Effect of questionnaire length, personalisation and reminder type on response rate to a complex postal survey: randomised controlled trial

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background Minimising participant non-response in postal surveys helps to maximise the generalisability of the inferences made from the data collected. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of questionnaire length, personalisation and reminder type on postal survey response rate and quality and to compare the cost-effectiveness of the alternative survey strategies. Methods In a pilot study for a population study of travel behaviour, physical activity and the environment, 1000 participants sampled from the UK edited electoral register were randomly allocated using a 2 × 2 factorial design to receive one of four survey packs: a personally addressed long (24 page) questionnaire pack, a personally addressed short (15 page) questionnaire pack, a non-personally addressed long questionnaire pack or a non-personally addressed short questionnaire pack. Those who did not return a questionnaire were stratified by initial randomisation group and further randomised to receive either a full reminder pack or a reminder postcard. The effects of the survey design factors on response were examined using multivariate logistic regression. Results An overall response rate of 17% was achieved. Participants who received the short version of the questionnaire were more likely to respond (OR = 1.48, 95% CI 1.06 to 2.07). In those participants who received a reminder, personalisation of the survey pack and reminder also increased the odds of response (OR = 1.44, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.95). Item non-response was relatively low, but was significantly higher in the long questionnaire than the short (9.8% vs 5.8%; p = .04). The cost per additional usable questionnaire returned of issuing the reminder packs was £23.1 compared with £11.3 for the reminder postcards. Conclusions In contrast to some previous studies of shorter questionnaires, this trial found that shortening a relatively lengthy questionnaire significantly increased the response. Researchers should consider the trade off

African primary care research: performing surveys using questionnaires.

Science.gov (United States)

Govender, Indiran; Mabuza, Langalibalele H; Ogunbanjo, Gboyega A; Mash, Bob

2014-04-25

The aim of this article is to provide practical guidance on conducting surveys and the use of questionnaires for postgraduate students at a Masters level who are undertaking primary care research. The article is intended to assist with writing the methods section of the research proposal and thinking through the relevant issues that apply to sample size calculation, sampling strategy, design of a questionnaire and administration of a questionnaire. The articleis part of a larger series on primary care research, with other articles in the series focusing on the structure of the research proposal and the literature review, as well as quantitative data analysis.

What impact do questionnaire length and monetary incentives have on mailed health psychology survey response?

Science.gov (United States)

Robb, Kathryn A; Gatting, Lauren; Wardle, Jane

2017-11-01

Response rates to health-related surveys are declining. This study tested two strategies to improve the response rate to a health psychology survey mailed through English general practices: (1) sending a shortened questionnaire and (2) offering a monetary incentive to return a completed questionnaire. Randomized controlled trial. Adults (n = 4,241) aged 45-59 years, from four General Practices in South-East England, were mailed a survey on attitudes towards bowel cancer screening. Using a 2 × 4 factorial design, participants were randomized to receive a 'short' (four A4 pages) or a 'long' (seven A4 pages) questionnaire, and one of four monetary incentives to return a completed questionnaire - (1) no monetary incentive, (2) £2.50 shop voucher, (3) £5.00 shop voucher, and (4) inclusion in a £250 shop voucher prize draw. Age, gender, and area-level deprivation were obtained from the General Practices. The overall response rate was 41% (n = 1,589). Response to the 'short' questionnaire (42%) was not significantly different from the 'long' questionnaire (40%). The £2.50 incentive (43%) significantly improved response rates in univariate analyses, and remained significant after controlling for age, gender, area-level deprivation, and questionnaire length. The £5.00 (42%) and £250 prize draw (41%) incentives had no significant impact on response rates compared to no incentive (38%). A small monetary incentive (£2.50) may slightly increase response to a mailed health psychology survey. The length of the questionnaire (four pages vs. seven pages) did not influence response. Although frequently used, entry into a prize draw did not increase response. Achieving representative samples remains a challenge for health psychology. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject Response rates to mailed questionnaires continue to decline, threatening the representativeness of data. Prize draw incentives are frequently used but there is little evidence

Questionnaire survey of the pan-African trade in lion body parts

OpenAIRE

Williams, Vivienne L.; Loveridge, Andrew J.; Newton, David J.; Macdonald, David W.

2017-01-01

The African lion is in decline across its range, and consumptive utilisation and trade of their body parts and skins has been postulated as a cause for concern. We undertook a pan-African questionnaire and literature survey to document informed opinion and evidence for the occurrence of domestic and international trade and consumption in African lion body parts across current and former range states. Sixty-five people from 18 countries participated in the online questionnaire survey (run from...

Shortcomings of the written survey questionnaire for discovering ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The problems can be categorised as follows: poor survey design; not doing enough with the responses; questions which only scratch the surface; and, respondents not knowing how to answer questions appropriately. Example questions from the questionnaire are given to illustrate these shortcomings. Recommendations ...

[Questionnaire survey of musician's dystonia among students of a music college].

Science.gov (United States)

Konaka, Kuni; Mochizuki, Hideki

2015-01-01

Musician's dystonia is known as a task specific dystonia. Though it is thought to occur during a long course of repetitive performance, the actual circumstances that precipitate this condition are not clear. According to factual reports this disease is not commonly known, probably because many of these patients may not have been visiting a hospital. We prepared a questionnaire and did a survey among the students of a music college. This is the first questionnaire survey aimed at finding out the prevalence of musician's dystonia among the students of music. Among the 480 participants of this survey, 29% of the students had knowledge of this disorder and 1.25% of the students had dystonia while performing music.

Feasibility testing of smart tablet questionnaires compared to paper questionnaires in an amputee rehabilitation clinic.

Science.gov (United States)

Payne, Michael; Janzen, Shannon; Earl, Eric; Deathe, Barry; Viana, Ricardo

2017-08-01

Capturing the variability that exists among patients attending an amputee clinic using standardized paper-based questionnaires is time-consuming and may not be practical for routine clinical use. Electronic questionnaires are a potential solution; however, the benefits are dependent on the feasibility and acceptance of this mode of data collection among patients. To determine the feasibility and patient preference/comfort in using a tablet-based questionnaire for data collection in an outpatient amputee rehabilitation clinic compared to a traditional paper-based questionnaire. Observational study. In all, 48 patients with major extremity amputations completed both tablet and paper questionnaires related to their amputation and prosthetic use. Both trials were timed; patients then completed a semi-structured questionnaire about their experience. In all, 20.5% of patients needed hands-on assistance completing the paper questionnaire compared to 20.8% for the tablet. The majority of participants (52.1%) indicated a preference for the tablet questionnaire; 64.6% of patients felt the tablet collected a more complete and accurate representation of their status and needs. In all, 70.8% of participants described themselves as comfortable using the tablet. Despite comorbidities, patients with amputations demonstrated excellent acceptance of the electronic tablet-based questionnaire. Tablet questionnaires have significant potential advantages over paper questionnaires and should be further explored. Clinical relevance A custom electronic questionnaire was found to be beneficial for routine clinic use and was well received by patients in an amputee rehabilitation clinic. Development of such questionnaires can provide an efficient mechanism to collect meaningful data that can be used for individual patient care and program quality improvement initiatives.

Doctors' traits perceived by Japanese nurses as communication barriers: a questionnaire survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Morinaga, Kyoko; Ohtsubo, Yohsuke; Yamauchi, Keiko; Shimada, Yasuhiro

2008-05-01

Studies addressing nurses' traits to improve the quality of nurse-physician communication exist, whereas only a few studies exploring physicians' traits as communication barriers are conducted. The purpose of this research is to determine what types of physicians do nurses find difficult to communicate with. To this end, we conducted a pilot study, consisting of semi-structured interviews, with nine nurses. A questionnaire survey was then conducted to test the generalizability of the interviewees' opinions about physician traits that impede effective nurse-physician communication. A within-respondent factorial design was employed. Each respondent answered questions about two physicians whom she or he has found most difficult or easiest to communicate with. The order of physician type (easy vs. difficult) was counterbalanced. The main study, a questionnaire survey, was administered at four Japanese hospitals. Participants were 310 nurses. The questionnaires were mailed to the person in charge of each hospital. The questionnaires were handed to the nurses by the person in charge. Three out of the four hospitals reported that a majority of their nurses answered the questionnaires. The questionnaire asked respondents to evaluate how well various statements (e.g., Is the doctor moody?) fit a particular physician whom she or he has found most difficult or easiest to communicate with. A series of repeated-measures ANOVAs revealed that every statement was judged as fitting the description of doctors they found difficult better than that of doctors they found easy to talk to. An exploratory cluster analysis was conducted and it revealed that difficult characteristics of physicians can be divided into three subtypes. The questionnaire survey confirmed that opinions provided by interviewees in the pilot study were widely shared by other Japanese nurses. The study revealed that communication barriers between nurses and physicians are caused by the physicians' reluctance to

Dimensional comparability of psychosocial working conditions as covered in European monitoring questionnaires.

Science.gov (United States)

Formazin, Maren; Burr, Hermann; Aagestad, Cecilie; Tynes, Tore; Thorsen, Sannie Vester; Perkio-Makela, Merja; Díaz Aramburu, Clara Isabel; Pinilla García, Francisco Javier; Galiana Blanco, Luz; Vermeylen, Greet; Parent-Thirion, Agnes; Hooftman, Wendela; Houtman, Irene

2014-12-09

In most countries in the EU, national surveys are used to monitor working conditions and health. Since the development processes behind the various surveys are not necessarily theoretical, but certainly practical and political, the extent of similarity among the dimensions covered in these surveys has been unclear. Another interesting question is whether prominent models from scientific research on work and health are present in the surveys--bearing in mind that the primary focus of these surveys is on monitoring status and trends, not on mapping scientific models. Moreover, it is relevant to know which other scales and concepts not stemming from these models have been included in the surveys. The purpose of this paper is to determine (1) the similarity of dimensions covered in the surveys included and (2) the congruence of dimensions of scientific research and of dimensions present in the monitoring systems. Items from surveys representing six European countries and one European wide survey were classified into the dimensions they cover, using a taxonomy agreed upon among all involved partners from the six countries. The classification reveals that there is a large overlap of dimensions, albeit not in the formulation of items, covered in the seven surveys. Among the available items, the two prominent work-stress-models--job-demand-control-support-model (DCS) and effort-reward-imbalance-model (ERI)--are covered in most surveys even though this has not been the primary aim in the compilation of these surveys. In addition, a large variety of items included in the surveillance systems are not part of these models and are--at least partly--used in nearly all surveys. These additional items reflect concepts such as "restructuring", "meaning of work", "emotional demands" and "offensive behaviour/violence & harassment". The overlap of the dimensions being covered in the various questionnaires indicates that the interests of the parties deciding on the questionnaires in

A questionnaire survey of medical cooperation by the Iwaki medical association

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Midorikawa, Yasuhiko

2013-01-01

It has been pointed out that currently, Iwaki City faces an insufficiency of doctors working at hospitals, compared with before. Such an insufficiency became more remarkable after the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Fukushima Nuclear Disaster, as about 30,000 people relocated to Iwaki City from the evacuation areas. In this regard, the Iwaki Medical Association conducted a questionnaire survey to investigate the problems of medical cooperation and utilize the data to improve medical cooperation within hospitals and clinics. A total of 159 doctors answered the questionnaires: 64% were community physicians, 36% were doctors working at hospitals, and 42% were physicians. About 60% of the doctors were satisfied with the present medical cooperation. Home health care was performed by 25% of the doctors working at hospitals and 45% of the community physicians. Approximately 80% of the doctors felt the need for additional physicians to perform home health care, although more than half of the doctors answered that they do not perform it. Various problems exist in the context of medical cooperation, but many doctors still hope for its improvement, according to the answers in the questionnaires. Efforts have to be exerted further in order to enhance medical cooperation among the health care team. (author)

[A questionnaire survey of medical cooperation by the Iwaki Medical Association].

Science.gov (United States)

Midorikawa, Yasuhiko

2013-12-01

It has been pointed out that currently, Iwaki City faces an insufficiency of doctors working at hospitals, compared with before. Such an insufficiency became more remarkable after the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Fukushima Nuclear Disaster, as about 30,000 people relocated to Iwaki City from the evacuation areas. In this regard, the Iwaki Medical Association conducted a questionnaire survey to investigate the problems of medical cooperation and utilize the data to improve medical cooperation within hospitals and clinics. A total of 159 doctors answered the questionnaires: 64% were community physicians, 36% were doctors working at hospitals, and 42% were physicians. About 60% of the doctors were satisfied with the present medical cooperation. Home health care was performed by 25% of the doctors working at hospitals and 45% of the community physicians. Approximately 80% of the doctors felt the need for additional physicians to perform home health care, although more than half of the doctors answered that they do not perform it. Various problems exist in the context of medical cooperation, but many doctors still hope for its improvement, according to the answers in the questionnaires. Efforts have to be exerted further in order to enhance medical cooperation among the health care team.

Human suffering effects of nuclear tests at Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan. Established on the basis of questionnaire surveys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawano, Noriyuki; Hirabayashi, Kyoko; Taooka, Yasuyuki; Hiraoka, Takashi; Hoshi, Masaharu; Matsuo, Masatsugu; Apsalikov, K.N.; Moldagaliev, T.

2006-01-01

The main objective of the present paper is to explore the effects of radiation exposure on the inhabitants near the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Tests Site (SNTS), Kazakhstan. Our research team of the Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, started in 2002 to conduct a field research study using questionnaire surveys. The present paper attempts to clarify health effects and mental problems on the inhabitants by using our questionnaire surveys. Among the responses to our survey, the present paper focuses upon responses to the questions concerning their health and mental problems. The data in Semipalatinsk have been compared with the results obtained in a similar survey conducted by Hiroshima and Nagasaki cities. The results show: 33% of the residents replied that they felt bad or had very bad health conditions. 70% of the residents strongly recognized a causal relationship between their bad health conditions and the nuclear tests. The diseases that over 30% of respondents possessed are arthralgia/lower back pain/arthritis, high-blood pressure, heart disease and digestive system disease. Acute radiation injuries from 1949 to 1962 that over 20% of respondents experienced were headaches and general malaise. Concerning their mental condition, 22% of respondents felt easily frustrated and agitated and 21% experienced nightmare. (author)

A questionnaire survey on the management of Graves' orbitopathy in Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Perros, P.; Baldeschi, L.; Boboridis, K.; Dickinson, A. J.; Hullo, A.; Kahaly, G. J.; Kendall-Taylor, P.; Krassas, G. E.; Lane, C. M.; Lazarus, J. H.; Marcocci, C.; Marino, M.; Mourits, M. P.; Nardi, M.; Orgiazzi, J.; Pinchera, A.; Pitz, S.; Prummel, M. F.; Wiersinga, W. M.

2006-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To determine management patterns among clinicians who treat patients with Graves' orbitopathy (GO) in Europe. DESIGN AND METHODS: Questionnaire survey including a case scenario of members of professional organisations representing endocrinologists, ophthalmologists and nuclear medicine

A Study of Coal Miners’ Safety Psychological Elements Based on Questionnaire Survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Zeng-bo

2016-01-01

Full Text Available During the production process, the instability of safety psychological elements of coal miners contributes to unsafe behaviors that may result in fatal accident. To search the dominant psychological elements, three types of unsafe psychology, comprising 18 unsafe psychological elements, are obtained by theoretical analysis and site survey. Then, an assessment model is established, and a matched questionnaire is applied to two large modern coal mines in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Based on questionnaire survey results and analytic hierarchy process (AHP, assessment judgment matrixes are constructed, effect weight is calculated, and consistency check is conducted. The analysis results show that safety psychology elements of defective type are the dominant elements that trigger unsafe behaviors of coal miners.

Using computer-assisted survey instruments instead of paper and pencil increased completeness of self-administered sexual behavior questionnaires.

Science.gov (United States)

Spark, Simone; Lewis, Dyani; Vaisey, Alaina; Smyth, Eris; Wood, Anna; Temple-Smith, Meredith; Lorch, Rebecca; Guy, Rebecca; Hocking, Jane

2015-01-01

To compare the data quality, logistics, and cost of a self-administered sexual behavior questionnaire administered either using a computer-assisted survey instrument (CASI) or by paper and pencil in a primary care clinic. A self-administered sexual behavior questionnaire was administered to 16-29 year olds attending general practice. Questionnaires were administered by either paper and pencil (paper) or CASI. A personal digital assistant was used to self-administer the CASI. A total of 4,491 people completed the questionnaire, with 46.9% responses via CASI and 53.2% by paper. Completion of questions was greater for CASI than for paper for sexual behavior questions: number of sexual partners [odds ratio (OR), 6.85; 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.32, 14.11] and ever having had sex with a person of the same gender (OR, 2.89; 95% CI: 1.52, 5.49). The median number of questions answered was higher for CASI than for paper (17.6 vs. 17.2; P questionnaire compared with $11.83 for paper. Electronic devices using CASI are a tool that can increase participants' questionnaire responses and deliver more complete data for a sexual behavior questionnaire in primary care clinics. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of the Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Assessment Questionnaire and the Short-Form International Physical Activity Questionnaire: An Analysis of Health Survey for England Data.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shaun Scholes

Full Text Available The Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Assessment Questionnaire (PASBAQ, used within the Health Survey for England (HSE at 5-yearly intervals, is not included annually due to funding and interview-length constraints. Policy-makers and data-users are keen to consider shorter instruments such as the Short-form International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ for the annual survey. Both questionnaires were administered in HSE 2012, enabling comparative assessment in a random sample of 1252 adults.Relative agreement using prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted Kappa (PABAK statistics was estimated for: sufficient aerobic activity (moderate-to-vigorous physical activity [MVPA] ≥150 minutes/week; inactivity (MVPA<30 minutes/week; and excessive sitting (≥540 minutes/weekday. Cross-sectional associations with health outcomes were compared across tertiles of MVPA and tertiles of sitting time using logistic regression with tests for linear trend.Compared with PASBAQ data, IPAQ-assessed estimates of sufficient aerobic activity and inactivity were higher and lower, respectively; estimates of excessive sitting were higher. Demographic patterns in prevalence were similar. Agreement using PABAK statistics was fair-to-moderate for sufficient aerobic activity (0.32-0.49, moderate-to-substantial for inactivity (0.42-0.74, and moderate-to-substantial for excessive sitting (0.49-0.75. As with the PASBAQ, IPAQ-assessed MVPA and sitting each showed graded associations with mental well-being (women: P for trend = 0.003 and 0.004, respectively and obesity (women: P for trend = 0.007 and 0.014, respectively.Capturing habitual physical activity and sedentary behaviour through brief questionnaires is complex. Differences in prevalence estimates can reflect differences in questionnaire structure and content rather than differences in reported behaviour. Treating all IPAQ-assessed walking as moderate-intensity contributed to the differences in prevalence estimates

Selection of nursing teaching strategies in mainland China: A questionnaire survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, HouXiu; Liu, MengJie; Zeng, Jing; Zhu, JingCi

2016-04-01

In nursing education, the traditional lecture and direct demonstration teaching method cannot cultivate the various skills that nursing students need. How to choose a more scientific and rational teaching method is a common concern for nursing educators worldwide. To investigate the basis for selecting teaching methods among nursing teachers in mainland China, the factors affecting the selection of different teaching methods, and the application of different teaching methods in theoretical and skill-based nursing courses. Questionnaire survey. Seventy one nursing colleges from 28 provincial-level administrative regions in mainland China. Following the principle of voluntary informed consent, 262 nursing teachers were randomly selected through a nursing education network platform and a conference platform. The questionnaire contents included the basis for and the factors influencing the selection of nursing teaching methods, the participants' common teaching methods, and the teaching experience of the surveyed nursing teachers. The questionnaires were distributed through the network or conference platform, and the data were analyzed by SPSS 17.0 software. The surveyed nursing teachers selected teaching methods mainly based on the characteristics of the teaching content, the characteristics of the students, and their previous teaching experiences. The factors affecting the selection of teaching methods mainly included large class sizes, limited class time, and limited examination formats. The surveyed nursing teachers primarily used lectures to teach theory courses and the direct demonstration method to teach skills courses, and the application frequencies of these two teaching methods were significantly higher than those of other teaching methods (P=0.000). More attention should be paid to the selection of nursing teaching methods. Every teacher should strategically choose teaching methods before each lesson, and nursing education training focused on selecting

An Australian Study Comparing the Use of Multiple-Choice Questionnaires with Assignments as Interim, Summative Law School Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Vicki

2017-01-01

To the author's knowledge, this is the first Australian study to empirically compare the use of a multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQ) with the use of a written assignment for interim, summative law school assessment. This study also surveyed the same student sample as to what types of assessments are preferred and why. In total, 182 undergraduate…

Questionnaire survey on factors influencing comfort with indoor environmental quality in Danish housing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frontczak, Monika Joanna; Andersen, Rune Vinther; Wargocki, Pawel

2012-01-01

. A total of 2499 questionnaires were sent to inhabitants of the most common types of housing in Denmark; 645 persons replied (response rate of 26%). The results show that the main indoor environmental parameters (visual, acoustic and thermal conditions, and air quality) are considered by occupants......A questionnaire survey in Danish homes investigated the factors that influence occupants’ comfort. The questionnaire contained questions on inhabitants’ behaviour, their knowledge as regards building systems designed for controlling the indoor environment and the ways in which they achieve comfort...

Mail merge can be used to create personalized questionnaires in complex surveys.

Science.gov (United States)

Taljaard, Monica; Chaudhry, Shazia Hira; Brehaut, Jamie C; Weijer, Charles; Grimshaw, Jeremy M

2015-10-16

Low response rates and inadequate question comprehension threaten the validity of survey results. We describe a simple procedure to implement personalized-as opposed to generically worded-questionnaires in the context of a complex web-based survey of corresponding authors of a random sample of 300 published cluster randomized trials. The purpose of the survey was to gather more detailed information about informed consent procedures used in the trial, over and above basic information provided in the trial report. We describe our approach-which allowed extensive personalization without the need for specialized computer technology-and discuss its potential application in similar settings. The mail merge feature of standard word processing software was used to generate unique, personalized questionnaires for each author by incorporating specific information from the article, including naming the randomization unit (e.g., family practice, school, worksite), and identifying specific individuals who may have been considered research participants at the cluster level (family doctors, teachers, employers) and individual level (patients, students, employees) in questions regarding informed consent procedures in the trial. The response rate was relatively high (64%, 182/285) and did not vary significantly by author, publication, or study characteristics. The refusal rate was low (7%). While controlled studies are required to examine the specific effects of our approach on comprehension, quality of responses, and response rates, we showed how mail merge can be used as a simple but useful tool to add personalized fields to complex survey questionnaires, or to request additional information required from study authors. One potential application is in eliciting specific information about published articles from study authors when conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Comparison of the Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Assessment Questionnaire and the Short-Form International Physical Activity Questionnaire: An Analysis of Health Survey for England Data

Science.gov (United States)

Scholes, Shaun; Bridges, Sally; Ng Fat, Linda; Mindell, Jennifer S.

2016-01-01

Background The Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Assessment Questionnaire (PASBAQ), used within the Health Survey for England (HSE) at 5-yearly intervals, is not included annually due to funding and interview-length constraints. Policy-makers and data-users are keen to consider shorter instruments such as the Short-form International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) for the annual survey. Both questionnaires were administered in HSE 2012, enabling comparative assessment in a random sample of 1252 adults. Methods Relative agreement using prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted Kappa (PABAK) statistics was estimated for: sufficient aerobic activity (moderate-to-vigorous physical activity [MVPA] ≥150minutes/week); inactivity (MVPAactivity and inactivity were higher and lower, respectively; estimates of excessive sitting were higher. Demographic patterns in prevalence were similar. Agreement using PABAK statistics was fair-to-moderate for sufficient aerobic activity (0.32–0.49), moderate-to-substantial for inactivity (0.42–0.74), and moderate-to-substantial for excessive sitting (0.49–0.75). As with the PASBAQ, IPAQ-assessed MVPA and sitting each showed graded associations with mental well-being (women: P for trend = 0.003 and 0.004, respectively) and obesity (women: P for trend = 0.007 and 0.014, respectively). Conclusions Capturing habitual physical activity and sedentary behaviour through brief questionnaires is complex. Differences in prevalence estimates can reflect differences in questionnaire structure and content rather than differences in reported behaviour. Treating all IPAQ-assessed walking as moderate-intensity contributed to the differences in prevalence estimates. PASBAQ data will be used for population surveillance every 4 to 5 years. The current version of the Short-form IPAQ was included in HSE 2013–14 to enable more frequent assessment of physical activity and sedentary behaviour; a modified version with different item-ordering and

[Response rates in three opinion surveys performed through online questionnaires in the health setting].

Science.gov (United States)

Aerny Perreten, Nicole; Domínguez-Berjón, Ma Felicitas; Astray Mochales, Jenaro; Esteban-Vasallo, María D; Blanco Ancos, Luis Miguel; Lópaz Pérez, Ma Ángeles

2012-01-01

The main advantages of online questionnaires are the speed of data collection and cost savings, but response rates are usually low. This study analyzed response rates and associated factors among health professionals in three opinion surveys in the autonomous region of Madrid. The participants, length of the questionnaire and topic differed among the three surveys. The surveys were conducted by using paid Internet software. The institutional e-mail addresses of distinct groups of health professionals were used. Response rates were highest in hospitals (up to 63%) and administrative services and were lowest in primary care (less than 33%). The differences in response rates were analyzed in primary care professionals according to age, sex and professional category and only the association with age was statistically significant. None of the surveys achieved a response rate of 60%. Differences were observed according to workplace, patterns of Internet usage, and interest in the subject. Copyright © 2011 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Using an internet questionnaire to characterize bat survey efforts in the United States and Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Theodore J. Weller; William J. Zielinski

2006-01-01

Standardized survey methods are important for obtaining reliable information on wildlife populations. As a precursor to creating a regional bat-survey (Chiroptera) protocol, we distributed a questionnaire via e-mail to biologists responsible for conducting bat surveys in the United States and Canada. We received 415 responses from 45 states and 7 Canadian provinces or...

Questionnaire survey report on measurement of radioactivity in working environment of radioisotopes facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawano, Takao; Nomura, Kiyoshi

2008-01-01

To look over the current measurement of radioactivity concentration in working environment of many radioisotopes facilities, a questionnaire survey was carried out under the auspices of the Planning Committee of the Japan Society of Radiation Safety Management. 64 responses were obtained in 128 radiation facilities, which the questionnaires were sent to. The main results were obtained by aggregate analysis of the answers for questionnaires as the followings. Major nuclides subject to measurement were 3 H, 14 C, 32 P and 125 I Sampling of radioisotopes in air was mainly performed using collectors like dust samplers and HC-collectors. Liquid scintillation counters and gamma counters were used to measure β and γ radioactivity contained in airborne particles or gas samples. Contamination by radioactivity was not detected in 55% facilities surveyed, but in 40% facilities at the same level as or at lower levels than a hundredth part of the regulated concentration limit of each nuclide. Almost all facilities is found to consider that the measurement of radioactivity concentration in working environments is not always necessary. (author)

Patient knowledge and perception of antibiotics: A questionnaire survey in primary care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sydenham, Rikke Vognbjerg; Plejdrup Hansen, Malene; Bruun Lauridsen, Gitte

2015-01-01

of antibiotics. Objectives: This study aimed to study patient knowledge and perceptions of antibiotic treatment and to explore possible associations between patient gender, age, and educational level and accurate knowledge of antibiotics. Design/Methods: As part of an Audit Project Odense project a questionnaire...... survey was conducted during winter 2014. Patients aged ≥18 years consulting their GP with symptoms of ARI were requested to fill in a questionnaire on knowledge and perception of antibiotic treatment. Socio-demographic information was obtained. Results: 361 patients completed the questionnaire (response...... rate 64%). 75% recognized that antibiotics are effective against bacteria and not against virus. Overuse of antibiotics was acknowledged by 80% of respondents as an important factor in the development of resistant bacteria. Female gender was the only patient characteristic significantly associated...

A questionnaire survey about public's image of radiation after the Fukushima Dacha Nuclear Power Plant accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okazaki, Ryuji; Ootsuyama, Akira; Kubo, Tatsuhiko; Abe, Toshiaki

2012-01-01

A questionnaire survey about the public's image of radiation was performed after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (FDNPP) accident. The survey was taken by general citizens (200 and 1,640 in Fukushima and 52 outside of Fukushima) and doctors (63 in Fukushima and 1,942 outside of Fukushima (53 in Oita, 44 in Sagamihara and 1,845 in Kitakyushu) in and outside of Fukushima and second year medical students in the University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan. The questionnaire surveys were performed during lectures about radiation. The response rates were 86% for the general citizens in Fukushima, 91% for the general citizens outside of Fukushima, 86% for doctors in Fukushima, 85% and 86% for doctors in Sagamihara and Oita, respectively. The questionnaire surveys were sent to clinics and hospitals in Fukushima where the general citizens answered with a response rate of 50%. When the questionnaire surveys were sent to clinics and hospitals in Kitakyushu, doctors answered, with a response rate of 17%. The percentages of anxiety about future radiation effects after the FDNPP accident were the highest among the general citizens (71.6% in Fukushima and 40.4% outside of Fukushima), in the middle among the doctors (30.2% in Fukushima and 26.2% outside of Fukushima) and the lowest among the medical students (12.2%). The doctors in Fukushima and the medical students were anxious about food and soil pollution. The general citizens and the detectors outside of Fukushima were anxious about health problems and food and soil pollution. We concluded that a high level of education about radiation decreased the anxiety about the radiation effects. It is important to spread knowledge about radiation. (author)

Management of infection during chemotherapy for acute leukemia in Japan: a nationwide questionnaire-based survey by the Japan Adult Leukemia Study Group.

Science.gov (United States)

Kimura, Shun-Ichi; Fujita, Hiroyuki; Kato, Hideaki; Hiramoto, Nobuhiro; Hosono, Naoko; Takahashi, Tsutomu; Shigeno, Kazuyuki; Hatsumi, Naoko; Minamiguchi, Hitoshi; Miyatake, Junichi; Handa, Hiroshi; Akiyama, Nobu; Kanda, Yoshinobu; Yoshida, Minoru; Kiyoi, Hitoshi; Miyazaki, Yasushi; Naoe, Tomoki

2017-11-01

We performed a nationwide questionnaire-based survey to evaluate the current clinical practices of infectious complications during chemotherapy for acute leukemia in Japan. We e-mailed a questionnaire to member institutions of the Japan Adult Leukemia Study Group in September, 2013. The questionnaire consisted of 50 multiple-choice questions covering therapeutic environment, antimicrobial prophylaxis, screening test during neutropenia, empirical therapy for febrile neutropenia, and the use of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor. The results were compared to those of previous surveys conducted in 2001 and 2007, and also to the recommendations described in the guidelines. Usable responses were received from 141 out of 222 (63.5%) institutions. Chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia was performed in protective environment in 90% of the institutions, which increased compared to previous survey (76%). Fluoroquinolones and fluconazole were the most commonly used antimicrobial agents for antibacterial and antifungal prophylaxis, followed by sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim and itraconazole, respectively. In empirical therapy for febrile neutropenia, monotherapy with β-lactum antibiotics was the first-line therapy in most of the institutions. While empirical antifungal therapy was adopted for persistent fever in more than half of the institutions, preemptive/presumptive therapy was also used in approximately 40% of the institutions. Most of the clinicians were reluctant to use granulocyte-colony stimulating factor routinely in chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia. This study clarified the current clinical practices of infectious complications during chemotherapy for acute leukemia and would provide important information for the development of a suitable guideline in Japan.

The Dubai Community Psychiatric Survey: II. Development of the Socio-cultural Change Questionnaire.

Science.gov (United States)

Bebbington, P; Ghubash, R; Hamdi, E

1993-04-01

The Dubai Community Psychiatric Survey was carried out to assess the effect of very rapid social change on the mental health of women in Dubai, one of the United Arab Emirates. In order to measure social change at an individual level, we developed a questionnaire covering behaviour and attitudes in a wide range of situations, the Socio-cultural Change Questionnaire (ScCQ). In this paper we give an account of the considerations that determined the form of the ScCQ, its structural characteristics, and its validity.

Factors affecting physical therapists' job satisfaction: questionnaire survey targeting first-year physical therapists.

Science.gov (United States)

Kota, Munetsugu; Kudo, Hiroyuki; Okita, Kazuhiko

2018-04-01

[Purpose] The survey aimed to clarify the factors that affect physiotherapists' job satisfaction. [Subjects and Methods] To examine factors affecting physical therapists' job satisfaction using a cross-sectional study with a questionnaire survey. Subjects were 193 first-year physical therapists who participated in a newcomer orientation at Hiroshima Prefectural Physical Therapy Association. The questionnaire comprised items concerning physical therapists' satisfaction with their work, motives for becoming physical therapists, education in school, internships, the workplace, and comfort in the workplace. [Results] Subjects were divided into two groups according to their satisfaction with their occupation. The "high satisfaction" group included 157 subjects, and the group "low satisfaction" group included 36 subjects. Using logistic regression analysis, items concerning comfort in the workplace, motives for becoming physical therapists, and learning in school were analysed. [Conclusion] Factors affecting physical therapists' job satisfaction were primarily influenced by previous experience and working conditions.

A questionnaire survey of medical physicist and quality manager for radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishio, Teiji; Ashino, Yasuo; Onishi, Hiroshi

2008-01-01

A questionnaire survey of medical physicists and quality managers for radiation therapy was performed by the Japanese Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (JASTRO) Future Planning Committee. We mailed the questionnaire to 726 radiotherapy facilities with the answers returned from 353 radiotherapy facilities. The result showed 178 facilities were staffed by radiotherapy workers who were licensed medical physicists or quality managers. A staff of 289 was licensed radiotherapy workers. Most of the staff were radiotherapy technologists. Quality control for radiation therapy was rated satisfactory according to each facility's assessment. Radiation therapy of high quality requires continued education of medical physicists and quality managers, in addition to keeping up with times for quality control. (author)

Development of the adult and child complementary medicine questionnaires fielded on the National Health Interview Survey

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

The 2002, 2007, and 2012 complementary medicine questionnaires fielded on the National Health Interview Survey provide the most comprehensive data on complementary medicine available for the United States. They filled the void for large-scale, nationally representative, publicly available datasets on the out-of-pocket costs, prevalence, and reasons for use of complementary medicine in the U.S. Despite their wide use, this is the first article describing the multi-faceted and largely qualitative processes undertaken to develop the surveys. We hope this in-depth description enables policy makers and researchers to better judge the content validity and utility of the questionnaires and their resultant publications. PMID:24267412

Questionnaire survey of treatment choice for breast cancer patients with brain metastasis in Japan. Results of a nationwide survey by the task force of the Japanese Breast Cancer Society

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, Koji; Ando, Masashi; Yamauchi, Chikako

2009-01-01

A nationwide survey was performed to investigate the current patterns of care for brain metastasis (BM) from breast cancer in Japan. A total of 351 survey questionnaires were sent to community or academic breast oncologists who were members of the Japanese Breast Cancer Society as of December 2005. The questionnaire consists of 40 multiple choice questions in eight categories. Of 240 institutions sent survey questionnaires, 161 (67.1%) answered; 60% of institutions answered with '<5' patients with BM every year; almost half (83 of 161) screened for BM in asymptomatic patients; surgical resection was rarely performed, as ∼75% of institutions (118 of 160 institutions) answered 'none or one case of surgery per year'; 27% (41 of 154) preferred stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) over whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) as the initial treatment in all cases, although ∼70% (100 of 154) of them answered 'depend on cases'. The preference for SRS over WBRT mainly depends on the impressions of breast oncologists about both safety (late normal tissue damage and dementia in WBRT) and efficacy (better local control by SRS). Eighty-one percent (117 of 144) of institutions did not limit the number of SRS sessions as far as technically applicable. SRS is widely used as the first choice for BM from breast cancer in Japan. Considerable numbers of Japanese breast oncologists prefer SRS over WBRT as the initial treatment for BM. A randomized trial comparing SRS and WBRT is warranted. (author)

An Analysis of Questionnaire Survey on Online Evaluation of Teaching by University Undergraduates

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Sun, Dongyun

2013-01-01

This paper takes into consideration of the problems discovered in the teaching evaluation data statistics over the years in Changchun University of Science and Technology and cooperates with related departments to conduct a questionnaire survey on an online evaluation of teaching, with the purpose of detecting cognition of students in evaluation…

Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY): 2006 Cohort Wave 4 (2009)--Questionnaire. Technical Report 56A

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National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), 2010

2010-01-01

The Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) program studies the progress of several groups of young Australians as they move from school into post-secondary education and work. This technical paper contains the questionnaire for the LSAY 2006 cohort Wave 4 (2009) data set. [For the "Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY):…

Coping with pressures in acute medicine--the second RCP consultant questionnaire survey.

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Mather, H M; Connor, H

2000-01-01

The second questionnaire survey of consultant physicians involved in acute unselected takes in 1999 achieved a 76% response rate, and the results have been compared with those from the first survey of 1997. The proportion of consultants whose trainees worked partial shifts had increased from 42% to 61%, although these patterns of duty were adjudged to have detrimental effects on the quality and continuity of care, and on junior staff education and training. The benefits of ward-based systems were counterbalanced by their disadvantages, but introductions of admission wards and assessment units were considered a resounding success. The number of hospitals with 'physician of the week' schemes had increased from 12 to 23, but opinion of their value was sharply divided. The provision and competence of all grades of locums was identified as an increasing problem. Seventy per cent of respondents stated that they would never participate in 'hands-on' emergency care, although 86% thought that future consultants might have to do so. Seventy-nine per cent reported increases in the pressures of their posts and in their working hours, and the tensions between general and specialist duties were highlighted. Most consultants considered that the only long-term solution to the staffing crisis was a marked expansion in the numbers of all grades of medical staff.

Utilizing the Total Design Method in medicine: maximizing response rates in long, non-incentivized, personal questionnaire postal surveys.

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Kazzazi, Fawz; Haggie, Rebecca; Forouhi, Parto; Kazzazi, Nazar; Malata, Charles M

2018-01-01

Maximizing response rates in questionnaires can improve their validity and quality by reducing non-response bias. A comprehensive analysis is essential for producing reasonable conclusions in patient-reported outcome research particularly for topics of a sensitive nature. This often makes long (≥7 pages) questionnaires necessary but these have been shown to reduce response rates in mail surveys. Our work adapted the "Total Design Method," initially produced for commercial markets, to raise response rates in a long (total: 11 pages, 116 questions), non-incentivized, very personal postal survey sent to almost 350 women. A total of 346 women who had undergone mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction from 2008-2014 (inclusive) at Addenbrooke's University Hospital were sent our study pack (Breast-Q satisfaction questionnaire and support documents) using our modified "Total Design Method." Participants were sent packs and reminders according to our designed schedule. Of the 346 participants, we received 258 responses, an overall response rate of 74.5% with a useable response rate of 72.3%. One hundred and six responses were received before the week 1 reminder (30.6%), 120 before week 3 (34.6%), 225 before the week 7 reminder (64.6%) and the remainder within 3 weeks of the final pack being sent. The median age of patients that the survey was sent to, and the median age of the respondents, was 54 years. In this study, we have demonstrated the successful implementation of a novel approach to postal surveys. Despite the length of the questionnaire (nine pages, 116 questions) and limitations of expenses to mail a survey to ~350 women, we were able to attain a response rate of 74.6%.

Prediction of objectively measured physical activity and sedentariness among blue-collar workers using survey questionnaires

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gupta, Nidhi; Heiden, Marina; Mathiassen, Svend Erik

2016-01-01

responded to a questionnaire containing information about personal and work related variables, available in most large epidemiological studies and surveys. Workers also wore accelerometers for 1-4 days measuring time spent sedentary and in physical activity, defined as non-sedentary time. Least......-squares linear regression models were developed, predicting objectively measured exposures from selected predictors in the questionnaire. RESULTS: A full prediction model based on age, gender, body mass index, job group, self-reported occupational physical activity (OPA), and self-reported occupational sedentary...

Views of senior UK doctors about working in medicine: questionnaire survey.

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Lambert, Trevor W; Smith, Fay; Goldacre, Michael J

2014-11-01

We surveyed the UK medical qualifiers of 1993. We asked closed questions about their careers; and invited them to give us comments, if they wished, about any aspect of their work. Our aim in this paper is to report on the topics that this senior cohort of UK-trained doctors who work in UK medicine raised with us. Questionnaire survey. 3479 contactable UK-trained medical graduates of 1993. UK. Comments made by doctors about their work, and their views about medical careers and training in the UK. Postal and email questionnaires. Response rate was 72% (2507); 2252 were working in UK medicine, 816 (36%) of whom provided comments. Positive comments outweighed negative in the areas of their own job satisfaction and satisfaction with their training. However, 23% of doctors who commented expressed dissatisfaction with aspects of junior doctors' training, the impact of working time regulations, and with the requirement for doctors to make earlier career decisions than in the past about their choice of specialty. Some doctors were concerned about government health service policy; others were dissatisfied with the availability of family-friendly/part-time work, and we are concerned about attitudes to gender and work-life balance. Though satisfied with their own training and their current position, many senior doctors felt that changes to working hours and postgraduate training had reduced the level of experience gained by newer graduates. They were also concerned about government policy interventions.

Statistical study on the self-selection bias in FDG-PET cancer screening by a questionnaire survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kita, Tamotsu; Yano, Fuzuki; Watanabe, Sadahiro; Soga, Shigeyoshi; Hama, Yukihiro; Shinmoto, Hiroshi; Kosuda, Shigeru

2008-01-01

A questionnaire survey was performed to investigate the possible presence of self-selection bias in 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) cancer screening (PET cancer screening). Responders to the questionnaires survey consisted of 80 healthy persons, who answered whether they undergo PET cancer screening, health consciousness, age, sex, and smoking history. The univariate and multivariate analyses on the four parameters were performed between the responders who were to undergo PET cancer screening and the responders who were not. Statistically significant difference was found in health consciousness between the above-mentioned two groups by both univariate and multivariate analysis with the odds ratio of 2.088. The study indicated that self-selection bias should exist in PET cancer screening. (author)

Asking about Sex in General Health Surveys: Comparing the Methods and Findings of the 2010 Health Survey for England with Those of the Third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Philip Prah

Full Text Available Including questions about sexual health in the annual Health Survey for England (HSE provides opportunities for regular measurement of key public health indicators, augmenting Britain's decennial National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal. However, contextual and methodological differences may limit comparability of the findings. We examine the extent of these differences between HSE 2010 and Natsal-3 and investigate their impact on parameter estimates.Complex survey analyses of data from men and women in the 2010 HSE (n = 2,782 men and 3,588 women and Natsal-3 undertaken 2010-2012 (n = 4,882 men and 6,869 women aged 16-69y and resident in England, both using probability sampling, compared their characteristics, the amount of non-response to, and estimates from, sexual health questions. Both surveys used self-completion for the sexual behaviour questions but this was via computer-assisted self-interview (CASI in Natsal-3 and a pen-and-paper questionnaire in HSE 2010.The surveys achieved similar response rates, both around 60%, and demographic profiles largely consistent with the census, although HSE participants tended to be less educated, and reported worse general health, than Natsal-3 participants. Item non-response to the sexual health questions was typically higher in HSE 2010 (range: 9-18% relative to Natsal-3 (all <5%. Prevalence estimates for sexual risk behaviours and STI-related indicators were generally slightly lower in HSE 2010 than Natsal-3.While a relatively high response to sexual health questions in HSE 2010 demonstrates the feasibility of asking such questions in a general health survey, differences with Natsal-3 do exist. These are likely due to the HSE's context as a general health survey and methodological limitations such as its current use of pen-and-paper questionnaires. Methodological developments to the HSE should be considered so that its data can be interpreted in combination with those from dedicated

Questionnaire survey, Indoor climate measurements and Energy consumption

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Henrik Nellemose; Thomsen, Kirsten Engelund; Mørck, Ove

2012-01-01

to be designed and constructed with a heating demand corresponding to the Danish low-energy standard referred to as "low-energy class 1" in a new settlement called Stenløse Syd. This means that the energy consumption is to be 50% lower than the requirement in BR08 (Danish Building Regulations 2008). 66 flats...... were to be designed and constructed with a yearly heating demand of 15 kWh/m². Furthermore, the Concerto community include a kindergarten and an activity centre for elderly people. All the single family houses were to be heated by a heat pump supported by a 3 m² thermal solar system for hot water....... This report presents part of the results of an evaluation of the project that was performed in the settlement. The evaluation consisted of a questionnaire survey of occupant experiences and satisfaction in 35 single-family houses, measurements of energy consumption in 22 selected single-family houses and 58...

Cigarette advertising and onset of smoking in children: questionnaire survey.

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While, D; Kelly, S; Huang, W; Charlton, A

1996-08-17

To investigate uptake of smoking in a cohort of 11 to 12 year olds related to awareness of advertised cigarette brands named. Self completed questionnaires administered to whole classes of schoolchildren in June 1993 and June 1994. Primary, middle, and secondary schools in the north and south of England. 1450 pupils aged 11 and 12 years at the time of the first survey. Onset of smoking and brands smoked by the second survey related to cigarette brands named in the first one. Less advertised brands were used as the base for calculating odds ratios. Girls who named the most advertised brands-namely, Benson and Hedges alone (odds ratio = 2.50, 95% confidence interval = 1.18 to 5.30) or Benson and Hedges and Silk Cut (2.15, 1.04 to 4.42) in the first survey were at greatest risk of taking up smoking by the second one. The difference was similar but not significant for boys. Boys and girls who named the least advertised brands in the first survey were at no greater risk of taking up smoking by the second survey than those who named no brands (boys odds ratio = 0.49 (0.24 to 1.01); girls 0.79 (0.38 to 1.62)). New smokers were more likely to smoke any available brand (29.5%) or a less advertised brand such as Embassy (24.6%) than the most advertised ones, Benson and Hedges (19.7%) and Silk Cut (14.8%). Established smokers were more selective, only 15% smoking any available brand and 38.3% smoking Benson and Hedges. Cigarette advertising appears to increase children's awareness of smoking at a generic level and encourages them to take up the behaviour, beginning with any cigarettes which are available and affordable.

Development of the European Health Interview Survey - Physical Activity Questionnaire (EHIS-PAQ) to monitor physical activity in the European Union.

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Finger, Jonas D; Tafforeau, Jean; Gisle, Lydia; Oja, Leila; Ziese, Thomas; Thelen, Juergen; Mensink, Gert B M; Lange, Cornelia

2015-01-01

A domain-specific physical activity questionnaire (EHIS-PAQ) was developed in the framework of the second wave of the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS). This article presents the EHIS-PAQ and describes its development and evaluation processes. Research institutes from Belgium, Estonia and Germany participated in the Improvement of the EHIS (ImpEHIS) Grant project issued by Eurostat. The instrument development process comprised a non-systematic literature review and a systematic HIS/HES database search for physical activity survey questions. The developed EHIS-PAQ proposal was reviewed by survey experts. Cognitive testing of the EHIS-PAQ was conducted in Estonia and Germany. The EHIS-PAQ was further tested in a pilot survey in Belgium, Estonia and Germany in different modes of data collection, face-to-face paper and pencil interview (PAPI) and computer assisted telephone interview (CATI). The EHIS-PAQ is a rather pragmatic tool aiming to evaluate how far the population is physically active in specific public health relevant settings. It assesses work-related, transport-related and leisure-time physical activity in a typical week. Cognitive testing revealed that the EHIS-PAQ worked as intended. The pilot testing showed the feasibility of using the EHIS-PAQ in an international health interview survey setting in Europe. It will be implemented in all 28 European Union Member States via European Union implementing regulation in the period between 2013 and 2015. This will be a first opportunity to get comparable data on domain-specific physical activity in all 28 EU MS and to publish indicators at the EU level. The EHIS-PAQ is a short, domain-specific PA questionnaire based on PA questions which have been used in large-scale health interview surveys before. It was designed by considering the respondents' perspective in answering PA questions.

Child overweight in general practice - parents' beliefs and expectations - a questionnaire survey study.

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Andersen, Merethe K; Christensen, Bo; Søndergaard, Jens

2013-10-11

Care for overweight children in general practice involves collaboration with parents. Acknowledging the parents' frames of references is a prerequisite for successful management. We therefore aimed to analyse parental beliefs about the presumed causes and consequences of overweight in children and expectations towards the GP. Moreover, we aimed at comparing the beliefs and expectations of parents of non-overweight children (NOWC) and parents of overweight children (OWC). A cross-sectional survey. Data were obtained from a questionnaire exploring parents' beliefs and expectations regarding overweight in children. The questionnaires were completed by parents following their child's participation in the five-year preventive child health examination (PCHE).Parental agreement upon statements concerning beliefs and expectations regarding overweight in children was measured on a Likert scale. Differences in levels of agreement between parents of non-overweight children and parents of overweight children were analysed using Chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test. Parents of 879 children completed and returned questionnaires. Around three fourths of the parents agreed that overweight was a health problem. A majority of parents (93%) agreed that the GP should call attention to overweight in children and offer counselling on diet and exercise. Almost half of the parents expected a follow-up programme. Parents of overweight children seemed to agree less upon some of the proposed causes of overweight, e.g. inappropriate diet and lack of exercise. These parents also had stronger beliefs about overweight disappearing by itself as the child grows up. According to parental beliefs and expectations, general practice should have an important role to play in the management of child overweight. Moreover, our findings suggest that GPs should be aware of the particular beliefs that parents of overweight children may have regarding causes of overweight in their child.

The 8th questionnaire survey report of safety control in nuclear medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

A questionnaire survey on safety of nuclear medicine studies was conducted under the subcommittee for radionuclide imaging and nuclear medicine technology of Japan Radioisotope Association to promote patient safety. Questionnaires were sent to 1300 hospitals and 21 clinical laboratories in Japan with 1034 facilities responded (78.3%). Sixty percents of the workers in the facilities were nuclear medicine technologists. Medical doctors comprised 20% of the workers, but 32% in the university hospitals. The number of laboratory technologists decreased in all categories of the facilities. Composite PET/CT scanners increased sharply, whereas 2-detector and 3-detector imaging systems decreased. Regular maintenance was performed in approximately 80% of the SPECT imaging systems, while the single head imaging systems were maintained less frequently. Filmless systems were employed in 25.3% of all of the facilities responded, with the higher rate in the university hospitals. The number of accidents and incidents in the facilities decreased. Falls on floor and fall from an examination bed were reported. The nuclear medicine technologists were concerned about safety mechanism of imaging systems, and dimension and height of examination beds. They also wanted prompt supply of safety information and easy interconnectivity among different data of various vendors' systems. The results of this survey may be a valuable source of information on safety of nuclear medicine procedures. (author)

Reproducibility and comparative validity of a food frequency questionnaire for Australian adults.

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Collins, Clare E; Boggess, May M; Watson, Jane F; Guest, Maya; Duncanson, Kerith; Pezdirc, Kristine; Rollo, Megan; Hutchesson, Melinda J; Burrows, Tracy L

2014-10-01

Food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) are used in epidemiological studies to investigate the relationship between diet and disease. There is a need for a valid and reliable adult FFQ with a contemporary food list in Australia. To evaluate the reproducibility and comparative validity of the Australian Eating Survey (AES) FFQ in adults compared to weighed food records (WFRs). Two rounds of AES and three-day WFRs were conducted in 97 adults (31 males, median age and BMI for males of 44.9 years, 26.2 kg/m(2), females 41.3 years, 24.0 kg/m(2). Reproducibility was assessed over six months using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and comparative validity was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) estimated by fitting a mixed effects model for each nutrient to account for age, sex and BMI to allow estimation of between and within person variance. Reproducibility was found to be good for both WFR and FFQ since there were no significant differences between round 1 and 2 administrations. For comparative validity, FFQ ICCs were at least as large as those for WFR. The ICC of the WFR-FFQ difference for total energy intake was 0.6 (95% CI 0.43, 0.77) and the median ICC for all nutrients was 0.47, with all ICCs between 0.15 (%E from saturated fat) and 0.7 (g/day sugars). Compared to WFR the AES FFQ is suitable for reliably estimating the dietary intakes of Australian adults across a wide range of nutrients. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

Hospital safety culture in Taiwan: a nationwide survey using Chinese version Safety Attitude Questionnaire.

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Lee, Wui-Chiang; Wung, Hwei-Ying; Liao, Hsun-Hsiang; Lo, Chien-Ming; Chang, Fei-Ling; Wang, Pa-Chun; Fan, Angela; Chen, Hsin-Hsin; Yang, Han-Chuan; Hou, Sheng-Mou

2010-08-10

Safety activities have been initiated at many hospitals in Taiwan, but little is known about the safety culture at these hospitals. The aims of this study were to verify a safety culture survey instrument in Chinese and to assess hospital safety culture in Taiwan. The Taiwan Patient Safety Culture Survey was conducted in 2008, using the adapted Safety Attitude Questionnaire in Chinese (SAQ-C). Hospitals and their healthcare workers participated in the survey on a voluntary basis. The psychometric properties of the five SAQ-C dimensions were examined, including teamwork climate, safety climate, job satisfaction, perception of management, and working conditions. Additional safety measures were asked to assess healthcare workers' attitudes toward their collaboration with nurses, physicians, and pharmacists, respectively, and perceptions of hospitals' encouragement of safety reporting, safety training, and delivery delays due to communication breakdowns in clinical areas. The associations between the respondents' attitudes to each SAQ-C dimension and safety measures were analyzed by generalized estimating equations, adjusting for the clustering effects at hospital levels. A total of 45,242 valid questionnaires were returned from 200 hospitals with a mean response rate of 69.4%. The Cronbach's alpha was 0.792 for teamwork climate, 0.816 for safety climate, 0.912 for job satisfaction, 0.874 for perception of management, and 0.785 for working conditions. Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated a good model fit for each dimension and the entire construct. The percentage of hospital healthcare workers holding positive attitude was 48.9% for teamwork climate, 45.2% for perception of management, 42.1% for job satisfaction, 37.2% for safety climate, and 31.8% for working conditions. There were wide variations in the range of SAQ-C scores in each dimension among hospitals. Compared to those without positive attitudes, healthcare workers with positive attitudes to each SAQ

UK-trained junior doctors' intentions to work in UK medicine: questionnaire surveys, three years after graduation.

Science.gov (United States)

Surman, Geraldine; Goldacre, Michael J; Lambert, Trevor W

2017-12-01

Objective To report on the career intentions, three years after qualification, of 12 national cohorts of UK-trained doctors who qualified between 1974 and 2012, and, specifically, to compare recent UK medical graduates' intentions to work in medicine in the UK with earlier graduates. Design Questionnaire surveys of cohorts of UK medical graduates defined by year of graduation. Setting UK. Participants 30,272 UK medical graduates. Main outcome measures Stated level of intention to pursue a long-term career in medicine in the UK. Results The response rate was 62% (30,272/48,927). We examined responses to the question ' Apart from temporary visits abroad, do you intend to practise medicine in the United Kingdom for the foreseeable future?' Of doctors from UK homes, 90% had specified that they would 'definitely or probably' practise medicine in the UK in the surveys of 1977-1986, 81% in 1996-2011 and 64% in 2015. Those who said that they would probably or definitely not practise medicine in the UK comprised 5% in 1977-1986, 8% in 1996-2011 and 15% in 2015. Most who were not definite about a future career in UK medicine indicated that they would wish to practise medicine outside the UK rather than to leave medicine. Conclusions The wish to remain in UK medical practice in the 2015 survey was unprecedentedly low in this unique series of 40 years of surveys.

Comparing the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire and Munich ChronoType Questionnaire to the Dim Light Melatonin Onset.

Science.gov (United States)

Kantermann, Thomas; Sung, Haein; Burgess, Helen J

2015-10-01

The dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) is the most reliable measure of central circadian timing in humans. However, it is not always possible to measure the DLMO because sample collection has to occur in the hours before usual sleep onset, it requires staff support and considerable participant effort, and it is relatively expensive. Questionnaires that ask people about the timing of their behavior, such as their sleep, may provide an easier and less expensive estimate of circadian timing. The objective of this analysis was to compare the MEQ score derived from the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) and the MSFsc derived from the Munich ChronoType Questionnaire (MCTQ) to the DLMO in the largest sample to date (N = 60). Our hypothesis was that MSFsc would correlate more highly with the DLMO than MEQ score. Our sample of 36 healthy controls and 24 patients with delayed sleep phase disorder ranged in age from 18 to 62 years. All participants slept at times of their own choosing for a week before the assessment of their DLMO. The DLMO correlated significantly with both the MEQ score (r = -0.70, p light or exogenous melatonin treatment, as this could result in the mistiming of these treatments relative to the DLMO, thereby potentially worsening circadian misalignment. © 2015 The Author(s).

Questionnaire-based person trip visualization and its integration to quantitative measurements in Myanmar

Science.gov (United States)

Kimijiama, S.; Nagai, M.

2016-06-01

With telecommunication development in Myanmar, person trip survey is supposed to shift from conversational questionnaire to GPS survey. Integration of both historical questionnaire data to GPS survey and visualizing them are very important to evaluate chronological trip changes with socio-economic and environmental events. The objectives of this paper are to: (a) visualize questionnaire-based person trip data, (b) compare the errors between questionnaire and GPS data sets with respect to sex and age and (c) assess the trip behaviour in time-series. Totally, 345 individual respondents were selected through random stratification to assess person trip using a questionnaire and GPS survey for each. Conversion of trip information such as a destination from the questionnaires was conducted by using GIS. The results show that errors between the two data sets in the number of trips, total trip distance and total trip duration are 25.5%, 33.2% and 37.2%, respectively. The smaller errors are found among working-age females mainly employed with the project-related activities generated by foreign investment. The trip distant was yearly increased. The study concluded that visualization of questionnaire-based person trip data and integrating them to current quantitative measurements are very useful to explore historical trip changes and understand impacts from socio-economic events.

Measuring Gratitude: A Comparative Validation of the Dutch Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ6 and Short Gratitude, Resentment, and Appreciation Test (SGRAT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lilian Jans-Beken

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The aim of this article was to validate and compare the Dutch translations of the Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ6 and the Short Gratitude, Resentment, and Appreciation Test (SGRAT in an adult general population sample. In an online survey, 706 respondents ('M 'age = 44, 'SD 'age = 14 completed Dutch versions of the GQ6, the SGRAT, the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS and the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS. At six week follow-up, 440 (62% of them ('M' age = 46, 'SD' age = 14 again completed the GQ6-NL and SGRAT-NL. Parallel analyses, exploratory factor analyses and confirmatory factor analyses revealed and confirmed one factor for the GQ6-NL, and three factors for the SGRAT-NL. Internal consistency indices of the GQ6-NL and of the SGRAT-NL were satisfactory. Both questionnaires demonstrated good test-retest reliability. Regression analyses showed, for the total scores on both gratitude questionnaires, positive associations with the SWLS and the Positive Affect Scale, and negative associations with the Negative Affect Scale. The results support the validity of the Dutch GQ6 and SGRAT. These questionnaires can be used to conduct further research of the grateful disposition in Dutch speaking individuals and groups.

Validation Study for the Brief Measure of Quality of Life and Quality of Care: A Questionnaire for the National Random Sampling Hospital Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimizu, Megumi; Fujisawa, Daisuke; Kurihara, Miho; Sato, Kazuki; Morita, Tatsuya; Kato, Masashi; Miyashita, Mitsunori

2017-08-01

To monitor quality of life (QOL) for patients with cancer in a large population-based survey, we developed a short QOL and quality-of-care (QOC) questionnaire. To determine the validity and reliability of this new questionnaire for evaluating QOL in patients with cancer. Outpatients and inpatients at National Cancer Center Hospital East were administered a questionnaire, including the following items-the short QOL and QOC questionnaire (physical distress, pain, emotional distress, walk burden, and need for help with self-care; perceived general health status; and satisfaction with medical care and treatment by doctor, communication with doctor, support by health-care staff other than doctor, care for physical symptoms such as pain, and psychological care), the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G), the Cancer Care Evaluation Scale (CCES) for patients, and demographic and medical data. We then readministered the short QOL and QOC questionnaire. In total, 329 outpatients and 239 inpatients completed the survey (response rates: 80% and 90%, respectively). Total Cronbach α for the short QOL and QOC questionnaire was 0.83 for outpatients and 0.82 for inpatients. Items of the questionnaire correlated with cancer-specific measurements, FACT-G, and CCES. Intraclass correlation coefficients for all items of the questionnaire were 0.79 and 0.89 in each setting. Items of QOL and QOC did not correlate with each other. The validity and reliability of the short QOL and QOC questionnaire appear sufficient. This questionnaire enables continuous monitoring of patient QOL in large population-based surveys.

Doctors currently in jobs with academic content and their future intentions to pursue clinical academic careers: questionnaire surveys.

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Lambert, Trevor W; Smith, Fay; Goldacre, Michael J

2015-02-01

Our aim was to report on doctors' descriptions of their current post at about 12 years after qualification, in respect of academic content, and to compare this with their long-term intentions. By academic content, we mean posts that are designated as clinical academic posts or clinical service posts that include research and/or teaching commitments. Questionnaire survey. All UK medical graduates of 1996 contacted in 2007, graduates of 1999 in 2012, and graduates of 2000 in 2012. UK. Responses about current posts and future intentions. Postal and email questionnaires. The response rate was 61.9% (6713/10844). Twenty eight per cent were working in posts with academic content (3.3% as clinical academics, 25% in clinical posts with some academic content). Seventeen per cent of women were working in clinical posts with some teaching and research, compared with 29% of men. A higher percentage of men than women intended to be clinical academics as their eventual career choice (3.9% overall, 5.4% of men, 2.7% of women). More doctors wished to move to a job with an academic component than away from one (N = 824 compared with 236). This was true for both men (433 compared with 118) and women (391 compared with 118). Women are under-represented both in holding posts with academic content and in aspirations to do so. It is noteworthy that many more doctors hoped to move into an academic role than to move out of one. Policy should facilitate this wish in order to address current shortfalls in clinical academic medicine.

Comparing NICU teamwork and safety climate across two commonly used survey instruments.

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Profit, Jochen; Lee, Henry C; Sharek, Paul J; Kan, Peggy; Nisbet, Courtney C; Thomas, Eric J; Etchegaray, Jason M; Sexton, Bryan

2016-12-01

Measurement and our understanding of safety culture are still evolving. The objectives of this study were to assess variation in safety and teamwork climate and in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) setting, and compare measurement of safety culture scales using two different instruments (Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ) and Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC)). Cross-sectional survey study of a voluntary sample of 2073 (response rate 62.9%) health professionals in 44 NICUs. To compare survey instruments, we used Spearman's rank correlation coefficients. We also compared similar scales and items across the instruments using t tests and changes in quartile-level performance. We found significant variation across NICUs in safety and teamwork climate scales of SAQ and HSOPSC (pteamwork scales (teamwork climate and teamwork within units) of the two instruments correlated strongly (safety r=0.72, pteamwork r=0.67, p<0.001). However, the means and per cent agreements for all scale scores and even seemingly similar item scores were significantly different. In addition, comparisons of scale score quartiles between the two instruments revealed that half of the NICUs fell into different quartiles when translating between the instruments. Large variation and opportunities for improvement in patient safety culture exist across NICUs. Important systematic differences exist between SAQ and HSOPSC such that these instruments should not be used interchangeably. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Developing questionnaires for educational research: AMEE Guide No. 87

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La Rochelle, Jeffrey S.; Dezee, Kent J.; Gehlbach, Hunter

2014-01-01

In this AMEE Guide, we consider the design and development of self-administered surveys, commonly called questionnaires. Questionnaires are widely employed in medical education research. Unfortunately, the processes used to develop such questionnaires vary in quality and lack consistent, rigorous standards. Consequently, the quality of the questionnaires used in medical education research is highly variable. To address this problem, this AMEE Guide presents a systematic, seven-step process for designing high-quality questionnaires, with particular emphasis on developing survey scales. These seven steps do not address all aspects of survey design, nor do they represent the only way to develop a high-quality questionnaire. Instead, these steps synthesize multiple survey design techniques and organize them into a cohesive process for questionnaire developers of all levels. Addressing each of these steps systematically will improve the probabilities that survey designers will accurately measure what they intend to measure. PMID:24661014

Development and validation of a web-based questionnaire for surveying the health and working conditions of high-performance marine craft populations.

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de Alwis, Manudul Pahansen; Lo Martire, Riccardo; Äng, Björn O; Garme, Karl

2016-06-20

High-performance marine craft crews are susceptible to various adverse health conditions caused by multiple interactive factors. However, there are limited epidemiological data available for assessment of working conditions at sea. Although questionnaire surveys are widely used for identifying exposures, outcomes and associated risks with high accuracy levels, until now, no validated epidemiological tool exists for surveying occupational health and performance in these populations. To develop and validate a web-based questionnaire for epidemiological assessment of occupational and individual risk exposure pertinent to the musculoskeletal health conditions and performance in high-performance marine craft populations. A questionnaire for investigating the association between work-related exposure, performance and health was initially developed by a consensus panel under four subdomains, viz. demography, lifestyle, work exposure and health and systematically validated by expert raters for content relevance and simplicity in three consecutive stages, each iteratively followed by a consensus panel revision. The item content validity index (I-CVI) was determined as the proportion of experts giving a rating of 3 or 4. The scale content validity index (S-CVI/Ave) was computed by averaging the I-CVIs for the assessment of the questionnaire as a tool. Finally, the questionnaire was pilot tested. The S-CVI/Ave increased from 0.89 to 0.96 for relevance and from 0.76 to 0.94 for simplicity, resulting in 36 items in the final questionnaire. The pilot test confirmed the feasibility of the questionnaire. The present study shows that the web-based questionnaire fulfils previously published validity acceptance criteria and is therefore considered valid and feasible for the empirical surveying of epidemiological aspects among high-performance marine craft crews and similar populations. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted

Prescribing for pain--how do nurses contribute? A national questionnaire survey.

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Stenner, Karen; Carey, Nicola; Courtenay, Molly

2012-12-01

To provide information on the profile and practice of nurses in the UK who prescribe medication for pain. Pain is widely under-reported and under-treated and can have negative consequences for health and psychosocial well-being. Indications are that nurses can improve treatment and access to pain medications when they prescribe. Whilst nurses working in many practice areas treat patients with pain, little is known about the profile, prescribing practice or training needs of these nurses. A descriptive questionnaire survey. An online questionnaire was used to survey 214 nurses who prescribed for pain in the UK between May and July 2010. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests. Half the participants (50%) worked in primary care, 32% in secondary care and 14% worked across care settings. A range of services were provided, including general practice, palliative care, pain management, emergency care, walk-in-centres and out-of-hours. The majority (86%) independently prescribed 1-20 items per week. Non-opioid and weak opioids analgesics were prescribed by most (95%) nurses, whereas fewer (35%) prescribed strong opioids. Training in pain had been undertaken by 97% and 82% felt adequately trained, although 28% had problems accessing training. Those with specialist training prescribed a wider range of pain medications, were more likely to prescribe strong opioids and were more often in pain management roles. Nurses prescribe for pain in a range of settings with an emphasis on the treatment of minor ailments and acute pain. A range of medications are prescribed, and most nurses have access to training. The nursing contribution to pain treatment must be acknowledged within initiatives to improve pain management. Access to ongoing training is required to support nurse development in this area of practice to maximise benefits. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Burnout Syndrome Among Medical Practitioners Across India: A Questionnaire-Based Survey.

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Langade, Deepak; Modi, Pranav D; Sidhwa, Yazad F; Hishikar, Namita A; Gharpure, Amit S; Wankhade, Kalpana; Langade, Jayshree; Joshi, Kedar

2016-09-08

Excessive and prolonged work-related stress has always been a cause for burnout among healthcare professionals. This has led to emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion. This survey was conducted to assess the burnout among medical practitioners using the abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory (aMBI) and Burnout Clinical Subtype Questionnaire (BCSQ-12) scales. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 482 registered medical practitioners across India. A questionnaire consisting of 25 socio-demographic and occupational questions related to aMBI and BCSQ-12 scales was used to assess the burnout. The distribution of responses for each variable was examined using frequencies and percentages among the subgroups to find out the burnout levels of various components of the scales. High burnout levels were uniformly recorded for the entire population. For the aMBI, 45.02% (n = 217) and 65.98% (n = 318) of the participants scored high on the emotional exhaustion and depersonalization scales, respectively, whereas 87.14% (n = 420) scored low on the personal accomplishment scale and 62.86% (n = 303) and 11.41% (n = 55) had medium and low scores on the satisfaction with the medical practice scale. The BCSQ-12 scale showed the mean values of 15.89, 11.56, and 10.28 on a scale of 28 for overload, lack of development, and neglect subtypes, respectively, whereas, satisfaction with the financial compensation item showed a mean value of 3.79 on a scale of seven. All these values indicate high levels of burnout. The results suggest high levels of burnout in all domains of aMBI and BCSQ-12 scales in all the occupational and socio-demographic groups of medical practitioners and warrant immediate actions to address this issue.

Outcomes of a questionnaire survey on intracranial hypotension following minor head injury

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dohi, Kenji; Aruga, Tohru; Abe, Toshiaki; Ogawa, Takeki; Onuma, Takehide; Katayama, Yoichi; Sakaki, Toshisuke; Shima, Katsuji; Hirakawa, Kimiyoshi

2007-01-01

Intracranial hypotension (IH) is a rare condition caused by leakage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Recently, a small number of clinicians have proposed a new concept about IH following minor head injury. They suggest that many of their patients with IH can be successfully treated with epidural blood patch therapy. They also argue that some patients with post-traumatic cervical syndrome and general fatigue syndrome suffer from IH following minor head injury. Consequently, IH following minor head injury was widely recognized and dealt with as a social problem in Japan. On the other hand, pathophysiological aspects of the condition as well as the provisional criteria to describe this clinical entity remain to be elucidated. In 2006, the Japan Society of Neurotraumatology performed a questionnaire survey asking 44 hospitals belonging to trustees of this society about IH following minor head injury. This paper provides a report of the outcomes of this survey. The response rate to this questionnaire was 57% (25/44). Fifty-six percent of respondents did not have experience of IH following minor head injury. Moreover, respondents' criteria for describing this disease differed greatly, especially in the radiological examinations and symptoms for the diagnosis of this entity which showed significant variation. These problems might originate from the general features of this disease. With the exception of postural headache, the symptoms of this disease varied enormously. This wide range of symptoms confused with the pathophysiolosies of a great many similar conditions. As such, clarifications of the pathophysiological characteristics of IH following minor head injury, together with consensus on specific criteria to describe the condition, are required. In conclusion, the results of this survey revealed many serious scientific and social problems associated with the diagnosis and treatment of intracranial hypotension following minor head injury. Scientific study including the

The study on the outsourcing of Taiwan's hospitals: a questionnaire survey research.

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Hsiao, Chih-Tung; Pai, Jar-Yuan; Chiu, Hero

2009-05-13

The aim of this study was to assess the outsourcing situation in Taiwanese hospitals and compares the differences in hospital ownership and in accreditation levels. This research combined two kinds of methods: a questionnaire survey and the in-depth interview to two CEOs of the sample hospitals. One hospital is not-for-profit, while the other is a public hospital and the research samples are from the hospital data from Taiwan's 2005 to 2007 Department of Health qualifying lists of hospital accreditation. The returned questionnaires were analyzed with STATISTICA 7.1 version software. The results for non-medical items showed medical waste and common trash both have the highest rate (94.6 percent) of being outsourced. The gift store (75 percent) and linen (73 percent) follow close behind, while the lowest rate of outsourcing is in utility maintenance (13.5 percent). For medical items, the highest rate of outsourcing is in the ambulance units (51.4 percent), while the hemodialysis center follows close behind with a rate of 50 percent. For departments of nutrition, pharmacy, and nursing however, the outsourcing rate is lower than 3 percent. This shows that Taiwan's hospitals are still conservative in their willingness to outsource for medical items. The results of the satisfaction paired t-test show that the non-medical items have a higher score than the medical items. The factor analysis showed the three significant factors in of non medical items' outsourcing are "performance", "finance", and "human resource". For medical items, the two factors are "operation" and satisfaction". To further exam the factor validity and reliability of the satisfaction model, a confirmative factor analysis (CFA) was conducted using structure equation modeling (SEM) method and found the model fitting well. Hospitals, especially for public hospitals, can get benefits from outsourcing to revive the full-time-equivalent and human resource limitation.

Questionnaire survey of detrimental fur animal epidemic necrotic pyoderma in Finland.

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Nordgren, Heli; Vapalahti, Katariina; Vapalahti, Olli; Sukura, Antti; Virtala, Anna-Maija

2017-08-03

In 2007, a previously unrecorded disease, fur animal epidemic necrotic pyoderma (FENP), was detected in farmed mink (Neovision vision), foxes (Vulpes lagopus) and Finnraccoons (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in Finland. Symptoms included severe pyoderma with increased mortality, causing both animal welfare problems and economic losses. In 2011, an epidemiologic questionnaire was mailed to all members of the Finnish Fur Breeders' Association to assess the occurrence of FENP from 2009 through the first 6 months of 2011. The aim was to describe the geographical distribution and detailed clinical signs of FENP, as well as sources of infection and potential risk factors for the disease. A total of 239 farmers (25%) returned the questionnaire. Clinical signs of FENP were observed in 40% (95% CI 34-46%) of the study farms. In addition, the survey clarified the specific clinical signs for different animal species. The presence of disease was associated with the importation of mink, especially from Denmark (OR 9.3, 95% CI 2.6-33.0). The transmission route between Finnish farms was associated with fur animal purchases. Some risk factors such as the farm type were also indicated. As such, FENP was detected more commonly on farms with more than one species of fur animal in comparison to farms with, for example, only foxes (OR 4.6, 95% CI 2.4-8.6), and the incidence was higher on farms with over 750 breeder mink compared to smaller farms (OR 3.8, 95% CI 1.6-9.0). Contact between fur animals and birds and other wildlife increased the risk of FENP on farms. Responses also indicated that blocking the entry of wildlife to the animal premises protected against FENP. FENP was most likely introduced to Finland by imported mink and spread further within the country via domestically purchased fur animals. Some potential risk factors, such as the type and size of the farm and contact with wildlife, contributed to the spread of FENP. Escape-proof shelter buildings block the entry of wildlife

Radiation risks knowledge in resident and fellow in paediatrics: a questionnaire survey.

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Salerno, Sergio; Marchese, Paola; Magistrelli, Andrea; Tomà, Paolo; Matranga, Domenica; Midiri, Massimo; Ugazio, Alberto G; Corsello, Giovanni

2015-03-22

Analyse through a multi-choice anonymous questionnaire the knowledge's level in paediatric residents and fellows in two different main Italian hospital, looking mainly to the information to patients and relatives related to risks of ionizing radiation used in common radiological investigations in children. 65 multi choice questionnaires were distributed to paediatric residents and fellows of two different hospitals, an University Hospital (A.O.U.P. "P. Giaccone"- University of Palermo) and a national reference centre for paediatrics (Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù - Rome). The questionnaire included twelve multiple-choice questions with the aim of analyzing the knowledge about ionizing radiation related risks in infants and children who undergo common diagnostic radiology investigations. The data obtained were processed using software Stata/MP version 11.2. In order to measure the level of expertise of each interviewee a binary indicator was built. The value 1 was assigned if the percentage of correct answers exceeds the median of the distribution and 0 for values not exceeding the median. The association between the level of competence and demographic characteristics (gender, age) and training experience was measured by means of α(2) test. 51/65 questionnaires were completed, returned and analysed (87.7%). Only 18 surveyed (35%), (95% IC = [22%-48%]) can be defined as competent in radiation risk knowledge for common radiological investigations, considering the percentage of correct answers at least of 50% (sufficient knowledge was given with a minimum score of 8 correct answers out of 12). The study demonstrates an urgent need to implement the radiation protection knowledge in the training programme of paediatricians, that improve if just a short targeted training is performed.

Emotional labour, job satisfaction and organizational commitment amongst clinical nurses: a questionnaire survey.

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Yang, Feng-Hua; Chang, Chen-Chieh

2008-06-01

According to Hochschild's (1983. The Managed Heart. Berkeley: University of California Press) classification of emotional labour, nursing staff express high emotional labour. This paper investigates how nursing staff influence job satisfaction and organizational commitment when they perform emotional labour. This paper examines the relationship between emotional labour, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment from the perspective of nursing staff. A questionnaire survey was carried out to explore these interrelationships. Teaching hospital in Taiwan. Questionnaires were distributed to 500 nursing staff; 295 valid questionnaires were collected and analysed-a 59% response rate. The questionnaires contained items on emotional labour, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment as well as some basic socio-demographics. In addition, descriptive statistics, correlation and linear structure relation (LISREL) were computed. Emotional display rule (EDR) was significantly and negatively related to job satisfaction. Surface acting (SA) was not significantly related to job satisfaction but demonstrated a significantly negative relationship with organizational commitment. Deep acting (DA) significantly and positively correlated with job satisfaction but demonstrated no significance with organizational commitment. The variety of emotions required (VER) was not significantly related to job satisfaction; frequency and duration of interaction (FDI) and negatively related to job satisfaction; and job satisfaction significantly and positively correlated with organizational commitment. We found that some dimensions of emotional labour significantly relate to job satisfaction. Job satisfaction positively affects organizational commitment and has an intervening effect on DA and organizational commitment.

Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) 1998 Cohort: Wave 12 (2009)--Questionnaire. Technical Report 58A

Science.gov (United States)

National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), 2010

2010-01-01

The Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) program studies the progress of several groups of young Australians as they move from school into post-secondary education and work. This technical paper contains the questionnaire for the LSAY 1998 cohort Wave 12 (2009) data set. [For the accompanying frequency tables, "Longitudinal Surveys…

A study of stress and burnout in nursing students in Hong Kong: a questionnaire survey.

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Watson, Roger; Deary, Ian; Thompson, David; Li, Gloria

2008-10-01

Stress in nursing students may be related to attrition from nursing programmes and lead to a shortage of nurses entering clinical careers. In addition, stress leads to psychological morbidity which may have profound adverse consequences for individual nursing students. To follow a cohort of nursing students from entry to their programme to the end of the first year and to study the interrelationship between a range of psychological variables including personality, stress, coping and burnout. Prospective, repeated measures survey using self-administered questionnaires. A university school of nursing in Hong Kong. Students were selected on the basis of entry to their nursing programme in 2004; 158 students entered the study and 147 completed; 37 were male and 121 were female at entry. The mean age of the cohort at entry was 19.1 (S.D. 0.85); ages ranged from 18 to 26. The questionnaires administered at wave 1 were: the NEO Five Factor Inventory, the Coping in Stressful Situations questionnaire, the 12-item General Health Questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Stress in Nursing Students questionnaire. At wave 2 the 12-item General Health Questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Stress in Nursing Students questionnaire were administered. Students suffered greater levels of psychological morbidity and burnout at the second time wave and this was largely explained by the personality trait of neuroticism. Stress also increased and this was largely explained by emotion-oriented coping. Undertaking a nursing programme leads to increased level of stress, burnout and psychological morbidity and this is largely related to individual personality and coping traits.

A Comparison of Back Pain Functional Scale with Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire, Oswestry Disability Index and Short Form 36-Health Survey.

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Koç, Meltem; Bayar, Banu; Bayar, Kılıçhan

2017-10-03

A comparison study of Back Pain Functional Scale (BPFS) with Roland Morris Questionnaire (RMQ), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Short Form 36-Health Survey (SF-36). The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation of BPFS with RMQ, ODI and SF-36. The primary goal in the treatment of patients with low back pain is to improve the patients' levels of activities and participation. Many questionnaires focusing on function have been developed in patients with low back pain. BPFS is one of these questionnaires. No studies have investigated the correlation of BPFS with ODI and SF-36. This study was conducted with 120 patients receiving outpatient and inpatient treatment in physiotherapy and rehabilitation units of a state hospital. BPFS, RMQ, ODI, SF-36 questionnaires were used to assess the disability in low back pain. Spearman and Pearson Correlation were used to compare the data obtained in the study. There was a good correlation among the five functional outcome measures (correlation r = -0.693 for BPFS/RMQ, r = -0.794 for BPFS/ODI, r = 0.697 for BPFS/SF-36 Physical function and r = 0.540 for BPFS/SF-36 Pain). BPFS demonstrated good correlation with RMQ, ODI, SF-36 physical function and SF-36 pain. 2.

The relationship between job performance and perceived organizational support in faculty members at Chinese universities: a questionnaire survey

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Although several studies have been conducted to investigate the relationship between perceived organizational support (POS) and job performance (JP), it remains unclear whether this relationship is appropriate for faculty members at Chinese universities. The objectives of this study were to (a) examine the correlation between POS andJP; (b) identify the predictors of POS, including demographic and organizational characteristics among faculty members at a Chinese university; (c) investigate the influence of mediating factors between POS and JP; and (d) compare the findings of this study with related studies. Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was used in this study. The questionnaire was administered to 700 faculty members who were randomly selected from all faculty members at six universities. A total of 581 questionnaires were obtained. A statistical model for JP was developed based on the literature review. Results The analysis results indicated that the relationship between POS and JP was mediated by job satisfaction (JS), positive affectivity (PA), and affective commitment (AC). In addition, procedural and distributive justice contribute to POS. Conclusions The study concludes that the relationship between POS and JP is mediated by JS, PA, and AC and is influenced by POS. These results can provide evidence for university administrators to improve POS and increase the JP of faculty members at universities. PMID:24624932

Household food security in Isfahan based on current population survey adapted questionnaire

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morteza Rafiei

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Food security is a state in which all people at every time have physical and economic access to adequate food to obviate nutritional needs and live a healthy and active life. Therefore, this study was performed to quantitatively evaluate the household food security in Esfahan using the localized version of US Household Food Security Survey Module (US HFSSM. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed in year 2006 on 3000 households of Esfahan. The study instrument used in this work is 18-item US food security module, which is developed into a localized 15-item questionnaire. This study is performed in two stages of families with no children (under 18 years old and families with children over 18 years old. Results: The results showed that item severity coefficient, ratio of responses given by households and item infit and outfit coefficient in adult′s and children′s questionnaire respectively. According to obtained data, scale score of +3 in adults group is described as determination limit of slight food insecurity and +6 is stated as the limit for severe food insecurity. For children′s group, scale score of +2 is defined to be the limit of slight food insecurity and +5 is the determination limit of severe food insecurity. Conclusions: The main hypothesis of this survey analysis is based on the raw scale score of USFSSM The item of "lack of enough money for buying food" (item 2 and the item of "lack of balanced meal" (3 rd item have the lowest severity coefficient. Then, the ascending rate of item severity continues in first item, 4 th item and keeps increasing into 10 th item.

Benchmarking surgeon satisfaction at academic health centers: a nationwide comparative survey.

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Drachman, D A

1996-01-01

Forty-six academic health centers (AHCs) belonging to the University HealthSystem consortium joined forces to compare the efficiency of their surgical services and to identify best practices. In addition to measures of operational performance, surgeon satisfaction with the surgical services provided was measured by using a standardized questionnaire. From hospital records, indicators of the efficiency of surgical services were collected in three main areas: scheduling, preoperative testing and assessment, and the intraoperative process. Responding to a mail questionnaire, a sample of surgeons rated their satisfaction with key aspects of surgical services including scheduling, operating room staff, and equipment/supplies. On the basis of a review of the operational measures and the survey results, high performers were identified. Site visits were made to several of these high performers to uncover the critical factors responsible for their success. The survey revealed distinct variations in surgeon satisfaction across the participating institutions. Numerical benchmarks were obtained for surgeon satisfaction with each key component of surgical services. Scheduling was the most important component of overall surgeon satisfaction, explaining 71% of the variance in the rating of overall satisfaction with surgical services. High operational efficiency and high surgeon satisfaction were not incompatible. Several of the participating institutions were able to achieve both. These results were disseminated to all of the participants at a national meeting as well as in written form. The surgeon satisfaction survey allowed the participants to establish benchmarks for surgeon satisfaction for each key component of the surgical services they receive. The site visits revealed several common characteristics of highly efficient surgical services. Taken by themselves, the participating institutions might have been reluctant to consider adopting these best practices for fear of

[A questionnaire survey about hair loss after chemotherapy for breast cancer].

Science.gov (United States)

Oshima, Yukiko; Watanabe, Takanori; Nakagawa, Saki; Endo, Ayako; Shiga, Chizuko

2012-09-01

Hair loss is one of the most common side effects of chemotherapies such as FEC and taxane, and it greatly affects quality of life. We conducted a questionnaire survey of breast cancer patients who were treated with adjuvant chemotherapy about their hair loss. Eighty-five patients participated. They all had lost their hair and suffered from persistent changes in their hair condition, ranging from thinning to curly. More than 80% of patients had worn wigs until their hair had grown back. Furthermore, a few patients did not remove their wigs for 2 years after treatment. Unfortunately, there is no prevention or medication to combat hair loss due to chemotherapy at present, so cumulative examinations are awaited. We must provide appropriate information and support to the patient.

Patients' expectations of orthodontic treatment: part 2--findings from a questionnaire survey.

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Sayers, M S; Newton, J T

2007-03-01

To describe patients' and their parents' expectations of orthodontic treatment. A questionnaire survey of 100 patients and their primary care-givers attending a new patient orthodontic consultant clinic, at a teaching hospital. GKT Orthodontic Department, King's College Dental Hospital, London, UK. The sample consisted of 100 participants who completed the questionnaire, including 50 patients aged 12-14 years who had been referred to the orthodontic department for treatment. One parent of each patient was also invited to participate. Participants completed a valid questionnaire measure of orthodontic expectations that was tested for reliability and validity. Descriptive analysis of the responses was undertaken, and comparisons of children's and parents' expectations, in addition to ethnicity, were made. Patients and parents have similar expectations of treatment, with the exception of expectations of duration of orthodontic treatment (Pexpectations of the initial orthodontic assessment visit, the likelihood of wearing headgear, the impact of orthodontic treatment on diet, and the reaction of peers to treatment (Pexpectations regarding the initial visit, headgear and dietary restrictions (Pparents share similar expectations of orthodontic treatment for most aspects of care, although parents are more realistic in their estimation of the duration of treatment and the initial visit. The expectations of patients differ from those of their parents with regard to dietary and drink restrictions in relation to orthodontic treatment. Ethnicity significantly influences expectations of orthodontic treatment, and this may relate to differences in the patients' and their parents' assessed outcome of care.

A comparative analysis of mail and internet surveys

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Benjamin D. Poole; David K. Loomis

2010-01-01

Th e field of survey research is constantly evolving with the introduction of new technologies. Each new mini-revolution brings criticism about the accuracy of the new survey method. The latest development in the survey research field has been increased reliance on Internet surveys. This paper compares data collected through a mixed-mode (mail and Internet) survey of...

Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) 2006 Cohort: Wave 6 (2011)--Questionnaire. Technical Report 75A

Science.gov (United States)

National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), 2012

2012-01-01

The Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) program studies the progress of several groups of young Australians as they move from school into post-secondary education and work. This series of documents provides supporting information for the LSAY data set of the 2006 cohort at wave 6 (2011). The document presents the questionnaire for LSAY…

Good and Bad Sleep in Childhood: A Questionnaire Survey amongst School Children in Southern Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gianluca Ficca

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Despite its clinical importance, the issue of subjective sleep quality in children remains unexplored. Here we investigate, in school-aged children, the prevalence of bad sleep perception and its relationships with sleep habits and daytime functioning, to provide hints on its possible determinants. Subjective sleep perception, sleep habits, and daytime functioning were studied through a questionnaire survey in a sample of 482 children (6–12 yrs.. Being “bad sleeper” was reported by 6.9% of the sample. Compared to the “good sleepers”, these subjects displayed shorter sleep duration on schooldays, longer sleep latencies, and a more pronounced evening preference, beyond more frequent insufficient sleep. Though no differences emerged in sleepiness, bad sleepers showed higher impairments in daytime functioning, indicated by more frequent depressed mood and impulsivity. These distinctive features might be very important to precociously detect those children who are possibly more vulnerable to sleep disturbances and whose sleep-wake rhythms evolution should be paid particular attention thereafter.

The association between patients? beliefs about medicines and adherence to drug treatment after stroke: a cross-sectional questionnaire survey

OpenAIRE

Sj?lander, Maria; Eriksson, Marie; Glader, Eva-Lotta

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVES: Adherence to preventive drug treatment is a clinical problem and we hypothesised that patients' beliefs about medicines and stroke are associated with adherence. The objective was to examine associations between beliefs of patients with stroke about stroke and drug treatment and their adherence to drug treatment. DESIGN: Cross-sectional questionnaire survey. SETTING: Patients with stroke from 25 Swedish hospitals were included. MEASUREMENTS: Questionnaires were sent to 989 patient...

Questionnaire survey of the pan-African trade in lion body parts.

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Williams, Vivienne L; Loveridge, Andrew J; Newton, David J; Macdonald, David W

2017-01-01

The African lion is in decline across its range, and consumptive utilisation and trade of their body parts and skins has been postulated as a cause for concern. We undertook a pan-African questionnaire and literature survey to document informed opinion and evidence for the occurrence of domestic and international trade and consumption in African lion body parts across current and former range states. Sixty-five people from 18 countries participated in the online questionnaire survey (run from July 2014 to May 2015), with information provided for 28 countries (including 20 out of 24 countries believed to have extant populations). Respondents were experts within their professional spheres, and 77% had ≥6 years relevant experience within lion conservation or allied wildlife matters. Their opinions revealed wide sub-regional differences in consumptive use, drivers of trade, and access to lions that impact wild lion populations in different ways. Traditional medicine practices (African and Asian) were perceived to be the main uses to which lion body parts and bones are put domestically and traded internationally, and there is reason for concern about persistent imports from former lion range states (mainly in West Africa) for parts for this purpose. The domestic, rather than international, trade in lion body parts was perceived to be a bigger threat to wild lion populations. Parts such as skin, claws, teeth and bones are thought to be in most demand across the continent. The impact of international trade on wild populations was acknowledged to be largely unknown, but occasionally was judged to be 'high', and therefore vigilance is needed to monitor emerging detrimental impacts. Seventeen countries were nominated as priorities for immediate monitoring, including: South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Cameroon. Reasons for their selection include: prevalence of trophy hunting, 'hot spots' for poaching, active domestic trade

Questionnaire survey of the pan-African trade in lion body parts.

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Vivienne L Williams

Full Text Available The African lion is in decline across its range, and consumptive utilisation and trade of their body parts and skins has been postulated as a cause for concern. We undertook a pan-African questionnaire and literature survey to document informed opinion and evidence for the occurrence of domestic and international trade and consumption in African lion body parts across current and former range states. Sixty-five people from 18 countries participated in the online questionnaire survey (run from July 2014 to May 2015, with information provided for 28 countries (including 20 out of 24 countries believed to have extant populations. Respondents were experts within their professional spheres, and 77% had ≥6 years relevant experience within lion conservation or allied wildlife matters. Their opinions revealed wide sub-regional differences in consumptive use, drivers of trade, and access to lions that impact wild lion populations in different ways. Traditional medicine practices (African and Asian were perceived to be the main uses to which lion body parts and bones are put domestically and traded internationally, and there is reason for concern about persistent imports from former lion range states (mainly in West Africa for parts for this purpose. The domestic, rather than international, trade in lion body parts was perceived to be a bigger threat to wild lion populations. Parts such as skin, claws, teeth and bones are thought to be in most demand across the continent. The impact of international trade on wild populations was acknowledged to be largely unknown, but occasionally was judged to be 'high', and therefore vigilance is needed to monitor emerging detrimental impacts. Seventeen countries were nominated as priorities for immediate monitoring, including: South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Cameroon. Reasons for their selection include: prevalence of trophy hunting, 'hot spots' for poaching, active

Child overweight in general practice – parents’ beliefs and expectations – a questionnaire survey study

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Care for overweight children in general practice involves collaboration with parents. Acknowledging the parents’ frames of references is a prerequisite for successful management. We therefore aimed to analyse parental beliefs about the presumed causes and consequences of overweight in children and expectations towards the GP. Moreover, we aimed at comparing the beliefs and expectations of parents of non-overweight children (NOWC) and parents of overweight children (OWC). Methods A cross-sectional survey. Data were obtained from a questionnaire exploring parents’ beliefs and expectations regarding overweight in children. The questionnaires were completed by parents following their child’s participation in the five-year preventive child health examination (PCHE). Parental agreement upon statements concerning beliefs and expectations regarding overweight in children was measured on a Likert scale. Differences in levels of agreement between parents of non-overweight children and parents of overweight children were analysed using Chi-squared test and Fisher’s exact test. Results Parents of 879 children completed and returned questionnaires. Around three fourths of the parents agreed that overweight was a health problem. A majority of parents (93%) agreed that the GP should call attention to overweight in children and offer counselling on diet and exercise. Almost half of the parents expected a follow-up programme. Parents of overweight children seemed to agree less upon some of the proposed causes of overweight, e.g. inappropriate diet and lack of exercise. These parents also had stronger beliefs about overweight disappearing by itself as the child grows up. Conclusions According to parental beliefs and expectations, general practice should have an important role to play in the management of child overweight. Moreover, our findings suggest that GPs should be aware of the particular beliefs that parents of overweight children may have regarding causes

A randomized trial found online questionnaires supplemented by postal reminders generated a cost-effective and generalizable sample but don't forget the reminders.

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Loban, Amanda; Mandefield, Laura; Hind, Daniel; Bradburn, Mike

2017-12-01

The objective of this study was to compare the response rates, data completeness, and representativeness of survey data produced by online and postal surveys. A randomized trial nested within a cohort study in Yorkshire, United Kingdom. Participants were randomized to receive either an electronic (online) survey questionnaire with paper reminder (N = 2,982) or paper questionnaire with electronic reminder (N = 2,855). Response rates were similar for electronic contact and postal contacts (50.9% vs. 49.7%, difference = 1.2%, 95% confidence interval: -1.3% to 3.8%). The characteristics of those responding to the two groups were similar. Participants nevertheless demonstrated an overwhelming preference for postal questionnaires, with the majority responding by post in both groups. Online survey questionnaire systems need to be supplemented with a postal reminder to achieve acceptable uptake, but doing so provides a similar response rate and case mix when compared to postal questionnaires alone. For large surveys, online survey systems may be cost saving. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Feedback about Earthquake Early Warning: Questionnaire survey after the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake (Mw9.0)

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Nakamura, M.; Hoshiba, M.; Matsui, M.; Hayashimoto, N.; Wakayama, A.

2013-05-01

We will report the results of a questionnaire survey on Earthquake Early Warning (EEW), conducted by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) in February 2012, approximately one year after the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake (Mw9.0). In the questionnaire survey, which is based on the performance of the 5-year operation of EEW, the respondents were asked how they obtained EEW, how they reacted to EEW and how useful they considered EEW as a safety measure against strong ground shaking. Respondents numbered 817 in the Tohoku district survey and 2,000 in the nationwide survey. Most respondents received EEW messages from TV or cell phone broadcast mail service. Most respondents took some actions in the Tohoku district (74 percent) and nationwide (54 percent); 16 and 17 percent, respectively, tried to take action but could not; and 10 and 29 percent, respectively, did nothing. More than 90 and 80 percent of respondents thought EEW was useful in the Tohoku district and nationwide, respectively. Many people stated that EEW helped them prepare for strong shaking, even if they did not actually take specific actions. The percentage of respondents evaluating EEW to be useful was larger among Tohoku than nationwide. Likewise, the percentage of people who were able to take useful actions was larger in the Tohoku than nationwide. The difference may be attributed to the degree of experience of EEW that had been frequently issued particularly to the Tohoku district since March the 11th 2011. The benefit of the EEW system was recognized both as a trigger of taking actual actions and as an aid to mental preparedness before strong jolts began. Most people considered that the EEW system was useful despite of some false alarms. Although it is necessary to improve the EEW system to reduce false alarms and make the predictions more precise, the results of this survey should be encouraging to the community of promoting and researching EEW.

Grouping of Items in Mobile Web Questionnaires

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Mavletova, Aigul; Couper, Mick P.

2016-01-01

There is some evidence that a scrolling design may reduce breakoffs in mobile web surveys compared to a paging design, but there is little empirical evidence to guide the choice of the optimal number of items per page. We investigate the effect of the number of items presented on a page on data quality in two types of questionnaires: with or…

Investigating the Reliability and Factor Structure of Kalichman's "Survey 2: Research Misconduct" Questionnaire: A Post Hoc Analysis Among Biomedical Doctoral Students in Scandinavia.

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Holm, Søren; Hofmann, Bjørn

2017-10-01

A precondition for reducing scientific misconduct is evidence about scientists' attitudes. We need reliable survey instruments, and this study investigates the reliability of Kalichman's "Survey 2: research misconduct" questionnaire. The study is a post hoc analysis of data from three surveys among biomedical doctoral students in Scandinavia (2010-2015). We perform reliability analysis, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis using a split-sample design as a partial validation. The results indicate that a reliable 13-item scale can be formed (Cronbach's α = .705), and factor analysis indicates that there are four reliable subscales each tapping a different construct: (a) general attitude to misconduct (α = .768), (b) attitude to personal misconduct (α = .784), (c) attitude to whistleblowing (α = .841), and (d) attitude to blameworthiness/punishment (α = .877). A full validation of the questionnaire requires further research. We, nevertheless, hope that the results will facilitate the increased use of the questionnaire in research.

Questionnaire survey and technical guideline of blood irradiation on medical facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, Mitsuhiro; Hasegawa, Hironori; Okumura, Masahiko; Sonoda, Tatsuo; Osada, Koji.

1997-01-01

We know that transfusion-associated graft versus host disease (TA-GVHD) is a serious side effect associated with blood transfusion and the onset is independent on the immunological conditions of patients. We have only prophylactic treatment against TA-GVHD. The most reliable method is to irradiate the blood for transfusion. In Japanese medical facilities, however, the risk of TA-GVHD is poorly understood and actual conditions of the blood irradiation are unclear. We sent a questionnaire to randomly selected 426 medical facilities in Japan, which had the department of radiology, to investigate the actual conditions of blood irradiation for transfusion and the problems on the irradiation dose measurement of the external apparatus for blood irradiation. The questionnaire involved 19 questions about the blood irradiation for transfusion. The survey took place for one month (June 1-June 30, 1995). Replies were obtained from a total of 306 medical facilities (72%). The results showed that blood irradiation was done by several methods in the 75% of the medical facilities, and the external irradiation apparatus was used in 83%. Some problems were shown, including irradiation period, cost of the irradiation, the operating procedure of the apparatus, requested number of the irradiation, and the request after usual hours. There was no significant problem on the irradiation dose, irradiation method, etc. We also sent a questionnaire to 74 facilities of the Red Cross Blood Center, in which the frequency of blood irradiation have increased since May, 1976. The X-ray apparatus as the external irradiation apparatus has practical advantages; lower cost, compact and out of the legal control on the ionizing radiation, however, it has some problems on the uniformity of the absorption dose when a single X-ray tube-type apparatus is used. We discuss about the possible onset of TA-GVHD or other accidents by the incorrect irradiation of the blood preparations. (K.H.)

Validation of fibromyalgia survey questionnaire and polysymptomatic distress scale in a Persian population.

Science.gov (United States)

Bidari, Ali; Ghavidel-Parsa, Banafsheh; Amir Maafi, Alireza; Montazeri, Ali; Ghalehbaghi, Babak; Hassankhani, Amir; Aarabi, Yasaman; Haghdoost, Afrooz

2015-12-01

The aim of this study was to assess validity of the fibromyalgia survey questionnaire (FSQ) and polysymptomatic distress scale (PSD) in an Iranian population. We also sought to classify the severity levels of fibromyalgia (FM) symptoms according to the PSD scale. Participants were divided into FM and non-FM chronic pain disorder groups according to expert physician diagnosis. Patients in both groups answered to Persian-translated version of FSQ, fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ) and Short-Form-12 (SF-12). Both 1990 ACR criteria and FSDC were assessed in participates of two groups. Internal consistency and construct validity were evaluated. There was good internal consistency measured by Cronbach's alpha (0.814 for FSQ). FSQ and its subscales correlated significantly with FIQ scores and SF-12 subscales, indicating acceptable construct validity. The concordance rates of FSQ with 1990 ACR criteria and expert diagnosis were 61.2 and 75.7, respectively (convergence validity). The mean score of PSD and its components in FM group were significantly more than in control groups (discriminative validity). Using lower PSD score cutoff (≥8.5) for the diagnosis of fibromyalgia appeared to be the most effective approach in our population. ROC analysis of the PSD scores revealed 8.5-11.5, 11.5-15 and more than 15, respectively, as a mild, moderate and severe FM. Persian version of FSQ was a valid instrument for application in survey research among Iranian patients with chronic pain disorders. The current study revealed that PSD could be used as a valid tool for assessment of symptoms intensity regardless of fibromyalgia diagnosis.

A questionnaire survey on forensic odontology: Are we really aware?

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Sahni, Ankita; Rehani, Shweta; Mathias, Yulia; Kardam, Priyanka; Nagpal, Ruchi; Kumari, Rashmi

2016-01-01

Introduction: The role of a dentist is not only to examine and treat the oral diseases but also to assist the legal authorities by means of its branch—forensic odontology. Through forensic odontology, a dentist plays a very important role in crime investigation of any type. Objective: To analyze the knowledge, awareness, and interest of forensic odontology among the dental teaching staff who are working in the dental colleges within the Delhi NCR. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire of 12 questions (both open-ended and close-ended) was prepared and the survey was conducted with 200 dental teaching staff. Results: A sufficient knowledge but poor awareness and interest among the dental teaching staff was observed. Conclusion: The study highlighted that although dental teaching staff themselves have sound knowledge regarding forensic odontology, their awareness and interest need to be upgraded on a regular basis. The success of acquiring such extensive knowledge would be valid if better job opportunities in these fields would be increased. PMID:27555736

HEARING AID USE IN PATIENTS WITH PRESBYACUSIS: A QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY

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A. Karimaneh A. Eftekharian

2004-11-01

Full Text Available The acceptability of hearing aids in people with presbyacusis has been improved but assessment of whether there is a need for more counseling to increase the number of regular hearing-aid users seems to be important. The aim of this study was to determine if the hearing aid was worn regularly and over a long period of time in people with presbyacusis. A questionnaire survey of patients with presbyacusis who had been fitted with a monaural behind the ear hearing aid for the first time was undertaken. The patients were divided into four groups ranging from 6 months to 3 years after fitting. Overall regular long-term use of the hearing aid was found in the majority of patients with presbyacusis. The main dropout point was within the first year after fitting the hearing aid. The study furthermore revealed a relatively high demand for further help and advice with the hearing aid in all groups.

The knowledge of pregnant women regarding appropriate oral hygiene practices of young children – a questionnaire survey

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Szalewska Magdalena

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Maintaining appropriate oral cavity hygiene in a young child is closely related to the health awareness and health-promoting behaviours of their parents/guardians, and especially that of the child’s mother. The aim of the study was to evaluate the knowledge of pregnant women regarding best practice oral hygiene procedures in young children. The survey involved 327 pregnant women aged 16-49 years, and the tool utilized was an anonymous questionnaire survey. The questionnaire included seven one-choice questions concerning basic information on proper oral hygiene procedures as should be practiced by young children. The statistical analysis was performed using Statistica PROGRAM 10 (StatSoft. The results of the survey reveal 60.55% of all surveyed had correct knowledge with regard to appropriate cleaning practices for the toothless oral cavity of an infant, that concerning the beginning of tooth brushing - 70.03%, tooth cleaning after night feeding - 39.76%, the duration of tooth brushing (at least 3-4 minutes - 43.12%. What is more, the result of the survey demonstrate that slightly more than a half of the surveyed mothers (53.82% would encourage their children to brush their teeth on their own from the first year of age, while 18.35% believe that children should be assisted in tooth brushing at least to their eighth year of age, and 59.63% would use fluoride toothpaste to brush their child’s teeth before he or she is one year old. Of the participants in this survey, pregnant women with university education, those living in large cities, or who are older, and those who had had previous pregnancies, show greater knowledge regarding suitable oral hygiene practices among young children. Our results reveal that extensive application of modern information technologies can be a means of preventing early childhood caries by facilitating the transmission of knowledge on proper nutrition and oral hygiene practices among young children.

The study on the outsourcing of Taiwan's hospitals: a questionnaire survey research

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Pai Jar-Yuan

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The aim of this study was to assess the outsourcing situation in Taiwanese hospitals and compares the differences in hospital ownership and in accreditation levels. Methods This research combined two kinds of methods: a questionnaire survey and the in-depth interview to two CEOs of the sample hospitals. One hospital is not-for-profit, while the other is a public hospital and the research samples are from the hospital data from Taiwan's 2005 to 2007 Department of Health qualifying lists of hospital accreditation. The returned questionnaires were analyzed with STATISTICA® 7.1 version software. Results The results for non-medical items showed medical waste and common trash both have the highest rate (94.6 percent of being outsourced. The gift store (75 percent and linen (73 percent follow close behind, while the lowest rate of outsourcing is in utility maintenance (13.5 percent. For medical items, the highest rate of outsourcing is in the ambulance units (51.4 percent, while the hemodialysis center follows close behind with a rate of 50 percent. For departments of nutrition, pharmacy, and nursing however, the outsourcing rate is lower than 3 percent. This shows that Taiwan's hospitals are still conservative in their willingness to outsource for medical items. The results of the satisfaction paired t-test show that the non-medical items have a higher score than the medical items. The factor analysis showed the three significant factors in of non medical items' outsourcing are "performance", "finance", and "human resource". For medical items, the two factors are "operation" and satisfaction". To further exam the factor validity and reliability of the satisfaction model, a confirmative factor analysis (CFA was conducted using structure equation modeling (SEM method and found the model fitting well. Conclusion Hospitals, especially for public hospitals, can get benefits from outsourcing to revive the full-time-equivalent and human

Utilization of information technology in medical education: a questionnaire survey of students in a Malaysian institution.

Science.gov (United States)

Nurjahan, M I; Lim, T A; Yeong, S W; Foong, A L S; Ware, J

2002-12-01

The objective of this survey was to obtain a self-reported assessment of the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) by medical students at the International Medical University, Malaysia. Students' perceived skills and extent of usage of ICT were evaluated using a questionnaire. Chi-square analysis were performed to ascertain the association between variables. Further statistical testing using Chi-square test for trend was done when one of the variables was ordered, and Spearman rank correlation when both variables were ordered. Overall, (98%) of students responded to the questionnaire. Twenty seven students (5.7%) did not use a computer either in the university or at home. Most students surveyed reported adequate skills at word processing (55%), e-mailing (78%) and surfing the internet (67%). The results suggests that in order to increase the level of computer literacy among medical students, positive steps would need to be taken, for example the formal inclusion of ICT instruction in the teaching of undergraduate medicine. This will enhance medical students' ability to acquire, appraise, and use information in order to solve clinical and other problems quickly and efficiently in the course of their studies, and more importantly when they graduate.

Validation of the Global Health Professions Students Survey questionnaire in Italy

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Maria Rosaria Gualano

2011-12-01

Full Text Available

Background: The World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, and the Canadian Public Health Association have developed the Global Health Professions Student Survey (GHPSS questionnaire in order to collect data on tobacco use and cessation counselling among health- profession students. The aims of the study were to evaluate the reliability and validity of the GHPSS questionnaire in Italy among health-profession students and to examine the prevalence of tobacco use, knowledge and attitudes to it and tobacco cessation training among students attending Italian medical schools using the standardised GHPSS approach.

Methods: Before testing tobacco use prevalence, knowledge and attitudes, and tobacco cessation training, we calculated the Cronbach’s alpha to assess the internal validity with the intention of avoiding misleading results. The questionnaire was administered to 100 health-profession students and data were collected in March 2009, during regular class sessions among students of two Italian Schools of Medicine. The original GHPSS instrument was translated into the Italian language and modified by adding three specific questions regarding I the knowledge about the use of antidepressants, ii Acetylcholine Receptor Partial Agonists, and iii counselling techniques used in tobacco cessation programs. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 13.0, statistical software for windows.

Results: Cronbach’s alpha was higher on 17 items (alpha= 0.872, belonging to section I and IV (respectively: “Tobacco Use Prevalenceú and “Behaviour/Cessationú. The addition, also, of only one more of the others items (sectionmade the alpha value worse. Cronbach’s alpha for section VI for all items together (n. 44 items was 0.815, which implies that the questionnaire had a very

Stereoscopic Visualization of Diffusion Tensor Imaging Data: A Comparative Survey of Visualization Techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raslan, O.; Debnam, J.M.; Ketonen, L.; Kumar, A.J.; Schellingerhout, D.; Wang, J.

2013-01-01

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data has traditionally been displayed as a gray scale functional anisotropy map (GSFM) or color coded orientation map (CCOM). These methods use black and white or color with intensity values to map the complex multidimensional DTI data to a two-dimensional image. Alternative visualization techniques, such as V m ax maps utilize enhanced graphical representation of the principal eigenvector by means of a headless arrow on regular non stereoscopic (VM) or stereoscopic display (VMS). A survey of clinical utility of patients with intracranial neoplasms was carried out by 8 neuro radiologists using traditional and nontraditional methods of DTI display. Pairwise comparison studies of 5 intracranial neoplasms were performed with a structured questionnaire comparing GSFM, CCOM, VM, and VMS. Six of 8 neuro radiologists favored V m ax maps over traditional methods of display (GSFM and CCOM). When comparing the stereoscopic (VMS) and the non-stereoscopic (VM) modes, 4 favored VMS, 2 favored VM, and 2 had no preference. In conclusion, processing and visualizing DTI data stereoscopically is technically feasible. An initial survey of users indicated that V m ax based display methodology with or without stereoscopic visualization seems to be preferred over traditional methods to display DTI data.

Assessing the Effects of Participant Preference and Demographics in the Usage of Web-based Survey Questionnaires by Women Attending Screening Mammography in British Columbia.

Science.gov (United States)

Mlikotic, Rebecca; Parker, Brent; Rajapakshe, Rasika

2016-03-22

Increased usage of Internet applications has allowed for the collection of patient reported outcomes (PROs) and other health data through Web-based communication and questionnaires. While these Web platforms allow for increased speed and scope of communication delivery, there are certain limitations associated with this technology, as survey mode preferences vary across demographic groups. To investigate the impact of demographic factors and participant preferences on the use of a Web-based questionnaire in comparison with more traditional methods (mail and phone) for women participating in screening mammography in British Columbia, Canada. A sample of women attending the Screening Mammography Program of British Columbia (SMPBC) participated in a breast cancer risk assessment project. The study questionnaire was administered through one of three modes (ie, telephone, mail, or website platform). Survey mode preferences and actual methods of response were analyzed for participants recruited from Victoria General Hospital. Both univariate and multivariate analyses were used to investigate the association of demographic factors (ie, age, education level, and ethnicity) with certain survey response types. A total of 1192 women successfully completed the study questionnaire at Victoria General Hospital. Mail was stated as the most preferred survey mode (509/1192, 42.70%), followed by website platform (422/1192, 35.40%), and telephone (147/1192, 12.33%). Over 80% (955/1192) of participants completed the questionnaire in the mode previously specified as their most preferred; mail was the most common method of response (688/1192, 57.72%). Mail was also the most preferred type of questionnaire response method when participants responded in a mode other than their original preference. The average age of participants who responded via the Web-based platform (age 52.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] 52.1-53.7) was significantly lower than those who used mail and telephone methods

Are ENT surgeons in the UK at risk of stress, psychological morbidities and burnout? A national questionnaire survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Vijendren, Ananth; Yung, Matthew; Shiralkar, Uttam

2018-02-01

Work-related stress, psychological disorders and burnout are common occupational disorders affecting UK doctors. To date, there are no studies looking at these psychosocial morbidities amongst ENT surgeons worldwide. The General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) and abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory (aMBI) were incorporated into a questionnaire on occupational diseases amongst ENT surgeons and distributed to the entire membership of ENT-UK. The survey study also acquired demographic data on grade of respondent, years of experience in ENT and subspecialty interest. We received 108 (8.1% response rate) appropriately filled GHQ-12 and 121 (9.0% response rate) aMBI questionnaires. 61 respondents (56.5%) on the GHQ-12 were at high risk of developing stress and psychological morbidity and 35 (28.9%) had high enough aMBI scores to suggested burnout. When comparing scores of both GHQ-12 and aMBI with grade of respondent, years of experience in ENT and subspecialty, statistical difference was only found on the risk of stress and psychiatric disorders amongst paediatric ENT surgeons (7 high risk vs 0 low risk, p = 0.02), however the number of these respondents was small (7 in total). Both questionnaires had been validated for use within our population. We found high incidence rates of stress and psychological morbidity (56.5%) and a burnout prevalence rate of 28.9% amongst our responding cohort of UK Oto-rhino-laryngologists. No meaningful differences were found between stress, psychological morbidity and burnout with grade of ENT surgeon, years of experience in ENT and subspecialty within ENT. Copyright © 2016 Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (Scottish charity number SC005317) and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prescription only on anthelmitic drugs - a questionnaire survey on strategies for daignosis and treatment of eguine strongyles in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Martin Krarup; Monrad, Jesper; Olsen, Susanne Nautrup

2005-01-01

In 1999´, legislation in Denmark made anthelmintic available by prescription only and proghibited use for prophylactic treatment. A questionnaire survey was conducted in 2004 among Danish equine veterinary practises to determine current strategies for surveillance and control of equine strongyles....

Reliability and validity of the Attributional Style Questionnaire- Survey in people with multiple sclerosis

Science.gov (United States)

Kneebone, Ian I.; Dewar, Sophie J.

2016-01-01

Background: The current study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of an attributional style measure that can be administered remotely, to people who have multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: A total of 495 participants with MS were recruited. Participants completed the Attributional Style Questionnaire-Survey (ASQ-S) and two comparison measures of cognitive variables via postal survey on three occasions, each 12 months apart. Internal reliability, test-retest reliability and congruent validity were considered. Results: The internal reliability of the ASQ-S was good (α > 0.7). The test-retest correlations were significant, but failed to reach the 0.7 set. The congruent validity of the ASQ-S was established relative to the comparisons. Conclusions: The psychometric properties of the ASQ-S indicate that it shows promise as a tool for researchers investigating depression in people with MS and is likely sound to use clinically in this population. PMID:28450893

Nurse prescribing for inpatient pain in the United Kingdom: a national questionnaire survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Stenner, Karen L; Courtenay, Molly; Cannons, Karin

2011-07-01

Nurses make a valuable contribution to pain services and have the potential to improve the safety and effectiveness of pain management. A recent addition to the role of the specialist pain nurse in the United Kingdom has been the introduction of prescribing rights, however there is a lack of literature about their role in prescribing pain medication. The aim of this study was to develop a profile of the experience, role and prescribing practice of these nurses. A descriptive questionnaire survey. 192 National Health Service public hospital inpatient pain services across the United Kingdom. 161 qualified nurse prescribers were invited to participate, representing 98% of known nurse prescribers contributing to inpatient pain services. The survey was completed in November 2009 by 137 nurses; a response rate of 85%. Compared with nurse prescribers in the United Kingdom in general, participants were highly qualified and experienced pain specialists. Fifty-six percent had qualified as a prescriber in the past 3 years and 22% reported that plans were underway for more nurses to undertake a nurse prescribing qualification. Although all participants worked in inpatient pain services, 35% also covered chronic pain (outpatient) services and 90% treated more than one pain type. A range of pain medications were prescribed, averaging 19.5 items per week. The role contained a strong educational component and contributed to informing organisational policy on pain management. Prescribing was said to improve nurses' ability to promote evidence-based practice but benefits were limited by legislation on prescribing controlled drugs. Findings demonstrate that pain nurses are increasingly adopting prescribing as part of their advanced nurse role. This has implications for the development needs of pain nurses in the United Kingdom and the future role development of nurses in other countries. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Questionnaire survey on lifestyle of patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Noto, Haruka; Tokushige, Katsutoshi; Hashimoto, Etsuko; Taniai, Makiko; Shiratori, Keiko

2014-11-01

Lack of exercise and excessive food intake are known to be the important causes of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). To elucidate the relationship between lifestyle and NASH, we surveyed exercise and dietary habits, comparing them among 171 biopsy-proven NASH patients, 29 nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) patients and 49 normal subjects. Dietary habits including the duration of dinner time, amount of rice at dinner, and weekly frequencies of meat, fries, Chinese noodles, sweets, and instant food consumption were significantly different in male NASH patients compared to normal male subjects. In women, differences were seen in the amount of rice at dinner, frequency of eating out, and proclivity for sweets. In male NASH patients, the frequency of physical exercise was significantly lower. The lifestyle tendencies of NASH were almost similar to those of NAFL. In the comparison between obese NASH and non-obese NASH, no clear lifestyle differences were found. In conclusion, the most striking result of this survey was that the lifestyle of males contributed significantly to the development of NASH. These results point to treatment of NASH in males. In female NASH patients, lifestyle differences were minimal, and the effects of other factors such as genetic background will need to be investigated.

Disease awareness and management behavior of patients with atopic dermatitis: a questionnaire survey of 313 patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jung Eun; Lee, Young Bok; Lee, Ji Hyun; Kim, Hye Sung; Lee, Kyung Ho; Park, Young Min; Cho, Sang Hyun; Lee, Jun Young

2015-02-01

Patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) should be relatively well informed about the disorder to control their condition and prevent flare-ups. Thus far, there is no accurate information about the disease awareness levels and therapeutic behavior of AD patients. To collect data on patients' knowledge about AD and their behavior in relation to seeking information about the disease and its treatment. We performed a questionnaire survey on the disease awareness and self-management behavior of AD patients. A total of 313 patients and parents of patients with AD who had visited the The Catholic University of Korea, Catholic Medical Center between November 2011 and October 2012 were recruited. We compared the percentage of correct answers from all collected questionnaires according to the demographic and disease characteristics of the patients. Although dermatologists were the most frequent disease information sources and treatment providers for the AD patients, a significant proportion of participants obtained information from the Internet, which carries a huge amount of false medical information. A considerable number of participants perceived false online information as genuine, especially concerning complementary and alternative medicine treatments of AD, and the adverse effects of steroids. Some questions on AD knowledge had significantly different answers according to sex, marriage status, educational level, type of residence and living area, disease duration, disease severity, and treatment history with dermatologists. Dermatologists should pay more attention to correcting the common misunderstandings about AD to reduce unnecessary social/economic losses and improve treatment compliance.

Questionnaire survey on lifestyle of patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

OpenAIRE

Noto, Haruka; Tokushige, Katsutoshi; Hashimoto, Etsuko; Taniai, Makiko; Shiratori, Keiko

2014-01-01

Lack of exercise and excessive food intake are known to be the important causes of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). To elucidate the relationship between lifestyle and NASH, we surveyed exercise and dietary habits, comparing them among 171 biopsy-proven NASH patients, 29 nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) patients and 49 normal subjects. Dietary habits including the duration of dinner time, amount of rice at dinner, and weekly frequencies of meat, fries, Chinese noodles, sweets, and instant ...

Response rate of bricklayers and supervisors on an internet or a paper-and-pencil questionnaire

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boschman, Julitta S.; van der Molen, Henk F.; Frings-Dresen, Monique H. W.; Sluiter, Judith K.

2012-01-01

It is unclear whether or not internet surveys yield response rates comparable to paper-and-pencil surveys for specific occupational groups, such as construction workers. The objective of this study was to examine the differences in response rates between a paper-and-pencil questionnaire and an

Survey on data processing needs: questionnaires synthesis - abridged version

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nomine, J.P.; Chineaud, M.; Fournier, Y.

1998-01-01

A study of users needs in the domain of processing of simulation code data was launched in July 1996. A questionnaire with both closed and open questions and 'state-of-the-art' questions was addressed to a panel of 23 users of CEA-LV and CEA-VM. This note makes a synthesis of the information collected in the questionnaires. Chapter 3 summarizes the problems encountered during the information collection task. Chapter 4 recalls and summarizes the topics covered in the questionnaire. Chapter 5 presents the main tools referenced in the questionnaire. Chapter 6 describes the present day practices and the expected improvements in terms of answers analysis. Chapter 7 lists the advantage and drawbacks of the present day situation. Chapter 8 presents the priorities on the requested evolutions. Chapter 9 gives the perspectives formulated after this collect of information

Chronic Subdural Hematoma: A Questionnaire Survey of Management Practice in India and Review of Literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Avanali, Raghunath; Bhadran, Biju; Krishna Kumar, P; Vijayan, Abhishek; Arun, S; Musthafa, Aneeze M; Panchal, Sunil; Gopal, Vinu V

2016-12-01

To identify the current management modalities practiced by neurosurgeons in India for chronic subdural hematoma. A questionnaire was prepared for the survey and sent via e-mail to neurosurgeons. It covered the following aspects of managing chronic subdural hematoma: 1) demographic and institutional details; 2) choice of surgical procedure; 3) surgical adjutants such as placing a subdural drain; 4) pre- and postoperative care; and 5) recurrences and management. Responses obtained were entered in a SPSS data sheet and analyzed. Response rate of the survey was 9.3%. The majority of neurosurgeons (75%) preferred to do burr whole drainage for primary chronic subdural hematoma and also for recurrences. Only one third of routinely placed a subdural drain. Considerable practice variations exist for medical and perioperative management. Bedside twist drill drainage, which is effective and less costly than operative room procedures, has not gained popularity in practice. The present survey points towards the importance of making management guidelines for this common neurosurgical entity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relationships of work-related psychosocial risks, stress, individual factors and burnout - Questionnaire survey among emergency physicians and nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Ilić, Ivana M; Arandjelović, Mirjana Ž; Jovanović, Jovica M; Nešić, Milkica M

2017-03-24

Psychosocial risks represent a great challenge for safety and health protection at work in Europe. The purpose of this study has been to determine the relationships of psychosocial risks arising from work, stress, personal characteristics and burnout among physicians and nurses in the Emergency Medical Service (EMS). We performed a cross-sectional study based on a questionnaire survey which contained the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) and Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI). A total of 88 physicians and 80 nurses completed the survey. Physicians demonstrated higher emotional (mean (M) ± standard deviation (SD) = 74.57±16.85) and cognitive (M±SD = 75.95±13.74) demands as compared to nurses. Both groups had high sensory demands and responsibilities at work, in spite of the low degree of their autonomy. The meaning of work, commitment to the workplace, and insecurity at work were high for both groups. Among all participants, stressful behavior and reactions were within the limits of low values ( 60). Personal and patient-related burnout was high for both groups, where physicians were significantly affected by work-related burnout. The influence at work, degree of freedom at work, social support, sense of coherence, mental health, and problem-focused coping are negatively related to work-related burnout. Based on personal factors and coping styles, emergency physicians and nurses are representing a self-selective professional group that meets high work demands, great responsibility, strong commitment and insecurity at work. Burnout of physicians and nurses in the EMS tends to be ignored, although it has severe consequences on their mental and general health. Med Pr 2017;68(2):178-178. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

Report based on fiscal 2000 diagnostic X-ray equipment questionnaire survey. Conditions of radiography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ishikawa, Mitsuo [Kitasato Univ., Sagamihara, Kanagawa (Japan). School of Allied Health Sciences; Matsuura, Takatoshi [Sekishinkai Sayama Hospital, Saitama (Japan); Okuaki, Tomoyuki; Imai, Yoshio; Tsukamoto, Atsuko [Kanto Medical Center NTT EC, Tokyo (Japan); Ide, Toshinori [Kajima Corp., Tokyo (Japan). Kajima Clinic; Shinohara, Fuminori [Nippon Medical School, Kawasaki, Kanagawa (Japan). Second Hospital; Miyazaki, Shigeru [Toho Univ., Tokyo (Japan). Ohashi Hospital

2002-08-01

X-ray equipment has seen advances in inverters and the digitalization of reception systems. The X-ray Systems Study Group, in order to examine changes in the conditions of radiography, including pediatric radiography, variations in shortest irradiation time, and standardization of the conditions of radiography, carried out investigative research using a questionnaire survey that was sent to 400 facilities. The recovery rate was 33%. In terms of the reception system, half of the general radiography systems were using computed radiography (CR). Seventy percent of respondents used an intensifying screen and film (SEF) in stomach double-contrast radiography. About 80% used digital radiography (DR) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in aorta abdominalis angiography. At least 70% of high-voltage generators were of the inverter type. The conditions of radiography were not greatly influenced by changes in reception systems and X-ray equipment. Many pediatric radiographies were carried out by radiological technologists. We consider it useful to conduct such survey investigations. (author)

[Report based on fiscal 2000 diagnostic x-ray equipment questionnaire survey(conditions of radiography)].

Science.gov (United States)

Ishikawa, Mitsuo; Matsuura, Takatoshi; Okuaki, Tomiyuki; Imai, Yoshio; Tsukamoto, Atsuko; Ide, Toshinori; Shinohara, Fuminori; Miyazaki, Shigeru

2002-08-01

X-ray equipment has seen advances in inverters and the digitalization of reception systems. The X-ray Systems Study Group, in order to examine changes in the conditions of radiography, including pediatric radiography, variations in shortest irradiation time, and standardization of the conditions of radiography, carried out investigative research using a questionnaire survey that was sent to 400 facilities. The recovery rate was 33%. In terms of the reception system, half of the general radiography systems were using computed radiography (CR). Seventy percent of respondents used an intensifying screen and film(S EF)in stomach double-contrast radiography. About 80% used digital radiography (DR) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in aorta abdominalis angiography. At least 70% of high-voltage generators were of the inverter type. The conditions of radiography were not greatly influenced by changes in reception systems and X-ray equipment. Many pediatric radiographies were carried out by radiological technologists. We consider it useful to conduct such survey investigations.

Validity test of the IPD-Work consortium approach for creating comparable job strain groups between Job Content Questionnaire and Demand-Control Questionnaire

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Bongkyoo Choi

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Objectives: This study aims to test the validity of the IPD-Work Consortium approach for creating comparable job strain groups between the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ and the Demand-Control Questionnaire (DCQ. Material and Methods: A random population sample (N = 682 of all middle-aged Malmö males and females was given a questionnaire with the 14-item JCQ and 11-item DCQ for the job control and job demands. The JCQ job control and job demands scores were calculated in 3 different ways: using the 14-item JCQ standard scale formulas (method 1; dropping 3 job control items and using the 11-item JCQ standard scale formulas with additional scale weights (method 2; and the approach of the IPD Group (method 3, dropping 3 job control items, but using the simple 11-item summation-based scale formulas. The high job strain was defined as a combination of high demands and low control. Results: Between the 2 questionnaires, false negatives for the high job strain were much greater than false positives (37–49% vs. 7–13%. When the method 3 was applied, the sensitivity of the JCQ for the high job strain against the DCQ was lowest (0.51 vs. 0.60–0.63 when the methods 1 and 2 were applied, although the specificity was highest (0.93 vs. 0.87–0.89 when the methods 1 and 2 were applied. The prevalence of the high job strain with the JCQ (the method 3 was applied was considerably lower (4–7% than with the JCQ (the methods 1 and 2 were applied and the DCQ. The number of congruent cases for the high job strain between the 2 questionnaires was smallest when the method 3 was applied. Conclusions: The IPD-Work Consortium approach showed 2 major weaknesses to be used for epidemiological studies on the high job strain and health outcomes as compared to the standard JCQ methods: the greater misclassification of the high job strain and lower prevalence of the high job strain.

Relationships of work-related psychosocial risks, stress, individual factors and burnout – Questionnaire survey among emergency physicians and nurses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivana M. Ilić

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Psychosocial risks represent a great challenge for safety and health protection at work in Europe. The purpose of this study has been to determine the relationships of psychosocial risks arising from work, stress, personal characteristics and burnout among physicians and nurses in the Emergency Medical Service (EMS. Material and Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study based on a questionnaire survey which contained the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ and Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI. Results: A total of 88 physicians and 80 nurses completed the survey. Physicians demonstrated higher emotional (mean (M ± standard deviation (SD = 74.57±16.85 and cognitive (M±SD = 75.95±13.74 demands as compared to nurses. Both groups had high sensory demands and responsibilities at work, in spite of the low degree of their autonomy. The meaning of work, commitment to the workplace, and insecurity at work were high for both groups. Among all participants, stressful behavior and reactions were within the limits of low values ( 60. Personal and patient-related burnout was high for both groups, where physicians were significantly affected by work-related burnout. The influence at work, degree of freedom at work, social support, sense of coherence, mental health, and problem-focused coping are negatively related to work-related burnout. Conclusions: Based on personal factors and coping styles, emergency physicians and nurses are representing a self-selective professional group that meets high work demands, great responsibility, strong commitment and insecurity at work. Burnout of physicians and nurses in the EMS tends to be ignored, although it has severe consequences on their mental and general health. Med Pr 2017;68(2:167–178

National Survey of Sensory Features in Children with ASD: Factor Structure of the Sensory Experience Questionnaire (3.0)

Science.gov (United States)

Ausderau, Karla; Sideris, John; Furlong, Melissa; Little, Lauren M.; Bulluck, John; Baranek, Grace T.

2014-01-01

This national online survey study characterized sensory features in 1,307 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) ages 2-12 years using the Sensory Experiences Questionnaire Version 3.0 (SEQ-3.0). Using the SEQ-3.0, a confirmatory factor analytic model with four substantive factors of hypothesized sensory response patterns (i.e.,…

A questionnaire survey on attitude toward sperm cryopreservation among hematologists in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Tomohiro; Shin, Takeshi; Nishio, Kojiro; Shimomura, Yukihito; Iwahata, Toshiyuki; Suzuki, Keisuke; Miyata, Akane; Kobori, Yoshitomo; Arai, Gaku; Okada, Hiroshi

2017-03-01

Advances in multimodal treatment have led to dramatic improvement in cancer treatment outcomes. It is now necessary to consider cancer patients' holistic quality of life. Fertility preservation is the top concern for cancer survivors of reproductive age. Sperm cryopreservation before treatment is recommended for postpubescent men, but many patients lose fertility without having been informed about options for fertility preservation. To determine how sperm cryopreservation is perceived and practiced in Japan, we surveyed hematologists who often treat young males. A questionnaire about sperm cryopreservation was sent to 45 major hematology institutions. A total of 22 institutions responded before the deadline. All institutions but one responded that they felt sperm cryopreservation is necessary. Only 15 institutions responded that they inform patients about sperm cryopreservation, and 12 institutions responded that they perform sperm cryopreservation before chemotherapy. A total of 213 young males started their first course of chemotherapy during the survey period, of whom 61 (28.6%) had their sperm cryopreserved. Although almost all hematologists stated that sperm cryopreservation is necessary for fertility preservation, not all institutions informed patients about it. Our findings indicate that, to promote fertility preservation in Japan, it will be necessary to systematize sperm cryopreservation and build inter-hospital networks.

Test-retest reliability of selected items of Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC survey questionnaire in Beijing, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liu Yang

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Children's health and health behaviour are essential for their development and it is important to obtain abundant and accurate information to understand young people's health and health behaviour. The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC study is among the first large-scale international surveys on adolescent health through self-report questionnaires. So far, more than 40 countries in Europe and North America have been involved in the HBSC study. The purpose of this study is to assess the test-retest reliability of selected items in the Chinese version of the HBSC survey questionnaire in a sample of adolescents in Beijing, China. Methods A sample of 95 male and female students aged 11 or 15 years old participated in a test and retest with a three weeks interval. Student Identity numbers of respondents were utilized to permit matching of test-retest questionnaires. 23 items concerning physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep and substance use were evaluated by using the percentage of response shifts and the single measure Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC with 95% confidence interval (CI for all respondents and stratified by gender and age. Items on substance use were only evaluated for school children aged 15 years old. Results The percentage of no response shift between test and retest varied from 32% for the item on computer use at weekends to 92% for the three items on smoking. Of all the 23 items evaluated, 6 items (26% showed a moderate reliability, 12 items (52% displayed a substantial reliability and 4 items (17% indicated almost perfect reliability. No gender and age group difference of the test-retest reliability was found except for a few items on sedentary behaviour. Conclusions The overall findings of this study suggest that most selected indicators in the HBSC survey questionnaire have satisfactory test-retest reliability for the students in Beijing. Further test-retest studies in a large

Quality of life and discriminating power of two questionnaires in fibromyalgia patients: Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire and Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Assumpção, Ana; Pagano, Tatiana; Matsutani, Luciana A; Ferreira, Elizabeth A G; Pereira, Carlos A B; Marques, Amélia P

2010-01-01

Fibromyalgia is a painful syndrome characterized by widespread chronic pain and associated symptoms with a negative impact on quality of life. Considering the subjectivity of quality of life measurements, the aim of this study was to verify the discriminating power of two quality of life questionnaires in patients with fibromyalgia: the generic Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the specific Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ). A cross-sectional study was conducted on 150 participants divided into Fibromyalgia Group (FG) and Control Group (CG) (n=75 in each group). The participants were evaluated using the SF-36 and the FIQ. The data were analyzed by the Student t-test (α=0.05) and inferential analysis using the Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) Curve--sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve (AUC). The significance level was 0.05. The sample was similar for age (CG: 47.8 ± 8.1; FG: 47.0 ± 7.7 years). A significant difference was observed in quality of life assessment in all aspects of both questionnaires (pquality of life in fibromyalgia patients, and we suggest that both should be used in parallel because they evaluate relevant and complementary aspects of quality of life.

Advantages of video questionnaire in estimating asthma prevalence and risk factors for school children: findings from an asthma survey in American Indian youth.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeh, Fawn; Rhoades, Everett R; Tarpay, Martha; Eichner, June E

2010-09-01

The aims of the present study were to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of asthma among a sample of American Indian youth and to evaluate survey instruments used in determining asthma prevalence and risk factors. Three hundred and fifty-two adolescents aged 9 to 21 years enrolled in an Indian boarding school completed an asthma screening. The survey instruments were a written questionnaire and a video-illustrated questionnaire prepared from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC), school health records, and a health questionnaire. Participants also underwent spirometry testing. The prevalence of self-reported asthma varied from 12.7% to 13.4% depending upon the instrument used and the questions asked. A history of hay fever, respiratory infections, and family history of asthma were found to be risk factors for asthma by all instruments. Female gender and living on a reservation were significantly associated with asthma by some, but not all, instruments. Airway obstruction was highly associated with one asthma symptom (wheeze) shown in the video questionnaire. Associations for most risk factors with asthma were strongest for the video questionnaire. The prevalence of self-reported asthma among these American Indian youth was similar to rates reported for other ethnic groups. The video-based questionnaire may be the most sensitive tool for identifying individuals at risk for asthma.

Test-retest repeatability of child's respiratory symptoms and perceived indoor air quality - comparing self- and parent-administered questionnaires.

Science.gov (United States)

Lampi, Jussi; Ung-Lanki, Sari; Santalahti, Päivi; Pekkanen, Juha

2018-02-09

Questionnaires can be used to assess perceived indoor air quality and symptoms in schools. Questionnaires for primary school aged children have traditionally been parent-administered, but self-administered questionnaires would be easier to administer and may yield as good, if not better, information. Our aim was to compare the repeatability of self- and parent-administered indoor air questionnaires designed for primary school aged pupils. Indoor air questionnaire with questions on child's symptoms and perceived indoor air quality in schools was sent to parents of pupils aged 7-12 years in two schools and again after two weeks. Slightly modified version of the questionnaire was administered to pupils aged 9-12 years in another two schools and repeated after a week. 351 (52%) parents and 319 pupils (86%) answered both the first and the second questionnaire. Test-retest repeatability was assessed with intra-class correlation (ICC) and Cohen's kappa coefficients (k). Test-retest repeatability was generally between 0.4-0.7 (ICC; k) in both self- and parent-administered questionnaire. In majority of the questions on symptoms and perceived indoor air quality test-retest repeatability was at the same level or slightly better in self-administered compared to parent-administered questionnaire. Agreement of self- and parent administered questionnaires was generally indoor air quality. Children aged 9-12 years can give as, or even more, repeatable information about their respiratory symptoms and perceived indoor air quality than their parents. Therefore, it may be possible to use self-administered questionnaires in future studies also with children.

Patients' acceptance of medical photography in a French adult and paediatric dermatology department: a questionnaire survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Hacard, F; Maruani, A; Delaplace, M; Caille, A; Machet, L; Lorette, G; Samimi, M

2013-08-01

Despite the increasing use of medical photography by dermatologists, no study on patients' perceptions of photography in dermatology has been performed to date. Firstly, to evaluate patients' perceptions of medical photography. Secondly, to assess whether perceptions differed between patients in our adult department and parents accompanying a child in our paediatric department. An opinion survey was conducted at the Hospital of Tours (France) among adult patients (adult department) and accompanying parents (paediatric department) by completion of a questionnaire after any medical photography had been performed. We collected 272 questionnaires regarding 158 adults and 114 children. A camera used only in the department, and storage of the images in the department's records were the most accepted modalities (> 90%), especially in the paediatric survey. Respondents agreed with the sharing of the images with other practitioners and in medical meetings (> 85%) rather than distribution via publications (58·3%), e-mails (45·5%), health magazines (44·3%) and websites (32·0%). Most (78·8%) considered that the consent form should list all the possible uses of the images. Need for renewed consent for each use of the images was significantly more often expressed in the paediatric than the adult survey (44·5% vs. 24·5%, P = 0·001). More than 95% of respondents considered medical photography to be useful for improving diagnosis, monitoring of skin disease and aiding teaching. These findings could be used to improve practice, to increase the acceptability of medical photography and for devising a standardized consent form for medical practitioners performing medical photography. © 2013 The Authors BJD © 2013 British Association of Dermatologists.

Why doctors consider leaving UK medicine: qualitative analysis of comments from questionnaire surveys three years after graduation.

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Lambert, Trevor W; Smith, Fay; Goldacre, Michael J

2018-01-01

Objective To report the reasons why doctors are considering leaving medicine or the UK. Design Questionnaire survey. Setting UK. Participants Questionnaires were sent three years after graduation to all UK medical graduates of 2008 and 2012. Main outcome measures Comments from doctors about their main reasons for considering leaving medicine or the UK (or both). Results The response rate was 46.2% (5291/11,461). Among the 60% of respondents who were not definitely intent on remaining in UK medicine, 50% were considering working in medicine outside the UK and 10% were considering leaving medicine. Among those considering working in medicine outside the UK, the most commonly cited reasons were to gain wider experience, that things would be 'better' elsewhere and a negative view of the National Health Service and its culture, state and politics. Other reasons included better training or job opportunities, better pay and conditions, family reasons and higher expectations. Three years after graduation, doctors surveyed in 2015 were significantly more likely than doctors surveyed in 2011 to cite factors related to the National Health Service, to pay and conditions, to their expectations and to effects on work-life balance and patient care. Among those considering leaving medicine, the dominant reason for leaving medicine was a negative view of the National Health Service (mentioned by half of those in this group who commented). Three years after graduation, doctors surveyed in 2015 were more likely than doctors surveyed in 2011 to cite this reason, as well as excessive hours and workload, and financial reasons. Conclusions An increasingly negative view is held by many doctors of many aspects of the experience of being a junior doctor in the National Health Service, and the difficulty of delivering high-quality patient care within what many see as an under-funded system. Policy changes designed to encourage more doctors to remain should be motivated by a desire to address

A comparative study of patients' and nurses' perceptions of the quality of nursing services, satisfaction and intent to revisit the hospital: a questionnaire survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Mi Aie; Yom, Young-Hee

2007-05-01

Although it is very important to clarify the factors influencing the patients' and nurses' satisfaction with nursing services, very little research has been performed in this area. The purpose of this study was to compare the nursing service quality, satisfaction and intent to revisit the hospital perceived by hospitalized patients and nurses in Korea. SERVQUAL scale, an overall satisfaction and intent to revisit the hospital questionnaires were used. The sample consisted of 272 patients and 282 nurses. The data were collected using paper and pencil self-rating questionnaires and analyzed using frequency, %, mean, standard deviation, t-test and Pearson correlation coefficient. Overall, nurses' expectations and performance were higher than those of patients, while patients' overall satisfaction with nursing and medical care was higher than that of nurses. There was a strong positive relationship between satisfaction with nursing and medical care and intent to revisit the hospital for both groups. The performance was relatively lower than expectations, resulting in poor nursing care quality. Differences between expectations and performance for both patients and nurses need to be further reduced.

Good and Bad Sleep in Childhood: A Questionnaire Survey amongst School Children in Southern Italy.

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Ficca, Gianluca; Conte, Francesca; De Padova, Vittoria; Zilli, Iole

2011-01-01

Despite its clinical importance, the issue of subjective sleep quality in children remains unexplored. Here we investigate, in school-aged children, the prevalence of bad sleep perception and its relationships with sleep habits and daytime functioning, to provide hints on its possible determinants. Subjective sleep perception, sleep habits, and daytime functioning were studied through a questionnaire survey in a sample of 482 children (6-12 yrs.). Being "bad sleeper" was reported by 6.9% of the sample. Compared to the "good sleepers", these subjects displayed shorter sleep duration on schooldays, longer sleep latencies, and a more pronounced evening preference, beyond more frequent insufficient sleep. Though no differences emerged in sleepiness, bad sleepers showed higher impairments in daytime functioning, indicated by more frequent depressed mood and impulsivity. These distinctive features might be very important to precociously detect those children who are possibly more vulnerable to sleep disturbances and whose sleep-wake rhythms evolution should be paid particular attention thereafter. "The good people sleep much better at night than the bad people.Of course, the bad people enjoy the waking hours much more"Woody Allen.

General practitioners' attitude to sport and exercise medicine services: a questionnaire-based survey.

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Kassam, H; Tzortziou Brown, V; O'Halloran, P; Wheeler, P; Fairclough, J; Maffulli, N; Morrissey, D

2014-12-01

Sport and exercise medicine (SEM) aims to manage sporting injuries and promote physical activity. This study explores general practitioners' (GPs) awareness, understanding and utilisation of their local SEM services. A questionnaire survey, including patient case scenarios, was administered between February and May 2011. 693 GPs working in Cardiff and Vale, Leicester and Tower Hamlets were invited to participate. 244 GPs responded to the questionnaire (35.2% response rate). Less than half (46%; 112/244) were aware of their nearest SEM service and only 38% (92/244) had a clear understanding on referral indications. The majority (82%; 199/244) felt confident advising less active patients about exercise. There were divergent management opinions about the case scenarios of patients who were SEM referral candidates. Overall, GPs were significantly more likely to refer younger patients and patients with sport-related problems rather than patients who would benefit from increasing their activity levels in order to prevent or manage chronic conditions (pHealth Service which may be resulting in suboptimal utilisation especially for patients who could benefit from increasing their activity levels. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Current status of portal vein thrombosis in Japan: Results of a questionnaire survey by the Japan Society for Portal Hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Kojima, Seiichiro; Watanabe, Norihito; Koizumi, Jun; Kokubu, Shigehiro; Murashima, Naoya; Matsutani, Shoichi; Obara, Katsutoshi

2018-03-01

To investigate the current status of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in Japan, the Clinical Research Committee of the Japan Society of Portal Hypertension undertook a questionnaire survey. A questionnaire survey of 539 cases of PVT over the previous 10 years was carried out at institutions affiliated with the Board of Trustees of the Japan Society of Portal Hypertension. The most frequent underlying etiology of PVT was liver cirrhosis in 75.3% of patients. Other causes included inflammatory diseases of the hepatobiliary system and the pancreas, malignant tumors, and hematologic diseases. The most frequent site was the main trunk of the portal vein (MPV) in 70.5%, and complete obstruction of the MPV was present in 11.5%. Among the medications for PVT, danaparoid was given to 45.8%, warfarin to 26.2%, heparin to 17.3%, and anti-thrombin III to 16.9%. Observation of the course was practiced in 22.4%. Factors contributing to therapeutic efficacy were implementation of various medications, thrombi localized to either the right or left portal vein only, non-complete obstruction of the MPV and Child-Pugh class A liver function. A survival analysis showed that the prognosis was favorable with PVT disappearance regardless of treatment. The questionnaire survey showed the current status of PVT in Japan. Any appropriate medication should be given to a patient with PVT when PVT is recognized. It is necessary to compile a large amount of information and reach a consensus on safe and highly effective management of PVT. © 2017 The Japan Society of Hepatology.

Validity test of the IPD-Work consortium approach for creating comparable job strain groups between Job Content Questionnaire and Demand-Control Questionnaire.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Bongkyoo; Ko, Sangbaek; Ostergren, Per-Olof

2015-01-01

This study aims to test the validity of the IPD-Work Consortium approach for creating comparable job strain groups between the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) and the Demand-Control Questionnaire (DCQ). A random population sample (N = 682) of all middle-aged Malmö males and females was given a questionnaire with the 14-item JCQ and 11-item DCQ for the job control and job demands. The JCQ job control and job demands scores were calculated in 3 different ways: using the 14-item JCQ standard scale formulas (method 1); dropping 3 job control items and using the 11-item JCQ standard scale formulas with additional scale weights (method 2); and the approach of the IPD Group (method 3), dropping 3 job control items, but using the simple 11-item summation-based scale formulas. The high job strain was defined as a combination of high demands and low control. Between the 2 questionnaires, false negatives for the high job strain were much greater than false positives (37-49% vs. 7-13%). When the method 3 was applied, the sensitivity of the JCQ for the high job strain against the DCQ was lowest (0.51 vs. 0.60-0.63 when the methods 1 and 2 were applied), although the specificity was highest (0.93 vs. 0.87-0.89 when the methods 1 and 2 were applied). The prevalence of the high job strain with the JCQ (the method 3 was applied) was considerably lower (4-7%) than with the JCQ (the methods 1 and 2 were applied) and the DCQ. The number of congruent cases for the high job strain between the 2 questionnaires was smallest when the method 3 was applied. The IPD-Work Consortium approach showed 2 major weaknesses to be used for epidemiological studies on the high job strain and health outcomes as compared to the standard JCQ methods: the greater misclassification of the high job strain and lower prevalence of the high job strain. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

Questionnaire survey to assess the pattern and characteristics of cell-phone usage among Indian oncologists.

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Munshi, Anusheel; Dutta, Debanarayan; Tike, Pramod; Agarwal, Jai Prakash

2016-01-01

Obtain baseline data of cell-phone usage in the medical (MO), surgical (SO) and radiation (RO) oncology community practicing in India. Indigenously prepared cell-phone usage related questionnaire was used in the present study after approval by the Institutional Ethics/Scientific Committees. The questionnaire had 41 items and was made to assess the cell-phone usage parameters, utility in clinical practice, awareness, and to compare parameters between oncology specialties. Between November 2009 and January 2010, the questionnaire was sent as an E-mail attachment to 200 oncologists in India. In all, 123 responses were received (61% responders); 84 (68.3%) were RO. The median age of responders was 35 years. Overall, 80% felt handicapped without cell-phone. The Mean cell-phone score, an index to assess overall usefulness over a score of 1-10, was 6.46 (median 7, standard deviation 1.709). There was no significant difference between RO, MO and SO in duration of usage (P = 0.235), number of cell-phones (P = 0.496), call duration per day (P = 0.490) and dependence on cell-phone (P = 0.574). Age of starting cell-phone usage was earlier in RO (P = 0.086). Professional usage was significantly more by MO and SO compared to RO (P cell-phone hazards compared to RO (P cell-phones a useful tool in patient care. More RO are aware of potential cell-phone hazards compared to non-RO's.

Asthma prescribing practices of government and private doctors in Malaysia--a nationwide questionnaire survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Loh, Li-Cher; Wong, Pel-Se

2005-03-01

A self-answered, anonymously completed questionnaire survey was performed between June 2002 and May 2003 where doctors from government and private sectors in Malaysia were invited to participate by post or during medical meetings. One hundred and sixteen government doctors and 110 private doctors provided satisfactorily completed questionnaires (effective respondent rate: 30.1%). The most preferred medications for 'first-line', 'second-line' and 'third-line' treatment were for government doctors: inhaled short-acting beta2-agonist (SABA) (98%), inhaled corticosteroids (CS) (75%), and leukotriene antagonist (52%); and for private doctors: oral SABA (81%), inhaled CS (68%), and oral CS (58%). The first choice inhaler device for most government and private doctors were metered dose inhalers, with cost and personal preferences (for private doctors), and technical ability (for government doctors) as the key considerations when deciding on the choice of device. This benchmark data on the asthma prescribing practices of a healthcare delivery system fully dichotomized into government and private sector, provides evidence for practice differences affected by the nature of the healthcare system, and might have implications on healthcare systems of other countries that share similarities with that of Malaysia.

Analysis of consumers' preferences and behavior with regard to horse meat using a structured survey questionnaire.

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Woon Yong; Lee, Ji Woong; Lee, Chong Eon; Ko, Moon Seok; Jeong, Jae Hong

2009-12-01

In this study, a structured survey questionnaire was used to determine consumers' preferences and behavior with regard to horse meat at a horse meat restaurant located in Jeju, Korea, from October 1 to December 24, 2005. The questionnaire employed in this study consisted of 20 questions designed to characterize six general attributes: horse meat sensory property, physical appearance, health condition, origin, price, and other attributes. Of the 1370 questionnaires distributed, 1126 completed questionnaires were retained based on the completeness of the answers, representing an 82.2% response rate. Two issues were investigated that might facilitate the search for ways to improve horse meat production and marketing programs in Korea. The first step was to determine certain important factors, called principal components, which enabled the researchers to understand the needs of horse meat consumers via principal component analysis. The second step was to define consumer segments with regard to their preferences for horse meat, which was accomplished via cluster analysis. The results of the current study showed that health condition, price, origin, and leanness were the most critical physical attributes affecting the preferences of horse meat consumers. Four segments of consumers, with different demands for horse meat attributes, were identified: origin-sensitive consumers, price-sensitive consumers, quality and safety-sensitive consumers, and non-specific consumers. Significant differences existed among segments of consumers in terms of age, nature of work, frequency of consumption, and general level of acceptability of horse meat.

A two-phase sampling survey for nonresponse and its paradata to correct nonresponse bias in a health surveillance survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Santin, G; Bénézet, L; Geoffroy-Perez, B; Bouyer, J; Guéguen, A

2017-02-01

The decline in participation rates in surveys, including epidemiological surveillance surveys, has become a real concern since it may increase nonresponse bias. The aim of this study is to estimate the contribution of a complementary survey among a subsample of nonrespondents, and the additional contribution of paradata in correcting for nonresponse bias in an occupational health surveillance survey. In 2010, 10,000 workers were randomly selected and sent a postal questionnaire. Sociodemographic data were available for the whole sample. After data collection of the questionnaires, a complementary survey among a random subsample of 500 nonrespondents was performed using a questionnaire administered by an interviewer. Paradata were collected for the complete subsample of the complementary survey. Nonresponse bias in the initial sample and in the combined samples were assessed using variables from administrative databases available for the whole sample, not subject to differential measurement errors. Corrected prevalences by reweighting technique were estimated by first using the initial survey alone and then the initial and complementary surveys combined, under several assumptions regarding the missing data process. Results were compared by computing relative errors. The response rates of the initial and complementary surveys were 23.6% and 62.6%, respectively. For the initial and the combined surveys, the relative errors decreased after correction for nonresponse on sociodemographic variables. For the combined surveys without paradata, relative errors decreased compared with the initial survey. The contribution of the paradata was weak. When a complex descriptive survey has a low response rate, a short complementary survey among nonrespondents with a protocol which aims to maximize the response rates, is useful. The contribution of sociodemographic variables in correcting for nonresponse bias is important whereas the additional contribution of paradata in

Influencing factors of dysmenorrhoea among hospital nurses: a questionnaire survey in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiu, Min-Hui; Hsieh, Hsiu-Fen; Yang, Yi-Hsin; Chen, Huei-Mein; Hsu, Su-Chen; Wang, Hsiu-Hung

2017-12-19

Nurses are at high risk of dysmenorrhoea while working with patients. The study objectives were to: (1) describe the demographic and menstruation characteristics of dysmenorrhoea, knowledge about dysmenorrhoea and menstrual attitudes towards menstruation among dysmenorrhoeal and non-dysmenorrhoeal hospital nurses; (2) identify significant differences between the groups; and (3) examine factors influencing dysmenorrhoea. This cross-sectional survey used a structured questionnaire, administered at two hospitals in southern Taiwan. Participants included hospital nurses at least 18 years of age who agreed to participate. All participants were recruited through random sampling. The questionnaire included demographic data, the Dysmenorrhoea Knowledge Scale and Menstrual Attitude Scale (MAS). A total of 420 nurses completed the questionnaire. Among them, 297 (70.7%) had experienced dysmenorrhoea in the past 6 months and 123 (29.3%) had not. Significant differences in age (P<0.001), marital status (P<0.001), childbearing status (P<0.001), age at menarche (P<0.05) and rotating three shift ratio (P<0.05) were identified between the dysmenorrhoea and non-dysmenorrhoea groups. Analysis of the MAS results revealed significant differences between the groups regarding consideration of menstruation as a debilitating (P<0.001) or bothersome event (P<0.05), anticipation and prediction of menstruation onset (P<0.01) and denial of any effects from menstruation (P<0.001). Results of the multiple logistic regression showed that predictive factors included age <40 years (4.46 vs 1.00), working three shift rotations (2.07 vs 1.00), marital status (2.59 vs 1.00), acknowledging menstruation as a debilitating event (2.72 vs 1.00) and denial of effects from menstruation (2.59 vs 1.00). These findings could help nursing managers to create a caring and friendly work environment for hospital nurses at risk of dysmenorrhoea. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in

Application of summative content analysis to a postal questionnaire.

Science.gov (United States)

Griffiths, Thomas Howard

2016-01-01

Content analysis of replies to closed questions in questionnaires can be undertaken to understand remarks that may explain the responses, provide illustrative examples of issues raised in the questionnaire, define new issues or issues of importance that were not covered in the questionnaire and inform the design of new questions in future surveys. To discuss the usefulness of summative content analysis to free text in postal questionnaires. Content analysis provides useful comparative insights between two respondent groups in the case example provided. Five themes emerged: poor understanding of the concept of 'patient lateral transfer work technique' and the direct instrument nursing observation (DINO) instrument's key directions; outcomes of patient transfer; positive responses; manual handling risk; and poor translation into English of DINO. Respondents need an opportunity to clarify their responses to questionnaires using free text, to provide insight into their understanding of the question being asked, understanding of the concept or construct being discussed, and data triangulation through the confirmation of item responses and free-text comments. Responses to questions in a postal questionnaire and the opportunity for free-text commentary by respondents enable the identification of hidden meanings behind tickbox responses to questions.

Usual Dietary Intakes: NHANES Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ)

Science.gov (United States)

NCI developed a new instrument called the NHANES Food Frequency Questionnaire (formerly called Food Propensity Questionnaire) and supported its application in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Physiotherapy-supervised mobilization and exercise following cardiac surgery: a national questionnaire survey in Sweden

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Westerdahl Elisabeth

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Limited published data are available on how patients are mobilized and exercised during the postoperative hospital stay following cardiac surgery. The aim of this survey was to determine current practice of physiotherapy-supervised mobilization and exercise following cardiac surgery in Sweden. Methods A prospective survey was carried out among physiotherapists treating adult cardiac surgery patients. A total population sample was identified and postal questionnaires were sent to the 33 physiotherapists currently working at the departments of thoracic surgery in Sweden. In total, 29 physiotherapists (response rate 88% from eight hospitals completed the survey. Results The majority (90% of the physiotherapists offered preoperative information. The main rationale of physiotherapy treatment after cardiac surgery was to prevent and treat postoperative complications, improve pulmonary function and promote physical activity. In general, one to three treatment sessions were given by a physiotherapist on postoperative day 1 and one to two treatment sessions were given during postoperative days 2 and 3. During weekends, physiotherapy was given to a lesser degree (59% on Saturdays and 31% on Sundays to patients on postoperative day 1. No physiotherapy treatment was given in the evenings. The routine use of early mobilization and shoulder range of motion exercises was common during the first postoperative days, but the choice of exercises and duration of treatment varied. Patients were reminded to adhere to sternal precautions. There were great variations of instructions to the patients concerning weight bearing and exercises involving the sternotomy. All respondents considered physiotherapy necessary after cardiac surgery, but only half of them considered the physiotherapy treatment offered as optimal. Conclusions The results of this survey show that there are small variations in physiotherapy-supervised mobilization and exercise

Physiotherapy-supervised mobilization and exercise following cardiac surgery: a national questionnaire survey in Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Westerdahl, Elisabeth; Möller, Margareta

2010-08-25

Limited published data are available on how patients are mobilized and exercised during the postoperative hospital stay following cardiac surgery. The aim of this survey was to determine current practice of physiotherapy-supervised mobilization and exercise following cardiac surgery in Sweden. A prospective survey was carried out among physiotherapists treating adult cardiac surgery patients. A total population sample was identified and postal questionnaires were sent to the 33 physiotherapists currently working at the departments of thoracic surgery in Sweden. In total, 29 physiotherapists (response rate 88%) from eight hospitals completed the survey. The majority (90%) of the physiotherapists offered preoperative information. The main rationale of physiotherapy treatment after cardiac surgery was to prevent and treat postoperative complications, improve pulmonary function and promote physical activity. In general, one to three treatment sessions were given by a physiotherapist on postoperative day 1 and one to two treatment sessions were given during postoperative days 2 and 3. During weekends, physiotherapy was given to a lesser degree (59% on Saturdays and 31% on Sundays to patients on postoperative day 1). No physiotherapy treatment was given in the evenings. The routine use of early mobilization and shoulder range of motion exercises was common during the first postoperative days, but the choice of exercises and duration of treatment varied. Patients were reminded to adhere to sternal precautions. There were great variations of instructions to the patients concerning weight bearing and exercises involving the sternotomy. All respondents considered physiotherapy necessary after cardiac surgery, but only half of them considered the physiotherapy treatment offered as optimal. The results of this survey show that there are small variations in physiotherapy-supervised mobilization and exercise following cardiac surgery in Sweden. However, the frequency and

A questionnaire-based survey on nurse perceptions of patient handoffs in japanese hospitals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gu, Xiuzhu; Itoh, Kenji; Andersen, Henning Boje

2012-01-01

transfer, responsibility transfer, management goals, environment and handoff system. As an overall trend, Japanese nurses indicated that both information and responsibility for the patient were transferred moderately well within the hospital. They put a higher priority on the goal of patient safety......Patient handoff is a critically important process in healthcare. However, there have been few studies investigated healthcare staff perceptions of its quality and safety. In the present paper, we seek to explore essential characteristics of patient handoff. We discuss critical factors...... and strategies contributing to effective handoffs. A questionnaire survey was conducted in 2011, collecting 1462 valid responses (74% response rate) from nurses in six Japanese hospitals. There were 17 questions, each with reply options on a five-point Likert scale, covering five main aspects: information...

Physical activity surveillance in the European Union: reliability and validity of the European Health Interview Survey-Physical Activity Questionnaire (EHIS-PAQ).

Science.gov (United States)

Baumeister, Sebastian E; Ricci, Cristian; Kohler, Simone; Fischer, Beate; Töpfer, Christine; Finger, Jonas D; Leitzmann, Michael F

2016-05-23

The current study examined the reliability and validity of the European Health Interview Survey-Physical Activity Questionnaire (EHIS-PAQ), a novel questionnaire for the surveillance of physical activity (PA) during work, transportation, leisure time, sports, health-enhancing and muscle-strengthening activities over a typical week. Reliability was assessed by administering the 8-item questionnaire twice to a population-based sample of 123 participants aged 15-79 years at a 30-day interval. Concurrent (inter-method) validity was examined in 140 participants by comparisons with self-report (International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Long Form (IPAQ-LF), 7-day Physical Activity Record (PAR), and objective criterion measures (GT3X+ accelerometer, physical work capacity at 75% (PWC(75%)) from submaximal cycle ergometer test, hand grip strength). The EHIS-PAQ showed acceptable reliability, with a median intraclass correlation coefficient across PA domains of 0.55 (range 0.43-0.73). Compared to the GT3X+ (counts/minutes/day), the EHIS-PAQ underestimated moderate-to-vigorous PA (median difference -11.7, p-value = 0.054). Spearman correlation coefficients (ρ) for validity were moderate-to-strong (ρ's > 0.41) for work-related PA (IPAQ = 0.64, GT3X + =0.43, grip strength = 0.48), transportation-related PA (IPAQ = 0.62, GT3X + =0.43), walking (IPAQ = 0.58), and health-enhancing PA (IPAQ = 0.58, PAR = 0.64, GT3X + =0.44, PWC(75%) = 0.48), and fair-to-poor (ρ's PAQ showed good evidence for reliability and validity for the measurement of PA levels at work, during transportation and health-enhancing PA.

Management and design of hospital pens relative to behavior of the compromised dairy cow: A questionnaire survey of Iowa dairy farms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fogsgaard, Katrine Kop; Herskin, Mette S.; Gorden, Patrick J.

2016-01-01

on best prac-tices for housing and management of compromised cows. The purpose of this study was to providedescriptive information about management and husbandry practices of compromised cows on dairyfarms in Iowa. A questionnaire-based survey was designed to examine demographic information, designand...

The mediating effect of job satisfaction between emotional intelligence and organisational commitment of nurses: a questionnaire survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Güleryüz, Güldal; Güney, Semra; Aydin, Eren Miski; Aşan, Oznur

2008-11-01

The effect of emotional intelligence and its dimensions on job satisfaction and organisational commitment of nurses has been investigated in this study. This paper examines the relations among emotional intelligence, job satisfaction and organisational commitment of nurses and the mediating effect of job satisfaction between emotional intelligence and organisational commitment. A questionnaire survey was carried out to explore the relations between emotional intelligence, job satisfaction and organisational commitment. Teaching hospital in Ankara, Turkey. Questionnaires were distributed by Nursing Services Administration to 550 nurses working at different departments of the hospital and 267 questionnaires were analyzed. A 45-item questionnaire which consists of emotional intelligence, job satisfaction and organisational commitment parts was carried out to investigate the relations among these variables. Some basic socio-demographic questions were included. Emotional intelligence was significantly and positively related to job satisfaction (r=0.236,pemotion (ROE)"(r=0.228,pemotion (UOE)"(r=0.155,pemotional intelligence. "Others's emotional appraisal" did not have any relations with job satisfaction or organisational commitment and "self-emotional appraisal (SEA)" was found to be a suppressor. It was found that job satisfaction is a mediator between emotional intelligence and organisational commitment. The other finding of the study was that "SEA" and "UOE" have direct effects on organisational commitment whereas job satisfaction is a mediator between "regulation of emotion" and organisational commitment.

Questionnaire survey report about the criticality accident at a nuclear fuel processing facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

The Radiation Protection Section of the Japanese Society of Radiological Technology conducted a questionnaire survey on the criticality accident at the nuclear fuel processing facility in Tokai village on September 30, 1999 in order to identify factors related to the accident and consider countermeasures to deal with such accidents. The questionnaire was distributed to 347 members (122 facilities) of the Japanese Society of Radiological Technology who were working or living in Ibaraki Prefecture, and replies were obtained from 104 members (75 facilities). Questions to elicit the opinions of individuals were as following: method of obtaining information about the accident, knowledge about radiation, opinions about the accident, and requests directed to the Society. Questions regarding facilities concerned the following: communication after the accident, requests for dispatch to the accident site, and possession of radiometry devices. In regard to acquisition of information, 91 of the 104 members (87.5%) answered 'television or radios' followed by newspapers. Forty-five of 101 members were questioned about radiation exposure and radiation effects by the public. There were many opinions that accurate news should be provided rapidly, by the mass media. Many members (75%) felt that they lacked knowledge about radiation, reconfirming the importance of education and instruction concerning radiation. Dispatch was requested of 36 of the 75 facilities (48%), and 44 of 83 facilities (53%) owned radiometry instruments. (K.H.)

[Survey of pediatric sedation in Japan--results of questionnaire to universities of dentistry].

Science.gov (United States)

Takeuchi, Lisa; Kuratani, Norifumi; Hoshijima, Hiroshi; Kikuchi, Hirosato

2010-12-01

Despite widespread use of sedation for stress management during dental treatment in adults, its prevalence of use for pediatric in patients Japan has not been clarified. We investigated here, the present situation of pediatric sedation by the questionnaire sent to the dental anesthesia departments of university hospitals in Japan. Postal survey was conducted of the dental anesthesia departments of university hospitals (29 institutions) throughout the country. Information was requested on hospital policy of indication and technique of pediatric sedation for dental treatment. The causes for avoiding pediatric sedation were also investigated. The response rate was 86.2% (25/29 institutions). Of these respondents, 16 institutions (64%, 16/25 institutions) employ sedation for pediatric dental treatment stress management. The cases performed were around 1-5 cases every month. However, the criteria for employment of pediatric sedation during dental treatment varied among institutes. They preferred to provide general endotracheal anesthesia for pediatric dental procedures, and tended to avoid sedation without airway security for children. The present survey suggests that pediatric sedation for stress management during dental treatment are employed in more than half of the dental university hospitals. However, there was little consensus regarding pediatric sedation during dental treatment among dental anesthesiologists in Japan.

Comparison of Employer Productivity Metrics to Lost Productivity Estimated by Commonly Used Questionnaires.

Science.gov (United States)

Gardner, Bethany T; Dale, Ann Marie; Buckner-Petty, Skye; Van Dillen, Linda; Amick, Benjamin C; Evanoff, Bradley

2016-02-01

The aim of the study was to assess construct and discriminant validity of four health-related work productivity loss questionnaires in relation to employer productivity metrics, and to describe variation in economic estimates of productivity loss provided by the questionnaires in healthy workers. Fifty-eight billing office workers completed surveys including health information and four productivity loss questionnaires. Employer productivity metrics and work hours were also obtained. Productivity loss questionnaires were weakly to moderately correlated with employer productivity metrics. Workers with more health complaints reported greater health-related productivity loss than healthier workers, but showed no loss on employer productivity metrics. Economic estimates of productivity loss showed wide variation among questionnaires, yet no loss of actual productivity. Additional studies are needed comparing questionnaires with objective measures in larger samples and other industries, to improve measurement methods for health-related productivity loss.

Comparison of employer productivity metrics to lost productivity estimated by commonly used questionnaires

Science.gov (United States)

Gardner, Bethany T.; Dale, Ann Marie; Buckner-Petty, Skye; Van Dillen, Linda; Amick, Benjamin C.; Evanoff, Bradley

2016-01-01

Objective To assess construct and discriminant validity of four health-related work productivity loss questionnaires in relation to employer productivity metrics, and to describe variation in economic estimates of productivity loss provided by the questionnaires in healthy workers. Methods 58 billing office workers completed surveys including health information and four productivity loss questionnaires. Employer productivity metrics and work hours were also obtained. Results Productivity loss questionnaires were weakly to moderately correlated with employer productivity metrics. Workers with more health complaints reported greater health-related productivity loss than healthier workers, but showed no loss on employer productivity metrics. Economic estimates of productivity loss showed wide variation among questionnaires, yet no loss of actual productivity. Conclusions Additional studies are needed comparing questionnaires with objective measures in larger samples and other industries, to improve measurement methods for health-related productivity loss. PMID:26849261

Lost in translation?: Comparing three Scandinavian translations of the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire.

Science.gov (United States)

Granas, Anne Gerd; Nørgaard, Lotte Stig; Sporrong, Sofia Kälvemark

2014-08-01

The "Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire" (BMQ) assess balance of necessity and concern of medicines. The BMQ has been translated from English to many languages. However, the original meaning of statements, such as "My medicine is a mystery to me", may be lost in translation. The aim of this study is to compare three Scandinavian translations of the BMQ. (1) How reliable are the translations? (2) Are they still valid after translation? Translated Norwegian, Swedish and Danish versions of the BMQ were scrutinized by three native Scandinavian researchers. Linguistic differences and ambiguities in the 5-point Likert scale and the BMQ statements were compared. In the Scandinavian translations, the Likert scale expanded beyond the original version at one endpoint (Swedish) or both endpoints (Danish). In the BMQ statements, discrepancies ranged from smaller inaccuracies toward completely different meaning. Some dissimilarities reflect different cultural beliefs about medicines. When translating questionnaires, bilingual researchers should scrutinize translations across similar languages to address content validity across different countries and languages. Our findings are of relevance to other BMQ translations in non-English countries, as direct comparisons between different translations might not be reliable or valid. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Validation of a stroke symptom questionnaire for epidemiological surveys.

Science.gov (United States)

Abe, Ivana Makita; Goulart, Alessandra Carvalho; Santos Júnior, Waldyr Rodrigues; Lotufo, Paulo Andrade; Benseñor, Isabela Martins

2010-07-01

Stroke is a relevant issue within public health and requires epidemiological surveillance tools. The aim here was to validate a questionnaire for evaluating individuals with stroke symptoms in the Stroke Morbidity and Mortality Study (Estudo de Mortalidade e Morbidade do Acidente Vascular Cerebral, EMMA), São Paulo, Brazil. This was a cross-sectional study performed among a sample of the inhabitants of Butantã, an area in the western zone of the city of São Paulo. For all households in the coverage area of a primary healthcare unit, household members over the age of 35 years answered a stroke symptom questionnaire addressing limb weakness, facial weakness, speech problems, sensory disorders and impaired vision. Thirty-six participants were randomly selected for a complete neurological examination (gold standard). Considering all the questions in the questionnaire, the sensitivity was 72.2%, specificity was 94.4%, positive predictive value was 92.9% and negative predictive value was 77.3%. The positive likelihood ratio was 12.9, the negative likelihood ratio was 0.29 and the kappa coefficient was 0.67. Limb weakness was the most sensitive symptom, and speech problems were the most specific. The stroke symptom questionnaire is a useful tool and can be applied by trained interviewers with the aim of identifying community-dwelling stroke patients, through the structure of the Family Health Program.

World Cup's impact on mental health and lifestyle behaviors in the general population: comparing results of 2 serial population-based surveys.

Science.gov (United States)

Lau, Joseph Tai Fai; Tsui, Hi Yi; Mo, Phoenix Kit Han; Mak, Winnie Wing Sze; Griffiths, Sian

2015-03-01

This study compares the prevalence of health-related behaviors and mental health well-being in the Hong Kong general male population before and after the 2006 World Cup finals. Two anonymous, serial, comparable cross-sectional surveys. A total of 500 and 530 adult Chinese men, respectively, were interviewed in 2 telephone surveys before and after the finals. Those interviewed after the World Cup were more likely to eat snacks more than 3 d/wk, to be binge drinkers, or to spend more than 2 h/d communicating with family members. They were less likely to have higher General Health Questionnaire or lower Short Form-36 Health Survey Vitality scores (odds ratio [OR] = 0.684 and 0.765), to perceive family-related or work-related stress (OR = 0.327 and 0.345), or to self-report being sick or have visited a doctor (OR = 0.645 and 0.722). All variables between watchers versus nonwatchers of World Cup games were significant or marginally significant. Public health education should be incorporated into global sport events. © 2013 APJPH.

Health status of school children during questionnaire survey in Ogun ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

that school children in Ogun State do not perceive themselves to be healthy and suggest the use of school health questionnaire to assess and identify common health problems in school children. Keywords: School-age children, common health problems, questionnaire, Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Parasitology Vol.

[Humor at Work Questionnaire - Polish adaptation of Humor Climate Questionnaire (HCQ)].

Science.gov (United States)

Stańczak, Aleksander; Drabek, Marcin

2018-03-09

The aim of the paper is to present the Polish adaptation of the Humor Climate Questionnaire (HCQ), designed to measure humor as organizational climate feature. The authors employed back-translation and independent judges method to choose the best version of the translated items. The psychometric properties of HCQ were estimated on the basis of 2 samples: the basic group of employees (N = 217) and the group of employees who had completed the survey twice (N = 55). The results of statistical analyses proved that HCQ is a reliable tool. Explorative Factor Analysis supported the 4-factor structure of the original method's theoretical model. The validity of the subscales is high, Cronbach's α varied from 0.8 to 0.9. The directions and values of intercorrelations between subscales were similar to those of the English version. The Humor Climate Questionnaire is a relatively time-stable tool (r = 0.44-0.74). Polish adaptation is reliable and applicable for cross-sectional studies. The obtained results are comparable to the characteristics of the original version. However, the results of factor analysis show that the data do not fully fit the theoretical model. Med Pr 2018;69(2):143-152. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

Health inequalities: survey data compared to doctor defined data.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Westert, G.P.; Schellevis, F.G.

2003-01-01

Aim: To compare prevalence of conditions and health inequalities in one study population using two methods of data collection: health interview survey and GP registration of consultations. Methods: Data is from the Second Dutch Survey of General Practice, using a multistage sampling design with

Impact on and use of health services by international migrants: questionnaire survey of inner city London A&E attenders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eliahoo Joseph

2006-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Changing immigration trends pose new challenges for the UK's open access health service and there is considerable speculation that migrants from resource-poor countries place a disproportionate burden on services. Data are needed to inform provision of services to migrant groups and to ensure their access to appropriate health care. We compared sociodemographic characteristics and impact of migrant groups and UK-born patients presenting to a hospital A&E/Walk-In Centre and prior use of community-based General Practitioner (GP services. Methods We administered an anonymous questionnaire survey of all presenting patients at an A&E/Walk-In Centre at an inner-city London hospital during a 1 month period. Questions related to nationality, immigration status, time in the UK, registration and use of GP services. We compared differences between groups using two-way tables by Chi-Square and Fisher's exact test. We used logistic regression modelling to quantify associations of explanatory variables and outcomes. Results 1611 of 3262 patients completed the survey (response rate 49.4%. 720 (44.7% were overseas born, representing 87 nationalities, of whom 532 (73.9% were new migrants to the UK (≤10 years. Overseas born were over-represented in comparison to local estimates (44.7% vs 33.6%; p Conclusion Recently arrived migrants are a diverse and substantial group, of whom migrants from refugee-generating countries and asylum seekers comprise only a minority group. Service reorganisation to ensure improved access to community-based GPs and delivery of more appropriate care may lessen their impact on acute services.

Questionnaire survey to assess the pattern and characteristics of cell-phone usage among Indian oncologists

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anusheel Munshi

2016-01-01

Conclusion: The results of the first such questionnaire based study have been presented. Most oncologists consider cell-phones a useful tool in patient care. More RO are aware of potential cell-phone hazards compared to non-RO's.

Questionnaire survey of customer satisfaction for product categories towards certification of ergonomic quality in design.

Science.gov (United States)

Mochimaru, Masaaki; Takahashi, Miwako; Hatakenaka, Nobuko; Horiuchi, Hitoshi

2012-01-01

Customer satisfaction was surveyed for 6 product categories (consumer electronics, daily commodities, home equipment, information systems, cars, and health appliances) by questionnaires based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process. Analyzing weight of evaluation factors, the 6 product categories were reorganized into 4 categories, those were related to 4 aspects in daily living that formed by two axes: home living - mobility life and healthy life - active communication. It was found that consumers were attracted by the actual user test by public institutes for all product categories. The certification based on the design process standard established by authorities, such as EQUID was the second best attractor for consumers.

Comparative Factor Analyses of the Personal Attributes Questionnaire and the Bem Sex-Role Inventory.

Science.gov (United States)

Antill, John K.; Cunningham, John D.

1982-01-01

Compared the Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ) and the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) as measures of androgyny. Results showed that femininty (Concern for Others) and masculinity (Dominance) accounted for most of the variance, but for PAQ, clusters of male- and female-valued items (i.e., Extroversion and Insecurity) formed subsidiary factors.…

Development and validation of a new questionnaire assessing quality of life in adults with hypopituitarism: Adult Hypopituitarism Questionnaire (AHQ).

Science.gov (United States)

Ishii, Hitoshi; Shimatsu, Akira; Okimura, Yasuhiko; Tanaka, Toshiaki; Hizuka, Naomi; Kaji, Hidesuke; Hanew, Kunihiko; Oki, Yutaka; Yamashiro, Sayuri; Takano, Koji; Chihara, Kazuo

2012-01-01

To develop and validate the Adult Hypopituitarism Questionnaire (AHQ) as a disease-specific, self-administered questionnaire for evaluation of quality of life (QOL) in adult patients with hypopituitarism. We developed and validated this new questionnaire, using a standardized procedure which included item development, pilot-testing and psychometric validation. Of the patients who participated in psychometric validation, those whose clinical conditions were judged to be stable were asked to answer the survey questionnaire twice, in order to assess test-retest reliability. Content validity of the initial questionnaire was evaluated via two pilot tests. After these tests, we made minor revisions and finalized the initial version of the questionnaire. The questionnaire was constructed with two domains, one psycho-social and the other physical. For psychometric assessment, analyses were performed on the responses of 192 adult patients with various types of hypopituitarism. The intraclass correlations of the respective domains were 0.91 and 0.95, and the Cronbach's alpha coefficients were 0.96 and 0.95, indicating adequate test-retest reliability and internal consistency for each domain. For known-group validity, patients with hypopituitarism due to hypothalamic disorder showed significantly lower scores in 11 out of 13 sub-domains compared to those who had hypopituitarism due to pituitary disorder. Regarding construct validity, the domain structure was found to be almost the same as that initially hypothesized. Exploratory factor analysis (n = 228) demonstrated that each domain consisted of six and seven sub-domains. The AHQ showed good reliability and validity for evaluating QOL in adult patients with hypopituitarism.

Frequency and circumstances of falls in people with inclusion body myositis: a questionnaire survey to explore falls management and physiotherapy provision.

Science.gov (United States)

Hiscock, A; Dewar, L; Parton, M; Machado, P; Hanna, M; Ramdharry, G

2014-03-01

To survey the incidence and circumstances of falls for people with inclusion body myositis (IBM) in the UK, and to investigate the provision of physiotherapy and falls management. Postal questionnaire survey. Participants completed questionnaires at home. Ninety-four people diagnosed with IBM were screened against the inclusion criteria. Seventy-two potential participants were sent a questionnaire, and 62 were completed and returned. Invited participants were sent an adapted Falls Event Questionnaire pertaining to falls, perceived causes of falls and the provision of physiotherapy. Questionnaires were returned anonymously. The proportions of respondents who reported a fall or a near fall, along with the frequencies of falls and near falls were calculated. Descriptive data of falls were collected pertaining to location and cause. Data analysis was performed to investigate provision of physiotherapy services. The response rate was 86% [62/72, mean (standard deviation) age 68 (8) years]. Falls were reported by 98% (61/62) of respondents, with 60% (37/62) falling frequently. In this study, age was not found to be an indicator of falls risk or frequency. Twenty-one percent (13/62) of respondents had not seen a physiotherapist in relation to their IBM symptoms, and of those that had, 31% (15/49) had not seen a physiotherapist until more than 12 months after IBM was diagnosed. Only 18% (11/61) of fallers reported that they had received falls management input. Falls are a common occurrence for people with IBM, independent of age and years since symptoms first presented, and are poorly addressed by appropriate physiotherapy management. National falls guidelines are not being followed, and referral rates to physiotherapy need to improve. Copyright © 2013 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact on and use of an inner-city London Infectious Diseases Department by international migrants: a questionnaire survey

OpenAIRE

Cooke, Graham; Hargreaves, Sally; Natkunarajah, Jana; Sandhu, Gurjinder; Dhasmana, Devesh; Eliahoo, Joseph; Holmes, Alison; Friedland, Jon S

2007-01-01

Abstract Background The UK has witnessed a considerable increase in immigration in the past decade. Migrant may face barriers to accessing appropriate health care on arrival and the current focus on screening certain migrants for tuberculosis on arrival is considered inadequate. We assessed the implications for an inner-city London Infectious Diseases Department in a high migrant area. Methods We administered an anonymous 20-point questionnaire survey to all admitted patients during a 6 week ...

Substantiation of ways for improvement of questionnaire-survey method of asssessment of population’s actual nutrition

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Ieltsova L.B.

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Actual nutrition state indicates a significant prevalence of polynutrient deficits in Ukraine. One of the key issues in the fight against alimentary-dependent diseases is monitoring of population’s nutrition status. Only reliable methods for assessing actual nutrition can provide reliable information about the nature of nutrition and establish a relationship with health state. Taking into account the abovementioned, the aim of our study was to compare the existing methods of studying nutrition and nutrition status of individuals or population groups to substantiate and develop a new universal, effective method for assessing nutrition and its subsequent approval. It has been found that existing methods for assessing human food consumption have its disadvantages and advantages and provide the opportunity to receive certain types of nutrition information. There is no single universal method that would allow to make comprehensive assessment of population’s nutrition, including student youth. To solve this issue, we have substantiated and developed a questionnaire for assessing the nutrition of different population groups, including student youth, which has been evaluated and approved by specialists from leading in­stitu­tions in the field of nutrition hygiene, gastroenterology and dietetics. Created survey questionnaire is a universal tool for collecting primary information and providing an opportunity to assess the social and welfare standards of respon­dents, working conditions and living conditions, the presence of hazard factors and bad habits, involvement in sports, anthropometric indicators, as well as it allows to assess the diet, drinking regime, main food product groups consumption, weight of portions, food handling methods, priority and benefits when choosing food, food intake places, which will be taken into account in the future to develop effective measures for the prevention of alimentary and alimentary-dependent diseases.

Parental compliance - an emerging problem in Liverpool community child health surveys 1991-2006

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Koshy Gibby

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Compliance is a critical issue for parental questionnaires in school based epidemiological surveys and high compliance is difficult to achieve. The objective of this study was to determine trends and factors associated with parental questionnaire compliance during respiratory health surveys of school children in Merseyside between 1991 and 2006. Methods Four cross-sectional respiratory health surveys employing a core questionnaire and methodology were conducted in 1991, 1993, 1998 and 2006 among 5-11 year old children in the same 10 schools in Bootle and 5 schools in Wallasey, Merseyside. Parental compliance fell sequentially in consecutive surveys. This analysis aimed to determine the association of questionnaire compliance with variation in response rates to specific questions across surveys, and the demographic profiles for parents of children attending participant schools. Results Parental questionnaire compliance was 92% (1872/2035 in 1991, 87.4% (3746/4288 in 1993, 78.1% (1964/2514 in 1998 and 30.3% (1074/3540 in 2006. The trend to lower compliance in later surveys was consistent across all surveyed schools. Townsend score estimations of socio-economic status did not differ between schools with high or low questionnaire compliance and were comparable across the four surveys with only small differences between responders and non-responders to specific core questions. Respiratory symptom questions were mostly well answered with fewer than 15% of non-responders across all surveys. There were significant differences between mean child age, maternal and paternal smoking prevalence, and maternal employment between the four surveys (all p Conclusion Methodological differences or changes in socio-economic status of respondents between surveys were unlikely to explain compliance differences. Changes in maternal employment patterns may have been contributory. This analysis demonstrates a major shift in community parental

Sense of ownership and evaluation of safety. Questionnaire survey for reclamation project in the uranium mine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishizaka, Kaoru; Gofuku, Akio; Tanaka, Masaru; Tokizawa, Takayuki; Sato, Kazuhiko; Koga, Osamu

2010-01-01

To obtain public understanding on the uranium mining sites reclamation at Ningyo-toge Environmental Engineering Center, it is necessary to conduct appropriate Risk Communication (RC). In this study, to discuss the appropriate Risk communication method on the uranium mining sites reclamation, we conducted questionnaire survey and SEM analysis. The results of the pass analysis are as follows: (1) in the group which has high-sense of ownership, risk acceptance has a strong impact on sense of security for uranium mining sites reclamation, (2) in the group which shows low-sense of ownership, hatred for radioactive ray has a strong impact relatively. (author)

Undergraduate nursing students' level of assertiveness in Greece: a questionnaire survey.

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Deltsidou, Anna

2009-09-01

A number of studies of nursing and midwifery have found stress and bullying to be frequent problems. Those suffering from bullying and stress need to have high levels of assertiveness to resist and to cope successfully. Hence, it was considered vital to assess the assertiveness level of nursing students throughout their training curriculum. The study population was composed of nursing students in different semesters at one school in Central Greece (n=298) who agreed to complete a questionnaire on assertiveness level assessment, which had been translated into Greek and adapted to this population. All students present in class completed the questionnaire, representing 80% of the total population of active students. Mean assertiveness scores between semesters were compared by ANOVA and comparisons between the responses of the first semester students and responses of advanced semester students were done by Pearson's chi square. The main finding of this study was that the assertiveness levels displayed by students increase slightly in advanced semesters by comparison to those displayed by first-semester students. Assertive behavior should be encouraged through learning methods. Nurses should preferably obtain this training throughout their studies. Instructors have an essential role in the improvement and achievement of assertiveness training curriculums for undergraduate nursing students.

Questionnaire-based survey of parturition in the queen

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Musters, J.; de Gier, J.; Kooistra, H.S.; Okkens, A.C.

The lack of scientific data concerning whether parturition in the queen proceeds normally or not may prevent veterinarians and cat owners from recognizing parturition problems in time. A questionnaire-based study of parturition in 197 queens was performed to determine several parameters of

Indicators of choking risk in adults with learning disabilities: a questionnaire survey and interview study.

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Thacker, Alice; Abdelnoor, Adam; Anderson, Claire; White, Sarah; Hollins, Sheila

2008-01-01

Feeding and swallowing impairments are key predictors of increased morbidity and mortality in adults with learning disabilities. This postal survey and interview study sought to identify risk factors in adults with learning disabilities who have histories of choking. A total of 2000 questionnaires were sent to carers of all adults with learning disabilities registered as service users by three local health authorities. (A 'service user' may be using any specialist learning disability health or social care facility with day, residential or therapeutic services). Of the 674 service users for whom surveys were returned, 47 were living in hospital, 396 were living in residential or group homes and 208 were living with relatives, or in their own homes. Eighteen subjects who had reported serious or repeated episodes of choking were interviewed in depth in their residences or workplaces. Responses were subjected to frequency analyses. Personal characteristics were analysed. Choking patterns were differentiated by food texture. A total of 34% of questionnaires on 674 service users were returned; 42% of respondents reported one or more choking episodes. There was a significantly greater occurrence of choking among people with more severe learning disability, with Down syndrome, people who had an incomplete dentition or were taking a greater number of psychotropic drugs. Antisocial eating habits learnt in institutional settings presented an additional choking hazard for some individuals. Choking is a serious hazard for many adults with learning disabilities. This study establishes many of the characteristics associated with swallowing problems in this population. Clinicians and carers should benefit from awareness of these predictors, leading to better management of eating behaviours and habits. A choking and swallowing risk assessment should be included in routine health assessments of adults with learning disability, paying especial attention to the condition of a person

Measuring fertility through mobile‒phone based household surveys: Methods, data quality, and lessons learned from PMA2020 surveys

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Yoonjoung Choi

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Background: PMA2020 is a survey platform with resident enumerators using mobile phones. Instead of collecting full birth history, total fertility rates (TFR have been measured with a limited number of questions on recent births. Employing new approaches provides opportunities to test and advance survey methods. Objective: This study aims to assess the quality of fertility data in PMA2020 surveys, focusing on bias introduced from the questionnaire and completeness and distribution of birth month and year, and to estimate TFR adjusted for identified data quality issues. Methods: To assess underestimation from the questionnaire, we simulated births that would be counted using the PMA2020 questionnaires compared to births identified from full birth history. We analyzed the latest Demographic and Health Surveys in ten countries where PMA2020 surveys have been implemented. We assessed the level of reporting completeness for birth month and year and heaping of birth month, analyzing 39 PMA2020 surveys. Finally, TFR were calculated and adjusted for biases introduced from the questionnaire and heaping in birth month. Results: Simple questions introduced minor bias from undercounting multiple births, which was expected and correctable. Meanwhile, incomplete reporting of birth month was relatively high, and the default value of January in data collection software systematically moved births with missing months out of the reference period. On average across the 39 surveys, TFR increased by 1.6Š and 2.4Š, adjusted for undercounted multiple births and heaping on January, respectively. Contribution: This study emphasizes the importance of enumerator training and provides critical insight in software programming in surveys using mobile technologies.

How psychosocial factors affect well-being of practice assistants at work in general medical care?--a questionnaire survey.

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Goetz, Katja; Berger, Sarah; Gavartina, Amina; Zaroti, Stavria; Szecsenyi, Joachim

2015-11-11

Well-being at work is an important aspect of a workforce strategy. The aim of the study was to explore and evaluate psychosocial factors and health and work-related outcomes of practices assistants depending on their employment status in general medical practices. This observational study was based on a questionnaire survey to evaluate psychosocial aspects at work in general medical practices. A standardized questionnaire was used, the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ). Beside descriptive analyses linear regression analyses were performed for each health and work-related outcome scale of the COPSOQ. 586 practice assistants out of 794 respondents (73.8 %) from 234 general medical practices completed the questionnaire. Practice assistants reported the highest scores for the psychosocial factor 'sense of community' (mean = 85.9) and the lower score for 'influence at work' (mean = 41.2). Moreover, practice assistants who worked part-time rated their psychosocial factors at work and health-related outcomes more positively than full-time employees. Furthermore, the two scales of health related outcomes 'burnout' and 'job satisfaction' showed strong associations between different psychosocial factors and socio-demographic variables. Psychosocial factors at work influence well-being at work and could be strong risk factors for poor health and work-related outcomes. Effective management of these issues could have an impact on the retention and recruitment of health care staff.

Effect of educational intervention on adoption of new endodontic technology by general dental practitioners: a questionnaire survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Koch, M; Eriksson, H G; Axelsson, S; Tegelberg, A

2009-04-01

To survey the clinical endodontic protocols of general dental practitioners (GDPs) in public dental clinics and to assess the effect of an educational intervention on the adoption of a nickel-titanium (Ni-Ti) rotary system. General dental practitioners in a Swedish Intervention County (IC), underwent an educational programme in endodontics. A follow-up questionnaire was posted to 98 GDPs in the IC and to 97 GDPs in a Control County (CC), where no specific training had been provided. The questionnaire concerned demographics, clinical endodontic protocols and instrumentation techniques. The response rate to the questionnaire was 87%. More than 90% of all GDPs reported they always or generally used rubber dam, determined working length, used the canal irrigant 0.5% buffered NaOCl and calcium hydroxide as an interappointment dressing. Two of three GDPs reported, they generally or always informed the patient of the prognosis. Every second GDP reported routines for postoperative recall and follow-up. The Ni-Ti rotary technique was reported to be completely adopted by 77% of the GDPs in the IC, significantly higher than in the CC (6%), P educational programme in Ni-Ti rotary instrumentation reported they had successfully integrated the technique into daily clinical practice.

The reliability and concurrent validity of the Scoliosis Research Society-22r patient questionnaire compared with the Child Health Questionnaire-CF87 patient questionnaire for adolescent spinal deformity.

Science.gov (United States)

Glattes, R Christopher; Burton, Douglas C; Lai, Sue Min; Frasier, Elizabeth; Asher, Marc A

2007-07-15

This is a clinic-based cross-sectional study involving 2 health-related quality-of-life (HRQL) questionnaires. To compare the score distribution and reliability of the spinal deformity specific Scoliosis Research Society-22r (SRS-22r) questionnaire and the established generic Child Health Questionnaire-CF87 (CHQ-CF87), and to assess the concurrent validity of the SRS-22r using the CHQ-CF87 in an adolescent spine deformity population. Different questionnaires are commonly thought to be necessary to assess the HRQL of adolescent and adult populations. But since spinal deformities usually begin in the second decade of life, longitudinal follow-up with the same HRQL is desirable. The SRS-22r HRQL has recently been validated for score distribution and internal consistency in a spinal deformity population ranging in age from 7 to 78 years. The SRS-22r and CHQ-CF87 HRQLs were completed by 70 orthopedic spinal deformity outpatients 8 to 18 years of age, of whom 54 returned mailed retest questionnaires at an average of 24 days later. The ceiling effect averaged 27% for the SRS-22r and 36% for the CHQ-CF87. Respective values for internal consistency (Cronbach alpha) were 0.81 and 0.82, and for test-retest reproducibility the intraclass correlations (ICC) were 0.73 and 0.61. Concurrent validity was r > or = 0.68 or more for relevant function, pain, and mental health domains. The SRS Self-Image and particularly the Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction with Management domains did not correlate well with any CHQ-CF87 domains (r = 0.50 and 0.30, respectively). In a spinal deformity population 8 to 18 years of age, the score distribution and reliability, internal consistency, and reproducibility of the SRS-22r were at least as good as the CHQ-CF87. The SRS-22r function, pain, and mental health domains were concurrently valid in comparison to relevant CHQ-CF87 domains, but the SRS-22r self-image and satisfaction/dissatisfaction domains were not, thereby providing health-related quality

Risk Factors of Internet Addiction among Internet Users: An Online Questionnaire Survey.

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Chia-Yi Wu

Full Text Available Internet addiction (IA has become a major public health issue worldwide and is closely linked to psychiatric disorders and suicide. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of IA and its associated psychosocial and psychopathological determinants among internet users across different age groups.The study was a cross-sectional survey initiated by the Taiwan Suicide Prevention Center. The participants were recruited from the general public who responded to the online questionnaire. They completed a series of self-reported measures, including Chen Internet Addiction Scale-revised (CIAS-R, Five-item Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS-5, Maudsley Personality Inventory (MPI, and questions about suicide and internet use habits.We enrolled 1100 respondents with a preponderance of female subjects (85.8%. Based on an optimal cutoff for CIAS-R (67/68, the prevalence rate of IA was 10.6%. People with higher scores of CIAS-R were characterized as: male, single, students, high neuroticism, life impairment due to internet use, time for internet use, online gaming, presence of psychiatric morbidity, recent suicide ideation and past suicide attempts. Multiple regression on IA showed that age, gender, neuroticism, life impairment, internet use time, and BSRS-5 score accounted for 31% of variance for CIAS-R score. Further, logistic regression showed that neuroticism, life impairment and internet use time were three main predictors for IA. Compared to those without IA, the internet addicts had higher rates of psychiatric morbidity (65.0%, suicide ideation in a week (47.0%, lifetime suicide attempts (23.1%, and suicide attempt in a year (5.1%.Neurotic personality traits, psychopathology, time for internet use and its subsequent life impairment were important predictors for IA. Individuals with IA may have higher rates of psychiatric morbidity and suicide risks. The findings provide important information for further investigation and prevention of IA.

Questionnaire survey on the process of specialty training in neurology in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Sonoo, Masahiro; Nishiyama, Kazutoshi; Ando, Tetsuo; Shindo, Katsuro; Kanda, Takashi; Aoki, Masashi; Kamei, Satoshi; Kikuchi, Seiji; Kusunoki, Susumu; Suzuki, Norihiro; Sobue, Gen; Nakashima, Kenji; Hara, Hideo; Hirata, Koichi; Mizusawa, Hidehiro; Murai, Hiroyuki; Murata, Miho; Mochizuki, Hideki; Takahashi, Ryosuke; Kira, Jun-Ichi

2017-07-29

Documentation of the current status of specialty training to become a neurologist in Japan would represent an important basis for constructing better neurology training program in the planned reform of the specialty training system in Japan. The committee for future neurology specialty system of Japanese Society of Neurology (JSN) conducted a questionnaire survey on the process of specialty training of each trainee for neurology in board-certified educational facilities and semi-educational facilities throughout Japan. The response rate was 46.2% in all facilities and 87.5% in medical universities. The training process of 905 trainees over 5 grades was clarified, which was estimated to be about 80% of all the relevant subjects. Specialty training dedicated to neurology was started at the 3rd year of residency in 87.8% of subjects. During the 3 years following junior residency, 51.3% of subjects ran the rotation training between university and city hospital, whereas 36.5% was trained within the same institution throughout the 3 years of training period.

Impact of Peritoneal Dialysis Catheter Insertion by a Nephrologist: Results of a Questionnaire Survey of Patients and Nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Washida, Naoki; Aikawa, Kayoko; Inoue, Shuji; Kasai, Takahiro; Shinozuka, Keisuke; Morimoto, Kohkichi; Hosoya, Kozi; Hayashi, Koichi; Itoh, Hiroshi

2015-01-01

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is an excellent dialysis mo- dality, but it is underutilized in the United States and Japan. In the present study, we evaluated the impact of interventional nephrology in PD on the impres- sions held by patients and nurses about selection of a renal replacement therapy and the complications associated with PD therapy. Over aperiod of 7 years, PD catheter insertion in 120 patients with end-stage renal disease (age: 63.0 ± 13.3 years) was performed by nephrologists at Keio University Hospital or Saitama Medical Center. A questionnaire survey evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of this interventional nephrology approach in PD was distributed to 72 PD patients and to 53 nurses in charge of those patients. After interventional nephrology in PD was adopted, the number of patients selecting PD therapy increased. The incidence of peritonitis was relatively low (1 episode in 101.1 patient-months). Responses to the questionnaire survey showed that neither patients nor nurses were concerned about catheter insertion by physicians, and no communication problems between the patients, nurses, and physicians were reported. Approximately 60% of the nurses specializing in PD therapy showed higher motivation with interventional nephrology, which might have a favorable effect on the selection of PD therapy, on the incidence of peritonitis, and on the tripartite communication between patients, nurses, and physicians.

Expenditures on health research in sub-Saharan African countries: results of a questionnaire-based survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Kebede, Derege; Zielinski, Chris; Mbondji, Peter Ebongue; Sanou, Issa; Kouvividila, Wenceslas; Lusamba-Dikassa, Paul-Samson

2014-05-01

To estimate the sources of funds for health research (revenue) and the uses of these funds (expenditure). A structured questionnaire was used to solicit financial information from health research institutions. Forty-two sub-Saharan African countries. Key informants in 847 health research institutions in the 42 sub-Saharan African countries. Expenditure on health research by institutions, funders and subject areas. An estimated total of US$ 302 million was spent on health research by institutions that responded to the survey in the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region for the biennium 2005-2006. The most notable funders for health research activities were external funding, ministries of health, other government ministries, own funds and non-profit institutions. Most types of health research performers spent significant portions of their resources on in-house research, with medical schools spending 82% and government agencies 62%. Hospitals spent 38% of their resources on management, and other institutions (universities, firms, etc.) spent 87% of their resources on capital investment. Research on human immunodeficiency virus/tuberculosis and malaria accounted for 30% of funds, followed by research on other communicable diseases and maternal, perinatal and nutritional conditions (23%). Research on major health problems of the Region, such as communicable diseases, accounts for most of the research expenditures. However, the total expenditure is very low compared with other WHO regions. © The Royal Society of Medicine.

Development and validation of a questionnaire to identify severe maternal morbidity in epidemiological surveys

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Parpinelli Mary A

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Objective to develop and validate a questionnaire on severe maternal morbidity and to evaluate the maternal recall of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. Design: validity of a questionnaire as diagnostic instrument. Setting: a third level referral maternity in Campinas, Brazil. Population: 386 survivors of severe maternal complications and 123 women that delivered without major complications between 2002 and 2007. Methods eligible women were traced and interviewed by telephone on the occurrence of obstetric complications and events related to their treatment. Their answers were compared with their medical records as gold standard. Sensitivity, specificity and likelihood ratios plus their correspondent 95% confidence intervals were used as main estimators of accuracy. Main outcomes: diagnosis of severe maternal morbidity associated with past pregnancies, including hemorrhage, eclampsia, infections, jaundice and related procedures (hysterectomy, admission to ICU, blood transfusion, laparotomy, inter-hospital transfer, mechanical ventilation and post partum stay above seven days. Results Women did not recall accurately the occurrence of obstetric complications, especially hemorrhage and infection. The likelihood ratios were Conclusion Process indicators are better recalled by women than obstetric complication and should be considered when applying a questionnaire on severe maternal morbidity.

Improving the quality of adult mortality data collected in demographic surveys: validation study of a new siblings' survival questionnaire in Niakhar, Senegal.

Science.gov (United States)

Helleringer, Stéphane; Pison, Gilles; Masquelier, Bruno; Kanté, Almamy Malick; Douillot, Laetitia; Duthé, Géraldine; Sokhna, Cheikh; Delaunay, Valérie

2014-05-01

In countries with limited vital registration, adult mortality is frequently estimated using siblings' survival histories (SSHs) collected during Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). These data are affected by reporting errors. We developed a new SSH questionnaire, the siblings' survival calendar (SSC). It incorporates supplementary interviewing techniques to limit omissions of siblings and uses an event history calendar to improve reports of dates and ages. We hypothesized that the SSC would improve the quality of adult mortality data. We conducted a retrospective validation study among the population of the Niakhar Health and Demographic Surveillance System in Senegal. We randomly assigned men and women aged 15-59 y to an interview with either the DHS questionnaire or the SSC. We compared SSHs collected in each group to prospective data on adult mortality collected in Niakhar. The SSC reduced respondents' tendency to round reports of dates and ages to the nearest multiple of five or ten ("heaping"). The SSC also had higher sensitivity in recording adult female deaths: among respondents whose sister(s) had died at an adult age in the past 15 y, 89.6% reported an adult female death during SSC interviews versus 75.6% in DHS interviews (p = 0.027). The specificity of the SSC was similar to that of the DHS questionnaire, i.e., it did not increase the number of false reports of deaths. However, the SSC did not improve the reporting of adult deaths among the brothers of respondents. Study limitations include sample selectivity, limited external validity, and multiple testing. The SSC has the potential to collect more accurate SSHs than the questionnaire used in DHS. Further research is needed to assess the effects of the SSC on estimates of adult mortality rates. Additional validation studies should be conducted in different social and epidemiological settings. Controlled-Trials.com ISRCTN06849961

Livestock drivers' knowledge about dairy cow fitness for transport - A Danish questionnaire survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Herskin, M S; Hels, A; Anneberg, I; Thomsen, P T

2017-08-01

Dairy cows are transported by road to slaughter after their productive life. Cull cows are vulnerable to transport stress, and can only be transported when fit for the intended journey. However, the decision, as to whether a cow is fit is rather subjective and relies on the farmer and the livestock driver. Using a questionnaire survey, we aimed to describe knowledge about, and experiences with, dairy cow fitness for transport among Danish livestock drivers. During nine days of data collection at the three largest Danish cattle slaughterhouses, 66 drivers (55% of the national population of cattle drivers) answered a questionnaire (response rate: 97%). They were Danish males (mean age: 49years), of which 94% stated that they knew the rules regarding fitness for transport. More than half of the respondents said that physical conditions (light, space) before loading animals allowed proper assessment of fitness for transport, and 85% answered that time constraints were not a challenge for this. Thirty-five percent reported to be in doubt regarding fitness for transport of specific cows at least frequently, and given two specific questions on legislation concerning fitness for transport, only 52% of the respondents answered both correctly. The results add new knowledge about livestock drivers' approach to animal welfare. As drivers are held partly responsible for fitness for transport of animals sent to slaughter, and descriptions of fit/unfit are rather vague, livestock drivers seem to need additional education, training, assessment tools or feedback in order to optimize the welfare of animals to be transported. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dissemination of information to General Practitioners: a questionnaire survey

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Fortnum Heather

2004-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Early identification of permanent hearing impairment in children enables appropriate intervention which reduces adverse developmental outcomes. The UK Government has introduced a universal hearing screening programme for neonates. All involved health professionals, including those in Primary Care, need to be aware of the service to enable them to offer appropriate support to their patients. A programme of information dissemination within Primary Care was therefore undertaken. The aim of the current study was to determine the extent to which the information had reached General Practitioners (GPs, the GPs' preferred mode of dissemination and the sources from which GPs accessed information Methods Postal questionnaire survey of a randomised sample of 1000 GPs in the Phase I pilot sites of the Neonatal Hearing Screening Programme (NHSP. Results Responses were received from 54.2% of the sample. Just under 50% of those responding had received information, 62.2% of respondents said they would like to receive more information and the preferred methods of dissemination were the written word and web-sites to allow access when needed. Few GPs perceive themselves to have a core role in the delivery of the NHSP and thence a need for knowledge in the subject. Many are keen to delegate detail to a third party, usually the health visitor, who has traditionally had responsibility for hearing screening. Conclusions Dissemination efforts for service developments of relevance to GPs should concentrate on advertising a website address via brief but memorable posted literature and/or articles in relevant journals and magazines. The website should be GP-friendly, and have a dedicated area for GPs including information of specific relevance and downloadable information sheets.

Validation of a New Questionnaire with Generic and Disease-Specific Qualities: The Mcgill Copd Quality of Life Questionnaire

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Smita Pakhale

2012-01-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: A validated health-related quality of life questionnaire in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD with advantages of both generic- and disease-specific questionnaires is needed to capture patients’ perspectives of severity and impact of the disease. The McGill COPD questionnaire was created to include these advantages in English and French. It assesses three domains: symptoms, physical function and feelings with 29 items (12 from the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey with 17 from the previously developed COPD-specific module.

Cognitive Laboratory Experiences : On Pre-testing Computerised Questionnaires

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Snijkers, G.J.M.E.

2002-01-01

In the literature on questionnaire design and survey methodology, pre-testing is mentioned as a way to evaluate questionnaires (i.e. investigate whether they work as intended) and control for measurement errors (i.e. assess data quality). As the American Statistical Association puts it (ASA, 1999,

The present status of I-131 therapy for Graves' hyperthyroidism in Japan. Survey by questionnaire

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikekubo, Katsuji; Kusakabe, Kiyoko; Kanaya, Shinichi; Nakada, Kunihiro; Mori, Yutaka

2003-01-01

A survey on the I-131 therapy of Graves' hyperthyroidism was undertaken by questionnaire in 1,246 hospitals of Japan. One thousand and ninety seven of them (88.0%) responded to the questionnaire. In this paper, we report the results and analysis of the replies to the questionnaire. In the 121 hospitals (11.03%) of the respondents, I-131 therapy is being performed for Graves' hyperthyroidism. A gradual increase was observed in the annual number of I-131 treated Graves' disease patients during the period of 1998-2001, from 1,740 to 2,484. I-131 treatment was selected mainly for the cases with side effects from antithyroid drug (ATD) therapy, followed by the cases with complication of heart or hepatic diseases, recurrences of hyperthyroidism after surgery, radioiodine treatment, and long-term ATD treatment. The 41% of respondents used I-131 in order to restore euthyroidism, 34% aimed for hyperthyroidism and 41% used the dose properly between the two according to the patients. Administration dosage of I-131 was estimated mainly on the basis of thyroid uptake and volume in 93% of the respondents and 48% calculated the radiation dose by also determining the effective half-life in the thyroid gland. Thyroid size was estimated by scintigram (51%), ultrasonography (US) (33%), CT (22%) and palpation (12%). ATD treatment was used before I-131 administration by 70% of the respondents and 34% after radioiodine therapy. A low-iodine diet was given to the patients for a week (46%) or two weeks (47%) before I-131 administration. However, after treatment only 46% of the respondents continued low-iodine diet for a week. (author)

Current status of paediatric post-mortem imaging: an ESPR questionnaire-based survey

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arthurs, Owen J. [Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, Department of Radiology, London (United Kingdom); University College London, Institute of Child Health, London (United Kingdom); Rijn, Rick R. van [Academic Medical Centre, Department of Radiology, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Sebire, Neil J. [Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, Department of Pathology, London (United Kingdom); University College London, Institute of Child Health, London (United Kingdom)

2014-03-15

The use of post-mortem imaging, including skeletal radiography, CT and MRI, is increasing, providing a minimally invasive alternative to conventional autopsy techniques. The development of clinical guidelines and national standards is being encouraged, particularly for cross-sectional techniques. To outline the current practice of post-mortem imaging amongst members of the European Society of Paediatric Radiology (ESPR). We e-mailed an online questionnaire of current post-mortem service provisions to members of the ESPR in January 2013. The survey included direct questions about what services were offered, the population imaged, current techniques used, imaging protocols, reporting experience and intended future involvement. Seventy-one percent (47/66) of centres from which surveys were returned reported performing some form of post-mortem imaging in children, of which 81 % perform radiographs, 51% CT and 38% MRI. Eighty-seven percent of the imaging is performed within the radiology or imaging departments, usually by radiographers (75%), and 89% is reported by radiologists, of which 64% is reported by paediatric radiologists. Overall, 72% of positive respondents have a standardised protocol for radiographs, but only 32% have such a protocol for CT and 27% for MRI. Sixty-one percent of respondents wrote that this is an important area that needs to be developed. Overall, the majority of centres provide some post-mortem imaging service, most of which is performed within an imaging department and reported by a paediatric radiologist. However, the populations imaged as well as the details of the services offered are highly variable among institutions and lack standardisation. We have identified people who would be interested in taking this work forwards. (orig.)

Alcohol consumption trends in Australia: Comparing surveys and sales-based measures.

Science.gov (United States)

Livingston, Michael; Callinan, Sarah; Raninen, Jonas; Pennay, Amy; Dietze, Paul M

2018-04-01

Survey data remain a crucial means for monitoring alcohol consumption, but there has been limited work done to ensure that surveys adequately capture changes in per-capita consumption in Australia. In this study, we explore how trends in consumption from two major Australian surveys compare with an official measure of per-capita consumption between 2001 and 2014 and examine age-specific trends in drinking. Data were from five waves of the cross-sectional National Health Survey (total n = 113 279) and 12 waves of the longitudinal Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Study (average n = 12 347). Overall and age-specific estimates of annual alcohol consumption were derived and compared with official per-capita consumption and previous analyses of the National Drug Strategy Household Survey. In terms of overall consumption, both surveys broadly reflected trends in per-capita consumption, especially the decline that has been observed since 2007/2008. Age-specific trends were broadly similar, with the recent decline in consumption clearly concentrated among teenagers and young adults. The main Australian monitoring surveys remain useful monitoring tools for alcohol consumption in Australia. There is consistent evidence that the recent declines in Australian per-capita consumption have been driven by sharp falls in drinking among young people, a trend that requires further study. [Livingston M, Callinan S, Raninen J, Pennay A, Dietze PM. Alcohol consumption trends in Australia: Comparing surveys and sales-based measures. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;00:000-000]. © 2017 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Use of patients' mobile phones to store and share personal health information: results of a questionnaire survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Tawara, Satoru; Yonemochi, Yasuhiro; Kosaka, Takayuki; Kouzaki, Yanosuke; Takita, Tomohiro; Tsuruta, Toshihisa

2013-01-01

To explore the opinions of outpatients concerning a new communication method: the self-management of assessed personal problems in health information records (SAPPHIRE) using patients' mobile phones to store and share medical content (medical SAPPHIRE, or m-SAPPHIRE). A cross-sectional questionnaire survey. Patients Outpatients who visited us from March 1 to May 30, 2012, were asked to complete a questionnaire survey regarding SAPPHIRE and m-SAPPHIRE. The m-SAPPHIRE data consisted of a problem list, height, weight, waist size and active medication list. Ten questions were asked regarding the usefulness of m-SAPPHIRE, the sharing of m-SAPPHIRE and the use of mobile phones to store m-SAPPHIRE data. One hundred and ninety-three patients (male/female, 79/114; mean age, 57±21 years) were registered: 95.9% answered that m-SAPPHIRE would be useful, 98% agreed to manage their personal health records by themselves, and 95.8%, 93.8%, and 92.8% of the patients responded that they would allow m-SAPPHIRE information to be shared with family members, medical workers, and health care providers, respectively. Of the patients, 75.1% responded that they owned a mobile phone, and 43.5% answered that they could enter m-SAPPHIRE information into a mobile phone by themselves, while 27.5% responded that they could do so with someone's help. Patients believe that m-SAPPHIRE would be useful for retrieving their health records during emergency situations or for sharing with family members and medical and health care providers. SAPPHIRE using mobile phones could be an inexpensive and legal method for sharing medical data.

Devil in the Detail: Using a Pupil Questionnaire Survey in an Evaluation of Out-of-School Classes for Gifted and Talented Children

Science.gov (United States)

Lambert, Mike

2008-01-01

The use of questionnaires to evaluate educational initiatives is widespread, but often problematic. This paper examines four aspects of an evaluation survey carried out with very able pupils attending out-of-school classes: ethics, design, bias and interpretation. There is a particular focus on the interpretation and analysis of pupils' answers to…

[Questionnaire survey on medical care for male urethritis in community clinics in Shiga prefecture].

Science.gov (United States)

Yamashita, Hiroto; Araki, Isao; Kageyama, Susumu; Baba, Masato; Nakano, Etsuji; Okada, Yusaku

2014-01-01

Six regional medical associations in Shiga prefecture agreed to cooperate in an investigation of medical care for male gonococcal and chlamydial urethritis. In June 2011, we sent a questionnaire to 372 medical offices in Shiga prefecture, and analyzed replies of respondents. Ten urologists and 175 non-urologists responded to the survey (response rate 49.7%). Among 185 physicians, 52 (10 urologists and 42 nonurologists) have treated male patients with gonococcal and chlamydial urethritis. More than 20% (42/175) of non-urological clinics are involved in the medical management. At initial diagnosis for sexually transmitted male urethritis, all urologists select the nucleic acid amplification method (100%), whereas many non-urologists do not (35%). For the treatment of chlamydial urethritis, non-urologists select levofloxacin (LVFX, 52.8%) rather than azithromycin (AZM, 22.0%), whereas urologists use AZM (78.0%) mostly but do not use LVFX (0%) (p = 0.023). For the treatment of gonococcal urethritis, non-urologists prefer oral new quinolones (53.1%) compared to urologists (25.0%) (p = 0. 74). For cure judgment of gonoccocal and chlamydial urethritis, many non-urologists rely on the improvement of subjective symptoms (50 and 47%), but urologists do not (10 and 0%) (p = 0.022 and 0.026, respectively). As for recognition of the clinical guideline for sexually transmitted disease, most urologists (90%) know it, but few non-urologists (13%) do (p urethritis in Shiga prefecture. It is important to standardize the medical care for sexually transmitted male urethritis by familiarizing non-urological practitioners with the clinical guideline.

Transcultural adaptation and validation of the Celiac Disease Quality of Life (CD-QOL survey, a specific questionnaire to measure quality of life in patients with celiac disease

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Francesc Casellas

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction: celiac disease is a chronic condition that requires continued treatment, with the resultant impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL of people who suffer it. Most studies in this field have used generic questionnaires to measure HRQOL in celiac patients. It was therefore decided to conduct a study to translate into Spanish and validate a specific questionnaire for celiac disease, the Celiac Disease Quality Of Life Survey (CD-QOL. Objectives: to translate and validate in Spanish the specific celiac disease questionnaire CD-QOL. Methods: a multicenter, prospective, observational study was designed consisting of two phases: In the first phase, the questionnaire was translated and adapted into Spanish using the translation/back translation procedure and an understandability study. In the second phase, internal consistency of the translated questionnaire was analyzed. For this, results of the CD-QOL were compared to those of EuroQol and the Daily Fatigue Impact Scale (D-FIS. Understandability of the translated and adapted questionnaire was tested in six patients, and the validation study was done in 298 celiac patients (201 treated with a gluten-free diet and 97 at diagnosis. Results: in both celiac groups, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was high (0.90, feasibility was excellent (99.2 % of patients completed all questions, and there were no ceiling and floor effects. Spearman correlation to EuroQol and D-FIS was statistically significant (p < 0.05. CD-QOL score was different depending on whether state of health was good, fair, or poor based on the EuroQol score. Conclusion: the Spanish version of the CD-QOL is a valid tool for measuring HRQOL in celiac patients.

Radiographers' professional knowledge regarding parameters and safety issues in plain radiography: a questionnaire survey.

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Farajollahi, A R; Fouladi, D F; Ghojazadeh, M; Movafaghi, A

2014-08-01

To review the knowledge of radiographers and examine the possible sociodemographic and situational contributors to this knowledge. A questionnaire survey was devised and distributed to a cohort of 120 radiographers. Each questionnaire contained two sections. In the first section, background data, including sex, age, highest academic level, grade point average (GPA), length of time from graduation, work experience as a radiographer and the status of previous refresher course(s), were collected. The second section contained 17 multiple-choice questions concerning radiographic imaging parameters and safety issues. The response rate was 63.8%. In univariate analytic model, higher academic degree (p workplace (p = 0.04) and taking previous refresher course(s) (p = 0.01) were significantly associated with higher knowledge score. In multivariate analytic model, however, higher academic degree (B = 1.62; p = 0.01), higher GPA (B = 0.50; p = 0.01) and taking previous refresher course(s) (B = -1.26; p = 0.03) were independently associated with higher level of knowledge. Age, sex, length of time from graduation and work experience were not associated with the respondents' knowledge score. Academic background is a robust indicator of a radiographer's professional knowledge. Refresher courses and regular knowledge assessments are highly recommended. This is the first study in the literature that examines professional knowledge of radiographers in terms of technical and safety issues in plain radiography. Academic degree, GPA and refresher courses are independent predictors of this knowledge. Regular radiographer professional knowledge checks may be recommended.

High incidence of sleep problems in children with developmental disorders: results of a questionnaire survey in a Japanese elementary school.

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Matsuoka, Michiko; Nagamitsu, Shinichiro; Iwasaki, Mizue; Iemura, Akiko; Yamashita, Yushiro; Maeda, Masaharu; Kitani, Shingo; Kakuma, Tatsuyuki; Uchimura, Naohisa; Matsuishi, Toyojiro

2014-01-01

The aim of the present school-based questionnaire was to analyze the sleep problems of children with developmental disorders, such as pervasive developmental disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The sleep problems of 43 children with developmental disorders were compared with those of 372 healthy children (control group). All children attended one public elementary school in Kurume, Japan; thus, the study avoided the potential bias associated with hospital-based surveys (i.e. a high prevalence of sleep disturbance) and provided a more complete picture of the children's academic performance and family situation compared with a control group under identical conditions. Children's sleep problems were measured with the Japanese version of the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ). Children with developmental disorders had significantly higher total CSHQ scores, as well as mean scores on the parasomnias and sleep breathing subscales, than children in the control group. The total CSHQ score, bedtime resistance, sleep onset delay, and daytime sleepiness worsened with increasing age in children with developmental disorders; in contrast, these parameters were unchanged or became better with age in the control group. In children with developmental disorders, there was a significant association between a higher total CSHQ score and lower academic performance, but no such association was found in the control group. For both groups, children's sleep problems affected their parents' quality of sleep. There were no significant differences in physical, lifestyle, and sleep environmental factors, or in sleep/wake patterns, between the two groups. Children with developmental disorders have poor sleep quality, which may affect academic performance. It is important for physicians to be aware of age-related differences in sleep problems in children with developmental disorders. Further studies are needed to identify the association between sleep quality and

Simple questionnaire and urine reagent strips compared to microscopy for the diagnosis of Schistosoma haematobium in a community in northern Ghana.

Science.gov (United States)

Bogoch, Isaac I; Andrews, Jason R; Dadzie Ephraim, Richard K; Utzinger, Jürg

2012-10-01

To evaluate the utility of a simple questionnaire and urine reagent strip testing for the rapid diagnosis of Schistosoma haematobium in rural northern Ghana. Cross-sectional parasitological and questionnaire survey in a community in northern Ghana. Participants provided two urine specimens that were examined under a microscope using a centrifugation method. The first urine sample was additionally subjected to reagent strip testing. A short questionnaire was administered to all participants. Microscopy of urine samples obtained from 208 individuals aged 1-77 years revealed an S. haematobium prevalence of 6.8%. The presence of any blood or protein on a urine reagent strip was 100% and 42% sensitive, and 93% and 80% specific for S. haematobium diagnosis. Questionnaires were completed by 198 individuals. Self-reported haematuria showed a sensitivity of 53% and a specificity of 85%. A dichotomous two-question panel was helpful in S. haematobium diagnosis, with working and playing near the river significantly associated with S. haematobium infection (P < 0.001). The use of urine reagent strips, coupled with questions pertaining to water contact patterns, might be considered for point-of-contact diagnosis of S. haematobium where microscopy is unavailable. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Nuclear wastes, a questionnaire

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1980-01-01

Questionnaire giving basic information for the public on nuclear wastes and radioactive waste management. Risk and regulations to reduce the risk to permissible limits are more particularly developed. A survey of radioactive wastes is made along the fuel cycle: production, processing, transport, disposal to end on effect of waste management on the cost of nuclear kWh [fr

Mode Equivalence of Health Indicators Between Data Collection Modes and Mixed-Mode Survey Designs in Population-Based Health Interview Surveys for Children and Adolescents: Methodological Study

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffmann, Robert; Houben, Robin; Krause, Laura; Kamtsiuris, Panagiotis; Gößwald, Antje

2018-01-01

range of health indicators for children and adolescents were compared by survey design and data collection mode by calculating predictive margins from regression models. Results There were no statistically significant differences in sociodemographic characteristics or health indicators between the single-mode control group and any of the mixed-mode survey designs. Differences in sociodemographic characteristics between SAQ-Web and SAQ-paper were found. Web respondents were more likely to be male, have higher levels of education, and higher household income compared with paper respondents. After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, only one of the 38 analyzed health indicators showed different prevalence rates between the data collection modes, with a higher prevalence rate for lifetime alcohol consumption among the online-responding adolescents (P<.001). Conclusions These results suggest that mode bias is limited in health interview surveys for children and adolescents using a mixed-mode design with Web-based and paper questionnaires. PMID:29506967

The gastro-esophageal reflux disease questionnaire using Indonesian language: A language validation survey

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Marcellus Simadibrata

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Background: The aims of this study were to test the usefulness of the Gastro-esophageal Reflux Disease Questionnaire (GERDQ in the diagnosis of GERD, to validate the GERDQ written in Indonesian language, and to evaluate the reliability of the GERDQ for use in Indonesian-speaking GERD patients (Virginia study.Methods: This was a prospective survey of 40 patients diagnosed with GERD, based on an endoscopic examination, in 3 cities in Indonesia (Jakarta, Bandung, and Surabaya from 15 January to 15 May 2009. Patients were asked to complete the GERDQ, and the validity and reliability of the questionnaire were assessed.Results: The percentages of respondents who reported symptoms lasting 4–7 days were as follows: 68% had a burning sensation behind the breastbone (heartburn; 65% had stomach content (fluid move upwards to the throat or mouth (regurgitation; 70% had a pain in the centre of the upper abdomen; 58% had nausea; 63% had difficulty sleeping because of the heartburn and/or regurgitation; and 63% took additional medication for heartburn and/or regurgitation. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.83, indicating that all of the questions in the Indonesian-language GERDQ are valid and reliable for Indonesian GERD patients.Conclusions: This study achieved the primary objectives and showed that the GERDQ is valid and reliable for use with Indonesian-speaking GERD patients. The results were consistent with those of the DIAMOND study, which showed that the GERDQ can be used to diagnose GERD on the basis of the reported symptoms. (Med J Indones 2011; 20:125-30Keyword: GERD, GERDQ, Reliability test, Validity test, Virginia study

Study on the perception of orthodontic treatment according to age: A questionnaire survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yoonji

2017-07-01

This questionnaire study aimed to estimate the overall frequencies of positive perception towards orthodontic treatment among adults categorized according to age, sex, and area of living, and to identify barriers or negative perceptions preventing them from receiving orthodontic treatment. The participants included 598 adults aged over 20 years (230 men and 368 women) who visited the Dental Hospital of Seoul St. Mary's Hospital. The participants' opinions regarding their consideration of receiving orthodontic treatment were recorded using a specially designed questionnaire. The overall rate of positive perception towards orthodontic treatment was 48.5%. Compared to adults in their 20s (63.2%), those in their 40s and 50s had a lower percentage of interest in orthodontic treatment (46.2% and 45.1%, respectively; p orthodontic treatment. The middle-aged had a relatively high percentage of interest (above 45%) in orthodontic treatment. However, demographic characteristics were not significantly associated with the positive interest. These results highlight the need for educating the middle-aged about the limitations and possibilities of orthodontic treatment to increase its acceptance.

Development of a questionnaire to assess medical competencies: Reliability and validity of the Questionnaire

Science.gov (United States)

Giesler, Marianne; Forster, Johannes; Biller, Silke; Fabry, Götz

2011-01-01

Introduction: While preparing a graduate survey for medical education in 2008 we realized that no instrument existed that would be suitable to evaluate whether the learning outcomes outlined in the Medical Licensure Act (ÄAppO) would be met. Therefore we developed the Freiburg Questionnaire to Assess Competencies in Medicine (Freiburger Fragebogen zur Erfassung von Kompetenzen in der Medizin, FKM)1 which has been revised and extended several times since then. Currently the FKM includes 45 items which are assigned to nine domains that correspond to the CanMEDS roles: medical expertise, communication, team-work, health and prevention, management, professionalism, learning, scholarship, and personal competencies. Methods: In order to test the reliability and validity of the questionnaire we have repeatedly surveyed medical students and residents since May 2008. In this article we report on the results of a cross-sectional study with 698 medical students from the preclinical and clinical years. In addition, we report the results of a survey of 514 residents who were up to two years into their residency. Results and conclusions: In summary, results show that the scales of the FKM are reliable (Cronbach’s α between .68 and .97). Significant differences in means between selected groups of students support the measure’s construct validity. Furthermore, there is evidence that the FKM might be used as a screening tool e.g. in graduate surveys to identify weaknesses in the medical education curriculum. PMID:21818241

Validation of the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ

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Edyta Suliga

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction : The results of many studies confirm the positive effect of physical activity during pregnancy on the health of both mother and child. Due to this, it is important to use standardised methods of its assessment. In 2004, Chasan-Taber et al. developed the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ, taking into account household/caregiving activities, occupational activities, sports/exercise activities, transportation activities, and inactivity. Aim of the research : The validation of the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ by determination of its reproducibility. Material and methods : The questionnaire was validated from June 2014 to February 2015 among 164 women. The respondents were surveyed twice in a 2-week interval. The repeatability of the questionnaire was verified by determining the Pearson correlation coefficient between the results obtained for the same people in the first and second interview, thus determining the intra-subject variability. Inter-subject variability was analysed by comparing the average values of physical activity for the whole group using the Student’s t-test for dependent samples. Results : For all levels of physical activity, a high correlation between the results obtained in both interviews was found. The correlation coefficient for total physical activity was r = 0.96. The reproducibility of the results obtained from PPAQ questionnaire was the highest for inactivity and moderate activity (r = 0.96. The analysis according to the type of activity showed that the reproducibility was the highest for occupational activity (r = 0.98. Conclusions : High reproducibility of results obtained using PPAQ questionnaire was found. This allows the assessed questionnaire to be considered as an accurate measurement tool that can be a source of reliable information about physical activity in pregnant women.

A closer look at web questionnaire design

OpenAIRE

Toepoel, V.

2008-01-01

This dissertation deals with the design of online questionnaires and its consequences for data quality: what is the effect of the number of items placed on a screen, the response categories, layout choices et cetera. It also focuses on attrition and panel conditioning: what do people learn from taking surveys both in content and in the response process. In short: A Closer Look at Web Questionnaire Design.

Voiding patterns in men evaluated by a questionnaire survey

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sommer, P; Nielsen, K K; Bauer, T

1990-01-01

A questionnaire on obstructive and irritative voiding symptoms was sent to 572 men aged between 20 and 79 years, selected at random from the National Register; 337 questionnaires were completed. None of the responders had consulted a doctor because of voiding symptoms. There was a significant...... voiding symptoms in men aged 60 to 79 years without subjective prostatism was the same as in patients admitted with prostatism, although most of the men had milder symptoms. Only nocturia and urge incontinence were more prevalent in patients admitted with prostatism. About 20% of men in the oldest decades...... had symptoms equal in severity to those found in men undergoing prostatectomy; 29% and 11% of men in the eighth decade [corrected] had nocturia twice and 3 times or more respectively; 19% complained of urge incontinence. More information on possible treatment is needed....

Further validation of the peripheral artery questionnaire: results from a peripheral vascular surgery survey in the Netherlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Smolderen, K G; Hoeks, S E; Aquarius, A E; Scholte op Reimer, W J; Spertus, J A; van Urk, H; Denollet, J; Poldermans, D

2008-11-01

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is associated with adverse cardiovascular events and can significantly impair patients' health status. Recently, marked methodological improvements in the measurement of PAD patients' health status have been made. The Peripheral Artery Questionnaire (PAQ) was specifically developed for this purpose. We validated a Dutch version of the PAQ in a large sample of PAD patients. Cross-sectional study. The Dutch PAQ was completed by 465 PAD patients (70% men, mean age 65+/-10 years) participating in the Euro Heart Survey Programme. Principal components analysis and reliability analyses were performed. Convergent validity was documented by comparing the PAQ with EQ-5D scales. Three factors were discerned; Physical Function, Perceived Disability, and Treatment Satisfaction (factor loadings between 0.50 and 0.90). Cronbach's alpha values were excellent (mean alpha=0.94). Shared variance of the PAQ domains with EQ-5D scales ranged from 3 to 50%. The Dutch PAQ proved to have good measurement qualities; assessment of Physical Function, Perceived Disability, and Treatment Satisfaction facilitates the monitoring of patients' perceived health in clinical research and practice. Measuring disease-specific health status in a reliable way becomes essential in times were a wide array of treatment options are available for PAD patients.

[Polish adaptation of swing questionnaire (Survey Work-home Interaction - Nijmegen)].

Science.gov (United States)

Mościcka-Teske, Agnieszka; Merecz, Dorota

2012-01-01

The aim of the paper is to present the Polish adaptation of Survey Work-Home Interaction - Nijmegen (SWING). The analyses were based on the survey results from two groups of subjects, a sample of workers, representative in terms of sex and age, living in urban areas (N = 600) and a group of 59 employees examined twice with a help of SWING to assess the stability of the obtained results over a month time. The analyses performed proved that the Polish version of SWING is a reliable tool for studying work-home interactions. Correlation coefficients of items with total result of negative work-home interaction (WHI) subscale varied from 0.51 to 0.74, with positive WHI subscale from 0.26 to 0.60, negative home-work interaction (HWI) subscale, from 0.54 to 0.68 and positive HWI subscale from 0.31 to 0.59. Cronbach's alpha for the whole survey was 0.79, and for subscales varied from 0.73 to 0.89. The results of factorial analysis confirmed a our-factor structure of SWING. Factors I, items had loading from 0.58 to 0.81; II, from 0.29 to 0.78; III, from 0.60 to 0.80; and IV, from 0.28 to 0.74. The values of fit index for a four-factor model, were 0.91 (NNFI), 0.06 (RMSEA), and 0.92 (CFI), which means that this model is characterized by a good fit to empirical data. The correlation coefficient between two measurements at one month interval were also high and reached the range of 0.63 to 0.84. The results obtained are comparable to the psychometric characteristic of the English version of SWING.

A questionnaire survey on sleeping thermal environment and bedroom air conditioning in high-rise residences in Hong Kong

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, Z. [Institute of Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Gas Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai (China); Deng, S. [Department of Building Services Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR (China)

2006-07-01

This paper reports on the results of a questionnaire survey on sleeping thermal environment and bedroom air conditioning in high-rise residential buildings in Hong Kong. The survey aimed at investigating the current situation of sleeping thermal environment and bedroom air conditioning, in order to gather relevant background information to develop strategies for bedroom air conditioning in the subtropics. It focused on the use patterns and types of bedroom air conditioning systems used, human factors such as the use of bedding and sleep wear during sleep, preference for indoor air temperature settings in bedrooms, ventilation control at nighttime with room air conditioner (RAC) turned on, etc. The results of the survey showed that most of the respondents would prefer a relatively low indoor air temperature at below 24 {sup o}C. Most of the respondents might however not be satisfied with the indoor air quality (IAQ) in bedrooms in Hong Kong. On the other hand, 68% of the respondents did not use any ventilation control intentionally during their sleep with their RACs turned on. A lack of knowledge of the ventilation control devices provided on window type room air conditioners (WRACs) indicated an urgent need for user education. (author)

A Questionnaire Survey of the Type of Support Required by Yogo Teachers to Effectively Manage Students Suspected of Having an Eating Disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Seike, Kaoru; Hanazawa, Hisashi; Ohtani, Toshiyuki; Takamiya, Shizuo; Sakuta, Ryoichi; Nakazato, Michiko

2016-01-01

Many studies have focused on the decreasing age of onset of eating disorders (EDs). Because school-age children with EDs are likely to suffer worse physical effects than adults, early detection and appropriate support are important. The cooperation of Yogo teachers is essential in helping these students to find appropriate care. To assist Yogo teachers, it is helpful to clarify the encounter rates (the proportion of Yogo teachers who have encountered ED students) and kinds of requested support (which Yogo teachers felt necessary to support ED students). There are no studies that have surveyed the prevalence rates of ED children by ED type as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5), nor were we able to find any quantitative study surveying the kinds of support Yogo teachers feel helpful to support ED students. A questionnaire survey was administered to 655 Yogo teachers working at elementary/junior high/senior high/special needs schools in Chiba Prefecture. The questionnaire asked if the respondents had encountered students with each of the ED types described in DSM-5 (anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), binge eating disorder (BED), avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), and other types of EDs (Others)), and the kinds of support they felt necessary to support these students. The encounter rates and the kinds of requested were obtained and compared, taking their confidence intervals into consideration. The encounter rates for AN, BN, BED, ARFID, and Others were 48.4, 14.0, 8.4, 10.7, and 4.6 %, respectively. When classified by school type, AN, BN, BED, and ARFID had their highest encounter rates in senior high schools. Special needs schools had the highest rate for Others. The support most required for all ED types was "a list of medical/consultation institutions." Our results have clarified how to support Yogo teachers in the early detection and support of ED students. We found that the

Quality-of-life evaluation in chronic wounds: comparative analysis of three disease-specific questionnaires.

Science.gov (United States)

Augustin, Matthias; Baade, Katrin; Heyer, Kristina; Price, Patricia E; Herberger, Katharina; Wild, Thomas; Engelhardt, Michael; Debus, Eike S

2017-12-01

The study directly compared the feasibility and performance of three instruments measuring health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in chronic ulcers: the Freiburg Life Quality Assessment for wounds (FLQA-w), the Cardiff Wound Impact Schedule (CWIS) and the Würzburg Wound Score (WWS). The questionnaires were evaluated in a randomly assigned order in a longitudinal observational study of leg ulcer patients. Psychometric properties (internal consistency, responsiveness and construct validity) were analysed. Patient acceptance was recorded. Analysis of n = 154 patients revealed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha ≥ 0·85) for all instruments. There were minor floor effects in all questionnaires (acceptance was highest in the FLQA-w for wounds (54% best preferences) and lowest in the WWS (14%). In conclusion, the FLQA-w, the CWIS and the WWS are reliable, sensitive and valid instruments for the assessment of HRQoL in leg ulcers. However, they show differences in clinical feasibility and patient acceptance. © 2017 Medicalhelplines.com Inc and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Early Childhood Psychosocial Screening in Culturally Diverse Populations: A Survey of Clinical Experience With the Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional (ASQ:SE)

Science.gov (United States)

Lyman, D. Russell; Njoroge, Wanjiku F. M.; Willis, David W.

2007-01-01

The authors developed a qualitative study to seek the feedback of service providers with regard to the usefulness of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Social Emotional as a screening tool for multicultural populations. They addressed provider satisfaction with the tool by surveying a multidisciplinary sample of practitioners who provide a range…

Symptom distress and quality of life after stereotactic radiosurgery in patients with pituitary tumors: a questionnaire survey.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ching-Ju Yang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS is a common treatment for recurrent or residual pituitary adenomas. The persistence of symptoms and treatment related complications may impair the patient's quality of life (QOL. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine symptom distress, QOL, and the relationship between them among patients with pituitary tumors who had undergone SRS. METHODS: This study used a cross-sectional design and purposive sampling. We enrolled patients diagnosed with pituitary tumors who had undergone SRS. Data were collected at the CyberKnife Center at a medical center in Northern Taiwan in 2012. A questionnaire survey was used for data collection. Our questionnaire consisted of 3 parts the Pituitary Tumor Symptom Distress Questionnaire, the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument Short-Form (WHOQOL-BREF, and a demographic questionnaire. RESULTS: Sixty patients were enrolled in the study. The most common symptoms reported by patients after SRS were memory loss, fatigue, blurred vision, headache, sleep problems, and altered libido. The highest and lowest scores for QOL were in the environmental and psychological domains, respectively. Age was positively correlated with general health and the psychological domains. Level of symptom distress was negatively correlated with overall QOL, general health, physical health, and the psychological and social relationships domains. The scores in the psychological and environmental domains were higher in males than in females. Patients with ≤6 symptoms had better overall QOL, general health, physical health, and psychological and social relationships than those with >6 symptoms. CONCLUSION: Symptom distress can affect different aspects of patient QOL. Levels of symptom distress, number of symptoms, age, and gender were variables significantly correlated with patient QOL. These results may be utilized by healthcare personnel to design educational and targeted

QUESTIONNAIRES PRETESTING IN MARKETING RESEARCH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ALINA-MIHAELA BABONEA

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Designing the perfect survey questionnaire is impossible. However, researchers can still create an effective research. To make your questionnaire effective, it is necessary to pretest it before actually using it. The following paper reveals some general guidelines on pretesting and what to do for a more effective marketing research giving the fact that the existing literature highlights the importance and indispensability of pretesting and on the other hand, does not provide sufficient information in terms of methodology about it. Also, we have tried to explain the importance of questionnaires pretesting before applying them in order to obtain the best results in marketing research and we’ve kept in mind that high quality in this domain means using new tools and improving the existing ones if one searches for efficient results.

Primer on Health Surveys

OpenAIRE

David L Nordstrom; David L Nordstrom

2012-01-01

The aim of this paper is to introduce novice researchers to surveys as a method of data collection. It starts with the definition of a survey, its major purposes and types as well as changes in the goals surveys have helped to achieve over time. Advantages and disadvantages of surveys over population censuses and medical examinations are discussed. Approaches to questionnaire construction are introduced along with properties that questionnaires are evaluated for. Modes of administration, sam...

Questionnaire survey of SPECT studies after the supply shortage of Tc-99m and model analysis concerning earnings and expenditure of generator use

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kinoshita, Ryo; Kosuda, Shigeru; Koike, Katsumi; Arai, Takashi

2012-01-01

A questionnaire survey was conducted to evaluate decrease in SPECT studies and its causes after the cessation of long supply shortage of 99 Mo/ 99 mTc generators. Of the replies by the chief nuclear medicine technologists, no necessity for 99 Mo/ 99 mTc generator use or for domestic supply of 99 mTc unexpectedly accounted for 25% and 46%, respectively. Generator use leads to an additional profit by 8654 yen per patient, compared to purchase of commercially available 99 mTc-labeled kits. It is essential to install a 99 Mo/ 99 mTc generator to perform emergency SPECT studies, increase a profit in hospital management, reduction of financial issues in patients, and pediatric studies. This adverse circumstance, however, may provide a good opportunity to instruct nuclear medicine specialists to be aware of the importance mentioned above in medical meetings. (author)

Results on a Questionnaire to Soil Surveyors Around the World ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Seventy respondents from 40 countries replied to a questionnaire on methodologies used in soil surveys. Observations and conclusions worth noting are given. Some terminologies in soil surveys are not conceived and used consistently by soil surveyors. The nature of soil surveys is determined by soil surveyors ...

Comparative Study of Complex Survey Estimation Software in ONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andy Fallows

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Many official statistics across the UK Government Statistical Service (GSS are produced using data collected from sample surveys. These survey data are used to estimate population statistics through weighting and calibration techniques. For surveys with complex or unusual sample designs, the weighting can be fairly complicated. Even in more simple cases, appropriate software is required to implement survey weighting and estimation. As with other stages of the survey process, it is preferable to use a standard, generic calibration tool wherever possible. Standard tools allow for efficient use of resources and assist with the harmonisation of methods. In the case of calibration, the Office for National Statistics (ONS has experience of using the Statistics Canada Generalized Estimation System (GES across a range of business and social surveys. GES is a SAS-based system and so is only available in conjunction with an appropriate SAS licence. Given recent initiatives and encouragement to investigate open source solutions across government, it is appropriate to determine whether there are any open source calibration tools available that can provide the same service as GES. This study compares the use of GES with the calibration tool ‘R evolved Generalized software for sampling estimates and errors in surveys’ (ReGenesees available in R, an open source statistical programming language which is beginning to be used in many statistical offices. ReGenesees is a free R package which has been developed by the Italian statistics office (Istat and includes functionality to calibrate survey estimates using similar techniques to GES. This report describes analysis of the performance of ReGenesees in comparison to GES to calibrate a representative selection of ONS surveys. Section 1.1 provides a brief introduction to the current use of SAS and R in ONS. Section 2 describes GES and ReGenesees in more detail. Sections 3.1 and 3.2 consider methods for

Comparing a combination of validated questionnaires and level III portable monitor with polysomnography to diagnose and exclude sleep apnea.

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Pereira, Effie J; Driver, Helen S; Stewart, Steven C; Fitzpatrick, Michael F

2013-12-15

Questionnaires have been validated as screening tools in adult populations at risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Portable monitors (PM) have gained acceptance for confirmation of OSA in some patients with a high pretest probability of the disorder. We evaluated the combined diagnostic utility of 3 validated questionnaires and a Level III PM in the diagnosis and exclusion of OSA, as compared with in-laboratory polysomnography (PSG) derived apnea hypopnea index (AHI). Consecutive patients referred to the Sleep Disorders Clinic completed 3 testing components: (1) 3 questionnaires (Berlin, STOP-Bang, and Sleep Apnea Clinical Score [SACS]); (2) Level III at-home PM (MediByte) study; and (3) Level I in-laboratory PSG. The utility of individual questionnaires, the Level III device alone, and the combination of questionnaires and the Level III device were compared with the PSG. One hundred twenty-eight patients participated in the study (84M, 44F), mean ± SD age 50 ± 12.3years, BMI 31 ± 6.6 kg/m(2). At a PSG threshold AHI = 10, the PM derived respiratory disturbance index (RDI) had a sensitivity and specificity of 79% and 86%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity for the other screening tools were: Berlin 88%, 25%; STOP-Bang 90%, 25%; SACS 33%, 75%. The sensitivity and specificity at a PSG AHI = 15 were: PM 77%, 95%; Berlin 91%, 28%; STOP-Bang 93%, 28%; SACS 35%, 78%. Questionnaires alone, possibly given a reliance on sleepiness as a symptom, cannot reliably rule out the presence of OSA. Objective physiological measurement is critical for the diagnosis and exclusion of OSA.

Registered nurses' education and their views on competence development in municipal elderly care in Sweden: a questionnaire survey.

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Josefsson, Karin; Sonde, Lars; Wahlin, Tarja-Brita Robins

2007-02-01

Recent changes of municipal elderly care in Sweden have resulted in that persons 65 years and older, previously nursed in hospital facilities, are now being cared for in the municipality. This change has had a significant impact on the work situation of registered nurses (RNs) and calls for appropriate educational preparation to enable RNs to undertake their new roles effectively. The main focus was to describe RNs' education and their view of competence development in municipal elderly care. Another aim was to compare RNs working solely in dementia care (DC) with those working in general elder care (GC) of older persons with diverse diagnoses. A non-experimental, descriptive design with a survey research approach was used. Sixty special housing with subunits including those offering daytime activities in a large city in the middle of Sweden. The number of participating RNs was a total of 213, with a response rate of 62.3%. Of the 213 RNs, 95 (44.6%) worked in DC, and 118 (55.4%) in GC. A questionnaire survey. The findings showed that RNs possessed a broad range of competence. The majority lacked a bachelor's degree in nursing. Few had adequate specialist competence. RNs' in DC wanted to invest more in competence development whereas RNs in GC were more motivated to attain greater authority in the making of important decisions and to seek another position. An important future prospect is to develop the competence of RNs in elderly care. In order to ensure high quality and security in elderly care, it is also essential to increase the number of RNs with specialist competence.

Characteristics of service users and provider organisations associated with experience of out of hours general practitioner care in England: population based cross sectional postal questionnaire survey

OpenAIRE

Warren, Fiona C; Abel, Gary; Lyratzopoulos, Georgios; Elliott, Marc N; Richards, Suzanne; Barry, Heather E; Roland, Martin; Campbell, John L

2015-01-01

Objective: To investigate the experience of users of out of hours general practitioner services in England, UK. Design: Population based cross sectional postal questionnaire survey. Setting: General Practice Patient Survey 2012-13. Main outcome measures: Potential associations between sociodemographic factors (including ethnicity and ability to take time away from work during working hours to attend a healthcare consultation) and provider organisation type (not for profit, NHS, or commercial)...

Improving the Quality of Adult Mortality Data Collected in Demographic Surveys: Validation Study of a New Siblings' Survival Questionnaire in Niakhar, Senegal

Science.gov (United States)

Helleringer, Stéphane; Pison, Gilles; Masquelier, Bruno; Kanté, Almamy Malick; Douillot, Laetitia; Duthé, Géraldine; Sokhna, Cheikh; Delaunay, Valérie

2014-01-01

Background In countries with limited vital registration, adult mortality is frequently estimated using siblings' survival histories (SSHs) collected during Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). These data are affected by reporting errors. We developed a new SSH questionnaire, the siblings' survival calendar (SSC). It incorporates supplementary interviewing techniques to limit omissions of siblings and uses an event history calendar to improve reports of dates and ages. We hypothesized that the SSC would improve the quality of adult mortality data. Methods and Findings We conducted a retrospective validation study among the population of the Niakhar Health and Demographic Surveillance System in Senegal. We randomly assigned men and women aged 15–59 y to an interview with either the DHS questionnaire or the SSC. We compared SSHs collected in each group to prospective data on adult mortality collected in Niakhar. The SSC reduced respondents' tendency to round reports of dates and ages to the nearest multiple of five or ten (“heaping”). The SSC also had higher sensitivity in recording adult female deaths: among respondents whose sister(s) had died at an adult age in the past 15 y, 89.6% reported an adult female death during SSC interviews versus 75.6% in DHS interviews (p = 0.027). The specificity of the SSC was similar to that of the DHS questionnaire, i.e., it did not increase the number of false reports of deaths. However, the SSC did not improve the reporting of adult deaths among the brothers of respondents. Study limitations include sample selectivity, limited external validity, and multiple testing. Conclusions The SSC has the potential to collect more accurate SSHs than the questionnaire used in DHS. Further research is needed to assess the effects of the SSC on estimates of adult mortality rates. Additional validation studies should be conducted in different social and epidemiological settings. Trial Registration Controlled-Trials.com ISRCTN06849961

Personal life and working conditions of trainees and young specialists in clinical microbiology and infectious diseases in Europe: a questionnaire survey

OpenAIRE

Maraolo, A. E.; Ong, D. S. Y.; Cortez, J.; Dedi?, K.; Du?ek, D.; Martin-Quiros, A.; Maver, P. J.; Skevaki, C.; Yusuf, E.; Poljak, M.; Sanguinetti, M.; Tacconelli, E.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the balance between the personal and professional lives of trainees and young European specialists in clinical microbiology (CM) and infectious diseases (ID), and determine differences according to gender, country of training, workplace and specialty. The Steering Committee of the Trainee Association of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) devised a questionnaire survey consisting, beyond the demographic...

Mode Equivalence of Health Indicators Between Data Collection Modes and Mixed-Mode Survey Designs in Population-Based Health Interview Surveys for Children and Adolescents: Methodological Study.

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Mauz, Elvira; Hoffmann, Robert; Houben, Robin; Krause, Laura; Kamtsiuris, Panagiotis; Gößwald, Antje

2018-03-05

children and adolescents were compared by survey design and data collection mode by calculating predictive margins from regression models. There were no statistically significant differences in sociodemographic characteristics or health indicators between the single-mode control group and any of the mixed-mode survey designs. Differences in sociodemographic characteristics between SAQ-Web and SAQ-paper were found. Web respondents were more likely to be male, have higher levels of education, and higher household income compared with paper respondents. After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, only one of the 38 analyzed health indicators showed different prevalence rates between the data collection modes, with a higher prevalence rate for lifetime alcohol consumption among the online-responding adolescents (Pdesign with Web-based and paper questionnaires. ©Elvira Mauz, Robert Hoffmann, Robin Houben, Laura Krause, Panagiotis Kamtsiuris, Antje Gößwald. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 05.03.2018.

European survey of diagnosis and management of the polycystic ovary syndrome: results of the ESE PCOS Special Interest Group's Questionnaire.

Science.gov (United States)

Conway, Gerard; Dewailly, Didier; Diamanti-Kandarakis, Evanthia; Escobar-Morreale, Hector F; Franks, Steven; Gambineri, Alessandra; Kelestimur, Fahrettin; Macut, Djuro; Micic, Dragan; Pasquali, Renato; Pfeifer, Marija; Pignatelli, Duarte; Pugeat, Michel; Yildiz, Bulent

2014-10-01

There is evidence for differences between endocrinologists and other specialists in their approach to diagnosis and management of the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). A mailed survey consisting of a simple questionnaire aiming to understand current practice for diagnosis and management of the PCOS by specialists across Europe. The questionnaire consisted of 23 questions grouped to achieve information on i) the general characteristics of the respondents, ii) patients with PCOS seen by endocrinologists, iii) the main diagnostic criteria, iv) biochemical parameters used in the differential diagnosis of hyperandrogenism, v) long-term concerns, and, finally vi) treatment choices. A total of 357 questionnaires representing 13.3% of the members of European Society of Endocrinology (ESE) were available for final analysis; 93% of the respondents were endocrinologists In relation to the diagnostic criteria, respondents were most likely to select menstrual irregularity as the most frequent criteria used for the diagnosis of PCOS although very high rates were achieved for the use of hirsutism and biochemical hyperandrogenism. It therefore appears that the NIH criteria were followed by the majority of respondents. The most frequent biochemical parameters in the differential diagnosis of hyperandrogenism were total testosterone or free androgen index. Obesity and type 2 diabetes were regarded as the principal long-term concerns for PCOS. The most common treatments for patients with PCOS were metformin (33%), lifestyle modification (25%), and oral contraceptives (22%). More direct treatments of infertility include clomiphene citrate alone or in combination with metformin, prescribed by 9 and 23%, respectively, whereas only 6% used other methods for induction of ovulation. The survey produced by ESE is a good start for evaluating the perspective in the diagnosis and treatment of PCOS by endocrinologists in Europe. © 2014 European Society of Endocrinology.

Current situation regarding central venous port implantation procedures and complications: a questionnaire-based survey of 11,693 implantations in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Shiono, Masatoshi; Takahashi, Shin; Takahashi, Masanobu; Yamaguchi, Takuhiro; Ishioka, Chikashi

2016-12-01

We conducted a nationwide questionnaire-based survey to understand the current situation regarding central venous port implantation in order to identify the ideal procedure. Questionnaire sheets concerning the number of implantation procedures and the incidence of complications for all procedures completed in 2012 were sent to 397 nationwide designated cancer care hospitals in Japan in June 2013. Venipuncture sites were categorized as chest, neck, upper arm, forearm, and others. Methods were categorized as landmark, cut-down, ultrasound-mark, real-time ultrasound guided, venography, and other groups. We received 374 responses (11,693 procedures) from 153 centers (38.5 %). The overall complication rates were 7.4 % for the chest (598/8,097 cases); 6.8 % for the neck (157/2325); 5.2 % for the upper arm (54/1,033); 7.3 % for the forearm (9/124); and 6.1 % for the other groups (7/114). Compared to the chest group, only the upper arm group showed a significantly lower incidence of complications (P = 0.010), and multivariate logistic regression (odds ratio 0.69; 95 % confidence interval 0.51-0.91; P = 0.008) also showed similar findings. Real-time ultrasound-guided puncture was most commonly used in the upper arm group (83.8 %), followed by the neck (69.8 %), forearm (53.2 %), chest (41.8 %), and other groups (34.2 %). Upper arm venipuncture with ultrasound guidance seems the most promising technique to prevent complications of central venous port implantation.

Systematic review of the use of online questionnaires of older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Remillard, Meegan L; Mazor, Kathleen M; Cutrona, Sarah L; Gurwitz, Jerry H; Tjia, Jennifer

2014-04-01

To describe methodological approaches to population targeting and sampling and to summarize limitations of Internet-based questionnaires in older adults. Systematic literature review. Studies using online questionnaires in older adult populations. English-language articles using search terms for geriatric, age 65 and over, Internet survey, online survey, Internet questionnaire, and online questionnaire in PubMed and EBSCO host between 1984 and July 2012. Inclusion criteria were study population mean age 65 and older and use of an online questionnaire for research. Review of 336 abstracts yielded 14 articles for full review by two investigators; 11 articles met inclusion criteria. Articles were extracted for study design and setting, participant characteristics, recruitment strategy, country, and study limitations. Eleven articles were published after 2001. Studies had populations with a mean age of 65 to 78, included descriptive and analytical designs, and were conducted in the United States, Australia, and Japan. Recruiting methods varied widely from paper fliers and personal e-mails to use of consumer marketing panels. Investigator-reported study limitations included the use of small convenience samples and limited generalizability. Online questionnaires are a feasible method of surveying older adults in some geographic regions and for some subsets of older adults, but limited Internet access constrains recruiting methods and often limits study generalizability. © 2014, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2014, The American Geriatrics Society.

Reducing questionnaire length did not improve physician response rate: a randomized trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Bolt, Eva E; van der Heide, Agnes; Onwuteaka-Philipsen, Bregje D

2014-04-01

To examine the effect of reducing questionnaire length on the response rate in a physician survey. A postal four double-page questionnaire on end-of-life decision making was sent to a random sample of 1,100 general practitioners, 400 elderly care physicians, and 500 medical specialists. Another random sample of 500 medical specialists received a shorter questionnaire of two double pages. After 3 months and one reminder, all nonresponding physicians received an even shorter questionnaire of one double page. Total response was 64% (1,456 of 2,269 eligible respondents). Response rate of medical specialists for the four double-page questionnaire was equal to that of the two double-page questionnaire (190 and 191 questionnaires were returned, respectively). The total response rate increased from 53% to 64% after sending a short one double-page questionnaire (1,203-1,456 respondents). The results of our study suggest that reducing the length of a long questionnaire in a physician survey does not necessarily improve response rate. To improve response rate and gather more information, researchers could decide to send a drastically shortened version of the questionnaire to nonresponders. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The association between patients' beliefs about medicines and adherence to drug treatment after stroke: a cross-sectional questionnaire survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Sjölander, Maria; Eriksson, Marie; Glader, Eva-Lotta

2013-09-24

Adherence to preventive drug treatment is a clinical problem and we hypothesised that patients' beliefs about medicines and stroke are associated with adherence. The objective was to examine associations between beliefs of patients with stroke about stroke and drug treatment and their adherence to drug treatment. Cross-sectional questionnaire survey. Patients with stroke from 25 Swedish hospitals were included. Questionnaires were sent to 989 patients to assess their perceptions about stroke (Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, Brief IPQ), beliefs about medicines (Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaires, BMQ) and adherence to treatment (Medication Adherence Report Scale, MARS) 3 months after stroke onset. Only patients living at home were included in the analysis. The primary outcome was self-reported adherence as measured on MARS. MARS scores were dichotomised into adherent/non-adherent. Background and clinical data from the Swedish Stroke register were included. 811 patients were still living at home and 595 answered the questionnaire. Complete MARS data were available for 578 patients and 72 (12.5%) of these were classified as non-adherent. Non-adherent patients scored lower on positive beliefs as measured on BMQ-necessity (OR = 0.90, 95% CI 0.83 to 0.98) and BMQ-benefit (OR=0.77, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.87), and higher on negative beliefs as measured on BMQ-concern (OR=1.12, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.21), BMQ-overuse (OR=1.29, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.45), and BMQ-harm (OR=1.12, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.24). The Brief IPQ showed that non-adherent patients believed their current treatment to be less useful (p=0.001). This study showed associations between beliefs of Swedish patients with stroke about medicines and adherence. Positive beliefs were less common and negative more common among non-adherent. To improve adherence, patients' beliefs about medicines should be considered.

Impact on and use of an inner-city London Infectious Diseases Department by international migrants: a questionnaire survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooke, Graham; Hargreaves, Sally; Natkunarajah, Jana; Sandhu, Gurjinder; Dhasmana, Devesh; Eliahoo, Joseph; Holmes, Alison; Friedland, Jon S

2007-07-20

The UK has witnessed a considerable increase in immigration in the past decade. Migrant may face barriers to accessing appropriate health care on arrival and the current focus on screening certain migrants for tuberculosis on arrival is considered inadequate. We assessed the implications for an inner-city London Infectious Diseases Department in a high migrant area. We administered an anonymous 20-point questionnaire survey to all admitted patients during a 6 week period. Questions related to sociodemographic characteristics and clinical presentation. Analysis was by migration status (UK born vs overseas born). 111 of 133 patients completed the survey (response rate 83.4%). 58 (52.2%) were born in the UK; 53 (47.7%) of the cohort were overseas born. Overseas-born were over-represented in comparison to Census data for this survey site (47.7% vs 33.6%; proportional difference 0.142 [95% CI 0.049-0.235]; p = 0.002): overseas born reported 33 different countries of birth, most (73.6%) of whom arrived in the UK pre-1975 and self-reported their nationality as British. A smaller number (26.4%) were new migrants to the UK (arrival and once settled through primary care services. A more organised and holistic approach to migrant health care is required.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine use in oncology: A questionnaire survey of patients and health care professionals

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Chang, Kah Hoong

2011-05-24

Abstract Background We aimed to investigate the prevalence and predictors of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) use among cancer patients and non-cancer volunteers, and to assess the knowledge of and attitudes toward CAM use in oncology among health care professionals. Methods This is a cross-sectional questionnaire survey conducted in a single institution in Ireland. Survey was performed in outpatient and inpatient settings involving cancer patients and non-cancer volunteers. Clinicians and allied health care professionals were asked to complete a different questionnaire. Results In 676 participants including 219 cancer patients; 301 non-cancer volunteers and 156 health care professionals, the overall prevalence of CAM use was 32.5% (29.1%, 30.9% and 39.7% respectively in the three study cohorts). Female gender (p < 0.001), younger age (p = 0.004), higher educational background (p < 0.001), higher annual household income (p = 0.001), private health insurance (p = 0.001) and non-Christian (p < 0.001) were factors associated with more likely CAM use. Multivariate analysis identified female gender (p < 0.001), non-Christian (p = 0.001) and private health insurance (p = 0.015) as independent predictors of CAM use. Most health care professionals thought they did not have adequate knowledge (58.8%) nor were up to date with the best evidence (79.2%) on CAM use in oncology. Health care professionals who used CAM were more likely to recommend it to patients (p < 0.001). Conclusions This study demonstrates a similarly high prevalence of CAM use among oncology health care professionals, cancer and non cancer patients. Patients are more likely to disclose CAM usage if they are specifically asked. Health care professionals are interested to learn more about various CAM therapies and have poor evidence-based knowledge on specific oncology treatments. There is a need for further training to meet to the escalation of CAM use among patients and to raise awareness of

Impact on and use of health services by international migrants: questionnaire survey of inner city London A&E attenders.

Science.gov (United States)

Hargreaves, Sally; Friedland, Jon S; Gothard, Philip; Saxena, Sonia; Millington, Hugh; Eliahoo, Joseph; Le Feuvre, Peter; Holmes, Alison

2006-11-29

Changing immigration trends pose new challenges for the UK's open access health service and there is considerable speculation that migrants from resource-poor countries place a disproportionate burden on services. Data are needed to inform provision of services to migrant groups and to ensure their access to appropriate health care. We compared sociodemographic characteristics and impact of migrant groups and UK-born patients presenting to a hospital A&E/Walk-In Centre and prior use of community-based General Practitioner (GP) services. We administered an anonymous questionnaire survey of all presenting patients at an A&E/Walk-In Centre at an inner-city London hospital during a 1 month period. Questions related to nationality, immigration status, time in the UK, registration and use of GP services. We compared differences between groups using two-way tables by Chi-Square and Fisher's exact test. We used logistic regression modelling to quantify associations of explanatory variables and outcomes. 1611 of 3262 patients completed the survey (response rate 49.4%). 720 (44.7%) were overseas born, representing 87 nationalities, of whom 532 (73.9%) were new migrants to the UK (immigration status' were: work permit (24.4%), EU citizens (21.5%), with only 21 (1.3%) political asylum seekers/refugees. 178 (11%) reported nationalities from refugee-generating countries (RGCs), eg, Somalia, who were less likely to speak English. Compared with RGCs, and after adjusting for age and sex, the Australians, New Zealanders, and South Africans (ANS group; OR 0.28 [95% CI 0.11 to 0.71]; p = 0.008) and the Other Migrant (OM) group comprising mainly Europeans (0.13 [0.06 to 0.30]; p = 0.000) were less likely to have GP registration and to have made prior contact with GPs, yet this did not affect mode of access to hospital services across groups nor delay access to care. Recently arrived migrants are a diverse and substantial group, of whom migrants from refugee-generating countries and

A questionnaire survey of poultry layer farmers in Khartoum State, Sudan, to study their antimicrobial awareness and usage patterns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed M. Sirdar

2012-02-01

Full Text Available An initial census of layer farms in Khartoum State, Sudan, was carried out in late 2007 and early 2008 and found that there were 252 layer farms with a total population of 2 221 800 birds. This paper reports the findings of the census. Based on this information, a structured questionnaire survey of 92 farms was then conducted in the state in April 2008 to collect data on antibiotic usage, demographic data and public health awareness. Ninety-eight per cent of participating farms comprised open-sided houses. It was found that 49% of the farms surveyed were on antibiotic treatment when the survey was conducted, whilst 59% of the farms had used antibiotics within the last 3 months. The study found that farmers and producers had a lack of knowledge about antimicrobial residues, their withdrawal periods and the risk posed by the consumption of these residues. The study also concluded that traditional farming systems in Sudan relied heavily on antimicrobial medication to control disease and almost half of the farms surveyed were treating their flocks with antimicrobials. In addition to this, there was a lack of disease control programmes which probably resulted in a massive use of antibiotics to control endemic diseases. This was further compounded by the absence of governmental supervision and control on the use of drugs.

On the awareness of radiation protection. A questionnaire survey of junior college students of radiological technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kayamori, Ryo; Togashi, Atsuhiko; Yamazaki, Yoshihiro; Inakoshi, Hideki

2002-01-01

A questionnaire survey on the awareness of radiation protection was conducted to improve our curriculum of radiation protection education, which seems to be important for the safe administrative control systems and handling techniques of radiation. A total of 426 students answered our questionnaire during the period of 1994 to 1999. They were 80 first-year, 114 second-year and 232 third-year students. The facility values of 4 questions on the influence of radiation to a human body were 50.2%, 30.3%, 28.9% and 7.0%. There was no statistically significant difference among different age groups. The facility values of 3 questions on the dose limitation of occupation exposure were 50.5% (on the effective dose equivalent), 36.4% (on the tissue dose equivalent to skin), and 40.9% (on the crystalline lens). On safe handling of radiation, only 35.7% of students correctly answered that they use a plastic board to protect themselves from β-ray, while 77.0% correctly answered the question on the decontamination method of radioactive substance from the skin. The results show the students' lack of knowledge on radiation protection. Those involved in basic science education and radiation protection education, therefore, need to clarify their teaching content and offer explicit explanations on the proper dose of radiation, effects to exposure dose, interaction between different materials and radiation. (author)

Questionnaire survey of working relationships between nurses and doctors in University Teaching Hospitals in Southern Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adebamowo Clement A

2006-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Smooth working relationships between nurses and doctors are necessary for efficient health care delivery. However, previous studies have shown that this is often absent with negative impact on the quality of health care delivery. In 2002, we studied factors that affect nurse-doctor working relationships in University Teaching Hospitals (UTH in Southern Nigeria in order to characterize it and identify managerial and training needs that might be used to improve it. Method Questionnaire survey of doctors and nurses working in four UTH in Southern Nigeria was done in 2002. The setting and subjects were selected by random sampling procedures. Information on factors in domains of work, union activities, personnel and hospital management were studied using closed and open-ended questionnaires. Results Nurse-doctor working relationships were statistically significantly affected by poor after-work social interaction, staff shortages, activist unionism, disregard for one's profession, and hospital management and government policies. In general, nurses had better opinion of doctors' work than doctors had about nurses' work. Conclusion Working relationships between doctors and nurses need to be improved through improved training and better working conditions, creation of better working environment, use of alternative methods of conflict resolution and balanced hospital management and government policies. This will improve the retention of staff, job satisfaction and efficiency of health care delivery in Nigeria.

Nurses' perceptions of medication adherence in schizophrenia: results of the ADHES cross-sectional questionnaire survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Emsley, Robin; Alptekin, Koksal; Azorin, Jean-Michel; Cañas, Fernando; Dubois, Vincent; Gorwood, Philip; Haddad, Peter M; Naber, Dieter; Olivares, José Manuel; Papageorgiou, Georgios; Roca, Miguel; Thomas, Pierre; Hargarter, Ludger; Schreiner, Andreas

2015-12-01

Poor adherence to antipsychotic treatment is a widespread problem within schizophrenia therapy with serious consequences including increased risks of relapse and rehospitalization. Mounting evidence supports the key roles that nurses play in monitoring patient progress and facilitating long-term treatment adherence. The Adherencia Terapéutica en la Esquizofrenia (ADHES) nurses' survey was designed to assess the opinions of nurses on the causes and management of partial/nonadherence to antipsychotic medication. A questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey of 4120 nurses from Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Interpretation of results was based on a descriptive comparison of responses. Nurses perceived 54% of patients seen in the preceding month to be partially/nonadherent to treatment. Most nurses (90%) reported some level of experience with administration of long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics, with 24% of nurses administering >10 injections per month. The majority (85%) of nurses surveyed believed that improving adherence would improve patient outcomes. Nearly half (49%) reported that most of their patients depend on a family member or other nonprofessional carer to remind them to take their medication as prescribed. A similar proportion of nurses (43%) reported that most of their patients relied on a professional to remind them to take medication. Most nurses (92%) felt that ensuring continuous medication with LAI antipsychotics would yield long-term benefits for patients, but their opinion was that over a third of patients were unaware of LAI antipsychotic treatments. In a series of forced options, the strategy used most often by respondents (89%) to promote medication adherence was to build trusting relationships with patients while listening to and interpreting their needs and concerns. Respondents also rated this as the most effective strategy that they used (48%). Nurses are highly aware of adherence issues faced by their patients; further patient

Nurses’ perceptions of medication adherence in schizophrenia: results of the ADHES cross-sectional questionnaire survey

Science.gov (United States)

Emsley, Robin; Alptekin, Koksal; Azorin, Jean-Michel; Cañas, Fernando; Dubois, Vincent; Gorwood, Philip; Haddad, Peter M.; Naber, Dieter; Olivares, José Manuel; Papageorgiou, Georgios; Roca, Miguel; Thomas, Pierre; Hargarter, Ludger; Schreiner, Andreas

2015-01-01

Objectives: Poor adherence to antipsychotic treatment is a widespread problem within schizophrenia therapy with serious consequences including increased risks of relapse and rehospitalization. Mounting evidence supports the key roles that nurses play in monitoring patient progress and facilitating long-term treatment adherence. The Adherencia Terapéutica en la Esquizofrenia (ADHES) nurses’ survey was designed to assess the opinions of nurses on the causes and management of partial/nonadherence to antipsychotic medication. Methods: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey of 4120 nurses from Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Interpretation of results was based on a descriptive comparison of responses. Results: Nurses perceived 54% of patients seen in the preceding month to be partially/nonadherent to treatment. Most nurses (90%) reported some level of experience with administration of long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics, with 24% of nurses administering >10 injections per month. The majority (85%) of nurses surveyed believed that improving adherence would improve patient outcomes. Nearly half (49%) reported that most of their patients depend on a family member or other nonprofessional carer to remind them to take their medication as prescribed. A similar proportion of nurses (43%) reported that most of their patients relied on a professional to remind them to take medication. Most nurses (92%) felt that ensuring continuous medication with LAI antipsychotics would yield long-term benefits for patients, but their opinion was that over a third of patients were unaware of LAI antipsychotic treatments. In a series of forced options, the strategy used most often by respondents (89%) to promote medication adherence was to build trusting relationships with patients while listening to and interpreting their needs and concerns. Respondents also rated this as the most effective strategy that they used (48%). Conclusion: Nurses are highly aware of adherence

Primer on Health Surveys

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David L Nordstrom

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to introduce novice researchers to surveys as a method of data collection. It starts with the definition of a survey, its major purposes and types as well as changes in the goals surveys have helped to achieve over time. Advantages and disadvantages of surveys over population censuses and medical examinations are discussed. Approaches to questionnaire construction are introduced along with properties that questionnaires are evaluated for. Modes of administration, sample size issues, and data analysis approaches are also introduced. The primer is illustrated with examples of surveys conducted in different countries with various public health purposes.

Breastfeeding, infant formula, and introduction to complementary foods - comparing data obtained by questionnaires and health visitors' reports to weekly short message service text messages

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bruun, Signe; Buhl, Susanne; Husby, Steffen

2017-01-01

compared. DESIGN: The study population was part of the Odense Child Cohort. The four methods used were: (a) self-administered questionnaire 3 months postpartum, (b) self-administered questionnaire 18 months postpartum, (c) registrations from health visitors visiting the families several times within...... weeks, and the mean age when introduced to complementary foods from 19 to 21 weeks. The mean duration of any breastfeeding was 33 weeks across methods. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the weekly SMS questions, the self-administered questionnaires and the health visitors' reports resulted in a greater...

Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy for Patients with Prostatic Cancer and Factors Promoting Installation of the Robotic Surgical Equipment-Questionnaire Survey

OpenAIRE

塚本, 泰司; 田中, 滋

2015-01-01

We conducted a questionnaire survey of hospitals with robot-assisted surgical equipment to study changes of the surgical case loads after its installation and the managerial strategies for its purchase. The study included 154 hospitals (as of April 2014) that were queried about their radical prostatectomy case loads from January 2009 to December 2013, strategies for installation of the equipment in their hospitals, and other topics related to the study purpose. The overall response rate of ho...

Usefulness of self-report questionnaires for psychological assessment of patients with tinnitus and hyperacusis and patients' views of the questionnaires.

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Aazh, Hashir; Moore, Brian C J

2017-07-01

The objective was to determine the relevance and applicability of psychological questionnaires to patients seeking help for tinnitus and/or hyperacusis. This was a questionnaire-based survey. The following questionnaires were administered: Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI), Mini-Social Phobia Inventory (Mini-SPIN), Obsessive Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R), Panic Disorder Severity Scale-Self Report (PDSS-SR), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Penn State Worry Questionnaire-Abbreviated version (PSWQ-A). In addition, a patient feedback questionnaire was completed asking about the extent to which each questionnaire was relevant to them and how strongly they would recommend its use in the assessment of patients with tinnitus and hyperacusis. A total of 150/402 consecutive patients seen in a one-year period completed the questionnaires. 65% of patients had abnormal scores for one or more of the questionnaires. All questionnaires except the PDSS-SR were rated as relevant and recommended for use. The GAD-7, SHAI, Mini-SPIN, OCI-R, PSWQ-A and PHQ-9 are recommended for evaluation of psychological problems for patients seeking help for tinnitus and/or hyperacusis. Abnormal results on these questionnaires may indicate the need for referral for possible treatment of psychological problems.

Knowledge of TIA among general practitioners and emergency department physicians. A questionnaire survey in a French semi-rural area.

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Massengo, Serge A; Cisse, M; Guiziou, C; Leray, E; Rajabally, Yusuf A; Edan, G

2013-08-01

Management of transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) is of vital importance in an attempt to prevent stroke. However, suboptimal management still raise concern among general practitioners (GPs) and emergency department (ED) physicians-the first medical contact of most TIA patients. This may relate to their poorly updated knowledge about TIA. The study was designed to assess knowledge of TIA among these non-neurologists. The study was a post-mailed questionnaire survey among GPs and ED physicians. The questionnaire related to selective clinical aspects on TIA. There were a total of 85 respondents for analysis, mostly GPs (n=64; 75.3%), out of 177 mailed physicians. Response rate was 52.7%. Many of these respondents were unaware of the newly proposed TIA definition (59%), unfamiliar with TIA mimics and predictors of post-TIA early stroke recurrence and therefore with the rationales underlying the need of emergency management of TIA. More than one third (39%) were unaware of the relevant national guidelines. Guidelines-aware respondents performed better in most part of the mailed questionnaire. Our results show that poorly updated knowledge about TIA among non-neurologists represents a potential contributing factor to the persisting sub-optimal management of the disorder. Although further studies are needed to confirm this, improved continuous medical education of this group of health care professionals appears warranted. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Alcohol and other substance use among medical and law students at a UK university: a cross-sectional questionnaire survey.

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Bogowicz, Paul; Ferguson, Jennifer; Gilvarry, Eilish; Kamali, Farhad; Kaner, Eileen; Newbury-Birch, Dorothy

2018-03-01

To examine the use of alcohol and other substances among medical and law students at a UK university. Anonymous cross-sectional questionnaire survey of first, second and final year medical and law students at a single UK university. 1242 of 1577 (78.8%) eligible students completed the questionnaire. Over half of first and second year medical students (first year 53.1%, second year 59.7%, final year 35.9%) had an Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) score suggestive of an alcohol use disorder (AUDIT≥8), compared with over two-thirds of first and second year law students (first year 67.2%, second year 69.5%, final year 47.3%). Approximately one-quarter of medical students (first year 26.4%, second year 28.4%, final year 23.7%) and over one-third of first and second year law students (first year 39.1%, second year 42.4%, final year 18.9%) reported other substance use within the past year. Over one-third of medical students (first year 34.4%, second year 35.6%, final year 46.3%) and approximately half or more of law students (first year 47.2%, second year 52.7%, final year 59.5%) had a Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale anxiety score suggestive of a possible anxiety disorder. Study participants had high levels of substance misuse and anxiety. Some students' fitness to practice may be impaired as a result of their substance misuse or symptoms of psychological distress. Further efforts are needed to reduce substance misuse and to improve the mental well-being of students. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

The Reproducibility and Comparative Validity of a Non-Nutritive Sweetener Food Frequency Questionnaire

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Emily A. Myers

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In order to better assess non-nutritive sweetener (NNS consumption, measurement tools with greater utility are needed. The objective of this investigation is to determine the reproducibility and validity of a newly developed NNS food frequency questionnaire (NNS-FFQ that measures five types of NNS (saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose and erythritol. Adult participants (n = 123, 56% female, 75% Caucasian, mean age = 36.8 ± 16.6 completed the NNS-FFQ twice and had 24-h dietary recalls three times over a two-week study period. Reproducibility between two administrations of the NNS-FFQ was assessed via Bland–Altman plots, Spearman’s correlations (rs and paired samples t-tests. Bland–Altman plots, Cohen’s κ, Spearman’s correlations (rs, and paired samples t-tests compared NNS intake between the two methods for validity. For reproducibility analyses, Bland–Altman analyses revealed agreement levels above the 95% acceptance level for total NNS (99.2%, erythritol (99.2%, and aspartame (96.7%. Agreement levels for acesulfame potassium (94.3%, saccharin (94.3%, and sucralose (94.3% were slightly below the acceptable level. For validity analyses, Bland–Altman analyses revealed agreement levels above the 95% acceptance level for total NNS (95.1%, sucralose (95.9%, saccharin (95.9%, and erythritol (95.1%. Agreement levels for aspartame (94.3% and acesulfame potassium (92.7% were slightly below the acceptable level. Although less than desirable agreement was found between the methods for aspartame and acesulfame potassium, some variance was expected due to the habitual nature of the NNS-FFQ as compared to the recent intake reported by recalls. Within the context of this constraint, the NNS-FFQ demonstrates acceptable reproducibility and validity. The NNS-FFQ is a brief questionnaire that could be administered among diverse participants at the individual and population levels to measure habitual NNS intake.

Questionnaire survey of current status and reserve for breast cancer screening in Mie prefecture. Achievement of a 50% participation rate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Shigeki; Tanaka, Yukio; Matsuo, Michiko

2012-01-01

Mie Medical Network of Breast Cancer Screening, a NPO, was assigned the task of breast cancer screening in Mie prefecture in April, 2010. For breast cancer screening in Mie prefecture in 2009, a questionnaire survey was performed toward both consigner and consignee. Consigners were local public offices managing breast cancer screening for local inhabitants, and consignees were facilities offering breast cancer screening. The number of breast cancer screening was investigated toward all 29 of consigners in Mie prefecture. The questionnaire survey was conducted toward all 52 of the facilities possessing mammography systems (breast cancer screening being performed at 48 of them) in Mie prefecture in 2009. We investigated the predictive additional number of breast cancer screening and also investigated the requisite number of staff to achieve the predictive maximum number of breast cancer screening. As a result, the total number of breast cancer screenings was 93,525, and the participation rate was 27.5% which was calculated by reduction of continuator in Mie prefecture in 2009. The continuator accounted for over 30% of all breast cancer screenings. The predictive additional number was 126,950, this indicates that a possible participation rate of 75.2% after 2011. To achieve this high participation rate, active support is essential for short-handed facilities, and about 20% increase of medical staff is necessary. To achieve a participation rate of over 50% as a goal, new screenees should be recruited and breast cancer screening of every other year should be enlightened. (author)

Validation of the Italian translation of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire.

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Ciccocioppo, Rachele; Klersy, Catherine; Russo, Maria Luisa; Valli, Monica; Boccaccio, Vincenzo; Imbesi, Venerina; Ardizzone, Sandro; Porro, Gabriele Bianchi; Corazza, Gino Roberto

2011-07-01

Health-related quality of life is an important measure of treatment outcome; its evaluation requires the use of internationally validated ad hoc questionnaires. The McMaster Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ) is the most used specific instrument. To assess the validity and reliability of the Italian translation of the IBDQ. The IBDQ underwent forward and backward translation; 13 patients were enrolled for cognitive testing of the Italian version to increase clarity. For field testing, 113 patients (65 with Crohn's disease and 48 with ulcerative colitis) completed both the IBDQ and the generic instrument 36-item Short Form Health Survey scale (SF-36). Data quality was optimal with high completeness and low floor and ceiling effect. Item internal consistency was satisfied for 100% of patients, while discriminant validity showed a few items with higher correlations with other scales. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.96. Test-retest correlations indicated good reliability (Pearson R 0.81). Exploratory factor analysis indicated that the original grouping of the item was suboptimal. The score proved sensitive to disease activity, gender and quality of life as measured by the SF-36. The Italian translation of the McMaster Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire sounds natural and is easy to understand. A field test gave results comparable to other international validations, supporting its use in cross-national surveys. Copyright © 2011 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Systematic comparative content analysis of 17 psychosocial work environment questionnaires using a new taxonomy.

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Kop, Jean-Luc; Althaus, Virginie; Formet-Robert, Nadja; Grosjean, Vincent

2016-04-01

Many questionnaires have been developed to measure how psychosocial characteristics are perceived in a work environment. But the content validity of these questionnaires has rarely been questioned due to the absence of a reference taxonomy for characteristics of work environments. To propose an exhaustive taxonomy of work environment characteristics involved in psychosocial risks and to apply this taxonomy to questionnaires on workplace psychosocial factors. The taxonomy was developed by categorizing factors present in the main theoretical models of the field. Questionnaire items most frequently cited in scientific literature were retained for classification. The taxonomy was structured into four hierarchical levels and comprises 53 categories. The 17 questionnaires analyzed included 927 items: 59 from the "physical environment" category, 116 from the "social environment" category, 236 from the "work activity" category, 255 from the "activity management" category, and 174 from the "organizational context" category. There are major content differences among analyzed questionnaires. This study offers a means for selecting a scale on the basis of content.

Comparing Traditional and Crowdsourcing Methods for Pretesting Survey Questions

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Jennifer Edgar

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Cognitive interviewing is a common method used to evaluate survey questions. This study compares traditional cognitive interviewing methods with crowdsourcing, or “tapping into the collective intelligence of the public to complete a task.” Crowdsourcing may provide researchers with access to a diverse pool of potential participants in a very timely and cost-efficient way. Exploratory work found that crowdsourcing participants, with self-administered data collection, may be a viable alternative, or addition, to traditional pretesting methods. Using three crowdsourcing designs (TryMyUI, Amazon Mechanical Turk, and Facebook, we compared the participant characteristics, costs, and quantity and quality of data with traditional laboratory-based cognitive interviews. Results suggest that crowdsourcing and self-administered protocols may be a viable way to collect survey pretesting information, as participants were able to complete the tasks and provide useful information; however, complex tasks may require the skills of an interviewer to administer unscripted probes.

French validation of the Barcelona Music Reward Questionnaire

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Joe Saliba

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Background. The Barcelona Music Reward Questionnaire (BMRQ questionnaire investigates the main facets of music experience that could explain the variance observed in how people experience reward associated with music. Currently, only English and Spanish versions of this questionnaire are available. The objective of this study is to validate a French version of the BMRQ. Methods. The original BMRQ was translated and adapted into an international French version. The questionnaire was then administered through an online survey aimed at adults aged over 18 years who were fluent in French. Statistical analyses were performed and compared to the original English and Spanish version for validation purposes. Results. A total of 1,027 participants completed the questionnaire. Most responses were obtained from France (89.4%. Analyses revealed that congruence values between the rotated loading matrix and the ideal loading matrix ranged between 0.88 and 0.96. Factor reliabilities of subscales (i.e., Musical Seeking, Emotion Evocation, Mood Regulation, Social Reward and Sensory-Motor also ranged between 0.88 and 0.96. In addition, reliability of the overall factor score (i.e., Music reward was 0.91. Finally, the internal consistency of the overall scale was 0.85. The factorial structure obtained in the French translation was similar to that of the original Spanish and English samples. Conclusion. The French version of the BMRQ appears valid and reliable. Potential applications of the BMRQ include its use as a valuable tool in music reward and emotion research, whether in healthy individuals or in patients suffering from a wide variety of cognitive, neurologic and auditory disorders.

Bullying of medical students in Pakistan: a cross-sectional questionnaire survey.

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Syed Ahmer

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Several studies from other countries have shown that bullying, harassment, abuse or belittlement are a regular phenomenon faced not only by medical students, but also junior doctors, doctors undertaking research and other healthcare professionals. While research has been carried out on bullying experienced by psychiatrists and psychiatry trainees in Pakistan no such research has been conducted on medical students in this country. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire survey on final year medical students in six medical colleges of Pakistan. The response rate was 63%. Fifty-two percent of respondents reported that they had faced bullying or harassment during their medical education, about 28% of them experiencing it once a month or even more frequently. The overwhelming form of bullying had been verbal abuse (57%, while consultants were the most frequent (46% perpetrators. Students who were slightly older, males, those who reported that their medical college did not have a policy on bullying or harassment, and those who felt that adequate support was not in place at their medical college for bullied individuals, were significantly more likely to have experienced bullying. CONCLUSION: Bullying or harassment is faced by quite a large proportion of medical students in Pakistan. The most frequent perpetrators of this bullying are consultants. Adoption of a policy against bullying and harassment by medical colleges, and providing avenues of support for students who have been bullied may help reduce this phenomenon, as the presence of these two was associated with decreased likelihood of students reporting having being bullied.

Questionnaire survey on mumps vaccination for parents in Nara prefecture, Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Kitano, Taito; Nishikawa, Hiroki; Onaka, Masayuki; Ishihara, Mariko; Nishiyama, Atsuko; Yoshida, Sayaka

2018-04-01

Although the mumps vaccine has not been included in the national immunization program (NIP) in Japan, it has been shown that a two-dose routine vaccine program would be highly cost-effective. In this study, we carried outa questionnaire-based study to investigate how many Japanese parents want the mumps vaccine to be included in the NIP with proper information. The questionnaire was given to parents who visited the Pediatrics or neonatal intensive care unit of Nara Prefecture General Medical Center, Nara City, Japan, between 1 March 2017 and 31 August 2017. The questionnaire consisted of information about mumps and six questions, for example (i) do parents know that mumps can be prevented by vaccine; (ii) do they know that they need to pay for mumps vaccines; and (iii) do they hope that the government will resume routine mumps vaccination. In total, 1,224 parents answered the questionnaire. A total of 81% and 75.4% of parents knew that mumps can be prevented by vaccination and that mumps vaccine is not included in the NIP, respectively, before reading the information. After reading the information, 95.0% of parents thought that mumps vaccine should be included in the NIP. While 61.7% of parents answered that they would choose two-dose vaccination without governmental financial support, 92.1% of them would choose two-dose vaccination with governmental financial support (P mumps vaccine to be included in the NIP. Japan is able to start routine use of the mumps vaccine now. © 2017 Japan Pediatric Society.

Survey of potential improvements during the course of the radiotherapy treatment. A patient questionnaire

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Momm, Felix; Jooss, David; Adebahr, Sonja; Duncker-Rohr, Viola; Heinemann, Felix; Kirste, Simon; Messmer, Marc-Benjamin; Grosu, Anca-Ligia; Xander, Carola J.; Becker, Gerhild

2011-01-01

In the context of quality assurance, increasing demands are placed on the whole radiotherapy treatment process. The patients directly concerned generally do not realize most aspects of the quality assurance program (e.g., additional safety checks) during their daily therapy. It was the aim of this study to systematically ask patients about potential improvements during the course of radiotherapy treatment from their own perspective. In the defined time span (1 month), 624 radiotherapy patients (600 questionnaires were returned, 96.2%) were interviewed using a questionnaire newly developed to inquire about several aspects of their treatment. Furthermore, they were asked for their specific needs and suggestions for improvements that could be made during the course of radiotherapy treatment. Overall, the patients were satisfied with the course of their radiotherapy treatment and with patient care. As an example, about 90% agreed with the statement: ''My first contact with the radiation oncology unit proceeded with kindness and competence so that I was given the impression that I will be well cared for in this clinic.'' Considering the organization of the course of radiotherapy, a large majority of patients attached great value to set appointments for the therapy fractions. A main point of criticism was waiting times or delays caused by servicing or machine failures. Small, low cost improvements as music in the therapy room were considered as important as expensive measures (e.g., daylight in the therapy room). The patients emphasized the importance of staff friendliness. The situation of radiotherapy patients was, in general, satisfactory. Future improvements can be mainly expected from smooth organisation of both planning and treatment which can be achieved by electronic scheduling systems. Many results of the survey could be easily implemented in daily practice. In matters of organization radiation oncology with its complex procedures can be used as a model for

QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY ON CRANIOMANDIBULAR DISORDER ISSUES IN STUDENTS' AND POST-GRADUATE TRAINING IN BULGARIA.

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Mariana Dimova

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The prevalence of craniomandibular disorders (CMD among the Bulgarian population as well as the risk factors for unlocking bruxism and bruxomania mechanisms pose a demand for education on these issues reflecting modern science. The authors' aim is to examine the subjective assessment of participants in “DAYS OF PROSTHETICS, Sofia, 15 -16 March 2014”, regarding: 1.Prevelance of CMD in the country; 2. Education and training of students and post-graduates in the issues related to diagnostics and treatment of craniomandibular disorders; 3. Theoretical background for successful treatment of patients with bruxism and bruxomania. Materials and methods: For the purpose of the present research 192 participants have been surveyed - among them 163 are dentists and 29 are students in the 4th and 5th year of study. The survey feedback has been obtained via an anonymous questionnaire consisting of 8 questions targeted at dentists' assessment of CMD prevalence and distribution, training in CMD issues in Bulgaria and the treatment of patients with bruxism and bruxomania. The results obtained indicate that 84.0% - 93.1% (95% CI of respondents, working as dentists in the country, expressed the view that students' curriculum lacks an overall concept for training them in the diagnostics and treatment of CMD. 79.6% - 90.2% (95% CI of participants, dentists in the country, define post-graduate training in CMD as insufficient or lacking. Conclusion: The development and promotion of a working platform for early screening, diagnostics and treatment of CMD for timely referral to a specialized treatment is necessary and expected by the professional community in our country.

Exploring preferences for symptom management in primary care: a discrete choice experiment using a questionnaire survey.

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McAteer, Anne; Yi, Deokhee; Watson, Verity; Norwood, Patricia; Ryan, Mandy; Hannaford, Philip C; Elliott, Alison M

2015-07-01

Symptoms are important drivers for the use of primary care services. Strategies aimed at shifting the focus away from the GP have broadened the range of primary healthcare available. To explore preferences for managing symptoms and investigate trade-offs that the public are willing to make when deciding between different primary care services. UK-wide postal questionnaire survey of 1370 adults. A discrete choice experiment examined management preferences for three symptoms of differing seriousness (diarrhoea, dizziness, and chest pain). Willingness-to-pay estimates compared preferences between symptoms, and by sex, age, and income. Preferences differed significantly between symptoms. 'Self-care' was the preferred action for diarrhoea and 'consulting a GP' for dizziness and chest pain. 'Waiting time' and 'chance of a satisfactory outcome' were important factors for all three symptoms, although their relative importance differed. Broadly, people were more prepared to wait longer and less prepared to trade a good chance of a satisfactory outcome for symptoms rated as more serious. Generally, preferences within subgroups followed similar patterns as for the whole sample, although there were differences in the relative strength of preferences. Despite increased choices in primary care, 'traditional' actions of 'self-care' for minor symptoms and 'GP consultation' for more serious symptoms were preferred. The present findings suggest, however, that people may be willing to trade between different health services, particularly for less serious symptoms. Understanding the relative importance of different factors may help inform interventions aimed at changing management behaviour or improving services. © British Journal of General Practice 2015.

What is the impact of a national postgraduate medical specialist education reform on the daily clinical training 3.5 years after implementation? A questionnaire survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Mortensen, Lene; Malling, Bente; Ringsted, Charlotte; Rubak, Sune

2010-06-18

Many countries have recently reformed their postgraduate medical education (PGME). New pedagogic initiatives and blueprints have been introduced to improve quality and effectiveness of the education. Yet it is unknown whether these changes improved the daily clinical training. The purpose was to examine the impact of a national PGME reform on the daily clinical training practice. The Danish reform included change of content and format of specialist education in line with outcome-based education using the CanMEDS framework. We performed a questionnaire survey among all hospital doctors in the North Denmark Region. The questionnaire included items on educational appraisal meetings, individual learning plans, incorporating training issues into work routines, supervision and feedback, and interpersonal acquaintance. Data were collected before start and 31/2 years later. Mean score values were compared, and response variables were analysed by multiple regression to explore the relation between the ratings and seniority, type of hospital, type of specialty, and effect of attendance to courses in learning and teaching among respondents. Response rates were 2105/2817 (75%) and 1888/3284 (58%), respectively. We found limited impact on clinical training practice and learning environment. Variances in ratings were hardly affected by type of hospital, whereas belonging to the laboratory specialities compared to other specialties was related to higher ratings concerning all aspects. The impact on daily clinical training practice of a national PGME reform was limited after 31/2 years. Future initiatives must focus on changing the pedagogical competences of the doctors participating in daily clinical training and on implementation strategies for changing educational culture.

Challenging the reported disadvantages of e-questionnaires and addressing methodological issues of online data collection.

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, Louise

2012-01-01

To review the advantages and disadvantages of e-questionnaires, and question whether or not reported disadvantages remain valid or can be limited or circumvented. The internet is likely to become the dominant medium for survey distribution, yet nurses and midwives have been slow to use online technology for research involving questionnaires. Relatively little is known about optimal methods of harnessing the internet's potential in health studies. A small e-questionnaire of health workers. The Medline and Maternity and Infant Care databases were searched for articles containing the words 'web', 'online', or 'internet' and 'survey' or 'questionnaire'. The search was restricted to articles in English published since 2000. The reference lists of retrieved articles were also searched. Reported disadvantages of online data collection, such as sample bias, psychometric distortions, 'technophobia' and lower response rates are discussed and challenged. The author reports her experience of conducting a survey with an e-questionnaire to contribute to the limited body of knowledge in this area, and suggests how to maximise the quantity and quality of responses to e-questionnaires. E-questionnaires offer the researcher an inexpensive, quick and convenient way to collect data. Many of the reported disadvantages of the medium are no longer valid. The science of conducting the perfect e-survey is emerging. However, the lessons learned in the author's study, together with other research, seem to suggest that satisfactory response rates and data quality can be achieved in a relatively short time if certain tactics are used. To get the best results from e-questionnaires, it is suggested that the questionnaire recipients should be targeted carefully and that the value of their potential contribution to the project should be emphasised. E-questionnaires should be convenient, quick and easy to access, and be set out in a way that encourages full and complete responses.

On Farmers’ Ground: Wisconsin Dairy Farm Nutrient Management Survey Questionnaire

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This questionnaire was used during quarterly, face-to-face interviews with the fifty-four Wisconsin dairy farmers who participated in the ‘On Farmers’ Ground’ nutrient management research project. It was designed to systematically and consistently compile information on herd size and composition, l...

Prevalence of angina pectoris in the Brazilian population from the Rose questionnaire: analysis of the National Health Survey, 2013.

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Lotufo, Paulo Andrade; Malta, Deborah Carvalho; Szwarcwald, Celia Landmann; Stopa, Sheila Rizzato; Vieira, Maria Lucia; Bensenor, Isabela Martins

2015-12-01

To estimate the prevalence of angina pectoris in the Brazilian adult population with the use of the Rose questionnaire for angina in the National Health Survey (PNS 2013). Population survey representing the Brazilian population aged 18 years and older, with probability carried out sampling in three stages. The interview records of 60,202 individuals were obtained in the country. The respondent was presented with the short Rose questionnaire with three questions, adapted by Lawlor in 2003 and validated in Brazil, to identify angina pectoris grade I (mild) and II (moderate/severe). The prevalence rate was calculated with a 95% confidence interval (95%CI) according to sex, age, education, and race/color. The prevalence of mild angina (grade I) was of 7.6% (95%CI 7.2 - 8.0) for the entire population, more frequently in women - 9.1% (95%CI 8.5 - 9.7) - than in men - 5.9% (95%CI 5.3 - 6.4). The frequency of moderate/severe angina (grade II) was of 4.2 (95%CI 3.9 - 4.5), also more common in women - 5.2% (95%CI 4.7 - 5.6) - than in men - 3.0% (95%CI 2.7 - 3.4). The prevalence of angina by age group increased progressively with age. The prevalence of angina of any sort was inverse to years of formal study. Despite the higher value of the presence of angina in black people, there was no significant difference by race/skin color. The high prevalence rate of angina pectoris in the population aged 18 years and above was consistent with studies in other countries, revealing the importance of coronary heart disease as a public health problem.

How empathic are vegan medical professionals compared to others? Leads from a paper-pencil-survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Kessler, Christian S; Michalsen, Andreas; Holler, Sophie; Murthy, Vijayendra S; Cramer, Holger

2018-05-01

The aim of this survey was to examine differences in personality profiles among 198 vegan (n = 64; 32.3%), vegetarian (n = 78; 39.4%) and omnivore (n = 55; 27.8%) medical professionals. Outcomes were motives for the nutritional approaches, WHO QoL-BREF, Big Five SOEP Inventory, Portraits Value Questionnaire, and Empathizing Scale. Regarding motives for particular diets, omnivores rated influence of guardians (p vegans and vegetarians. Vegans and vegetarians consumed less coffee (p = 0.007) and alcohol compared to omnivores (p = 0.017). The duration of adhering to a specific diet was significantly shorter in vegans. Data suggest that vegan medical professionals do not differ from vegetarians or omnivores regarding empathy, values or personality traits. Differences to a related internet sample were observed for a number of outcomes. Given the small sample size and potential selection bias through the specific subpopulation attending a plant-based nutrition conference, further studies are warranted to confirm these results. Particularly, potential reciprocities between empathy and individual nutritional choices deserve further attention.

The MPC and A Questionnaire

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Powell, Danny H.; Elwood, Robert H. Jr.

2011-01-01

The questionnaire is the instrument used for recording performance data on the nuclear material protection, control, and accountability (MPC and A) system at a nuclear facility. The performance information provides a basis for evaluating the effectiveness of the MPC and A system. The goal for the questionnaire is to provide an accurate representation of the performance of the MPC and A system as it currently exists in the facility. Performance grades for all basic MPC and A functions should realistically reflect the actual level of performance at the time the survey is conducted. The questionnaire was developed after testing and benchmarking the material control and accountability (MC and A) system effectiveness tool (MSET) in the United States. The benchmarking exercise at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) proved extremely valuable for improving the content and quality of the early versions of the questionnaire. Members of the INL benchmark team identified many areas of the questionnaire where questions should be clarified and areas where additional questions should be incorporated. The questionnaire addresses all elements of the MC and A system. Specific parts pertain to the foundation for the facility's overall MPC and A system, and other parts pertain to the specific functions of the operational MPC and A system. The questionnaire includes performance metrics for each of the basic functions or tasks performed in the operational MPC and A system. All of those basic functions or tasks are represented as basic events in the MPC and A fault tree. Performance metrics are to be used during completion of the questionnaire to report what is actually being done in relation to what should be done in the performance of MPC and A functions.

Antimicrobial stewardship in long-term care facilities in Belgium: a questionnaire-based survey of nursing homes to evaluate initiatives and future developments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

François Kidd

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The use of antimicrobials is intense and often inappropriate in long-term care facilities. Antimicrobial resistance has increased in acute and chronic care facilities, including those in Belgium. Evidence is lacking concerning antimicrobial stewardship programmes in chronic care settings. The medical coordinator practicing in Belgian nursing homes is a general practitioner designated to coordinate medical activity. He is likely to be the key position for effective implementation of such programmes. The aim of this study was to evaluate past, present, and future developments of antimicrobial stewardship programmes by surveying medical coordinators working in long-term care facilities in Belgium. Methods We conducted an online questionnaire-based survey of 327 Belgian medical coordinators. The questionnaire was composed of 33 questions divided into four sections: characteristics of the respondents, organisational frameworks for implementation of the antimicrobial stewardship programme, tools to promote appropriate antimicrobial use and priorities of action. Questions were multiple choice, rating scale, or free text. Results A total of 39 medical coordinators (12 % completed the questionnaire. Past or present antimicrobial stewardship initiatives were reported by 23 % of respondents. The possibility of future developments was rated 2.7/5. The proposed key role of medical coordinators was rated <3/5 by 36 % of respondents. General practitioners, nursing staff, and hospital specialists are accepted as important roles. The use of antimicrobial guidelines was reported by only 19 % of respondents. Education was considered the cornerstone for any future developments. Specific diagnostic recommendations were considered useful, but chest x-rays were judged difficult to undertake. The top priority identified was to reduce unnecessary treatment of asymptomatic urinary infections. Conclusions Our study shows that the implementation of

Combining Internet-Based and Postal Survey Methods in a Survey among Gynecologists: Results of a Randomized Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Ernst, Sinja Alexandra; Brand, Tilman; Lhachimi, Stefan K; Zeeb, Hajo

2018-04-01

To assess whether a combination of Internet-based and postal survey methods (mixed-mode) compared to postal-only survey methods (postal-only) leads to improved response rates in a physician survey, and to compare the cost implications of the different recruitment strategies. All primary care gynecologists in Bremen and Lower Saxony, Germany, were invited to participate in a cross-sectional survey from January to July 2014. The sample was divided into two strata (A; B) depending on availability of an email address. Within each stratum, potential participants were randomly assigned to mixed-mode or postal-only group. In Stratum A, the mixed-mode group had a lower response rate compared to the postal-only group (12.5 vs. 20.2 percent; RR = 0.61, 95 percent CI: 0.44-0.87). In stratum B, no significant differences were found (15.6 vs. 16.2 percent; RR = 0.95, 95 percent CI: 0.62-1.44). Total costs (in €) per valid questionnaire returned (Stratum A: 399.72 vs. 248.85; Stratum B: 496.37 vs. 455.15) and per percentage point of response (Stratum A: 1,379.02 vs. 861.02; Stratum B 1,116.82 vs. 1,024.09) were higher, whereas variable costs were lower in mixed-mode compared to the respective postal-only groups (Stratum A cost ratio: 0.47, Stratum B cost ratio: 0.71). In this study, primary care gynecologists were more likely to participate by traditional postal-only than by mixed-mode survey methods that first offered an Internet option. However, the lower response rate for the mixed-mode method may be partly due to the older age structure of the responding gynecologists. Variable costs per returned questionnaire were substantially lower in mixed-mode groups and indicate the potential for cost savings if the sample population is sufficiently large. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

What factors influence the health status of patients with rheumatoid arthritis measured by the SF-12v2 Health Survey and the Health Assessment Questionnaire?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Linde, Louise; Sørensen, Jan; Østergaard, Mikkel

2009-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ) is a widely used outcome measure in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), whereas the SF-12v2 Health Survey (SF-12) was introduced recently. We investigated how the HAQ and SF-12 were associated with socio-demographic, lifestyle, and dise...... to differences in demographic, lifestyle, and disease- and treatment-related factors than the SF-12. The established clinical value and feasibility of the HAQ highlights its advantages over the SF-12 in describing health status in RA.......OBJECTIVE: The Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ) is a widely used outcome measure in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), whereas the SF-12v2 Health Survey (SF-12) was introduced recently. We investigated how the HAQ and SF-12 were associated with socio-demographic, lifestyle......, and disease- and treatment-related factors in patients with RA. METHODS: In RA patients from 11 Danish centers, clinical and patient-reported data, including the HAQ and SF-12, were collected. Three multiple linear regression models were estimated, with the HAQ, SF-12 physical component score (PCS), and SF-12...

THE ADAPTATION OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE POSITIVE AND DESTRUCTIVE FAMILY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ilona Skuja

2013-12-01

Full Text Available In order to be able to correct the asocial behaviour of adolescents, several factors that can have POSITIVE AND DESTRUCTIVE FAMILY an effect on the issue must be understood, these being biological, social, and psychological, as well as understanding the context of the situation itself. Various methods were used to research valuable adolescent family environments, including the questionnaire entitled Positive and Destructive Family, which was developed by Russian authors (Опросник “Конструктивно-деструктивная семья” (КДС, Эйдемиллер, Юстицкис. Since this methodology was not available to researchers in Latvian, the first step to be taken was to adapt this method to the cultural environment of Latvia. (The author’s consent has been received for the use of the questionnaire in scientific work. The adaptation of the method allows the following steps to be implemented (Hambleton & Patsula, 1998; 1999; 2000; Van de Vijver & Hambleton, 1996: the translation and backward translation of questionnaire observing the context of the cultural environment; empirical verification of the translated questionnaire, thereby establishing its reliability and validity in accordance with the psychometric indicators used to provide a validity check on the factors illustrated in the source survey; the administration of the survey in the new cultural environment; documentation showing the adaptation of the questionnaire and the development of the interpretation of the survey’s values. To date, only some of the aforementioned steps have been implemented and presented. Respondents from sixty families participated in the survey (all of whom were aged in group of 31-68, and who included 42 women and eighteen men. The survey consists of twenty statements to which respondents will reply either positively or negatively (this being the dichotomy scale. Further tasks are related to the complete adaptation and

Spirometry, questionnaire and electronic medical record based COPD in a population survey: Comparing prevalence, level of agreement and associations with potential risk factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Borlée, Floor; Yzermans, C Joris; Krop, Esmeralda; Aalders, Bernadette; Rooijackers, Jos; Zock, Jan-Paul; van Dijk, Christel E; Maassen, Catharina B M; Schellevis, François; Heederik, Dick; Smit, Lidwien A M

2017-01-01

COPD-diagnosis is confirmed by post-bronchodilator (BD) spirometry. However, epidemiological studies often rely on pre-BD spirometry, self-reports, or medical records. This population-based study aims to determine COPD-prevalence based on four different operational definitions and their level of agreement, and to compare associations between COPD-definitions and risk factors. COPD-prevalence in 1,793 adults from the general Dutch population (aged 18-70 years) was assessed based on self-reported data, Electronic Medical Records (EMR), and post-BD spirometry: using the FEV1/FVC below the lower limit of normal (LLN) and GOLD fixed cut-off (FEV1/FVC spirometry as a reference, sensitivity was calculated for self-reported and EMR-based COPD. Associations between COPD and known risk factors were assessed with logistic regression. Data were collected as part of the cross-sectional VGO study (Livestock Farming and Neighboring Residents' Health Study). The highest prevalence was found based on spirometry (GOLD: 10.9%, LLN: 5.9%), followed by self-report (4.6%) and EMR (2.9%). Self-reported or EMR-based COPD identified less than 30% of all COPD-cases based on spirometry. The direction of association between known risk factors and COPD was similar across the four definitions, however, magnitude and significance varied. Especially indicators of allergy were more strongly associated with self-reported COPD compared to the other definitions. COPD-prevalence varied depending on the used definition. A substantial number of subjects with spirometry-based COPD cannot be identified with questionnaires or medical records which can cause underestimation of COPD-prevalence. The influence of the different COPD-definitions on associations with known risk factors was limited.

Comparative validity of brief to medium-length Big Five and Big Six Personality Questionnaires.

Science.gov (United States)

Thalmayer, Amber Gayle; Saucier, Gerard; Eigenhuis, Annemarie

2011-12-01

A general consensus on the Big Five model of personality attributes has been highly generative for the field of personality psychology. Many important psychological and life outcome correlates with Big Five trait dimensions have been established. But researchers must choose between multiple Big Five inventories when conducting a study and are faced with a variety of options as to inventory length. Furthermore, a 6-factor model has been proposed to extend and update the Big Five model, in part by adding a dimension of Honesty/Humility or Honesty/Propriety. In this study, 3 popular brief to medium-length Big Five measures (NEO Five Factor Inventory, Big Five Inventory [BFI], and International Personality Item Pool), and 3 six-factor measures (HEXACO Personality Inventory, Questionnaire Big Six Scales, and a 6-factor version of the BFI) were placed in competition to best predict important student life outcomes. The effect of test length was investigated by comparing brief versions of most measures (subsets of items) with original versions. Personality questionnaires were administered to undergraduate students (N = 227). Participants' college transcripts and student conduct records were obtained 6-9 months after data was collected. Six-factor inventories demonstrated better predictive ability for life outcomes than did some Big Five inventories. Additional behavioral observations made on participants, including their Facebook profiles and cell-phone text usage, were predicted similarly by Big Five and 6-factor measures. A brief version of the BFI performed surprisingly well; across inventory platforms, increasing test length had little effect on predictive validity. Comparative validity of the models and measures in terms of outcome prediction and parsimony is discussed.

Developing a theoretical model and questionnaire survey instrument to measure the success of electronic health records in residential aged care.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Ping; Qian, Siyu

2018-01-01

Electronic health records (EHR) are introduced into healthcare organizations worldwide to improve patient safety, healthcare quality and efficiency. A rigorous evaluation of this technology is important to reduce potential negative effects on patient and staff, to provide decision makers with accurate information for system improvement and to ensure return on investment. Therefore, this study develops a theoretical model and questionnaire survey instrument to assess the success of organizational EHR in routine use from the viewpoint of nursing staff in residential aged care homes. The proposed research model incorporates six variables in the reformulated DeLone and McLean information systems success model: system quality, information quality, service quality, use, user satisfaction and net benefits. Two variables training and self-efficacy were also incorporated into the model. A questionnaire survey instrument was designed to measure the eight variables in the model. After a pilot test, the measurement scale was used to collect data from 243 nursing staff members in 10 residential aged care homes belonging to three management groups in Australia. Partial least squares path modeling was conducted to validate the model. The validated EHR systems success model predicts the impact of the four antecedent variables-training, self-efficacy, system quality and information quality-on the net benefits, the indicator of EHR systems success, through the intermittent variables use and user satisfaction. A 24-item measurement scale was developed to quantitatively evaluate the performance of an EHR system. The parsimonious EHR systems success model and the measurement scale can be used to benchmark EHR systems success across organizations and units and over time.

Safe use of iodinated and gadolinium-based contrast media in current practice in Japan: a questionnaire survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsushima, Yoshito; Ishiguchi, Tsuneo; Murakami, Takamichi; Hayashi, Hiromitsu; Hayakawa, Katsumi; Fukuda, Kunihiko; Korogi, Yukunori; Sugimoto, Hideharu; Takehara, Yasuo; Narumi, Yoshifumi; Arai, Yasuaki; Kuwatsuru, Ryohei; Yoshimitsu, Kengo; Awai, Kazuo; Kanematsu, Masayuki; Takagi, Ryo

2016-02-01

To help establish consensus on the safe use of contrast media in Japan. Questionnaires were sent to accredited teaching hospitals with radiology residency programs. The reply rate was 45.4% (329/724). For contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN), chronic and acute kidney diseases were considered a risk factor in 96.7 and 93.6%, respectively, and dehydration in 73.9%. As preventive actions, intravenous hydration (89.1%) and reduction of iodinated contrast media dose (86.9%) were commonly performed. For nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), chronic and acute kidney diseases were considered risk factors in 98.5 and 90.6%, respectively, but use of unstable gadolinium-based contrast media was considered a risk factor in only 55.6%. A renal function test was always (63.5% in iodinated; 65.7% in gadolinium) or almost always (23.1; 19.8%) performed, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was the parameter most frequently used (80.8; 82.6%). For the patients with risk factors for acute adverse reaction (AAR), steroid premedication or/and change of contrast medium were frequent preventive actions, but intravenous steroid administration immediately before contrast media use was still performed. Our questionnaire survey revealed that preventive actions against CIN were properly performed based on patients' eGFR. Preventive actions against NSF and AAR still lacked consensus.

Incidence, causes, severity and treatment of throat discomfort: a four-region online questionnaire survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Addey, Dilys; Shephard, Adrian

2012-08-10

Acute sore throat is commonly associated with viral infections. Consumers typically rely on over-the-counter treatments and other remedies to treat symptoms; however, limited information is available regarding consumer perceptions of sore throat or treatment needs. The aim of this study was to investigate perceptions of throat discomfort and how these influence attitudes and consumer behaviour with regard to treatment. Online consumer surveys were completed by participants invited by email between 2003 and 2004 in four markets: the UK, France, Poland, and Malaysia. The questionnaire consisted of 24 questions that covered key issues surrounding throat discomfort including incidence in the past 12 months, causes, severity, effects on functionality and quality of life, actions taken to relieve throat discomfort, the efficacy of these approaches and the reasons behind using specific products. In total, 6465 men and women aged ≥18 years were surveyed, identifying 3514 participants who had suffered throat discomfort/irritation in the past 12 months (response rate of 54%). These participants completed the full survey. The breakdown of throat discomfort sufferers was: UK, 912; France, 899; Poland, 871; Malaysia, 832. A high proportion of respondents experienced one or more instances of throat discomfort in the previous 12 months, with an overall incidence of 54%. Infections including the common cold/influenza and other bacteria/viruses were commonly perceived causes of throat discomfort (72% and 46%, respectively). Physical and environmental factors were also perceived to be causative, including airborne pollution (28%), smoking (23%), and air conditioning (31%). Symptoms perceived to be caused by an infection were associated with a higher degree of suffering (mean degree of suffering for bacteria/virus and common cold/influenza; 3.4 and 3.0, respectively). Medicinal products were used for all perceived causes, but more commonly for sore throats thought to be caused by

Incidence, causes, severity and treatment of throat discomfort: a four-region online questionnaire survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Addey Dilys

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Acute sore throat is commonly associated with viral infections. Consumers typically rely on over-the-counter treatments and other remedies to treat symptoms; however, limited information is available regarding consumer perceptions of sore throat or treatment needs. The aim of this study was to investigate perceptions of throat discomfort and how these influence attitudes and consumer behaviour with regard to treatment. Methods Online consumer surveys were completed by participants invited by email between 2003 and 2004 in four markets: the UK, France, Poland, and Malaysia. The questionnaire consisted of 24 questions that covered key issues surrounding throat discomfort including incidence in the past 12 months, causes, severity, effects on functionality and quality of life, actions taken to relieve throat discomfort, the efficacy of these approaches and the reasons behind using specific products. Results In total, 6465 men and women aged ≥18 years were surveyed, identifying 3514 participants who had suffered throat discomfort/irritation in the past 12 months (response rate of 54%. These participants completed the full survey. The breakdown of throat discomfort sufferers was: UK, 912; France, 899; Poland, 871; Malaysia, 832. A high proportion of respondents experienced one or more instances of throat discomfort in the previous 12 months, with an overall incidence of 54%. Infections including the common cold/influenza and other bacteria/viruses were commonly perceived causes of throat discomfort (72% and 46%, respectively. Physical and environmental factors were also perceived to be causative, including airborne pollution (28%, smoking (23%, and air conditioning (31%. Symptoms perceived to be caused by an infection were associated with a higher degree of suffering (mean degree of suffering for bacteria/virus and common cold/influenza; 3.4 and 3.0, respectively. Medicinal products were used for all perceived causes, but more

Provision of Family Planning Services in Tanzania: A Comparative ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Adherence to the policy guidelines and standards is necessary for family planning services. We compared public and private facilities in terms of provision of family planning services. We analyzed data from health facility questionnaire of the 2006 Tanzania Service Provision Assessment survey, based on 529 health ...

Science without meritocracy. Discrimination among European specialists in infectious diseases and clinical microbiology: a questionnaire survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Tacconelli, Evelina; Poljak, Mario; Cacace, Marina; Caiati, Giovanni; Benzonana, Nur; Nagy, Elisabeth; Kortbeek, Titia

2012-01-01

In 2009, in a European survey, around a quarter of Europeans reported witnessing discrimination or harassment at their workplace. The parity committee from the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) designed a questionnaire survey to investigate forms of discrimination with respect to country, gender and ethnicity among medical professionals in hospitals and universities carrying out activities in the clinical microbiology (CM) and infectious diseases (ID) fields. The survey consisted of 61 questions divided into five areas (sociodemographic, professional census and environment, leadership and generic) and ran anonymously for nearly 3 months on the ESCMID website. European specialists in CM/ID. Overall, we included 1274 professionals. The majority of respondents (68%) stated that discrimination is present in medical science. A quarter of them reported personal experience with discrimination, mainly associated with gender and geographic region. Specialists from South-Western Europe experienced events at a much higher rate (37%) than other European regions. The proportion of women among full professor was on average 46% in CM and 26% in ID. Participation in high-level decision-making committees was significantly (>10 percentage points) different by gender and geographic origin. Yearly gross salary among CM/ID professionals was significantly different among European countries and by gender, within the same country. More than one-third of respondents (38%) stated that international societies in CM/ID have an imbalance as for committee member distribution and speakers at international conferences. A quarter of CM/ID specialists experienced career and research discrimination in European hospitals and universities, mainly related to gender and geographic origin. Implementing proactive policies to tackle discrimination and improve representativeness and balance in career among CM/ID professionals in Europe is urgently needed.

Impact on and use of health services by international migrants: questionnaire survey of inner city London A&E attenders

Science.gov (United States)

Hargreaves, Sally; Friedland, Jon S; Gothard, Philip; Saxena, Sonia; Millington, Hugh; Eliahoo, Joseph; Le Feuvre, Peter; Holmes, Alison

2006-01-01

Background Changing immigration trends pose new challenges for the UK's open access health service and there is considerable speculation that migrants from resource-poor countries place a disproportionate burden on services. Data are needed to inform provision of services to migrant groups and to ensure their access to appropriate health care. We compared sociodemographic characteristics and impact of migrant groups and UK-born patients presenting to a hospital A&E/Walk-In Centre and prior use of community-based General Practitioner (GP) services. Methods We administered an anonymous questionnaire survey of all presenting patients at an A&E/Walk-In Centre at an inner-city London hospital during a 1 month period. Questions related to nationality, immigration status, time in the UK, registration and use of GP services. We compared differences between groups using two-way tables by Chi-Square and Fisher's exact test. We used logistic regression modelling to quantify associations of explanatory variables and outcomes. Results 1611 of 3262 patients completed the survey (response rate 49.4%). 720 (44.7%) were overseas born, representing 87 nationalities, of whom 532 (73.9%) were new migrants to the UK (≤10 years). Overseas born were over-represented in comparison to local estimates (44.7% vs 33.6%; p immigration status' were: work permit (24.4%), EU citizens (21.5%), with only 21 (1.3%) political asylum seekers/refugees. 178 (11%) reported nationalities from refugee-generating countries (RGCs), eg, Somalia, who were less likely to speak English. Compared with RGCs, and after adjusting for age and sex, the Australians, New Zealanders, and South Africans (ANS group; OR 0.28 [95% CI 0.11 to 0.71]; p = 0.008) and the Other Migrant (OM) group comprising mainly Europeans (0.13 [0.06 to 0.30]; p = 0.000) were less likely to have GP registration and to have made prior contact with GPs, yet this did not affect mode of access to hospital services across groups nor delay access

The Nature Contact Questionnaire: a measure of healthy workplace exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Largo-Wight, Erin; Chen, W William; Dodd, Virginia; Weiler, Robert

2011-01-01

Understanding and promoting healthy workplaces is an important and growing area of interest in occupational health. Nature contact is a central component to the study of and promotion of healthy places. Previous findings suggest that nature contact influences health via stress appraisal process. Currently, there are no known comprehensive valid and reliable measures of nature contact, which presents obstacles to research and worksite health promotion. This study was designed to develop and test an instrument to measure nature contact at work, entitled the Nature Contact Questionnaire (NCQ), 16-item self-reported checklist to measure actual exposure. A sample of 503 (30% response rate) office staff completed the questionnaire. Office staff were sent an email with a link to the electronic survey twice, two weeks apart. Content and construct validity (KMO=0.68), internal consistency (Alpha=0.64), and test-retest reliability (r=0.85, pnature contact, which allows research to compare forms of nature contact to best inform practice and design of healthy places.

Construct Validation of Physical Activity Surveys in Culturally Diverse Older Adults: A Comparison of Four Commonly Used Questionnaires

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Delilah S.; Ellis, Rebecca; Allen, Priscilla D.; Cherry, Katie E.; Monroe, Pamela A.; O'Neil, Carol E.; Wood, Robert H.

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to establish validity evidence of four physical activity (PA) questionnaires in culturally diverse older adults by comparing self-report PA with performance-based physical function. Participants were 54 older adults who completed the Continuous Scale Physical Functional Performance 10-item Test (CS-PFP10), Physical…

Job satisfaction and job values among beginning nurses: a questionnaire survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Daehlen, Marianne

2008-12-01

Concepts such as the theory-practice gap and reality shock call attention to the challenges nurses experience in their professional lives. These challenges seem to be particularly acute in the transition from nursing school to work. Based on an assumption that the theories and skills taught in school are not directly applicable to nursing practice, beginning nurses may find that they are not prepared to do the work for which they have trained. Consequently, nurses may experience challenges to their work ideals, and their level of job satisfaction may decline. In addition, major life changes, such as buying a house/apartment, becoming a parent or getting married are likely to occur in the first year after graduation. Consequently, the emphasis on economic rewards may increase in the transition from school to work. To examine the relationship between work ideals, experiences of work and job satisfaction through a vital period in nurses' careers. To compare beginning nurses' job satisfaction, perceived job rewards and values with those of beginning doctors and teachers. Survey data were collected from two cohorts of students in several educational programs in Norway. The survey was repeated among the same respondents, as workers, 3 years after graduation. Almost 3000 students were originally invited to participate. The response rate in the surveys varied from 59% to 80%. Tabular analyses and linear regression models. The results indicate similarities in nurses', doctors' and teachers' preferences for work, but differences in what they obtain. In the transition from school to work, nurses increase their emphasis on high income and job security, and 3 years after graduating, nurses' emphasis on these two job values is higher than that of doctors and teachers. Nurses were fairly satisfied with their present job. In terms of level of job satisfaction and their preferences for work, the transition from school to work for nurses seems less dramatic than initially assumed.

End-of-life practices in Danish ICUs: development and validation of a questionnaire.

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, Hanne Irene; Ammentorp, Jette; Erlandsen, Mogens; Ording, Helle

2012-08-01

Practices for withholding or withdrawing therapy vary according to professional, cultural and religious differences. No Danish-validated questionnaire examining withholding and withdrawing practices exists, thus the aim of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire for surveying the views of intensive care nurses, intensivists, and primary physicians regarding collaboration and other aspects of withholding and withdrawing therapy in the ICU. A questionnaire was developed on the basis of literature, focus group interviews with intensive care nurses and intensivists, and individual interviews with primary physicians. The questionnaire was validated in the following 3 phases: a qualitative test with 17 participants; a quantitative pilot test with 60 participants; and a survey with 776 participants. The validation process included tests for face and content validity (by interviewing participants in the qualitative part of the pilot study), reliability (by assessing the distribution of responses within the individual response categories), agreement (by conducting a test-retest, evaluated by paired analyses), known groups' validity (as a surrogate test for responsiveness, by comparing two ICUs with a known difference in end-of-life practices), floor and ceiling effect, and missing data. Face and content validity were assessed as good by the participants in the qualitative pilot test; all considered the questions relevant and none of the participants found areas lacking. Almost all response categories were used by the participants, thus demonstrating the questionnaires ability to distinguish between different respondents, agreement was fair (the average test-retest agreement for the Likert scale responses was 0.54 (weighted kappa; range, 0.25-0.73), and known groups' validity was proved by finding significant differences in level of satisfaction with interdisciplinary collaboration and in experiences of withdrawal decisions being unnecessarily postponed. Floor

End-of-life practices in Danish ICUs: development and validation of a questionnaire

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jensen Hanne

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Practices for withholding or withdrawing therapy vary according to professional, cultural and religious differences. No Danish-validated questionnaire examining withholding and withdrawing practices exists, thus the aim of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire for surveying the views of intensive care nurses, intensivists, and primary physicians regarding collaboration and other aspects of withholding and withdrawing therapy in the ICU. Methods A questionnaire was developed on the basis of literature, focus group interviews with intensive care nurses and intensivists, and individual interviews with primary physicians. The questionnaire was validated in the following 3 phases: a qualitative test with 17 participants; a quantitative pilot test with 60 participants; and a survey with 776 participants. The validation process included tests for face and content validity (by interviewing participants in the qualitative part of the pilot study, reliability (by assessing the distribution of responses within the individual response categories, agreement (by conducting a test-retest, evaluated by paired analyses, known groups’ validity (as a surrogate test for responsiveness, by comparing two ICUs with a known difference in end-of-life practices, floor and ceiling effect, and missing data. Results Face and content validity were assessed as good by the participants in the qualitative pilot test; all considered the questions relevant and none of the participants found areas lacking. Almost all response categories were used by the participants, thus demonstrating the questionnaires ability to distinguish between different respondents, agreement was fair (the average test-retest agreement for the Likert scale responses was 0.54 (weighted kappa; range, 0.25-0.73, and known groups’ validity was proved by finding significant differences in level of satisfaction with interdisciplinary collaboration and in experiences of

Adaptation of a food frequency questionnaire to assess diets of Puerto Rican and non-Hispanic adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, K L; Bianchi, L A; Maras, J; Bermudez, O I

1998-09-01

To study issues of diet and health among Hispanic adults living in the northeastern United States, the authors adapted a version of the National Cancer Institute (NCI)/Block food frequency questionnaire. Foods that contributed to nutrient intake of Puerto Rican adults in the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HHANES) were ranked to identify items to be added to the food list. Portion sizes were compared across HHANES and the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II) to assess the adequacy of the assumed values. Within line items, frequencies of consumption of individual foods were ranked and these data were used to adjust the weighting factors within the database. To test the revised form, 24-hour recalls were collected from 90 elderly Hispanics and 35 elderly non-Hispanic whites. These data were coded into the original and revised food frequency forms and nutrient intake results were compared with recall results by paired t-test, and by Pearson and intraclass correlations. Added foods include plantains, avocado, mango, cassava, empanadas, and custard. Portion sizes differed significantly between HHANES and NHANES II, and were left open-ended. Estimated mean nutrient intakes and correlations with recall data were lower with the original versus the revised form. The authors conclude that the use in minority populations of food frequency questionnaires developed for the general population is likely to result in biased estimates of intake unless modifications are made in the questionnaires.

Paper- or Web-Based Questionnaire Invitations as a Method for Data Collection: Cross-Sectional Comparative Study of Differences in Response Rate, Completeness of Data, and Financial Cost.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebert, Jonas Fynboe; Huibers, Linda; Christensen, Bo; Christensen, Morten Bondo

2018-01-23

Paper questionnaires have traditionally been the first choice for data collection in research. However, declining response rates over the past decade have increased the risk of selection bias in cross-sectional studies. The growing use of the Internet offers new ways of collecting data, but trials using Web-based questionnaires have so far seen mixed results. A secure, online digital mailbox (e-Boks) linked to a civil registration number became mandatory for all Danish citizens in 2014 (exemption granted only in extraordinary cases). Approximately 89% of the Danish population have a digital mailbox, which is used for correspondence with public authorities. We aimed to compare response rates, completeness of data, and financial costs for different invitation methods: traditional surface mail and digital mail. We designed a cross-sectional comparative study. An invitation to participate in a survey on help-seeking behavior in out-of-hours care was sent to two groups of randomly selected citizens from age groups 30-39 and 50-59 years and parents to those aged 0-4 years using either traditional surface mail (paper group) or digital mail sent to a secure online mailbox (digital group). Costs per respondent were measured by adding up all costs for handling, dispatch, printing, and work salary and then dividing the total figure by the number of respondents. Data completeness was assessed by comparing the number of missing values between the two methods. Socioeconomic variables (age, gender, family income, education duration, immigrant status, and job status) were compared both between respondents and nonrespondents and within these groups to evaluate the degree of selection bias. A total 3600 citizens were invited in each group; 1303 (36.29%) responded to the digital invitation and 1653 (45.99%) to the paper invitation (difference 9.66%, 95% CI 7.40-11.92). The costs were €1.51 per respondent for the digital group and €15.67 for paper group respondents. Paper

Development and Validation of the Bicultural Youth Acculturation Questionnaire.

Science.gov (United States)

Kukaswadia, Atif; Janssen, Ian; Pickett, William; Bajwa, Jasmine; Georgiades, Katholiki; Lalonde, Richard N; Quon, Elizabeth C; Safdar, Saba; Pike, Ian

2016-01-01

Acculturation is a multidimensional process involving changes in behaviour and beliefs. Questionnaires developed to measure acculturation are typically designed for specific ethnic populations and adult experiences. This study developed a questionnaire that measures acculturation among ethnically diverse populations of youth that can be included as a module in population surveys. Questionnaires measuring acculturation in youth were identified in the literature. The importance of items from the existing questionnaires was determined using a Delphi process and this informed the development of our questionnaire. The questionnaire was then pilot tested using a sample of 248 Canadians aged 18-25 via an online system. Participants identified as East and South East Asian (27.8%), South Asian (17.7%) and Black (13.7%). The majority were 1st (33.5%) or 2nd generation immigrants (52.0%). After redundant items were eliminated, exploratory factor analysis grouped items into domains, and, for each domain, internal consistency, and convergent validity with immigrant generation then age at immigration estimated. A subset of participants re-completed the questionnaire for reliability estimation. The literature review yielded 117 articles that used 13 questionnaires with a total of 440 questions. The Delphi process reduced these to 32 questions. Pilot testing occurred in 248 Canadians aged 18-25. Following item reduction, 16 questions in three domains remained: dominant culture, heritage language, and heritage culture. All had good internal consistency (Cronbach's alphas > .75). The mean dominant domain score increased with immigrant generation (1st generation: 3.69 (95% CI: 3.49-3.89), 2nd: 4.13 (4.00-4.26), 3rd: 4.40 (4.19-4.61)), and mean heritage language score was higher among those who immigrated after age 12 than before (p = .0001), indicative of convergent validity. This Bicultural Youth Acculturation Questionnaire has demonstrated validity. It can be incorporated into

Development and Validation of the Bicultural Youth Acculturation Questionnaire

Science.gov (United States)

Kukaswadia, Atif; Janssen, Ian; Pickett, William; Bajwa, Jasmine; Georgiades, Katholiki; Lalonde, Richard N.; Quon, Elizabeth C.; Safdar, Saba; Pike, Ian

2016-01-01

Objectives Acculturation is a multidimensional process involving changes in behaviour and beliefs. Questionnaires developed to measure acculturation are typically designed for specific ethnic populations and adult experiences. This study developed a questionnaire that measures acculturation among ethnically diverse populations of youth that can be included as a module in population surveys. Methods Questionnaires measuring acculturation in youth were identified in the literature. The importance of items from the existing questionnaires was determined using a Delphi process and this informed the development of our questionnaire. The questionnaire was then pilot tested using a sample of 248 Canadians aged 18–25 via an online system. Participants identified as East and South East Asian (27.8%), South Asian (17.7%) and Black (13.7%). The majority were 1st (33.5%) or 2nd generation immigrants (52.0%). After redundant items were eliminated, exploratory factor analysis grouped items into domains, and, for each domain, internal consistency, and convergent validity with immigrant generation then age at immigration estimated. A subset of participants re-completed the questionnaire for reliability estimation. Results The literature review yielded 117 articles that used 13 questionnaires with a total of 440 questions. The Delphi process reduced these to 32 questions. Pilot testing occurred in 248 Canadians aged 18–25. Following item reduction, 16 questions in three domains remained: dominant culture, heritage language, and heritage culture. All had good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alphas > .75). The mean dominant domain score increased with immigrant generation (1st generation: 3.69 (95% CI: 3.49–3.89), 2nd: 4.13 (4.00–4.26), 3rd: 4.40 (4.19–4.61)), and mean heritage language score was higher among those who immigrated after age 12 than before (p = .0001), indicative of convergent validity. Conclusions This Bicultural Youth Acculturation Questionnaire has

Comparability of a short food frequency questionnaire to assess diet quality: the DISCOVER study.

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Dehghan, Mahshid; Ge, Yipeng; El Sheikh, Wala; Bawor, Monica; Rangarajan, Sumathy; Dennis, Brittany; Vair, Judith; Sholer, Heather; Hutchinson, Nichole; Iordan, Elizabeth; Mackie, Pam; Samaan, Zainab

2017-09-01

This study aims to assess comparability of a short food frequency questionnaire (SFFQ) used in the Determinants of Suicide: Conventional and Emergent Risk Study (DISCOVER Study) with a validated comprehensive FFQ (CFFQ). A total of 127 individuals completed SFFQ and CFFQ. Healthy eating was measured using Healthy Eating Score (HES). Estimated food intake and healthy eating assessed by SFFQ was compared with the CFFQ. For most food groups and HES, the highest Spearman's rank correlation coefficients between the two FFQs were r > .60. For macro-nutrients, the correlations exceeded 0.4. Cross-classification of quantile analysis showed that participants were classified between 46% and 81% into the exact same quantiles, while 10% or less were misclassified into opposite quantiles. The Bland-Altman plots showed an acceptable level of agreement between the two dietary measurement methods. The SFFQ can be used for Canadian with psychiatric disorders to rank them based on their dietary intake.

Usefulness of a Short Dietary Propensity Questionnaire in Japan.

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Okuda, Nagako; Itai, Kazuyoshi; Okayama, Akira

2018-05-01

There is a growing need for nutritional education for prevention and non-pharmacological treatment of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). We compared the results of a short dietary propensity questionnaire (SDPQ) with those from the food frequency and quantity survey (FF Quantity), which had been previously quantitatively assessed by comparison with the 24-hr dietary recall (24hr-DR), to examine the usefulness of the SDPQ. The SDPQ was designed to assess dietary propensities of 12 food/nutrients relevant to CVD risk factors. We conducted a dietary survey using the SDPQ on Japanese men and women. After 2-3 weeks, we conducted the FF Quantity survey with the same participants. For each of the 12 food/nutrient categories, the relationships between quintiles of results from the SDPQ and FF Quantity were examined. Results from 79 participants who completed both surveys were used. Spearman's correlation coefficients (r) were significant for all food/nutrient categories. Good correlations were found with alcohol (r=0.792), starchy foods (r=0.566), and milk and dairy products (r=0.687), for which good correlations between the FF Quantity and 24hr-DR had been observed previously. Moderate correlations were found for vegetables (r=0.386) and high-salt foods (r=0.505), although the FF Quantity survey poorly correlated with the 24hr-DR. The SDPQ may be useful for assessment of dietary propensities for alcohol, starchy foods, and milk and dairy products in Japan.

Credible checklists and quality questionnaires a user-centered design method

CERN Document Server

Wilson, Chauncey

2013-01-01

Credible Checklists and Quality Questionnaires starts off with an examination of the critical but commonly overlooked checklist method. In the second chapter, questionnaires and surveys are discussed. Asking questions sounds simple, but the hard truth is that asking questions (and designing questionnaires) is a difficult task. This chapter discusses being mindful of the choice of words, order of questions and how early questions influence later questions, answer scales and how they impact the user response, questionnaire design, and much more. The final chapter provides examples of some common questionnaires (both free and fee-based) for assessing the usability of products. After reading this book, readers will be able to use these user design tools with greater confidence and certainty.

The validation of the Minnesota Job Satisfaction Questionnaire in selected organisations in South Africa

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Johanna H. Buitendach

2009-04-01

Full Text Available The objectives of this study were to assess the construct equivalence of the Minnesota Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ, and to investigate the manifestation of job satisfaction at selected organisations in South Africa. A cross-sectional survey design with a random sample (N = 474 was used. The MSQ and a biographical questionnaire were administered. The results confirmed a two-factor model of job satisfaction, consisting of extrinsic job satisfaction and intrinsic job satisfaction. Exploratory factor analysis with target rotations conf rmed the construct equivalence of scales for the black and white groups. The results obtained from comparing job satisfaction levels of various demographic groups showed that practically significant differences existed between the job satisfaction of different age and race groups.

Health literacy in Europe: comparative results of the European health literacy survey (HLS-EU).

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Sørensen, Kristine; Pelikan, Jürgen M; Röthlin, Florian; Ganahl, Kristin; Slonska, Zofia; Doyle, Gerardine; Fullam, James; Kondilis, Barbara; Agrafiotis, Demosthenes; Uiters, Ellen; Falcon, Maria; Mensing, Monika; Tchamov, Kancho; van den Broucke, Stephan; Brand, Helmut

2015-12-01

Health literacy concerns the capacities of people to meet the complex demands of health in modern society. In spite of the growing attention for the concept among European health policymakers, researchers and practitioners, information about the status of health literacy in Europe remains scarce. This article presents selected findings from the first European comparative survey on health literacy in populations. The European health literacy survey (HLS-EU) was conducted in eight countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain (n = 1000 per country, n = 8000 total sample). Data collection was based on Eurobarometer standards and the implementation of the HLS-EU-Q (questionnaire) in computer-assisted or paper-assisted personal interviews. The HLS-EU-Q constructed four levels of health literacy: insufficient, problematic, sufficient and excellent. At least 1 in 10 (12%) respondents showed insufficient health literacy and almost 1 in 2 (47%) had limited (insufficient or problematic) health literacy. However, the distribution of levels differed substantially across countries (29-62%). Subgroups within the population, defined by financial deprivation, low social status, low education or old age, had higher proportions of people with limited health literacy, suggesting the presence of a social gradient which was also confirmed by raw bivariate correlations and a multivariate linear regression model. Limited health literacy represents an important challenge for health policies and practices across Europe, but to a different degree for different countries. The social gradient in health literacy must be taken into account when developing public health strategies to improve health equity in Europe. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association.

Validation of an adapted arabic version of fibromyalgia syndrome impact questionnaire.

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El-Naby, Mai Abd; Hefny, Mohamed Ahmed; Fahim, Ayman Ekram; Awadalla, Magdy Ahmed

2013-10-01

Fibromyalgia (FM) is the most common chronic pain syndrome encountered in medical practice, affecting females more than males, and the estimated prevalence of FM in Egypt is 1.3 %. The aim was to translate and adapt the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) into Arabic and assess reliability and validity. The Arabic version of Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ-A) was adapted following the forward/backward translation approach. Fifty-one female patients with FM were studied to assess psychometric properties of the FIQ-A. Reliability was analyzed by the correlation coefficient between test and retest. Internal consistency was checked by the Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Construct validity was assessed comparing FIQ-A with Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), Health Assessment Questionnaire of Fibromyalgia (FHAQ), The Medical Outcome Survey Short-Form-36 (SF-36), and the Total Visual Analog Scale (TVAS) for FM symptom, and feasibility was assessed by the time taken in completing the FIQ-A and the proportion of patients completed the questionnaire. Patients studied were 33.2 ± 9.8 years old. Translation was concordant. Adaptation affected 4 sub-items of physical function. Test-retest correlation coefficient was 0.89 for total FIQ-A and Cronbach's alpha was 0.76. Excellent to good statistically significant correlations (p FIQ-A items and HAQ, FHAQ, and SF-36. The FIQ-A is a reliable, valid for measuring health status and physical function in Arabic-speaking FM patients.

Influence factors of risk perception of radiation and its background. Questionnaire survey for reclamation project in the uranium mine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishizaka, Kaoru; Gofuku, Akio; Tanaka, Masaru; Tokizawa, Takayuki; Sato, Kazuhiko; Koga, Osamu

2011-01-01

To obtain public understanding on the uranium mining sites reclamation at Ningyo-toge Environmental Engineering Center, it is necessary to conduct appropriate Risk Communication (RC). In this study, to discuss the appropriate Risk communication method on the uranium mining sites reclamation, we conducted questionnaire survey and text analysis. The results of the text analysis are as follows: (1) The main elements of the concern of radiation are the uneasiness to oncogenesis or a health effect. (2) The trusts for technology or scientists are the main elements of the reliance for the standard of radiation, in the group which shows low-sense of ownership, hatred for radioactive ray has a strong impact relatively. (author)

Nurse teachers' working lives: a questionnaire survey of nursing schools in Mainland China.

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Gui, L; While, A E; Chen, G; Barriball, K L; Gu, S

2011-12-01

The study aimed to explore Chinese nurse teachers' views and experience regarding different components of their working lives. A cross-sectional survey of 18 schools of nursing offering nationally accredited baccalaureate nursing programmes across Mainland China was conducted. A total of 227 nurse teachers completed questionnaires yielding a response rate of 72%. The sample comprised mainly female, married lecturers younger than 44 years with an average teaching experience of about 10 years. The respondents were satisfied with their overall job, work, supervision and co-workers, but dissatisfied with their pay and promotion opportunities. There were statistically significant differences in several facets of job satisfaction across the respondents of different age groups, education levels, job titles and those working in the schools of different sizes. The respondents perceived their work environment to be only somewhat empowering. Their average level of professional identification was relatively high, but their overall role conflict, role ambiguity and sense of coherence were relatively low. Chinese nurse teachers had a positive feeling towards their working lives, but strategies should be developed to enhance their sense of coherence and professional commitment. It is worth noting that there is still much adjustment to be made towards the new higher education roles, but the findings may only be generalizable to similar settings. © 2011 The Authors. International Nursing Review © 2011 International Council of Nurses.

The reasons for Chinese nursing staff to report adverse events: a questionnaire survey.

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Hong, Su; Li, QiuJie

2017-04-01

To investigate the impact of nurses' perception of patient safety culture and adverse event reporting, and demographic factors on adverse event reporting in Chinese hospitals. Accurate and timely adverse event reporting is integral in promoting patient safety and professional learning around the incident. In a cross-sectional survey, a sample of 919 nurses completed a structured questionnaire composed of two validated instruments measuring nurses' perception of patient safety culture and adverse event reporting. Associations between the variables were examined using multiple linear regression analysis. The positive response rates of five dimensions of the Patient Safety Culture Assessment Scale varied from 47.55% to 80.62%. The accuracy rate of Adverse Event Reporting Perception Scale was 63.16%. Five hundred and thirty-one (58.03%) nurses did not report adverse event in past 12 months. Six variables were found to be associated with nurses' adverse event reporting: total work experience (P = 0.003), overall patient safety culture score (P teamwork climate (P importance or reporting (P = 0.002). The results confirmed that improvements in the patient safety culture and nurses' perception of adverse event reporting were related to an increase in voluntary adverse event reporting. The knowledge of adverse event reporting should be integrated into the patient safety curriculum. Interventions that target a specific domain are necessary to improve the safety culture. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Voiding patterns and prevalence of incontinence in women. A questionnaire survey

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sommer, P; Bauer, T; Nielsen, K K

1990-01-01

with age; 54 (13.6%) voided at least twice per night. About 40% complained of incontinence but this was troublesome in only 6%; 15.3, 13.3 and 11.5% had stress, urge and mixed incontinence respectively. More than 8% wore nappies or sanitary towels every day to protect against urinary leakage. Although......A detailed questionnaire on the occurrence of irritative and obstructive voiding symptoms, incontinence and the number of childbirths was sent out to 600 women aged between 20 and 79 years, randomly selected from the National Register; 432 (72%) returned the questionnaire and 414 (69%) were...... the tendency to wear nappies or sanitary towels increased with age, the increase was not statistically significant. There was a positive correlation between the occurrence of stress incontinence and childbirth in the group as a whole....

Designing an Effective Survey

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Kasunic, Mark

2005-01-01

... of them. However, to protect the validity of conclusions drawn from a survey, certain procedures must be followed throughout the process of designing, developing, and distributing the survey questionnaire...

Effect of survey mode on response patterns

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Anne Illemann; Ekholm, Ola; Glümer, Charlotte

2014-01-01

.7%). Marital status, ethnic background and highest completed education were associated with non-response in both modes. Furthermore, sex and age were associated with non-response in the self-administered mode. No significant mode effects were observed for indicators related to use of health services......BACKGROUND: While face-to-face interviews are considered the gold standard of survey modes, self-administered questionnaires are often preferred for cost and convenience. This article examines response patterns in two general population health surveys carried out by face-to-face interview and self......-administered questionnaire, respectively. METHOD: Data derives from a health interview survey in the Region of Southern Denmark (face-to-face interview) and The Danish Health and Morbidity Survey 2010 (self-administered questionnaire). Identical questions were used in both surveys. Data on all individuals were obtained from...

Satisfaction of patients hospitalised in psychiatric hospitals: a randomised comparison of two psychiatric-specific and one generic satisfaction questionnaires

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Cléopas Agatta

2006-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background While there is interest in measuring the satisfaction of patients discharged from psychiatric hospitals, it might be important to determine whether surveys of psychiatric patients should employ generic or psychiatry-specific instruments. The aim of this study was to compare two psychiatric-specific and one generic questionnaires assessing patients' satisfaction after a hospitalisation in a psychiatric hospital. Methods We randomised adult patients discharged from two Swiss psychiatric university hospitals between April and September 2004, to receive one of three instruments: the Saphora-Psy questionnaire, the Perceptions of Care survey questionnaire or the Picker Institute questionnaire for acute care hospitals. In addition to the comparison of response rates, completion time, mean number of missing items and mean ceiling effect, we targeted our comparison on patients and asked them to answer ten evaluation questions about the questionnaire they had just completed. Results 728 out of 1550 eligible patients (47% participated in the study. Across questionnaires, response rates were similar (Saphora-Psy: 48.5%, Perceptions of Care: 49.9%, Picker: 43.4%; P = 0.08, average completion time was lowest for the Perceptions of Care questionnaire (minutes: Saphora-Psy: 17.7, Perceptions of Care: 13.7, Picker: 17.5; P = 0.005, the Saphora-Psy questionnaire had the largest mean proportion of missing responses (Saphora-Psy: 7.1%, Perceptions of Care: 2.8%, Picker: 4.0%; P P Conclusion Despite differences in the intended target population, content, lay-out and length of questionnaires, none appeared to be obviously better based on our comparison. All three presented advantages and drawbacks and could be used for the satisfaction evaluation of psychiatric inpatients. However, if comparison across medical services or hospitals is desired, using a generic questionnaire might be advantageous.

The characteristics of non-respondents and respondents of a mental health survey among evacuees in a disaster: The Fukushima Health Management Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Horikoshi, Naoko; Iwasa, Hajime; Yasumura, Seiji; Maeda, Masaharu

2017-12-19

The Fukushima Medical University conducted a mental health care program for evacuees after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident. However, the mental health status of non-respondents has not been considered for surveys using questionnaires. Therefore, the aim of this study was to clarify the characteristics of non-respondents and respondents. The target population of the survey (FY2011-2013) is people living in the nationally designated evacuation zone of Fukushima prefecture. Among these, the participants were 967 people (20 years or older). We examined factors that affected the difference between the groups of participants (i.e., non-respondents and respondents) using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Employment was higher in non-respondents (p=0.022) and they were also more socially isolated (p=0.047) when compared to respondents; non-respondents had a higher proportional risk of psychological distress compared to respondents (pemployment status (OR=1.99, 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.12-3.51) and psychological distress (OR=2.17, 95% CI:1.01-4.66). We found that non-respondents had a significantly higher proportion of psychological distress compared to the respondents. Although the non-respondents were the high-risk group, it is not possible to grasp the complexity of the situation by simply using questionnaire surveys. Therefore, in the future it is necessary to direct our efforts towards the mental health of non-respondents and respondents alike.

A newly introduced comprehensive consultation fee in the national health insurance system in Japan: a promotive effect of multidisciplinary medical care in the field of radiation oncology--results from a questionnaire survey.

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Igaki, Hiroshi; Onishi, Hiroshi; Nakagawa, Keiichi; Dokiya, Takushi; Nemoto, Kenji; Shigematsu, Naoyuki; Nishimura, Yasumasa; Hiraoka, Masahiro

2013-12-01

The consultation fee for outpatient radiotherapy was newly introduced in the national health insurance system in Japan in April 2012. We conducted a survey on the use of this consultation fee and its effect on clinical practices. The health insurance committee of the Japanese Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology conducted a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire form was mailed to 160 councilors of the Society, the target questionees. A total of 94 answers (58% of the target questionees) sent back were used for analyses. The analyses revealed that 75% of the hospitals charged most of the patients who receive radiotherapy in an outpatient setting a consultation fee. The introduction of the consultation fee led to some changes in radiation oncology clinics, as evidenced by the response of 'more careful observations by medical staff' in 37% of questionees and a 12% increase in the number of full-time radiation oncology nurses. It was also shown that the vast majority (92%) of radiation oncologists expected a positive influence of the consultation fee on radiation oncology clinics in Japan. Our questionnaire survey revealed the present status of the use of a newly introduced consultation fee for outpatient radiotherapy, and the results suggested its possible effect on promoting a multidisciplinary medical care system in radiation oncology departments in Japan.

Patient Health Questionnaire 15 as a generic measure of severity in fibromyalgia syndrome: surveys with patients of three different settings.

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Häuser, Winfried; Brähler, Elmar; Wolfe, Frederick; Henningsen, Peter

2014-04-01

Graduated treatment of patients with functional somatic syndromes (FSS) and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) depending on their severity has been recommended by recent guidelines. The Patient Health Questionnaire 15 (PHQ 15) is a validated measure of somatic symptom severity in FSS. We tested the discriminant and transcultural validity of the PHQ 15 as a generic measure of severity in persons with FMS. Persons meeting recognized FMS-criteria of the general German population (N=98), of the US National Data Bank of Rheumatic Diseases (N=440), and of a single German pain medicine center (N=167) completed validated self-report questionnaires on somatic and psychological distress (Polysymptomatic Distress Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire 4), health-related quality of life (HRQOL) (Short Form Health Survey 12 or 36) and disability (Pain Disability Index). In addition, self-reports of working status were assessed in the clinical setting. Overall severity of FMS was defined by PHQ 15 scores: mild (0-9), moderate (10-14) and severe (15-30). Persons with mild, moderate and severe FMS did not differ in age and gender. Irrespective of the setting, persons with severe FMS reported more pain sites, fatigue, depressed mood, impaired HRQOL and disability than persons with moderate or mild FMS. Patients with severe FMS in the NDB and in the German clinical center reported more work-related disability than patients with mild FMS. The PHQ 15 is a valid generic measure of overall severity in FMS. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

INSTITUTIONS AND VALUES OF ROMANIANS – COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF HISTORICAL REGIONS

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Iacobuta Andreea-Oana

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Starting from the results of a national survey, a questionnaire on the values of Romanians was applied in April 2008 which was used for a comparative analysis of historical regions of Romania: Moldova, Bucharest, Dobrogea, Transilvania and Muntenia. Ou

Relationships between coping strategies, individual characteristics and job satisfaction in a sample of hospital nurses: cross-sectional questionnaire survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Golbasi, Zehra; Kelleci, Meral; Dogan, Selma

2008-12-01

This study aims to describe and compare the job satisfaction, coping strategies, personal and organizational characteristics among nurses working in a hospital in Turkey. In this cross-sectional survey design study, 186 nurses from Cumhuriyet University Hospital completed Personal Data Form, Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire and Ways of Coping Inventory. Response rate was 74.4%. In this study, it was found that job satisfaction score of nurses showed moderate (mean: 3.46+/-0.56) was found. While nurses mostly used to employ self-confident and optimistic approaches that had already being considered as positive coping strategies with stress, yielding and helpless approaches were employed less than that. While a statistically significant positive relation (pjob satisfaction and dimensions of Ways of Coping Inventory "self-confident approach" and "optimistic approach", negative relation (pjob satisfaction and dimensions of the "helpless approach". Organizational and individual nurse characteristics were not found to be associated with job satisfaction. But, job satisfaction of the nurses who is bounded by a contract was found higher than that of permanent staff nurses (pjob satisfaction of Turkish hospital nurses was at a moderate and that of the nurses who succeeded to coping with the stress was heightened. Higher levels of job satisfaction were associated with positive coping strategies. This study contributes to a growing body of evidence demonstrating the importance of coping strategies to nurses' job satisfaction.

Publishers' Responses to the E-Book Phenomenon: Survey Results from Three "Small Language" Markets

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Wilson, T. D.; Maceviciute, Elena

2016-01-01

Introduction: This paper reports on a study of publishers' attitudes towards e-books in the context of the global situation of e-book publishing. Comparative data are drawn from a replication of a survey carried out in Sweden, in Lithuania and in Croatia. Method: A self-completed questionnaire survey was undertaken, offering respondents the choice…

Objectives and methodology of Romanian SEPHAR II Survey. Project for comparing the prevalence and control of cardiovascular risk factors in two East-European countries: Romania and Poland.

Science.gov (United States)

Dorobantu, Maria; Tautu, Oana-Florentina; Darabont, Roxana; Ghiorghe, Silviu; Badila, Elisabeta; Dana, Minca; Dobreanu, Minodora; Baila, Ilarie; Rutkowski, Marcin; Zdrojewski, Tomasz

2015-08-12

Comparing results of representative surveys conducted in different East-European countries could contribute to a better understanding and management of cardiovascular risk factors, offering grounds for the development of health policies addressing the special needs of this high cardiovascular risk region of Europe. The aim of this paper was to describe the methodology on which the comparison between the Romanian survey SEPHAR II and the Polish survey NATPOL 2011 results is based. SEPHAR II, like NATPOL 2011, is a cross-sectional survey conducted on a representative sample of the adult Romanian population (18 to 80 years) and encompasses two visits with the following components: completing the study questionnaire, blood pressure and anthropometric measurements, and collection of blood and urine samples. From a total of 2223 subjects found at 2860 visited addresses, 2044 subjects gave written consent but only 1975 subjects had eligible data for the analysis, accounting for a response rate of 69.06%. Additionally we excluded 11 subjects who were 80 years of age (NATPOL 2011 included adult subjects up to 79 years). Therefore, the sample size included in the statistical analysis is 1964. It has similar age groups and gender structure as the Romanian population aged 18-79 years from the last census available at the moment of conducting the survey (weight adjustments for epidemiological analyses range from 0.48 to 8.7). Sharing many similarities, the results of SEPHAR II and NATPOL 2011 surveys can be compared by a proper statistical method offering crucial information regarding cardiovascular risk factors in a high-cardiovascular risk European region.

Web-based surveys as an alternative to traditional mail methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Fleming, Christopher M; Bowden, Mark

2009-01-01

Environmental economists have long used surveys to gather information about people's preferences. A recent innovation in survey methodology has been the advent of web-based surveys. While the Internet appears to offer a promising alternative to conventional survey administration modes, concerns exist over potential sampling biases associated with web-based surveys and the effect these may have on valuation estimates. This paper compares results obtained from a travel cost questionnaire of visitors to Fraser Island, Australia, that was conducted using two alternate survey administration modes; conventional mail and web-based. It is found that response rates and the socio-demographic make-up of respondents to the two survey modes are not statistically different. Moreover, both modes yield similar consumer surplus estimates.

Comparative Analysis of Results of Online and Offline Customer Satisfaction

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Jovović Milorad

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The logic that customer satisfaction is the starting point of marketing and business activities is based on the assumption that customer satisfaction leads to customer loyalty, keeping in mind all of the positive effects that customer loyalty has on business success of an organization. Because of this, marketing and management theory and practice dedicate particular attention to the concepts of customer satisfaction and loyalty. In this paper we will use the surveys of customers of banking services not only to show the levels of their satisfaction and loyalty, but also to make a comparative analysis of data obtained through online and offline research. This approach was made possible because the research was carried out on a sample which was divided in two groups. All of the participants answered the questions from a unique questionnaire, however, one group took the survey via the Internet (online while data from the other group of participants was collected in the field by using printed questionnaires (offline. The findings of the comparative analysis of online and offline survey results are presented in the final part of the paper.

Comparative study of adverse events after yellow fever vaccination between elderly and non-elderly travellers: questionnaire survey in Japan over a 1-year period.

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Tanizaki, Ryutaro; Ujiie, Mugen; Hori, Narumi; Kanagawa, Shuzo; Kutsuna, Satoshi; Takeshita, Nozomi; Hayakawa, Kayoko; Kato, Yasuyuki; Ohmagari, Norio

2016-03-01

A live attenuated yellow fever (YF) vaccination is required of all travellers visiting countries where YF virus is endemic. Although the risk of serious adverse events (AEs) after YF vaccination is known to be greater in elderly people than in younger people, information about other AEs among elderly travellers is lacking. A prospective observational questionnaire study was conducted to investigate the occurrence of AEs after YF vaccination in travellers who attended a designated YF vaccination centre in Tokyo, Japan, from 1 November 2011 to 31 October 2012. A questionnaire enquiring about any AEs experienced in the 2 weeks following YF vaccination was distributed to all vaccinees enrolled in this study, and responses were collected subsequently by mail or phone. For child vaccinees, their parents were allowed to respond in their stead. Of the 1298 vaccinees who received the YF vaccine, 1044 (80.4%) were enrolled in the present study and 666 (63.8%) responded to the questionnaire. Of these 666 respondents, 370 (55.6%) reported AEs, of which 258 (38.7%) were systemic and 230 (34.5%) were local. No severe AEs associated with YF vaccination were reported. Elderly vaccinees (aged ≥60 years) reported fewer total AEs than those aged yellow vaccination reported among elderly vaccinees than among non-elderly vaccinees. These results could provide supplementary information for judging the adaptation of vaccination in elderly travellers. © International Society of Travel Medicine, 2016. All rights reserved. Published by Oxford University Press. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Design of Web Questionnaires : A Test for Number of Items per Screen

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Toepoel, V.; Das, J.W.M.; van Soest, A.H.O.

2005-01-01

This paper presents results from an experimental manipulation of one versus multiple-items per screen format in a Web survey.The purpose of the experiment was to find out if a questionnaire s format influences how respondents provide answers in online questionnaires and if this is depending on

A survey of the use of mandibular implant overdentures in 10 countries

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Carlsson, GE; Kronstrom, M; de Baat, C; Cune, M; Davis, D; Garefis, P; Heo, SJ; Jokstad, A; Matsuura, M; Narhi, T; Ow, R; Pissiotis, A; Sato, H; Zarb, GA

2004-01-01

Purpose: This preliminary international survey compared provision of implant-retained overdentures to fixed implant-supported prostheses for edentulous mandibles. Materials and Methods: Questionnaires based on a 2001 Swedish study were sent to prosthodontists and specialist clinics in nine

Time perspective and well-being: Swedish survey questionnaires and data.

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Garcia, Danilo; Nima, Ali Al; Lindskär, Erik

2016-12-01

The data pertains 448 Swedes' responses to questionnaires on time perspective (Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory), temporal life satisfaction (Temporal Satisfaction with Life Scale), affect (Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule), and psychological well-being (Ryff׳s Scales of Psychological Well-Being-short version). The data was collected among university students and individuals at a training facility (see U. Sailer, P. Rosenberg, A.A. Nima, A. Gamble, T. Gärling, T. Archer, D. Garcia, 2014; [1]). Since there were no differences in any of the other background variables, but exercise frequency, all subsequent analyses were conducted on the 448 participants as one single sample. In this article we include the Swedish versions of the questionnaires used to operationalize the time perspective and well-being variables. The data is available, SPSS file, as Supplementary material in this article. We used the Expectation-Maximization Algorithm to input missing values. Little׳s Chi-Square test for Missing Completely at Random showed a χ (2)=67.25 (df=53, p=.09) for men and χ (2)=77.65 (df=72, p=.31) for women. These values suggested that the Expectation-Maximization Algorithm was suitable to use on this data for missing data imputation.

Development and validation of a questionnaire to assess disabling foot pain.

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Garrow, A P; Papageorgiou, A C; Silman, A J; Thomas, E; Jayson, M I; Macfarlane, G J

2000-03-01

This study outlines the design and validation of a new self-administered instrument for assessing foot pain and disability. The 19-item questionnaire was tested on 45 rheumatology patients, 33 patients who had attended their general practitioner with a foot-related problem and 1000 responders to a population survey of foot disorders. Levels of reported disability were found to be greatest for rheumatology patients and least for community subjects. In addition, the instrument was able to detect differences in disability levels reported by community subjects who did and did not consult with a health care professional and those who did and did not have a history of past and current foot pain. A good level of agreement was found when items on the questionnaire were compared with similar items on the ambulation sub-scale of the Functional Limitation Profile questionnaire. A Cronbach's alpha value of 0.99 and item-total correlation values between 0.25 and 0.62 confirmed the internal consistency of the instrument. Finally the results of a principal components analysis identified three constructs that reflected disabilities that are associated with foot pain: functional limitation, pain intensity and personal appearance. The design of the foot disability questionnaire makes it a suitable instrument for assessing the impact of painful foot conditions in both community and clinical populations.

Questionnaire discrimination: (re-introducing coefficient δ

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Hankins Matthew

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Questionnaires are used routinely in clinical research to measure health status and quality of life. Questionnaire measurements are traditionally formally assessed by indices of reliability (the degree of measurement error and validity (the extent to which the questionnaire measures what it is supposed to measure. Neither of these indices assesses the degree to which the questionnaire is able to discriminate between individuals, an important aspect of measurement. This paper introduces and extends an existing index of a questionnaire's ability to distinguish between individuals, that is, the questionnaire's discrimination. Methods Ferguson (1949 1 derived an index of test discrimination, coefficient δ, for psychometric tests with dichotomous (correct/incorrect items. In this paper a general form of the formula, δG, is derived for the more general class of questionnaires allowing for several response choices. The calculation and characteristics of δG are then demonstrated using questionnaire data (GHQ-12 from 2003–2004 British Household Panel Survey (N = 14761. Coefficients for reliability (α and discrimination (δG are computed for two commonly-used GHQ-12 coding methods: dichotomous coding and four-point Likert-type coding. Results Both scoring methods were reliable (α > 0.88. However, δG was substantially lower (0.73 for the dichotomous coding of the GHQ-12 than for the Likert-type method (δG = 0.96, indicating that the dichotomous coding, although reliable, failed to discriminate between individuals. Conclusion Coefficient δG was shown to have decisive utility in distinguishing between the cross-sectional discrimination of two equally reliable scoring methods. Ferguson's δ has been neglected in discussions of questionnaire design and performance, perhaps because it has not been implemented in software and was restricted to questionnaires with dichotomous items, which are rare in health care research. It is

Uncovering hidden eating disorders using the SCOFF questionnaire: cross-sectional survey of adolescents and comparison with nurse assessments.

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Hautala, Lea; Junnila, Jouni; Alin, Jouni; Grönroos, Matti; Maunula, Aija-Mari; Karukivi, Max; Liuksila, Pirjo-Riitta; Räihä, Hannele; Välimäki, Maritta; Saarijärvi, Simo

2009-11-01

The majority of individuals with an eating disorder remain undetected in healthcare. To improve the situation, screening for eating disorder symptoms is suggested to be a routine part of the health examination of adolescents. Given the busy practice of school healthcare, the screening tool needs to be brief and efficient. To evaluate the feasibility of the Finnish version of the SCOFF questionnaire in screening for eating disorder symptoms among adolescents. A natural design with cross-sectional surveys. School healthcare in a major city in southwestern Finland. Students, aged 14-16 years, attending the 8th grade (n=1036, response rate=71%) and the 9th grade (n=855, response rate=62%) at Finnish-speaking secondary schools during the academic years 2003-2005, and their school nurses (n=14). Adolescents attending special classes for those with learning disabilities were excluded from the study. Students self-administered the SCOFF questionnaire as part of a health examination. Background information was obtained from the students' healthcare records. Data from school nurses were collected with semi-structured questionnaires designed for this study. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to identify the best factor model of SCOFF for girls and boys. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the efficiency of SCOFF in comparison with established health examination practice for the purpose of detecting potential eating disorder cases among adolescents. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated a good fit of both the unidimensional and a two-factor model of SCOFF and yielded support for the gender-free interpretation of the screening results in mid-adolescent populations. Altogether 81% of the students who self-reported eating disorder symptoms in SCOFF remained undetected in a health examination where no eating disorder questionnaire was used. SCOFF was found to be an appropriate instrument for screening for eating disorder symptoms in mid-adolescent populations within

A methodological study to compare survey-based and observation-based evaluations of organisational and safety cultures and then compare both approaches with markers of the quality of care.

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Freeth, D; Sandall, J; Allan, T; Warburton, F; Berridge, E J; Mackintosh, N; Rogers, M; Abbott, S

2012-05-01

Patient safety concerns have focused attention on organisational and safety cultures, in turn directing attention to the measurement of organisational and safety climates. First, to compare levels of agreement between survey- and observation-based measures of organisational and safety climates/cultures and to compare both measures with criterion-based audits of the quality of care, using evidence-based markers drawn from national care standards relating to six common clinical conditions. (This required development of an observation-based instrument.) Second, to examine whether observation-based evaluations could replace or augment survey measurements to mitigate concerns about declining response rates and increasing social desirability bias. Third, to examine mediating factors in safety and organisational climate scores. The study had three strands: (A) a postal questionnaire survey to elicit staff perceptions of organisational and safety climates, using six prevalidated scales; (B) semistructured non-participant observation of clinical teams; and (C) a retrospective criterion-based audit carried out by non-clinical auditors to minimise hindsight bias. Standardised summary scores were created for each strand, and pairs of measurements were compared (strand A with strand B, strand A with strand C, and strand B with strand C) using Bland-Altman plots to evaluate agreement. Correlations were also examined. Multilevel modelling of Strand A scores explored mediating factors. Eight emergency departments and eight maternity units in England, UK. None. Examination of feasibility, correlation and agreement. Strand A: the overall response rate was 27.6%, whereas site-specific rates ranged from 9% to 47%. We identified more mediating factors than previous studies; variable response rates had little effect on the results. Organisational and safety climate scores were strongly correlated (r = 0.845) and exhibited good agreement [standard deviation (SD) differences 0.449; 14 (88

Study on team evaluation (4). Reliability and validity of questionnaire survey-based team work evaluation method of power plant operator team

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasou, Kunihide; Hirose, Ayako; Misawa, Ryou; Yamaguchi, Hiroyuki

2006-01-01

The series of this study describes the necessity of the evaluation of team work from two aspects of operator's behavior and operators' mind. The authors propose Team Work Element Model which consists of necessary elements to build high performance team. This report discusses a method to evaluate team work from the second aspect, that is, competency trust, competition, for-the team spirit, etc. The authors survey the previous studies on psychological measures and organize a set of questions to evaluate 10 team work sub elements that are the parts of Team Work Element Model. The factor analysis shows that this set of questions is consists of 13 factors such as task-oriented leadership, harmony-oriented team atmosphere, etc. Close examination of the questions in each factor shows that 8 of 10 team work sub elements can be evaluated by this questionnaire. In addition, this questionnaire comprises scales additional 8 scales such as job satisfaction, leadership, etc. As a result, it is possible to evaluate team work from more comprehensive view points. (author)

Patients' assessments of the continuity of primary care in Finland: a 15-year follow-up questionnaire survey.

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Raivio, Risto; Holmberg-Marttila, Doris; Mattila, Kari J

2014-10-01

Continuity of care is an essential aspect of quality in general practice. This study is the first systematic follow-up of Finnish primary care patients' assessments with regard to personal continuity of care. To ascertain whether patient-reported longitudinal personal continuity of care is related to patient characteristics and their consultation experiences, and how this had changed over the study period. A 15-year follow-up questionnaire survey that took place at Tampere University Hospital catchment area, Finland. The survey was conducted among patients attending health centres in the Tampere University Hospital catchment area from 1998 until 2013. From a sample of 363 464 patients, a total of 157 549 responded. The responses of patients who had visited a doctor during the survey weeks (n = 97 468) were analysed. Continuity of care was assessed by asking the question: 'When visiting the health centre, do you usually see the same doctor?'; patients could answer 'yes' or 'no'. Approximately half of the responders had met the same doctor when visiting the healthcare centre. Personal continuity of care decreased by 15 percentage points (from 66% to 51%) during the study years. The sense of continuity was linked to several patients' experiences of the consultation. The most prominent factor contributing to the sense of continuity of care was having a doctor who was specifically appointed (odds ratio 7.28, 95% confidence interval = 6.65 to 7.96). Continuity of care was proven to enhance the experienced quality of primary care. Patients felt that continuity of care was best realised when they could consult a doctor who had been specifically appointed to them. Despite efforts of the authorities, over the past 15 years patient-reported continuity of care has declined in Finland. © British Journal of General Practice 2014.

Attitudes towards mental illness of nursing students in a Baccalaureate programme in Jamaica: a questionnaire survey.

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Bennett, J; Stennett, R

2015-10-01

There is longstanding evidence of nurses demonstrating negative attitudes towards people with mental illness. Student nurses' fear or discomfort with mentally ill patients results in poorer outcomes for patients and students' dissatisfaction with their experience of mental health nursing. There is evidence of negative attitudes towards mental illness in the Jamaican society; however, no studies have explored whether these attitudes are held by nursing students. The aim of the study was to examine the attitudes of nursing students towards mental illness. A questionnaire survey was conducted with a convenience sample of 143 third-year nursing students who were enrolled in a baccalaureate programme. Data were collected using the Attitudes Towards Acute Mental Health Scale (ATAMHS). A response rate of 71% was achieved for the survey. The findings indicated that the student nurses held an overall negative attitude towards mental illness, with a general perception that mentally ill people are dangerous. The student nurses were divided in their opinions in a number of areas, suggesting a possible conflict of opinions. Negative attitudes towards mental illness impact client outcomes and the career choices made by nurses. This study provides baseline data within the Jamaican context that adds to the evidence on nursing students' attitude to mental illness. Further research is needed to explore whether nursing education and clinical experience enables student nurses in Jamaica to develop a more positive attitude towards mental illness and mental health nursing and whether cultural factors contribute to negative attitudes. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Reliability of AOFAS diabetic foot questionnaire in Charcot arthropathy: stability, internal consistency, and measurable difference.

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Dhawan, Vibhu; Spratt, Kevin F; Pinzur, Michael S; Baumhauer, Judith; Rudicel, Sally; Saltzman, Charles L

2005-09-01

The development of Charcot changes is known to be associated with a high rate of recurrent ulceration and amputation. Unfortunately, the effect of Charcot arthropathy on quality of life in diabetic patients has not been systematically studied because of a lack of a disease-specific instrument. The purpose of this study was to develop and test an instrument to evaluate the health-related quality of life of diabetic foot disease. Subjects diagnosed with Charcot arthropathy completed a patient self-administered questionnaire, and clinicians completed an accompanying observational survey. The patient self-administered questionnaire was organized into five general sections: demographics, general health, diabetes-related symptoms, comorbidities, and satisfaction. The scales measured the effect in six health domains: 1) general health, 2) care, 3) worry, 4) sleep, 5) emotion, and 6) physicality. The psychometric properties of the scales were evaluated and the summary scores for the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) were compared to published norms for other major medical illnesses. Of the 89 enrolled patients, 57 who completed the questionnaire on enrollment returned a second completed form at 3-month followup. Over the 3-month followup period most of the patients showed an improvement in the Eichenholtz staging. The internal consistency of most was moderate to high and, in general, the scale scores were stable over 3 months. However, several of the scales suffered from low-ceiling or high-floor effects. Patients with Charcot arthropathy had a much lower physical component score on enrollment than the reported norms for other disease conditions, including diabetes. Quality of life represents an important set of outcomes when evaluating the effectiveness of treatment for patients with Charcot arthropathy. This study represents an initial attempt to develop a standardized survey for use with this patient population. Further studies need to be done with larger groups of

[Fact-finding survey on regional healthcare services for patients with epilepsy based on a questionnaire administered to public health centers in Japan].

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Fujii, Masami; Ishimaru, Yasutaka; Takahashi, Hiroyuki; Egami, Hirofumi; Nishida, Hideki; Oka, Shinji; Shirabe, Komei

2015-01-01

Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. The prevalence of epilepsy is about 1%, and its incidence is increasing with the aging population. In addition to their medical problems, epilepsy patients face many social problems, including schooling, working, and maintaining their driver's licenses. However, these problems are not fully recognized by the regional healthcare centers (HCCs), and the inadequacy of collaboration between medical services, healthcare, and welfare is sometimes pointed out. Under these circumstances, this fact-finding survey was administered in the form of a questionnaire to HCCs across the nation for the purpose of improving the support system and educational activities for epilepsy in Japan. A mail-back survey on regional healthcare services for epilepsy patients was sent out to 490 HCCs across the nation. Public health nurses (PHNs) responded to the self-completed questionnaire on behalf of each HCC. The questionnaire was comprised of the presence or absence of consultations on epilepsy, content of the consultations, and holding of workshops, lectures, or conferences in the community covered by the HCC. We obtained responses from 347 HCCs (response rate 71%). Seventy-three percent of the PHNs had experience with consultations regarding the medical and healthcare issues associated with epilepsy. However, only 10% of the PHNs responded that they could provide appropriate consultation for these issues. The content of the consultations mainly included medical services, clinical symptoms of epilepsy, and anxieties about their social life and their future. Workshops, lectures, or conferences on epilepsy were held for residents or health and welfare professionals in only 8% of the communities. This percentage is lower than those (21-70%) for other intractable or mental disorders that are mainly managed by HCCs (Prestrictions. To improve these situations, regional education programs for

A comparative survey of the impacts of extreme rainfall in two international case studies

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Spekkers, Matthieu; Rözer, Viktor; Thieken, Annegret; ten Veldhuis, Marie-Claire; Kreibich, Heidi

2017-08-01

Flooding is assessed as the most important natural hazard in Europe, causing thousands of deaths, affecting millions of people and accounting for large economic losses in the past decade. Little is known about the damage processes associated with extreme rainfall in cities, due to a lack of accurate, comparable and consistent damage data. The objective of this study is to investigate the impacts of extreme rainfall on residential buildings and how affected households coped with these impacts in terms of precautionary and emergency actions. Analyses are based on a unique dataset of damage characteristics and a wide range of potential damage explaining variables at the household level, collected through computer-aided telephone interviews (CATI) and an online survey. Exploratory data analyses based on a total of 859 completed questionnaires in the cities of Münster (Germany) and Amsterdam (the Netherlands) revealed that the uptake of emergency measures is related to characteristics of the hazardous event. In case of high water levels, more efforts are made to reduce damage, while emergency response that aims to prevent damage is less likely to be effective. The difference in magnitude of the events in Münster and Amsterdam, in terms of rainfall intensity and water depth, is probably also the most important cause for the differences between the cities in terms of the suffered financial losses. Factors that significantly contributed to damage in at least one of the case studies are water contamination, the presence of a basement in the building and people's awareness of the upcoming event. Moreover, this study confirms conclusions by previous studies that people's experience with damaging events positively correlates with precautionary behaviour. For improving future damage data acquisition, we recommend the inclusion of cell phones in a CATI survey to avoid biased sampling towards certain age groups.

Most efficient questionnaires to measure quality of life, physical function, and pain in patients with metastatic spine disease: a cross-sectional prospective survey study.

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Paulino Pereira, Nuno Rui; Janssen, Stein J; Raskin, Kevin A; Hornicek, Francis J; Ferrone, Marco L; Shin, John H; Bramer, Jos A M; van Dijk, Cornelis Nicolaas; Schwab, Joseph H

2017-07-01

Assessing quality of life, functional outcome, and pain has become important in assessing the effectiveness of treatment for metastatic spine disease. Many questionnaires are able to measure these outcomes; few are validated in patients with metastatic spine disease. As a result, there is no consensus on the ideal questionnaire to use in these patients. Our study aim was to assess whether certain questionnaires measuring quality of life, functional outcome, and pain (1) correlated with each other, (2) measured the construct they claim to measure, (3) had good coverage-floor and ceiling effects, (4) were reliable, and (5) whether there were differences in completion time between them. This is a prospective cross-sectional survey study from three outpatient clinics (two orthopedic oncology clinics and one neurosurgery clinic) from two affiliated tertiary hospital care centers. We included 100 consecutive patients with metastatic spine disease between July 2014 and February 2016. We excluded non-English-speaking patients. The following questionnaires were given in random order: Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) or Neck Disability Index (NDI), Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Physical Function, PROMIS Pain Intensity, EuroQol-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D), and the Spine Oncology Study Group Outcome Questionnaire (SOSG-OQ). We used exploratory factor analysis-correlating questionnaires with an underlying mathematically derived trait-to assess if questionnaires measured the same concept. Coverage was assessed by floor and ceiling effects, and reliability was assessed by standard error of measurement as a function of ability. Differences in completion times were tested using the Friedman test. Questionnaires measured the construct they were developed for, as demonstrated with high correlations (>0.7) with the underlying trait. A floor effect was present in the PROMIS Pain Intensity (7.0%), ODI or NDI (4.0%), and the PROMIS Physical Function (1

A newly introduced comprehensive consultation fee in the national health insurance system in Japan. A promotive effect of multidisciplinary medical care in the field of radiation oncology. Results from a questionnaire survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Igaki, Hiroshi; Nakagawa, Keiichi; Onishi, Hiroshi

2013-01-01

The consultation fee for outpatient radiotherapy was newly introduced in the national health insurance system in Japan in April 2012. We conducted a survey on the use of this consultation fee and its effect on clinical practices. The health insurance committee of the Japanese Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology conducted a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire form was mailed to 160 councilors of the Society, the target questionees. A total of 94 answers (58% of the target questionees) sent back were used for analyses. The analyses revealed that 75% of the hospitals charged most of the patients who receive radiotherapy in an outpatient setting a consultation fee. The introduction of the consultation fee led to some changes in radiation oncology clinics, as evidenced by the response of 'more careful observations by medical staff' in 37% of questionees and a 12% increase in the number of full-time radiation oncology nurses. It was also shown that the vast majority (92%) of radiation oncologists expected a positive influence of the consultation fee on radiation oncology clinics in Japan. Our questionnaire survey revealed the present status of the use of a newly introduced consultation fee for outpatient radiotherapy, and the results suggested its possible effect on promoting a multidisciplinary medical care system in radiation oncology departments in Japan. (author)

A METHOD OF PREDICTING BREAST CANCER USING QUESTIONNAIRES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. N. Malashenko

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose. Simplify and increase the accuracy of the questionnaire method of predicting breast cancer (BC for subsequent computer processing and Automated dispensary at risk without the doctor.Materials and methods. The work was based on statistical data obtained by surveying 305 women. The questionnaire included 63 items: 17 open-ended questions, 46 — with a choice of response. It was established multifactor model, the development of which, in addition to the survey data were used materials from the medical histories of patients and respondents data immuno-histochemical studies. Data analysis was performed using Statistica 10.0 and MedCalc 12.7.0 programs.Results. The ROC analysis was performas and the questionnaire data revealed 8 significant predictors of breast cancer. On their basis we created the formula for calculating the prognostic factor of risk of development of breast cancer with a sensitivity 83,12% and a specificity of 91,43%.Conclusions. The completed developments allow to create a computer program for automated processing of profiles on the formation of groups at risk of breast cancer and clinical supervision. The introduction of a screening questionnaire over the Internet with subsequent computer processing of the results, without the direct involvement of doctors, will increase the coverage of the female population of the Russian Federation activities related to the prevention of breast cancer. It can free up time for physicians to receive primary patients, as well as improve oncological vigilance of the female population of the Russian Federation.

Clinical learning environment and supervision: experiences of Norwegian nursing students - a questionnaire survey.

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Skaalvik, Mari Wolff; Normann, Hans Ketil; Henriksen, Nils

2011-08-01

To measure nursing students' experiences and satisfaction with their clinical learning environments. The primary interest was to compare the results between students with respect to clinical practice in nursing homes and hospital wards. Clinical learning environments are important for the learning processes of nursing students and for preferences for future workplaces. Working with older people is the least preferred area of practice among nursing students in Norway. A cross-sectional design. A validated questionnaire was distributed to all nursing students from five non-randomly selected university colleges in Norway. A total of 511 nursing students completed a Norwegian version of the questionnaire, Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision and Nurse Teacher (CLES+T) evaluation scale in 2009. Data including descriptive statistics were analysed using the Statistical Program for the Social Sciences. Factor structure was analysed by principal component analysis. Differences across sub-groups were tested with chi-square tests and Mann-Whitney U test for categorical variables and t-tests for continuous variables. Ordinal logistic regression analysis of perceptions of the ward as a good learning environment was performed with supervisory relationships and institutional contexts as independent variables, controlling for age, sex and study year. The participating nursing students with clinical placements in nursing homes assessed their clinical learning environment significantly more negatively than those with hospital placements on nearby all sub-dimensions. The evidence found in this study indicates that measures should be taken to strengthen nursing homes as learning environments for nursing students. To recruit more graduated nurses to work in nursing homes, actions to improve the learning environment are needed. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The prescribing practices of nurses who care for patients with skin conditions: a questionnaire survey.

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Carey, Nicola; Courtenay, Molly; Stenner, Karen

2013-07-01

To explore the practice of nurses who prescribe medication for patients with skin conditions. Nurses have lead roles in dermatology services. In the United Kingdom, nurses in primary care frequently prescribe medicines for skin conditions, but there are concerns about role preparation and access to continuing professional development. The prescribing practices of nurse independent supplementary prescribers who care for patients with skin conditions are under-researched. Cross-sectional survey. An online questionnaire was used to survey 186 nurses who prescribed for skin conditions from May-July 2010. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and nonparametric tests. The majority worked in primary care (78%) and general practice (111, 59.7%). Twenty (10.8%) had specialist modules (at diploma, degree or master's level), 104 (55.9%) had dermatology training (e.g. study days), 44 (23.7%) had no training, and a further 18 (9.6%) did not respond. Oral antibiotics, topical antifungal and antibacterial drugs were frequently prescribed. Nurses with specialist dermatology training used their qualification in a greater number of ways, prescribed the broadest range of products and prescribed more items per week. Over 70% reporting on continuing professional development had been able to access it. A large number of nurses in primary care prescribe medicines for skin conditions and are involved in medicines management activities. Lack of specialist dermatology training is a concern and associated with lower prescribing-related activities. Access to dermatology training and continuing professional development are required to support nurse development in this area of practice and maximise benefits. Nurse prescribers' involvement in medicines management activities has important implications in terms of improving access to services, efficiency and cost savings. To maximise their contribution, improved provision of specialist dermatology training is required. This will be of

Empirical validation of the Horowitz Multiple Systemic Infectious Disease Syndrome Questionnaire for suspected Lyme disease.

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Citera, Maryalice; Freeman, Phyllis R; Horowitz, Richard I

2017-01-01

Lyme disease is spreading worldwide, with multiple Borrelia species causing a broad range of clinical symptoms that mimic other illnesses. A validated Lyme disease screening questionnaire would be clinically useful for both providers and patients. Three studies evaluated such a screening tool, namely the Horowitz Multiple Systemic Infectious Disease Syndrome (MSIDS) Questionnaire. The purpose was to see if the questionnaire could accurately distinguish between Lyme patients and healthy individuals. Study 1 examined the construct validity of the scale examining its factor structure and reliability of the questionnaire among 537 individuals being treated for Lyme disease. Study 2 involved an online sample of 999 participants, who self-identified as either healthy (N=217) or suffering from Lyme now (N=782) who completed the Horowitz MSIDS Questionnaire (HMQ) along with an outdoor activity survey. We examined convergent validity among components of the scale and evaluated discriminant validity with the Big Five personality characteristics. The third study compared a sample of 236 patients with confirmed Lyme disease with an online sample of 568 healthy individuals. Factor analysis results identified six underlying latent dimensions; four of these overlapped with critical symptoms identified by Horowitz - neuropathy, cognitive dysfunction, musculoskeletal pain, and fatigue. The HMQ showed acceptable levels of internal reliability using Cronbach's coefficient alpha and exhibited evidence of convergent and divergent validity. Components of the HMQ correlated more highly with each other than with unrelated traits. The results consistently demonstrated that the HMQ accurately differentiated those with Lyme disease from healthy individuals. Three migratory pain survey items (persistent muscular pain, arthritic pain, and nerve pain/paresthesias) robustly identified individuals with verified Lyme disease. The results support the use of the HMQ as a valid, efficient, and low

A survey of medical exposure during X-ray diagnosis in Aomori

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kon, Masanori; Fukushi, Shouji; Oota, Fumio; Kawamura, Kouji; Shinohe, Tetsuo; Suwa, Kouki; Fujii, Kiyosuke; Yamagami, Hirofumi

2000-01-01

The purpose of this project was to survey medical exposure doses in Aomori Prefecture and compare them with guidance levels for X-ray diagnosis. A questionnaire survey on X-ray diagnosis was conducted at the main medical institutions in the prefecture. The questionnaire asked about technical conditions, and replies were obtained from 72.2% of the 79 institutions. The medical exposure doses (entrance surface doses) were calculated from the results of the questionnaires by the modified numerical dose determination (NDD) method. The distribution of the entrance surface doses at each site was calculated as the 1st quartile, median, 3rd quartile, average, standard deviation, maximum value and minimum value, by the quartile method. The distribution of exposed doses at each site showed a similar pattern with that of the national distribution. Some institutions used higher doses than the Japanese proposed guidance levels and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) guidance levels. Re-assessment of radiographic conditions and photosensitive materials is needed to reduce exposure doses. (K.H.)

Changes needed to medicine in the UK before senior UK-trained doctors, working outside the UK, will return: questionnaire surveys undertaken between 2004 and 2015.

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Lambert, Trevor W; Smith, Fay; Goldacre, Michael J

2017-12-01

To report the changes to UK medicine which doctors who have emigrated tell us would increase their likelihood of returning to a career in UK medicine. Questionnaire survey. UK-trained medical graduates. Questionnaires were sent 11 years after graduation to 7158 doctors who qualified in 1993 and 1996 in the UK: 4763 questionnaires were returned. Questionnaires were sent 17 and 19 years after graduation to the same cohorts: 4554 questionnaires were returned. Comments from doctors working abroad about changes needed to UK medicine before they would return. Eleven years after graduation, 290 (6%) of respondents were working in medicine abroad; 277 (6%) were doing so 17/19 years after graduation. Eleven years after graduation, 53% of doctors working abroad indicated that they did not intend to return, and 71% did so 17/19 years after graduation. These respondents reported a number of changes which would need to be made to UK medicine in order to increase the likelihood of them returning. The most frequently mentioned changes cited concerned 'politics/management/funding', 'pay/pension', 'posts/security/opportunities', 'working conditions/hours', and 'factors outside medicine'. Policy attention to factors including funding, pay, management and particularly the clinical-political interface, working hours, and work-life balance may pay dividends for all, both in terms of persuading some established doctors to return and, perhaps more importantly, encouraging other, younger doctors to believe that the UK and the National Health Service can offer them a satisfying and rewarding career.

Quality of life questionnaires in otorhinolaryngology: a systematic overview.

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Koenraads, S P C; Aarts, M C J; van der Veen, E L; Grolman, W; Stegeman, I

2016-12-01

The importance of quality of life (QOL) as an endpoint and the use of validated QOL questionnaires have increased over time. To evaluate health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) measurement instruments used in patients in otorhinolaryngology (ORL). We aimed to establish the use of QOL questionnaires in ORL over a period of time, establish the use of QOL questionnaires within different domains and determine the use of validated QOL questionnaires. We performed a comprehensive search in PubMed up to 1 January 2014. Articles were included that measured HR-QOL questionnaires in clinical practice in children, adolescents or adults in 42 journals of ORL. Multiple unique QOL questionnaires, organised according to domain, time and survey of validation, were extracted from reported articles. Of 2442 articles, we utilised 1196 publications with a total of 2103 QOL questionnaires regarding ORL. We evaluated a variety of 363 unique QOL questionnaires in which 60% (n = 220) QOL questionnaires had been validated. We found a continuing increase in the amount of articles which used QOL questionnaires since the beginning of the 20th century, while the percentage of validated QOL questionnaires remained the same (76%). Most QOL questionnaires were used in the domains oncology (35%), otology (21%) and rhinology (20%). The domain otology had the largest amount of unique QOL questionnaires (n = 122). We identified and evaluated all unique HR-QOL questionnaires utilised in patients in ORL. Recently, the use of validated and non-validated HR-QOL questionnaires has increased within all domains of ORL. The assessment of QOL has become an important outcome measure in clinical practice, in medical research and for healthcare organisations. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Validation of the Oxford Participation and Activities Questionnaire

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Morley D

2016-06-01

Full Text Available David Morley, Sarah Dummett, Laura Kelly, Jill Dawson, Ray Fitzpatrick, Crispin Jenkinson Health Services Research Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK Purpose: There is growing interest in the management of long-term conditions and in keeping people active and participating in the community. Testing the effectiveness of interventions that aim to affect activities and participation can be challenging without a well-developed, valid, and reliable instrument. This study therefore aims to develop a patient-reported outcome measure, the Oxford Participation and Activities Questionnaire (Ox-PAQ, which is theoretically grounded in the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF and fully compliant with current best practice guidelines. Methods: Questionnaire items generated from patient interviews and based on the nine chapters of the ICF were administered by postal survey to 386 people with three neurological conditions: motor neuron disease, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease. Participants also completed the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36 and EQ-5D-5L. Results: Thus, 334 participants completed the survey, a response rate of 86.5%. Factor analysis techniques identified three Ox-PAQ domains, consisting of 23 items, accounting for 72.8% of variance. Internal reliability for the three domains was high (Cronbach's α: 0.81–0.96, as was test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation: 0.83–0.92. Concurrent validity was demonstrated through highly significant relationships with relevant domains of the MOS SF-36 and the EQ-5D-5L. Assessment of known-groups validity identified significant differences in Ox-PAQ scores among the three conditions included in the survey. Conclusion: Results suggest that the Ox-PAQ is a valid and reliable measure of participation and activity. The measure will now be validated in

Internet and social media usage of orthopaedic patients: A questionnaire-based survey.

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Duymus, Tahir Mutlu; Karadeniz, Hilmi; Çaçan, Mehmet Akif; Kömür, Baran; Demirtaş, Abdullah; Zehir, Sinan; Azboy, İbrahim

2017-02-18

To evaluate social media usage of orthopaedic patients to search for solutions to their health problems. The study data were collected using face-to-face questionnaire with randomly selected 1890 patients aged over 18 years who had been admitted to the orthopaedic clinics in different cities and provinces across Turkey. The questionnaire consists of a total of 16 questions pertaining to internet and social media usage and demographics of patients, patients' choice of institution for treatment, patient complaints on admission, online hospital and physician ratings, communication between the patient and the physician and its effects. It was found that 34.2% ( n = 647) of the participants consulted with an orthopaedist using the internet and 48.7% ( n = 315) of them preferred websites that allow users to ask questions to a physician. Of all question-askers, 48.5% ( n = 314) reported having found the answers helpful. Based on the educational level of the participants, there was a highly significant difference between the rates of asking questions to an orthopaedist using the internet ( P = 0.001). The rate of question-asking was significantly lower in patients with an elementary education than that in those with secondary, high school and undergraduate education ( P = 0.001) The rate of reporting that the answers given was helpful was significantly higher in participants with an undergraduate degree compared to those who were illiterate, those with primary, elementary or high school education ( P = 0.001). It was also found that the usage of the internet for health problems was higher among managers-qualified participants than unemployed-housewives, officers, workers-intermediate staff ( P social media to select a specific physician or to seek solution to their health problems in an effective way. Even though the internet and social media offer beneficial effects for physicians or patients, there is still much obscurity regarding their harms and further studies are

Oral health-related knowledge, attitude and practices among eunuchs (hijras residing in Bhopal City, Madhya Pradesh, India: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey

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Sudhir Hongal

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The current cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted to assess the oral health-related knowledge, attitude and practices among eunuchs (hijras residing in Bhopal city, Madhya Pradesh, India. Materials and Methods: Based on a convenient non-probability snow ball sampling technique, all the self-identified eunuchs residing in the city of Bhopal who were present at the time of study and who fulfilled the selection criteria were approached. A cross section of the general population was also surveyed. An interviewer-based, predesigned, structured, close-ended 18-item questionnaire that had been designed based on the primary objective of the study was used. All the obtained data were analyzed using software, Statistical Package for Social Science version 20. Results: According to 188 (86.2% males, 187 (87.4% females and 168 (81.2% eunuchs, good oral health can improve the general health. Most of the study participants including 211 (98.6% females, 210 (96.3% males and 205 (99% eunuchs use either tooth paste or tooth powder to clean their teeth. While, a majority of eunuchs, i.e., 113 (54.6%, were having habit of chewing smokeless tobacco containing products such as betel nut, betel quid, gutkha, etc., The difference in use of tobacco products was statistically significant. Conclusion: The information presented in this study adds to our understanding of the common oral hygiene practices which are performed among eunuch population. Efforts to increase the awareness of oral effects of tobacco use and to eliminate the habit are needed to improve oral and general health of this population.

Knowledge of pharmacy students about doping, and the need for doping education: a questionnaire survey.

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Shibata, Keita; Ichikawa, Koichi; Kurata, Naomi

2017-08-11

Anti-doping activities are carried out on a global scale. Based on these activities, the specialty of "sports pharmacist," which entails a deeper comprehension of doping, use of supplements, and appropriate drug use for athletes, was established in 2009 in Japan. It is difficult to say whether the education on doping is adequate for pharmacy students who will be eligible to become sports pharmacists. It is also unclear how well these students understand doping. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate pharmacy students' current knowledge of appropriate drug use, doping and use of supplements, and to explore the need for further education on these topics. A questionnaire survey was conducted from July 3rd to August 2nd in 2014 at Showa University in Japan. A total of 406 respondents (2nd- to 6th-year students) were assessed as eligible. Group comparison was used to compare those who had attended a lecture about doping and those who had not. Most of the students only knew the word doping and had not attended a lecture on the subject, but 72% of them expressed a desire to attend one. Over half did not know that the most common doping violation in Japan is unintentional doping, and were unfamiliar with certain past cases of doping. In addition, 41% did not know that over-the-counter medicines and dietary supplements might contain prohibited substances, and 87% were unaware that names of prohibited substances might not appear on the ingredient labels of dietary supplements. In contrast, attending a lecture on doping was effective in facilitating the acquisition of all these types of knowledge. It is important to provide more opportunities for appropriate education of pharmacy students on the topic of doping, given that interest exists and attending a lecture on the topic appears to be useful. More education about doping for pharmacy students would be as effective for anti-doping activities as is education of athletes.

Translation and cultural adaptation of the States of Consciousness Questionnaire (SOCQ and statistical validation of the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ30 in Brazilian Portuguese

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EDUARDO EKMAN SCHENBERG

Full Text Available Abstract Background The States of Consciousness Questionnaire (SOCQ was developed to assess the occurrence features of the change in consciousness induced by psilocybin, and includes the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ, developed to assess the ocurrence of mystical experiences in altered states of consciousness. Objective To translate the SOCQ to Brazilian Portuguese and validate the 30-item MEQ. Methods The SOCQ was translated to Brazilian Portuguese and backtranslated into English. The two English versions were compared and differences corrected, resulting in a Brazilian translation. Using an internet-survey, 1504 Portuguese-speaking subjects answered the translated version of the SOCQ. The 4-factor version of MEQ30 was analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and reliability analysis. Results A Brazilian Portuguese version of the SOCQ was made available. Goodness-of-fit indexes indicated that data met the factorial structure proposed for the English MEQ30. Factors presented excellent to acceptable reliability according to Cronbach’s alpha: mystical (0.95; positive mood (0.71; transcendence of time/space (0.83; and ineffability (0.81. Discussion The Brazilian Portuguese version of the MEQ30 is validated and it fits in the factorial structure performed on the original English version. The SOCQ is also available to the Brazilian Portuguese speaking population, allowing studies in different languages to be conducted and compared systematically.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practice behaviors of medical specialists for the relationship between diabetes and periodontal disease: A questionnaire survey

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Vishnu Teja Obulareddy

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Increased risk of periodontal disease has been associated with diabetes mellitus (DM and also periodontitis is considered as the sixth complication of DM. Medical physicians may have an advantageous position compared to the dentists to provide early patient counseling about oral health because patients attend medical offices more often than to dental offices and are more likely to be affiliated to medical than to dental insurance. Hence, the medical practitioners should have sufficient knowledge in this regard. The study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practice behaviors of endocrinologists, general medicine practitioners, and diabetologists on the relationship between periodontal disease and DM. Materials and Methods: Data were collected from sixty participants practicing in Nellore, using a structured questionnaire survey. The obtained data were analyzed through percentages. Results: All the participants (100% were aware that there existed a relation between oral health and general health. However, only 17.8% (10 of the participants refer their patients to dentists without patients asking for referral. Conclusion: The endocrinologists were aware of the didactic relationship, whereas general medicine practitioners and diabetologists are not much well-equipped with the knowledge on relationship between DM and periodontitis. There exists a wide gap between their practice behaviors and current scientific evidence. Therefore, more emphasis must be made by medical practitioners for the diabetic patient toward periodontal health which is most important yet neglected aspect of comprehensive health care.

An overiew of non medical prescribing across one strategic health authority: a questionnaire survey

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Courtenay Molly

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Over 50,000 non-medical healthcare professionals across the United Kingdom now have prescribing capabilities. However, there is no evidence available with regards to the extent to which non-medical prescribing (NMP has been implemented within organisations across a strategic health authority (SHA. The aim of the study was to provide an overview of NMP across one SHA. Methods NMP leads across one SHA were asked to supply the email addresses of NMPs within their organisation. One thousand five hundred and eighty five NMPs were contacted and invited to complete an on-line descriptive questionnaire survey, 883 (55.7% participants responded. Data was collected between November 2010 and February 2011. Results The majority of NMPs were based in primary care and worked in a team of 2 or more. Nurse independent supplementary prescribers were the largest group (590 or 68.6% compared to community practitioner prescribers (198 or 22.4%, pharmacist independent supplementary prescribers (35 or 4%, and allied health professionals and optometrist independent and/or supplementary prescribers (8 or 0.9%. Nearly all (over 90% of nurse independent supplementary prescribers prescribed medicines. Approximately a third of pharmacist independent supplementary prescribers, allied health professionals, and community practitioner prescribers did not prescribe. Clinical governance procedures were largely in place, although fewer procedures were reported by community practitioner prescribers. General practice nurses prescribed the most items. Factors affecting prescribing practice were: employer, the level of experience prior to becoming a non-medical prescriber, existence of governance procedures and support for the prescribing role (p  Conclusion NMP in this strategic health authority reflects national development of this relatively new role in that the majority of non-medical prescribers were nurses based in primary care, with fewer pharmacist and

An overiew of non medical prescribing across one strategic health authority: a questionnaire survey.

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Courtenay, Molly; Carey, Nicola; Stenner, Karen

2012-06-01

Over 50,000 non-medical healthcare professionals across the United Kingdom now have prescribing capabilities. However, there is no evidence available with regards to the extent to which non-medical prescribing (NMP) has been implemented within organisations across a strategic health authority (SHA). The aim of the study was to provide an overview of NMP across one SHA. NMP leads across one SHA were asked to supply the email addresses of NMPs within their organisation. One thousand five hundred and eighty five NMPs were contacted and invited to complete an on-line descriptive questionnaire survey, 883 (55.7%) participants responded. Data was collected between November 2010 and February 2011. The majority of NMPs were based in primary care and worked in a team of 2 or more. Nurse independent supplementary prescribers were the largest group (590 or 68.6%) compared to community practitioner prescribers (198 or 22.4%), pharmacist independent supplementary prescribers (35 or 4%), and allied health professionals and optometrist independent and/or supplementary prescribers (8 or 0.9%). Nearly all (over 90%) of nurse independent supplementary prescribers prescribed medicines. Approximately a third of pharmacist independent supplementary prescribers, allied health professionals, and community practitioner prescribers did not prescribe. Clinical governance procedures were largely in place, although fewer procedures were reported by community practitioner prescribers. General practice nurses prescribed the most items. Factors affecting prescribing practice were: employer, the level of experience prior to becoming a non-medical prescriber, existence of governance procedures and support for the prescribing role (p < 0.001). NMP in this strategic health authority reflects national development of this relatively new role in that the majority of non-medical prescribers were nurses based in primary care, with fewer pharmacist and allied health professional prescribers. This

How long do we have to treat overactive bladder syndrome (OAB)? A questionnaire survey of Canadian urologists and gynecologists.

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Przydacz, Mikolaj; Campeau, Lysanne; Walter, Jens-Erik; Corcos, Jacques

2018-05-14

Overactive bladder syndrome (OAB) is a highly prevalent and costly condition worldwide with negative impact on health-related quality of life. Although many guidelines exist and anticholinergics are considered to be the mainstay of pharmacological treatment, data are lacking regarding optimal treatment duration. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine practice patterns of Canadian urologists and gynecologists regarding duration of OAB pharmacotherapy. A 14-question survey was designed and survey links (English and French) were sent by email to all practicing urologists and gynecologists registered with the Canadian Urological Association and the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada via the associations' email lists. The SurveyMonkey website served as platform where responses were collected and stored. A total of 301 physicians completed the questionnaire; 250 respondents (83%) prescribe anticholinergics or beta-3-adrenoceptor agonist (mirabegron) in their practice, and 202 (81%) start patient treatment with the lowest recommended medication dose. One hundred and twelve respondents (45% of those who prescribe OAB medications) classified OAB pharmacotherapy as a lifelong management strategy, whereas 130 (52% of those who prescribe OAB medications) think that OAB pharmacotherapy should be administered for a defined time period. Six-month and one-year time periods of drug treatments are the most commonly chosen answers given by physicians who treat their patients for a defined duration. There is general agreement among Canadian urologists and gynecologists that OAB treatment should be started with the lowest recommended medication dose. A slim majority of respondents think that OAB pharmacotherapy should be administered for a defined duration.

Engaging Students in Survey Research Projects across Research Methods and Statistics Courses

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Lovekamp, William E.; Soboroff, Shane D.; Gillespie, Michael D.

2017-01-01

One innovative way to help students make sense of survey research has been to create a multifaceted, collaborative assignment that promotes critical thinking, comparative analysis, self-reflection, and statistical literacy. We use a short questionnaire adapted from the Higher Education Research Institute's Cooperative Institutional Research…

Adaptation and Validation of the Brief Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS) in a Colombian Sample and Factorial Equivalence with the Spanish Version

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Sierra, Juan Carlos; Soler, Franklin

2016-01-01

Attitudes toward sexuality are a key variable for sexual health. It is really important for psychology and education to have adapted and validated questionnaires to evaluate these attitudes. Therefore, the objective of this research was to adapt, validate and calculate the equivalence of the Colombia Sexual Opinion Survey as compared to the same survey from Spain. To this end, a total of eight experts were consulted and 1,167 subjects from Colombia and Spain answered the Sexual Opinion Survey, the Sexual Assertiveness Scale, the Massachusetts General Hospital-Sexual Functioning Questionnaire, and the Sexuality Scale. The evaluation was conducted by online and the results show adequate qualitative and quantitative properties of the items, with adequate reliability and external validity and compliance with the strong invariance between the two countries. Consequently, the Colombia Sexual Opinion Survey is a valid and reliable scale and its scores can be compared with the ones from the Spain survey, with minimum bias. PMID:27627114

Comparative analysis based on the replies to the questionnaire and on the discussions which took place during the workshop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

In the order to help participants best prepare for the discussions during the Workshop on the Indemnification of Damage in the Event of a Nuclear Accident, the NEA Secretariat, in co-operation with the French authorities, drafted a questionnaire on the implementation of third party liability and indemnification regimes applicable to nuclear damage resulting from a nuclear emergency situation. This questionnaire was circulated to countries invited to participate in the Workshop to serve as a basis for exchanges. The representatives of countries which, in light of their geographical situation in relation to the Gravelines nuclear power plant where the nuclear accident was simulated on 22 May 2001, would be most likely to be concerned by the application of liability regimes following a nuclear accident in France having transboundary effects were first of all asked to reply to this questionnaire. A number of other countries, referred to as 'unaffected' also accepted to reply to the questionnaire. On the basis of the replies to the questionnaire (which are reproduced in Annex I to these Proceedings) as well as the discussions which took place during the Workshop, the Secretariat has carried out a comparative study to the different mechanisms governing the emergency alert and management of a nuclear accident and the indemnification of victims in place in the countries participating in the Workshop. This study aims to provide and overview of the replies to the questionnaire. Furthermore, as this analysis is based on the replies to the questionnaire and the discussions which took place during the workshop, one should therefore not assume that where a country is not expressly included in the Secretariat's conclusions, that country has not established measures on this subject. The countries whose alert mechanisms and measures governing indemnification of nuclear damage have been included in this analysis are as follows: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, the Czech Republic

International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ and New Zealand Physical Activity Questionnaire (NZPAQ: A doubly labelled water validation

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Rodgers Anthony

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Accurate measurement of physical activity is a pre-requisite for monitoring population health and for evaluating effective interventions. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ is used as a comparable and standardised self-report measure of habitual physical activity of populations from different countries and socio-cultural contexts. The IPAQ has been modified to produce a New Zealand physical activity questionnaire (NZPAQ. The aim of this study was to validate the IPAQ and NZPAQ against doubly labelled water (DLW. Method: Total energy expenditure (TEE was measured over a 15-day period using DLW. Activity-related energy expenditure (AEE was estimated by subtracting the energy expenditure from resting metabolic rate and thermic effect of feeding from TEE. The IPAQ (long form and NZPAQ (short form were completed at the end of each 7-day period. Activity-related energy expenditure (IPAQAEE and NZPAQAEE was calculated from each questionnaire and compared to DLWAEE. Results Thirty six adults aged 18 to 56 years (56% female completed all measurements. Compared to DLWAEE, IPAQAEE and NZPAQAEE on average underestimated energy expenditure by 27% and 59%, respectively. There was good agreement between DLWAEE and both IPAQAEE and NZPAQAEE at lower levels of physical activity. However there was marked underestimation of questionnaire-derived energy expenditure at higher levels of activity. Conclusion Both the IPAQ and NZPAQ instruments have a demonstrated systematic bias toward underestimation of physical activity-related energy expenditure at higher levels of physical activity compared to DLW. Appropriate calibration factors could be used to correct for measurement error in physical activity questionnaires and hence improve estimation of AEE.

Assessment of diet and physical activity of brazilian schoolchildren: usability testing of a web-based questionnaire.

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da Costa, Filipe Ferreira; Schmoelz, Camilie Pacheco; Davies, Vanessa Fernandes; Di Pietro, Patrícia Faria; Kupek, Emil; de Assis, Maria Alice Altenburg

2013-08-19

Information and communication technology (ICT) has been used with increasing frequency for the assessment of diet and physical activity in health surveys. A number of Web-based questionnaires have been developed for children and adolescents. However, their usability characteristics have scarcely been reported, despite their potential importance for improving the feasibility and validity of ICT-based methods. The objective of this study was to describe the usability evaluation of the Consumo Alimentar e Atividade Física de Escolares (CAAFE) questionnaire (Food Consumption and Physical Activity Questionnaire for schoolchildren), a new Web-based survey tool for the self-assessment of diet and physical activity by schoolchildren. A total of 114 schoolchildren aged 6 to 12 years took part in questionnaire usability testing carried out in computer classrooms at five elementary schools in the city of Florianopolis, Brazil. Schoolchildren used a personal computer (PC) equipped with software for recording what is on the computer screen and the children's speech during usability testing. Quantitative and qualitative analyses took into account objective usability metrics such as error counts and time to complete a task. Data on the main difficulties in accomplishing the task and the level of satisfaction expressed by the children were assessed by the observers using a standardized form and interviews with the children. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to summarize both the quantitative and the qualitative aspects of the data obtained. The mean time for completing the questionnaire was 13.7 minutes (SD 3.68). Compared to the children in 2nd or 3rd grades, those in 4th or 5th grades spent less time completing the questionnaire (median 12.4 vs 13.3 minutes, P=.022), asked for help less frequently (median 0 vs 1.0 count, P=.005), had a lower error count (median 2.0 vs 8.0 count, Pperformance score (median 73.0 vs 68.0, P=.005). Children with a PC at home

A Meta-Analysis of Questionnaire Response Rates in Military Samples

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Parrish, Michael R

2007-01-01

...), use of advance notices, and use of follow-up reminders. Data were gathered for a meta-analysis of 73 previously published studies which utilized a survey or questionnaire to collect data from a military-only sample...

Age- and Sex-Specific Criterion Validity of the Health Survey for England Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Assessment Questionnaire as Compared With Accelerometry

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Scholes, Shaun; Coombs, Ngaire; Pedisic, Zeljko; Mindell, Jennifer S.; Bauman, Adrian; Rowlands, Alex V.; Stamatakis, Emmanuel

2014-01-01

The criterion validity of the 2008 Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Assessment Questionnaire (PASBAQ) was examined in a nationally representative sample of 2,175 persons aged ≥16 years in England using accelerometry. Using accelerometer minutes/day greater than or equal to 200 counts as a criterion, Spearman's correlation coefficient (ρ) for PASBAQ-assessed total activity was 0.30 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.25, 0.35) in women and 0.20 (95% CI: 0.15, 0.26) in men. Correlations between accelerometer counts/minute of wear time and questionnaire-assessed relative energy expenditure (metabolic equivalent-minutes/day) were higher in women (ρ = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.36, 0.46) than in men (ρ = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.26, 0.38). Similar correlations were observed for minutes/day spent in vigorous activity (women: ρ = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.33, 0.46; men: ρ = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.26, 0.36) and moderate-to-vigorous activity (women: ρ = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.36, 0.48; men: ρ = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.32, 0.45). Correlations for time spent being sedentary (physical activity was higher in older age groups, but validity was higher in younger persons for vigorous-intensity activity. The PASBAQ is a useful and valid instrument for ranking individuals according to levels of physical activity and sedentary behavior. PMID:24863551

Designing an Internationally Accessible Web-Based Questionnaire to Discover Risk Factors for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Case-Control Study

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Parkin Kullmann, Jane Alana; Hayes, Susan; Wang, Min-Xia

2015-01-01

Background Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with a typical survival of three to five years. Epidemiological studies using paper-based questionnaires in individual countries or continents have failed to find widely accepted risk factors for the disease. The advantages of online versus paper-based questionnaires have been extensively reviewed, but few online epidemiological studies into human neurodegenerative diseases have so far been undertaken. Objective To design a Web-based questionnaire to identify environmental risk factors for ALS and enable international comparisons of these risk factors. Methods A Web-based epidemiological questionnaire for ALS has been developed based on experience gained from administering a previous continent-wide paper-based questionnaire for this disease. New and modified questions have been added from our previous paper-based questionnaire, from literature searches, and from validated ALS questionnaires supplied by other investigators. New criteria to allow the separation of familial and sporadic ALS cases have been included. The questionnaire addresses many risk factors that have already been proposed for ALS, as well as a number that have not yet been rigorously examined. To encourage participation, responses are collected anonymously and no personally identifiable information is requested. The survey is being translated into a number of languages which will allow many people around the world to read and answer it in their own language. Results After the questionnaire had been online for 4 months, it had 379 respondents compared to only 46 respondents for the same initial period using a paper-based questionnaire. The average age of the first 379 web questionnaire respondents was 54 years compared to the average age of 60 years for the first 379 paper questionnaire respondents. The questionnaire is soon to be promoted in a number of countries through ALS associations and disease

Characteristics of service users and provider organisations associated with experience of out of hours general practitioner care in England: population based cross sectional postal questionnaire survey.

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Warren, Fiona C; Abel, Gary; Lyratzopoulos, Georgios; Elliott, Marc N; Richards, Suzanne; Barry, Heather E; Roland, Martin; Campbell, John L

2015-04-29

To investigate the experience of users of out of hours general practitioner services in England, UK. Population based cross sectional postal questionnaire survey. General Practice Patient Survey 2012-13. Potential associations between sociodemographic factors (including ethnicity and ability to take time away from work during working hours to attend a healthcare consultation) and provider organisation type (not for profit, NHS, or commercial) and service users' experience of out of hours care (timeliness, confidence and trust in the out of hours clinician, and overall experience of the service), rated on a scale of 0-100. Which sociodemographic/provider characteristics were associated with service users' experience, the extent to which any observed differences could be because of clustering of service users of a particular sociodemographic group within poorer scoring providers, and the extent to which observed differences in experience varied across types of provider. The overall response rate was 35%; 971,232/2,750,000 patients returned surveys. Data from 902,170 individual service users were mapped through their registered practice to one of 86 providers of out of hours GP care with known organisation type. Commercial providers of out of hours GP care were associated with poorer reports of overall experience of care, with a mean difference of -3.13 (95% confidence interval -4.96 to -1.30) compared with not for profit providers. Asian service users reported lower scores for all three experience outcomes than white service users (mean difference for overall experience of care -3.62, -4.36 to -2.89), as did service users who were unable to take time away from work compared with service users who did not work (mean difference for overall experience of care -4.73, -5.29 to -4.17). Commercial providers of out of hours GP care were associated with poorer experience of care. Targeted interventions aimed at improving experience for patients from ethnic minorities and

An endodontic practice profile amongst general dental practitioners in Kathmandu: A questionnaire survey

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D Shrestha

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Objective To investigate the endodontic practice profile of general dental practitioners. To explore the materials and methods employed by them in Kathmandu valley. To compare these findings with well acknowledged international academic standards. Methods Questionnaires with 18 closed-ended questions were distributed among randomly chosen 120 general dental practitioners of Kathmandu, working in various government or private hospital or clinics.The data were collected and descriptive statistical analysis was done. Results Out of 120 questionnaires, only 110 that were completely filled were included in the study .Most general dental practitioners (97% regularly did multi-rooted root canal treatments and followed multivisit root canal treatment.. Radiograph with instrument in canal was used by 80% of general dental practitioners to determine the working length while only 36% used electronic apex locator which is considered to be more reliable. Half of them (57% used nickel-titanium files for cleaning and shaping but only 23% used crown down technique. Sodium hypochlorite and calcium hydroxide was the most popular irrigation solution and intra-canal medicament respectively. Majority of general dental practitioners (91% used lateral compaction technique for root canal obturation. Sixty three percent used zinc oxide eugenol as root canal sealer and 46% used endomethasone. They seem to overuse antibiotics in cases requiring endodontic therapy. Only 48% used autoclave for sterilization of endodontic files while 86% never used rubber dam. Eight three percent of them felt the need of further endodontic training and 42% of them preferred post-graduate dental program. Conclusion This study shows that the standard guidelines and new technologies for endodontic treatments are not implemented by many general dental practitioners of Kathmandu and require further endodontic trainings. Journal of College of Medical Sciences-Nepal, 2013, Vol-9, No-4, 40-50 DOI

Web-based Food Behaviour Questionnaire: validation with grades six to eight students.

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Hanning, Rhona M; Royall, Dawna; Toews, Jenn E; Blashill, Lindsay; Wegener, Jessica; Driezen, Pete

2009-01-01

The web-based Food Behaviour Questionnaire (FBQ) includes a 24-hour diet recall, a food frequency questionnaire, and questions addressing knowledge, attitudes, intentions, and food-related behaviours. The survey has been revised since it was developed and initially validated. The current study was designed to obtain qualitative feedback and to validate the FBQ diet recall. "Think aloud" techniques were used in cognitive interviews with dietitian experts (n=11) and grade six students (n=21). Multi-ethnic students (n=201) in grades six to eight at urban southern Ontario schools completed the FBQ and, subsequently, one-on-one diet recall interviews with trained dietitians. Food group and nutrient intakes were compared. Users provided positive feedback on the FBQ. Suggestions included adding more foods, more photos for portion estimation, and online student feedback. Energy and nutrient intakes were positively correlated between FBQ and dietitian interviews, overall and by gender and grade (all p<0.001). Intraclass correlation coefficients were ≥0.5 for energy and macro-nutrients, although the web-based survey underestimated energy (10.5%) and carbohydrate (-15.6%) intakes (p<0.05). Under-estimation of rice and pasta portions on the web accounted for 50% of this discrepancy. The FBQ is valid, relative to 24-hour recall interviews, for dietary assessment in diverse populations of Ontario children in grades six to eight.

Strategic Role of HRM in Turkey: A Three-Country Comparative Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Ozcelik, Ayse Oya; Aydinli, Fulya

2006-01-01

Purpose: To explore the strategic role of human resource management (HRM) in Turkey by comparing Turkish companies to Spanish and German companies. Design/methodology/approach: The questionnaire form of the Cranet-G 1999-2000 Survey (Cranfield Network on Strategic International Human Resource Management) has been used to collect the data. The…

Testing the Invariance of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey's Sexual Behavior Questionnaire Across Gender, Ethnicity/Race, and Generation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Anne Q; Hsueh, Loretta; Roesch, Scott C; Vaughn, Allison A; Sotelo, Frank L; Lindsay, Suzanne; Klonoff, Elizabeth A

2016-02-01

Federal and state policies are based on data from surveys that examine sexual-related cognitions and behaviors through self-reports of attitudes and actions. No study has yet examined their factorial invariance--specifically, whether the relationship between items assessing sexual behavior and their underlying construct differ depending on gender, ethnicity/race, or age. This study examined the factor structure of four items from the sexual behavior questionnaire part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). As NHANES provided different versions of the survey per gender, invariance was tested across gender to determine whether subsequent tests across ethnicity/race and generation could be done across gender. Items were not invariant across gender groups so data files for women and men were not collapsed. Across ethnicity/race for both genders, and across generation for women, items were configurally invariant, and exhibited metric invariance across Latino/Latina and Black participants for both genders. Across generation for men, the configural invariance model could not be identified so the baseline models were examined. The four item one factor model fit well for the Millennial and GenerationX groups but was a poor fit for the baby boomer and silent generation groups, suggesting that gender moderated the invariance across generation. Thus, comparisons between ethnic/racial and generational groups should not be made between the genders or even within gender. Findings highlight the need for programs and interventions that promote a more inclusive definition of "having had sex."

Gquest: modeling patient questionnaires and administering them through a mobile platform application.

Science.gov (United States)

Lanzola, G; Ginardi, M G; Mazzanti, A; Quaglini, S

2014-11-01

The use of surveys is becoming popular in the health care industry for acquiring information useful to the accomplishment of several studies. Besides their exploitation on a large scale for conducting epidemiological studies, surveys are being increasingly carried out on a narrower perspective through the administration of questionnaires aimed at assessing the quality of life perceived by patients or their clinical status during mid- or long-term treatments. This is useful for managing resources or optimizing and individualizing treatments. This paper describes Gquest, a platform for modeling, generating and administering questionnaires through mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets. Gquest was motivated by the need of administering questionnaires during home treatments, albeit its applicability is rather general. The main requirement was to have a very simple, clean and easy to use platform able to support (a) physicians in the design and delivery of questionnaires and (b) outpatients in sending self-recorded outcomes to the clinical staff. Gquest has two basic components. The first one is a model devised for representing questionnaires which is extremely flexible. It allows the generation of questions and answers of different types, supports adaptivity in the dialog with the user and enforces simple consistency rules for checking his input. The second component is an application able to run instances of those questionnaires. It downloads questionnaires over the air in terms of XML files from a server and stores them locally into the mobile repository. Questionnaires become then available to the user, who in our case is a patient or one of his relatives. The user can select which one to fill-in, according to his needs and/or the specific treatment protocol. The selected questionnaire may be filled-in all at once or be completed in subsequent steps over time since any input provided is persisted on a local database. Finally, when a questionnaire is closed

Questionnaire survey, indoor climate measurements and energy consumption: Concerto initiative. Class1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nellemose Knudsen, H.; Engelund Thomsen, K.; Bergsoee, N.C. [Aalborg Univ., Statens Byggeforskningsinstitut (SBi), Koebenhavn (Denmark); Moerck, O.; Holmegaard Andersen, K. [Cenergia Energy Consultants, Herlev (Denmark)

2012-12-15

The municipality of Egedal decided in 2006 to make use of the possibility in the Danish Planning Law for a municipality to tighten the energy requirements in the local plan for a new settlement to be erected in the municipality. During the years 2007-2011 a total of 442 dwellings were to be designed and constructed with a heating demand corresponding to the Danish low-energy standard referred to as ''low-energy class 1'' in a new settlement called Stenloese Syd. This means that the energy consumption is to be 50% lower than the requirement in BR08 (Danish Building Regulations 2008). 66 flats were to be designed and constructed with a yearly heating demand of 15 kWh/m{sup .} Furthermore, the Concerto community include a kindergarten and an activity centre for elderly people. All the single family houses were to be heated by a heat pump supported by a 3 m{sup }thermal solar system for hot water preparation. The dense low-rise housing are to be heated by a district heating network. All dwellings were to be equipped with a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery and an electronic system for energy monitoring and control of the heating systems. The first houses were occupied in 2008. This report presents part of the results of an evaluation of the project that was performed in the settlement. The evaluation consisted of a questionnaire survey of occupant experiences and satisfaction in 35 single-family houses, measurements of energy consumption in 22 selected single-family houses and 58 flats, and measurements, assessments, and a series of physical measurements of selected indoor climate parameters in 7 selected single-family houses during March 2012. (Author)

Comparing online and telephone survey results in the context of a skin cancer prevention campaign evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hollier, L P; Pettigrew, S; Slevin, T; Strickland, M; Minto, C

2017-03-01

A large proportion of health promotion campaign evaluation research has historically been conducted via telephone surveys. However, there are concerns about the continued viability of this form of surveying in providing relevant and representative data. Online surveys are an increasingly popular alternative, and as such there is a need to assess the comparability between data collected using the two different methods to determine the implications for longitudinal comparisons. The present study compared these survey modes in the context of health promotion evaluation research. Data were collected via computer-assisted telephone interviewing and an online panel. In total, 688 and 606 respondents aged between 14 and 45 years completed the online and telephone surveys, respectively. Online respondents demonstrated higher awareness of the advertisement, rated the advertisement as more personally relevant and had better behavioural outcomes compared with the telephone respondents. The results indicate significant differences between the telephone and online surveys on most measures used to assess the effectiveness of a health promotion advertising campaign. Health promotion practitioners could consider the combination of both methods to overcome the deterioration in telephone survey response rates and the likely differences in respondent outcomes. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Dimensional comparability of psychosocial working conditions as covered in European monitoring questionnaires

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Formazin, M.; Burr, H.; Aagestad, C.; Tynes, T.; Thorsen, S.V.; Perkio-Makela, M.; Díaz Aramburu, C.I.; Pinilla García, F.J.; Galiana Blanco, L.; Vermeylen, G.; Parent-Thirion, A.; Hooftman, W.; Houtman, I.L.D.

2014-01-01

Background.In most countries in the EU, national surveys are used to monitor working conditions and health. Since the development processes behind the various surveys are not necessarily theoretical, but certainly practical and political, the extent of similarity among the dimensions covered in

The Safety Attitudes Questionnaire: psychometric properties, benchmarking data, and emerging research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boyden James

2006-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is widespread interest in measuring healthcare provider attitudes about issues relevant to patient safety (often called safety climate or safety culture. Here we report the psychometric properties, establish benchmarking data, and discuss emerging areas of research with the University of Texas Safety Attitudes Questionnaire. Methods Six cross-sectional surveys of health care providers (n = 10,843 in 203 clinical areas (including critical care units, operating rooms, inpatient settings, and ambulatory clinics in three countries (USA, UK, New Zealand. Multilevel factor analyses yielded results at the clinical area level and the respondent nested within clinical area level. We report scale reliability, floor/ceiling effects, item factor loadings, inter-factor correlations, and percentage of respondents who agree with each item and scale. Results A six factor model of provider attitudes fit to the data at both the clinical area and respondent nested within clinical area levels. The factors were: Teamwork Climate, Safety Climate, Perceptions of Management, Job Satisfaction, Working Conditions, and Stress Recognition. Scale reliability was 0.9. Provider attitudes varied greatly both within and among organizations. Results are presented to allow benchmarking among organizations and emerging research is discussed. Conclusion The Safety Attitudes Questionnaire demonstrated good psychometric properties. Healthcare organizations can use the survey to measure caregiver attitudes about six patient safety-related domains, to compare themselves with other organizations, to prompt interventions to improve safety attitudes and to measure the effectiveness of these interventions.

Online Student Evaluation Improves Course Experience Questionnaire Results in a Physiotherapy Program

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Tucker, Beatrice; Jones, Sue; Straker, Leon

2008-01-01

This paper reports the use of an online student evaluation system, Course Experience on the Web (CEW), in a physiotherapy program to improve their Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) results. CEW comprises a course survey instrument modeled on the CEQ and a tailored unit survey instrument. Closure of the feedback loop is integral in the CEW…

Resources, indicators, data management, dissemination and use in health information systems in sub-Saharan Africa: results of a questionnaire-based survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Mbondji, Peter Ebongue; Kebede, Derege; Soumbey-Alley, Edoh William; Zielinski, Chris; Kouvividila, Wenceslas; Lusamba-Dikassa, Paul-Samson

2014-05-01

To describe the status of health information systems in 14 sub-Saharan African countries of the World Health Organization African Region. A questionnaire-based survey. Fourteen sub-Saharan African countries of the African Region. Key informants in the ministries of health, national statistics offices, health programmes, donors and technical agencies. State of resources, indicators, data sources, data management, information products, dissemination and use of health information. The highest average score was in the identification and harmonisation of indicators (73%), reflecting successful efforts to identify priority indicators and reach international consensus on indicators for several diseases. This was followed by information products (63%), which indicated the availability of accurate and reliable data. The lowest score (41%) was in data management, the ability to collect, store, analyse and distribute data, followed by resources - policy and planning, human and financial resources, and infrastructure (53%). Data sources (e.g. censuses, surveys) were on average inadequate with a score of 56%. The average score for dissemination and use of health information was 57%, which indicated limited or inadequate use of data for advocacy, planning and decision-making. National health information systems are weak in the surveyed countries and much more needs to be done to improve the quality and relevance of data, and their management, sharing and use for policy-making and decision-making. © The Royal Society of Medicine.

Relative validity of a short qualitative food frequency questionnaire for use in food consumption surveys.

Science.gov (United States)

De Keyzer, Willem; Dekkers, Arnold; Van Vlaslaer, Veerle; Ottevaere, Charlene; Van Oyen, Herman; De Henauw, Stefaan; Huybrechts, Inge

2013-10-01

The aim of the present study was to assess the relative validity of a self-administered qualitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) applied in the Belgian food consumption survey. Comparison of food consumption data from an FFQ with 7-day estimated diet records (EDR) was made in a sample of 100 participants (aged 15-90 years). The FFQ comprised a total of 50 foods. Both FFQ and EDR foods were categorized into 15 conventional food groups. De-attenuated Spearman rank correlation coefficients between the FFQ and the EDR ranged from -0.16 for potatoes and grains to 0.83 for alcoholic beverages, with a median of 0.40 for all 15 food groups. The proportion of participants classified in the same tertile of intake by the FFQ and EDR ranged from 32% for potatoes and grains to 76% for alcoholic beverages. Extreme classification into opposite tertiles was foods and fats. Notwithstanding the short nature and the absence of portion size questions, the FFQ appears to be reasonably valid in both genders and across different age categories for most food groups. However, for the food groups bread and cereals, potatoes and grains, and sauces, estimates should be interpreted with caution because of poor ranking agreement.

Socio-Political Influences on EFL Motivation and Attitudes: Comparative Surveys of Korean High School Students

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Tae-Young

2010-01-01

This paper investigates Korean high school students' English learning motivation and attitudes. In this regard, the results of a 2002 study were compared with those of a 2006 study. Questionnaire data were obtained from a total of 1,037 high school students in a major city in South Korea, and the data were compared with those on the students'…

Structural Validation of a French Food Frequency Questionnaire of 94 Items.

Science.gov (United States)

Gazan, Rozenn; Vieux, Florent; Darmon, Nicole; Maillot, Matthieu

2017-01-01

Food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) are used to estimate the usual food and nutrient intakes over a period of time. Such estimates can suffer from measurement errors, either due to bias induced by respondent's answers or to errors induced by the structure of the questionnaire (e.g., using a limited number of food items and an aggregated food database with average portion sizes). The "structural validation" presented in this study aims to isolate and quantify the impact of the inherent structure of a FFQ on the estimation of food and nutrient intakes, independently of respondent's perception of the questionnaire. A semi-quantitative FFQ ( n  = 94 items, including 50 items with questions on portion sizes) and an associated aggregated food composition database (named the item-composition database) were developed, based on the self-reported weekly dietary records of 1918 adults (18-79 years-old) in the French Individual and National Dietary Survey 2 (INCA2), and the French CIQUAL 2013 food-composition database of all the foods ( n  = 1342 foods) declared as consumed in the population. Reference intakes of foods ("REF_FOOD") and nutrients ("REF_NUT") were calculated for each adult using the food-composition database and the amounts of foods self-reported in his/her dietary record. Then, answers to the FFQ were simulated for each adult based on his/her self-reported dietary record. "FFQ_FOOD" and "FFQ_NUT" intakes were estimated using the simulated answers and the item-composition database. Measurement errors (in %), spearman correlations and cross-classification were used to compare "REF_FOOD" with "FFQ_FOOD" and "REF_NUT" with "FFQ_NUT". Compared to "REF_NUT," "FFQ_NUT" total quantity and total energy intake were underestimated on average by 198 g/day and 666 kJ/day, respectively. "FFQ_FOOD" intakes were well estimated for starches, underestimated for most of the subgroups, and overestimated for some subgroups, in particular vegetables. Underestimation were

[Team approaches to critical bleeding (massive bleeding and transfusion) - chairmen's introductory remarks. Questionnaire survey on current status of hospital clinical laboratories evaluating critical hemorrhage].

Science.gov (United States)

Kino, Shuichi; Suwabe, Akira

2014-12-01

In 2007, "the Guidelines for Actions against Intraoperative Critical Hemorrhage" were established by the Japanese Society of Anaesthesiologists and the Japanese Society of Blood transfusion and Cell Therapy. The documentation of in-hospital procedures for critical hemorrhage, especially about how to select RBC units, has widely standardized hospital practice. Patients with intraoperative critical hemorrhage sometimes suffer from massive blood loss. In this situation, some patients develop coagulopathy. To treat them, we need to evaluate their coagulation status based on laboratory test results. So, we performed a nationwide questionnaire survey on the current status of hospital clinical laboratories evaluating critical hemorrhage. From the results of this survey, it was recommended that central hospital laboratories should try to reduce the turn-around time required to test for coagulation parameters as much as possible for appropriate substitution therapy. (Review).

ACADEMIC TRAINING LECTURES QUESTIONNAIRE: SUGGEST AND WIN!

CERN Multimedia

Academic Training; Tel. 73127

2001-01-01

Time to plan for the 2001-02 lecture series. From today until April 9 you have the chance to give your contribution to improved planning for next year's Academic Training Lectures Series. At the web site: http://wwwinfo/support/survey/academic-training/ you will find questionnaires concerning the following different categories: high energy physics, applied physics, science and society and post-graduate students lectures. Answering the questionnaire will help ensure that the selected topics are as close as possible to your interests. In particular requests and comments from students will be much appreciated. To encourage your contribution, the AT Committee will reward one lucky winner with a small prize, a 50 CHF coupon for a book purchase at CERN bookshop.

Validity of the Danish Prostate Symptom Score questionnaire in stroke

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tibaek, S.; Dehlendorff, Christian

2009-01-01

Objective – To determine the content and face validity of the Danish Prostate Symptom Score (DAN-PSS-1) questionnaire in stroke patients. Materials and methods – Content validity was judged among an expert panel in neuro-urology. The judgement was measured by the content validity index (CVI). Face...... validity was indicated in a clinical sample of 482 stroke patients in a hospital-based, cross-sectional survey. Results – I-CVI was rated >0.78 (range 0.94–1.00) for 75% of symptom and bother items corresponding to adequate content validity. The expert panel rated the entire DAN-PSS-1 questionnaire highly...... questionnaire appears to be content and face valid for measuring lower urinary tract symptoms after stroke....

A Survey of Civilian Employee Attitudes

Science.gov (United States)

1989-06-01

U.S. Army Troop Support Command. The survey was conducted as part of an organizational diagnosis in preparation for the implementation of a civilian...survey as part of the program evaluation is recommended. Keywords: Surveys; Questionnaires; Employee attitudes; Attitude measurement; Organizational diagnosis .

An investigation of routes to cancer diagnosis in 10 international jurisdictions, as part of the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership: survey development and implementation

Science.gov (United States)

Weller, David; Vedsted, Peter; Anandan, Chantelle; Zalounina, Alina; Fourkala, Evangelia Ourania; Desai, Rakshit; Liston, William; Jensen, Henry; Barisic, Andriana; Gavin, Anna; Grunfeld, Eva; Lambe, Mats; Law, Rebecca-Jane; Malmberg, Martin; Neal, Richard D; Kalsi, Jatinderpal; Turner, Donna; White, Victoria; Bomb, Martine

2016-01-01

Objectives This paper describes the methods used in the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership Module 4 Survey (ICBPM4) which examines time intervals and routes to cancer diagnosis in 10 jurisdictions. We present the study design with defining and measuring time intervals, identifying patients with cancer, questionnaire development, data management and analyses. Design and setting Recruitment of participants to the ICBPM4 survey is based on cancer registries in each jurisdiction. Questionnaires draw on previous instruments and have been through a process of cognitive testing and piloting in three jurisdictions followed by standardised translation and adaptation. Data analysis focuses on comparing differences in time intervals and routes to diagnosis in the jurisdictions. Participants Our target is 200 patients with symptomatic breast, lung, colorectal and ovarian cancer in each jurisdiction. Patients are approached directly or via their primary care physician (PCP). Patients’ PCPs and cancer treatment specialists (CTSs) are surveyed, and ‘data rules’ are applied to combine and reconcile conflicting information. Where CTS information is unavailable, audit information is sought from treatment records and databases. Main outcomes Reliability testing of the patient questionnaire showed that agreement was complete (κ=1) in four items and substantial (κ=0.8, 95% CI 0.333 to 1) in one item. The identification of eligible patients is sufficient to meet the targets for breast, lung and colorectal cancer. Initial patient and PCP survey response rates from the UK and Sweden are comparable with similar published surveys. Data collection was completed in early 2016 for all cancer types. Conclusion An international questionnaire-based survey of patients with cancer, PCPs and CTSs has been developed and launched in 10 jurisdictions. ICBPM4 will help to further understand international differences in cancer survival by comparing time intervals and routes to cancer

Comparison of paper and electronic surveys for measuring patient-reported outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Bojcic, Jamie L; Sue, Valerie M; Huon, Tomy S; Maletis, Gregory B; Inacio, Maria C S

2014-01-01

This study compared response rates of paper and electronic versions of the Knee injury Osteoarthritis and Outcome Score questionnaire and examined the characteristics of patients who responded to each survey method. A total of 1486 patients registered by the Kaiser Permanente Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Registry between 2005 and 2010 were included in this study. Response rates by survey modality for the overall cohort, by the specific time periods, and by age and sex at time of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction were compared using χ(2) tests or the Fisher exact test when appropriate. Independent Student t tests were used to compare the Knee injury Osteoarthritis and Outcome Scores of survey respondents. The overall survey response rate was 42%. The 36% response rate in the electronic-survey group was significantly higher than the 22% response rate in the paper-survey group (p survey produced higher response rates, it is not sufficient alone to replace the traditional paper version among this Kaiser Permanente population.

Results of a questionnaire survey on window setting and FOV on CT images of examinations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anzui, Maya; Asano, Kazushige; Goto, Takahiro; Sekitani, Toshinori; Tsujioka, Katsumi; Kawaguchi, Daisuke; Narumi, Tatsuki

2008-01-01

The use of CT as a general examination has spread widely and is even used in small institutions. However, it is difficult to determine the current situation of each institution. Therefore, we employed a questionnaire to investigate the current situation of a variety of institutions. From the results of the questionnaire, we determined that the window setting was difficult for beginner technologists. In addition, in many institutions, radiological technologists did not always use the same display field of view (FOV) for the same patient. From this questionnaire, we were able to determine the present conditions in each institution. We consider these results very useful. (author)

Designing Surveys for Language Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, James Dean

A discussion of survey methodology for investigating second language programs and instruction examines two methods: oral interviews and written questionnaires. Each method is defined, and variations are explored. For interviews, this includes individual, group, and telephone interviews. For questionnaires, this includes self-administered and…

The Universal Patient Centredness Questionnaire: scaling approaches to reduce positive skew

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bjertnaes O

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Oyvind Bjertnaes, Hilde Hestad Iversen, Andrew M Garratt Unit for Patient-Reported Quality, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway Purpose: Surveys of patients’ experiences typically show results that are indicative of positive experiences. Unbalanced response scales have reduced positive skew for responses to items within the Universal Patient Centeredness Questionnaire (UPC-Q. The objective of this study was to compare the unbalanced response scale with another unbalanced approach to scaling to assess whether the positive skew might be further reduced. Patients and methods: The UPC-Q was included in a patient experience survey conducted at the ward level at six hospitals in Norway in 2015. The postal survey included two reminders to nonrespondents. For patients in the first month of inclusion, UPC-Q items had standard scaling: poor, fairly good, good, very good, and excellent. For patients in the second month, the scaling was more positive: poor, good, very good, exceptionally good, and excellent. The effect of scaling on UPC-Q scores was tested with independent samples t-tests and multilevel linear regression analysis, the latter controlling for the hierarchical structure of data and known predictors of patient-reported experiences. Results: The response rate was 54.6% (n=4,970. Significantly lower scores were found for all items of the more positively worded scale: UPC-Q total score difference was 7.9 (P<0.001, on a scale from 0 to 100 where 100 is the best possible score. Differences between the four items of the UPC-Q ranged from 7.1 (P<0.001 to 10.4 (P<0.001. Multivariate multilevel regression analysis confirmed the difference between the response groups, after controlling for other background variables; UPC-Q total score difference estimate was 8.3 (P<0.001. Conclusion: The more positively worded scaling significantly lowered the mean scores, potentially increasing the sensitivity of the UPC-Q to identify differences over

Doctors who considered but did not pursue specific clinical specialties as careers: questionnaire surveys.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldacre, Michael J; Goldacre, Raph; Lambert, Trevor W

2012-04-01

To report doctors' rejection of specialties as long-term careers and reasons for rejection. Postal questionnaires. United Kingdom. Graduates of 2002, 2005 and 2008 from all UK medical schools, surveyed one year after qualification. Current specialty choice; any choice that had been seriously considered but not pursued (termed 'rejected' choices) with reasons for rejection. 2573 of 9155 respondents (28%) had seriously considered but then not pursued a specialty choice. By comparison with positive choices, general practice was under-represented among rejected choices: it was the actual choice of 27% of respondents and the rejected choice of only 6% of those who had rejected a specialty. Consideration of 'job content' was important in not pursuing general practice (cited by 78% of those who considered but rejected a career in general practice), psychiatry (72%), radiology (69%) and pathology (68%). The surgical specialties were the current choice of 20% of respondents and had been considered but rejected by 32% of doctors who rejected a specialty. Issues of work-life balance were the single most common factor, particularly for women, in not pursuing the surgical specialties, emergency medicine, the medical hospital specialties, paediatrics, and obstetrics and gynaecology. Competition for posts, difficult examinations, stressful working conditions, and poor training were mentioned but were mainly minority concerns. There is considerable diversity between doctors in their reasons for finding specialties attractive or unattractive. This underlines the importance of recruitment strategies to medical school that recognize diversity of students' interests and aptitudes.

Successful implementation of new technologies in nursing care: a questionnaire survey of nurse-users.

Science.gov (United States)

de Veer, Anke J E; Fleuren, Margot A H; Bekkema, Nienke; Francke, Anneke L

2011-10-27

A growing number of new technologies are becoming available within nursing care that can improve the quality of care, reduce costs, or enhance working conditions. However, such effects can only be achieved if technologies are used as intended. The aim of this study is to gain a better understanding of determinants influencing the success of the introduction of new technologies as perceived by nursing staff. The study population is a nationally representative research sample of nursing staff (further referred to as the Nursing Staff Panel), of whom 685 (67%) completed a survey questionnaire about their experiences with recently introduced technologies. Participants were working in Dutch hospitals, psychiatric organizations, care organizations for mentally disabled people, home care organizations, nursing homes or homes for the elderly. Half of the respondents were confronted with the introduction of a new technology in the last three years. Only half of these rated the introduction of the technology as positive.The factors most frequently mentioned as impeding actual use were related to the (kind of) technology itself, such as malfunctioning, ease of use, relevance for patients, and risks to patients. Furthermore nursing staff stress the importance of an adequate innovation strategy. A prerequisite for the successful introduction of new technologies is to analyse determinants that may impede or enhance the introduction among potential users. For technological innovations special attention has to be paid to the (perceived) characteristics of the technology itself.

Chinese family adaptation during the postpartum period and its influencing factors: A questionnaire survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Hong; Zhu, Xiu; Hou, Rui; Wang, De-hui; Zhang, Hai-juan; While, Alison

2012-04-01

this study aimed to explore new parents' views and experiences during their transition to parenthood. in China the one-child birth policy may bring more stress and challenges for the new parents due to the lack of experience and greater expectations of their new role. China is also at a stage of rapid economic and social development which creates new conditions for parenthood. a cross-sectional survey was conducted from February to September 2009 among 232 mothers and fathers, yielding a 83.6% response rate (n=194 couples). The questionnaire included: the Family Assessment Device-General Function Scale, the Family Resources Scale, the Family Adaptation Scale, and the Chinese Perceived Stress Scale. there were no significant differences between mothers' adaptation and fathers' adaptation during the postpartum period, as well as their perceived stress, family function and family resources (p>0.05). Method of childbirth was not related to adaptation. About 29% of variance in mothers' adaptation could be explained by satisfaction with the infant's gender (B=0.295, padaptation (B=0.236, padaptation could be explained by mothers' adaptation (B=0.268, pimportance of family resources to family adaptation and antenatal and postnatal education programmes as part of family-centred care. The possible influences of culture and policies need to be considered by health-care professionals developing strategies to facilitate family adaptation to the early parenthood. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

GPs' attitudes, beliefs and behaviours regarding exercise for chronic knee pain: a questionnaire survey

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, Nadine E; Porcheret, Mark; Rathod, Trishna; Roddy, Edward

2017-01-01

Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate general practitioners’ (GPs) attitudes, beliefs and behaviours regarding the use of exercise for patients with chronic knee pain (CKP) attributable to osteoarthritis. Setting Primary care GPs in the UK. Participants 5000 GPs, randomly selected from Binley’s database, were mailed a cross-sectional questionnaire survey. Outcome measures GPs’ attitudes and beliefs were investigated using attitude statements, and reported behaviours were identified using vignette-based questions. GPs were invited to report barriers experienced when initiating exercise with patients with CKP Results 835 (17%) GPs responded. Overall, GPs were positive about general exercise for CKP. 729 (87%) reported using exercise, of which, 538 (74%) reported that they would use both general and local (lower limb) exercises. However, only 92 (11% of all responding) GPs reported initiating exercise in ways aligning with best-evidence recommendations. 815 (98%) GPs reported barriers in using exercise for patients with CKP, most commonly, insufficient time in consultations (n=419; 51%) and insufficient expertise (n=337; 41%). Conclusions While GPs’ attitudes and beliefs regarding exercise for CKP were generally positive, initiation of exercise was often poorly aligned with current recommendations, and barriers and uncertainties were reported. GPs’ use of exercise may be improved by addressing the key barriers of time and expertise, by developing a pragmatic approach that supports GPs to initiate individualised exercise, and/or by other professionals taking on this role. PMID:28624759

Stress levels of critical care doctors in India: A national survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Amte, Rahul; Munta, Kartik; Gopal, Palepu B

2015-05-01

Doctors working in critical care units are prone to higher stress due to various factors such as higher mortality and morbidity, demanding service conditions and need for higher knowledge and technical skill. The aim was to evaluate the stress level and the causative stressors in doctors working in critical care units in India. A two modality questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey was conducted. In manual mode, randomly selected delegates attending the annual congress of Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine filled the questionnaire. In the electronic mode, the questionnaires were E-mailed to critical care doctors. These questionnaires were based on General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12). Completely filled 242 responses were utilized for comparative and correlation analysis. Prevalence of moderate to severe stress level was 40% with a mean score of 2 on GHQ-12 scale. Too much responsibility at times and managing VIP patients ranked as the top two stressors studied, while the difficult relationship with colleagues and sexual harassment were the least. Intensivists were spending longest hours in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) followed by pulmonologists and anesthetists. The mean number of ICU bed critical care doctors entrusted with was 13.2 ± 6.3. Substance abuse to relieve stress was reported as alcohol (21%), anxiolytic or antidepressants (18%) and smoking (14%). Despite the higher workload, stress levels measured in our survey in Indian critical care doctors were lower compared to International data. Substantiation of this data through a wider study and broad-based measures to improve the quality of critical care units and quality of the lives of these doctors is the need of the hour.

Adherence to best practice consensus guidelines for implant-based breast reconstruction: Results from the iBRA national practice questionnaire survey.

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Mylvaganam, Senthurun; Conroy, Elizabeth J; Williamson, Paula R; Barnes, Nicola L P; Cutress, Ramsey I; Gardiner, Matthew D; Jain, Abhilash; Skillman, Joanna M; Thrush, Steven; Whisker, Lisa J; Blazeby, Jane M; Potter, Shelley; Holcombe, Christopher

2018-05-01

The 2008 National Mastectomy and Breast Reconstruction Audit demonstrated marked variation in the practice and outcomes of breast reconstruction in the UK. To standardise practice and improve outcomes for patients, the British professional associations developed best-practice guidelines with specific guidance for newer mesh-assisted implant-based techniques. We explored the degree of uptake of best-practice guidelines within units performing implant-based reconstruction (IBBR) as the first phase of the implant Breast Reconstruction Evaluation (iBRA) study. A questionnaire developed by the iBRA Steering Group was completed by trainee and consultant leads at breast and plastic surgical units across the UK. Simple summary statistics were calculated for each survey item to assess compliance with current best-practice guidelines. 81 units from 79 NHS Trusts completed the questionnaire. Marked variation was observed in adherence to guidelines, especially those relating to clinical governance and infection prevention strategies. Less than half (n = 28, 47%) of units obtained local clinical governance board approval prior to offering new mesh-based techniques and prospective audit of the clinical, cosmetic and patient-reported outcomes of surgery was infrequent. Most units screened for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus prior to surgery but fewer than 1 in 3 screened for methicillin-sensitive strains. Laminar-flow theatres (recommended for IBBR) were not widely-available with less than 1 in 5 units having regular access. Peri-operative antibiotics were widely-used, but the type and duration were highly-variable. The iBRA national practice questionnaire has demonstrated variation in reported practice and adherence to IBBR guidelines. High-quality evidence is urgently required to inform best practice. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Developing a precise questionnaire to elucidate risk factors and injury pattern in RTA victims

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RK Singh

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Road traffic injuries are a growing public health issue. Despite good numbers of traffic legislations/ law/bye-laws/ regulations/ policies at the national/ state level and various safety measures to prevent road accidents/ mishaps, awareness remains comparatively low in India. Till date no questionnaire has been suitably developed, standardized and positivised for determining association of causality with injury pattern and severity score. Objective: To design and develop a précised survey questionnaire determining association of causality with injury pattern along with severity score in RTA victims.  Methodology: Till date no such study has been ventured which has observed the inter relationship of these factors resulting in a specific injury. Designed questionnaire was based on literature review, and updated several times to ensure the precision and agreement with the help of institutional trauma expert team. As a pilot study, 30 RTA victims admitted in trauma centre of KG Medical University were enrolled and designed questionnaire was tested for easiness and doubts. The results were thoroughly analyzed for item difficulty, precision and internal consistency. Results: A significant agreement of question pertaining to speed (k=0.99, CI=0.95, visibility (k=0.87, alcohol (k=0.65 in the questionnaire. Questions related to environment, driver, vehicle and road factors show a significant consistency (p>0.05 as cause of accidents. Test of agreements done by Kappa showed in variables having value more than 0.60 except few variables. Discussion: The designed questionnaire is precise, reasonably reliable in perfect agreement. This questionnaire should emerge a useful tool in determining the association of risk factors with injury pattern and severity. 

Barriers to pediatric cochlear implantation: A parental survey.

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Yang, Charles Q; Reilly, Brian K; Preciado, Diego A

2018-01-01

This study aims to (1) determine barriers in the pediatric cochlear implantation process specific to publicly insured patients, wherein delayed implantation has been reported, and (2) compare the perceived barriers between publicly and privately insured patients. Tertiary care cochlear implantation center at academic pediatric hospital. Cross-sectional survey, retrospective chart review. The validated, 39 item Barriers to Care Questionnaire was administered to the parents of 80 recipients of cochlear implantation by two surgeons between 2013 and 2016. Survey results and diagnosis to implant interval were compared based on public or private insurance status. Two-tailed Mann-Whitney and Fisher's exact test was used for statistical analysis. Of 110 cochlear implants, 27 of 80 (34%) English-speaking parents completed the survey. 15 were privately insured and 12 were publicly insured. 23 of 27 respondents received cochlear implantation for pre-lingual sensorineural hearing loss. Publicly insured patients had significantly longer median time from diagnosis to implant than privately insured (19 vs. 8 mo, p = 0.01). The three worst scoring barrier categories for privately insured families in order were Pragmatics, Expectations, and Marginalization, whereas for publicly insured families it was Pragmatics, Skills, and Expectations. The worst scoring question for privately insured patients was "Having to take time off work". For the publicly insured, it was "Lack of communication." Privately insured patients reported more barriers on the Barriers to Care Questionnaire than publicly insured patients did. Although pragmatics was the worst-scoring barrier category for both groups, difficulties found on the survey ranked differently for each group. This information can help providers address disparities and access barriers for vulnerable patients. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Assessment of Physical Activity by Applying IPAQ Questionnaire

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Biernat, Elzbieta; Stupnicki, Romuald; Lebiedzinski, Bartlomiej; Janczewska, Lidia

2008-01-01

Study aim: To assess the suitability of the short 7-day IPAQ (self-completed) adapted to Polish population. Material and methods: Two surveys were conducted in 2005 on 296 random subjects (aged 20-60 years) from Warsaw and the Mazowiecki region. From these, 54 men and 79 women were requested to fill questionnaires, and 70 men and 93 women, were…

Comparison of the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire with the Horne-Östberg’s Morningness-Eveningness Score

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Zavada, Andrei; Gordijn, Marijke C.M.; Beersma, Domien G.M.; Daan, Serge; Roenneberg, Till

2005-01-01

We report on results from an Internet survey of sleeping habits in a Dutch population using the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ), supplemented with the Horne-Östberg Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ). The MCTQ was completed by 5,055 responders, of which 2,481 also completed the MEQ.

Comparing Self-Report Measures of Internalized Weight Stigma: The Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire versus the Weight Bias Internalization Scale.

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Claudia Hübner

Full Text Available Internalized weight stigma has gained growing interest due to its association with multiple health impairments in individuals with obesity. Especially high internalized weight stigma is reported by individuals undergoing bariatric surgery. For assessing this concept, two different self-report questionnaires are available, but have never been compared: the Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire (WSSQ and the Weight Bias Internalization Scale (WBIS. The purpose of the present study was to provide and to compare reliability, convergent validity with and predictive values for psychosocial health outcomes for the WSSQ and WBIS.The WSSQ and the WBIS were used to assess internalized weight stigma in N = 78 prebariatric surgery patients. Further, body mass index (BMI was assessed and body image, quality of life, self-esteem, depression, and anxiety were measured by well-established self-report questionnaires. Reliability, correlation, and regression analyses were conducted.Internal consistency of the WSSQ was acceptable, while good internal consistency was found for the WBIS. Both measures were significantly correlated with each other and body image. While only the WSSQ was correlated with overweight preoccupation, only the WBIS was correlated with appearance evaluation. Both measures were not associated with BMI. However, correlation coefficients did not differ between the WSSQ and the WBIS for all associations with validity measures. Further, both measures significantly predicted quality of life, self-esteem, depression, and anxiety, while the WBIS explained significantly more variance than the WSSQ total score for self-esteem.Findings indicate the WSSQ and the WBIS to be reliable and valid assessments of internalized weight stigma in prebariatric surgery patients, although the WBIS showed marginally more favorable results than the WSSQ. For both measures, longitudinal studies on stability and predictive validity are warranted, for example, for weight

Healthcare professionals' attitudes, knowledge and self-efficacy levels regarding the use of self-hypnosis in childbirth: A prospective questionnaire survey.

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McAllister, Sophie; Coxon, Kirstie; Murrells, T; Sandall, J

2017-04-01

to examine healthcare professionals' attitudes, knowledge and levels of self-efficacy regarding the use of self-hypnosis in childbirth. a prospective survey. two large maternity units in London, England. healthcare professionals (n=129) involved in the care of childbearing women (anaesthetists, midwives and obstetricians). online questionnaire assessing healthcare professionals' experience, knowledge, attitudes and self-efficacy relating to self-hypnosis in childbirth. attitude, self-efficacy and knowledge. over half of the participants surveyed (56%) reported they had minimal or no knowledge of hypnosis. Higher levels of knowledge were associated with higher levels of self-efficacy (phypnosis than doctors, and more exposure was significantly associated with higher levels of self-efficacy (midwives phypnosis in their own or partners' births had significantly higher self-efficacy scores (phypnosis in childbirth, they need to be confident in their ability to facilitate this method. Previous research has established that self-efficacy is a strong indicator of performance. Professionals with more knowledge of self-hypnosis are also more confident in supporting women using this technique in childbirth. Multi-disciplinary staff training which aims to increase knowledge, and which includes exposure to hypnosis in labour, may be beneficial in assisting staff to support women choosing to use self-hypnosis in labour. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High rate of awarding compensation for claims of injuries related to clinical trials by pharmaceutical companies in Japan: a questionnaire survey.

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Kurihara, Chieko; Kusuoka, Hideo; Ono, Shunsuke; Kakee, Naoko; Saito, Kazuyuki; Takehara, Kenji; Tsujide, Kiyokazu; Nabeoka, Yuzo; Sakuhiro, Takuya; Aoki, Hiroshi; Morishita, Noriko; Suzuki, Chieko; Kachi, Shigeo; Kondo, Emiko; Komori, Yukiko; Isobe, Tetsu; Kageyama, Shigeru; Watanabe, Hiroshi

2014-01-01

International norms and ethical standards have suggested that compensation for research-related injury should be provided to injured research volunteers. However, statistical data of incidence of compensation claims and the rate of awarding them have been rarely reported. Questionnaire surveys were sent to pharmaceutical companies and medical institutions, focusing on industry-initiated clinical trials aiming at new drug applications (NDAs) on patient volunteers in Japan. With the answers from pharmaceutical companies, the incidence of compensation was 0.8%, including 0.06% of monetary compensation. Of the cases of compensation claims, 99% were awarded. In turn, with the answers from medical institutions, the incidence of compensation was 0.6%, including 0.4% of serious but not death cases, and 0.04% of death cases. Furthermore, most claims for compensation were initiated by medical institutions, rather than by the patients. On the other hand, with the answers from clinical trial volunteers, 3% of respondents received compensations. These compensated cases were 25% of the injuries which cannot be ruled out from the scope of compensation. Our study results demonstrated that Japanese pharmaceutical companies have provided a high rate of compensation for clinical trial-related injuries despite the possibility of overestimation. In the era of global clinical development, our study indicates the importance of further surveys to find each country's compensation policy by determining how it is being implemented based on a survey of the actual status of compensation coming from statistical data.

Quality of life and discriminating power of two questionnaires in fibromyalgia patients: fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire and Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey A qualidade de vida e o poder de discriminação de dois questionários em pacientes com fibromialgia: fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire e Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey

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Ana Assumpção

2010-08-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia is a painful syndrome characterized by widespread chronic pain and associated symptoms with a negative impact on quality of life. OBJECTIVES: Considering the subjectivity of quality of life measurements, the aim of this study was to verify the discriminating power of two quality of life questionnaires in patients with fibromyalgia: the generic Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36 and the specific Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 150 participants divided into Fibromyalgia Group (FG and Control Group (CG (n=75 in each group. The participants were evaluated using the SF-36 and the FIQ. The data were analyzed by the Student t-test (α=0.05 and inferential analysis using the Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC Curve - sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve (AUC. The significance level was 0.05. RESULTS: The sample was similar for age (CG: 47.8±8.1; FG: 47.0±7.7 years. A significant difference was observed in quality of life assessment in all aspects of both questionnaires (pCONTEXTUALIZAÇÃO: A fibromialgia é uma síndrome dolorosa caracterizada por dor espalhada e crônica e sintomas associados com um impacto negativo na qualidade de vida. OBJETIVOS: Considerando a subjetividade da mensuração de qualidade de vida, o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o poder de discriminação de dois questionários que avaliam a qualidade de vida de pacientes com fibromialgia: o genérico Medical Short Form Healthy Survey (SF-36 e o específico Questionário do Impacto da Fibromialgia (QIF. MÉTODOS: Foi conduzido um estudo transversal com 150 indivíduos, divididos em dois grupos: grupo fibromialgia (FM e grupo controle (GC (n=75 em ambos. Os pacientes foram avaliados pelo SF-36 e pelo QIF. Na análise dos dados, utilizou-se o teste "t de Student" com α=0,05 e a Curva ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristics Curve. RESULTADOS: As amostras

Evaluating a web-based health risk assessment with tailored feedback: what does an expert focus group yield compared to a web-based end-user survey?

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Vosbergen, Sandra; Mahieu, Guy R; Laan, Eva K; Kraaijenhagen, Roderik A; Jaspers, Monique Wm; Peek, Niels

2014-01-02

Increasingly, Web-based health applications are developed for the prevention and management of chronic diseases. However, their reach and utilization is often disappointing. Qualitative evaluations post-implementation can be used to inform the optimization process and ultimately enhance their adoption. In current practice, such evaluations are mainly performed with end-user surveys. However, a review approach by experts in a focus group may be easier to administer and might provide similar results. The aim of this study was to assess whether industrial design engineers in a focus group would address the same issues as end users in a Web-based survey when evaluating a commercial Web-based health risk assessment (HRA) with tailored feedback. Seven Dutch companies used the HRA as part of their corporate health management strategy. Employees using the HRA (N=2289) and 10 independent industrial designers were invited to participate in the study. The HRA consisted of four components: (1) an electronic health questionnaire, (2) biometric measurements, (3) laboratory evaluation, and (4) individually tailored feedback generated by decision support software. After participating in the HRA as end users, both end users and designers evaluated the program. End users completed an evaluation questionnaire that included a free-text field. Designers participated in a focus group discussion. Constructs from user satisfaction and technology acceptance theories were used to categorize and compare the remarks from both evaluations. We assessed and qualitatively analyzed 294 remarks of 189 end users and 337 remarks of 6 industrial designers, pertaining to 295 issues in total. Of those, 137 issues were addressed in the end-user survey and 148 issues in the designer focus group. Only 7.3% (10/137) of the issues addressed in the survey were also addressed in the focus group. End users made more remarks about the usefulness of the HRA and prior expectations that were not met. Designers made

Improving Comparability Of Survey Results Through Ex-Post Harmonisation A Case Study With Twelve European National Travel Surveys

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Linda; Hubert, Jean-Paul; Järvi, Tuuli

An essential prerequisite for research, decision making and effective policies in the field of sustainable transport are reliable data on travel behaviour. In particular comparative analyses over space or time allow for a better understanding of transport systems and their impact on travel...... behaviour. Further, there is an increasing need for comparable transport indicators at the international level. All along, National Travel Surveys (NTS) have been used to perform such analyses and to generate respective indicators. Despite their similar intention to elicit basic information on travel...

Provision of family planning services in Tanzania: a comparative analysis of public and private facilities

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Kakoko, D.C.; Ketting, E.; Kamazima, S.R.; Ruben, R.

2012-01-01

Adherence to the policy guidelines and standards is necessary for family planning services. We compared public and private facilities in terms of provision of family planning services. We analyzed data from health facility questionnaire of the 2006 Tanzania Service Provision Assessment survey, based

Questionnaire survey of ultrasonography at centers equipped for detailed breast cancer screening

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiraiwa, Misaki; Endo, Tokiko; Morita, Takako; Niwa, Tae; Oiwa, Mikinao; Nishida, Chikako

2012-01-01

To ascertain the current status of ultrasonography in mammographic (MG) screening at centers equipped for detailed examination and to clarify the related issues, a questionnaire was sent to 181 centers, exclusive of those providing only medical check-ups, recognized by the Central Committee for Quality Control of Mammographic Screening in 7 prefectures of Chubu District. Of the 99 centers that returned the questionnaire (response rate, 54.7%), 82 answered ''yes'' to the use of breast ultrasound in clinical practice, in which the actual state of breast ultrasonography was analyzed. Examinations were performed by doctors alone at 24 centers, doctors and non-doctors at 40, and non-doctors alone at 18. Examinations by doctors were performed in doctors' offices at 28 centers, in inspection rooms at 26 and both at 10, frequently as outpatient examinations in 51 centers (79.7%). The mean duration of examination was 9.8 min for the first examination of a symptomatic patient, 7.5 min for follow-up, 9.6 min for the first examination of an asymptomatic patient, and 7.6 min for follow-up. For non-doctors, the respective times were 16.7, 14.4, 14.7, and 14.2 min, respectively. Non-doctors performing examinations alone (87.9%) and with insufficient MG information (50.0%) took a longer time. Frequently, the image was read only by doctors (65.5%), employing static images (93.3%). Qualified specialist doctors and technologists accounted for 16.2%, and the rate of participation in training by the Japan Association of Breast and Thyroid Sonology (JABTS) was 24.7%. Based on the present questionnaire, conditions of breast ultrasonography for mild MG abnormalities still appear to be inadequate. (author)

Efficiencies of Internet-based digital and paper-based scientific surveys and the estimated costs and time for different-sized cohorts.

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Constantin E Uhlig

Full Text Available To evaluate the relative efficiencies of five Internet-based digital and three paper-based scientific surveys and to estimate the costs for different-sized cohorts.Invitations to participate in a survey were distributed via e-mail to employees of two university hospitals (E1 and E2 and to members of a medical association (E3, as a link placed in a special text on the municipal homepage regularly read by the administrative employees of two cities (H1 and H2, and paper-based to workers at an automobile enterprise (P1 and college (P2 and senior (P3 students. The main parameters analyzed included the numbers of invited and actual participants, and the time and cost to complete the survey. Statistical analysis was descriptive, except for the Kruskal-Wallis-H-test, which was used to compare the three recruitment methods. Cost efficiencies were compared and extrapolated to different-sized cohorts.The ratios of completely answered questionnaires to distributed questionnaires were between 81.5% (E1 and 97.4% (P2. Between 6.4% (P1 and 57.0% (P2 of the invited participants completely answered the questionnaires. The costs per completely answered questionnaire were $0.57-$1.41 (E1-3, $1.70 and $0.80 for H1 and H2, respectively, and $3.36-$4.21 (P1-3. Based on our results, electronic surveys with 10, 20, 30, or 42 questions would be estimated to be most cost (and time efficient if more than 101.6-225.9 (128.2-391.7, 139.8-229.2 (93.8-193.6, 165.8-230.6 (68.7-115.7, or 188.2-231.5 (44.4-72.7 participants were required, respectively.The study efficiency depended on the technical modalities of the survey methods and engagement of the participants. Depending on our study design, our results suggest that in similar projects that will certainly have more than two to three hundred required participants, the most efficient way of conducting a questionnaire-based survey is likely via the Internet with a digital questionnaire, specifically via a centralized e-mail.

Traffic Accidents Involving Cyclists Identifying Causal Factors Using Questionnaire Survey, Traffic Accident Data, and Real-World Observation.

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Oikawa, Shoko; Hirose, Toshiya; Aomura, Shigeru; Matsui, Yasuhiro

2016-11-01

The purpose of this study is to clarify the mechanism of traffic accidents involving cyclists. The focus is on the characteristics of cyclist accidents and scenarios, because the number of traffic accidents involving cyclists in Tokyo is the highest in Japan. First, dangerous situations in traffic incidents were investigated by collecting data from 304 cyclists in one city in Tokyo using a questionnaire survey. The survey indicated that cyclists used their bicycles generally while commuting to work or school in the morning. Second, the study investigated the characteristics of 250 accident situations involving cyclists that happened in the city using real-world bicycle accident data. The results revealed that the traffic accidents occurred at intersections of local streets, where cyclists collided most often with vehicles during commute time in the morning. Third, cyclists' behavior was observed at a local street intersection in the morning in the city using video pictures. In one hour during the morning commute period, 250 bicycles passed through the intersection. The results indicated that one of the reasons for traffic accidents involving cyclists might be the combined effect of low visibility, caused by the presence of box-like building structures close to the intersections, and the cyclists' behavior in terms of their velocity and no confirming safety. It was observed that, on average, bicycle velocity was 3.1 m/s at the initial line of an intersection. The findings from this study could be useful in developing new technologies to improve cyclist safety, such as alert devices for cyclists and vehicle drivers, wireless communication systems between cyclists and vehicle drivers, or advanced vehicles with bicycle detection and collision mitigation systems.

Everyday listening questionnaire: correlation between subjective hearing and objective performance.

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Brendel, Martina; Frohne-Buechner, Carolin; Lesinski-Schiedat, Anke; Lenarz, Thomas; Buechner, Andreas

2014-01-01

Clinical experience has demonstrated that speech understanding by cochlear implant (CI) recipients has improved over recent years with the development of new technology. The Everyday Listening Questionnaire 2 (ELQ 2) was designed to collect information regarding the challenges faced by CI recipients in everyday listening. The aim of this study was to compare self-assessment of CI users using ELQ 2 with objective speech recognition measures and to compare results between users of older and newer coding strategies. During their regular clinical review appointments a group of representative adult CI recipients implanted with the Advanced Bionics implant system were asked to complete the questionnaire. The first 100 patients who agreed to participate in this survey were recruited independent of processor generation and speech coding strategy. Correlations between subjectively scored hearing performance in everyday listening situations and objectively measured speech perception abilities were examined relative to the speech coding strategies used. When subjects were grouped by strategy there were significant differences between users of older 'standard' strategies and users of the newer, currently available strategies (HiRes and HiRes 120), especially in the categories of telephone use and music perception. Significant correlations were found between certain subjective ratings and the objective speech perception data in noise. There is a good correlation between subjective and objective data. Users of more recent speech coding strategies tend to have fewer problems in difficult hearing situations.

Care challenges for informal caregivers of chronically ill lung patients: results from a questionnaire survey.

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Gautun, Heidi; Werner, Anne; Lurås, Hilde

2012-02-01

The article aims to answer who the informal caregivers of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are, what kind of help they provide, and how they experience providing help to the patient. Data from a questionnaire survey to next of kin of COPD patients carried through in Norway in December 2009 and January 2010 is explored. About 70% of the patients have one or more informal caregivers, and a majority of the caregivers is the patient's spouse, most often a wife. The help provided is, to a large extent, practical help like housework, garden work, and shopping. Another important support is to accompany the patient to health care. About 45% of the caregivers are part of the work force. Rather few of the respondents experience the caregiving as so demanding that they have chosen to work part-time or quit working. The most demanding part of being an informal caregiver is an overall worrying for the patient. Paid sick leaves for caregivers that are employed, and hospital-at-home programmes that provide education and surveillance to the patient and his/her family through different phases of the illness, are policy means that both can help the informal caregivers to manage daily life and reduce the pressure on the formal healthcare and long-term care services in the future.

Generations and Gender Survey (GGS: Towards a Better Understanding of Relationships and Processes in the Life Course

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Zsolt Spéder

2007-11-01

Full Text Available The Generations and Gender Survey (GGS is one of the two pillars of the Generations and Gender Programme designed to improve understanding of demographic and social development and of the factors that influence these developments. This article describes how the theoretical perspectives applied in the survey, the survey design and the questionnaire are related to this objective. The key features of the survey include panel design, multidisciplinarity, comparability, context-sensitivity, inter-generational and gender relationships. The survey applies the life course approach, focussing on the processes of childbearing, partnership dynamics, home leaving, and retiring. The selection of topics for data collection mainly follows the criterion of theoretically grounded relevance to explaining one or more of the mentioned processes. A large portion of the survey deals with economic aspects of life, such as economic activity, income, and economic well-being; a comparably large section is devoted to values and attitudes. Other domains covered by the survey include gender relationships, household composition and housing, residential mobility, social networks and private transfers, education, health, and public transfers. The third chapter of the article describes the motivations for their inclusion. The GGS questionnaire is designed for a face-to-face interview. It includes the core that each participating country needs to implement in full, and four optional sub-modules on nationality and ethnicity, on previous partners, on intentions of breaking up, and on housing, respectively. The participating countries are encouraged to include also the optional sub-modules to facilitate comparative research on these topics.

A Comparative Study of Spreadsheet Applications on Mobile Devices

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Veera V. S. M. Chintapalli

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Advances in mobile screen sizes and feature enhancement for mobile applications have increased the number of users accessing spreadsheets on mobile devices. This paper reports a comparative usability study on four popular mobile spreadsheet applications: OfficeSuite Viewer 6, Documents To Go, ThinkFree Online, and Google Drive. We compare them against three categories of usability criteria: visibility; navigation, scrolling, and feedback; and interaction, satisfaction, simplicity, and convenience. Measures for each criterion were derived in a survey. Questionnaires were designed to address the measures based on the comparative criteria provided in the analysis.

A measurement error model for physical activity level as measured by a questionnaire with application to the 1999-2006 NHANES questionnaire.

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Tooze, Janet A; Troiano, Richard P; Carroll, Raymond J; Moshfegh, Alanna J; Freedman, Laurence S

2013-06-01

Systematic investigations into the structure of measurement error of physical activity questionnaires are lacking. We propose a measurement error model for a physical activity questionnaire that uses physical activity level (the ratio of total energy expenditure to basal energy expenditure) to relate questionnaire-based reports of physical activity level to true physical activity levels. The 1999-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey physical activity questionnaire was administered to 433 participants aged 40-69 years in the Observing Protein and Energy Nutrition (OPEN) Study (Maryland, 1999-2000). Valid estimates of participants' total energy expenditure were also available from doubly labeled water, and basal energy expenditure was estimated from an equation; the ratio of those measures estimated true physical activity level ("truth"). We present a measurement error model that accommodates the mixture of errors that arise from assuming a classical measurement error model for doubly labeled water and a Berkson error model for the equation used to estimate basal energy expenditure. The method was then applied to the OPEN Study. Correlations between the questionnaire-based physical activity level and truth were modest (r = 0.32-0.41); attenuation factors (0.43-0.73) indicate that the use of questionnaire-based physical activity level would lead to attenuated estimates of effect size. Results suggest that sample sizes for estimating relationships between physical activity level and disease should be inflated, and that regression calibration can be used to provide measurement error-adjusted estimates of relationships between physical activity and disease.

The present state of nuclear medicine practice in Japan. A report of the 7th nationwide survey in 2012

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuwahara, Yasuo; Kinuya, Seigo; Inoue, Kentaro

2013-01-01

The Subcommittee on Survey of Nuclear Medicine Practice in Japan has performed a nationwide questionnaire surveys every five years since 1982. The latest questionnaire survey was performed in June 2012. The estimated total number of the annual examinations was 1.15 millions, 19% less than that of the last survey in 2007. The scintigraphic examination most frequently performed was bone scintigraphy, followed by myocardial and brain perfusion scintigraphy in order. The number of positron emission tomography (PET) studies and radionuclide targeted therapies increased by 40% and 62%, respectively, as compared to the 2007's survey. The increase was attributable to growing uses of commercially delivered fluorodexyglucose (FDG), and the newly started radionuclide targeted therapy for patients with metastatic bone tumor or malignant lymphoma, in addition to 131 I therapy for patients with thyroid cancer or Graves' disease. The number of in vitro radioassays has been decreasing continuously since 1992. (author)

A survey comparing the attitudes toward perinatal bereavement care of nurses from three Asian cities.

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Chan, Moon Fai; Lou, Feng-lan; Arthur, David Gordon

2010-12-01

Caring for parents whose infant has died is extremely demanding, difficult, and stressful. In some situations, nurses may experience personal failure, feel helpless, and need to distance themselves from bereaved parents because they are unable to deal with the enormity of the parental feelings of loss. The aim of the study was to describe and compare attitudes toward perinatal bereavement care across a sample of nurses working in five obstetrics and gynecology settings from three Asian cities, as well as the factors associated with these attitudes. A survey was conducted, and 573 nurses were recruited from 2006 to 2007. The data were collected using the perinatal bereavement attitudes scale, which involves an 11-item self-report questionnaire. Nurses' attitudes were mainly positive, but differed across cities, with the attitude of Jinan nurses being significantly more positive than nurses from the other two cities, and the attitude of Hong Kong nurses being significantly the lowest. Positive attitudes were associated with position, and nurses who were well informed of hospital policy and received training for bereavement care were statistically significantly more likely to have a positive attitude toward perinatal bereavement care. Although nurses' attitudes to prenatal bereavement care differ significantly across the three Asian cities, they are generally similar. The differences observed could be related to the wider social, cultural, and organizational circumstances of nursing practice.

Comparing two survey methods of measuring health-related indicators: Lot Quality Assurance Sampling and Demographic Health Surveys.

Science.gov (United States)

Anoke, Sarah C; Mwai, Paul; Jeffery, Caroline; Valadez, Joseph J; Pagano, Marcello

2015-12-01

Two common methods used to measure indicators for health programme monitoring and evaluation are the demographic and health surveys (DHS) and lot quality assurance sampling (LQAS); each one has different strengths. We report on both methods when utilised in comparable situations. We compared 24 indicators in south-west Uganda, where data for prevalence estimations were collected independently for the two methods in 2011 (LQAS: n = 8876; DHS: n = 1200). Data were stratified (e.g. gender and age) resulting in 37 comparisons. We used a two-sample two-sided Z-test of proportions to compare both methods. The average difference between LQAS and DHS for 37 estimates was 0.062 (SD = 0.093; median = 0.039). The average difference among the 21 failures to reject equality of proportions was 0.010 (SD = 0.041; median = 0.009); among the 16 rejections, it was 0.130 (SD = 0.010, median = 0.118). Seven of the 16 rejections exhibited absolute differences of 0.10 and 0.20 (mean = 0.261, SD = 0.083). There is 75.7% agreement across the two surveys. Both methods yield regional results, but only LQAS provides information at less granular levels (e.g. the district level) where managerial action is taken. The cost advantage and localisation make LQAS feasible to conduct more frequently, and provides the possibility for real-time health outcomes monitoring. © 2015 The Authors. Tropical Medicine & International Health Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Job satisfaction and sickness absence: a questionnaire survey.

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Roelen, Corné A M; Koopmans, Petra C; Notenbomer, Annette; Groothoff, Johan W

2008-12-01

When dissatisfaction with work precedes sickness absence, screening for satisfaction levels might usefully detect workers at risk of sickness absence. To investigate whether job satisfaction was associated with subsequent sickness absence days or episodes. A sample of workers was randomly drawn from a population of employees who had an episode of absence between January and April 2003. Job satisfaction was measured using a validated single question with a Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (very dissatisfied) to 7 (very satisfied). Job satisfaction levels were linked to the number of recorded sickness absence days and episodes in 2003, distinguishing between short (1-7 days) episodes and long (>7 days) episodes. Of 898 questionnaires distributed, 518 (58%) were returned. The mean+/-standard deviation job satisfaction level was 5.1+/-1.4 and negatively related to the number of sickness absence days. Job satisfaction was also negatively related to the number of short episodes and long episodes of absence, but these associations were not significant. Job satisfaction was significantly related to total sickness absence duration. The association with the number of sickness absence episodes was weak and just below the level of statistical significance. Assessing work satisfaction levels might usefully identify those workers most likely to have the greatest sickness absence duration.

Comparing two survey methods for estimating maternal and perinatal mortality in rural Cambodia.

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Chandy, Hoeuy; Heng, Yang Van; Samol, Ha; Husum, Hans

2008-03-01

We need solid estimates of maternal mortality rates (MMR) to monitor the impact of maternal care programs. Cambodian health authorities and WHO report the MMR in Cambodia at 450 per 100,000 live births. The figure is drawn from surveys where information is obtained by interviewing respondents about the survival of all their adult sisters (sisterhood method). The estimate is statistically imprecise, 95% confidence intervals ranging from 260 to 620/100,000. The MMR estimate is also uncertain due to under-reporting; where 80-90% of women deliver at home maternal fatalities may go undetected especially where mortality is highest, in remote rural areas. The aim of this study was to attain more reliable MMR estimates by using survey methods other than the sisterhood method prior to an intervention targeting obstetric rural emergencies. The study was carried out in rural Northwestern Cambodia where access to health services is poor and poverty, endemic diseases, and land mines are endemic. Two survey methods were applied in two separate sectors: a community-based survey gathering data from public sources and a household survey gathering data direct from primary sources. There was no statistically significant difference between the two survey results for maternal deaths, both types of survey reported mortality rates around the public figure. The household survey reported a significantly higher perinatal mortality rate as compared to the community-based survey, 8.6% versus 5.0%. Also the household survey gave qualitative data important for a better understanding of the many problems faced by mothers giving birth in the remote villages. There are detection failures in both surveys; the failure rate may be as high as 30-40%. PRINCIPLE CONCLUSION: Both survey methods are inaccurate, therefore inappropriate for evaluation of short-term changes of mortality rates. Surveys based on primary informants yield qualitative information about mothers' hardships important for the design

Sleep quality in children: questionnaires available in Brazil

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Maria Gabriela Cavalheiro

Full Text Available Introduction: The purpose of this paper was to evaluate and compare the questionnaires regarding sleep quality among children aged up to 12 years old, used in the Portuguese language in Brazil. Material and methods: A search at the literature databases of Lilacs, Scielo and Pubmed was performed using keywords “sleep quality” and “children”. Selected Articles were analysed for age of the studied population, the number of questions and the issues addressed thereby, who realized the application, the analysis of the results, and content. Results: Out of 9377 titles, 11 studies were included, performing 7 different questionnaires: Questionnaire to measure quality of life among children with enlarged palatine and pharyngeal tonsils (translation of OSD-6 (1; Inventory of Sleep Habits for Preschool Children (2; the Questionnaire on Obstructive Sleep Apnoea-18 (OSA-18 (3, Sleep Questionnaire by Reimão and Lefévre - QRL (4; the Questionnaire on Sleep Behaviour Patterns (5 and the translation of the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (6; Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire - BISQ (7 . Six of the questionnaires have covered the following issues: snoring and daytime sleepiness. Conclusions: A total of 7 protocols were found to be available in Brazil, the most commonly mentioned being OSA-18 and OSD-6. The use of protocols as a guided interview helps to define diagnosis and treatment among the paediatric population, but its large variability makes it difficult to compare a standardised monitoring process.

Validation of Russian versions of questionnaires in patients with low back pain syndrome

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T. V. Chernyshova

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. To assess psychometric characteristics of Russian versions Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ, WOMAC and the brief form of a questionnaire of pain Me Gill at patients with a low back pain (LBP. Material and methods. It is surveyed 100 patients with the chronic syndrome LBP caused by an osteochondrosis of a backbone. Mean age of patients has made 45,69 ± 7,61 years, from them women (77 % prevailed. Average duration of disease was 10,20 ± 6,01 years, and duration of an aggravation - 4,04 ± 1,75 months. Among surveyed patients with II radiological stage (R prevailed. The assessment constructive validity questionnaires HAQ, WOMAC and the brief form of a questionnaire of pain Me Gill was carried out by the multifactorial analysis with allocation of the main components, a method of "known groups" on the basis of construction of hypotheses, the correlation analysis with external criteria and separate clinical-tool parameters. Reliability of questionnaires was estimated with the help of coefficient internal constancy a Kronbach, sensitivity - definition of the answer to therapy on the clinical data and self-estimations of patients, to calculation of index Gyatt. Results. Simultaneously with improvement of a condition of patients the positive authentic by criterion Mann- Whitney (Z dynamics of parameters under questionnaires HAQ, WOMAC and the brief form of a questionnaire of pain Me Gill was marked. In group of patients with LBP where the answer from therapy was absent, changes of parameters of investigated questionnaires did not occur, that testified to sensitivity of questionnaires. Other methods have shown sufficient validity and reliability of questionnaires WOMAC, the brief form of a questionnaire of pain Me Gill, questionnaire HAQ, except for his scales "force of a brush ” and "reception peep" which were less actual for patients with LBP. High correlation communications of size FDI (Functional Disability Index on HAQ, scales

How to capture patients’ concerns and related changes: Comparing the MYCaW questionnaire, semi-structured interview and a priority list of outcome areas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ostenfeld-Rosenthal, Ann; Johannessen, Helle

2014-01-01

as rehabilitation after colorectal cancer, a sub-sample of 31 participants completed the MYCaW questionnaire and the priority list and were interviewed before, during and after the treatment period. Setting Treatments were provided in healers’ clinics in Denmark. Main outcome measures For each participant......Objectives To compare the capacity of the MYCaW questionnaire, a priority list of concerns covered by validated questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews to identify patients’ personalized concerns and related changes. Design In a pragmatic trial on the effectiveness of energy healing...... experience with the treatment, while concerns stated in interviews and the priority list remained stable throughout the study; (2) emotional concerns were reported more often in interviews than in MYCaW, physical concerns were predominant in MYCaW, and quality of life was marked as a primary concern most...

A new self-rating questionnaire for dementia screening

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Jin WANG

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Background The AD8 plays an important role in the early diagnosis of dementia. However, because of cultural and language difference, it is difficult for Chinese subjects to understand and answer questions in AD8. This paper aims to make a new dementia self-rating questionnaire for Chinese people based on the AD8, and to determine its value for dementia screening.  Methods According to early symptoms of dementia and life style of old Chinese people, a dementia self-rating questionnaire was made based on the AD8. The new questionnaire includes 10 questions, and can be finished in 3 min. The reliability and validity was validated by a questionnaire survey in senior citizens older than 50 years in urban Xi'an. All patients were screened by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE and dementia was diagnosed according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Forth Edition (DSM-Ⅳ criteria.  Results A total of 620 patients finished the new questionnaire, and among them 17 patients (2.74% were diagnosed as dementia. The score of each question in the questionnaire was positively correlated with the total score (rs = 0.300-0.709; P = 0.000, for all. The Cronbach α was 0.795, indicating that the questionnaire got good internal consistency reliability. Two principal components were extracted, and the cumulative variance contribution ratio was 49.771%. Factor loading of each subitem was > 0.500, indicating a good construct validity. According to receiver operating characteristic (ROC curve, the critical value was 2, with the sensitivity 94.10% and specificity 82.10%. Youden index was 0.762.  Conclusions The new dementia self-rating questionnaire can detect dementia patients sensitively and correctly, and is very useful for early screening of dementia. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2015.07.009

Evaluation of the Pharmacy Safety Climate Questionnaire in European community pharmacies.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Phipps, D.L.; Bie, J. de; Herborg, H.; Guerreiro, M.; Eickhoff, C.; Fernandes-Llimos, F.; Bouvy, M.L.; Rossing, C.; Mueller, U.; Ashcroft, D.M.

2012-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the internal reliability, factor structure and construct validity of the Pharmacy Safety Climate Questionnaire (PSCQ) when applied to a pan-European sample of community pharmacies. Design: A cross-sectional survey design was used. Setting: Community pharmacies in Denmark,

Questionnaire Survey on Asthma Management of Japanese Allergists II. Treatment methods

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Kazuharu Tsukioka

1996-01-01

Full Text Available A questionnaire on the treatment of asthma was sent to 586 physicians. They consisted of specialists authorized by the Japanese Society of Allergology and councillors of the society who were treating patients with bronchial asthma. Of the total of 306 (52% respondents, 241 replied to questions relating to adult asthma and 129 to questions relating to childhood asthma (including duplicate replies. For acute treatment, methods most commonly selected by physicians were, in increasing order of popularity, for adults: parenteral aminophylline, oxygen inhalation, parenteral steroids and parenteral adrenaline; for schoolchildren (6–16 years: parenteral aminophylline, inhaled β-stimulant, oxygen inhalation, inhaled β-stimulant + disodium cromoglycate (DSCG, parenteral steroids; and for infants (≤5 years: inhaled β-stimulant, parenteral aminophylline, oxygen inhalation, inhaled β-stimulant + DSCG and parenteral steroids. For maintenance treatment, methods most commonly selected by physicians were, in increasing order of popularity, for adults: oral administration of sustained-release theophylline, inhaled steroids and DSCG inhalation; for schoolchildren (6–16 years: DSCG inhalation, oral administration of sustained-release theophylline, oral administration of antiallergic agent preparation and (β-stimulant + DSCG inhalant; and for infants: DSCG inhalation, oral administration of sustained-release theophylline, oral administration of antiallergicagent preparation and β-stimulant + DSCG inhalant. The questionnaire results clearly showed that different drugs were selected for the treatment of asthma in adults, schoolchildren and infants.

The Effects of including a replacement questionnaire in the first follow-up to an industrial population

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mortensen, Peter Stendahl

2006-01-01

was identical in all cases. The study compared the impact on response rates, costs, timeliness and quality. The response rate between the first and second reminders was significantly higher in the replacement group, but the second reminder evens out most of this difference. In addition, logistic......  This study reports on a field experiment in which the effects of manipulating the contents of the first reminder in an industrial survey were investigated. Every second non-responding company received a replacement questionnaire with the first mailed reminder, while the second reminder......-regression models revealed significant differences in the reaction from different industries and regions. For the replacement group, the cost/response rate was 20% higher and the marginal cost per extra response was four times that of the responses to the first mailing. However, the questionnaires were returned...

The physical therapy profile questionnaire (PTPQ): development, validation and pilot testing.

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Dizon, Janine Margarita R; Grimmer-Somers, Karen; Kumar, Saravana

2011-09-19

Country by country similarities and differences in physical therapy practice exists. Therefore, before updates in practice can be provided, such as trainings in evidence-based practice, it is necessary to identify the profile and nature of practice in a given country or setting. Following a search of the international literature, no appropriate tool was identified to collect and establish data to create the profile of physical therapy practice in the Philippines. We therefore developed, validated and pilot tested a survey instrument which would comprehensively describe the practice of physical therapy in the Philippines We used a mixed methods design to answer our study aims. A focus group interview was conducted among a group of physical therapists to establish the content and contexts of items to be included in the survey instrument. Findings were amalgamated with the information from the literature on developing survey instruments/questionnaires. A survey instrument was drafted and named as the Physical Therapy Profile Questionnaire (PTPQ). The PTPQ was then validated and pilot tested to a different group of physical therapists.The final version consisted of five separate parts namely (A) General information and demographics, (B) Practice Profile, (C) Treatment Preferences, (D) Bases for clinical work and (E) Bases for educational/research work. At present the PTPQ is relevant to the Philippines and could be used by any country which has a similar nature of practice with the Philippines. The Physical Therapy Practice Questionnaire (PTPQ) was shown to have good face and content validity among the Filipino physical therapists and their context of practice. It has also been found to be useful, easy to administer tool and in a format appealing to respondents. The PTPQ is expected to assist comprehensive data collection to create a profile of physical therapy practice in the Philippines.

The physical therapy profile questionnaire (PTPQ: development, validation and pilot testing

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Grimmer-Somers Karen

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Country by country similarities and differences in physical therapy practice exists. Therefore, before updates in practice can be provided, such as trainings in evidence-based practice, it is necessary to identify the profile and nature of practice in a given country or setting. Following a search of the international literature, no appropriate tool was identified to collect and establish data to create the profile of physical therapy practice in the Philippines. We therefore developed, validated and pilot tested a survey instrument which would comprehensively describe the practice of physical therapy in the Philippines Findings We used a mixed methods design to answer our study aims. A focus group interview was conducted among a group of physical therapists to establish the content and contexts of items to be included in the survey instrument. Findings were amalgamated with the information from the literature on developing survey instruments/questionnaires. A survey instrument was drafted and named as the Physical Therapy Profile Questionnaire (PTPQ. The PTPQ was then validated and pilot tested to a different group of physical therapists. The final version consisted of five separate parts namely (A General information and demographics, (B Practice Profile, (C Treatment Preferences, (D Bases for clinical work and (E Bases for educational/research work. At present the PTPQ is relevant to the Philippines and could be used by any country which has a similar nature of practice with the Philippines. Conclusion The Physical Therapy Practice Questionnaire (PTPQ was shown to have good face and content validity among the Filipino physical therapists and their context of practice. It has also been found to be useful, easy to administer tool and in a format appealing to respondents. The PTPQ is expected to assist comprehensive data collection to create a profile of physical therapy practice in the Philippines.

GPs' attitudes, beliefs and behaviours regarding exercise for chronic knee pain: a questionnaire survey.

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Cottrell, Elizabeth; Foster, Nadine E; Porcheret, Mark; Rathod, Trishna; Roddy, Edward

2017-06-17

The aim of this study was to investigate general practitioners' (GPs) attitudes, beliefs and behaviours regarding the use of exercise for patients with chronic knee pain (CKP) attributable to osteoarthritis. Primary care GPs in the UK. 5000 GPs, randomly selected from Binley's database, were mailed a cross-sectional questionnaire survey. GPs' attitudes and beliefs were investigated using attitude statements, and reported behaviours were identified using vignette-based questions. GPs were invited to report barriers experienced when initiating exercise with patients with CKP RESULTS: 835 (17%) GPs responded. Overall, GPs were positive about general exercise for CKP. 729 (87%) reported using exercise, of which, 538 (74%) reported that they would use both general and local (lower limb) exercises. However, only 92 (11% of all responding) GPs reported initiating exercise in ways aligning with best-evidence recommendations. 815 (98%) GPs reported barriers in using exercise for patients with CKP, most commonly, insufficient time in consultations (n=419; 51%) and insufficient expertise (n=337; 41%). While GPs' attitudes and beliefs regarding exercise for CKP were generally positive, initiation of exercise was often poorly aligned with current recommendations, and barriers and uncertainties were reported. GPs' use of exercise may be improved by addressing the key barriers of time and expertise, by developing a pragmatic approach that supports GPs to initiate individualised exercise, and/or by other professionals taking on this role. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Psychometrics of the chronic liver disease questionnaire for Southern Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection

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Lam, Elegance Ting Pui; Lam, Cindy Lo Kuen; Lai, Ching Lung; Yuen, Man Fung; Fong, Daniel Yee Tak

2009-01-01

AIM: To test the psychometric properties of a Chinese [(Hong Kong) HK] translation of the chronic liver disease questionnaire (CLDQ). METHODS: A Chinese (HK) translation of the CLDQ was developed by iterative translation and cognitive debriefing. It was then administered to 72 uncomplicated and 78 complicated chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients in Hong Kong together with a structured questionnaire on service utilization, and the Chinese (HK) SF-36 Health Survey Version 2 (SF-36v2). RESULTS: Scaling success was ≥ 80% for all but three items. A new factor assessing sleep was found and items of two (Fatigue and Systemic Symptoms) subscales tended to load on the same factor. Internal consistency and test-retest reliabilities ranged from 0.58-0.90 for different subscales. Construct validity was confirmed by the expected correlations between the SF-36v2 Health Survey and CLDQ scores. Mean scores of CLDQ were significantly lower in complicated compared with uncomplicated CHB, supporting sensitivity in detecting differences between groups. CONCLUSION: The Chinese (HK) CLDQ is valid, reliable and sensitive for patients with CHB. Some modifications to the scaling structure might further improve its psychometric properties. PMID:19598306

Evaluation of the UNREST questionnaire for testing the social resistance framework.

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Factor, Roni; Kawachi, Ichiro; Williams, David R

2013-07-01

The recently developed social resistance framework addresses a widespread pattern whereby non-dominant minority groups, such as ethnic/racial minorities and people of low socioeconomic status, often engage in unhealthy and risky behaviours at higher rates compared with society at large. The framework suggests that power relations within society may encourage members of non-dominant minority groups to actively engage in acts of everyday resistance, which may include risky and unhealthy behaviours. The current paper develops and psychometrically evaluates a research tool to test this innovative framework. The UNREST questionnaire measures the key concepts of the framework, along with four high-risk and unhealthy behaviours, as well as demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. A pilot survey was conducted among representative subsamples of a non-dominant group (African-Americans) and a dominant group (Caucasians). Consistent with the general premises of the framework, the evaluation of the questionnaire produced six valid and reliable scales, which were significantly correlated with some criterion-related items as well as unhealthy and risky behaviours. The preliminary results of our pilot study suggest that the new tool may be useful for testing the framework. The results also provide support for the framework in general.

Current status of Marek’s disease in the United States & worldwide based on a questionnaire survey

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A questionnaire was widely distributed in 2011 to estimate the global prevalence of Marek’s disease (MD) and gain a better understanding of current control strategies and future concerns. A total of 112 questionnaires were returned representing 116 countries from sources including national branch s...

How to improve the validity of sexual behaviour reporting: systematic review of questionnaire delivery modes in developing countries.

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Langhaug, Lisa F; Sherr, Lorraine; Cowan, Frances M

2010-03-01

To systematically review comparative research from developing countries on the effects of questionnaire delivery mode. We searched Medline, EMbase and PsychINFO and ISSTDR conference proceedings. Randomized control trials and quasi-experimental studies were included if they compared two or more questionnaire delivery modes, were conducted in a developing country, reported on sexual behaviours and occurred after 1980. A total of 28 articles reporting on 26 studies met the inclusion criteria. Heterogeneity of reported trial outcomes between studies made it inappropriate to combine trial outcomes. Eighteen studies compared audio computer-assisted survey instruments (ACASI) or its derivatives [personal digital assistant (PDA) or computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI)] against another self-administered questionnaires, face-to-face interviews or random response technique. Despite wide variation in geography and populations sampled, there was strong evidence that computer-assisted interviews lowered item-response rates and raised rates of reporting sensitive behaviours. ACASI also improved data entry quality. A wide range of sexual behaviours were reported including vaginal, oral, anal and/or forced sex, age of sexual debut, condom use at first and/or last sex. Validation of self-reports using biomarkers was rare. These data reaffirm that questionnaire delivery modes do affect self-reported sexual behaviours and that use of ACASI can significantly reduce reporting bias. Its acceptability and feasibility in developing country settings should encourage researchers to consider its use when conducting sexual health research. Triangulation of self-reported data using biomarkers is recommended. Standardizing sexual behaviour measures would allow for meta-analysis.

Comparing web and mail responses in a mixed mode survey in college alcohol use research

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McCabe, Sean Esteban; Diez, Alison; Boyd, Carol J.; Nelson, Toben F.; Weitzman, Elissa R.

2011-01-01

Objective This exploratory study examined potential mode effects (web versus U.S. mail) in a mixed mode design survey of alcohol use at eight U.S. colleges. Methods Randomly selected students from eight U.S. colleges were invited to participate in a self-administered survey on their alcohol use in the spring of 2002. Data were collected initially by web survey (n =2619) and non-responders to this mode were mailed a hardcopy survey (n =628). Results College students who were male, living on-campus and under 21 years of age were significantly more likely to complete the initial web survey. Multivariate analyses revealed few substantive differences between survey modality and alcohol use measures. Conclusions The findings from this study provide preliminary evidence that web and mail surveys produce comparable estimates of alcohol use in a non-randomized mixed mode design. The results suggest that mixed mode survey designs could be effective at reaching certain college sub-populations and improving overall response rate while maintaining valid measurement of alcohol use. Web surveys are gaining popularity in survey research and more work is needed to examine whether these results can extend to web surveys generally or are specific to mixed mode designs. PMID:16460882

Validation of the Oxford Participation and Activities Questionnaire.

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Morley, David; Dummett, Sarah; Kelly, Laura; Dawson, Jill; Fitzpatrick, Ray; Jenkinson, Crispin

2016-01-01

There is growing interest in the management of long-term conditions and in keeping people active and participating in the community. Testing the effectiveness of interventions that aim to affect activities and participation can be challenging without a well-developed, valid, and reliable instrument. This study therefore aims to develop a patient-reported outcome measure, the Oxford Participation and Activities Questionnaire (Ox-PAQ), which is theoretically grounded in the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) and fully compliant with current best practice guidelines. Questionnaire items generated from patient interviews and based on the nine chapters of the ICF were administered by postal survey to 386 people with three neurological conditions: motor neuron disease, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease. Participants also completed the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and EQ-5D-5L. Thus, 334 participants completed the survey, a response rate of 86.5%. Factor analysis techniques identified three Ox-PAQ domains, consisting of 23 items, accounting for 72.8% of variance. Internal reliability for the three domains was high (Cronbach's α: 0.81-0.96), as was test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation: 0.83-0.92). Concurrent validity was demonstrated through highly significant relationships with relevant domains of the MOS SF-36 and the EQ- 5D-5L. Assessment of known-groups validity identified significant differences in Ox-PAQ scores among the three conditions included in the survey. Results suggest that the Ox-PAQ is a valid and reliable measure of participation and activity. The measure will now be validated in a range of further conditions, and additional properties, such as responsiveness, will also be assessed in the next phase of the instrument's development.

Measurement of sedentary behaviour in population health surveys: a review and recommendations

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Stephanie A. Prince

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Background The purpose of this review was to determine the most valid and reliable questions for targeting key modes of sedentary behaviour (SB in a broad range of national and international health surveillance surveys. This was done by reviewing the SB modules currently used in population health surveys, as well as examining SB questionnaires that have performed well in psychometric testing. Methods Health surveillance surveys were identified via scoping review and contact with experts in the field. Previous systematic reviews provided psychometric information on pediatric questionnaires. A comprehensive search of four bibliographic databases was used to identify studies reporting psychometric information for adult questionnaires. Only surveys/studies published/used in English or French were included. Results The review identified a total of 16 pediatric and 18 adult national/international surveys assessing SB, few of which have undergone psychometric testing. Fourteen pediatric and 35 adult questionnaires with psychometric information were included. While reliability was generally good to excellent for questions targeting key modes of SB, validity was poor to moderate, and reported much less frequently. The most valid and reliable questions targeting specific modes of SB were combined to create a single questionnaire targeting key modes of SB. Discussion Our results highlight the importance of including SB questions in survey modules that are adaptable, able to assess various modes of SB, and that exhibit adequate reliability and validity. Future research could investigate the psychometric properties of the module we have proposed in this paper, as well as other questionnaires currently used in national and international population health surveys.

Structural Validation of a French Food Frequency Questionnaire of 94 Items

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Rozenn Gazan

2017-12-01

Full Text Available BackgroundFood frequency questionnaires (FFQs are used to estimate the usual food and nutrient intakes over a period of time. Such estimates can suffer from measurement errors, either due to bias induced by respondent’s answers or to errors induced by the structure of the questionnaire (e.g., using a limited number of food items and an aggregated food database with average portion sizes. The “structural validation” presented in this study aims to isolate and quantify the impact of the inherent structure of a FFQ on the estimation of food and nutrient intakes, independently of respondent’s perception of the questionnaire.MethodsA semi-quantitative FFQ (n = 94 items, including 50 items with questions on portion sizes and an associated aggregated food composition database (named the item-composition database were developed, based on the self-reported weekly dietary records of 1918 adults (18–79 years-old in the French Individual and National Dietary Survey 2 (INCA2, and the French CIQUAL 2013 food-composition database of all the foods (n = 1342 foods declared as consumed in the population. Reference intakes of foods (“REF_FOOD” and nutrients (“REF_NUT” were calculated for each adult using the food-composition database and the amounts of foods self-reported in his/her dietary record. Then, answers to the FFQ were simulated for each adult based on his/her self-reported dietary record. “FFQ_FOOD” and “FFQ_NUT” intakes were estimated using the simulated answers and the item-composition database. Measurement errors (in %, spearman correlations and cross-classification were used to compare “REF_FOOD” with “FFQ_FOOD” and “REF_NUT” with “FFQ_NUT”.ResultsCompared to “REF_NUT,” “FFQ_NUT” total quantity and total energy intake were underestimated on average by 198 g/day and 666 kJ/day, respectively. “FFQ_FOOD” intakes were well estimated for starches, underestimated for most of the subgroups, and

Evaluating the Theory of Planned Behavior to explain intention to engage in premarital sex amongst Korean college students: a questionnaire survey.

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Cha, Eun Seok; Doswell, Willa M; Kim, Kevin H; Charron-Prochownik, Denise; Patrick, Thelma E

2007-09-01

To reduce risky adolescent sexual behavior, education programs must be tailored to specific cultures and stage of adolescence. This study describes the self-reported sexual behavior of Korean college students and examines the efficiency of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TpB) in explaining intention of engaging in premarital sex in order to provide insights for a potential sex education program designed to reduce risky sexual behavior. A cross-sectional, correlational design using an exploratory survey method was used. Participants were recruited from a university in Korea with a flyer posted at the entrance of the student health service center, and self-referral in 2004. Male and female unmarried college students aged 18 to 25 were included. Foreign students and students with visible physical problems were excluded. Three hundred and twenty of 550 students returned the questionnaire packets. Final data analysis included 298 students after deleting incomplete data. Participants completed six questionnaires: (1) Background and Sexual Behavior Questionnaire, including items related to perceived risk of sexual behavior, (2) Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale, and four scales related to TpB construct: (3) modified Premarital Sexual Attitude Scale, (4) Referent group Approval of Sex Behavior Scale, (5) Sexual Abstinence Efficacy Scale and (6) modified version of Doswell's Intention of Sexual Behavior Scale. Premarital sexual attitude, abstinence self-efficacy and referent group norms were significant predictors of intention of premarital sex for male students with a large effect, but only attitude and norms predicted intention of premarital sex for female students. The TpB may be an effective theory to guide the development of theory-driven sexual abstinence interventions to reduce risky sexual behavior for Korean males, while the Theory of Reasoned Action may be an effective theory for Korean females.

Development of a Maltese version of oral health-associated questionnaires: OHIP-14, GOHAI, and the Denture Satisfaction Questionnaire.

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Santucci, Daniela; Camilleri, Liberato; Kobayashi, Yasuyoshi; Attard, Nikolai

2014-01-01

To show the reliability of the Maltese translations of OHIP-14, GOHAI, and the Denture Satisfaction Questionnaire, define the reliability of the responses, and determine the correlation between OHIP-14 and GOHAI. The items of the three questionnaires (OHIP-14, GOHAI, and Denture Satisfaction) were translated into Maltese and back into English to compare with the original version. Specific sampling of a population well versed in Maltese and English was carried out to obtain a sample of respondents for each questionnaire. Data were gathered through self-administered questionnaires: first administering the Maltese version and following with the English version 1 week later. Participation rates were high (98%). Cronbach's alpha for all three questionnaires was high (> 0.7), indicating satisfactory test-retest reliability of the instruments. Similarly, the Spearman correlation coefficients for both the English and Maltese versions of OHIP-14 and GOHAI were good (> 0.6). The Maltese versions of OHIP-14, GOHAI, and the Denture Satisfaction Questionnaire can be safely used as a valid alternative to the English versions in studies of patients who are limited in linguistic proficiency.

Men who have sex with men in Great Britain: comparing methods and estimates from probability and convenience sample surveys

Science.gov (United States)

Prah, Philip; Hickson, Ford; Bonell, Chris; McDaid, Lisa M; Johnson, Anne M; Wayal, Sonali; Clifton, Soazig; Sonnenberg, Pam; Nardone, Anthony; Erens, Bob; Copas, Andrew J; Riddell, Julie; Weatherburn, Peter; Mercer, Catherine H

2016-01-01

Objective To examine sociodemographic and behavioural differences between men who have sex with men (MSM) participating in recent UK convenience surveys and a national probability sample survey. Methods We compared 148 MSM aged 18–64 years interviewed for Britain's third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3) undertaken in 2010–2012, with men in the same age range participating in contemporaneous convenience surveys of MSM: 15 500 British resident men in the European MSM Internet Survey (EMIS); 797 in the London Gay Men's Sexual Health Survey; and 1234 in Scotland's Gay Men's Sexual Health Survey. Analyses compared men reporting at least one male sexual partner (past year) on similarly worded questions and multivariable analyses accounted for sociodemographic differences between the surveys. Results MSM in convenience surveys were younger and better educated than MSM in Natsal-3, and a larger proportion identified as gay (85%–95% vs 62%). Partner numbers were higher and same-sex anal sex more common in convenience surveys. Unprotected anal intercourse was more commonly reported in EMIS. Compared with Natsal-3, MSM in convenience surveys were more likely to report gonorrhoea diagnoses and HIV testing (both past year). Differences between the samples were reduced when restricting analysis to gay-identifying MSM. Conclusions National probability surveys better reflect the population of MSM but are limited by their smaller samples of MSM. Convenience surveys recruit larger samples of MSM but tend to over-represent MSM identifying as gay and reporting more sexual risk behaviours. Because both sampling strategies have strengths and weaknesses, methods are needed to triangulate data from probability and convenience surveys. PMID:26965869

SURVEY REGARDING THE LEVEL OF PRODUCT LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT IN MANUFACTURING COMPANIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

František Freiberg

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This article is about a questionnaire survey regarding the level of product lifecycle management in manufacturing companies in the Czech Republic. Based on the research available from foreign and domestic literature, a questionnaire survey was compiled and carried out with the purpose of applying the methods used in the life cycle management in selected areas: maintenance, information systems and the cost of the product lifecycle. The survey is carried out through a printed as well as an electronic questionnaire with additional structured interviews in selected manufacturing companies in the Czech Republic, Slovak Republic and Romania.

A questionnaire survey of the management and use of anthelmintics in cattle and antelope in mixed farming systems in Zimbabwe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. Madzingira

2002-07-01

Full Text Available A survey of the management of mixed farming of cattle and antelope and use of anthelmintics was conducted on eleven farms between August and December 1999 by a self-administered questionnaire. Seventeen antelope species ranging from grey duikers (Sylvicapra grimmia to eland (Taurotragus oryx occurred on the farms. Impala (Aepyceros melampus was the most abundant antelope on the farms. Seventy-five per cent of the antelope species on the farms were grazers and mixed feeders and shared grazing with cattle. Most farmers (n =8 did not consider the stocking density for cattle and antelope as an important management factor. Fifty-four per cent of the farmers (n = 6 routinely dewormed both cattle and antelopes. Albendazole and fenbendazole were the most commonly used drugs for deworming cattle (72.7 % and antelope species (54.5 %. The deworming of antelope was carried out during the dry season, using albendazole-, fenbendazole-and rafoxanide-medicated supplementary feed blocks. Doramectin injections were given to antelopes on two farms. Cattle were dewormed preventively and according to the general body condition of the animal. Few farmers (n = 4 followed the recommended deworming programme for cattle in Zimbabwe and only one farmer followed a specified dosing programme for game. However, results from the survey on the deworming of game indicate that farmers perceived helminth infections in antelope to be important.

The Student Satisfaction with Educational Podcasts Questionnaire (Cuestionario de satisfacción con podcasts educativos

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Rafael Alarcón

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Student satisfaction with podcasts is frequently used as an indicator of the effectiveness of educational podcasting. This aspect has usually been assessed through surveys or interviews in descriptive studies, but no standard questionnaire exists that can be used to compare results. The main aim of this study was to present the Student Satisfaction with Educational Podcasts Questionnaire (SSEPQ. The SSEPQ consists of 10 items that are scored on a Likert-type scale. The items address the opinions of students on content adequacy, ease of use, usefulness, and the benefits of podcasts for learning. 3-5 minute podcasts were assessed as a supplementary tool within the research methods and statistics course of their psychology undergraduate degree. Confirmatory factor analysis with cross-validation showed a one-factor structure, supporting the use of the total score as a global index of student satisfaction with podcasts. The results suggest that there is a high level of satisfaction with podcasts as a tool to improve learning. The questionnaire is a brief and simple tool that can provide lecturers with direct feedback from their students, and may prove useful in improving the teaching-learning process.

Comparison of a Household Consumption and Expenditures Survey with Nationally Representative Food Frequency Questionnaire and 24-hour Dietary Recall Data for Assessing Consumption of Fortifiable Foods by Women and Young Children in Cameroon.

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Engle-Stone, Reina; Brown, Kenneth H

2015-06-01

Household Consumption and Expenditures Surveys (HCES) are potential sources of data on dietary patterns for planning fortification programs, but they rarely have been compared with individual-level dietary assessment methods. To compare apparent consumption of fortifiable foods estimated from the Third Cameroon Household Survey (ECAM3) with the results of a national dietary survey using food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and 24-hour recall (24HR) methods among women aged 15 to 49 years and children aged 12 to 59 months. We estimated coverage and frequency of consumption in the previous week (ECAM3 and FFQ) and coverage and amount consumed on the previous day (ECAM3 and 24HR) of refined vegetable oil, wheat flour, sugar, and bouillon cubes. Coverage in the past week as measured by the ECAM3 and FFQ, respectively, was 64% vs. 54% for oil, 60% vs. 92% for flour, 69% vs. 78% for sugar, and 85% vs. 96% for bouillon cubes. The different methods identified similar patterns of coverage among subgroups for oil, but patterns for other foods were variable. Frequency of consumption and previous-day coverage were lower with the ECAM3 than with the FFQ and 24HR, likely reflecting infrequent acquisition relative to intake. For women, the mean amounts consumed on the previous day (among consumers) were 43 vs. 29 g of oil, 71 vs. 83 g of flour, 42 vs. 32 g of sugar, and 5.0 vs. 2.4 g of bouillon cubes (ECAM and 24HR, respectively). HCES provide useful information on patterns of food access but inadequate information on individual consumption amounts to estimate appropriate food fortification levels. © The Author(s) 2015.

Validation of survey information on smoking and alcohol consumption against import statistics, Greenland 1993-2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Bjerregaard, Peter; Becker, Ulrik

2013-01-01

Questionnaires are widely used to obtain information on health-related behaviour, and they are more often than not the only method that can be used to assess the distribution of behaviour in subgroups of the population. No validation studies of reported consumption of tobacco or alcohol have been published from circumpolar indigenous communities. The purpose of the study is to compare information on the consumption of tobacco and alcohol obtained from 3 population surveys in Greenland with import statistics. Estimates of consumption of cigarettes and alcohol using several different survey instruments in cross-sectional population studies from 1993-1994, 1999-2001 and 2005-2010 were compared with import statistics from the same years. For cigarettes, survey results accounted for virtually the total import. Alcohol consumption was significantly under-reported with reporting completeness ranging from 40% to 51% for different estimates of habitual weekly consumption in the 3 study periods. Including an estimate of binge drinking increased the estimated total consumption to 78% of the import. Compared with import statistics, questionnaire-based population surveys capture the consumption of cigarettes well in Greenland. Consumption of alcohol is under-reported, but asking about binge episodes in addition to the usual intake considerably increased the reported intake in this population and made it more in agreement with import statistics. It is unknown to what extent these findings at the population level can be inferred to population subgroups.

Micro-level economic factors and incentives in Children's energy balance related behaviours - findings from the ENERGY European cross-section questionnaire survey.

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Jensen, Jørgen Dejgård; Bere, Elling; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Jan, Natasa; Maes, Lea; Manios, Yannis; Martens, Marloes K; Molnar, Denes; Moreno, Luis A; Singh, Amika S; te Velde, Saskia; Brug, Johannes

2012-11-21

To date, most research on obesogenic environments facing school children has focused on physical and socio-cultural environments. The role of economic factors has been investigated to a much lesser extent. Our objective was to explore the association of micro-level economic factors and incentives with sports activities and intake of soft drinks and fruit juice in 10-12 year-old school children across Europe, and to explore price sensitivity in children's soft drink consumption and correlates of this price sensitivity. Data for the study originate from a cross-sectional survey undertaken in seven European countries (Belgium, Greece, Hungary, Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia and Spain) in 2010 among 10-12 year-old school children and their parents. In total, 7234 child questionnaires and 6002 parent questionnaires were completed. The child questionnaire included questions addressing self-reported weekly intake of soft drinks and fruit juices and time spent on sports activities, perception of parental support for sports activities, use of pocket money for soft drinks and perceived price responsiveness. Parent questionnaires included questions addressing the role of budget and price considerations in decisions regarding children's sports activities, soft drink consumption, home practices and rules and socio-demographic background variables. Data were analysed using multiple linear regression and discrete-choice (ordered probit) modelling. Economic factors were found to be associated with children's sports participation and sugary drink consumption, explaining 27% of the variation in time for sports activities, and 27% and 12% of the variation in the children's soft drink and juice consumption, respectively. Parents' financial support was found to be an important correlate (Beta =0.419) of children's sports activities. Children's pocket money was a strong correlate (Beta =21.034) of soft drink consumption. The majority of the responding children reported to expect that

Questionnaire Adapting: Little Changes Mean a Lot.

Science.gov (United States)

Sousa, Vanessa E C; Matson, Jeffrey; Dunn Lopez, Karen

2017-09-01

Questionnaire development involves rigorous testing to ensure reliability and validity. Due to time and cost constraints of developing new questionnaires, researchers often adapt existing questionnaires to better fit the purpose of their study. However, the effect of such adaptations is unclear. We conducted cognitive interviews as a method to evaluate the understanding of original and adapted questionnaire items to be applied in a future study. The findings revealed that all subjects (a) comprehended the original and adapted items differently, (b) changed their scores after comparing the original to the adapted items, and (c) were unanimous in stating that the adapted items were easier to understand. Cognitive interviewing allowed us to assess the interpretation of adapted items in a useful and efficient manner before use in data collection.

Personality and professional commitment of students in nursing, social work, and teaching: A comparative survey.

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Nesje, Kjersti

2016-01-01

Nurses are often portrayed as possessing specific traits and dispositions associated with care and empathy. The assumption has been that possessing these traits makes nurses competent, engaged, and well suited to their job. This proposition has been mostly normative, and few studies have investigated how this plays out empirically. The aims of this study were to investigate (a) whether possessing a personality trait related to empathy and care was more common among nursing students than students in teaching and social work programs and (b) whether nursing students possessing an affirming personality trait judged themselves to be more suited to their future work - understood as commitment to the profession - than students in teaching and social work. A cross-sectional survey design was used. All first-year students attending seven Norwegian universities and university colleges were invited to participate in the study. Of the 1675 students who participated in the survey, 527 were nursing students, 668 were students in teaching, and 480 were social work students. A response rate of 65 percent was achieved. The survey was conducted by Oslo and Akershus University College in the autumn of 2012. Data collection methods included both a paper-and-pencil questionnaire and an online survey. Instruments used included Blau's Career Commitment Scale and Orlinsky and Rønnestad's Interpersonal Adjective Scale. Analysis of variance and regression analysis were performed on the data. Nursing students did not differ from students in teaching and social work programs in terms of the degree of affirming personality trait. Furthermore, the regression analysis revealed an equally strong association between having an affirming personality trait and being committed to the profession among all these student groups. The results of this study indicate that the narrative of nursing students as individuals who possess a special personality characteristic does not entirely reflect reality

Fiscal 1996 survey of potential international cooperation for a long-term scenario on CO2 reduction; 1996 nendo CO2 sakugen ni kakawaru choki shinario ni kansuru kokusai kyoryoku kanosei chosa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-03-01

For the purpose of working out a CO2 reduction scenario and a CO2 policy introduction scenario, a survey was conducted of comparisons between ten and several models which are world-known and models of the New Earth 21, potential international cooperation to be carried out in the future, etc. The survey included organizations which are developing CO2 policy evaluation models, survey reports made in the past, details of literature for the analysis and arrangement. From the result, details of the questionnaire survey and organizations to be surveyed were decided on for the questionnaire survey. Objects for the survey were 7 countries and 22 organizations, and survey items were places for information exchange, sending/receiving of researchers, exchange of input data, comparative calculation based on the common database, joint research work, economy, the carbon tax, impact, renewable energy, how to handle and think of the carbon isolation, etc. As a result of the survey, proposed were a workshop on CO2 reduction, a comparative study of simulation models, etc. 25 refs., 50 figs., 12 tabs.

Epidemiological survey of the effects of low level radiation dose: a comparative assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rose, K.S.B.

1993-10-01

This volume presents the collations tables of a six volume comparative epidemiological survey of the effects of low level radiation dose. Data are collated for the effects observed in the following irradiated groups:- Preconception irradiation, intra-uterine irradiation, childhood irradiation, adult irradiation. (UK).

Survey sequencing and comparative analysis of the elephant shark (Callorhinchus milii genome.

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Byrappa Venkatesh

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Owing to their phylogenetic position, cartilaginous fishes (sharks, rays, skates, and chimaeras provide a critical reference for our understanding of vertebrate genome evolution. The relatively small genome of the elephant shark, Callorhinchus milii, a chimaera, makes it an attractive model cartilaginous fish genome for whole-genome sequencing and comparative analysis. Here, the authors describe survey sequencing (1.4x coverage and comparative analysis of the elephant shark genome, one of the first cartilaginous fish genomes to be sequenced to this depth. Repetitive sequences, represented mainly by a novel family of short interspersed element-like and long interspersed element-like sequences, account for about 28% of the elephant shark genome. Fragments of approximately 15,000 elephant shark genes reveal specific examples of genes that have been lost differentially during the evolution of tetrapod and teleost fish lineages. Interestingly, the degree of conserved synteny and conserved sequences between the human and elephant shark genomes are higher than that between human and teleost fish genomes. Elephant shark contains putative four Hox clusters indicating that, unlike teleost fish genomes, the elephant shark genome has not experienced an additional whole-genome duplication. These findings underscore the importance of the elephant shark as a critical reference vertebrate genome for comparative analysis of the human and other vertebrate genomes. This study also demonstrates that a survey-sequencing approach can be applied productively for comparative analysis of distantly related vertebrate genomes.

Validation of the NPAQ-short - a brief questionnaire to monitor physical activity and compliance with the WHO recommendations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Danquah, Ida Høgstedt; Petersen, Christina Bjørk; Skov, Sofie Smedegaard

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND: Using self-reported surveys to monitor physical activity levels in the population require short items covering both time and intensity. The present study aims to 1) develop the Nordic Physical Activity Questionnaire-short from the original version of the NPAQ, 2) assess test...... when using both open and closed-ended questions. However, using open-ended questions seems to be a better answering mode for self-reported surveys monitoring WHO's physical activity recommendations.......-retest reliability and criterion validity of the NPAQ-short, and 3) test the NPAQ-short's ability to monitor compliance with the WHO recommendations on physical activity. In addition, we aimed to compare open and closed-ended answering modes for the NPAQ-short. METHODS: A sample of 122 participants were included...

The Challenging Experience Questionnaire: Characterization of challenging experiences with psilocybin mushrooms.

Science.gov (United States)

Barrett, Frederick S; Bradstreet, Matthew P; Leoutsakos, Jeannie-Marie S; Johnson, Matthew W; Griffiths, Roland R

2016-12-01

Acute adverse psychological reactions to classic hallucinogens ("bad trips" or "challenging experiences"), while usually benign with proper screening, preparation, and support in controlled settings, remain a safety concern in uncontrolled settings (such as illicit use contexts). Anecdotal and case reports suggest potential adverse acute symptoms including affective (panic, depressed mood), cognitive (confusion, feelings of losing sanity), and somatic (nausea, heart palpitation) symptoms. Responses to items from several hallucinogen-sensitive questionnaires (Hallucinogen Rating Scale, the States of Consciousness Questionnaire, and the Five-Dimensional Altered States of Consciousness questionnaire) in an Internet survey of challenging experiences with the classic hallucinogen psilocybin were used to construct and validate a Challenging Experience Questionnaire. The stand-alone Challenging Experience Questionnaire was then validated in a separate sample. Seven Challenging Experience Questionnaire factors (grief, fear, death, insanity, isolation, physical distress, and paranoia) provide a phenomenological profile of challenging aspects of experiences with psilocybin. Factor scores were associated with difficulty, meaningfulness, spiritual significance, and change in well-being attributed to the challenging experiences. The factor structure did not differ based on gender or prior struggle with anxiety or depression. The Challenging Experience Questionnaire provides a basis for future investigation of predictors and outcomes of challenging experiences with classic hallucinogens. © The Author(s) 2016.

Design and validation of a comprehensive fecal incontinence questionnaire.

Science.gov (United States)

Macmillan, Alexandra K; Merrie, Arend E H; Marshall, Roger J; Parry, Bryan R

2008-10-01

Fecal incontinence can have a profound effect on quality of life. Its prevalence remains uncertain because of stigma, lack of consistent definition, and dearth of validated measures. This study was designed to develop a valid clinical and epidemiologic questionnaire, building on current literature and expertise. Patients and experts undertook face validity testing. Construct validity, criterion validity, and test-retest reliability was undertaken. Construct validity comprised factor analysis and internal consistency of the quality of life scale. The validity of known groups was tested against 77 control subjects by using regression models. Questionnaire results were compared with a stool diary for criterion validity. Test-retest reliability was calculated from repeated questionnaire completion. The questionnaire achieved good face validity. It was completed by 104 patients. The quality of life scale had four underlying traits (factor analysis) and high internal consistency (overall Cronbach alpha = 0.97). Patients and control subjects answered the questionnaire significantly differently (P validity testing. Criterion validity assessment found mean differences close to zero. Median reliability for the whole questionnaire was 0.79 (range, 0.35-1). This questionnaire compares favorably with other available instruments, although the interpretation of stool consistency requires further research. Its sensitivity to treatment still needs to be investigated.

Improving research questionnaires by means of intralingual translation

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Clear research questionnaires ultimately help to ensure the reliability and comparability of the data that they gather (Fowler 1992; Lenzner 2012; Moroney and Cameron 2016). This paper explores the intersection of best practices in the fields of questionnaire design and intralingual translation as a means to ensure clarity ...

Validity of Self Completed Health Questionnaire among Oral ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective of this study is to determine the degree of validity of self completed health questionnaire among oral surgery patient at the Capitol Dental when compared with a structured oral interview. A prospective random selection method was applied using a standardized questionnaire. The cohorts are patients attending ...

Men who have sex with men in Great Britain: comparing methods and estimates from probability and convenience sample surveys.

Science.gov (United States)

Prah, Philip; Hickson, Ford; Bonell, Chris; McDaid, Lisa M; Johnson, Anne M; Wayal, Sonali; Clifton, Soazig; Sonnenberg, Pam; Nardone, Anthony; Erens, Bob; Copas, Andrew J; Riddell, Julie; Weatherburn, Peter; Mercer, Catherine H

2016-09-01

To examine sociodemographic and behavioural differences between men who have sex with men (MSM) participating in recent UK convenience surveys and a national probability sample survey. We compared 148 MSM aged 18-64 years interviewed for Britain's third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3) undertaken in 2010-2012, with men in the same age range participating in contemporaneous convenience surveys of MSM: 15 500 British resident men in the European MSM Internet Survey (EMIS); 797 in the London Gay Men's Sexual Health Survey; and 1234 in Scotland's Gay Men's Sexual Health Survey. Analyses compared men reporting at least one male sexual partner (past year) on similarly worded questions and multivariable analyses accounted for sociodemographic differences between the surveys. MSM in convenience surveys were younger and better educated than MSM in Natsal-3, and a larger proportion identified as gay (85%-95% vs 62%). Partner numbers were higher and same-sex anal sex more common in convenience surveys. Unprotected anal intercourse was more commonly reported in EMIS. Compared with Natsal-3, MSM in convenience surveys were more likely to report gonorrhoea diagnoses and HIV testing (both past year). Differences between the samples were reduced when restricting analysis to gay-identifying MSM. National probability surveys better reflect the population of MSM but are limited by their smaller samples of MSM. Convenience surveys recruit larger samples of MSM but tend to over-represent MSM identifying as gay and reporting more sexual risk behaviours. Because both sampling strategies have strengths and weaknesses, methods are needed to triangulate data from probability and convenience surveys. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

[Preliminary construction of a questionnaire about knowledge of HIV/AIDS in Colombian veterans].

Science.gov (United States)

Segura-Cardona, Angela; Berbesí-Fernández, Dedsy; Cardona-Arango, Doris; Ordóñez-Molina, Jaime

2011-01-01

In order to identify the level of knowledge about HIV/AIDS in Colombia veterans of war in the year 2009, a questionnaire was designed, built and validated, using a mixed design, for which three stages were followed: 1) Bibliographic review and construction of items of the questionnaire using a focus group, 2) Evaluation of content validity by a pannel of experts, 3) APLICACION of the final questionnaire, we selected non-randomly 323 people who were part of group of veterans in Colombia, and 4) Validation of the questionnaire through the evaluation of internal consistency and principal component analysis. We found that the questionnaire explored three factors: forms of infection, inadequate beliefs, and HIV prevention, which accounted for 52% of the variance. The survey showed adequate internal consistency values (Cronbach's α = 0.77). These results suggest the use of the questionnaire to assess knowledge level related to the form of infection, inaccurate beliefs and prevention of HIV-AIDS in this population.