimed to determine which method of obtaining summary scores for the A&E department questionnaire optimally combined good interpretability with robust psychometric characteristics. METHODS: A&E department questionnaire data from 151 hospital trusts were analysed, covering 49 646 patients. Three methods of grouping and summarising items of the questionnaire were compared: principal components analysis (PCA); Department of Health dimensions; sections according to the patient's journey through the A&E department. The patient-level reliability of summary scores was determined by Cronbach's ? coefficients (threshold: ?>0.70), construct validity by Pearson's correlation coefficients, and the discriminative capacity by intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) and reliability of A&E-level mean scores. RESULTS: The PCA provided the best score reliability on six clear and interpretable composites: waiting time; doctors and nurses; your care and treatment; hygiene; information before discharge; overall. The discriminative power of the concepts was comparable for the three methods, with ICCs between 0.010 and 0.061. A&E sample sizes were adequate to obtain good to excellent reliability of A&E-level mean scores. CONCLUSIONS: The A&E department questionnaire is a valid and reliable questionnaire to assess patients' experiences with the A&E. The discriminative power of six summary scores offers a reliable comparison of healthcare performance between A&Es to increase patient centredness and quality of care. PMID:22942399

Nurses Health Study II Activity and Inactivity Questionnaire In: Wolf AM, Hunter DJ, Colditz GA, Manson JE, Stampfer MJ, Corsano KA, Rosner B, Kriska A, Willett WC. Reproducibility and validity of a self-administered physical activity questionnaire.

To review all specific questionnaires regarding quality of life in osteoporosis and to describe their distinctive indications, we searched Medline, the Scientific Electronic Library Online database, and the Latin-American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature database. Nine specific questionnaires related to osteoporosis quality of life were found: 1) the Women's Health Questionnaire, 2) Osteoporosis Quality of Life Questionnaire, 3) Osteoporosis Assessment Questionnaire, 4) Osteoporosis Functional Disability Questionnaire, 5) Quality of Life Questionnaire of the European Foundation for Osteoporosis, 6) Osteoporosis-Targeted Quality of Life Questionnaire, 7) Japanese Osteoporosis Quality of Life Questionnaire, 8) the 16-item Assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life in Osteoporosis, and 9) the Quality of Life Questionnaire in Osteoporosis (QUALIOSTTM). The Quality of Life Questionnaire of the European Foundation for Osteoporosis is the osteoporosis-specific questionnaire most commonly used in the literature. The Quality of Life Questionnaire of the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the Osteoporosis Quality of Life Questionnaire are targeted more toward fracture assessment, and the Osteoporosis Functional Disability Questionnaire can be used for longitudinal studies involving exercise. In the present study, the authors summarize all of the specific questionnaires for osteoporosis and demonstrate that these questionnaires should be selected based on the objectives to be evaluated. Osteoporosis-specific quality of life questionnaires should be validated in the language of the country of origin before being used.

The General Health Questionnair(GHQ) is frequently used as a measure of mental well-being with those people with values below a certain threshold regarded as suffering from mental stress. Comparison of mental stress levels across populations may then be sensitive to the chosen threshold. This paper ...

Abstract There is currently no questionnaire available that comprehensively assesses patients' understanding, self-efficacy and satisfaction with the education component of pulmonary rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to develop the Understanding COPD (UCOPD) questionnaire. The key stages in the development of the UCOPD questionnaire were: (i) Generation of questions, and assessment of face and content validity, user-centredness, acceptability and feasibility; (ii) Assessment of plain English and readability; (iii) Assessment of structural validity; (iv) Assessment of test-retest reliability and internal consistency; (v) Assessment of the responsiveness, convergent validity and floor and ceiling effects. The UCOPD questionnaire assesses understanding, self-efficacy and use of key se...

Objective. To revise, validate and test for reliability an anal sphincter rupture questionnaire in relation to construct, content and face validity. Setting and background. Since 1996 women with anal sphincter rupture (ASR) at one of the public university hospitals in Copenhagen, Denmark have been offered pelvic floor muscle examination and instruction by a specialist physiotherapist. In relation to that, a non-validated questionnaire about anal and urinary incontinence was to be answered six months after childbirth. Method. The original questionnaire was revised and a pilot test was performed among health care personnel, followed by an expert panel discussion. Ten women were interviewed about their understanding and attitude toward answering the questionnaire and it was pre-tested on 52 women with ASR. The questionnaire was revised five times during the validation process. The final version was test-retested among 20 women with ASR. Results. The questionnaire revealed typical problems after ASR. The length, use of language, and the way the questionnaire was constructed, was deemed appropriate. The reliability test showed good to very good correlation (Kappa values from 0.733 to 0.923) in all main questions but one. Two questions needed further explanation. Seven women made minor errors. Conclusion. The validated Danish questionnaire has a good construct, content and face validity. It is a well accepted, reliable, simple and clinically relevant screening tool. It reveals physical problems including sexual problems, impact on quality of life and need for treatment among women 6-8 months after ASR.

In this paper, we report on the process of developing and validating a questionnaire to explore second language learners' preferences for two types of form-focused instruction (FFI): isolated and integrated FFI. Three types of evidence regarding the validity of the questionnaire were collected: content, reliability and construct. Content validity was obtained from expert judges and Cronbach's alpha was used to measure the internal consistency reliability of the isolated and integrated FFI scales. A principal components analysis was used to assess the construct validity of isolated and integrated FFI. The results indicated that the questionnaire was both a valid and reliable measure of isolated and integrated FFI. We conclude by discussing some of the ways in which the questionnaire has evolved since its use in this study, how it has been used in related research and plans for its implementation in future studies. (Contains 4 tables.)

Motion contrast thresholds for 0.4cycle/degree drifting Gabor stimuli were assessed at 15^o eccentricity in the right and left visual fields for 16 younger drivers (ages 24-42), and 15 older drivers (ages 65-84), using a temporal two-alternative forced choice staircase procedure. Two self-report questionnaires that assess failures of attention while driving-the Driver Perception Questionnaire (DPQ5), and an abridged Aging Driver Questionnaire (ADQ15)-were administered. The three UFOV subtests of attention and processing speed were also administered. Mean peripheral motion contrast threshold (PMCT) of older drivers was significantly higher than that of younger drivers. When controlling for age, PMCT thresholds correlated significantly with both DPQ5 and ADQ15 while the UFOV subtests were fo...

A large number of new states have been reported during the last few years in charmonium spectroscopy above the charmed meson production threshold. They have been called $X's$, $Y's$, and $Z's$. We reflect on the influence of thresholds on heavy meson spectroscopy comparing different flavor sectors and quantum numbers. The validity of a quark-model picture above open-flavor thresholds would severely restrict the number of channels that may lodge meson-meson molecules.

This paper focuses on a synthesis of the questionnaires from the 2003-2005 campaign of the French permanent survey on indoor air quality and presents the associated quality control system including quality code, missing data recovery and validation procedure.

Data Analysis Services .... Web-Based Services: Combined and Validated GPS Data Products and Data Browsing .... Quality and Consistency of the IGS Combined Products ...... questionnaire that gives a detailed description of the analysis.

Objectives: 1. To develop, test and refine a questionnaire collecting data on health care utilization in patients with diabetes. 2. To develop methods for a validation study quantifying the accuracy of self-reported health care utilization data. Methods: The questionnaire on health care utilization ...

BACKGROUND: Patient satisfaction questionnaires are increasingly used for assessing quality of care. AIM: To review the evidence for the reliability and validity of patient satisfaction questionnaires for out-of-hours care. DESIGN: Systematic review. SETTING: Primary care out-of-hours services. METH...

Evaluating interactive question answering (QA) systems with real users can be challenging because traditional evaluation measures based on the relevance of items returned are difficult to employ since relevance judgments can be unstable in multi-user evaluations. The work reported in this paper evaluates, in distinguishing among a set of interactive QA systems, the effectiveness of three questionnaires: a Cognitive Workload Questionnaire (NASA TLX), and Task and System Questionnaires customized to a specific interactive QA application. These Questionnaires were evaluated with four systems, seven analysts, and eight scenarios during a 2-week workshop. Overall, results demonstrate that all three Questionnaires are effective at distinguishing among systems, with the Task Questionnaire being the most sensitive. Results also provide initial support for the validity and reliability of the Questionnaires.

Assessment of physical activity in a free-living environment is important for understanding relations between physical activity and health and determining the effectiveness of interventions. Techniques include behavioral observation, questionnaires in the form of diaries, recall questionnaires and interviews, and physiological markers like heart rate, calorimetry, and motion sensors. The doubly labeled water method has become the gold standard for the validation of field methods of assessing physical activity. Then, questionnaires show a low reliability and validity but can be adequately applied as an activity-ranking instrument. The heart rate requires individual calibration to be an effective method to assess physical activity only at group level. The indicated method for the assessment ...

This article reports the development, translation, validation and application of a modified Arabic version of a modified form of the What Is Happening In this Class? (WIHIC) questionnaire. When parallel Arabic and English versions of this questionnaire were field tested with a sample of 763 college students in 82 classes, the WIHIC exhibited sound factorial validity and internal consistency reliability for both its actual and preferred forms, and the actual form differentiated between the perceptions of students in different classrooms. Comparison of students' scores on actual and preferred forms of the questionnaires revealed that students preferred a more positive classroom environment on all scales.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of changing the response labels of a teacher rating scale in a population-based study of ADHD. Method: For parents, the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children, which asks whether each of 18 symptoms occurred "often" in the past year, was used. For teachers, most scales use a 4-point scale, with "often" and "very often" as the two highest categories. To make the two instruments more compatible, the authors created a teacher rating scale with "often" as the highest category. Teachers rated more than 6,000 elementary school students using this instrument. Some teachers completed ratings using both questionnaire formats. Results: The scale's internal consistency, convergent validity, and test-retest reliability are excellent. The factor structure is consistent with established "DSM-IV"-based instruments. Response category choices influence the proportion of children exceeding symptom and impairment thresholds. Conclusion: Altering the response scale does not degrade the psychometric properties of the instrument but makes important differences in the sample. (Contains 6 tables and 4 figures.)

Aims and objectives.? To assess reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire. Background.? Pain is one of the most frequent and significant problems encountered by nurses practice across the world. The Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire was widely translated and used to assess the pain experience of several types of patients because it combines the properties of the standard McGill Pain Questionnaire but takes substantially less time to administer. Design.? The study used psychometric testing to establish reliability and validity of the Turkish version of Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire. Methods.? A convenience sample of 160 patients with leukaemia in Turkey was used to collect data regarding pain evaluation. The original version of the Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire, adapted into Turkish, was tested for internal consistency, content validity, construct validity and concurrent validity. Results.? Internal consistency was found adequate at both assessments with Cronbach's ? 0·88 for test and 0·91 for retest. For reliability of the total, sensory, affective and evaluative total pain intensity, high intraclass correlations were demonstrated (0·85, 0·84, 0·82 and 0·70, respectively). Correlation of total, sensory and affective score with the numerical rating scale was tested for construct validity demonstrating r?=?0·61 (p?Turkish version of the Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire has shown statistically acceptable levels of reliability and validity for pain evaluation in patients with leukaemia. Relevance to clinical practice.? This study provided evidence that the Turkish version of the Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing pain. This scale can be used to assess nursing interventions aimed at decreasing pain and efficacy of the treatment. PMID:22686194

BACKGROUND: The Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) was constructed in Sweden. This questionnaire has proved to be valid for several orthopedic interventions of the knee. It has been formally translated and validated in several languages, but not yet in Dutch. The purpose of the pres...

Hit rates obtained in two cross-validation administrations of the Leisure Activity Questionnaire (LAQ) and the Paragraphs about Leisure (PAL) were determined. It was concluded that use of PAL, with results reported in terms of factor scores, is in the most valid and parsimonious measurement strategy of those investigated. (Author/BW)

This paper provides a theoretical review of self-rated competences questionnaires. This topic is influenced by the ongoing world-wide reform of higher education, which has led to a focus on the learner outcomes of higher education. Consequently, questionnaires on self-rated competences have increasingly been employed. However, self-ratings are often criticised for their lack of validity. Our intention is to outline some principles of good questionnaire design and to use these principles to contrast questionnaires on self-rated competences. We begin with an overview of research about questionnaire design. Then we introduce seven questionnaires and portray them in terms of their design characteristics. A comparison reveals some significant points: biographical data need to be handled more ca...

INTRODUCTION: The objective of the present study was to validate the Spanish version of the SAQLI, which is a health-related quality of life (HRQL) questionnaire specific for sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (SAHS), and to assess its sensitivity to change. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A multicenter study performed in a group of patients with SAHS (apnea-hypopnea index [AHI] ?5) who had been referred to the centers' Sleep Units. All patients completed the following questionnaires: SF-36, FOSQ, SAQLI and Epworth scale. The psychometric properties (internal consistency, construct validity, concurrent validity, predictive value, repeatability and responsiveness to change) of the SAQLI were assessed (four domains: daily function, social interactions, emotional function and symptoms; an optional fifth domain is treatment-related symptoms). RESULTS: One hundred sixty-two patients were included for study (mean age: 58±12; Epworth: 10±4; BMI: 33±5.9kg m(-2); AHI: 37±15hour(-1)). The factorial analysis showed a construct of four factors with similar distribution to the original questionnaire domains. Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha between 0.78 and 0.82 for the different domains), concurrent validity for SF-36, Epworth scale and FOSQ, and test-retest reliability were appropriate. The predictive validity of the questionnaire showed no significant correlations with the severity of SAHS. SAQLI showed good sensitivity to change in all the domains of the questionnaire (p<0,01). CONCLUSIONS: The Spanish version of the SAQLI is a valid HRQL measurement with appropriate psychometric properties for use in patients with SAHS and it is sensitive to change. PMID:22766420

Given that a medical practice exists for patients, it is worth determining the degree of patient satisfaction with regard to the medical practice's quality of care. Considering the importance of noticing patient satisfaction and its influence on clinical care, intense evaluation of a questionnaire's validity and reliability is essential. The purpose of this study was to establish a valid and reliable self-administered scale to measure patient satisfaction with fewer questions than previous scales applicable in medical settings in Japan. A qualitative method was used to develop and revise content-valid question items of the questionnaire. Factor analysis revealed five subscales among 12 items: “overall satisfaction”, “complete examination”, “patient centeredness”, “examination time”, and “whole person care”. A test of internal consistency was also assessed. The concurrent validity was assessed to evaluate the association between the score of the current questionnaire and that of the visual analogue scale or other questionnaire. Agreement between two sets of score, scores just after consultation and 30-50 min after that, was assessed to evaluate the test-retest reliability of each question item. The results revealed satisfactory validity, including the content and concurrent validity, internal consistency (Cronback alpha = 0.77-0.85), and the test-retest reliability of our questionnaire (Kappa score = 0.61-0.71). In conclusion, we have developed a short-form self-administered patient satisfaction questionnaire applicable in Japan, with acceptable validity and reliability. This questionnaire may contribute to conducting further studies related to patient subjective responses to encounters in Japanese medical settings, and evaluating and improving the clinical interview skills of medical students or trainees in medical education.   

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common, treatable movement disorder that often remains undiagnosed despite clinically manifest symptoms. Screening for parkinsonism could lead to improved detection and earlier treatment, and facilitate research studies of PD prevalence. In order to determine the feasibility of screening, this study evaluated the validity of previously developed screening questionnaires. We systematically searched online databases PubMed and EMBASE for English-language studies published between 1980 and 2009. In each database a "Parkinson(s) disease" or "parkinsonism" term was combined with a screening term ("screening instrument," "screening questionnaire," "screen" or "prevalence survey") and a validity term ("validation," "sensitivity" and "specificity"). Included st...

Purpose To develop and validate a research tool to measure the youth friendliness of primary care services from a client's perspective. Methods The questionnaire was initially developed in English, but as it was to be used in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), it was validated in the language of this country. Items were adapted from two sources: a reproductive health services quality improvement questionnaire from the World Health Organization, and an Australian survey used to assess youth-friendly primary care services. An English-speaking international panel reviewed the list of items for face validity. After translation–back translation, the questionnaire was pretested with adolescent patients from a family practice in BiH. The stability and construct validation were then conducted wi...

Scand J Caring Sci; 2012 Psychometric properties of the Swedish version of the selection, optimization, compensation questionnaire Background:? The model of selection, optimization and compensation has been proposed as a model of adaptive management strategies throughout the lifespan. Aim:? The aim of this study was to test the psychometric properties of a translated Swedish version of the 12-item selection, optimization, and compensation (SOC) questionnaire. Method:? The 12-item SOC questionnaire is composed of four subscales: elective selection (ES), loss-based selection, optimization and compensation. A convenience sample of 122 Swedish-speaking people, aged 19-85, participated in a study of the validity and reliability of the SOC questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha coefficient, corrected item-total correlation and Cronbach's alpha if item deleted were used for reliability testing. Two other scales, the ways of coping questionnaire and Rosenberg's self-esteem scale, were used to test convergent validity, and the geriatric depression scale was used to test discriminant validity. Stability over time was evaluated using a test-retest model with a 2-week interval. Results:? The 12-item SOC questionnaire showed a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.50, and the subscales ranged from ??=?0.16 to ??=?0.64. Two items in the ES subscale had negative values on the corrected item-total correlation and showed substantial improvement (>0.05) in Cronbach's alpha when item deleted. When these two items that influenced internal consistency were deleted, Cronbach's alpha rose to 0.68. Conclusion:? The Swedish version of the 12-item SOC questionnaire showed deficiencies in a test of internal consistency because of two items in the ES subscale, and these two items were deleted. A consequence of the reduction is a weakening of the ES subscale and thereby to some extent the SOC questionnaire in total. Further testing is advisable. However, the 10-item SOC questionnaire was acceptable in a test of validity and reliability. PMID:22671769

Scand J Caring Sci; 2012 Validation of a Disease-Specific Questionnaire for Measuring Parent-Reported Health-Related Quality of Life in Children with Allergies Purpose:? To evaluate the properties and suitability of a disease-specific questionnaire to assess parent-reported health-related quality of life (HRQL) of children and parents of children suffering from food hypersensitivity (FHS) or allergy to furred pets (AFP). Methods:? The parents of 202 children with FHS and of 131 children with AFP filled in questionnaires comprising the CHQ-PF28 and the Food-Pet-Allergy in Children (FPAC) Questionnaire. Psychometric properties of the FPAC questionnaire were evaluated separately for FHS and AFP. Results:? Analyses resulted in five proposed scales: Limitations of Family/Child Activities (I), Parents' Distress (II), Child's Emotions (III), Child in School (IV) and Family Conflicts (V). Convergent/discriminant validity for scales I, II and III of both questionnaires was high; for scale IV it was moderate. All five FHS and four AFP scales were able to distinguish significantly between children with and without clinical allergy symptoms (known-group validity). Internal consistency reliability was good for scales I, II and III, but poor for scale IV. Conclusion:? Three valid scales were determined for both FHS and AFP (Limitations of Family/Child Activities, Parents' Distress and Child's Emotions) and can be used in clinical research. PMID:22420368

Background The Multiple Sclerosis International Quality Of Life (MusiQoL) questionnaire, a 31-item, multidimensional, self-administrated questionnaire that is available in 14 languages including Spanish, has been validated using a large international sample. We investigated the validity and reliability of the Spanish version of MusiQoL in Spain. Methods Consecutive patients with different types and severities of multiple sclerosis (MS) were recruited from 22 centres across Spain. All patients completed the MusiQoL questionnaire, the 36-Item Short Form (SF-36) health survey, and a symptoms checklist at baseline and 21 days later. External validity, internal consistency, reliability and reproducibility were tested. Results A total of 224 Spanish patients were evaluated. Dimensions of MusiQoL generally demonstrated a high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha: 0.70-0.92 for all but two MusiQoL domain scores). External validity testing revealed that the MusiQoL index score correlated significantly with all SF-36 dimension scores (Pearson's correlation: 0.46-0.76), reproducibility was satisfactory (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.60-0.91), acceptability was high, and the time taken to complete the 31-item questionnaire was reasonable (mean [standard deviation]: 9.8 [11.8] minutes). Conclusions The Spanish version of the MusiQoL questionnaire appears to be a valid and reliable instrument for measuring quality of life in patients with MS in Spain and constitutes a useful instrument to measure health-related quality of life in the clinical setting. PMID:16109362

A lot of research has been done into the motivations in teachers in primary/secondary education and into student motivation. However, teachers' motivations for teaching in higher education are rarely studied. A growing interest exists though in the professional development of teachers in higher education, of which motivation is an important aspect. This article, therefore, focuses on the development and validation of a Dutch questionnaire for teachers' motivations for teaching in higher education. The questionnaire is based on three earlier developed questionnaires, including the following motivational aspects: efficacy, interest, and effort. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted with the data of 231 higher education teachers. The results of our explorative study showed that after modifications, including the removal of two out of three efficacy-aspects ("outcome efficacy" and "teaching efficacy"), this instrument is sufficiently reliable and valid to use in educational practice and research. Future research into the use of the questionnaire in different contexts is desirable.

Aims and objectives.- To assess reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire. Background.- Pain is one of the most frequent and significant problems encountered by nurses practice across the world. The Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire was widely translated and used to assess the pain experience of several types of patients because it combines the properties of the standard McGill Pain Questionnaire but takes substantially less time to administer. Design.- The study used psychometric testing to establish reliability and validity of the Turkish version of Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire. Methods.- A convenience sample of 160 patients with leukaemia in Turkey was used to collect data regarding pain evaluation. The original version of the...

R?sum? Objectif| ?valuer ? l?aide de questionnaires valid?s les sympt?mes li?s au prolapsus, la qualit? de vie et la sexualit? des patientes avant et apr?s chirurgie du prolapsus g?nital et en d?duire si la qualit? de vie pr?op?ratoire pourrait ?tre un crit?re d?cisionnel pour la chirurgie. Mat?riel et m?thodes| De novembre 2009 ? avril 2010, 16 patientes op?r?es pour prolapsus g?nital de grade sup?rieur ou ?gal ? 2 (POP-Q classification) ont ?t? ?valu?es prospectivement par trois questionnaires de qualit? de vie (pelvic floor distress inventory [PFDI-20], pelvic floor impact questionnaire [PFIQ-7] et pelvic organ prolaps/urinary incontinence sexual questionnaire [PISQ-12]). Les donn?es ?taient recueillies la veille de l?intervention et six semaines apr?s l?intervention. R?sultats| Onze pa...

There is a need to develop a questionnaire as a research tool for the evaluation of water balance in the general population. The water balance questionnaire (WBQ) was designed to evaluate water intake from fluid and solid foods and drinking water, and water loss from urine, faeces and sweat at sedentary conditions and physical activity. For validation purposes, the WBQ was administrated in 40 apparently healthy participants aged 22-57 years (37.5% males). Hydration indices in urine (24 h volume, osmolality, specific gravity, pH, colour) were measured through established procedures. Furthermore, the questionnaire was administered twice to 175 subjects to evaluate its reliability. Kendall's t-b and the Bland and Altman method were used to assess the questionnaire's validity and reliability. ...

IntroductionThe importance that prospective patients place on practice characteristics when choosing an orthodontic practice has not been extensively reported. The objective of this research was to develop a valid and reliable questionnaire to address the relative importance of orthodontic office and doctor characteristics for prospective patients or parents of child patients during the initial orthodontic office consultation. MethodsAn initial questionnaire, based on published literature, was field-tested on 16 subjects to assess its validity. Based on the field test, the questionnaire was modified and tested for reliability by using a test-retest method. The questionnaire covered the following areas: doctor, office, staff, and finances. The reliability study included 2 groups of subjects...

The development of a new adolescent alcohol and other drug abuse screening scale is summarized. The Personal Experience Screening Questionnaire (PESQ) is intended to meet the need for a quick, psychometrically adequate adolescent screening tool to measure the need for a comprehensive assessment. The development of the questionnaire's problem severity scale and evidence related to its reliability (internal consistency) and validity are described. PMID:1332434

AIM: The aims of the study were to translate the Kidney Disease Quality of Life--Short Form version 1.3 (KDQOL-SF ver. 1.3) questionnaire into Iranian (Farsi), and to then assess it in terms of validity and reliability on Iranian patients. METHODS: The questionnaire was first translated into Farsi by two independent translators, and then subsequently translated back into English. After translation disparities had been reconciled, the final Iranian questionnaire was tested. An initial test-retest reliability evaluation was performed over a 10 day period on a sample of 20 patients recruited from a larger group (212 patients with end-stage renal disease on haemodialysis). Afterwards, reliability was estimated by internal consistency, and validity was assessed using known group comparisons and constructs for the patient group as a whole. Finally, the factor structure of the questionnaire was extracted by performing exploratory factor analysis. RESULTS: All of the scales in the questionnaire showed good test-retest reliability (i.e. intraclass correlations between test and retest scores were >0.7). All of the scales met the minimal criteria (0.7) for internal consistency and Cronbach's-a ranged 0.71-0.93. Furthermore, results from a discriminate validity evaluation showed that the questionnaire could be used to discriminate between subgroups of the patients. Finally, a principal component analysis of the disease-specific scales indicated that this part of the questionnaire could be summarized into an 11 factor structure that jointly accounted for 79.81% of the variance. CONCLUSION: The Iranian version of the KDQOL-SF questionnaire is both highly reliable and valid for use with Iranian patients on haemodialysis.

Background and Purpose There are no data regarding psychometrically validated, health-related quality-of-life instruments designed specifically for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Greece. Recently, the MS International Quality-of-Life questionnaire (MusiQoL), a multidimensional, self-administered questionnaire, which is available in 14 languages (including Greek), has been validated using a large international sample. We investigated the validity and reliability of the Greek version of the MusiQoL. Methods Consecutive patients with different types and severities of MS were recruited from two tertiary-care centers in Greece. All patients completed the MusiQoL, the Short-Form-36 quality-of-life questionnaire (SF-36), and a symptom checklist at baseline and 21±7 days (mean±SD) later. Data regarding sociodemographic status, MS history, and functional outcome were also collected prospectively. Construct validity, internal consistency, reproducibility, and external consistency were tested. Results A total of 92 patients was evaluated. The construct validity was confirmed in terms of satisfactory item-internal consistency correlations and scaling success (87.5-100%) of item-discriminant validity. The dimensions of the MusiQoL exhibited high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha: 0.63-0.96), and reproducibility was satisfactory (intraclass correlation coefficients: 0.69-0.99). External validity testing indicated that the MusiQoL correlated significantly with all SF-36 dimension scores (Spearman's correlation: 0.43-0.76). Conclusions The Greek version of the MusiQoL appears to be a valid and reliable instrument for measuring quality of life in Greek MS patients. PMID:16643953

We discuss the universality of the L1 recovery threshold in compressed sensing. Previous studies in the fields of statistical mechanics and random matrix integration have shown that L1 recovery under a random matrix with orthogonal symmetry has a universal threshold. This indicates that the threshold of L1 recovery under a non-orthogonal random matrix differs from the universal one. Taking this into account, we use a simple random matrix without orthogonal symmetry, where the random entries are not independent, and show analytically that the threshold of L1 recovery for such a matrix does not coincide with the universal one. The results of an extensive numerical experiment are in good agreement with the analytical results, which validates our methodology. Though our analysis is based on replica heuristics in statistical mechanics and is not rigorous, the findings nevertheless support the fact that the universality of the threshold is strongly related to the symmetry of the random matrix.

ObjectiveThe Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire (CFQ) is an instrument used to measure physical and mental fatigue. We translated and adapted the questionnaire and tested its reliability and validity in a Brazilian primary care setting.MethodA pilot study with 204 consecutive primary care attenders in Sao Paulo, Brazil, verified the internal consistency and factor structure of the questionnaire. After some modifications through a rigorous translation, back-translation, and cross-cultural adaptation procedure, a validation study was conducted with 304 attenders, who also completed the fatigue section of the Revised Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS-R).ResultsThe internal consistency of the Brazilian CFQ slightly improved from the pilot to the validation study: Cronbach's alpha from .86 to .88. Th...

Background: valid and appropriate assessment of physical activity in children is still needed. Aim: to determine the test-retest reliability and validity of the Arabic version of the Questionnaire l'Activite Physique en Altitude Chez les Enfants. Methods: Population: 6- to 9-year-old children were recruited in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. Reliability: questionnaire was administered twice, 3 weeks apart. Intraclass correlation coefficients and 95% confidence interval calculated. Validity: comparison between the questionnaire and pedometer. Spearman's correlation coefficients were calculated. Bland-Altman method was used to detect potential bias. Results: a fair-to-good reliability was found, with the highest values for running during breaks at school and total active time during weekdays. ...

Abstract Background and objective:- A well-validated instrument that is simple to use is needed to assess health-related quality of life in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD). The COPD assessment test (CAT) is a recently introduced, short and simple questionnaire for COPD patients, which shows good and valid measurement properties. This study was conducted to evaluate the validity of the CAT in patients with ILD. Methods:- Patients with ILD (n-=-55) completed the CAT and the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). These patients also completed the Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnoea scale, the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ), and the hospital anxiety and depression scale; performed 6-min walk tests and pulmonary function tests; and provided samples for arterial bl...

Migraine is a recurring and disabling pain disorder. The prevalence is estimated as 9.1% in Taiwan. Patients suffer from significant loss of work, time at school or ability to perform household chores, as well as other family or leisure activities. Treatment strategies during migraine attacks should be tailored based on the severity of disability. Stewart and Lipton (1999) developed the Migraine Disability Assessment Questionnaire (MIDAS) to assess the severity of disability related to migraine. This simple, self-administered, 7-item questionnaire focuses on disability in three domains (school or paid work, household chores, and family, social, or leisure activities) in the first 5 items of the questionnaire. The internal consistency, test-retest reliability, validity, ease of use, and clinical utility were all tested with good results. The questionnaire offers a simple tool to improve physician-patient communication. As for treatment strategies, a recent large-scale study done in the USA showed that it is more efficacious to treat migraine patients by adopting a strategy of stratified care based on different disability status than a stepped-care strategy. The simple questionnaire, MIDAS, has received world-wide popularity and has been translated into Japanese, Italian and Turkish. All of these versions showed good reliability and validity. Recently, one of our studies demonstrated that the Taiwan version also yielded comparable internal consistency, reliability, and validity. We hope that the MIDAS questionnaire can be widely adopted in Taiwan to help physicians assess their patients' disability related to migraine and provide clues for clinical management. PMID:16599285

The objective of this study is to develop and validate a questionnaire for evaluating patients' specific knowledge regarding fibromyalgia. The development of items and questions of the questionnaire was done using four focus group that included physicians, physical therapists, a nurse, and patients with fibromyalgia. Other 30 consecutive patients were recruited to evaluate the questionnaire's reproducibility (intra- and inter-observer). In order to construct validity, the questionnaire was applied to healthcare professionals with knowledge on fibromyalgia and 20 other patients. To investigate sensitivity to change, the questionnaire was applied to 56 patients before and after an educational program (intervention group) or a waiting list (control group). Eighteen questions fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were understandable for more than 90% of the participants. The intraclass correlation coefficients for inter-observer and intra-observer reproducibility ranged from 0.65 to 0.90 and from 0.86 to 0.96, respectively (P patients (P educational program (P Fibromyalgia Knowledge Questionnaire was developed and it is reliable, valid, and sensitive to changes, for evaluating disease-specific knowledge in patients with fibromyalgia. PMID:21132552

Sleep problems are often under-diagnosed, but may have a profound impact on work performance. The purpose of this study was to validate the Dutch version of the Occupational Impact of Sleep Questionnaire (OISQ). A total of 555 adults with a regular daytime job completed the OISQ. In addition, they also completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and the SLEEP-50 questionnaire. 443 surveys were included in the analysis (220 men and 223 women). The Dutch OISQ had high reliability (Chronbach's alpha=0.96). OISQ scores correlated significantly with scores on the SLEEP-50 questionnaire, ESS, and PSQI (p   

Previous research shows that leanness- and weight-dependent sports increase the risk of developing disturbed eating behaviour. This study investigated whether adolescent aesthetic athletes (n=68, M=14.6years), particularly ballet dancers and figure skaters, exhibit more eating pathology compared to the general population. Furthermore, it was investigated whether sport-related factors have explanatory value for the dieting behaviour of aesthetic athletes. To asses eating pathology, reliable and valid self-report questionnaires were used including the Eating Disorder Inventory-II, the Children's Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire and the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire. Results show that female aesthetic athletes show more drive for thinness, features of bulimia, dieting behaviou...

AbstractObjective To investigate the association between physical activity and exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) in an urban population sample of schoolchildren, taking into account potential confounders such as asthma symptoms and overweight. Methods Children aged 10-12 years answered validated questionnaires on physical activity (Physical Activity and Lifestyle Questionnaire) and asthma symptoms (ISAAC questionnaire), and were categorized according to their body mass index (BMI). EIB (FEV1 decrease from baseline -13%) was assessed by a standardized free running Exercise Challenge Test (ECT). Results Six hundred seven children completed the ECT. There were no differences among asthma groups (diagnosed asthma, asthma-related symptoms not diagnosed as asthma, no asthma-related symp...

The aim of coordinate-based meta-analysis is to provide valid quantitative summaries of the literature, while taking into account the specificities of neuroimaging data. Neuroimaging findings are usually reported as coordinates of effects surviving multiple comparison correction through statistical thresholding. Different studies may use widely differing censoring thresholds, ranging from strict family-wise corrections to more lenient ''uncorrected''p-values. However, standard meta-analysis methods do not take into account these differences, as findings from studies with varying thresholds are treated as though they were equivalent. The present paper details a development in coordinate-based meta-analysis which addresses this limitation. Parametric coordinate-based meta-analysis (PCM) comp...

Abstract in english OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire on specific knowledge about low back pain entitled "The Low Back Pain Knowledge Questionnaire". INTRODUCTION: There is a need for instruments to assess patient knowledge regarding chronic illness. Such methods can contribute to the education of patients. METHODS: The Low Back Pain Knowledge Questionnaire was developed through five focus groups. The questionnaire was distributed to 50 patien (more) ts to assess their comprehension of the terms. To assess the reproducibility, 20 patients were surveyed by two different interviewers on the same day and twice by a single interviewer with a one-to-two week interval. For the construct validation, the Low Back Pain Knowledge Questionnaire was given to 20 healthcare professionals with knowledge on low back pain and 20 patients to determine whether the questionnaire would discriminate between the two different populations. To assess the sensitivity of the questionnaire to changes in the knowledge level of the patients, it was given to 60 patients who were randomly assigned to the Intervention Group and the Control Group. The Intervention Group answered the questionnaire both before and after attending a chronic back pain educational program (back school), whereas the Control Group answered the questionnaire twice with an interval of one month and no educational intervention. RESULTS: The focus groups generated a questionnaire with 16 items. The Spearman's correlation coefficient and the intra-class correlation coefficients ranged from 0.61 to 0.95 in the assessments of the intra-observer and inter-observer reproducibility (p

Background Accurate assessment of physical activity in adolescents at population level is necessary. In Vietnam, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQA) have been validated against accelerometers for use in adolescents. However, these questionnaires were originally designed for adults and showed poor validity. This study aims to assess the reliability and validity of the Vietnamese Adolescent Physical Activity Recall Questionnaire (V-APARQ). Methods One hundred and sixty five students were recruited from four junior high schools in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam in 2004. V-APARQ asked students to report their usual organised and non-organised physical activity during a normal week and moderate- (MPA), vigorous- (VPA and moderate-to-vigorous- (MVPA) physical activity were calculated. Reliability was assessed by test-retest (2?weeks apart). Construct validity was assess by 7-day accelerometry, following the completion of the first V-APARQ. Results The construct validity of the V-APARQ showed Spearman correlation of 0.25 and 0.22 for the assessment of the questionnaire when compared to the accelerometer. Test-retest reliability showed a weighted Kappa of 0.75 and the intra-class correlation coefficient for MVPA was 0.57 for the whole group (MPA =0.37 and VPA?=?0.62), and were higher in boys than girls. The Bland-Altman plots for reliability show a mean difference of 0.4 minutes (95?% CI?=??3.2, 4.0) for daily MVPA (n?=?146) and the limits of agreement were ?42.6 to 43.4 mins/day. In boys MVPA was lower on the first, compared with second administration of V-APARQ while the reverse was observed among girls. Conclusion The reliability and validity of the V-APARQ were low to fair, but are comparable to other self-report physical activity questionnaires used among adolescents. V-APARQ will be useful for population monitoring of change in physical activity among urban Vietnamese adolescents. PMID:20891021

Objective The comorbid conditions questionnaire (CCQ) and the recent physical symptoms questionnaire (RPSQ) have been validated in the US for the evaluation of comorbid physical conditions in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). A lack of instruments to assess somatization in Japanese subjects with IBS warrants development of the Japanese versions of these questionnaires. The purpose of this study was to validate the Japanese versions created, the CCQ-J and RPSQ-J. Methods and Patients Study 1 was carried out to verify the test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the CCQ-J and RPSQ-J in 49 patients with functional bowel disorder. Study 2 was performed to confirm the construct validities of these questionnaires compared to the Cornell Medical Index (CMI) in 120 patients with psychosomatic symptoms (assigned to the somatoform disorder, anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, or IBS group) and 22 healthy subjects. Results In Study 1, high reproducibility and high intraclass correlation coefficients were demonstrated for these questionnaires. In Study 2, total score on the CMI was significantly associated with score on the CCQ-J and on the RPSQ-J in the IBS group. The proportion of patients with chronic back pain was significantly higher in the IBS group than in controls (27.3% vs. 18.5%, p<0.05). Conclusion The CCQ-J and RPSQ-J are valid and reliable instruments for evaluating comorbid conditions in Japanese patients with IBS. Further studies are needed to confirm the direct cross-cultural comparison of the impact of somatization in IBS between different countries.   

Background: We sought to examine correlations between clinical validators and temperaments in clinical practice. Methods: We provided the self-report TEMPS-A (50 item long) to 123 consecutive patients seen in the Mood Disorders Program of Tufts Medical Center. Temperament was assessed as cyclothymia, dysthymia, irritable or hyperthymia. Cut-offs were tested using (50%) and (75%) thresholds of affirmative responses, as well as highest percent for dominant temperament. We reported no dominant temperament at 75% cut-off . Multivariate regression modeling was conducted to assess confounding bias. Results: Using clinical and demographic validators, cyclothymia was the most strongly validated temperament, followed by dysthymia and hyperthymia. Irritable temperament did not appear to be valid in ...

ABSTRACT: Study Design. Validity and reliability of a back pain questionnaire.Objective. The present study tested the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale (QDS).Summary of Background Data. QDS is a questionnaire widely used to evaluate the level of disability in patients with LBP. The questionnaire has been translated into Arabic, but not tested in an Arabic population.Methods. A total of one hundred and forty eight patients with non-specific LBP were recruited in the Gaza Strip. Patients were asked to complete a questionnaire booklet containing the Arabic version of the QDS, the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) and a Likert scale, which was repeated one week later. Weighted kappa was used to measure test-retest reliability and Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency. For construct validity the Arabic version of the QDS and the ODI were correlated with Spearman correlation coefficient. For concurrent validity the QDS, ODI and NPRS were compared. For face and content validity a Likert scale was used to assess whether it was understandable and comprehensive.Results. The QDS demonstrated good test-retest reliability kappa = 0.86-0.98 (P Arabic versions of QDS, ODI and NPRS, indicating adequate construct validity (p = 0.69, P Arabic versions of QDS and ODI (r = 0.67, P Arabic, and can be used to measure disability in Arabic societies. PMID:23038622

PURPOSE: Internationally, there is increasing interest in monitoring and evaluating doctors' professional practice. Multisource feedback (MSF) offers one way of collecting information about doctors' performance. The authors investigated the psychometric properties of two questionnaires developed for this purpose and explored the biases that may exist within data collected via such instruments. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 11 UK health care organizations during 2008-2011. Patients (n = 30,333) and colleagues (n = 17,012) rated the professional performance of 1,065 practicing doctors, using the General Medical Council Patient Questionnaire (PQ) and Colleague Questionnaire (CQ). The psychometric properties of the questionnaires were assessed, and regression modeling was used to explore factors that influenced patient and colleague responses on the core questionnaire items. RESULTS: Although the questionnaires demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent validity, patient and colleague ratings were highly skewed toward favorable impressions of doctor performance. At least 34 PQs and 15 CQs were required to achieve acceptable reliability (G > 0.70). Item ratings were influenced by characteristics of the patient and colleague respondents and the context in which their feedback was provided. CONCLUSIONS: The PQ and CQ are acceptable for the provision of formative feedback on a doctor's professional practice within an appraisal process. However, biases identified in the questionnaire data suggest that caution is required when interpreting and acting on this type of information. MSF derived from these questionnaires should not be used in isolation to inform decisions about a doctor's fitness to practice medicine. PMID:23095930

The validity and utility of the measurement of the photodynamic threshold dose as an in vivo tool for quantitatively assessing the effectiveness of performing photodynamic therapy (PDT) using differing photosensitizers, irradiation protocols and adjuvant treatments was examined. The depth of the boundary between necrotic tissue and normal tissue following surface irradiation of normal rat liver was used to calculate the photodynamic threshold, a quantity independent of photosensitizer concentration, light fluence and wavelength. PDT was performed using Photofrin II to investigate the changes in photodynamic threshold using four different treatment conditions. Using a range of values for photosensitizer concentration and total light fluence, the photodynamic threshold was found to be independent of these parameters and estimated as (3.4 +/- 0.3) X 1018 photons cm-3. Using periodic light irradiation schedules to determine if diffusion of 3O2 affects the threshold measurement, the photodynamic thresholds were found not to be significantly different from those using normal irradiation which suggests that this model is not sensitive to this parameter. PDT was performed in conjunction with hyperthermia and significant reductions in the photodynamic threshold were obtained if hyperthermia followed PDT but not if hyperthermia preceded PDT. Finally, the effects of the radio-protecting agents WR-77913 and WR-2721 were examined and significant increases in the photodynamic threshold were obtained for PDT performed following injection of sufficient quantity of either radio-protecting drug.

In this study the reliability and validity of generic and disease-specific questionnaires has been assessed focusing on responsiveness. This is part of a study on the effects of recurrent acute otitis media (rAOM) on functional health status (FHS) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in 383 children with rAOM participating in a randomized clinical trial. The following generic questionnaires were studied: 1. RAND general health rating index, 2. Functional Status Questionnaire (FSQ Generic and FSQ Specific), 3. TNO-AZL Infant Quality of Life (TAIQOL), and the following disease-specific questionnaires: 1. Otitis Media-6 (OM-6), 2. Numerical rating scales (NRS) for child and caregiver (NRS Child and NRS Caregiver), and 3. a new Family Functioning Questionnaire (FFQ). Reliability was good to excellent (Cronbach's alpha range 0.80-0.90, intraclass correlation coefficient range 0.76-0.93). Moderate to strong correlations were found between the questionnaires as well as between questionnaires and relevant clinical indicators (r = 0.29-0.49), demonstrating construct validity. Discriminant validity for children with few versus frequent episodes of acute otitis media per year was good for most questionnaires (P < 0.004) but poor for the otitis media-related subscales of the TAIQOL (P = 0.10-0.97) and both NRS (P = 0.22 and 0.48). Except for the TAIQOL subscales, change scores were significant (P < 0.003) for generic and disease-specific questionnaires. Effect sizes were somewhat higher for disease-specific compared to generic questionnaires (0.55-0.95 versus 0.32-0.60) except for the TAIQOL subscales, which showed very poor sensitivity to change. Anchor-based methods resulted in a somewhat larger range of estimates of MCID than distribution-based methods. Combining distribution-based and anchor-based methods resulted in similar ranges for the minimally clinical important differences for generic and disease-specific questionnaires: 2-15 points on a 0-100 scale. Apart from the generic TAIQOL subscales, both generic and disease-specific questionnaires used in this study showed good psychometric qualities and responsiveness for use in clinical studies on children with rAOM. PMID:17668290

Background There have been few attempts formally to validate screening measures for postnatal common mental disorder in low income country settings. We have investigated the comparative validity of three different screening approaches in a community-based study in Kintampo, Ghana. Method 160 women aged 15?45?years, and 5?11?weeks postpartum were first screened using the Self-Report Questionnaire (SRQ-20), with oversampling of higher scorers. The other test assessments were the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Criterion validity was measured against the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale (CPRS), and concurrent validity against the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule. A sub-sample (n=40) was re-interviewed 2?weeks later for t...

Test beam data collected in October 2004 at CERN PS to validate the AMS 02 Ecal Inter- mediate Board (EIB) are analyzed. After describing the experimental setup and the event samples, results concerning noise measurement, trigger efficiency and threshold accuracy are presented. They demonstrate that the EIB fulfills the physics requirements. Therefore the analog part of the trigger is validated, and hardware choices are also made towards the final device. (authors)

Purpose: To evaluate an 18-item vision-specific quality-of-life questionnaire designed for use with adults in Fiji. Methods: Participants in a population-based cross-sectional survey selected by multistage random sampling from those aged ?40 years living on Fiji's main island had distance and near visual acuity measured. Those with presenting vision impairment (participant with normal presenting distance vision answered an interview-based questionnaire. Results: Of 1381 participants, 928 were eligible to answer the questionnaire. Of these, 921 provided valid responses to more than half the items and were the subject of analysis. The questionnaire conformed with a rating scale model: with the possible exception of one item, a single scale was formed, which had considerable range and many items well spaced. Estimates of relative validity suggested that rating and Likert scales constructed from the data had similar criterion validity discriminating between those with and without vision problems. The spacing and hierarchy of a three-response category model ("no problem," "little/moderate difficulty," "lot of difficulty/unable to do because of my vision"), were little influenced by sex, ethnicity or urban versus rural residence. Near vision tasks associated with print and very small objects, mobile phone use, sewing/weaving, and preparing lentils/rice/grains were ranked most difficult. Conclusion: Although the analysis showed the 18-item questionnaire to be an adequate tool for assessing the impact of vision reduction on quality of life among adults in Fiji, further community consultation and item modification would likely deliver a more efficacious instrument. PMID:23171208

OBJECTIVES. To develop a questionnaire for measuring the perceived importance of the elements of mental health recovery in psychiatric inpatients in Hong Kong and to test the psychometric properties of the questionnaire. METHODS. Thematic content analysis of identified literature on mental health recovery was performed to identify the elements related to mental health recovery. A questionnaire was developed to assess the perceived importance of the identified elements. An expert panel was set up to evaluate the content validity and patient focus group's face validity of the questionnaire. Participants were recruited from medium-stay and rehabilitation wards of Castle Peak Hospital. RESULTS. A total of 101 psychiatric inpatients completed the questionnaire, the majority of whom suffered from schizophrenia (75%). Having meaning in life was rated by 91% of the participants as an important element of recovery, followed by hope (86%) and general health and wellness (85%). Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency was 0.91. Explorative factor analysis yielded 7 factors and intraclass correlation coefficients revealed a fair-to-good test-retest reliability. CONCLUSIONS. The results supported the psychometric properties of the questionnaire for measurement of mental health recovery and serve as a basis for the future development of recovery-oriented services in the psychiatric inpatient settings in this locality. PMID:22714873

Background and purpose A questionnaire was introduced by the New Zealand Arthroplasty Registry for use when evaluating the outcome of total ankle replacement surgery. We evaluated the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the modified Swedish version of the questionnaire (SEFAS) in patients with osteoarthritis or inflammatory arthritis before and/or after their ankle was replaced or fused. Patients and methods The questionnaire was translated into Swedish and cross-culturally adapted according to a standardized procedure. It was sent to 135 patients with ankle arthritis who were scheduled for or had undergone surgery, together with the foot and ankle outcome score (FAOS), the short form 36 (SF-36) score, and the EuroQol (EQ-5D) score. Construct validity was evaluated with Spearman's...

Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, relapsing dermatosis. Previous studies have focused mostly on pediatric patients, and investigations emphasizing adult AD have been limited. Objective We set out to determine the 1-year prevalence and evaluate the validity of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) and United Kingdom Working Party (UKWP) AD questionnaires of adult AD in Taiwan. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study among nursing staff at a university hospital. The 1-year prevalence of AD was assessed by ISAAC and UKWP questionnaires. Subsequently, the dermatologists diagnosis based on Hanifin and Rajka criteria was used as a reference for validation. Results The overall response rate was 92.9%, equivalent to 1131 complete questionnaires. Ni...

Summary We developed and validated a specific 12-item questionnaire to evaluate adherence to oral antiresorptive medication by post-menopausal osteoporotic women in everyday practice. Over the following 9?months, an index of ?16 was associated with an increase in the risk of treatment discontinuation of 1.69 and of 2.10 for new patients who had started treatment within the previous year. Introduction Adherence to medication in osteoporosis is poor. The goal of this study was to develop and validate a disease-specific questionnaire to evaluate adherence to treatment of women with post-menopausal osteoporosis taking oral antiresorptive medication. Methods A prototype adherence questionnaire with 45 items developed from patient interview, literature review, and physician opinion was evaluated...

IntroductionPatient-centeredness is increasingly recognized as a crucial element of quality of care. A suitable instrument to assess the level of patient-centeredness for Parkinsons disease (PD) care is lacking. Here we describe the development and validation of the Patient-Centered Questionnaire for PD (PCQ-PD), and its initial application in a large patient sample. MethodsBased on the outcomes of eight focus groups we composed a questionnaire that measures patient-centeredness by assessing patients care experiences. The questionnaire was sent to 1112 Dutch PD patients, and face-, content- and construct-validity and reliability were assessed. The level of patient-centeredness was determined by calculating scores for overall patient-centeredness [0-3], subscale experiences [0-3], item expe...

This article emphasises the need to assess quality of life (QoL) as a key outcome of diabetes management and introduces the linguistically validated and culturally adapted, Hindi and Punjabi versions of an individualised questionnaire (the ADDQoL) to assess the impact of diabetes on the QoL of India...

Aims To develop the first psychometrically validated Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for in-patients (DTSQ-IP) and examine determinants of in-patient diabetes treatment satisfaction. Methods We studied 366 in-patients with insulin-treated diabetes at a single UK centre. We developed...

Through examples and exercises, this handy student guide teaches methods for sampling, data gathering, developing questionnaires, reliability and validity, and quantitative and qualitative measurement. In addition, the book explains the use of quality improvement tools and techniques in measurement. It will be invaluable in any graduate statistics course, particularly for those in business administration and management.

Reported alcohol consumption was quantified and scored by a validated questionnaire administered by an interviewer to 64 patients (10 female) with Dupuytren's contracture (DC) before hand surgery and to 89 controls (44 female) admitted for other hand or foot surgery. Serum urate (SUA), gamma-glutamy...

OBJECTIVE:: The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent of reappearance of vasomotor symptoms after cessation of postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) in women who started HT because of hot flashes. METHODS:: A cross-sectional postal survey was conducted. A validated questionnaire was sent...

In a population-based case–control study of 832 incident endometrial cancer cases and 846 frequency-matched controls among Chinese women in Shanghai, using a validated food-frequency questionnaire, dietary habits were estimated by in-person interviews. Total vegetable consumption was inversely assoc...

OBJECTIVE: To adapt and validate a manual ability questionnaire, the ABILHAND, developed through the Rasch methodology in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). METHODS: The original version of the ABILHAND, which includes 81 manual daily activities, was presented to 156 patients with SSc. They wer...

Objective?The initial validation of a brief assessment of a diabetes-specific self-esteem dimension in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.?Methods?Youths with type 1 diabetes (n = 87) aged 10–16 years were administered the multidimensional Self-Esteem Questionnaire (SEQ) and a newly designed assessmen...

Baumrind (1971) proposed three distinct patterns of parental authority (permissiveness, authoritarianism, and authoritativeness) and measured these parenting styles through interviews with parents and their children and through observations of parents interacting with their children. This study was undertaken to develop a readily-accessible, standardized measure of Baumrind's parental prototypes. Forty-eight questionnaire items were constructed based upon Baumrind's descriptions of the permissive, authoritarian, and authoritative prototypes. Items were stated from the perspective of an individual evaluating the patterns of authority exercised by his or her parents. Professionals (N=21) in the fields of psychology, social work, sociology, and education evaluated the accuracy of the items and accepted 36 of the items for the final pool of items. From this pool, 10 permissive, 10 authoritarian, and 10 authoritative items were retained for the Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ). Two forms of the questionnaire were constructed to evaluate the parental authority of mothers and of fathers. Seven studies were conducted to test the PAQ's reliability, internal consistency, content-related validity, criterion-related validity, discriminant-related validity, and its correlations with the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. The results of these studies showed the PAQ to have highly respectable measures of reliability and validity. The PAQ should be useful for assessing the parental authority exercised by both mothers and fathers and it is appropriate for both females and males who are older adolescents or young adults. (The Parental Authority Questionnaire Pertaining to Fathers is included.) (NB)

Examined life ownership orientation (extent to which one believes that God, individual, or society has power over one's life) among 117 college students who completed Life Ownership Orientation Questionnaire (LOOQ). Found LOOQ scores demonstrated higher predictive validity with regard to attitudes toward abortion, suicide, doctor-assisted suicide, and capital punishment than did measures of religiosity and political liberalism/conservatism. (Author/NB)

The objectives of this study were to develop a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for Vietnamese female immigrants in Korea and to evaluate the validity of the FFQ. A total of 80 food items were selected in developing the FFQ according to consumption frequency, the contribution of energy and other n...

This work introduces a dual accelerometer usage strategy for onboard space navigation. In the proposed algorithm the accelerometer is used to propagate the state when its value exceeds a threshold and it is used to estimate its errors otherwise. Numerical examples and comparison to other accelerometer usage schemes are presented to validate the proposed approach.

Aim of this work is to evaluate the fatigue damage in textile composites on meso-scale level. Pre-damage properties, damage thresholds and damage propagation of unit cell (UC) are calculated and validated by experiments. Quasi-static damage algorithm is further used to model the cycles of the fatigu...

Prospective single cohort study. To evaluate the NDI by comparison with the SF36 health Survey Questionnaire. The NDI is a simple ten-item questionnaire used to assess patients with neck pain. The SF36 measures functional ability, well being and the overall health of patients. It is used as a gold standard in health economics to assess the health utility, gain and economic impact of medical interventions. One hundred and sixty patients with neck pain attending the spinal clinic completed self-assessment questionnaires. A second questionnaire was completed in 34 patients after a period of 1?2?weeks. The internal consistency of the NDI and SF36 was calculated using Cronbach?s alpha. The test?retest reliability was assessed using the Bland and Altman method. The concurrent validity of the NDI...

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) have a detrimental effect on quality-of-life (QoL). However, sufferers are often reluctant to seek help. Screening for LUTS will identify patients with bothersome symptoms who may benefit from treatment and allow patients to self-assess their symptoms and the need for medical intervention, potentially saving costly medical time and reducing long-term morbidity. The aim of this study was to compare the value of two validated questionnaires: the Bladder Control Self Assessment Questionnaire (B-SAQ) and the Overactive Bladder Awareness Tool (OAB-V8) as screening questionnaires in clinical practice. A total of 223 women were recruited prospectively from three centres. Participants completed both questionnaires in the waiting area prior to assessment by a cli...

The aim of this study was to explore the relationships of the dimensions and facets of the Zuckerman-Kuhlman-Aluja Personality Questionnaire (ZKA-PQ) with other psychobiological personality measures: the EPQ-RS (Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised, shortened version), I7 (Impulsiveness Questionnaire) and SPSRQ-20 (Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire, 20-item version). It is intended to test if findings reported with Zuckerman's previous instrument (ZK-PQ) about the relationships between the three biologic-factorial personality models are replicated, giving evidence about the validity of the ZKA-PQ. The sample analyzed was of 584 subjects (50.3% men and 49.7% women) from the Spanish general population. Correlational and factor analysis supported the expec...

Abstract in portuguese CONTEXTO: Questionários validados são ferramentas essenciais para serem utilizados em estudos epidemiológicos. No momento não existem questionários diagnósticos de Roma III traduzidos para português. OBJETIVO: Validar a versão em português do Questionário Diagnóstico de Roma III para Dispepsia Funcional. MÉTODOS: O questionário foi traduzido seguindo as recomendações de Roma III. Cento e nove pacientes consecutivos com dispepsia funcional responderam ao que (more) stionário. O grupo controle foi composto por 100 doadores de sangue consecutivos, sem problemas digestivos. Consistência interna, reprodutibilidade, sensibilidade, validade discriminante e análise de conteúdo foram avaliadas. RESULTADOS: O coeficiente ?de Cronbach foi de 0,92. O questionário mostrou reprodutibilidade: os pacientes responderam-no de forma semelhante em duas ocasiões distintas e suas respostas foram substancialmente semelhantes (P = 1,00). O questionário foi capaz de demonstrar alterações quando elas ocorreram (P Abstract in english CONTEXT: Validated questionnaires are essential tools to be utilized in epidemiological research. At the moment there are no Rome III diagnostic questionnaires translated to Portuguese. OBJECTIVE: To validate the Portuguese version of the Rome III Diagnostic Questionnaire for Functional Dyspepsia. METHODS: The questionnaire has been translated following the Rome III recommendations. Hundred and nine consecutive patients with functional dyspepsia answered the questionnaire (more) . The control group comprised 100 healthy consecutive blood donors, without digestive problems. Internal consistency, reproducibility, responsiveness, discriminate validity and content analysis were evaluated. RESULTS: Cronbach's ? coefficient was 0.92. The questionnaire showed reliability: the patients answered it in a similar way on two distinct occasions and their responses were substantially very similar (P = 1.00). The questionnaire was able to demonstrate changes when they occur (P

The validity of the alarm threshold 4sigma has been checked for hypothetical large and small facilities using a two-stage decision model in which the diverter's strategic variable is the quantity diverted, and the defender's strategic variables are the alarm threshold and the effectiveness of the physical security and material control systems in the possible presence of a diverter. For large facilities, the material accounting system inherently appears not to be a particularly useful system for the deterrence of diversions, and essentially no improvement can be made by lowering the alarm threshold below 4sigma. For small facilities, reduction of the threshold to 2sigma or 3sigma is a cost effective change for the accounting system, but is probably less cost effective than making improvements in the material control and physical security systems.

Food shortage and toxicant stress have been proposed separately as structuring factors for zooplankton communities. How these factors interact to affect zooplankton remains poorly understood. The amount of food ingested by filter feeders depends upon food concentration, and a threshold concentration exists below which population growth is zero. A standard 2-d population growth test was used to determine whether toxicant stress altered the food threshold of the freshwater rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus. Threshold toxicant concentrations resulting in zero population growth rate and the NOEC were also compared at starving and abundant food conditions. Nutritional requirements were related to toxic exposure. For example, the threshold concentration of sodium pentachlorophenate (PCP) was 1.5 times lower at low food concentrations (0.3 million Nannochloris cells per milliliter) than at high food concentrations (3 million cells/ml). These results indicate that both factors must be considered in the validation of standard toxicity tests and their extrapolation to field conditions for ecologically meaningful predictions of toxicity.

ObjectivesThree studies examine the factorial validity, internal consistency, test-retest stability, and criterion validity of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ: Gross & John, 2003) for use with athletes. DesignFactorial validity, internal consistency, test-retest stability and criterion validity of the ERQ were examined over three stages, using three separate samples. MethodIn stage 1 the factorial validity and internal consistency of the ERQ subscales were examined based on responses from 433 sport participants. In stage 2, 176 sport participants completed the ERQ on two occasions separated by an interval of two weeks. In stage 3, the criterion validity of the ERQ was examined. Sport participants (n = 88) completed the ERQ and reported the intensity, frequency and direction of a ...

Abstract in english OBJECTIVE: To translate, to perform a cultural adaptation of and to test the reproducibility of the Cochin Hand Functional Scale questionnaire for Brazil. METHODS: First, the Cochin Hand Functional Scale questionnaire was translated into Portuguese and was then back-translated into French. These translations were reviewed by a committee to establish a Brazilian version of the questionnaire to be tested. The validity and reproducibility of the Cochin Hand Functional Scale (more) questionnaire was evaluated. Patients of both sexes, who were aged 18 to 60 years and presented with rheumatoid arthritis affecting their hands, were interviewed. The patients were initially interviewed by two observers and were later interviewed by a single rater. First, the Visual Analogue Scale for hand pain, the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Disability questionnaire and the Health Assessment Questionnaire were administered. The third administration of the Cochin Hand Functional Scale was performed fifteen days after the first administration. Ninety patients were assessed in the present study. RESULTS: Two questions were modified as a result of the assessment of cultural equivalence. The Cronbach's alpha value for this assessment was 0.93. The intraclass intraobserver and interobserver correlation coefficients were 0.76 and 0.96, respectively. The Spearman's coefficient indicated that there was a low level of correlation between the Cochin Hand Functional Scale and the Visual Analogue Scale for pain (0.46) and that there was a moderate level of correlation of the Cochin Scale with the Health Assessment Questionnaire (0.66) and with the Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire (0.63). The average administration time for the Cochin Scale was three minutes. CONCLUSION: The Brazilian version of the Cochin Hand Functional Scale was successfully translated and adapted, and this version exhibited good internal consistency, reliability and construct validity.

Purpose: This study translated and validated the Kujala scale, a well-documented questionnaire for patients with patellofemoral pain, into Chinese version. Method: Chinese Kujala scale was translated from the original English version following the recommendations of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research. Sixty four Chinese reading patients who are diagnosed of patellofemoral pain were recruited from multiple hospitals and physiotherapy clinics. Psychometric property was evaluated in terms of test-retest reliability and internal consistency. Convergent validity was examined by Spearman rank correlation coefficient tests by comparing its score with the validated Chinese version of WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index and SF-36. Results: Chinese Kujala scale demonstrated...

We describe the validity and reliability of midwife-administered postpartum questionnaires in home and clinic settings. Women identified prospectively before or following hospital delivery (n = 476), September 2004-January 2005, were re-contacted at 6 months postpartum for home interview and medical examination. Reliability was measured by comparing women's responses to the same questions at home and in clinic interviews. Validity was measured by comparing questionnaire responses with results of medical examination. Reliability of responses to questions comparing home and clinic interview was very good (? > 0.6) for resumption of menstruation and occurrence of hemorrhoids, moderate (0.4 exhaustion or fatigue. The home and clinic interviews had poor validity for detecting common postpartum morbidities: anaemia (sensitivity 33.7%, specificity 65.7%), urinary incontinence (5.1, 98.1%), urinary tract infection (2.1, 94.5%), prolapse (18.2, 91.2%); but good validity for hemorrhoids (71.4, 86.9%). In this setting, questionnaire-based interviews were neither reliable nor valid tools for measuring morbidity at 6 months postpartum. A medical examination is required to identify and measure the levels of morbidity up to 6 months postpartum. PMID:21800070

Aims The aim of this study was to validate the Dutch version of the Diabetes Obstacles Questionnaire (DOQ) [H. Hearnshaw, K. Wright, J. Dale, J. Sturt, E. Vermeire, P. Van Royen, Development and validation of the Diabetes Obstacles Questionnaire (DOQ) to assess obstacles in living with Type 2 diabetes, Diabetic Med. 24 (2007) 878-882] assessing people living with type 2 diabetes' obstacles to adhere to treatment recommendations. The goal is to have at ones disposal an instrument to identify obstacles to adhering to treatment recommendations for people living with type 2 diabetes in a Dutch speaking population. Methods Participants were recruited from a pragmatic sample of general practices in Flanders (Belgium). In accordance with the validation procedure in the UK [H. Hearnshaw, K. Wright...

This study aimed to assess the reliability, validity, and factor structure of the Greek translation of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) in a sample of Cypriot, Greek-speaking university students. This is the first study to examine PHQ psychometric properties in Greek and to investigate the factor structure of the PHQ subscales. A total of 520 participants (73.9% women; MAge = 21.57; SD, 4.94) completed the PHQ and assessment tools used for convergent validity analysis. Patient Health Questionnaire was translated and culturally adapted according to international standards. Overall, PHQ subscales in Greek language demonstrated good internal consistency (mean Cronbach a = .75, P < .001) and convergent validity with the following: Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, Beck Depressio...

Abstract Purpose: We evaluated the face, content, and construct validity of what is, to our knowledge, the only available virtual reality simulator based on a complete kinematic representation of the da Vinci? surgical system. Materials and Methods: A total of 5 experts (EPs) and 15 novices (NVs) completed exercises on the Mimic dV-Trainer (MdVT). All participants completed three repetitions of the following tasks: (1) Ring and Cone, (2) String Walk, and (3) Letterboard. Participants rated parameters of face and content validity on a five-point Likert-scale questionnaire. Workload imposed by the simulator was assessed using a NASA Task Load Index questionnaire (TLX). Results: Face validity of the MdVT was established as all 20 participants rated the simulator between average to easy-to-use...

Abstract in portuguese OBJETIVO: Adaptar a escala Body Shape Questionnaire para uso no Brasil; estudar a validade interna e a dimensionalidade da escala quando usada em uma população não clínica brasileira. MÉTODO: Um estudo de corte transversal foi realizado envolvendo uma população selecionada por conveniência de 164 estudantes dos três primeiros anos do curso de Medicina da Universidade Federal de São Paulo. Foram usados a versão de 34 itens do Body Shape Questionnaire e um questi (more) onário adicional para informação demográfica e antropométrica. RESULTADOS: A consistência interna do Body Shape Questionnaire, medida através do alfa de Cronbach, foi de 0,97, o que indica que as questões da escala convergem para um mesmo construto. A análise fatorial da escala resultou em uma solução de quatro dimensões que responde por 66,4% da variabilidade total dos dados. Em relação aos escores Body Shape Questionnaire, sua média foi de 58,7 ± 25,1 para os homens e 89,7 ± 31,3 para as mulheres. DISCUSSÃO: Encontramos uma diferença estatisticamente significante entre os gêneros na média dos escores do Body Shape Questionnaire. As alterações de imagem corporal, medidas pelo Body Shape Questionnaire, mostram uma grande insatisfação com a aparência em mulheres quando comparadas aos homens. A versão adaptada da escala parece manter as características da escala original. Abstract in english OBJECTIVE: To adapt the Body Shape Questionnaire for use in the Brazilian population; to study the internal validity and the dimensionality of the scale when used in a non- clinical Brazilian population. METHOD: A cross- sectional study was accomplished comprising 164 students in the first 3 years of the School of Medicine conveniently selected at the Universidade Federal de São Paulo. The 34- item Body Shape Questionnaire version and a questionnaire to assess demographi (more) c and anthropometric information were used. RESULTS: The internal consistency of the Body Shape Questionnaire measured by Cronbach's alpha was 0.97, indicating that the questions of the scale converge to the same construct. The factor analysis of the scale resulted in a four- dimension solution accounting for 66.4% of the total data variability. Regarding the final score of Body Shape Questionnaire, the mean score was 58.7 ± 25.1 for men and 89.7 ± 31.3 for women. DISCUSSION: We found statistically significant gender differences in the means of the Body Shape Questionnaire scores. Women showed higher dissatisfaction than did men as to their appearance as measured by the Body Shape Questionnaire. The adapted version of the scale seems to maintain the characteristics of the original scale.

A masking dilemma occurs when energy from a non-test ear crosses over the head to a test ear. In cases of bilateral atresia, obtaining thresholds on the poorer ear is problematic. Near threshold, however, sufficient ear-bone isolation exists to test with validity but not so much above threshold, even for the ultra-high (> 10 kHz) frequencies. This aspect of the bone audiogram should not be overlooked. We suggest two uses of binaural bone conduction hearing to help resolve the dilemma--one an auditory brainstem response variation, the other a high-frequency lateralization procedure. Both are also applicable in unilateral atresia with and without a sensorineural component. The use of an insert earphone for masking in the unobstructed ear will provide adequate interaural attenuation to resolve most but not all dilemmas. That is to say, the maximum isolation of an insert earplug is on the order of 100 dB, so it has a limit. The dilemma extends through the ultra-high frequencies (> 10 kHz) because the intra-aural attenuation is no more than 10 dB. In the cited case of unilateral congenital atresia of the external ear, the intra-aural threshold differences in the high frequencies plus the resolution of the masking dilemma in the low frequencies (without the need for more masking) leads us to conclude that the unmasked thresholds are valid. Masking can be extended above 10 kHz, but this is not generally within the capacity of commercial audiometers, a feature that should be included. PMID:17260874

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Tinnitus research in an international context requires standardized and validated questionnaires in different languages. The aim of the present set of analyses was the reassessment of basic psychometric properties according to classical test theory of self-report instruments that are being used within the multicentre Tinnitus Research Initiative (TRI) database project. METHODS: 1318 patients of the TRI Database were eligible for the analyses. The basic psychometric properties reliability, validity, and sensitivity of Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ) and Tinnitus Beeintrachtigungs Fragebogen (i.e., Tinnitus Impairment Questionnaire, TBF-12) were assessed by the use of Cronbach's alpha, corrected item-total correlations, correlation coefficients and standardized response means. RESULTS: Throughout the languages, all questionnaires showed high internal consistencies (Cronbach's alpha > 0.79) and solid item-total correlations, as well as high correlations among themselves (around 0.8) and in combination with the self-reported tinnitus severity. However, some paradoxical correlations between individual items of the TBF-12, constructed as a shortform of the THI, and the corresponding THI-items were seen. Standardized Response Means (SRM) were low if tinnitus did not change, and between 0.3 and 1.09 for improved or worsened tinnitus complaints, indicating the sensitivity of the measures. CONCLUSIONS: All investigated instruments have high internal consistency, high convergence and discriminant validity and good change sensitivity in an unselected large multinational clinical sample and thus appear appropriate to evaluate the effects of tinnitus treatments in a cross-cultural context. PMID:23078754

Background: Suboptimal health status (SHS) is characterized by ambiguous health complaints, general weakness, and lack of vitality, and has become a new public health challenge in China. It is believed to be a subclinical, reversible stage of chronic disease. Studies of intervention and prognosis for SHS are expected to become increasingly important. Consequently, a reliable and valid instrument to assess SHS is essential. We developed and evaluated a questionnaire for measuring SHS in urban Chinese.Methods: Focus group discussions and a literature review provided the basis for the development of the questionnaire. Questionnaire validity and reliability were evaluated in a small pilot study and in a larger cross-sectional study of 3000 individuals. Analyses included tests for reliability and internal consistency, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and tests for discriminative ability and convergent validity.Results: The final questionnaire included 25 items on SHS (SHSQ-25), and encompassed 5 subscales: fatigue, the cardiovascular system, the digestive tract, the immune system, and mental status. Overall, 2799 of 3000 participants completed the questionnaire (93.3%). Test-retest reliability coefficients of individual items ranged from 0.89 to 0.98. Item-subscale correlations ranged from 0.51 to 0.72, and Cronbach’s ? was 0.70 or higher for all subscales. Factor analysis established 5 distinct domains, as conceptualized in our model. One-way ANOVA showed statistically significant differences in scale scores between 3 occupation groups; these included total scores and subscores (P < 0.01). The correlation between the SHS scores and experienced stress was statistically significant (r = 0.57, P < 0.001).Conclusions: The SHSQ-25 is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring sub-health status in urban Chinese.   

This study assessed the relationships between human values and the psychological construct of world-mindedness. Fifty-one college students and 58 high school students in a town in the Pacific Northwest completed the Values Questionnaire (Schwartz, 1992, 94) and the Cross-cultural World-mindedness Questionnaire (Der-Karabetian, 1992). A stepwise multiple regression equation was computed with the value types of universalism, security, and power being significant predictors of world-mindedness. The results validate the psychological conceptualization of world-mindedness as a value issue. The implications of this type of global consciousness are discussed in terms of the maintenance of the world ecosystem, immigration trends, and the proliferation of nuclear weapons. (Author/EH)

In this study, 361 adult burn survivors completed the Perceived Stigmatization Questionnaire (PSQ), the Social Comfort Questionnaire (SCQ), and other measures. Both the PSQ and SCQ had good internal consistency indices. Factor analysis of the PSQ yielded 3 factors (absence of friendly behavior, confused/staring behavior, and hostile behavior). The SCQ had 1 factor. Conjoint factor analysis with measures of related constructs (body esteem, body-esteem importance, depression, social support) suggested that PSQ and SCQ measure distinct constructs. Correlations with the related psychosocial constructs and burn characteristics suggested the PSQ and SCQ have good convergent and discriminant validity. Limitations of the study are discussed.

The Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ; Garnefski et al., Personality and Individual Differences, 30, 1311?1327, 2001) is a multidimensional questionnaire that was developed to assess cognitive emotion regulation strategies people use after experiencing negative life events or situations. The purpose of the present study was to develop a Turkish version of the CERQ and to examine its psychometric properties in a sample of Turkish university students. The English version of the CERQ was translated and back-translated prior to its administration to 396 participants recruited from several universities in Turkey. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, inter-scale reliability, construct and criterion-related validity of the Turkish version were analyzed. The results indica...

The original Orebro Musculoskeletal Pain Questionnaire (original-OMPQ) was developed to identify patients at risk of developing persistent back pain problems and is also advocated for musculoskeletal work injured populations. It is critiqued for its informal non-clinimetric development process and narrow focus. A modified version, the Orebro Musculoskeletal Screening Questionnaire (OMSQ), evolved and progressed the original-OMPQ to broaden application and improve practicality. This study evaluated and validated the OMSQ clinimetric characteristics and predictive ability through a single-stage prospective observational cohort of 143 acute musculoskeletal injured workers from ten Australian physiotherapy clinics. Baseline-OMSQ scores were concurrently recorded with functional status and prob...

Objective To develop a self-administered short questionnaire to assess patient satisfaction with medical treatment for hand eczema (dermatitis) with good psychometric properties. Method The content of the questionnaire was determined on the basis of clinical consultation with groups of patients, from studying the existing instruments, and from discussions with a panel of seven experts. A first draft version containing 38 items organised in six dimensions was tested on a pilot sample of patients to assess its legibility. The extended version was then tested on a sample of 217 patients of both genders enrolled at 18 hospitals representative of the national distribution. The questionnaire was supplied together with the Morisky-Green compliance questionnaire, the health-related quality of life (HRQL) SF-12 questionnaire, and a visual analogue scale (VAS) of perceived health status to assess concurrent validity. The dimensionality was reduced by means of exploratory factor analysis, and reliability was evaluated on the basis of internal consistency and two halves reliability estimates. Item discriminant capability and questionnaire discriminant validity with respect to known groups of patients (by gender, principal diagnosis, age, disease severity and treatment) were also assessed. Results The reduction and validation sample was composed of 54% women and 46% men, of various educational levels with an average age of 43 years (SD = 13.7). Of those who responded, 26% were diagnosed with hyperkeratotic dermatitis of the palms and 27% of the fingertips, and 47% with recurring palmar dyshidrotic eczema. The questionnaire was shortened to a version containing 17 items grouped in six dimensions: effectiveness, convenience, impact on HRQL, medical follow-up, side effects, and general opinion. Cronbach's alpha coefficient reached a value of 0.9. The dimensions showed different degrees of correlation, and the scores had a normal distribution with an average of 58.4 points (SD = 18.01). Treatment satisfaction scores attained correlations between 0.003 and 0.222 with the HRQL measures, and showed higher correlations with the effectiveness (r = 0.41) and tolerability (0.22) measures, but very low correlation with compliance (r = 0.015). Significant differences were observed between some diagnoses and treatments. Conclusions The shortened questionnaire proved to have good psychometric properties, providing excellent reliability, satisfactorily reproducing the proposed structure and supplying evidence of validity.

Computer usage, computer experience, computer familiarity, and computer anxiety are often discussed as constructs potentially compromising computer-based ability assessment. After presenting and discussing these constructs and associated measures we introduce a brief new questionnaire assessing computer usage. The self-report measure consists of 18 questions asking for the frequency of different computer activities and software usage. Participants were N = 976 high school students who completed the questionnaire and several covariates. Based on theoretical considerations and data driven adjustments a model with a general computer usage factor and three nested content factors (Office, Internet, andGames) is established for a subsample (n = 379) and cross-validated with the remaining sample ...

This research explores the relationships between self-directed learning readiness and transformative learning theory (TLT) reflected by the Constructivist Internet-based Learning Environment Scale (CILES). A questionnaire survey about adult learner's perceptions of Internet-based learning was administered to adults enrolled in classes in community colleges in Taiwan. A total of 593 valid questionnaires were used for the structural equation modeling analysis. The findings confirmed a second-order hierarchical factor relationship of TLT (technical, dialectical and emancipatory learning interests) from CILES. Moreover, the three domains of learning interests of transformative learning were proved to have a developmental relationship, moderated by the readiness of self-directed learning for adult learners in Internet-based learning.

The study of the interactions of Cosmic Rays (CR's) with universal diffuse background radiation can provide very stringent tests of the validity of Special Relativity. The interactions we consider are the ones characterized by well defined energy thresholds whose energy position can be predicted on the basis of Special Relativity. We argue that the experimental confirmation of the existence of these thresholds can in principle put very stringent limits on the scale where Special Relativity and/or continuity of space-time may possibly break down.

Salt intake in childhood is a risk factor for developing hypertension later in life. As health education for children to decrease salt intake, it is important for them to know the relationship between salty taste preference and salt intake. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between children's salty taste preference and their salt intake. We employed a cross-sectional study design, and the subjects were 199 elementary school children (5th or 6th grade) and their mothers. The amount of salt intake was estimated by the amount of urinary sodium excretion. Children's salty taste preference was assessed 1) by asking children about their own salty taste preference as well as measuring their threshold level of salty taste, and 2) by their mothers' observation of their salt intake behavior using a questionnaire. The salt intake and salt taste threshold of children who liked a salty taste were similar to those in children who disliked it. No association was found between the threshold level of salty taste and sodium intake. Regarding the relationship between children's salt intake and their salt intake behavior score, assessed by their mothers using a questionnaire, the high score group had a higher estimated salt intake than the low score group. In conclusion, children's salt intake may be accurately assessed by their mother's observation rather than children's own salty taste preference. This study suggests the importance of a mother's role in salt restriction education for children.   

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) , abbreviated as QOL, can be evaluated by various questionnaires, which are classified as generic and disease-targeted ones. Generic questionnaires are further subdivided into profile-type and preference-based ones. SF-36 and EQ-5D are the best known examples for the former and the latter, respectively. In SF-36 and its shortened one SF-8, the subjects' QOL is expressed by several profiles or subscales. Their advantages include well-conducted validation and availability of national norms. In EQ-5D, a single value representing the subjects' QOL status (utility) is obtained through 5 questions. These generic questionnaires are applicable to patients with various diseases or even to healthy citizens. In contrast, disease-targeted questionnaires lack such features, but can include items that are specifically related to the disease but devoid of general applicability. Thus, generic and disease-targeted questionnaires have their own pros and cons. Selection of the questionnaires depends on the object of the study. PMID:22298081

Abstract in portuguese OBJETIVO: Testar reprodutibilidade e validade por grupos de alimentos de um questionário de frequência alimentar, desenvolvido para indivíduos adultos residentes no Sul do Brasil. MÉTODOS: Dois questionários de frequência alimentar e três inquéritos recordatórios de 24 horas foram aplicados a 128 participantes, com idade entre 20 e 69 anos. Os alimentos foram agrupados em 19 grupos previamente definidos. As análises foram realizadas com dados brutos e corrigidos (more) pela energia. RESULTADOS: Apenas nas estimativas de ingestão dos grupos de folhosos e de leguminosas observaram-se diferenças estatisticamente significantes entre os dois questionários de frequência alimentar. Os coeficientes de correlação, corrigidos pela energia, entre os questionários variaram de 0,53 (embutidos e presuntos) a 0,85 (bebidas alcoólicas e leite e derivados light). Quanto à validade, ambos os questionários produziram tanto estimativas de ingestão mais altas como mais baixas do que a média dos inquéritos recordatórios de 24 horas. O coeficiente de correlação médio entre cada questionário e os inquéritos recordatórios de 24 horas foi de 0,39 para o questionário de frequência alimentar 1, e de 0,40 para o questionário de frequência alimentar 2. Os coeficientes de correlação foram iguais ou maiores que 0,40 para 9 grupos alimentares no questionário de frequência alimentar 1, e para 11 grupos no questionário de frequência alimentar 2. Os percentuais médios de classificação no mesmo terço, pelos dois métodos, foram 49% para o questionário de frequência alimentar 1, e 48% para o questionário de frequência alimentar 2. Os valores de Kappa ponderado variaram de -0,04 (bebidas não-alcoólicas) a 0,69 (leite e derivados light), considerando ambos os questionários. CONCLUSÃO: O questionário de frequência alimentar baseado em grupos de alimentos representa uma boa alternativa para avaliar o hábito alimentar, com a vantagem de ter uma lista reduzida de itens alimentares. Abstract in english OBJECTIVE: To test reproducibility and validity of a food frequency questionnaire based in food groups developed for adults living in Southern Brazil. METHODS: Two food frequency questionnaire (food frequency questionnaire 1 and food frequency questionnaire 2) and three 24-hour dietary recalls (24h-R) were applied to 128 participants (20-69 years). The foods were grouped in 19 groups previously defined. Analyses were performed for crude data and adjusted for energy. RESUL (more) TS: Statistically significant differences in the estimates of intake between two food frequency questionnaire were observed for the group of leafy vegetables and legumes. The energy-adjusted correlation coefficients between questionnaires ranged from 0.53 (sausages and hams) to 0.85 (alcoholic beverages and low-fat dairy). As to the validity, both questionnaires showed higher and lower estimates of intake in relation to 24-hour dietary recalls. The mean correlation coefficient between each food frequency questionnaire and 24h-R was 0.39 (food frequency questionnaire 1) and 0.40 (food frequency questionnaire 2). The correlation coefficients were equal to or greater than 0.40 for nine food groups in the food frequency questionnaire 1 and for eleven food groups in the food frequency questionnaire 2. The average classification percentages in the same tertile, by the two methods, were 49% (food frequency questionnaire 1) and 48% (food frequency questionnaire 2). The weighted kappa values ranged from -0.04 (non-alcoholic beverages) to 0.69 (milk and light derived) for both food frequency questionnaire. CONCLUSION: This food frequency questionnaire based food group represents a good alternative for assessing the food habits, with the advantage of having a short list of food items.

In this study, the prevalence of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in kindergarten children in northeast Iran was investigated, and the criterion validity of Conners' parent-teacher questionnaire was evaluated through the use of clinical interviews. This study was a cross-sectional descriptive research project with children in kindergartens that was supported by the Behzisti Organization, which included 155 kindergartens and 4143 children. To study the prevalence of ADHD, cluster random sampling was used; 1083 children were chosen as a reference, and random sampling was used to determine the criterion validity. Twenty-two children scoring below a specified cut-off score and 32 children scoring above the cut-off score were interviewed. In the first stage, ADHD was assessed using Conners' parent-teacher questionnaire, and in the second stage, it was assessed with a clinical interview based on DSM-IV-TR criteria. Finally, the prevalence rate was evaluated with descriptive parameters, and the criterion validity was assessed using the tetracoric correlation coefficient. The prevalence of ADHD was estimated at 12.3% [plus or minus] 2.12%. Moreover, test sensitivity and specificity were evaluated at 90.3% and 81.2%, respectively. Therefore, the criterion validity with [alpha] = 0.05 is 90.3%. The prevalence of ADHD among children was high, suggesting a need to screen all children for ADHD before school age. The Conners' questionnaire proved to be a good test for the primary screening of ADHD among kindergarten children. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

BACKGROUND: Cough is a distressing symptom and has a significant effect on many children and their families. Quality-of-life (QOL) measures provide important outcome indicators for clinicians and aid in evaluating the efficacy of interventions. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to develop and validate a short cough-specific QOL questionnaire for pediatric use. METHOD: Two sources provided data to establish a shortened version of the Parent Cough-specific Quality of Life (PC-QOL) questionnaire. The first (n = 240, 137 boys; median age, 29 months [interquartile range, 14-64 months]) was used for development and cross-validation. Stepwise regression was used to select the reduced set of items, and analyses of reliability, validity, and minimally important differences determined psychometric strength and sensitivity to change. The second independent dataset (n = 320, 190 boys; median age, 39.5 months [interquartile range, 16-77 months]) was used as a confirmatory sample. RESULTS: Forward-step regression identified 8 items that accounted for 95% of the variance in the full-scale PC-QOL questionnaire. This shortened version (PC-QOL-8) was internally consistent (Cronbach ? = 0.84), had good test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.66), and demonstrated strong validity (significant correlations with a cough verbal category descriptor score, cough visual analog scale, and subscales of the Short Form-12 General Health scale, the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale). The reduced scale was responsive to change, and a minimally important difference of 0.9 was suggested. These findings were confirmed with the second dataset. CONCLUSION: The PC-QOL-8 questionnaire is a short, reliable, and valid instrument for assessing the effect of a child's chronic cough. It demonstrated sensitivity to change, and its length and psychometric properties should enhance its potential uptake and routine use in clinical practice and research. PMID:23146374

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to translate, adapt and validate the Effort-reward imbalance (ERI) questionnaire in a sample of Greek healthcare professionals. Methods: An internationally recommended methodology was followed to perform translation of the ERI instrument into the Greek language. The questionnaire was then randomly administered to 600 Greek physicians, nurses, physiotherapists and laboratory staff, and 456 questionnaires with no missing data on the ERI items were returned (76% response rate). Tool validation included assessment of internal consistency, factorial structure, discriminant validity and presence of floor or ceiling effects. Criterion validity was demonstrated by investigating the association of theoretically relevant ERI summary measurements with respondents’ self-rated health. Results: The Greek version of the ERI questionnaire showed good psychometric properties. Cronbach’s alpha values were 0.79, 0.72 and 0.75 for the three ERI scales of effort, reward and overcommitment respectively. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a 5-factor solution that closely reflected the original theoretical ERI model. Significant associations were found between respondents’ age, gender and specific occupation with ERI scores. ERI ratio and “overcommitment” scores in the highest tertiles were associated with elevated odds ratios (OR) of below-average self-rated health (OR=5.38, 95% confidence intervals 1.77 to 16.38, p=0.003, and OR=3.41, 95% confidence intervals 1.39 to 8.38, p=0.007, respectively). Conclusions: The translated and adapted Greek version is comparable with the original ERI instrument in terms of validity and factorial structure and is suitable for assessment of the psychosocial work environment of Greek healthcare professionals.   

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Healthcare professional response rates to postal questionnaires are declining and this may threaten the validity and generalisability of their findings. Methods to improve response rates do incur costs (resources) and increase the cost of research projects. The aim of these randomised controlled trials (RCTs) was to assess whether 1) incentives, 2) type of reminder and/or 3) reduced response burden improve response rates; and to assess the cost implications of such additional effective interventions. METHODS: Two RCTs were conducted. In RCT A general dental practitioners (dentists) in Scotland were randomised to receive either an incentive; an abridged questionnaire or a full length questionnaire. In RCT B non-responders to a postal questionnaire sent to general medical practitioners (GPs) in the UK were firstly randomised to receive a second full length questionnaire as a reminder or a postcard reminder. Continued non-responders from RCT B were then randomised within their first randomisation to receive a third full length or an abridged questionnaire reminder. The cost-effectiveness of interventions that effectively increased response rates was assessed as a secondary outcome. RESULTS: There was no evidence that an incentive (52% versus 43%, Risk Difference (RD) -8.8 (95%CI [MINUS SIGN]22.5, 4.8); or abridged questionnaire (46% versus 43%, RD [MINUS SIGN]2.9 (95%CI [MINUS SIGN]16.5, 10.7); statistically significantly improved dentist response rates compared to a full length questionnaire in RCT A. In RCT B there was no evidence that a full questionnaire reminder statistically significantly improved response rates compared to a postcard reminder (10.4% versus 7.3%, RD 3 (95%CI [MINUS SIGN]0.1, 6.8). At a second reminder stage, GPs sent the abridged questionnaire responded more often (14.8% versus 7.2%, RD [MINUS SIGN]7.7 (95%CI [MINUS SIGN]12.8, -2.6). GPs who received a postcard reminder followed by an abridged questionnaire were most likely to respond (19.8% versus 6.3%, RD 8.1%, and 9.1% for full/postcard/full, three full or full/full/abridged questionnaire respectively). An abridged questionnaire containing fewer questions following a postcard reminder was the only cost-effective strategy for increasing the response rate ([POUND SIGN]15.99 per response). CONCLUSIONS: When expecting or facing a low response rate to postal questionnaires, researchers should carefully identify the most efficient way to boost their response rate. In these studies, an abridged questionnaire containing fewer questions following a postcard reminder was the only cost-effective strategy. An increase in response rates may be explained by a combination of the number and type of contacts. Increasing the sampling frame may be more cost-effective than interventions to prompt non-responders. However, this may not strengthen the validity and generalisability of the survey findings and affect the representativeness of the sample. PMID:22891875

Background.- Migraine is frequently undertreated. The 4-item Migraine Assessment of Current Therapy (Migraine-ACT) questionnaire is a simple and reliable tool to identify patients requiring a change in current acute migraine treatment. Objective.- To investigate the responsiveness of the Migraine-ACT tool, and compare it with that of the Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) questionnaire, for patients with migraine at 1100 primary care sites in Spain. Methods.- Patients eligible for this open-label, 2-visit prospective study reported migraine for >1 year and ?1 migraine attack per month and were new to the clinic or on follow-up care for <6 months. Validated Spanish versions of the Migraine-ACT and MIDAS questionnaires were administered, and patient satisfaction with treatment was rec...

This article reports on research using a convenient questionnaire designed to allow mathematics teachers to assess teacher-student interpersonal behaviour in their classrooms. The various forms of the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) are discussed, and its use in past research is summarised. The article provides validation data for the first use of the QTI with a large sample of mathematics classrooms and examines the relation of teacher-student interpersonal behaviour to student attitude. It also describes how mathematics teachers can and have used the questionnaire to assess perceptions of their own teacher-student interpersonal behaviour, and how they have used such assessments as a basis for reflecting on their own teaching. The QTI may thus provide a basis for systematic attempts to improve one's own teaching practice.

Background Although there is a wide range of specific health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures for Parkinson?s disease (PD), their psychometric attributes have never been compared. Objective To compare the psychometric characteristics of the Parkinson?s Disease Questionnaire-39 items (PDQ-39) and Parkinson?s Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire (PDQL). Methods The PDQ-39 and PDQL were simultaneously applied to 187 PD patients. Additional assessments included Hoehn and Yahr staging, Schwab and England Scale (SES), Unified Parkinson?s Disease Rating Scale, Pfeiffer?s Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Criteria for acceptability, scaling assumptions, reliability, construct validity and precision were drawn up. Results B...

Objective: With more children receiving cochlear implants at an early age, there is a need for evaluation and assessment of early auditory behavior. We present the translation of the LittlEARS^(R) Auditory Questionnaire into Hebrew and into Arabic. First the validation of the LittlEARS^(R) Auditory Questionnaire in normal hearing children was evaluated. Second, the auditory behavior and the progress in hearing skills of a group of children with cochlear implants were assessed. Methods: A ''back-translation'' method was used to translate and adapt the LittlEARS^(R) Auditory Questionnaire into Hebrew and into Arabic. Normal hearing participants included 70 Hebrew speaking and 97 Arabic speaking parents of children from 1 to 24 months of age with normal hearing. An additional group of 42 pare...

Dietary fat is a fundamental contributor to the selection of food largely due to its pleasant orosensory characteristics. Consequently high fat foods are often over eaten leading to weight gain and in severe cases, obesity. This paper presents two studies investigating preference for fat. Study 1 is a large-scale questionnaire study which produced both UK normative data for the Fat Preference QuestionnaireCopyright and the first normative data for males. The results suggest that the Fat Preference QuestionnaireCopyright is a reliable and valid measure of fat preference in a UK population, although some changes to the measure are recommended. Female data was found to closely mirror the existing US data. Sex differences were established in scores of preference for high fat foods and quantiti...

Background: The adoption of the Bologna system in 2006 emphasized academic teaching in physiotherapy in Switzerland. This had lead to a discussion on direct access to physiotherapy. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the current attitude of physical therapists working in Switzerland towards direct access and if they feel up to the task of the providing direct access. Methodology: The study was based on questionnaires. After cross-cultural validation, the questionnaires were sent to all members of the Swiss Physical Therapy Association in May 2010. Twenty-seven percent of questionnaires were returned completed. Results: The survey shows that the majority (86%) of physical therapists favors direct access and 84% feel competent to provide direct access. Sixty percent of participants m...

Abstract Purpose To validate two established questionnaires [Morisky and Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS-5)] for the measurement of medical adherence of patients treated with antihypertensive drugs in primary care in Germany. Setting General practitioners (GPs) and their patients in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Methods GPs were asked to recruit 12 consecutive patients using blood-pressure-lowering medication for at least 12 months. Patients were asked to fill out both the Morisky and MARS-5 questionnaires. The medication possession ratio (MPR) was calculated as reference standard for patients' medication adherence by using GPs' electronic patient records. The results of the questionnaires were then compared with the reference standard. Results A total of 14 GPs recruited 163 pa...

Vitamin D deficiency is common in older women and can negatively impact bone status. A simple method by which clinicians and researchers can evaluate a patient's vitamin D dietary intake could help identify individuals at risk for vitamin D deficiency. This study was done to validate a short dietary vitamin D questionnaire. Postmenopausal women (n=122), with a mean age of 63.9±7.8 years, completed a Brief Vitamin D Questionnaire (BVDQ), the Block Health History and Habits Questionnaire 1998 (BHHHQ98), a 3-day food record, and an evaluation of serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients, Wilcoxon signed ranks tests, and Bland-Altman analyses to compare the performance of the BVDQ to the BHHHQ98 and to the diet record. As asses...

AbstractAims Quality of life is an important outcome measure in studies of urinary incontinence. Electronic collection of data has several advantages. We examined the reliability of the Swedish version of the highly recommended condition-specific quality of life questionnaire International Consultation on Incontinence Modular Questionnaire-Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Quality of Life (ICIQ-LUTSqol), in paper and web-based formats in women with stress urinary incontinence. Methods Women aged 18-70 years, with stress urinary incontinence at least once weekly, were recruited via the project's website and answered the ICIQ-LUTSqol questionnaire. Respondents completed either the paper version twice (n-=-78), or paper and web-based versions once each (n-=-54). The ICIQ validation protocol was fo...

The aim of the study is to validate the four-dimensional structure of the Drinking Motive Questionnaire Revised Short Form (DMQ-R SF) in a sample of Italian adolescents and to investigate associations of these motives with frequency of alcohol use and sensation seeking. The data were gathered through self-administered questionnaires in classrooms. The questionnaires were filled out by a representative sample of 2725 (56.4% males; mean age=16.2) 8th to 13th grade alcohol-using students. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation models were applied. The four-dimensional structure of the DMQ-R SF was confirmed in the general sample and among subgroups defined by gender and age. Furthermore, enhancement, social and coping motives were found to be positively related to sensation seek...

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of scholarly electronic journals at the Indian Institute of Science. Design/methodology/approach - The paper examines the methodology and results from a questionnaire-based survey of networked electronic services in India at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) libraries, serving a variety of disciplines. A random sample of the main cohort was selected and, during five months from January 2004 until May 2004, 700 copies of the questionnaire were distributed among 40 departments of IISc; 397 completed and valid questionnaires (56.7 per cent) were received. Findings - The results showed a growing interest in electronic journals among the users at IISc. Electronic journals were mostly used for research needs and PDF was the most ...

One chapter states that there are common misconceptions or ''myths'' about radiation. Myth 9 is ''there could well be a safe threshold for radiation exposure - a dose below which the body repairs all injury.'' What follows is a mythical criticism which states that the dose-response for cancer in the low dose range is supralinear and that an argument for threshold is untenable. According to the authors, the data are convincing down to doses as low as 0.25 rad. The authors are actually setting the stage to foster a new myth that ''evidence'' shows and virtually proves the validity of a linear and perhaps a supralinear dose-response model with no threshold.

With using artificial neural networks (ANNs), an analytical study related to the heated length effect on critical heat flux (CHF) has been carried out to make an improvement of the CHF prediction accuracy based on local condition correlations or table. It has been carried out to suggest a feasible criterion of the threshold length-to-diameter (L/D) value in which heated length could affect CHF. And within the criterion, a L/D correction factor has been developed through conventional regression. In order to validate the developed L/D correction factor, CHF experiments for various heated lengths have been carried out under low and intermediate pressure conditions. The developed threshold L/D correlation provides a new feasible criterion of L/D threshold value. The developed correction factor gives a reasonable accuracy for the original database, showing the error of -2.18% for average and 27.75% for RMS, and promising results for new experimental data. 7 refs., 12 figs., 1 tab. (Author)

In this paper we deal with a single server retrial queue with vacations. The server serves the customers until the system becomes empty, then it takes a vacation. The system consists of two types of costs. The blocking cost is considered whenever a customer is blocked either because of the server is busy or off. There is also a cost each time the server is turned on. The problem is to find an effective policy for turning on the dormant server. We propose a Fuzzy Based Threshold Policy (FBTP) to control the server, substitute for conventional threshold policies. The FBTP is based on four input parameters, an inference stage and it is tuned up using a stochastic List Based Threshold Accepting (LBTA) algorithm. Simulation models are developed to validate the fuzzy controller. Numerical experi...

Abstract Three studies are reported assessing the validity of AMTAS, an automated method for obtaining an audiogram, including air- and bone-conduction thresholds (stimuli delivered by a forehead-placed transducer) with masking noise presented to the non-test ear. In Study 1, six subjects at each of three sites were tested using manual audiometry by two audiologists at each site. The mean differences between the audiograms for the paired audiologists provided a measure of the reliability of traditional audiometry. In Study 2, thirty subjects (5 normal hearing, 25 hearing impaired) were tested using AMTAS and manual audiometry. For air-conduction thresholds, AMTAS-manual differences were similar to inter-tester differences in Study 1, but for bone-conduction thresholds, the former were larg...

Developmental thresholds and thermal requirements for development of post-dormancy larvae of Monochamus galloprovincialis (Olivier) (Cerambycidae; Monochamini) were studied at ten constant temperatures ranging from 7 to 35°C. The relationship between temperature and development duration in days was linear between 15 and 30°C (r 2  = 0.98). The lower threshold for development was determined to be 12.2 ± 0.8°C and an average of 822 degree-days (DD) above that value was required for 50% adult emergence under laboratory conditions. The rate of larval development decreased above 30°C and the lethal upper threshold was between 32 and 35°C. Degree-day rate summation was initiated in the first of March and model predictions were validated with records of field emergence for the years 2001 to 2004....

Thirty-five patients who were to undergo radiotherapy and 13 normal subjects were evaluated with taste questionnaires, taste acuity tests, and plasma zinc analyses. The studies were repeated on the patients in the fifth week of radiotherapy. The mean taste thresholds for NaCl (salt), sucrose (sweet), HCl (sour), and urea (bitter) were elevated and the plasma zinc levels were lower (77.2 +/- 11.8 vs. 94.6 +/- 30.1 g/100 ml, p = 0.055) for the patients than for the controls. However, there was not a significant correlation between the taste thresholds and plasma zinc levels at any time. The mean weight loss experienced by the 14 patients who reported subjective taste alteration in the fifth week was 3.1 kg versus 0.1 kg (p = 0.005) for those who did not report taste alteration. The data suggest that alterations in taste acuity, but not plasma zinc levels, are associated with weight loss during radiotherapy.

The effectiveness of bone anchored hearing aid (BAHA) for the patients with congenital aural atresia was evaluated by multicenter clinical study in Japan. Twenty patients (17 bilateral and 3 hemilateral) of congenital auricular atresia were registered for this study and finally, 18 of them (15 bilateral and 3 unilateral) were subjected to further evaluation. Primary endpoint of this study was free sound-field pure-tone audiometory and speech threshold hearing test in quiet and noisy circumstances. Secondary endpoint of this study was patient's satisfaction based upon APHAB (Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit) questionnaire survey. These results were compared between before and 12 weeks after BAHA surgery. Both hearing level of pure tone and speech threshold significantly improved after BAHA surgery. APHAB scores also suggested the improvement of the QOL after BAHA usage, except for the scores that concerned with unpleasantness of noisy sound. BAHA is one of the useful options for the treatment of congenital auricular atresia. PMID:22073602

Abstract in portuguese OBJETIVO: Desenvolver e investigar a confiabilidade e a validade da versão brasileira do Questionário de Função Visual de 25 Itens do National Eye Institute. MÉTODOS: A versão brasileira do questionário foi desenvolvida e aplicada em pacientes com doenças oculares crônicas e controles sadios. A confiabilidade foi calculada pelo coeficiente alfa de Cronbach de correlação intraclasse e de confiabilidade entre examinadores. Foi usado o questionário "The Medical O (more) utcomes Study Short Form-36". A validade foi calculada pela correlação entre as escalas dos questionários e entre as 12 subescalas do questionário, a pontuação das subescalas e a acuidade visual, a pontuação das subescalas de pacientes e controles e a análise fatorial. A validação do questionário foi calculada em grupo de pacientes antes e após cirurgia de catarata. RESULTADOS: O coeficiente de alfa de Cronbach, de correlação intraclasse e de variação entre entrevistadores, e os testes de validade da versão brasileira foram significantes. A responsividade foi confirmada pela melhora na qualidade de vida visual no grupo submetido à cirurgia de catarata. CONCLUSÃO: A versão brasileira do Questionário de Função Visual de 25 Itens apresenta propriedades psicométricas válidas e confiáveis e pode ser aplicado em pesquisa de qualidade de vida visual. Abstract in english PURPOSE: To develop and investigate the reliability and validity of a Brazilian version of the 25-Item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire. METHODS: A Brazilian version of the questionnaire was developed and applied to patients with chronic eye diseases and healthy controls. Reliability was assessed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient, intraclass correlation coefficient and interrater reliability coefficient. Participants were submitted to the Medical Outcome (more) s Study Short Form-36 Questionnaire. Validity was estimated by the correlation between the questionnaires and among the 12 subscales of the questionnaire, subscales scores and visual acuity, patients' and controls' subscales scores, and the factor analysis. Responsiveness of the questionnaire was assessed in a group of patients before and following cataract surgery. RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha, intraclass correlation and interrater reliability coefficients were highly significant. Validity was well established in all tests. In patients who underwent cataract surgery, a better vision-related quality of life was observed following surgery. CONCLUSION: The Brazilian version of the 25-Item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire has valid and reliable psychometric properties and can be applied to vision-related quality of life research.

OBJECTIVE --To study the association between specific clinical symptoms (e.g. low libido and erectile dysfunction) and testosterone levels and age in order to define symptom-specific testosterone thresholds. MATERIALS AND METHODS --Serum samples for testosterone determination were obtained from 675 healthy men. --Participants underwent urological examination and completed the Aging Males Symptoms scale, the Beck Depression Index and the International Index of Erectile Function. Overall scores and those from individual questions from the questionnaires were evaluated. --Testosterone levels in men with symptoms were compared with those in men without symptoms. --The risks of clinical symptoms were evaluated using univariate, multiple multinomial regression analyses and Bonferroni correction....

Abstract Children with problematic severe asthma (PA) have persistent symptoms and/or severe exacerbations despite treatment with several drugs. Classification of asthma severity is currently based on level of treatment and assessment of asthma control, but objective biomarkers of asthma severity are needed. To investigate the clinical relevance of basophil allergen threshold sensitivity (CD-sens) as a measure of allergen sensitivity in a well-characterized cohort of children with different manifestations of persistent allergic asthma. Cat-allergic children (6-18-yr) with problematic severe asthma (n-=-11) according to GINA were compared with eleven age-matched children with controlled, but persistent asthma (CA). The protocol included standardized questionnaires, asthma control test (ACT)...

Scand J Caring Sci; 2012; Psychometric properties of the Norwegian Person-centred Climate Questionnaire from a nursing home context Background:? The physical and psychosocial environments in nursing homes influence the residents' everyday life as well as their well-being and thriving. The staff's perceptions of and relationships with the residents are crucially important to quality care. Quality care is described often as person-centred. Few measurement tools exist that focus on person-centred care in nursing homes. Objective:? The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Norwegian version of the Person-centred Climate Questionnaire-Staff version (PCQ-S). Design:? This study had a cross-sectional survey design. Participants and Settings:? Two hundred and nine healthcare and support staff in five nursing homes in the eastern part of Norway. Methods:? The Swedish PCQ-S was translated into Norwegian with forward and backward translation. The relevance of the items included in the questionnaire was assessed by an expert panel of 10 nursing home care staff, because the questionnaire has not been used in this context previously. A psychometric evaluation using statistical estimates of validity and reliability was performed. The discriminatory capacity of the questionnaire was also tested. Results:? The content validity index was satisfactory (0.78). The PCQ-S showed high internal consistency reliability in that Cronbach's ? was satisfactory for the total scale (0.92) and the three subscales (0.81, 0.89 and 0.87). The test-retest reliability was also satisfactory as evident from a Spearman's correlation coefficient of 0.76 (p?validity and reliability scores, this study supports the Norwegian version of the PCQ-S when applied to a sample of nursing home staff. PMID:22380607

The WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index and Lequesne Algofunctional Index have not been translated and validated for Iranian patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee or hip. The aim of this study was to validate the Persian form of WOMAC OA Index and Lequesne Algofunctional Index and to assess their test-retest reliability and convergent validity. Forward/backward translations and consensus panels were conducted to obtain the Persian versions of WOMAC OA Index and Lequesne Algofunctional Index. A non-probability sample of 116 patients with knee/hip osteoarthritis was asked to complete the WOMAC OA Index and Lequesne Algofunctional Index as well as Medical Outcomes Study-20-Item Short Form (SF-20) questionnaires, a visual analogue scales (VAS) of pain and demographic information form. Internal consistency (using Cronbach's alpha) and convergent validity (by examining the Pearson's correlation coefficients) were evaluated to determine the psychometric properties of the questionnaires. In order to evaluate test-retest reliability, 20 randomly selected patients completed the questionnaires, on a second occasion, 7-10 days later. Cronbach's alpha coefficients and intraclass correlation coefficients for the WOMAC OA Index and Algofunctional Index subscales ranged from 0.63 to 0.94 and from 0.53 to 0.96, respectively. Statistically significant correlations were found between WOMAC OA Index, Algofunctional Index and SF-20 subscales and VAS for pain. The Persian version of WOMAC demonstrated a more acceptable validity, internal consistency and reliability compared with the Lequesne Algofunctional Index. However, both indices are valid and reliable instruments for evaluating the OA severity of knee/hip in Iran. PMID:22526476

Objective The objective of this study was to define the minimum academic content required for pediatricians to recognize the risk of kernicterus. Methods A questionnaire was developed on the basis of American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines seeking to develop a consensus for pediatricians in training on the theoretical content about neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. To validate the instrument, we used the Delphi consensus method. The 14 invited experts interviewed, eminent Brazilian researchers of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, analyzed the questions posed in accordance with the literature and validated the instrument Findings An assessment instrument, the Student Questionnaire (SQ), was developed on the basis of indicators of risk of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia obtained from the literature. A panel of academic experts, composed of the leading researchers of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in Brazil according to research rankings of the Brazilian government's Lattes Platform, was assembled for consensus validation of the assessment instrument. Validation of the SQ was achieved after two rounds of the Delphi technique. Finally, the SQ itself was validated with the medical education content required for recognition of kernicterus risk. Conclusion The consensus among experts stressed the need to identify the primary epidemiologic risk factors for significant hyperbilirubinemia associated with neonatal jaundice and to characterize risk of bilirubin encephalopathy according to the literature. The minimum capacity required of physicians in training is that they have the insight to consult the reference material specific to each clinical situation in which hyperbilirubinemia may be involved. The present study emphasized the need for knowledge of the four variables related to management of neonatal jaundice: gestational age, birth weight, infant age, and total serum bilirubin. This validated questionnaire can be a useful tool to prepare pediatricians to recognize the possibility of bilirubin encephalopathy in neonates and prescribe intervention as necessary. PMID:17251080

Introduction Daily function plays an important role in the quality of life for patients suffering from pathology of the upper extremity. The recovery of functions of daily living determines the success or failure of the treatment for the patient. The goal of this study was to establish and validate a score set measuring quality of life, and objective and subjective function in general elbow pathologies. Methods A literature review was performed, in order to find a patient-based elbow specific questionnaire. The score set was tested and validated in a cross-sectional setting. Results The patient-rated elbow evaluation (PREE) was chosen as the patient-based elbow specific questionnaire. For measuring general health and subjective arm function, the short form-36 mental health (SF-36 MH) and t...

The purpose of this paper was to determine the criteria that reflect the quality of care provided by long-term care institutions. Research was conducted using a two-step procedure that first utilized the SERVQUAL model with Fuzzy Delphi Method to establish the proper criteria by which service quality could be measured. A total of 200 questionnaires were mailed to expert respondents, of which 89 were returned and 77 deemed valid for use in this study. We then applied the Multi-Criteria Decision Making Process to determine the degree of importance of each criterion to long-term care institution service quality planning work. Secondly, 200 questionnaires were distributed and 74 valid responses were returned. Based on the 5 SERVQUAL model constructs, this study found 17 of the 28 criteria, to be pertinent to nursing care quality, with those in the Responsiveness and Empathy domains being the ones most critical. PMID:18080970

Purpose The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) is a self-reported questionnaire that measures sleep quality during the previous month. The aims of this study were to analyze the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the PSQI (PSQI-K) and to evaluate its usefulness. Methods We developed the PSQI-K, which involved translating the original PSQI into Korean and then translating back into English to check its accuracy. We tested the validity of the PSQI-K on a total of 394 individuals: 261 with poor sleep (primary insomnia, n?=?211; narcolepsy, n?=?50) and 133 with good sleep. All subjects completed the PSQI-K, 285 had overnight nocturnal polysomnography, and 53 were randomly selected for a retest with the questionnaire after 2?4?weeks without any intervening treatment. The mean ...

The Alzheimer Questionnaire (AQ) has been established as a valid and accurate informant-based screening questionnaire for Alzheimer disease and amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Although the AQ's validity and diagnostic accuracy has been established, its performance in comparison with other instruments has not. Thirty-nine amnestic mild cognitive impairment cases and 34 Alzheimer disease cases were matched on the basis of age, education, and sex to 73 cognitively normal individuals. The sample had a mean age of 82.54±7.77 years and a mean education level of 14.61±2.61 years. The diagnostic accuracy of the CDR Sum of Boxes, Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE), and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) were compared with the AQ. The AQ correlated strongly with the CDR Sum of Boxes (r=0.79) and demonstrated similar diagnostic accuracy with the MoCA and MMSE. These results suggest that the AQ is comparable with other established informant-based and patient-based measures. PMID:23138174

Evaluation of therapeutic benefits from the patient?s perspective is important in medical decision-making and reimbursement. This study aimed at developing and validating an instrument on patient-defined needs and benefits in dermatology. The questionnaire was developed according to international guidelines. The benefit assessment consists of two steps: before treatment, every patient defines his treatment needs according to a standardized list. After treatment, the patient rates the degree of benefits achieved. A ?patient benefit index?? (PBI) is calculated by averaging the preference-weighed results of all items. The PBI questionnaire was validated in a sample of 500 patients with ten skin diseases and in a treatment study on 906 patients with acne. The patients defined a broad spectrum ...

This article concerns a parent-report repeat questionnaire to evaluate the quality of multiprofessional early intervention following early identification of deafness. It discusses the rationale for the design of the instrument, its theoretical underpinnings, its psychometric properties, and its usability. Results for the validity and reliability of the instrument are based on completion by 82 parents. The questionnaire is divided into four sections. "The description of the structure of professional services" demonstrated good face and content validity; the "content of intervention scale" yielded high internal consistency (Cronbachs a = 0.88) and reliability (6-month test-retest correlations, rho = 0.88, r = .68; 12-month test-retest correlations, rho = 0.60, r = .82); the "process of inter...

Vestergren, P., Rnnlund, M., Nyberg, L. & Nilsson, L.-G. (2012). Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis of the Cognitive Dysfunction Questionnaire: Instrument refinement and measurement invariance across age and sex. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 53, 390-400. The study adopted Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to investigate the factorial structure and reduce the number of items of the Cognitive Dysfunction Questionnaire (CDQ). The analyses were based on data for a total of 1,115 participants from population based samples (mean age: 63.0--14.5-years, range: 25-95) randomly split into a refinement (N-=-569) and a cross-validation (N-=-546) sample. Equivalence of the measurement and structural portions of the refined model was demonstrated across the refinement and cross-validation sa...

The Auditory Behavior Questionnaire (ABQ) evaluates abnormal behavioral responses to auditory stimulation in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This study reports preliminary reliability, construct validity and standardization of the ABQ. Parents of children with ASD aged 7-21 years (n = 165) completed the ABQ on-line. Cronbach's alpha was 0.94 indicating strong internal consistency. Factor analysis revealed a four-factor structure supporting previous theoretical discussion of global sensory processing difficulties and the construct validity of the ABQ. The 4-factors, (1) Difficulty in Background Noise, (2) Aversive Reactions, (3) Unresponsiveness, and (4) Stereotypic/Repetitive Behaviors, are very similar to Dunning's (Development of a questionnaire to assess auditory behaviors in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, The Ohio State University, Columbus, 2003) hypothesized factor domains. Standard factor scores for children with ASD are reported. PMID:22890403

The objective of the study was to evaluate patient benefit and health-related quality of life after use of botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) A for various otorhinolaryngological, functional (non-cosmetic) indications. The design consisted of a survey study of a patient cohort (n?=?40) treated with BoNT A for functional indications. Patients were asked to answer the Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI), a retrospective questionnaire well validated for measuring the effect of otorhinolaryngological interventions on the health-related quality of life. GBI scores can range from ?100 (maximal adverse effect), through 0 (no effect), to 100 (maximal positive effect). A total of 29 patients (72.5%) returned a valid questionnaire. Mean total GBI scores for the particular indications were 1.2 (sialorrhea, n?=?...

Background Until recently, no Japanese versions have existed of the more popular, patient-reported disability questionnaires for neck pain. This study aimed to test the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the Japanese version of the Neck Pain and Disability Scale (NPDS), one of the most widely used questionnaires in patients with neck pain. Methods In this validation study, 167 outpatients with neck pain participated. Patients received the NPDS and the Medical Outcome Study Short Form 36-item Health Survey (SF-36), and used Visual Analog Scales (VASs) to assess pain and global health. To examine test-retest reliability, patients who were considered stable by clinicians were given the NPDS 2?weeks after baseline. To examine responsiveness, patients who had not undergone treatment a...

In order to develop criteria for the range of data points used for regression line fitting in sweep visually evoked potential (sVEP), which would be objective, clearly specified and give good repeatability and validity, and in order to investigate the effect of luminance on sVEP measurement, visual acuity (VA) and contrast sensitivity (CS) were measured with sVEP in adults aged 17?30 years and children aged 6?8 years. Six to ten participants took part in each experiment. Five criteria (C0?C4) for fitting the regression line were implemented. Test?retest repeatability and validity against psychophysical thresholds at three luminance levels were considered for thresholds and the number of acceptable readings. There were significant effects of criteria (repeated measures ANOVAs, P P > 0.05). ...

This report presents the testing and analyses of a foam projectile impacting onto thirteen 6x6 inch flat panels at a 90 degrees incidence angle. The panels tested in this investigation were fabricated of Reinforced-Carbon-Carbon material and were used to aid in the validation of an existing material model, MAT58. The computational analyses were performed using LS-DYNA, which is a physics-based, nonlinear, transient, finite element code used for analyzing material responses subjected to high impact forces and other dynamic conditions. The test results were used to validate LS-DYNA predictions and to determine the threshold of damage generated by the MAT58 cumulative damage material model. The threshold of damage parameter represents any external or internal visible RCC damage detectable by nondestructive evaluation techniques.

Non-exercise equations developed from self-reported physical activity can estimate maximal oxygen uptake (VO[subscript 2]max) as well as sub-maximal exercise testing. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire is the most widely used and validated self-report measure of physical activity. This study aimed to develop and test a VO[subscript 2]max estimation equation derived from the International Physical Activity Questionnaire--Short Form. College-aged males and females (n = 80) completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire--Short Form and performed a maximal exercise test. The estimation equation was created with multivariate regression in a gender-balanced subsample of participants, equally representing five levels of fitness (n = 50) and validated in the remaining participants (n = 30). The resulting equation explained 43% of the variance in measured VO[subscript 2]max (standard error of estimate = 5.45 ml[middle dot]kg[superscript -1][middle dot]min[superscript -1]). Estimated VO[subscript 2]max for 87% of individuals fell within acceptable limits of error observed with sub-maximal exercise testing (20% error). The International Physical Activity Questionnaire--Short Form can be used to successfully estimate VO[subscript 2]max as well as sub-maximal exercise tests. Development of other population-specific estimation equations is warranted. (Contains 5 tables and 1 figure.)

Introduction: The objective was to develop and psychometrically evaluate (feasibility, reliability, validity) a questionnaire-based multisource feedback (MSF) system for quality improvement (QI) for occupational therapists (OTs). Methods: Surveys were developed for assessment of OTs by clients, co-workers, and themselves, respectively, using 5-point scales with an "unable to assess" category. A sample of 238 OTs participated. Results: The number of respondents for the co-worker questionnaire was 2621, and for the client questionnaire it was 2881. The mean ratings ranged from 4 to 5 for each item on each scale. All of the instruments' full scales had very high Cronbach's [alpha] greater than 0.92. The factor analyses revealed a 7-factor solution (66.3% of the total variance) for the co-worker survey, and a 4-factor solution for the client questionnaire (73.2% of the variance). Discussion: An MSF system employing surveys that have high reliability, validity, and feasibility was developed to provide feedback to OTs on core competencies and skills. It is suggested that similar MSF systems are feasible for health professionals in general. (Contains 3 tables, 1 figure and 2 footnotes.)

Abstract Questionnaires used in health promotion programs are too rarely subjected to tests of reliability and validity prior to their use. Without such tests, any information gathered must be suspect. The complexity of such tests is illustrated by the investigation of the validity of a revised version of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) Scales. Confirmatory maximum-likelihood factor analysis was used to analyze data from 519 elementary school students. The concurrent validity of the revised MHLC was also evaluated by conducting an interbattery factor analysis that included data from selected "marker" items from the measure developed by Parcel and his colleagues. The results supported the validity of the revised MLHC Scales when used with children. PMID:22206282

Zero suppression of the TRT data is foreseen already at the ROD level. Valid straws will be identified by applying a gate of tunable position and width to the low threshold data bits. Various schemes have been proposed for the encoding of data from valid straws. The schemes are answering the requirements posed by the different running modes of LHC/ATLAS: low luminosity, low luminosity b-physics programme, and high luminosity. This note presents a Monte Carlo study of the validity gate approach and of the proposed encoding schemes. Results are presented on the obtainable efficiency and background suppression as function of the validity gate position and width. The different encoding schemes are investigated and estimates of the output data volumes are presented for different luminosities.

The present study investigated the validity of the German version of the Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ-20), a scale designed to measure somatoform dissociative symptoms. Somatoform dissociation involves physical manifestations of a dissociation of the personality and is considered a unique entity in the phenomenological spectrum of dissociation. The validity and reliability of the German version of the SDQ-20 was examined using a sample of 225 patients with (n = 39) and without dissociative disorders who were recruited from several in- and outpatient psychiatric clinics. Patients were assessed using structured diagnostic interviews; diagnostic checklists; and self-rating scales for dissociation, and posttraumatic stress. Patients with dissociative disorders reported significan...

Objective:To describe the design, measurements and fieldwork of the IDEFICS (Identification and prevention of dietary- and lifestyle-induced health effects in children and infants) physical activity and body composition validation study, and to determine the potential and limitations of the data obtained.Design:Multicentre validation study.Subjects:A total of 98 children from four different European countries (age: 4–10 years).Methods:An 8-day measurement protocol was carried out in all children using a collaborative protocol. Reference methods were the doubly labelled water method for physical activity, and a three- and a four-compartment model for body composition. Investigated field methods were accelerometers, a physical activity questionnaire and various anthropometric measureme...

A screening tool (in Chinese) for maladaptive internet use was developed in two stages. Thirty-five factors were first extracted from data obtained from 378 adolescents with a 179-item questionnaire. Nine higher-order factors were then obtained from 35 factors. A 26-item screen that measures both endogenous and exogenous factors was constructed on the basis of the nine higher-order factors. The screen's split-half validity and concurrent criterion-related validity were ascertained with a new sample of 3,523 adolescents. The screen may be used to classify adolescent internet-users into four categories. Its endogenous part may be used to identify potential problem internet users.

Background: Prior studies indicate that the biochemical alterations of depressive episodes result in decreased serum zinc concentrations. Given these findings, it is plausible that consistently low dietary zinc intakes contribute to depressive symptoms, yet epidemiological data are lacking. The authors tested the hypothesis that low zinc intake is associated with depressive symptoms using cross-sectional data from the population-based Boston Area Community Health survey (2002-2005). Methods: Dietary and supplement use data were collected by validated food frequency questionnaire. Current depressive symptoms were assessed by the abridged validated Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale and analyzed using multivariate logistic regression, adjusting for sociodemographic, health and...

Abstract Objectives: This paper describes the further development and psychometric properties of an instrument to measure cancer patients' reasons to want complete or limited information: the Considerations Concerning Cancer Information questionnaire (CCCI). Understanding cancer patients' reasons to want complete or limited information will provide the physician with information that enables him or her to tailor information giving. Methods: CCCI's content validity, internal structure, and convergent validity were investigated among 145 cancer patients, new to radiotherapy. Results: Underlying reasons for information preference among cancer patients were derived from existing qualitative studies, narratives, and interviews. This resulted in the CCCI containing two parts: reasons to favor co...

Although pediatric obesity is prevalent in low-income and African American and Hispanic communities, validated measures of child eating habits are lacking for these communities. In this study, confirmatory factor analysis was used to validate the hypothesized 7-factor structure of the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ). The sample included 229 parent-child pairs, the majority low-income and Hispanic (57%) or African American (25%). The a priori structure of the CEBQ failed to replicate. Exploratory factor analysis revealed 3 factors: Disinhibition, Food interest, and Undereating, none predicting child BMI. Although limited by the observational, cross-sectional design, results indicate that the CEBQ needs additional study. PMID:22664409

Aside from test anxiety scales, measurement instruments assessing students' achievement emotions are largely lacking. This article reports on the construction, reliability, internal validity, and external validity of the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire (AEQ) which is designed to assess various achievement emotions experienced by students in academic settings. The instrument contains 24 scales measuring enjoyment, hope, pride, relief, anger, anxiety, shame, hopelessness, and boredom during class, while studying, and when taking tests and exams. Scale construction used a rational-empirical strategy based on Pekrun's (2006) control-value theory of achievement emotions and prior exploratory research. The instrument was tested in a study using a sample of university students (N=389). Finding...

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore how multichannel customers evaluate overall satisfaction across distribution channels and what the antecedents are of such satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach - A survey of bank customers in Taiwan was conducted. The total number of valid questionnaires was 479. Reliability and validity were tested. Maximum likelihood procedure of LISREL 8.8 was used to test the hypothesized structural equation model. Findings - The findings indicate that the overall satisfaction in the multichannel environment is a critical determinant of customer retention and participation. The present study also develops the antecedents of multichannel satisfaction. In the multichannel environment, perceived multichannel service quality is positively related to sa...

Introduction: Satisfaction with care has become a central dimension of quality assurance in mental health care. Assessments of patient satisfaction, however, are hampered by a lack of well-validated and reliable satisfaction tools. Objectives: This study examines the applicability and results of a validated satisfaction questionnaire (WPI-Vienna Patient Satisfaction Inventory) developed for routine outcome measurement among chronically mentally ill outpatients. Methods: Users of eight outpatient clinics who attended these clinics within a period of three consecutive months rated (a) satisfaction with received treatment and (b) perceived importance of specific treatment aspects. Sociodemographic and clinical information such as gender, age, and diagnosis was also collected. Results: A total...

Background/Objectives:To validate 24?h dietary recall of fruit intake by measuring the total 24?h excretion of 10 different flavonoids in 24?h urine during an intervention with free fruit at workplaces.Subjects/Methods:Employees at workplaces offering a free-fruit program, consisting of daily free and easy access to fresh fruit, and controls employees at workplaces with no free-fruit program were enrolled in this validation study (n=103). Dietary intake was assessed by using a 24?h dietary recall questionnaire at baseline and approximately 5 months later. Ten flavonoids, quercetin, isorhamnetin, tamarixetin, kaempferol, hesperetin, naringenin, eriodictyol, daidzein, genistein, and phloretin, were measured using HPLC–electrospray ionization–MS.Results:The...

This article reports about the development and validation of a measurement instrument assessing elementary school students' achievement emotions (Achievement Emotions Questionnaire-Elementary School, AEQ-ES). Specifically, the instrument assesses students' enjoyment, anxiety, and boredom pertaining to three types of academic settings (i.e., attending class, doing homework, and taking tests and exams). Scale construction was based on Pekrun's (2006) control-value theory of achievement emotions. The instrument was tested using samples from German and American elementary school classrooms. The results of Study 1 (German sample) corroborate the reliability and structural validity of the new emotion measure. Moreover, they show that students' achievement emotions were linked with their control ...

The present study applied item response theory (IRT) to the NEO five factor inventory (NEO-FFI) completed by a community based sample of adolescents. The results revealed that many of these personality items may not be discriminating well, with some traits demonstrating greater reliability than others. Furthermore, the threshold values highlighted that the majority of the items had skewed responses, suggesting a limited utility of some response categories. Generally, removing poorly discriminating items does not harm external validity, suggesting IRT reduces measurement error and increases reliability without compromising validity. PMID:23049153

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the validity and reliability of a cognitive test battery and questionnaires administered by telephone. DESIGN: Observational study; 110 participants randomly assigned to receive two administrations of the same cognitive test battery 6 months apart in one of four combinations (Time 1 administration/Time 2 administration): telephone/telephone, telephone/face to face, face to face/telephone, face to face/face to face. SETTING: Academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred ten women aged 65 to 90 without dementia. MEASUREMENTS: The battery included tests of attention; verbal learning and memory; verbal fluency; executive function; working memory; global cognitive functioning; and self-reported measures of perceived memory problems, depressive symptoms, sleep disturbance, and health-related quality of life. Test-retest reliability, concurrent validity, relative bias associated with telephone administration, and change scores were evaluated. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in scores on any of the cognitive tests or questionnaires between participants randomly assigned to telephone or face-to-face administration at the Time 1 assessment, indicating equivalence across administration modes. There was no significant bias for tests or questionnaires administered by telephone (P's > .01), nor was there a difference in mean change scores between administration modes except for Category Fluency (P = .01) and California Verbal Learning Test long-delay free recall (P = .004). Mean test-retest coefficients for the battery were not significantly different between groups, although individual test-retest correlation coefficients were generally higher within modes than between modes. CONCLUSION: Telephone administration of cognitive tests and questionnaires to older women is reliable and valid. Use of telephone batteries can substantially reduce the cost and burden of cognitive assessments and increase enrollment, retention, and data completeness, thereby improving study validity. PMID:22985137

Abstract The authors devised and validated a questionnaire assessing the various possible motivations for learning and using hypnosis and administered it to 125 Israeli psychologists, physicians, and dentists who study and/or use hypnosis in their clinical work. The results suggest that most professionals were motivated by a desire to improve their professional performance and that a majority of professionals were primarily influenced in their desire to learn hypnosis by colleagues in academically or clinically oriented settings. PMID:23153386

In this study, we found that almost all institutions conducting animal experiments, such as universities, corporations, and research laboratories, also conducted memorial services for the animals sacrificed during animal experimentation. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 120 institutions. A total of 83 (69.1%) valid responses were obtained from the participating institutions. Memorial services were held at 79 institutions (95.1%). Memorial services for laboratory animals have been mainly conducted to show appreciation, comfort the spirit, and console the souls.   

Validity of simpler approaches for elastic and inelastic photon scattering by atoms and ions is assessed by comparison with second-order S-matrix predictions. A simple scheme for elastic scattering based on angle-independent anomalous scattering factors has been found to give useful predictions near and below photoeffect thresholds. In inelastic scattering, major deviations are found from A{sup 2}-based calculations. Extension of free-atom and free-ion cross sections to the dense plasma regime is discussed. 20 refs., 6 figs.

Abstract in spanish Objetivo. Diseñar y validar un cuestionario de trastornos de salud mental en niños de 6 a 12 años, para ser utilizado en centros de atención primaria por personal no especializado en psiquiatría infantil. Diseño. Estudio transversal de validación de un instrumento. Emplazamiento. El estudio se realizó en dos instituciones de salud: Consulta de Atención Primaria y Consulta Externa del Hospital Psiquiatrico Infantil de la Ciudad de México. Participantes. Se incluy (more) ó población infantil entre 6 y 12 años y padres o tutores asistentes a las consultas externas de las instituciones de salud mencionadas. Mediciones Principales. Se diseño el Cuestionario de acuerdo a los criterios establecidos en el Manual Estadístico de las Enfermedades Mentales (DSM-IV) y la Clasificación Internacional de la Enfermedades (CIE-10). El estudio fue realizado en tres fases: 1. validación de contenido a través de jueces. 2. prueba piloto. 3. análisis factorial de componentes principales. Resultados y Conclusiones. El cuestionario mostró ser válido para 10 trastornos, lo que corresponde a un total de 41 ítems. El coeficiente Alpha de Cronbach fue mayor de 0,8 para cada trastorno. En conclusión, el Cuestionario resultó ser válido y confiable para ser utilizado como una prueba de cribado de trastornos de salud mental para niños en centros de atención primaria. Abstract in english Objective. Design, validity and reliability of a self-report questionnaire for mental health disorders in 6-12 year old children, to be used by general practitioners at primary care centers. Design. Cross-sectional study, validity of an instrument. Place. The study was conducted in two health services: A Primary Care Center and the outpatient department of the Child Psychiatric Hospital of Mexico City. Participants. Children between 6 and 12 years and parents or child-car (more) ers at the outpatient visits of the previously mentioned health services. Principal Measures. The questionnaire was designed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) and International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). The study was carried out in three stages:1. Content validity through judges agreement. 2. Pilot questionnaire. 3. Construct validity was estimated through factorial analysis of main components. Results and conclusions: The questionnaire was shown to be valid for 10 disorders which correspond to a total of 41 items. The Chronbach´s coefficient was over 0.8 for each disorder. In conclusion, the questionnaire may be considered a valid, reliable instrument for use in the screening of mental health problems in children in Primary Care Centers.

Today, we can say that almost everything is having "electronic" prefix and the way to access to information has changed substantially because of the many factors like fast advancements in computer technology and internet which is getting more and more widespread everyday. Although some people stick to printed resources, the fact that electronic resources offer innovation and irresistible options in terms of cost and time is obvious. The aim of this survey study is to detect some data that can be generalized about the graduate students' state of using printed and electronic resources. A questionnaire, developed by Ebrary, one of the largest e-book suppliers of the world, was used as the data gathering tool. After the studies for improving the reliability and validity of the questionnaire, a questionnaire form with 16 items was obtained. 634 questionnaires were sent to graduate students via e-mail, 130 of them were sent back and 125 questionnaires were evaluated for the study. Concerning all the data, it was concluded that majority of the graduate students are aware of the comfort of the e-resources and prefer to use these resources academically. (Contains 15 tables.)