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Sample records for health outcome questionnaires

  1. Reliability and validity of the Health Outcomes Burn Questionnaire for infants and children in The Netherlands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Baar, M. E.; Essink-Bot, M. L.; Oen, I. M. M. H.; Dokter, J.; Boxma, H.; Hinson, M. I.; van Loey, N. E. E.; Faber, A. W.; van Beeck, E. F.

    2006-01-01

    The Health Outcomes Burn Questionnaire (HOBQ) is a self-administered questionnaire to monitor outcome after burns in young children. This study aimed to assess feasibility, reliability and validity of the Dutch version of the HOBQ. The HOBQ was adapted into Dutch and tested in a population of

  2. Patients’ attitudes and perceptions of two health-related quality-of-life questionnaires used to collect patient-reported outcome measures in the English National Health Service: A qualitative study of patients undergoing cardiac interventions

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    Bashir M Matata

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: To explore patients’ views on the EuroQol-5D and Coronary Revascularisation Outcome Questionnaire, tools currently used for collecting patient-reported outcome measures in the English National Health Service. The key questions were as follows: (1 whether patients consider them sensitive enough to detect change in their health after cardiovascular disease interventions and (2 whether they consider the health-related quality-of-life questions as meaningful. Methods: Data were collected on patients’ views using focus groups. We held four focus groups selecting participants on the basis of their baseline and follow-up EuroQol-5D scores. Data were analysed using framework analysis and grounded theory. Results: Focus group participants confirmed that they had derived substantial health benefits from their cardiac interventions despite the lack of measurable effects on the EuroQol-5D scores. Participants felt that the EuroQol-5D questionnaire was limited because of the following reasons: Their health fluctuates from day to day. They had difficulty assessing their general health status on the visual analogue scale. They felt that the Coronary Revascularisation Outcome Questionnaire was limited because of the following reasons: They did not understand the clinical terms used. The impact of tiredness on their quality of life was not captured. They were unable to distinguish between the effects of their heart condition and other health issues. Additionally, neither questionnaire considers the adjustments people have made to their domestic arrangements to improve their health-related quality of life. Conclusion: This study provides evidence that the two questionnaires do not capture some aspects of health that patients consider important. Furthermore, the presence of co-morbidities masks the symptoms relating to the heart disease and the effect of their cardiac interventions. Future work on patient-reported outcome measures should consider

  3. Questionnaires for Measuring Refractive Surgery Outcomes.

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    Kandel, Himal; Khadka, Jyoti; Lundström, Mats; Goggin, Michael; Pesudovs, Konrad

    2017-06-01

    To identify the questionnaires used to assess refractive surgery outcomes, assess the available questionnaires in regard to their psychometric properties, validity, and reliability, and evaluate the performance of the available questionnaires in measuring refractive surgery outcomes. An extensive literature search was done on PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, CINAHL, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases to identify articles that described or used at least one questionnaire to assess refractive surgery outcomes. The information on content quality, validity, reliability, responsiveness, and psychometric properties was extracted and analyzed based on an extensive set of quality criteria. Eighty-one articles describing 27 questionnaires (12 refractive error-specific, including 4 refractive surgery-specific, 7 vision-but-non-refractive, and 8 generic) were included in the review. Most articles (56, 69.1%) described refractive error-specific questionnaires. The Quality of Life Impact of Refractive Correction (QIRC), the Quality of Vision (QoV), and the Near Activity Visual Questionnaire (NAVQ) were originally constructed using Rasch analysis; others were developed using the Classical Test Theory. The National Eye Institute Refractive Quality of Life questionnaire was the most frequently used questionnaire, but it does not provide a valid measurement. The QoV, QIRC, and NAVQ are the three best existing questionnaires to assess visual symptoms, quality of life, and activity limitations, respectively. This review identified three superior quality questionnaires for measuring different aspects of quality of life in refractive surgery. Clinicians and researchers should choose a questionnaire based on the concept being measured with superior psychometric properties. [J Refract Surg. 2017;33(6):416-424.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

  4. The Brief Symptom Inventory and the Outcome Questionnaire-45 in the Assessment of the Outcome Quality of Mental Health Interventions

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    Aureliano Crameri

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Self-report questionnaires are economical instruments for routine outcome assessment. In this study, the performance of the German version of the Outcome Questionnaire-45 (OQ-45 and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI was evaluated when applied in analysis of the outcome quality of psychiatric and psychotherapeutic interventions. Pre-post data from two inpatient samples (N=5711 and one outpatient sample (N=239 were analyzed. Critical differences (reliable change index and cut-off points between functional and dysfunctional populations were calculated using the Jacobson and Truax method of calculating clinical significance. Overall, the results indicated that the BSI was more accurate than the OQ-45 in correctly classifying patients as clinical subjects. Nonetheless, even with the BSI, about 25% of inpatients with schizophrenia attained a score at admission below the clinical cut-off. Both questionnaires exhibited the highest sensitivity to psychopathology with patients with personality disorders. When considering the differences in the prescores, both questionnaires showed the same sensitivity to change. The advantage of using these self-report measures is observed primarily in assessing outpatient psychotherapy outcome. In an inpatient setting two main problems—namely, the low response rate and the scarce sensitivity to psychopathology with severely ill patients—limit the usability of self-report questionnaires.

  5. Assessment of short and long-term outcomes of diabetes patient education using the health education impact questionnaire (HeiQ)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hjorth Lauersen, Ditte; Christensen, Karl Bang; Christensen, Ulla

    2017-01-01

    increased self-management skills, improved acceptance of their chronic illness and decreased negative emotional response to their disease. Applying HeiQ as an outcome measure yielded new knowledge as to what patients with diabetes can obtain by participating in a patient education....... of affected individuals and escalating costs. Patient education is one option for improving patient self-management. However, there are large discrepancies in the outcomes of such programs and long-term data are lacking. We assessed the short and long-term outcomes of diabetes patient education using...... the health education impact questionnaire (HeiQ). Methods We conducted a observational cohort study of 83 type 2 diabetes patients participating in patient education programs in Denmark. The seven-scale HeiQ was completed by telephone interview at baseline and 2 weeks (76 participants, 93%) and 12 months (66...

  6. Towards Usable E-Health. A Systematic Review of Usability Questionnaires.

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    Sousa, Vanessa E C; Dunn Lopez, Karen

    2017-05-10

    The use of e-health can lead to several positive outcomes. However, the potential for e-health to improve healthcare is partially dependent on its ease of use. In order to determine the usability for any technology, rigorously developed and appropriate measures must be chosen. To identify psychometrically tested questionnaires that measure usability of e-health tools, and to appraise their generalizability, attributes coverage, and quality. We conducted a systematic review of studies that measured usability of e-health tools using four databases (Scopus, PubMed, CINAHL, and HAPI). Non-primary research, studies that did not report measures, studies with children or people with cognitive limitations, and studies about assistive devices or medical equipment were systematically excluded. Two authors independently extracted information including: questionnaire name, number of questions, scoring method, item generation, and psychometrics using a data extraction tool with pre-established categories and a quality appraisal scoring table. Using a broad search strategy, 5,558 potentially relevant papers were identified. After removing duplicates and applying exclusion criteria, 35 articles remained that used 15 unique questionnaires. From the 15 questionnaires, only 5 were general enough to be used across studies. Usability attributes covered by the questionnaires were: learnability (15), efficiency (12), and satisfaction (11). Memorability (1) was the least covered attribute. Quality appraisal showed that face/content (14) and construct (7) validity were the most frequent types of validity assessed. All questionnaires reported reliability measurement. Some questionnaires scored low in the quality appraisal for the following reasons: limited validity testing (7), small sample size (3), no reporting of user centeredness (9) or feasibility estimates of time, effort, and expense (7). Existing questionnaires provide a foundation for research on e-health usability. However

  7. Parental Health Attributions of Childhood Health and Illness: Development of the Pediatric Cultural Health Attributions Questionnaire (Pedi-CHAQ).

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    Vaughn, Lisa M; McLinden, Daniel J; Shellmer, Diana; Baker, Raymond C

    2011-01-01

    The causes attributed to childhood health and illness across cultures (cultural health attributions) are key factors that are now more frequently identified as affecting the health outcomes of children. Research suggests that the causes attributed to an event such as illness are thought to affect subsequent motivation, emotional response, decision making, and behavior. To date, there is no measure of health attributions appropriate for use with parents of pediatric patients. Using the Many-Facets approach to Rasch analysis, this study assesses the psychometrics of a newly developed instrument, the Pediatric Health Attributions Questionnaire (Pedi-CHAQ), a measure designed to assess the cultural health attributions of parents in diverse communities. Results suggest acceptable Rasch model statistics of fit and reliability for the Pedi-CHAQ. A shortened version of the questionnaire was developed as a result of this study and next steps are discussed.

  8. 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.

  9. Pragmatic measurement of health satisfaction in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus using the Current Health Satisfaction Questionnaire

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    Traina SB

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Shana B Traina,1 Hilary H Colwell,2 Ross D Crosby,2,3 Susan D Mathias2 1Janssen Global Services, LLC, Raritan, NJ, 2Health Outcomes Solutions, Winter Park, FL, 3Neuropsychiatric Research Institute and University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Fargo, ND, USA Background: The concept of diabetes-related health satisfaction encompasses issues specifically related to living with diabetes (eg, blood glucose, blood pressure levels, body weight. Health satisfaction is more specific than overall health-related quality of life because it considers disease-related factors, and is different from diabetes treatment satisfaction because it addresses issues not specifically related to treatment. Low levels of health satisfaction in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM may negatively affect self-care behaviors and treatment outcomes; however, there are currently no instruments available to assess health satisfaction in this population. This study assessed the measurement properties of a newly constructed, 14-item Current Health Satisfaction Questionnaire (CHES-Q designed to assess diabetes-related health satisfaction and knowledge of the disease and important laboratory results. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted in 23 adults with T2DM to confirm the content and clarity of the CHES-Q. The revised instrument was administered to 1,015 individuals with T2DM, along with supplemental questionnaires, including the Short Form-36. All subjects completed the questionnaires again 3 to 7 days later. CHES-Q test-retest reliability, construct validity, and known-groups validity were evaluated. Results: In general, respondents found the CHES-Q to be clear and comprehensive. Test-retest reliability was generally acceptable for all items (≥0.70, except for three that fell just below the widely accepted cut-point of 0.70 (range 0.63–0.69. Convergent and divergent validity was demonstrated based on hypothesized correlations with the

  10. Postoperative perceived health status in adolescent following idiopathic scoliosis surgical treatment: results using the adapted French version of Scoliosis Research Society Outcomes questionnaire (SRS-22).

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    Chaib, Y; Bachy, M; Zakine, S; Mary, P; Khouri, N; Vialle, R

    2013-06-01

    Assessing functional outcome from patient-based outcomes questionnaires are essential to the evaluation of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis surgical treatment At the minimum follow-up of 2 years, 45 operated on adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients were mailed the French version of the Scoliosis Research Society Outcome Instrument (SRS-22) questionnaires containing items on pain, activities of daily living, and satisfaction. Mean values of the SRS-22 domains were 3,66 for the Pain domain, 3,85 for the Self-perceived image domain, 4,32 for the Function domain, 3,52 for the Mental health domain and 4,12 for the Global satisfaction with management domain. Mean value of the global SRS-22 score was 3,88. We showed no differences in functional SRS-22 health status in patients according to the type of curve (Lenke classification). We showed statistically significant correlations between the gain of Cobb angle and Patients self-image and function domain scores. There was a statistically significant correlation between preoperative Cobb angle and patient satisfaction with management. Even if Function and Self-image scores in our patients are close to control group values, indicating good short to mid-term outcome of surgical treatment, scores for pain and mental health status were significantly lower in patients than controls. Long-term follow-up studies conducted by multiple surgeons over successive generations are mandatory to assess clinical significance of these differences. Level IV. Retrospective study. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  11. Psychometric Properties of Questionnaires on Functional Health Status in Oropharyngeal Dysphagia: A Systematic Literature Review

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    Speyer, Renée; Cordier, Reinie; Kertscher, Berit; Heijnen, Bas J

    2014-01-01

    Introduction. Questionnaires on Functional Health Status (FHS) are part of the assessment of oropharyngeal dysphagia. Objective. To conduct a systematic review of the literature on the psychometric properties of English-language FHS questionnaires in adults with oropharyngeal dysphagia. Methods. A systematic search was performed using the electronic databases Pubmed and Embase. The psychometric properties of the questionnaires were determined based on the COSMIN taxonomy of measurement properties and definitions for health-related patient-reported outcomes and the COSMIN checklist using preset psychometric criteria. Results. Three questionnaires were included: the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10), the Swallowing Outcome after Laryngectomy (SOAL), and the Self-report Symptom Inventory. The Sydney Swallow Questionnaire (SSQ) proved to be identical to the Modified Self-report Symptom Inventory. All FHS questionnaires obtained poor overall methodological quality scores for most measurement properties. Conclusions. The retrieved FHS questionnaires need psychometric reevaluation; if the overall methodological quality shows satisfactory improvement on most measurement properties, the use of the questionnaires in daily clinic and research can be justified. However, in case of insufficient validity and/or reliability scores, new FHS questionnaires need to be developed using and reporting on preestablished psychometric criteria as recommended in literature. PMID:24877095

  12. Measuring health outcomes of a multidisciplinary care approach in individuals with chronic environmental conditions using an abbreviated symptoms questionnaire

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    Roy Fox

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Roy Fox1, Tara Sampalli1, Jonathan Fox11Nova Scotia Environmental Health Centre, Fall River, NS, CanadaAbstract: The Nova Scotia Environmental Health Centre is a treatment facility for individuals with chronic environmental conditions such as multiple chemical sensitivity, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic respiratory conditions and in some cases chronic pain. The premise of care is to provide a patient-centred multidisciplinary care approach leading to self-management strategies. In order to measure the outcome of the treatment in these complex problems, with overlapping diagnoses, symptoms in many body systems and suspected environmental triggers, a detailed symptoms questionnaire was developed specifically for this patient population and validated. Results from a pilot study in which an abbreviated symptoms questionnaire based on the top reported symptoms captured in previous research was used to measure the efficacy of a multidisciplinary care approach in individuals with multiple chemical sensitivity are presented in this paper. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent, type and patterns of changes over time in the top reported symptoms with treatment measured using the abbreviated symptoms questionnaire. A total of 183 active and 109 discharged patients participated in the study where the health status was measured at different time periods of follow up since the commencement of treatment at the Centre. The findings from this study were successful in generating an initial picture of the nature and type of changes in these symptoms. For instance, symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, sinus conditions and tiredness showed early improvement, within the first 6 months of being in treatment, while others, such as fatigue, hoarseness or loss of voice, took longer while others showed inconsistent changes warranting further enquiry. A controlled longitudinal study is planned to confirm the findings of the pilot study

  13. The Gutenberg Health Study: measuring psychosocial factors at work and predicting health and work-related outcomes with the ERI and the COPSOQ questionnaire.

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    Nuebling, Matthias; Seidler, Andreas; Garthus-Niegel, Susan; Latza, Ute; Wagner, Mandy; Hegewald, Janice; Liebers, Falk; Jankowiak, Sylvia; Zwiener, Isabella; Wild, Philipp S; Letzel, Stephan

    2013-06-04

    Several instruments have been developed to assess psychosocial workload. We compared two of these instruments, the Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) model and the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) with regard to congruent validity and internal validity. This analysis is based on a population-based sample of the baseline examination of 2,783 employees from the Gutenberg Health Study (GHS). About half of the participants completed the ERI questionnaire (n = 1,342), the other half completed the COPSOQ (n = 1,441). First, the two samples were compared and descriptive analyses were carried out calculating mean values for both instruments in general, then separately for age, gender and main occupational groups. Second, we analyzed the relationship between ERI and COPSOQ scales on the workplace situation and on the workplace outcomes: job satisfaction, general health, burnout, satisfaction with life, by applying stepwise logistic regression analysis. For the majority of occupations, high effort as reflected by the ERI corresponded with high demands as reflected by the COPSOQ. Comparably, high reward (according to ERI) yielded a good agreement with high "influence and development" (according to COPSOQ). However, we could also find differences between ERI and COPSOQ concerning the intensity of psychosocial workload in some occupations (e.g., physicians/pharmacists or warehouse managers/warehousemen/transport workers). These differences point to differing theoretical concepts of ERI and COPSOQ. When the ability of ERI and COPSOQ was examined to determine the associations with health and work outcomes, burnout could be better predicted by the COPSOQ; this might be due to the fact that COPSOQ comprises the constructs "work-privacy conflict" and "emotional demand", which are closely related to burnout. However, methodological differences between these instruments limit their direct comparability. The ERI and COPSOQ instrument yielded similar results for most

  14. Measuring outcomes of communication partner training of health care professionals:

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Isaksen, Jytte; Jensen, Lise Randrup

    health care, and other communicative exchanges associated with appropriate health care [3]. As a consequence of these challenges in patient-provider communication, implementation of evidence- based methods of communication partner training is becoming increasingly frequent in different health care...... with large groups of trainees, e.g. all staff from a ward. Self-rating questionnaires, however, present another set of issues when used as outcome measures, including the need to examine their content validity, reliability and sensitivity to change [9]. This work appears to be lacking for most...... of the available questionnaires. However, it is important in order to lay the groundwork for future studies, which compare the efficacy and outcome of different methods of implementing conversation partner training in clinical practice. Aims: The overall purpose of this round table is to: 1. provide an overview...

  15. Expectancies, socioeconomic status, and self-rated health: use of the simplified TOMCATS Questionnaire.

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    Odéen, Magnus; Westerlund, Hugo; Theorell, Töres; Leineweber, Constanze; Eriksen, Hege R; Ursin, Holger

    2013-06-01

    Coping has traditionally been measured with inventories containing many items meant to identify specific coping strategies. An alternative is to develop a shorter inventory that focusses on coping expectancies which may determine the extent to which an individual attempts to cope actively. This paper explores the usefulness and validity of a simplified seven-item questionnaire (Theoretically Originated Measure of the Cognitive Activation Theory of Stress, TOMCATS) for response outcome expectancies defined either as positive ("coping"), negative ("hopelessness"), or none ("helplessness"). The definitions are based on the Cognitive Activation Theory of Stress (CATS; Ursin and Eriksen, Psychoneuroendocrinology, 29(5):567–92, 2004). The questionnaire was tested in two different samples. First, the questionnaire was compared with a traditional test of coping and then tested for validity in relation to socioeconomic differences in self-reported health. The first study was a comparison of the brief TOMCATS with a short version of the Utrecht Coping List (UCL; Eriksen et al., Scand J Psychol, 38(3):175–82, 1997). Both questionnaires were tested in a population of 1,704 Norwegian municipality workers. The second study was a cross-sectional analysis of TOMCATS, subjective and objective socioeconomic status, and health in a representative sample of the Swedish working population in 2003–2005 (N = 11,441). In the first study, the coping item in the TOMCATS questionnaire showed an expected significant positive correlation with the UCL factors of instrumental mastery-oriented coping and negative correlations with passive and depressive scores. There were also the expected correlations for the helplessness and hopelessness scores, but there was no clear distinction between helplessness and hopelessness in the way they correlated with the UCL. In the second study, the coping item in TOMCATS and the three-item helplessness scores showed clear and monotonous gradients over

  16. 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...

  17. The Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire: Dimensions and Practical Applications

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    Fries James F

    2003-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The ability to effectively measure health-related quality-of-life longitudinally is central to describing the impacts of disease, treatment, or other insults, including normal aging, upon the patient. Over the last two decades, assessment of patient health status has undergone a dramatic paradigm shift, evolving from a predominant reliance on biochemical and physical measurements, such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate, lipid profiles, or radiographs, to an emphasis upon health outcomes based on the patient's personal appreciation of their illness. The Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ, published in 1980, was among the first instruments based on generic, patient-centered dimensions. The HAQ was designed to represent a model of patient-oriented outcome assessment and has played a major role in many diverse areas such as prediction of successful aging, inversion of the therapeutic pyramid in rheumatoid arthritis (RA, quantification of NSAID gastropathy, development of risk factor models for osteoarthrosis, and examination of mortality risks in RA. Evidenced by its use over the past two decades in diverse settings, the HAQ has established itself as a valuable, effective, and sensitive tool for measurement of health status. It is available in more than 60 languages and is supported by a bibliography of more than 500 references. It has increased the credibility and use of validated self-report measurement techniques as a quantifiable set of hard data endpoints and has contributed to a new appreciation of outcome assessment. In this article, information regarding the HAQ's development, content, dissemination and reference sources for its uses, translations, and validations are provided.

  18. A patient-based questionnaire to assess outcomes of foot surgery: validation in the context of surgery for hallux valgus.

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    Dawson, Jill; Coffey, Jane; Doll, Helen; Lavis, Grahame; Cooke, Paul; Herron, Mark; Jenkinson, Crispin

    2006-09-01

    A patient-based outcome measure with good measurement properties is urgently needed for use in clinical trials of foot surgery. We evaluated an existing foot pain and disability questionnaire (the Manchester Foot Pain and Disability Questionnaire) for its suitability as an outcome measure in the context of hallux valgus corrective surgery. Interviews with patients led to initial changes, resulting in 20 candidate questionnaire items with five response categories each. These were tested in a prospective study of 100 patients (representing 138 foot operations) undergoing hallux valgus corrective surgery. Analysis of underlying factor structure, dimensionality, internal reliability, construct validity and responsiveness of the questionnaire items in relation to (i) SF-36 general health survey and (ii) American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) hallux clinical scale resulted in a final 16 item questionnaire (the 'Manchester-Oxford Foot Questionnaire' (MOXFQ)), consisting of three domains/scales: 'Walking/standing' (seven items), 'Pain' (five items) and 'Social interaction' (four items) each having good measurement properties. All three domains were unidimensional. The new 16-item MOXFQ has good measurement properties in the context of outcomes assessment of surgery for hallux valgus. Future studies should assess the MOXFQ in the context of surgery for other foot and ankle conditions.

  19. Stress Carry-Over and College Student Health Outcomes

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    Pedersen, Daphne E.

    2012-01-01

    Objective: Using a stress carry-over perspective, this study examines the relationship between stress stemming from school and family domains and physical and mental health outcomes. Methods: The study sample included 268 undergraduate men and women from a Midwestern university. Participants completed an anonymous online questionnaire. OLS…

  20. Associations between health culture, health behaviors, and health-related outcomes: A cross-sectional study.

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    Jia, Yingnan; Gao, Junling; Dai, Junming; Zheng, Pinpin; Fu, Hua

    2017-01-01

    To examine the associations between demographic characteristics, health behaviors, workplace health culture, and health-related outcomes in Chinese workplaces. A total of 1508 employees from 10 administrative offices and 6 enterprises were recruited for a cross-sectional survey. Self-administered questionnaires mainly addressed demographic characteristics, health behaviors, workplace health culture, and health-related outcomes including self-rated health, mental health, and happiness. The proportion of participants who reported good health-related outcomes was significantly higher in those working in administrative offices than those working in enterprises. The result of the potential factors related to self-rated health (SRH), mental health, and happiness by logistic regression analyses showed that age and income were associated with SRH; type of workplace, age, smoking, and health culture at the workplace level were associated with mental health; and beneficial health effects of direct leadership was positively associated with happiness. Moreover, there were some similar results among 3 multivariate regression models. Firstly, good SRH (Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.744), mental health (OR = 1.891), and happiness (OR = 1.736) were more common among highly physically active participants compared with those physical inactive. Furthermore, passive smoking was negatively correlated with SRH (OR = 0.686), mental health (OR = 0.678), and happiness (OR = 0.616), while health culture at the individual level was positively correlated with SRH (OR = 1.478), mental health (OR = 1.654), and happiness (OR = 2.916). The present study indicated that workplace health culture, health behaviors, and demographic characteristics were associated with health-related outcomes. Furthermore, individual health culture, physical activity, and passive smoking might play a critical role in workplace health promotion.

  1. Effectiveness of a Multilevel Workplace Health Promotion Program on Vitality, Health, and Work-Related Outcomes.

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    Hendriksen, Ingrid J M; Snoijer, Mirjam; de Kok, Brenda P H; van Vilsteren, Jeroen; Hofstetter, Hedwig

    2016-06-01

    Evaluation of the effectiveness of a workplace health promotion program on employees' vitality, health, and work-related outcomes, and exploring the influence of organizational support and the supervisors' role on these outcomes. The 5-month intervention included activities at management, team, and individual level targeting self-management to perform healthy behaviors: a kick-off session, vitality training sessions, workshops, individual coaching, and intervision. Outcome measures were collected using questionnaires, health checks, and sickness absence data at baseline, after the intervention and at 10 months follow-up. For analysis linear and generalized mixed models were used. Vitality, work performance, sickness absence, and self-management significantly improved. Good organizational support and involved supervisors were significantly associated with lower sickness absence. Including all organizational levels and focusing on increasing self-management provided promising results for improving vitality, health, and work-related outcomes.

  2. Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO) questionnaires for young-aged to middle-aged adults with hip and groin disability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thorborg, K.; Tijssen, M.; Habets, B.

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND/AIM: To recommend Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO) questionnaires to measure hip and groin disability in young-aged to middle-aged adults. METHODS: A systematic review was performed in June 2014. The methodological quality of the studies included was determined using the COnsensus......-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments list (COSMIN) together with standardised evaluations of measurement properties of each PRO. RESULTS: Twenty studies were included. Nine different questionnaires for patients with hip disability, and one for hip and groin disability, were...

  3. Web-based questionnaires to assess perinatal outcome proved to be valid.

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    van Gelder, Marleen M H J; Vorstenbosch, Saskia; Derks, Lineke; Te Winkel, Bernke; van Puijenbroek, Eugène P; Roeleveld, Nel

    2017-10-01

    The objective of this study was to validate a Web-based questionnaire completed by the mother to assess perinatal outcome used in a prospective cohort study. For 882 women with an estimated date of delivery between February 2012 and February 2015 who participated in the PRegnancy and Infant DEvelopment (PRIDE) Study, we compared data on pregnancy outcome, including mode of delivery, plurality, gestational age, birth weight and length, head circumference, birth defects, and infant sex, from Web-based questionnaires administered to the mothers 2 months after delivery with data from obstetric records. For continuous variables, we calculated intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), whereas sensitivity and specificity were determined for categorical variables. We observed only very small differences between the two methods of data collection for gestational age (ICC, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.90-0.92), birth weight (ICC, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.95-0.96), birth length (ICC, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.87-0.92), and head circumference (ICC, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.80-0.93). Agreement between the Web-based questionnaire and obstetric records was high as well, with sensitivity ranging between 0.86 (termination of pregnancy) and 1.00 (four outcomes) and specificity between 0.96 (term birth) and 1.00 (nine outcomes). Our study provides evidence that Web-based questionnaires could be considered as a valid complementary or alternative method of data collection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Patient-reported outcome (PRO) questionnaires for men who have radical surgery for prostate cancer: a conceptual review of existing instruments.

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    Protopapa, Evangelia; van der Meulen, Jan; Moore, Caroline M; Smith, Sarah C

    2017-10-01

    To critically review conceptual frameworks for available patient-reported outcome (PRO) questionnaires in men having radical prostatectomy (RP), psychometrically evaluate each questionnaire, and identify whether each is appropriate for use at the level of the individual patient. We searched PubMed, the Reports and Publications database of the University of Oxford Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Group and the website of the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM) for psychometric reviews of prostate cancer-specific PRO questionnaires. From these we identified relevant questionnaires and critically appraised the conceptual content, guided by the Wilson and Cleary framework and psychometric properties, using well established criteria. The searches found four reviews and one recommendation paper. We identified seven prostate cancer-specific PROs: the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite-26 (EPIC-26), Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite-50 (EPIC-50), University of California-Los Angeles Prostate Cancer Index (UCLA-PCI), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Prostate Cancer Subscale (FACT-P PCS), European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire - prostate specific 25-item (EORTC QLQ-PR25), Prostate Cancer - Quality of Life (PC-QoL), and Symptom Tracking and Reporting (STAR). Six out of seven measures purported to measure health-related quality of life (HRQL), but items focused strongly on urinary and sexual symptoms/functioning. The remaining questionnaire (STAR) claimed to assess functional recovery after RP. The psychometric evidence for these questionnaires was incomplete and variable in quality; none had evidence that they were appropriate for use with individual patients. Several questionnaires provide the basis of measures of urinary and/or sexual symptoms/functioning. Further work should explore other aspects of HRQL that are important for men having RP. Further psychometric work

  5. Are factor analytical techniques used appropriately in the validation of health status questionnaires?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    de Vet, Henrica C W; Adér, Herman J; Terwee, Caroline B

    2005-01-01

    Factor analysis is widely used to evaluate whether questionnaire items can be grouped into clusters representing different dimensions of the construct under study. This review focuses on the appropriate use of factor analysis. The Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36) is used as an example...... of the results and conclusions was often incomplete. Some of our results are specific for the SF-36, but the finding that both the application and the reporting of factor analysis leaves much room for improvement probably applies to other health status questionnaires as well. Optimal reporting and justification...

  6. Development and preliminary validation of the 'Caring for Country' questionnaire: measurement of an Indigenous Australian health determinant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gunthorpe Wendy

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background 'Caring for Country' is defined as Indigenous participation in interrelated activities with the objective of promoting ecological and human health. Ecological services on Indigenous-owned lands are belatedly attracting some institutional investment. However, the health outcomes associated with Indigenous participation in 'caring for country' activities have never been investigated. The aims of this study were to pilot and validate a questionnaire measuring caring for country as an Indigenous health determinant and to relate it to an external reference, obesity. Methods Purposively sampled participants were 301 Indigenous adults aged 15 to 54 years, recruited during a cross-sectional program of preventive health checks in a remote Australian community. Questionnaire validation was undertaken with psychometric tests of internal consistency, reliability, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory one-factor congeneric modelling. Accurate item weightings were derived from the model and used to create a single weighted composite score for caring for country. Multiple linear regression modelling was used to test associations between the caring for country score and body mass index adjusting for socio-demographic factors and health behaviours. Results The questionnaire demonstrated adequate internal consistency, test-retest validity and proxy-respondent validity. Exploratory factor analysis of the 'caring for country' items produced a single factor solution that was confirmed via one-factor congeneric modelling. A significant and substantial association between greater participation in caring for country activities and lower body mass index was demonstrated. Adjusting for socio-demographic factors and health behaviours, an inter-quartile range rise in caring for country scores was associated with 6.1 Kg and 5.3 Kg less body weight for non-pregnant women and men respectively. Conclusion This study indicates preliminary support for

  7. Health Services OutPatient Experience questionnaire: factorial validity and reliability of a patient-centered outcome measure for outpatient settings in Italy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Coluccia A

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Anna Coluccia, Fabio Ferretti, Andrea PozzaDepartment of Medical Sciences, Surgery and Neurosciences, Santa Maria alle Scotte University Hospital, University of Siena, Siena, ItalyPurpose: The patient-centered approach to health care does not seem to be sufficiently developed in the Italian context, and is still characterized by the biomedical model. In addition, there is a lack of validated outcome measures to assess outpatient experience as an aspect common to a variety of settings. The current study aimed to evaluate the factorial validity, reliability, and invariance across sex of the Health Services OutPatient Experience (HSOPE questionnaire, a short ten-item measure of patient-centeredness for Italian adult outpatients. The rationale for unidimensionality of the measure was that it could cover global patient experience as a process common to patients with a variety of diseases and irrespective of the phase of treatment course.Patients and methods: The HSOPE was compiled by 1,532 adult outpatients (51% females, mean age 59.22 years, standard deviation 16.26 receiving care in ten facilities at the Santa Maria alle Scotte University Hospital of Siena, Italy. The sample represented all the age cohorts. Twelve percent were young adults, 57% were adults, and 32% were older adults. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to evaluate factor structure. Reliability was evaluated as internal consistency using Cronbach’s α. Factor invariance was assessed through multigroup analyses.Results: Both exploratory and confirmatory analyses suggested a clearly defined unidimensional structure of the measure, with all the ten items having salient loadings on a single factor. Internal consistency was excellent (α=0.95. Indices of model fit supported a single-factor structure for both male and female outpatient groups. Young adult outpatients had significantly lower scores on perceived patient-centeredness relative to older adults. No

  8. An Examination of the "Interpersonalness" of the Outcome Questionnaire

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hess, Timothy R.; Rohlfing, Jessica E.; Hardy, Amanda O.; Glidden-Tracey, Cynthia; Tracey, Terence J. G.

    2010-01-01

    This study examined whether the Outcome Questionnaire-45 (OQ) and its subscales assessed unique interpersonal distress. The Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP) was used to assess discriminant validity for unique interpersonal distress. Participants (N = 121) were recruited from a southwestern university counselor training center. Significant…

  9. Patient-Reported Outcome questionnaires for hip arthroscopy: a systematic review of the psychometric evidence

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Background Hip arthroscopies are often used in the treatment of intra-articular hip injuries. Patient-reported outcomes (PRO) are an important parameter in evaluating treatment. It is unclear which PRO questionnaires are specifically available for hip arthroscopy patients. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate which PRO questionnaires are valid and reliable in the evaluation of patients undergoing hip arthroscopy. Methods A search was conducted in Pubmed, Medline, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, Pedro, EMBASE and Web of Science from 1931 to October 2010. Studies assessing the quality of PRO questionnaires in the evaluation of patients undergoing hip arthroscopy were included. The quality of the questionnaires was evaluated by the psychometric properties of the outcome measures. The quality of the articles investigating the questionnaires was assessed by the COSMIN list. Results Five articles identified three questionnaires; the Modified Harris Hip Score (MHHS), the Nonarthritic Hip Score (NAHS) and the Hip Outcome Score (HOS). The NAHS scored best on the content validity, whereas the HOS scored best on agreement, internal consistency, reliability and responsiveness. The quality of the articles describing the HOS scored highest. The NAHS is the best quality questionnaire. The articles describing the HOS are the best quality articles. Conclusions This systematic review shows that there is no conclusive evidence for the use of a single patient-reported outcome questionnaire in the evaluation of patients undergoing hip arthroscopy. Based on available psychometric evidence we recommend using a combination of the NAHS and the HOS for patients undergoing hip arthroscopy. PMID:21619610

  10. Associations between Indigenous Australian oral health literacy and self-reported oral health outcomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jamieson Lisa M

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Objectives To determine oral health literacy (REALD-30 and oral health literacy-related outcome associations, and to calculate if oral health literacy-related outcomes are risk indicators for poor self-reported oral health among rural-dwelling Indigenous Australians. Methods 468 participants (aged 17-72 years, 63% female completed a self-report questionnaire. REALD-30 and oral health literacy-related outcome associations were determined through bivariate analysis. Multivariate modelling was used to calculate risk indicators for poor self-reported oral health. Results REALD-30 scores were lower among those who believed teeth should be infrequently brushed, believed cordial was good for teeth, did not own a toothbrush or owned a toothbrush but brushed irregularly. Tooth removal risk indicators included being older, problem-based dental attendance and believing cordial was good for teeth. Poor self-rated oral health risk indicators included being older, healthcare card ownership, difficulty paying dental bills, problem-based dental attendance, believing teeth should be brushed infrequently and irregular brushing. Perceived need for dental care risk indicators included being female and problem-based dental attendance. Perceived gum disease risk indicators included being older and irregular brushing. Feeling uncomfortable about oro-facial appearance risk indicators included problem-based dental attendance and irregular brushing. Food avoidance risk indicators were being female, difficulty paying dental bills, problem-based dental attendance and irregular brushing. Poor oral health-related quality of life risk indicators included difficulty paying dental bills and problem-based dental attendance. Conclusions REALD-30 was significantly associated with oral health literacy-related outcomes. Oral health literacy-related outcomes were risk indicators for each of the poor self-reported oral health domains among this marginalised population.

  11. Mental health outcomes of developmental coordination disorder in late adolescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrowell, Ian; Hollén, Linda; Lingam, Raghu; Emond, Alan

    2017-09-01

    To assess the relationship between developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and mental health outcomes in late adolescence. Data were analyzed from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Moderate-to-severe DCD was defined at 7 to 8 years according to the DSM-IV-TR criteria. Mental health was assessed at 16 to 18 years using self-reported questionnaires: Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, Short Moods and Feelings Questionnaire, and the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale. Logistic and linear regressions assessed the associations between DCD and mental health, using multiple imputation to account for missing data. Adjustments were made for socio-economic status, IQ, and social communication difficulties. Adolescents with DCD (n=168) had an increased risk of mental health difficulties (total Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire score) than their peers (n=3750) (odds ratio 1.78, 95% confidence interval 1.12-2.83, adjusted for socio-economic status and IQ). This was, in part, mediated through poor social communication skills. Adolescent females with DCD (n=59) were more prone to mental health difficulties than males. Greater mental well-being was associated with better self-esteem (β 0.82, pcommunication skills and self-esteem. © 2017 The Authors. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Mac Keith Press.

  12. Assessment of short and long-term outcomes of diabetes patient education using the health education impact questionnaire (HeiQ).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laursen, Ditte Hjorth; Christensen, Karl Bang; Christensen, Ulla; Frølich, Anne

    2017-06-15

    Type 2 diabetes is a progressive chronic illness that will affect more than 500 million people worldwide by 2030. It is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Finding the right care management for diabetes patients is necessary to effectively address the growing population of affected individuals and escalating costs. Patient education is one option for improving patient self-management. However, there are large discrepancies in the outcomes of such programs and long-term data are lacking. We assessed the short and long-term outcomes of diabetes patient education using the health education impact questionnaire (HeiQ). We conducted a observational cohort study of 83 type 2 diabetes patients participating in patient education programs in Denmark. The seven-scale HeiQ was completed by telephone interview at baseline and 2 weeks (76 participants, 93%) and 12 months (66, 80%) after the patient education ended. Changes over time were assessed using mean values and standard deviation at each time point and Cohen effect sizes. Patients reported improvements 2 weeks after the program ended in 4 of 7 constructs: skills and technique acquisition (ES = 0.59), self-monitoring and insight (ES = 0.52), constructive attitudes and approaches (ES = 0.43) and social integration and support (ES = 0.27). After 12 months, patients reported improvements in 3 of 7 constructs: skills and technique acquisition (ES = 0.66), constructive attitudes and approaches (ES = 0.43), and emotional wellbeing (ES = 0.44). Skills and technique showed the largest short- and long-term effect size. No significant changes were found in health-related activity or positive and active engagement in life over time. After 12 months, diabetes patients who participated in patient education demonstrated increased self-management skills, improved acceptance of their chronic illness and decreased negative emotional response to their disease. Applying HeiQ as an outcome measure yielded new

  13. CLASSIFICATION OF IRANIAN NURSES ACCORDING TO THEIR MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES USING GHQ-12 QUESTIONNAIRE: A COMPARISON BETWEEN LATENT CLASS ANALYSIS AND K-MEANS CLUSTERING WITH TRADITIONAL SCORING METHOD.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jamali, Jamshid; Ayatollahi, Seyyed Mohammad Taghi

    2015-10-01

    Nurses constitute the most providers of health care systems. Their mental health can affect the quality of services and patients' satisfaction. General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) is a general screening tool used to detect mental disorders. Scoring method and determining thresholds for this questionnaire are debatable and the cut-off points can vary from sample to sample. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of mental disorders among Iranian nurses using GHQ-12 and also compare Latent Class Analysis (LCA) and K-means clustering with traditional scoring method. A cross-sectional study was carried out in Fars and Bushehr provinces of southern Iran in 2014. Participants were 771 Iranian nurses, who filled out the GHQ-12 questionnaire. Traditional scoring method, LCA and K-means were used to estimate the prevalence of mental disorder among Iranian nurses. Cohen's kappa statistic was applied to assess the agreement between the LCA and K-means with traditional scoring method of GHQ-12. The nurses with mental disorder by scoring method, LCA and K-mean were 36.3% (n=280), 32.2% (n=248), and 26.5% (n=204), respectively. LCA and logistic regression revealed that the prevalence of mental disorder in females was significantly higher than males. Mental disorder in nurses was in a medium level compared to other people living in Iran. There was a little difference between prevalence of mental disorder estimated by scoring method, K-means and LCA. According to the advantages of LCA than K-means and different results in scoring method, we suggest LCA for classification of Iranian nurses according to their mental health outcomes using GHQ-12 questionnaire.

  14. Cultural adaptation of the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire in patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Turkish version study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ilker Ilhanli

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Cultural adaptations of the questionnaires are important for easy use. We aimed to assess the reliability and validity of the Turkish Version of the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire in patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Methods: To assess test-retest reliability, the Turkish “Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire” and “Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand” questionnaires were answered by patients and controls and were repeated a week later. For testing internal consistency, the Cronbach's alpha test was used. For testing validity, correlations between the subscales of the “Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire” and “Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand” questionnaire were measured in patient groups. One hundred patients with idiopathic Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and 50 healthy participants were included in the study. Results: In test-retest reliability, intraclass correlations of the subscales of the “Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire” were high. Cronbach's alphas were found to be high in all subscales. There was no significant correlation between asthetics and pain scales. We found significant differences between patients and controls regarding all subscales of the “Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire”. Correlations between subscales of the “Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire” and “Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand” questionnaire were significant. We found no difference between one-hand effected and two-hand effected patients, in terms of the “Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire”, “Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand” questionnaire Function/Symptom and Work average scores. Conclusion: This study showed that the Turkish version of the “Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire” is reliable and valid and can be used in Turkish patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome because it is comprehensible and practicable

  15. The value of adding the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire to outcome assessments of psychiatric inpatients with mood and affective disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hope, Madeleine L; Page, Andrew C; Hooke, Geoffrey R

    2009-06-01

    In the domain of mental health outcomes, increasing interest has been shown in complementing traditional symptom measures with measures of a patient's quality of life. The objective of this study was to evaluate the value of including the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (Q-LES-Q) in the routine assessment battery used at a psychiatric hospital. The sample consisted of 1,276 consecutive inpatients treated at a private psychiatric hospital over a two-year period. Admission and discharge data were collected for the Q-LES-Q, the mental health subscales of the Medical Outcomes Short Form Questionnaire (SF-36), the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, and the Health of the Nation Outcome Scale. Large patient improvements from admission to discharge were seen across all instruments (effect sizes from 0.8 to 1.5), including the Q-LES-Q (effect size 1.3). The Q-LES-Q correlated with existing symptom measures, and regression analyses revealed that quality of life predicted length of hospital stay even after symptoms of depression and anxiety were taken into account. Although the Q-LES-Q was correlated with symptom measures already in use, it added to the ability to predict patient length of stay, and showed some divergence from measures of clinical outcomes. This pattern was seen despite intentionally restricting the sample to patients with mood and affective disorder diagnoses. The value of considering quality of life in a comprehensive assessment of mental health outcomes is discussed.

  16. Patients' perception of postoperative pain management: validation of the International Pain Outcomes (IPO) questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rothaug, Judith; Zaslansky, Ruth; Schwenkglenks, Matthias; Komann, Marcus; Allvin, Renée; Backström, Ragnar; Brill, Silviu; Buchholz, Ingo; Engel, Christoph; Fletcher, Dominique; Fodor, Lucian; Funk, Peter; Gerbershagen, Hans J; Gordon, Debra B; Konrad, Christoph; Kopf, Andreas; Leykin, Yigal; Pogatzki-Zahn, Esther; Puig, Margarita; Rawal, Narinder; Taylor, Rod S; Ullrich, Kristin; Volk, Thomas; Yahiaoui-Doktor, Maryam; Meissner, Winfried

    2013-11-01

    PAIN OUT is a European Commission-funded project aiming at improving postoperative pain management. It combines a registry that can be useful for quality improvement and research using treatment and patient-reported outcome measures. The core of the project is a patient questionnaire-the International Pain Outcomes questionnaire-that comprises key patient-level outcomes of postoperative pain management, including pain intensity, physical and emotional functional interference, side effects, and perceptions of care. Its psychometric quality after translation and adaptation to European patients is the subject of this validation study. The questionnaire was administered to 9,727 patients in 10 languages in 8 European countries and Israel. Construct validity was assessed using factor analysis. Discriminant validity assessment used Mann-Whitney U tests to detect mean group differences between 2 surgical disciplines. Internal consistency reliability was calculated as Cronbach's alpha. Factor analysis resulted in a 3-factor structure explaining 53.6% of variance. Cronbach's alpha at overall scale level was high (.86), and for the 3 subscales was low, moderate, or high (range, .53-.89). Significant mean group differences between general and orthopedic surgery patients confirmed discriminant validity. The psychometric quality of the International Pain Outcomes questionnaire can be regarded as satisfactory. The International Pain Outcomes questionnaire provides an instrument for postoperative pain assessment and improvement of quality of care, which demonstrated good psychometric quality when translated into a variety of languages in a large European and Israeli patient population. This measure provides the basis for the first comprehensive postoperative pain registry in Europe and other countries. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  17. Relative performance of commonly used physical function questionnaires in rheumatoid arthritis and a patient-reported outcomes measurement information system computerized adaptive test

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Oude Voshaar, Antonius H.; ten Klooster, Peter M.; Glas, Cornelis A.W.; Vonkeman, Harald Erwin; Krishnan, Eswar; van de Laar, Mart A F J

    2014-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare the measurement precision and sensitivity to change of the Health Assessment Questionnaire disability index (HAQ DI), the Short Form 36 physical functioning scale (PF-10), and simulated Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) physical

  18. Parental influence on children’s answers to an oral-health-related quality of life questionnaire

    OpenAIRE

    Ana Flávia GRANVILLE-GARCIA; Monalisa Cesarino GOMES; Laíza Rocha DANTAS; Lívia Rocha DANTAS; Bruno Rafael Cruz da SILVA; Matheus de França PERAZZO; Maria Betânia Lins Dantas SIQUEIRA

    2016-01-01

    Abstract The aim of the study was to evaluate parental influence on children’s answers to an oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) questionnaire. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a non-probabilistic sample of 84 pairs of 5-year-olds and parents/guardians. The participants were selected from a primary family healthcare center in Campina Grande, Brazil. First, the children and parents answered respective versions of the Scale of Oral Health Outcomes for Five-Year-Old Children (...

  19. Clinical validity of a disease-specific health status questionnaire: the peripheral artery questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoeks, Sanne E; Smolderen, Kim G; Scholte Op Reimer, Wilma J M; Verhagen, Hence J M; Spertus, John A; Poldermans, Don

    2009-02-01

    Measuring patient-centered outcomes is becoming increasingly important in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD), both as a means of determining the benefits of treatment and as an aid for disease management. In order to monitor health status in a reliable and sensitive way, the disease-specific measure Peripheral Artery Questionnaire (PAQ) was developed. However, to date, its correlation with traditional clinical indices is unknown. The primary aim of this study was to better establish the clinical validity of the PAQ by examining its association with functional indices related to PAD. Furthermore, we hypothesized that the clinical validity of this disease-specific measure is better as compared with the EuroQol-5-dimensional (EQ-5D), a standardized generic instrument. Data on 711 consecutive PAD patients undergoing surgery were collected from 11 Dutch hospitals in 2004. At 3-year follow-up, questionnaires including the PAQ, EQ-5D, and EuroQol-Visual Analogue Scale (EQ VAS) were completed in 84% of survivors. The PAQ was analyzed according to three domains, as established by a factor analyses in the Dutch population, and the summary score. Baseline clinical indices included the presence and severity of claudication intermittent (CI) and the Lee Cardiac Risk Index. All three PAQ domains (Physical Function, Perceived Disability, and Treatment Satisfaction) were significantly associated with CI symptoms (P values PAQ summary scores as compared with asymptomatic patients (58.6 +/- 27.8 vs 68.6 +/- 27.8, P = PAQ summary score and the subscale scores for Physical Functioning and Perceived Disability demonstrated a clear dose-response relation for walking distance and the Lee Risk Index (P values PAQ proved to be good as the PAQ subscales discriminated well between patients with or without symptomatic PAD and its severity as defined by walking distance. Furthermore, the PAQ subscales were directly proportional to the presence and number of risk factors relevant

  20. 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.

  1. Poor Employment Conditions Adversely Affect Mental Health Outcomes Among Surgical Trainees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kevric, Jasmina; Papa, Nathan; Perera, Marlon; Rashid, Prem; Toshniwal, Sumeet

    Poor mental health in junior clinicians is prevalent and may lead to poor productivity and significant medical errors. We aimed to provide contemporary data on the mental health of surgical trainees and identify risk factors relating to poorer mental health outcomes. A detailed questionnaire was developed comprising questions based on the 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36) and Physical Activity Questionnaire. Each of the questionnaires has proven validity and reliability in the clinical context. Ethics approval was obtained from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. The questionnaire was aimed at surgical registrars. We used Physical Activity Questionnaire, SF-36 scores and linear regression to evaluate the effect of putative predictors on mental health. A total of 83 responses were collected during the study period, of which 49 (59%) were from men and 34 (41%) were from women. The mean Mental Component Summary (MCS) score for both sexes was significantly lower than the population mean at ages 25-34 (p work culture and a feeling of a lack of support at work were extremely strong predictors of a lower MCS score (p Hours of overtime worked, particularly unpaid overtime, were also strong predictors of a poorer score. Australian surgical trainees reported lower MCS scores from the SF-36 questionnaire compared to the general population. Increasing working hours, unpaid overtime, poor job security, and job satisfaction were associated with poorer scores among trainees. Interventions providing improved working conditions need to be considered by professional training bodies and employers. Copyright © 2018 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. All rights reserved.

  2. Usability of a barcode scanning system as a means of data entry on a PDA for self-report health outcome questionnaires

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boissy, Patrice; Jacobs, Karen; Roy, Serge H

    2006-01-01

    with a text-to-speech synthesizer to collect data electronically from self-report health outcome questionnaires. METHODS: Usability of the system was tested on a sample of 24 community-living older adults (7 men, 17 women) ranging in age from 63 to 93 years. After receiving a brief demonstration on the use...... of errors). RESULTS: Overall, participants found barcode scanning easy to learn, easy to use, and pleasant. Participants were marginally faster in completing the 16 survey questions when using pen entry (20/24 participants). The mean response time with the barcode scanner was 31 seconds longer than...... traditional pen entry for a subset of 16 questions (p = 0.001). The responsiveness of the scanning system, expressed as first scan success rate, was less than perfect, with approximately one-third of first scans requiring a rescan to successfully capture the data entry. The responsiveness of the system can...

  3. Combining item response theory with multiple imputation to equate health assessment questionnaires.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Chenyang; Gutman, Roee

    2017-09-01

    The assessment of patients' functional status across the continuum of care requires a common patient assessment tool. However, assessment tools that are used in various health care settings differ and cannot be easily contrasted. For example, the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) is used to evaluate the functional status of patients who stay in inpatient rehabilitation facilities, the Minimum Data Set (MDS) is collected for all patients who stay in skilled nursing facilities, and the Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) is collected if they choose home health care provided by home health agencies. All three instruments or questionnaires include functional status items, but the specific items, rating scales, and instructions for scoring different activities vary between the different settings. We consider equating different health assessment questionnaires as a missing data problem, and propose a variant of predictive mean matching method that relies on Item Response Theory (IRT) models to impute unmeasured item responses. Using real data sets, we simulated missing measurements and compared our proposed approach to existing methods for missing data imputation. We show that, for all of the estimands considered, and in most of the experimental conditions that were examined, the proposed approach provides valid inferences, and generally has better coverages, relatively smaller biases, and shorter interval estimates. The proposed method is further illustrated using a real data set. © 2016, The International Biometric Society.

  4. Measuring Population Health Outcomes

    OpenAIRE

    Parrish, R. Gibson

    2010-01-01

    An ideal population health outcome metric should reflect a population's dynamic state of physical, mental, and social well-being. Positive health outcomes include being alive; functioning well mentally, physically, and socially; and having a sense of well-being. Negative outcomes include death, loss of function, and lack of well-being. In contrast to these health outcomes, diseases and injuries are intermediate factors that influence the likelihood of achieving a state of health. On the basis...

  5. French translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire and the Brief Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Efanov, J I; Shine, J J; Darwich, R; Besner Morin, C; Arsenault, J; Harris, P G; Danino, A M; Izadpanah, A

    2018-04-01

    Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) are important clinical devices for evaluating injuries and surgeries of the hand. However, some of the most widely used questionnaires, such as the MHQ and bMHQ, are currently unavailable in French, which prevents them from being used in the French Canadian province of Quebec as well as in other French-speaking nations. We therefore intend to develop valid and culturally adapted French translations of the afore-mentioned questionnaires. Two independent bilingual translators converted all English questionnaires to French. Two distinct translators then translated the French versions back to English in reverse-blinded fashion. Discrepancies between the original and second English versions were examined by a committee of four bilingual healthcare professionals before final French translations of all documents were produced. Thirty patients bilingual in French and English were then asked to complete the original and French versions of the MHQ and bMHQ. Their answers were compared in order to assess the accuracy of our translation. In light of these findings, revised French versions were produced. French versions of the MHQ and bMHQ questionnaires produced metrological qualities of validity and fidelity with an inter-class correlation superior to 0.90 and a kappa coefficient of 0.81 to 1. Clinical applicability revealed the distribution of scores according to disease process was reproducible between the English and French versions. PROM translation requires a rigorous process in order to achieve strong metrological qualities in both the original and translated versions. We produced French translations of the MHQ and bMHQ by abiding to the Beaton method of cross-cultural adaptation of self-reported measures. Copyright © 2017 SFCM. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  6. Development and validation of the Iranian Social Health Questionnaire (IrSHQ

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hassan Rafiey

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: Social health is a fundamental dimension of health, and plays an important role in promoting social well-being. Research in social health needs reliable and valid tools, which should be also applicable to any type of social context. This study was aimed to develop an effective social health questionnaire for the social context of Iranian society. Methods: The study was conducted in three phases: 1 A preliminary 43-item questionnaire was created based on an extensive literature review; 2 The questionnaire was validated. Firstly, social health experts evaluated content validity; secondly, an exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach’s coefficient test were used; 3 The questionnaire was tested in a representative sample of 500 persons, who were selected through a multistage sampling in Tehran, Iran, in 2015. All analyses were carried out using SPSS software (version 22. Results: We developed the Iranian Social Health Questionnaire (IrSHQ consisting of a 29-item questionnaire organized in seven subscales – ‘Social interaction’, ‘social responsibility’, ‘conscientiousness’, ‘attitude to society’, ‘empathy’, ‘family relationship’, and ‘social participation’−. Internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.86. Validity and reliability of our questionnaire were confirmed. Conclusion: Due to the size and diversity of participants, validity of results, compliance with Iranian culture, and its relative shortness, the IrSHQ appears to be a very useful instrument for measuring individual’s social health in the Iranian social context.

  7. Reliability and validity of adapted French Canadian version of Scoliosis Research Society Outcomes Questionnaire (SRS-22) in Quebec.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beauséjour, Marie; Joncas, Julie; Goulet, Lise; Roy-Beaudry, Marjolaine; Parent, Stefan; Grimard, Guy; Forcier, Martin; Lauriault, Sophie; Labelle, Hubert

    2009-03-15

    Prospective validation study of a cross-cultural adaptation of the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) Outcomes Questionnaire. To provide a French Canadian version of the SRS Outcomes Questionnaire and to empirically test its response in healthy adolescents and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients in Québec. The SRS Outcomes Questionnaire is widely used for the assessment of health-related quality of life in AIS patients. French translation and back-translation of the SRS-22 (SRS-22-fv) were done by an expert committee. Its reliability was measured using the coefficient of internal consistency, construct validity with a factorial analysis, concurrent validity by using the short form-12 and discriminant validity using ANOVA and multivariate linear regression, on 145 AIS patients, 44 patients with non clinically significant scoliosis (NCSS), and 64 healthy patients. The SRS-22-fv showed a good global internal consistency (AIS: Cronbach alpha = 0.86, NCSS: 0.81, and controls: 0.79) and in all of its domains for AIS patients. The factorial structure was coherent with the original questionnaire (47.4% of explained variance). High correlation coefficients were obtained between SRS-22-fv and short form-12 corresponding domains. Boys had higher scores than girls, scores worsened with age, and with increasing body mass index. Mean Total, Pain, Self-image, and Satisfaction scores, were correlated with Cobb angle. Adjusted regression models showed statistically significant differences between the AIS, NCSS, and control groups in the Total, Pain, and Function scores. The SRS-22-fv showed satisfactory reliability, factorial, concurrent, and discriminant validity. This study provides scores in a significant group of healthy adolescents and demonstrates a clear gradient in response between subjects with AIS, NCSS, and controls.

  8. Measuring the Effects of Self-Awareness: Construction of the Self-Awareness Outcomes Questionnaire

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Sutton

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Dispositional self-awareness is conceptualized in several different ways, including insight, reflection, rumination and mindfulness, with the latter in particular attracting extensive attention in recent research. While self-awareness is generally associated with positive psychological well-being, these different conceptualizations are also each associated with a range of unique outcomes. This two part, mixed methods study aimed to advance understanding of dispositional self-awareness by developing a questionnaire to measure its outcomes. In Study 1, expert focus groups categorized and extended an initial pool of potential items from previous research. In Study 2, these items were reduced to a 38 item self-report questionnaire with four factors representing three beneficial outcomes (reflective self-development, acceptance and proactivity and one negative outcome (costs. Regression of these outcomes against self-awareness measures revealed that self-reflection and insight predicted beneficial outcomes, rumination predicted reduced benefits and increased costs, and mindfulness predicted both increased proactivity and costs. These studies help to refine the self-awareness concept by identifying the unique outcomes associated with the concepts of self-reflection, insight, reflection, rumination and mindfulness. It can be used in future studies to evaluate and develop awareness-raising techniques to maximize self-awareness benefits while minimizing related costs.

  9. 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 ...

  10. Validation of a questionnaire assessing patient's aesthetic and functional outcome after nasal reconstruction: the patient NAFEQ-score.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moolenburgh, S E; Mureau, M A M; Duivenvoorden, H J; Hofer, S O P

    2009-05-01

    In determining patient satisfaction with functional and aesthetic outcome after reconstructive surgery, including nasal reconstruction, standardised assessment instruments are very important. These standardised tools are needed to adequately evaluate and compare outcome results. Since no such instrument existed for nasal reconstruction, a standardised evaluation questionnaire was developed to assess aesthetic and functional outcome after nasal reconstruction. Items of the Nasal Appearance and Function Evaluation Questionnaire (NAFEQ) were derived from both the literature and experiences with patients. The NAFEQ was validated on 30 nasal reconstruction patients and a reference group of 175 people. A factor analysis confirmed the arrangement of the questionnaire in two subscales: functional and aesthetic outcome. High Cronbach's alpha values (>0.70) for both subscales showed that the NAFEQ was an internally consistent instrument. This study demonstrated that the NAFEQ can be used as a standardised questionnaire for detailed evaluation of aesthetic and functional outcome after nasal reconstruction. Its widespread use would enable comparison of results achieved by different techniques, surgeons and centres in a standardised fashion.

  11. Benchmarks for multidimensional recovery after burn injury in young adults: the development, validation, and testing of the American Burn Association/Shriners Hospitals for Children young adult burn outcome questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryan, Colleen M; Schneider, Jeffrey C; Kazis, Lewis E; Lee, Austin; Li, Nien-Chen; Hinson, Michelle; Bauk, Helena; Peck, Michael; Meyer, Walter J; Palmieri, Tina; Pidcock, Frank S; Reilly, Debra; Tompkins, Ronald G

    2013-01-01

    Although data exist on burn survival, there are little data on long-term burn recovery. Patient-centered health outcomes are useful in monitoring and predicting recovery and evaluating treatments. An outcome questionnaire for young adult burn survivors was developed and tested. This 5-year (2003-2008) prospective, controlled, multicenter study included burned and nonburned adults ages 19 to 30 years. The Young Adult Burn Outcome Questionnaires were completed at initial contact, 10 days, and 6 and 12 months. Factor analysis established construct validity. Reliability assessments used Cronbach α and test-retest. Recovery patterns were investigated using generalized linear models, with generalized estimating equations using mixed models and random effects. Burned (n = 153) and nonburned subjects (n = 112) completed 620 questionnaires (47 items). Time from injury to first questionnaire administration was 157 ± 36 days (mean ± SEM). Factor analysis included 15 factors: Physical Function, Fine Motor Function, Pain, Itch, Social Function Limited by Physical Function, Perceived Appearance, Social Function Limited by Appearance, Sexual Function, Emotion, Family Function, Family Concern, Satisfaction With Symptom Relief, Satisfaction With Role, Work Reintegration, and Religion. Cronbach α ranged from 0.72 to 0.92, with 11 scales >0.8. Test-retest reliability ranged from 0.29 to 0.94, suggesting changes in underlying health status after burns. Recovery curves in five domains, Itch, Perceived Appearance, Social Function Limited by Appearance, Family Concern, and Satisfaction with Symptom Relief, remained below the reference group at 24 months. The Young Adult Burn Outcome Questionnaire is a reliable and valid instrument for multidimensional functional outcomes assessment. Recovery in some domains was incomplete.

  12. The impact of shift work and organizational work climate on health outcomes in nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    von Treuer, Kathryn; Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, Matthew; Little, Glenn

    2014-10-01

    Shift workers have a higher rate of negative health outcomes than day shift workers. Few studies however, have examined the role of difference in workplace environment between shifts itself on such health measures. This study investigated variation in organizational climate across different types of shift work and health outcomes in nurses. Participants (n = 142) were nursing staff from a metropolitan Melbourne hospital. Demographic items elicited the type of shift worked, while the Work Environment Scale and the General Health Questionnaire measured organizational climate and health respectively. Analysis supported the hypotheses that different organizational climates occurred across different shifts, and that different organizational climate factors predicted poor health outcomes. Shift work alone was not found to predict health outcomes. Specifically, permanent night shift workers had significantly lower coworker cohesion scores compared with rotating day and evening shift workers and significantly higher managerial control scores compared with day shift workers. Further, coworker cohesion and involvement were found to be significant predictors of somatic problems. These findings suggest that differences in organizational climate between shifts accounts for the variation in health outcomes associated with shift work. Therefore, increased workplace cohesion and involvement, and decreased work pressure, may mitigate the negative health outcomes of shift workers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

  13. Employment of Questionnaire as Tool for Effective Business Research Outcome: Problems and Challenges

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ADENIYI AKINGBADE WAIDI

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Questionnaire has to do with questions designed to gather information or data for analysis. Questionnaire has to be adequate, simple, focused and related to the subject which the research is set to achieve and to test the hypotheses and questions that are formulated for the study. But many questionnaires are constructed and administered without following proper guideline which hinders there end result. This paper assesses some of the guides for constructing questionnaire as well as it uses and the extent to which it enhanced manager’s access to reliable data and information. Descriptive method is employed for the study. Findings revealed that poor or badly prepared questionnaire produce questionnaire that does not provide effective results. Managers and researchers that use such questionnaire hardly achieve their organisational and research objectives. The need for good, well prepared and adequate questionnaire is exemplified by its being the primary tool for analytical research. The study recommends that questionnaire be properly prepared for effective research outcome.

  14. Development and validation of a questionnaire designed to measure foot-health status.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bennett, P J; Patterson, C; Wearing, S; Baglioni, T

    1998-09-01

    The aim of this study was to apply the principles of content, criterion, and construct validation to a new questionnaire specifically designed to measure foot-health status. One hundred eleven subjects completed two different questionnaires designed to measure foot health (the new Foot Health Status Questionnaire and the previously validated Foot Function Index) and underwent a clinical examination in order to provide data for a second-order confirmatory factor analysis. Presented herein is a psychometrically evaluated questionnaire that contains 13 items covering foot pain, foot function, footwear, and general foot health. The tool demonstrates a high degree of content, criterion, and construct validity and test-retest reliability.

  15. Associations between the settings of exercise habits and health-related outcomes in community-dwelling older adults

    OpenAIRE

    Makino, Keitaro; Ihira, Hikaru; Mizumoto, Atsushi; Shimizu, Kotaro; Ishida, Toyoaki; Furuna, Taketo

    2015-01-01

    [Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between the settings of exercise habits and health-related outcomes in community-dwelling older adults. [Subjects] A total of 304 Japanese community-dwelling older adults (70.3 ? 4.1?years; 113 males and 191 females) participated in this study. [Methods] Demographic characteristics, medical conditions, exercise habits, and health-related outcomes were assessed by face-to-face interviews and self-reported questionnaires. Older...

  16. [Evaluating training programs on occupational health and safety: questionnaire development].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Xiao-Yan; Wang, Zhi-Ming; Wang, Mian-Zhen

    2006-03-01

    To develop a questionnaire to evaluate the quality of training programs on occupational health and safety. A questionnaire comprising five subscales and 21 items was developed. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire was tested. Final validation of the questionnaire was undertaken in 700 workers in an oil refining company. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients of the five subscales ranged from 0.6194 to 0.6611. The subscale-scale Pearson correlation coefficients ranged from 0.568 to 0.834 . The theta coefficients of the five subscales were greater than 0.7. The factor loadings of the five subscales in the principal component analysis ranged from 0.731 to 0.855. Use of the questionnaire in the 700 workers produced a good discriminability, with excellent, good, fair and poor comprising 22.2%, 31.2%, 32.4% and 14.1 respectively. Given the fact that 18.7% of workers had never been trained and 29.7% of workers got one-off training only, the training program scored an average of 57.2. The questionnaire is suitable to be used in evaluating the quality of training programs on occupational health and safety. The oil refining company needs to improve training for their workers on occupational health and safety.

  17. The outcome of health anxiety in primary care. A two-year follow-up study on health care costs and self-rated health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fink, Per; Ørnbøl, Eva; Christensen, Kaj Sparle

    2010-03-24

    Hypochondriasis is prevalent in primary care, but the diagnosis is hampered by its stigmatizing label and lack of valid diagnostic criteria. Recently, new empirically established criteria for Health anxiety were introduced. Little is known about Health anxiety's impact on longitudinal outcome, and this study aimed to examine impact on self-rated health and health care costs. 1785 consecutive primary care patients aged 18-65 consulting their family physicians (FPs) for a new illness were followed-up for two years. A stratified subsample of 701 patients was assessed by the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry interview. Patients with mild (N = 21) and severe Health anxiety (N = 81) and Hypochondriasis according to the DSM-IV (N = 59) were compared with a comparison group of patients who had a well-defined medical condition according to their FPs and a low score on the screening questionnaire (N = 968). Self-rated health was measured by questionnaire at index and at three, 12, and 24 months, and health care use was extracted from patient registers. Compared with the 968 patients with well-defined medical conditions, the 81 severe Health anxiety patients and the 59 DSM-IV Hypochondriasis patients continued during follow-up to manifest significantly more Health anxiety (Whiteley-7 scale). They also continued to have significantly worse self-rated functioning related to physical and mental health (component scores of the SF-36). The severe Health anxiety patients used about 41-78% more health care per year in total, both during the 3 years preceding inclusion and during follow-up, whereas the DSM-IV Hypochondriasis patients did not have statistically significantly higher total use. A poor outcome of Health anxiety was not explained by comorbid depression, anxiety disorder or well-defined medical condition. Patients with mild Health anxiety did not have a worse outcome on physical health and incurred significantly less health care costs than the group of

  18. The outcome of health anxiety in primary care. A two-year follow-up study on health care costs and self-rated health.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Per Fink

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Hypochondriasis is prevalent in primary care, but the diagnosis is hampered by its stigmatizing label and lack of valid diagnostic criteria. Recently, new empirically established criteria for Health anxiety were introduced. Little is known about Health anxiety's impact on longitudinal outcome, and this study aimed to examine impact on self-rated health and health care costs. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: 1785 consecutive primary care patients aged 18-65 consulting their family physicians (FPs for a new illness were followed-up for two years. A stratified subsample of 701 patients was assessed by the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry interview. Patients with mild (N = 21 and severe Health anxiety (N = 81 and Hypochondriasis according to the DSM-IV (N = 59 were compared with a comparison group of patients who had a well-defined medical condition according to their FPs and a low score on the screening questionnaire (N = 968. Self-rated health was measured by questionnaire at index and at three, 12, and 24 months, and health care use was extracted from patient registers. Compared with the 968 patients with well-defined medical conditions, the 81 severe Health anxiety patients and the 59 DSM-IV Hypochondriasis patients continued during follow-up to manifest significantly more Health anxiety (Whiteley-7 scale. They also continued to have significantly worse self-rated functioning related to physical and mental health (component scores of the SF-36. The severe Health anxiety patients used about 41-78% more health care per year in total, both during the 3 years preceding inclusion and during follow-up, whereas the DSM-IV Hypochondriasis patients did not have statistically significantly higher total use. A poor outcome of Health anxiety was not explained by comorbid depression, anxiety disorder or well-defined medical condition. Patients with mild Health anxiety did not have a worse outcome on physical health and incurred

  19. Which is the most useful patient-reported outcome in femoroacetabular impingement? Test-retest reliability of six questionnaires.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hinman, Rana S; Dobson, Fiona; Takla, Amir; O'Donnell, John; Bennell, Kim L

    2014-03-01

    The most reliable patient-reported outcomes (PROs) for people with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is unknown because there have been no direct comparisons of questionnaires. Thus, the aim was to evaluate the test-retest reliability of six existing PROs in a single cohort of young active people with hip/groin pain consistent with a clinical diagnosis of FAI. Young adults with clinical FAI completed six PRO questionnaires on two occasions, 1-2 weeks apart. The PROs were modified Harris Hip Score, Hip dysfunction and Osteoarthritis Score, Hip Outcome Score, Non-Arthritic Hip Score, International Hip Outcome Tool, Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Score. 30 young adults (mean age 24 years, SD 4 years, range 18-30 years; 15 men) with stable symptoms participated. Intraclass correlation coefficient(3,1) values ranged from 0.73 to 0.93 (95% CI 0.38 to 0.98) indicating that most questionnaires reached minimal reliability benchmarks. Measurement error at the individual level was quite large for most questionnaires (minimal detectable change (MDC95) 12.4-35.6, 95% CI 8.7 to 54.0). In contrast, measurement error at the group level was quite small for most questionnaires (MDC95 2.2-7.3, 95% CI 1.6 to 11). The majority of the questionnaires were reliable and precise enough for use at the group level. Samples of only 23-30 individuals were required to achieve acceptable measurement variation at the group level. Further direct comparisons of these questionnaires are required to assess other measurement properties such as validity, responsiveness and meaningful change in young people with FAI.

  20. Development and Validity Testing of the Worksite Health Index: An Assessment Tool to Help and Improve Korean Employees' Health-Related Outcome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yun, Young Ho; Sim, Jin Ah; Lim, Ye Jin; Lim, Cheol Il; Kang, Sung-Choon; Kang, Joon-Ho; Park, Jun Dong; Noh, Dong Young

    2016-06-01

    The objective of this study was to develop the Worksite Health Index (WHI) and validate its psychometric properties. The development of the WHI questionnaire included item generation, item construction, and field testing. To assess the instrument's reliability and validity, we recruited 30 different Korean worksites. We developed the WHI questionnaire of 136 items categorized into five domains, namely Governance and Infrastructure, Need Assessment and Planning, Health Prevention and Promotion Program, Occupational Safety, and Monitoring and Feedback. All WHI domains demonstrated a high reliability with good internal consistency. The total WHI scores differentiated worksite groups effectively according to firm size. Each domain was associated significantly with employees' health status, absence, and financial outcome. The WHI can assess comprehensive worksite health programs. This tool is publicly available for addressing the growing need for worksite health programs.

  1. Utility of screening questionnaire and polysomnography to predict postoperative outcomes in children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kako, Hiromi; Tripi, Jennifer; Walia, Hina; Tumin, Dmitry; Splaingard, Mark; Jatana, Kris R; Tobias, Joseph D; Raman, Vidya T

    2017-11-01

    The prevalence of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has increased concurrently with the increasing prevalence of obesity. We have previously validated a short questionnaire predicting the occurrence of OSA on polysomnography (PSG). This follow-up study assessed the utility of the questionnaire in predicting postoperative outcomes. Children undergoing surgery and completing a sleep study were prospectively screened for OSA using a short questionnaire. Procedures within 1 year of PSG were included in the analysis. Questionnaires were scored according to a cutoff previously deemed optimal for predicting OSA (apnea-hypopnea index ≥ 5) on the sleep study. Postoperative outcomes included prolonged (>60 min) length of stay (LOS) in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) and oxygen requirement in the PACU. The study cohort included 185 patients (100/85 male/female) age 8 ± 4 years, undergoing adenotonsillectomy (n = 109), other ear, nose, and throat (ENT) procedures (n = 18), or non-ENT procedures (n = 58). There were 45 patients with OSA documented by PSG and 122 patients identified as likely to have OSA according to questionnaire responses (89% sensitivity, 41% specificity). PACU LOS was prolonged in 55/181 (30%) cases and supplemental oxygen was used in the PACU in 29/181 (16%) cases. In separate multivariable models, supplemental oxygen use in the PACU was more common if a patient scored ≥2/6 points on the short questionnaire scale (OR = 5.0; 95% CI: 1.3, 19.9; p = 0.023) or if the patient was diagnosed with OSA on PSG (OR = 4.6; 95% CI: 1.6, 13.5; p = 0.005). Neither OSA on PSG nor questionnaire score ≥2/6 were associated with prolonged PACU stay. Both OSA diagnosis based on the AHI and the questionnaire scale achieved comparable predictive value for the need for oxygen use in the PACU. The utility of the questionnaire in predicting rare adverse events (e.g., unplanned admission or rapid response team activation) remains to be determined

  2. Evaluating Questionnaires Used to Assess Self-Reported Physical Activity and Psychosocial Outcomes Among Survivors of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer: A Cognitive Interview Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wurz, Amanda; Brunet, Jennifer

    2017-09-01

    Physical activity is increasingly being studied as a way to improve psychosocial outcomes (e.g., quality of life, self-efficacy, physical self-perceptions, self-esteem, body image, posttraumatic growth) among survivors of adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer. Assessing levels of and associations between self-reported physical activity and psychosocial outcomes requires clear, appropriate, and relevant questionnaires. To explore how survivors of AYA cancer interpreted and responded to the following eight published questionnaires: Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire, Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale, Physical Self-Description Questionnaire, Rosenberg Global Self-Esteem Scale, Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire, Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G), RAND 36-Item Health Survey 1.0 (RAND-36), cognitive interviews were conducted with three men and four women age 18-36 years who were diagnosed with cancer at age 16-35 years. Initially, the first seven questionnaires listed above were assessed. Summaries of the interviews were prepared and compared across participants. Potential concerns were identified with the FACT-G; thus, a second interview was conducted with participants to explore the clarity, appropriateness, and relevance of the RAND-36. Concerns identified for the FACT-G related mostly to the lack of relevance of items pertaining to cancer-specific aspects of quality of life given that participants were posttreatment. No or few concerns related to comprehension and/or structure/logic were identified for the other questionnaires. In general, the questionnaires assessed were clear, appropriate, and relevant. Participants' feedback suggested they could be used to assess self-reported physical activity and varied psychosocial outcomes in studies with survivors of AYA cancer, either with or without slight modifications.

  3. Labor and health status in economic evaluation of health care. The Health and Labor Questionnaire

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Roijen, L.; Essink-Bot, M. L.; Koopmanschap, M. A.; Bonsel, G.; Rutten, F. F.

    1996-01-01

    A health care program may influence both costs and health effects. We developed the Health and Labor Questionnaire (HLQ), which consists of four modules, to collect data on absence from work, reduced productivity, unpaid labor production, and labor-related problems. We applied the HLQ in several

  4. [Outcomes evaluation of the school staff health promotion project].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woynarowska-Sołdan, Magdalena

    This article presents selected outcomes of a 3-year project "Health promotion of school staff in health-promoting schools," as well as the achievements and difficulties in its implementation. The research was conducted on 644 teachers and 226 members of non-teaching staff in 21 schools. The method involved opinion poll and authored questionnaires. A 2-part model of outcome evaluation was developed. Most participants appreciated the changes that took place within the 3 years of the project implementation. These included the improved level of their knowledge about health, health-conducive behaviors (62-93%) and the physical and social environment of the school (50-92%). Changes were more frequently acknowledged by teachers. About 80% of the participants had a positive attitude to the project, but only 20% assessed their involvement as considerable. About 90% believed that health promotion activities should be continued. According to the project leaders, insufficient support and financial resources, and difficulties in motivating school employees, particularly the nonteaching staff, to undertake health-promotion activities were the major handicaps in the project implementation. The project outcomes can be assessed as satisfying. They revealed that it is posssible to initiate health promotion among school staff. This can be effective on condition that participants are motivated, actively engaged in the project and supported by the head teacher and the local community. Necessarily, school leaders should be prepared to promote health among adults and to gain support from school policy decision makers, school administration, trade unions and universities involved in teacher training. Med Pr 2016;67(2):187-200. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

  5. Outcomes evaluation of the school staff health promotion project

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magdalena Woynarowska-Sołdan

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: This article presents selected outcomes of a 3-year project “Health promotion of school staff in health-promoting schools,” as well as the achievements and difficulties in its implementation. Material and Methods: The research was conducted on 644 teachers and 226 members of non-teaching staff in 21 schools. The method involved opinion poll and authored questionnaires. A 2-part model of outcome evaluation was developed. Results: Most participants appreciated the changes that took place within the 3 years of the project implementation. These included the improved level of their knowledge about health, health-conducive behaviors (62–93% and the physical and social environment of the school (50–92%. Changes were more frequently acknowledged by teachers. About 80% of the participants had a positive attitude to the project, but only 20% assessed their involvement as considerable. About 90% believed that health promotion activities should be continued. According to the project leaders, insufficient support and financial resources, and difficulties in motivating school employees, particularly the nonteaching staff, to undertake health-promotion activities were the major handicaps in the project implementation. Conclusions: The project outcomes can be assessed as satisfying. They revealed that it is posssible to initiate health promotion among school staff. This can be effective on condition that participants are motivated, actively engaged in the project and supported by the head teacher and the local community. Necessarily, school leaders should be prepared to promote health among adults and to gain support from school policy decision makers, school administration, trade unions and universities involved in teacher training. Med Pr 2016;67(2:187–200

  6. Number of bodily symptoms predicts outcome more accurately than health anxiety in patients attending neurology, cardiology, and gastroenterology clinics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackson, Judy; Fiddler, Maggie; Kapur, Navneet; Wells, Adrian; Tomenson, Barbara; Creed, Francis

    2006-04-01

    In consecutive new outpatients, we aimed to assess whether somatization and health anxiety predicted health care use and quality of life 6 months later in all patients or in those without demonstrable abnormalities. On the first clinic visit, participants completed the Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ), the Health Anxiety Questionnaire (HAQ), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Outcome was assessed as: (a) the number of medical consultations over the subsequent 6 months, extracted from medical records, and (b) Short-Form Health Survey 36 (SF36) physical component score 6 months after index clinic visit. A total of 295 patients were recruited (77% response rate), and medical consultation data were available for 275. The number of bodily symptoms was associated with both outcomes in linear fashion (Psomatization and hypochondriasis.

  7. Gynecologists' knowledge and attitudes regarding oral health and periodontal disease leading to adverse pregnancy outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hashim, Raghad; Akbar, Madiha

    2014-12-01

    A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the knowledge and practiced behaviors of gynecologists regarding oral health care during pregnancy and the association of periodontal disease with adverse pregnancy outcomes. A questionnaire consisting of 16 questions was designed and pilot tested. One hundred and fifty gynecologists practicing in the private sector of United Arab Emirates (UAE) were approached to voluntarily participate and fill up the questionnaire during February-March 2014. Data retrieved were entered into Excel database and analyzed using SPSS. Of the 150 gynecologists approached, 108 filled the questionnaire, yielding a response rate of 72%. The majority (95.4%) acknowledged a connection between oral health and pregnancy and 75.9% agreed that periodontal disease can affect the outcome of pregnancy. Moreover, most of the gynecologists (85.2%) advised their pregnant patients to visit the dentist during pregnancy. Almost three-quarter of the participants (73%) regarded dental radiographs to be unsafe during pregnancy and more than half (59.3%) considered administration of local anesthesia to be unsafe during pregnancy. The present study demonstrated that gynecologists have a relatively high degree of knowledge with respect to the relationship of periodontal disease to pregnancy outcome. However, there clearly exist misconceptions regarding the provision of dental treatment during pregnancy. To provide better oral health care, more knowledge needs to be made available to the pregnant women and the medical community, and misconceptions regarding the types of dental treatments during pregnancy should be clarified.

  8. Self-rated health as a predictor of outcomes of type 2 diabetes patient education programmes in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Laursen, D. H.; Christensen, K. B.; Christensen, U.

    2016-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To explore if self-rated health (SRH) can predict differences in outcomes of patient education programmes among patients with type 2 diabetes over time. STUDY DESIGN: This is an observational cohort study conducted among 83 patients with type 2 diabetes participating in patient educati...... education, as measured by the HeiQ, at 12 months. Only participants with optimal SRH appeared to benefit from patient education. Other patient characteristics may be responsible to explain the observed difference between patients with optimal and poor SRH.......OBJECTIVE: To explore if self-rated health (SRH) can predict differences in outcomes of patient education programmes among patients with type 2 diabetes over time. STUDY DESIGN: This is an observational cohort study conducted among 83 patients with type 2 diabetes participating in patient education...... programmes in the Capital Region of Denmark. METHODS: Questionnaire data were collected by telephone interview at baseline and 2 weeks (77 participants, 93%) and 12 months (66, 80%) after the patient education ended. The seven-scale Health Education Impact Questionnaire (HeiQ) was the primary outcome...

  9. Reliability and validity of a Mental Health System Responsiveness Questionnaire in Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ameneh S. Forouzan

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Background: The Health System Responsiveness Questionnaire is an instrument designed by the World Health Organization (WHO in 2000 to assess the experience of patients when interacting with the health care system. This investigation aimed to adapt a Mental Health System Responsiveness Questionnaire (MHSRQ based on the WHO concept and evaluate its validity and reliability to the mental health care system in Iran. Design: In accordance with the WHO health system responsiveness questionnaire and the findings of a qualitative study, a Farsi version of the MHSRQ was tailored to suit the mental health system in Iran. This version was tested in a cross-sectional study at nine public mental health clinics in Tehran. A sample of 500 mental health services patients was recruited and subsequently completed the questionnaire. Item missing rate was used to check the feasibility while the reliability of the scale was determined by assessing the Cronbach's alpha and item total correlations. The factor structure of the questionnaire was investigated by performing confirmatory factor analysis (CFA. Results: The results showed a satisfactory feasibility since the item missing value was lower than 5.2%. With the exception of access domain, reliability of different domains of the questionnaire was within a desirable range. The factor loading showed an acceptable unidimentionality of the scale despite the fact that three items related to access did not perform well. The CFA also indicated good fit indices for the model (CFI=0.99, GFI=0.97, IFI=0.99, AGFI=0.97. Conclusions: In general, the findings suggest that the Farsi version of the MHSRQ is a feasible, reliable, and valid measure of the mental health system responsiveness in Iran. Changes to the questions related to the access domain should be considered in order to improve the psychometric properties of the measure.

  10. Resilience Mediates the Longitudinal Relationships Between Social Support and Mental Health Outcomes in Multiple Sclerosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koelmel, Emily; Hughes, Abbey J; Alschuler, Kevin N; Ehde, Dawn M

    2017-06-01

    To investigate the longitudinal relationships between social support and subsequent mental health outcomes in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), and to examine resilience as a mediator between social support and subsequent mental health outcomes in this population. Observational, longitudinal cohort study. Participants were assessed at 4 time points over 12 months in the context of a previously reported randomized controlled trial. Telephone-based measures administered to community-based participants. Individuals (N=163) with MS and 1 or more of the following symptoms: depression, fatigue, and pain. Not applicable. Mental health outcomes included (1) depressive symptomatology, assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9; (2) anxious symptomatology, assessed using the short form of the Emotional Distress-Anxiety Scale from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System; and (3) general mental health status, assessed using the Mental Component Summary score from the Short Form-8 Health Survey. Resilience was assessed using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. At any given time, social support from significant others, family members, and friends was significantly associated with subsequent mental health outcomes for all 3 measures assessed (all P values social support significantly mediated the relationships between social support and subsequent mental health outcomes. After controlling for resilience, most of the direct relationships between social support and mental health outcomes were no longer significant. There are significant longitudinal relationships between social support, resilience, and mental health outcomes for people with MS. Given the mediating role of resilience in supporting better mental health outcomes, future clinical research and practice may benefit from an emphasis on resilience-focused psychological interventions. Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. All rights reserved.

  11. Menstrual questionnaires for clinical and research use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matteson, Kristen A

    2017-04-01

    Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) have the potential to be extremely valuable in the clinical care delivery for women who report heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB). Increasingly, studies on HMB have incorporated PROMs to evaluate the impact of bleeding on quality of life. These measures have included semiquantitative charts and pictograms, questionnaires to assess symptoms and impact on quality of life, and health-related quality of life questionnaires. Recent systematic reviews have highlighted inconsistency of outcome measurement across studies on HMB as a challenge limiting the interpretability of the body of literature and the ability to generate consensus on the relative effectiveness of treatment options. Consequently, research initiatives and international collaborations are working to harmonize outcome measurement. Harmonizing the use of questionnaires in research and clinical care has the potential to improve patient-centered care delivery for women with HMB and improve the generation of patient-focused evidence-based guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of HMB. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  12. Health status measurement in COPD: the minimal clinically important difference of the clinical COPD questionnaire

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    van den Berg JWK

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Patient-reported outcomes (PRO questionnaires are being increasingly used in COPD clinical studies. The challenge facing investigators is to determine what change is significant, ie what is the minimal clinically important difference (MCID. This study aimed to identify the MCID for the clinical COPD questionnaire (CCQ in terms of patient referencing, criterion referencing, and by the standard error of measurement (SEM. Methods Patients were ≥40 years of age, diagnosed with COPD, had a smoking history of >10 pack-years, and were participating in a randomized, controlled clinical trial comparing intravenous and oral prednisolone in patients admitted with an acute exacerbation of COPD. The CCQ was completed on Days 1–7 and 42. A Global Rating of Change (GRC assessment was taken to establish the MCID by patient referencing. For criterion referencing, health events during a period of 1 year after Day 42 were included in this analysis. Results 210 patients were recruited, 168 completed the CCQ questionnaire on Day42. The MCID of the CCQ total score, as indicated by patient referencing in terms of the GRC, was 0.44. The MCID of the CCQ in terms of criterion referencing for the major outcomes was 0.39, and calculation of the SEM resulted in a value of 0.21. Conclusion This investigation, which is the first to determine the MCID of a PRO questionnaire via more than one approach, indicates that the MCID of the CCQ total score is 0.4.

  13. Health outcomes are about choices and values: an economic perspective on the health outcomes movement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiell, A

    1997-01-01

    The aim of the health outcomes movement is to reorientate health services so that the spotlight shines less on what is done and more on what is achieved. The health outcomes movement, thus far, has been most successful in addressing what appear to be technical questions relating to the measurement and analysis of health outcomes and in placing their routine use on the agenda of clinical practice and health services planning. If there is one lesson to be drawn from an economic perspective, however, it is that health outcomes are about values and not just technicalities. The need to make choices forces one to consider whether what is achieved is also what is most valued. The success of health service delivery, be it at a clinical, planning or systems level, must therefore be measured against agreed objectives. It follows that time must be taken to establish what patients and the community want from their health services and what each is prepared to give up to achieve its ends. Value judgements are unavoidable. The challenge lies not in measuring the outcomes of health interventions but in deciding what the objectives of the health system ought to be.

  14. Student nurses' perceptions of mental health care: Validation of a questionnaire

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Corine Latour; Hanneke Hoekstra; Alex van der Heijden; prof Berno van Meijel; Jaap van der Bijl

    2011-01-01

    This article describes the results of a study into the psychometric properties of a questionnaire about student nurses' perceptions of mental health care. The questionnaire was constructed in 2008, but has not yet been tested in terms of construct validity and reliability. A validated questionnaire

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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

  16. Linguistic adaptation and psychometric evaluation of original Oral Health Literacy-Adult Questionnaire (OHL-AQ).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vyas, Shaleen; Nagarajappa, Sandesh; Dasar, Pralhad L; Mishra, Prashant

    2016-10-01

    Linguistically adapted oral health literacy tools are helpful to assess oral health literacy among local population with clarity and understandability. The original oral health literacy adult questionnaire, Oral Health Literacy Adult Questionnaire, was given in English (2013), consisting of 17 items under 4 domains. The present study rationalizes to culturally adapt and validate Oral Health Literacy Adult Questionnaire into Hindi language. Thus, we objectified to translate Oral Health Literacy Adult Questionnaire into Hindi and test its psychometric properties like reliability and validity among primary school teachers. The Oral Health Literacy Adult Questionnaire was translated into Oral Health Literacy Adult Questionnaire - Hindi Version using the World Health Organization recommended translation back-translation protocol. During pre-testing, an expert panel assessed content validity of the questionnaire. Face validity was assessed on a small sample of 10 individuals. A cross-sectional study was conducted (June-July 2015) and OHL-AQ-H was administered on a convenient sample of 170 primary school teachers. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were assessed using Cronbach's alpha and Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), respectively, with 2 weeks interval to ascertain adherence to the questionnaire response. Predictive validity was tested by comparing OHL-AQ-H scores with clinical indicators like oral hygiene scores and dental caries scores. The concurrent and discriminant validity was assessed through self-reported oral health and through negative association with sociodemographic variables. The data was analyzed by descriptive tests using chi-square and bivariate logistic regression in SPSS software, version 20 and pLiteracy Adult Questionnaire - Hindi Version were 0.94 and 0.70, respectively. Comparisons of varying levels of oral health literacy with self-reported oral health established significant concurrent validity (p=0.01). Significant

  17. Sexual function in F-111 maintenance workers: the study of health outcomes in aircraft maintenance personnel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Anthony; Gibson, Richard; Tavener, Meredith; Guest, Maya; D'Este, Catherine; Byles, Julie; Attia, John; Horsley, Keith; Harrex, Warren; Ross, James

    2009-06-01

    In Australia, four formal F-111 fuel tank deseal/reseal (DSRS) repair programs were implemented over more than two decades, each involving different processes and using a range of hazardous substances. However, health concerns were raised by a number of workers. The "Study of Health Outcomes in Aircraft Maintenance Personnel" was commissioned by the Australian Department of Defence to investigate potential adverse health outcomes as a result of being involved in the deseal/reseal processes. To compare measures of sexual function in F-111 aircraft fuel tank DSRS maintenance workers, against two appropriate comparison groups. Exposed and comparison participants completed a postal questionnaire which included general questions of health and health behavior, and two specific questions on sexual functioning. They also completed the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to explore exposure status and outcome while adjusting for potential confounders. The three outcomes of interest for this study were the proportion of participants with erectile dysfunction (ED) according to the IIEF, the proportion with self-reported loss of interest in sex, and the proportion with self-reported problems with sexual functioning. Compared with each of the comparison groups, a larger proportion of the exposed group reported sexual problems and were classified as having ED according to the IIEF. In logistic regression, the odds of all three outcomes were higher for exposed participants relative to each comparison group and after adjustment for potentially confounding variables including anxiety and depression. There was a consistent problem with sexual functioning in the exposed group that is not explained by anxiety and depression, and it appears related to DSRS activities.

  18. Measuring mental health and wellbeing outcomes for children and adolescents to inform practice and policy: a review of child self-report measures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deighton, Jessica; Croudace, Tim; Fonagy, Peter; Brown, Jeb; Patalay, Praveetha; Wolpert, Miranda

    2014-01-01

    There is a growing appetite for mental health and wellbeing outcome measures that can inform clinical practice at individual and service levels, including use for local and national benchmarking. Despite a varied literature on child mental health and wellbeing outcome measures that focus on psychometric properties alone, no reviews exist that appraise the availability of psychometric evidence and suitability for use in routine practice in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) including key implementation issues. This paper aimed to present the findings of the first review that evaluates existing broadband measures of mental health and wellbeing outcomes in terms of these criteria. The following steps were implemented in order to select measures suitable for use in routine practice: literature database searches, consultation with stakeholders, application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, secondary searches and filtering. Subsequently, detailed reviews of the retained measures' psychometric properties and implementation features were carried out. 11 measures were identified as having potential for use in routine practice and meeting most of the key criteria: 1) Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment, 2) Beck Youth Inventories, 3) Behavior Assessment System for Children, 4) Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale, 5) Child Health Questionnaire, 6) Child Symptom Inventories, 7) Health of the National Outcome Scale for Children and Adolescents, 8) Kidscreen, 9) Pediatric Symptom Checklist, 10) Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, 11) Youth Outcome Questionnaire. However, all existing measures identified had limitations as well as strengths. Furthermore, none had sufficient psychometric evidence available to demonstrate that they could reliably measure both severity and change over time in key groups. The review suggests a way of rigorously evaluating the growing number of broadband self-report mental health outcome measures against

  19. Adjustment Between Work Demands and Health Needs: Development of the Work-Health Balance Questionnaire

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gragnano, Andrea; Miglioretti, Massimo; Frings-Dresen, Monique H. W.; de Boer, Angela G. E. M.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: This study presented the construct of Work-Health Balance (WHB) and the design and validation of the Work-Health Balance Questionnaire (WHBq). More and more workers have a long-standing health problem or disability (LSHPD). The management of health needs and work demands is crucial for the

  20. Correlations between disease-specific and generic health status questionnaires in patients with advanced COPD: a one-year observational study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wilke Sarah

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Longitudinal studies analyzing the correlations between disease-specific and generic health status questionnaires at different time points in patients with advanced COPD are lacking. The aim of this study was to determine whether and to what extent a disease-specific health status questionnaire (Saint George’s Respiratory Questionnaire, SGRQ correlates with generic health status questionnaires (EuroQol-5-Dimensions, EQ-5D; Assessment of Quality of Life instrument, AQoL; Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey, SF-36 at four different time points in patients with advanced COPD; and to determine the correlation between the changes in these questionnaires during one-year follow-up. Methods Demographic and clinical characteristics were assessed in 105 outpatients with advanced COPD at baseline. Disease-specific health status (SGRQ and generic health status (EQ-5D, AQoL, SF-36 were assessed at baseline, four, eight, and 12 months. Correlations were determined between SGRQ and EQ-5D, AQoL, and SF-36 scores and changes in these scores. Agreement in direction of change was assessed. Results Eighty-four patients (80% completed one-year follow-up and were included for analysis. SGRQ total score and EQ-5D index score, AQoL total score and SF-36 Physical Component Summary measure (SF-36 PCS score were moderately to strongly correlated. The correlation of the changes between the SGRQ total score and EQ-5D index score, AQoL total score, SF-36 PCS, and SF-36 Mental Component Summary measure (SF-36 MCS score were weak or absent. The direction of changes in SGRQ total scores agreed slightly with the direction of changes in EQ-5D index score, AQoL total score, and SF-36 PCS score. Conclusions At four, eight and 12 months after baseline, SGRQ total scores and EQ-5D index scores, AQoL total scores and SF-36 PCS scores were moderately to strongly correlated, while SGRQ total scores were weakly correlated with SF-36 MCS scores

  1. A telephone questionnaire in order to assess functional outcome after post-traumatic limb salvage surgery: Development and preliminary validation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wulterkens, Leonie; Aurégan, Jean-Charles; Letellier, Thomas; Mebtouche, Nasser; Levante, Stéphane; Cottin, Philippe; Bégué, Thierry

    2015-12-01

    Post-traumatic limb salvage surgery is challenging and evaluation of the results remains arduous. No questionnaire specifically assessing functional outcome after post-traumatic limb salvage surgery of the lower extremity exists. Due to regionalization of specialized care, the patients' travel time to the hospital increases. To overcome a higher patients' travel burden, patients' follow up by telephone is an option. We aimed to develop a telephone questionnaire in order to assess functional outcome after post-traumatic limb salvage surgery of the lower extremity. From a review of scores of functional assessment of the lower limb surgery, we have developed a telephone questionnaire. A prospective study was performed to validate this telephone questionnaire. Twenty patients were included. The participants were called to complete the telephone questionnaire twice with an interval of a week. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) was completed during the second telephone call. The internal consistency was analyzed by the Cronbach's alpha (α). With the outcome scores of both completions, the test-retest reliability was analyzed by the interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) 2,k with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI). The outcome scores of the second telephone questionnaire and the WOMAC questionnaire were used for the construct validity analysis by the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (r(s)) with a 95% CI. The internal consistency analysis revealed a α=0.62 which improved to α=0.92 after removing one question from the telephone questionnaire. The final version of the telephone questionnaire comprises 32 questions, divided in 3 subscales: function, daily life and psychology. The total score varies between 0 and 86 points. The test-retest reliability was ICC 2,k=0.93 (95% CI: 0.82-0.97) and the construct validity was r(s)=0.92 (95% CI: 0.81-0.97). We present a specific telephone questionnaire in order to assess functional

  2. Linguistic adaptation and psychometric evaluation of original oral health literacy-adult questionnaire (OHL-AQ

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    SHALEEN VYAS

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Linguistically adapted oral health literacy tools are helpful to assess oral health literacy among local population with clarity and understandability. The original oral health literacy adult questionnaire, Oral Health Literacy Adult Questionnaire, was given in English (2013, consisting of 17 items under 4 domains. The present study rationalizes to culturally adapt and validate Oral Health Literacy Adult Questionnaire into Hindi language. Thus, we objectified to translate Oral Health Literacy Adult Questionnaire into Hindi and test its psychometric properties like reliability and validity among primary school teachers. Methods: The Oral Health Literacy Adult Questionnaire was translated into Oral Health Literacy Adult Questionnaire – Hindi Version using the World Health Organization recommended translation backtranslation protocol. During pre-testing, an expert panel assessed content validity of the questionnaire. Face validity was assessed on a small sample of 10 individuals. A cross-sectional study was conducted (June-July 2015 and OHL-AQ-H was administered on a convenient sample of 170 primary school teachers. Internal consistency and testretest reliability were assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC, respectively, with 2 weeks interval to ascertain adherence to the questionnaire response. Predictive validity was tested by comparing OHL-AQ-H scores with clinical indicators like oral hygiene scores and dental caries scores. The concurrent and discriminant validity was assessed through self-reported oral health and through negative association with sociodemographic variables. The data was analyzed by descriptive tests using chi-square and bivariate logistic regression in SPSS software, version 20 and p<0.05 was considered as the significance level. Results: The mean OHL-AQ-H score was 13.58±2.82. ICC and Cronbach’s alpha for Oral Health Literacy Adult Questionnaire – Hindi Version

  3. Moral competence questionnaire for public health nurses in Japan: scale development and psychometric validation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asahara, Kiyomi; Kobayashi, Maasa; Ono, Wakanako

    2015-01-01

    To develop a valid and reliable self-assessment questionnaire that can be easily used by public health nurses in Japan to measure their moral competence. A self-administered questionnaire that included the preliminary Moral Competence Questionnaire for Public Health Nurses and demographics was distributed to public health nurses who worked at local governments in Japan. Exploratory factor analysis for the Moral Competence Questionnaire for Public Health Nurses from 3493 responses (31.9%) revealed 15 items loading on three factors: (1i) judgment based on the values of community members; (ii) strong will to face difficult situations; and (iii) cooperating with relevant people/organizations. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that this model has a reasonable fit to the data. Cronbach's alphas ranged 0.85-0.91. The construct validity and internal consistency reliability of the Moral Competence Questionnaire for Public Health Nurses were supported. This questionnaire reflected the characteristics of Japan's public health nursing practice and it may be used to assess current moral practice and need for continuing education. However, this questionnaire needs additional internal validity testing and possible item development. Additional research is needed to refine this scale and increase the possibility of generalizability. © 2014 The Authors. Japan Journal of Nursing Science © 2014 Japan Academy of Nursing Science.

  4. Brazilian Version of the Foot Health Status Questionnaire (FHSQ-Br): Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Evaluation of Measurement Properties

    OpenAIRE

    Ferreira, Ana F. B.; Laurindo, Ieda M. M.; Rodrigues, Priscilla T.; Ferraz, Marcos Bosi; Kowalski, S?rgio C.; Tanaka, Clarice

    2008-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To conduct a cross-cultural adaptation of the Foot Health Status Questionnaire into Brazilian-Portuguese and to assess its measurement properties. INTRODUCTION: This instrument is an outcome measure with 10 domains with scores ranging from 0-100, worst to best, respectively. The translated instrument will improve the examinations and foot care of rheumatoid arthritis patients. METHODS: The questions were translated, back-translated, evaluated by a multidisciplinary committee and pr...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  6. An assessment of the long-term health outcome of renal transplant recipients in Ireland.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Al-Aradi, A

    2009-06-04

    BACKGROUND: Renal transplantation remains the preferred method of renal replacement therapy in terms of patient survival, quality of life and cost. However, patients have a high risk of complications ranging from rejection episodes, infection and cancer, amongst others. AIMS AND METHODS: In this study, we sought to determine the long-term health outcomes and preventive health measures undertaken for the 1,536 living renal transplant patients in Ireland using a self-reported questionnaire. Outcomes were divided into categories, namely, general health information, allograft-related information, immunosuppression-related complications and preventive health measures. RESULTS: The results demonstrate a high rate of cardiovascular, neoplastic and infectious complications in our transplant patients. Moreover, preventive health measures are often not undertaken by patients and lifestyle choices can be poor. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the work needed by the transplantation community to improve patient education, adjust immunosuppression where necessary and aggressively manage patient risk factors.

  7. [Shoulder disability questionnaires: a systematic review].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fayad, F; Mace, Y; Lefevre-Colau, M M

    2005-07-01

    To identify all available shoulder disability questionnaires designed to measure physical functioning and to examine those with satisfactory clinimetric quality. We used the Medline database and the "Guide des outils de mesure de l'évaluation en médecine physique et de réadaptation" textbook to search for questionnaires. Analysis took into account the development methodology, clinimetric quality of the instruments and frequency of their utilization. We classified the instruments according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Thirty-eight instruments have been developed to measure disease-, shoulder- or upper extremity-specific outcome. Four scales assess upper-extremity disability and 3 others shoulder disability. We found 6 scales evaluating disability and shoulder pain, 7 scales measuring the quality of life in patients with various conditions of the shoulder, 14 scales combining objective and subjective measures, 2 pain scales and 2 unclassified scales. Older instruments developed before the advent of modern measurement development methodology usually combine objective and subjective measures. Recent instruments were designed with appropriate methodology. Most are self-administered questionnaires. Numerous shoulder outcome measure instruments are available. There is no "gold standard" for assessing shoulder function outcome in the general population.

  8. [Design and validation of an oral health questionnaire for preoperative anaesthetic evaluation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruíz-López Del Prado, Gema; Blaya-Nováková, Vendula; Saz-Parkinson, Zuleika; Álvarez-Montero, Óscar Luis; Ayala, Alba; Muñoz-Moreno, Maria Fe; Forjaz, Maria João

    Dental injuries incurred during endotracheal intubation are more frequent in patients with previous oral pathology. The study objectives were to develop an oral health questionnaire for preanaesthesia evaluation, easy to apply for personnel without special dental training; and establish a cut-off value for detecting persons with poor oral health. Validation study of a self-administered questionnaire, designed according to a literature review and an expert group's recommendations. The questionnaire was applied to a sample of patients evaluated in a preanaesthesia consultation. Rasch analysis of the questionnaire psychometric properties included viability, acceptability, content validity and reliability of the scale. The sample included 115 individuals, 50.4% of men, with a median age of 58 years (range: 38-71). The final analysis of 11 items presented a Person Separation Index of 0.861 and good adjustment of data to the Rasch model. The scale was unidimensional and its items were not biased by sex, age or nationality. The oral health linear measure presented good construct validity. The cut-off value was set at 52 points. The questionnaire showed sufficient psychometric properties to be considered a reliable tool, valid for measuring the state of oral health in preoperative anaesthetic evaluations. Copyright © 2016 Sociedade Brasileira de Anestesiologia. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  9. Design and validation of an oral health questionnaire for preoperative anaesthetic evaluation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gema Ruíz-López del Prado

    Full Text Available Abstract Background and objectives: Dental injuries incurred during endotracheal intubation are more frequent in patients with previous oral pathology. The study objectives were to develop an oral health questionnaire for preanaesthesia evaluation, easy to apply for personnel without special dental training; and establish a cut-off value for detecting persons with poor oral health. Methods: Validation study of a self-administered questionnaire, designed according to a literature review and an expert group's recommendations. The questionnaire was applied to a sample of patients evaluated in a preanaesthesia consultation. Rasch analysis of the questionnaire psychometric properties included viability, acceptability, content validity and reliability of the scale. Results: The sample included 115 individuals, 50.4% of men, with a median age of 58 years (range: 38-71. The final analysis of 11 items presented a Person Separation Index of 0.861 and good adjustment of data to the Rasch model. The scale was unidimensional and its items were not biased by sex, age or nationality. The oral health linear measure presented good construct validity. The cut-off value was set at 52 points. Conclusions: The questionnaire showed sufficient psychometric properties to be considered a reliable tool, valid for measuring the state of oral health in preoperative anaesthetic evaluations.

  10. Design and validation of an oral health questionnaire for preoperative anaesthetic evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruíz-López Del Prado, Gema; Blaya-Nováková, Vendula; Saz-Parkinson, Zuleika; Álvarez-Montero, Óscar Luis; Ayala, Alba; Muñoz-Moreno, Maria Fe; Forjaz, Maria João

    Dental injuries incurred during endotracheal intubation are more frequent in patients with previous oral pathology. The study objectives were to develop an oral health questionnaire for preanaesthesia evaluation, easy to apply for personnel without special dental training; and establish a cut-off value for detecting persons with poor oral health. Validation study of a self-administered questionnaire, designed according to a literature review and an expert group's recommendations. The questionnaire was applied to a sample of patients evaluated in a preanaesthesia consultation. Rasch analysis of the questionnaire psychometric properties included viability, acceptability, content validity and reliability of the scale. The sample included 115 individuals, 50.4% of men, with a median age of 58 years (range: 38-71). The final analysis of 11 items presented a Person Separation Index of 0.861 and good adjustment of data to the Rasch model. The scale was unidimensional and its items were not biased by sex, age or nationality. The oral health linear measure presented good construct validity. The cut-off value was set at 52 points. The questionnaire showed sufficient psychometric properties to be considered a reliable tool, valid for measuring the state of oral health in preoperative anaesthetic evaluations. Copyright © 2016 Sociedade Brasileira de Anestesiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  11. Predictors and Health-Related Outcomes of Positive Body Image in Adolescent Girls: A Prospective Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrew, Rachel; Tiggemann, Marika; Clark, Levina

    2016-01-01

    This study aimed to investigate prospective predictors and health-related outcomes of positive body image in adolescent girls. In so doing, the modified acceptance model of intuitive eating was also examined longitudinally. A sample of 298 girls aged 12 to 16 years completed a questionnaire containing measures of body appreciation, potential…

  12. Combined Use of Self-Efficacy Scale for Oral Health Behaviour and Oral Health Questionnaire: A Pilot Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soutome, Sakiko; Kajiwara, Kazumi; Oho, Takahiko

    2012-01-01

    Objective: To examine whether the combined use of a task-specific self-efficacy scale for oral health behaviour (SEOH) and an oral health questionnaire (OHQ) would be useful for evaluating subjects' behaviours and cognitions. Design: Questionnaires. Methods: One hundred and eighty-five students completed the SEOH and OHQ. The 30-item OHQ uses a…

  13. Validation of a questionnaire to measure sexual health knowledge and understanding (Sexual Health Questionnaire) in Nepalese secondary school: A psychometric process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acharya, Dev Raj; Thomas, Malcolm; Cann, Rosemary

    2016-01-01

    School-based sex education has the potential to prevent unwanted pregnancy and to promote positive sexual health at the individual, family and community level. To develop and validate a sexual health questionnaire to measure young peoples' sexual health knowledge and understanding (SHQ) in Nepalese secondary school. Secondary school students (n = 259, male = 43.63%, female = 56.37%) and local experts (n = 9, male = 90%, female = 10%) were participated in this study. Evaluation processes were; content validity (>0.89), plausibility check (>95), item-total correlation (>0.3), factor loading (>0.4), principal component analysis (4 factors Kaiser's criterion), Chronbach's alpha (>0.65), face validity and internal consistency using test-retest reliability (P > 0.05). The principal component analysis revealed four factors to be extracted; sexual health norms and beliefs, source of sexual health information, sexual health knowledge and understanding, and level of sexual awareness. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy demonstrated that the patterns of correlations are relatively compact (>0.80). Chronbach's alpha for each factors were above the cut-off point (0.65). Face validity indicated that the questions were clear to the majority of the respondent. Moreover, there were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in the responses to the items at two time points at seven weeks later. The finding suggests that SHQ is a valid and reliable instrument to be used in schools to measure sexual health knowledge and understanding. Further analysis such as structured equation modelling (SEM) and confirmatory factor analysis could make the questionnaire more robust and applicable to the wider school population.

  14. Routine outcome measurement in mental health service consumers: who should provide support for the self-assessments?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gelkopf, Marc; Pagorek-Eshel, Shira; Trauer, Tom; Roe, David

    2015-06-01

    This study examined whether mental health community service users completed outcome self-reports differently when assessments were supervised by internal vs. external staff. The examination of potential differences between the two has useful implications for mental health systems that take upon themselves the challenge of Routine Outcome Measurement (ROM), as it might impact allocation of public resources and managed care program planning. 73 consumers completed the Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of Life (MANSA), a shortened version of the Recovery Assessment Scale (RAS), and a functioning questionnaire. Questionnaires were administered, once using support provided by internal staff and once using support provided by external professional staff, with a one-month time interval and in random order. A MANOVA Repeated Measures showed no differences in outcomes of quality of life and recovery between internal and external support. Functioning scores were higher for the internal support when the internal assessments were performed first. Overall, except for the differences in functioning assessment, outcome scores were not determined by the supporting agency. This might indicate that when measuring quality of life and recovery, different supporting methods can be used to gather outcome measures and internal staff might be a good default agency to do this. Differences found in functioning assessment are discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Cross-cultural adaptation of the CDC Worksite Health ScoreCard questionnaire into Portuguese

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrícia Coelho de Soárez

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available SUMMARY Objective: Despite the progress in the implementation of health promotion programs in the workplace, there are no questionnaires in Brazil to assess the scope of health promotion interventions adopted and their scientific basis. This study aimed to translate into Brazilian Portuguese and culturally adapt the CDC Worksite Health ScoreCard (HSC questionnaire. Method: The HSC has 100 questions grouped into twelve domains. The steps are as follows: translation, reconciliation, back-translation, review by expert panel, pretesting, and final revision. The convenience sample included 27 individuals from health insurance providers and companies of various sizes, types and industries in São Paulo. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: The average age of the sample was 38 years, most of the subjects were female (21 of 27, and were responsible for programs to promote health in these workplaces. Most questions were above the minimum value of understanding set at 90%. The participants found the questionnaire very useful to determine the extent of existing health promotion programs and to pinpoint areas that could be developed. Conclusion: The Brazilian Portuguese version of the HSC questionnaire may be a valid measure and useful to assess the degree of implementation of health promotion interventions based on evidence in local health organizations.

  16. Health risk behaviours among adolescent girls: A questionnaire ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Health risk behaviours among adolescent girls: A questionnaire versus the timeline follow-back procedure. ... E Africa, K van Deventer ... These risk behaviours include violence, cigarette smoking, alcohol and drug use and abuse, irresponsible sexual behaviours, unhealthy eating habits and non-physical activity. The main ...

  17. School-related and social-emotional outcomes of providing mental health services in schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ballard, Kristin L; Sander, Mark A; Klimes-Dougan, Bonnie

    2014-02-01

    This study evaluated student outcomes of an expanded school mental health (ESMH) model that placed community mental health clinicians on-site in schools to identify and treat children with mental health needs. The first aim of this study was to consider school-related outcomes (suspension rates and attendance rates) for those students who received ESMH treatment (n = 159) were compared to a matched high-risk sample that did not receive such services (n = 148). Results demonstrated differences between groups over time on measures of suspensions and attendance but not academic achievement. The second aim of this study was to evaluate change in social-emotional functioning (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire Scores) over time for the treatment group. Results indicated significant improvements on several parent and teacher ratings. Despite limitations of the ESMH framework examined in this study, the overall results suggest some promising advantages for students who received ESMH services.

  18. Mapping health outcomes from ecosystem services

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Keune, Hans; Oosterbroek, Bram; Derkzen, Marthe; Subramanian, Suneetha; Payyappalimana, Unnikrishnan; Martens, Pim; Huynen, Maud; Burkhard, Benjamin; Maes, Joachim

    The practice of mapping ecosystem services (ES) in relation to health outcomes is only in its early developing phases. Examples are provided of health outcomes, health proxies and related biophysical indicators. This chapter also covers main health mapping challenges, design options and

  19. Validity and reliability of the South African health promoting schools monitoring questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Struthers, Patricia; Wegner, Lisa; de Koker, Petra; Lerebo, Wondwossen; Blignaut, Renette J

    2017-04-01

    Health promoting schools, as conceptualised by the World Health Organisation, have been developed in many countries to facilitate the health-education link. In 1994, the concept of health promoting schools was introduced in South Africa. In the process of becoming a health promoting school, it is important for schools to monitor and evaluate changes and developments taking place. The Health Promoting Schools (HPS) Monitoring Questionnaire was developed to obtain opinions of students about their school as a health promoting school. It comprises 138 questions in seven sections: socio-demographic information; General health promotion programmes; health related Skills and knowledge; Policies; Environment; Community-school links; and support Services. This paper reports on the reliability and face validity of the HPS Monitoring Questionnaire. Seven experts reviewed the questionnaire and agreed that it has satisfactory face validity. A test-retest reliability study was conducted with 83 students in three high schools in Cape Town, South Africa. The kappa-coefficients demonstrate mostly fair (κ-scores between 0.21 and 0.4) to moderate (κ-scores between 0.41 and 0.6) agreement between test-retest General and Environment items; poor (κ-scores up to 0.2) agreement between Skills and Community test-retest items, fair agreement between Policies items, and for most of the questions focussing on Services a fair agreement was found. The study is a first effort at providing a tool that may be used to monitor and evaluate students' opinions about changes in health promoting schools. Although the HPS Monitoring Questionnaire has face validity, the results of the reliability testing were inconclusive. Further research is warranted. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

  20. Validity of a questionnaire measuring the world health organization concept of health system responsiveness with respect to perinatal services in the Dutch obstetric care system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Kooy, Jacoba; Valentine, Nicole B; Birnie, Erwin; Vujkovic, Marijana; de Graaf, Johanna P; Denktaş, Semiha; Steegers, Eric A P; Bonsel, Gouke J

    2014-12-03

    The concept of responsiveness, introduced by the World Health Organization (WHO), addresses non-clinical aspects of health service quality that are relevant regardless of provider, country, health system or health condition. Responsiveness refers to "aspects related to the way individuals are treated and the environment in which they are treated" during health system interactions. This paper assesses the psychometric properties of a newly developed responsiveness questionnaire dedicated to evaluating maternal experiences of perinatal care services, called the Responsiveness in Perinatal and Obstetric Health Care Questionnaire (ReproQ), using the eight-domain WHO concept. The ReproQ was developed between October 2009 and February 2010 by adapting the WHO Responsiveness Questionnaire items to the perinatal care context. The psychometric properties of feasibility, construct validity, and discriminative validity were empirically assessed in a sample of Dutch women two weeks post partum. A total of 171 women consented to participation. Feasibility: the interviews lasted between 20 and 40 minutes and the overall missing rate was 8%. Construct validity: mean Cronbach's alphas for the antenatal, birth and postpartum phase were: 0.73 (range 0.57-0.82), 0.84 (range 0.66-0.92), and 0.87 (range 0.62-0.95) respectively. The item-own scale correlations within all phases were considerably higher than most of the item-other scale correlations. Within the antenatal care, birth care and post partum phases, the eight factors explained 69%, 69%, and 76% of variance respectively. Discriminative validity: overall responsiveness mean sum scores were higher for women whose children were not admitted. This confirmed the hypothesis that dissatisfaction with health outcomes is transferred to their judgement on responsiveness of the perinatal services. The ReproQ interview-based questionnaire demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties to describe the quality of perinatal care in the

  1. Psychometrics of the Personal Questionnaire: A client-generated outcome measure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elliott, Robert; Wagner, John; Sales, Célia M D; Rodgers, Brian; Alves, Paula; Café, Maria J

    2016-03-01

    We present a range of evidence for the reliability and validity of data generated by the Personal Questionnaire (PQ), a client-generated individualized outcome measure, using 5 data sets from 3 countries. Overall pretherapy mean internal consistency (alpha) across clients was .80, and within-client alphas averaged .77; clients typically had 1 or 2 items that did not vary with the other items. Analyses of temporal structure indicated high levels of between-clients variance (58%), moderate pretherapy test-retest correlation (r = .57), and high session-to-session Lag-1 autocorrelation (.82). Scores on the PQ provided clear evidence of convergence with a range of outcome measures (within-client r = .41). Mean pre-post effects were large (d = 1.25). The results support a revised caseness cutoff of 3.25 and a reliable change index interval of 1.67. We conclude that PQ data meet criteria for evidence-based, norm-referenced measurement of client psychological distress for supporting psychotherapy practice and research. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  2. Health survey of radiation workers. Results of questionnaire

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morikawa, Kaoru; Aoyama, Takashi; Kawagoe, Yasumitsu; Sunayashiki, Tadashi; Tanaka, Kiyoshi; Nishitani, Motohiro; Yoshinaga, Nobuharu

    1998-01-01

    The Japanese Society of Radiological Technology asked radiation workers about the radiation doses and the state of their health as well as family. The reports by the Health and Welfare Ministry were referenced to compare radiation workers with others. The questionnaire was sent to about 4,000 members, and returned from 2,479. The survey showed that 684 persons (27.6%) felt health anxiety, 455 persons (18.4%) had medical check for recent one year, and 1,645 persons (66.4%) had anamnesis. Radiation doses for one year and cumulated doses varied according to engaging duration. (K.H.)

  3. Relations of Behavioral Autonomy to Health Outcomes Among Emerging Adults With and Without Type 1 Diabetes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reynolds, Kerry A.; Becker, Dorothy; Escobar, Oscar; Siminerio, Linda

    2014-01-01

    Objective To examine the relation of behavioral autonomy to psychological, behavioral, and physical health among emerging adults with and without type 1 diabetes. Methods High school seniors with (n = 118) and without type 1 diabetes (n = 122) completed online questionnaires for three consecutive years. Behavioral autonomy, psychological health, risk behaviors, and diabetes outcomes were assessed. Regression analyses were conducted to predict Time 2 and 3 outcomes, controlling for Time 1 outcomes. Results There were no group differences in behavioral autonomy. Behavioral autonomy predicted better psychological health but only for emerging adults without diabetes. Behavioral autonomy was related to increased risk behavior for both groups. Behavioral autonomy was unrelated to self-care but predicted better glycemic control for females. Conclusions Behavioral autonomy may be beneficial for psychological health, but is related to increased risk behavior. The implications of behavioral autonomy for emerging adults with type 1 diabetes require careful consideration. PMID:25157070

  4. Non-Resident Fathers' Relationships with Their Secondary School Age Children: Determinants and Children's Mental Health Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flouri, Eirini

    2006-01-01

    Data from 520 British secondary school age children were used to explore determinants of and mental health outcomes (measured with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) from their non-resident fathers' relationships (child-reported father's involvement and frequency of contact) with them. Frequency of contact was negatively related to time…

  5. Psychometric properties of HeartQoL, a core heart disease-specific health-related quality of life questionnaire, in Danish implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zangger, Graziella; Zwisler, Ann-Dorthe; Kikkenborg Berg, Selina

    2017-01-01

    Background Patient-reported health-related quality of life is increasingly used as an outcome measure in clinical trials and as a performance measure to evaluate quality of care. The objective of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Danish HeartQoL questionnaire, a core heart...... disease-specific health-related quality of life questionnaire, in implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients. Design This study involved cross-sectional and test-retest study designs. Method Implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients in the cross-sectional study completed the Heart......QoL, the Short-Form 36 Health Survey, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The HeartQoL structure, construct-related validity (convergent and discriminative) and reliability (internal consistency) were assessed. HeartQoL reproducibility (test-retest) was assessed in an independent sample of implantable...

  6. Mental health in early pregnancy is associated with pregnancy outcome in women with pregestational diabetes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Callesen, N F; Secher, A L; Cramon, P

    2015-01-01

    -related quality of life, anxiety, depression and locus of control were seen in women delivering large or appropriate for gestational age infants. CONCLUSIONS: Poor mental quality of life and the presence of depressive symptoms in early pregnancy were associated with preterm delivery in women with pregestational......AIM: To explore the role of early pregnancy health-related quality of life, anxiety, depression and locus of control for pregnancy outcome in women with pregestational diabetes. METHODS: This was a cohort study of 148 pregnant women with pregestational diabetes (118 with Type 1 diabetes and 30...... with Type 2 diabetes), who completed three internationally validated questionnaires: the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control survey at 8 weeks. Selected pregnancy outcomes were preterm delivery (

  7. Patient-assessed measures of health outcome in asthma: a comparison of four approaches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garratt, A M; Hutchinson, A; Russell, I

    2000-06-01

    The study compares the psychometric properties of four different approaches to patient-assessed health outcomes in asthma, including the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ), Newcastle Asthma Symptoms Questionnaire (NASQ), SF-12 and EuroQol. The instruments were administered by means of a self-completed postal questionnaire to 394 patients recruited from general practices in the North East of England. Patients completed a follow-up questionnaire at 6 months. The levels of missing data were assessed and instrument scores compared using correlational analysis. Scores were related to self-reports of smoking behaviour, socioeconomic status and health transition. Responsiveness was assessed using standardized response means. Two hundred and thirty-five patients took part in the study giving a response rate of 59.6%. There was a relatively large amount of missing data for the individualized section of the AQLQ. Correlational analysis provided evidence of convergent validity between the specific instruments; the largest correlation was found between NASQ scores and the asthma symptoms scale of the AQLQ (r = 0.84). The NASQ was found to be the most powerful at discriminating between smokers and non-smokers. All four instruments were linearly related to self-reported asthma transition (Pscope for application in economic evaluation.

  8. [Mental Health in the General Hospital: Results of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) in Four Hospital Services].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castro-Camacho, Leonidas; Escobar, Juan Manuel; Sáenz-Moncaleano, Camilo; Delgado-Barrera, Lucía; Aparicio-Turbay, Soraya; Molano, Juan Carlos; Noguera, Efraín

    2012-03-01

    Few individuals have access to mental health services due in part to underdetection. As it is more likely to consult for medical conditions, primary care may be a useful gateway for early detection of mental health problems. Detection of the frequency of mental health problems in four hospital services at the Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá: Outpatient unit, hospitalization, emergency department, and primary care through a brief detection questionnaire, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ). Cross-sectional study of patients seen at the four services who answered a Demographic Data Questionnaire and the PHQ together with information gathered about current medical diagnosis, history of visits, and hospitalizations during the last year. 1094 patients seen at the four hospital services between September 2010 and May 2011 were selected at random. A mental health problem was detected in 36.7% of the total sample. Major depressive disorder (7.3%), alcohol abuse (14.4%), and any anxiety disorder (7.7%) showed the highest prevalence with the emergency department showing the highest frequency of detection. The usefulness of a brief detection questionnaire such as the PHQ in hospital settings is demonstrated and implications in the design of mental health programs in the general hospital are discussed. The need to replicate this study in other settings and to undertake further research is outlined. Copyright © 2012 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

  9. Psychometric characteristics of health-related quality-of-life questionnaires in oropharyngeal dysphagia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Timmerman, Angelique A; Speyer, Renée; Heijnen, Bas J; Klijn-Zwijnenberg, Iris R

    2014-04-01

    Dysphagia can have severe consequences for the patient's health, influencing health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Sound psychometric properties of HRQoL questionnaires are a precondition for assessing the impact of dysphagia, the focus of this study, resulting in recommendations for the appropriate use of these questionnaires in both clinical practice and research contexts. We performed a systematic review starting with a search for and retrieval of all full-text articles on the development of HRQoL questionnaires related to oropharyngeal dysphagia and/or their psychometric validation from the electronic databases PubMed and Embase published up to June 2011. Psychometric properties were judged according to quality criteria proposed for health status questionnaires. Eight questionnaires were included in this study. Four are aimed solely at HRQoL in oropharyngeal dysphagia: the deglutition handicap index (DHI), dysphagia handicap index (DHI'), M.D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI), and SWAL-QOL, while the EDGQ, EORTC QLQ-STO 22, EORTC QLQ-OG 25 and EORTC QLQ-H&N35 focus on other primary diseases resulting in dysphagia. The psychometric properties of the DHI, DHI', MDADI, and SWAL-QOL were evaluated. For appropriate applicability of HRQoL questionnaires, strong scores on the psychometric criteria face validity, criterion validity, and interpretability are prerequisites. The SWAL-QOL has the strongest ratings for these criteria, while the DHI' is the most easy to apply given its 25 items and the use of a uniform scoring format. For optimal use of HRQoL questionnaires in diverse settings, it is necessary to combine psychometric and utility approaches.

  10. Use of the Liverpool Elbow Score as a postal questionnaire for the assessment of outcome after total elbow arthroplasty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashmore, Alexander M; Gozzard, Charles; Blewitt, Neil

    2007-01-01

    The Liverpool Elbow Score (LES) is a newly developed, validated elbow-specific score. It consists of a patient-answered questionnaire (PAQ) and a clinical assessment. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the PAQ portion of the LES could be used independently as a postal questionnaire for the assessment of outcome after total elbow arthroplasty and to correlate the LES and the Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS). A series of 51 total elbow replacements were reviewed by postal questionnaire. Patients then attended the clinic for assessment by use of both the LES and the MEPS. There was an excellent response rate to the postal questionnaire (98%), and 44 elbows were available for clinical review. Good correlation was shown between the LES and the MEPS (Spearman correlation coefficient, 0.84; P PAQ portion of the LES and the MEPS (Spearman correlation coefficient, 0.76; P PAQ component and the MEPS, suggesting that outcome assessment is possible by postal questionnaire.

  11. Personality and mental health treatment: Traits as predictors of presentation, usage, and outcome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thalmayer, Amber Gayle

    2018-03-08

    Self-report scores on personality inventories predict important life outcomes, including health and longevity, marital outcomes, career success, and mental health problems, but the ways they predict mental health treatment have not been widely explored. Psychotherapy is sought for diverse problems, but about half of those who begin therapy drop out, and only about half who complete therapy experience lasting improvements. Several authors have argued that understanding how personality traits relate to treatment could lead to better targeted, more successful services. Here self-report scores on Big Five and Big Six personality dimensions are explored as predictors of therapy presentation, usage, and outcomes in a sample of community clinic clients (N = 306). Participants received evidence-based treatments in the context of individual-, couples-, or family-therapy sessions. One measure of initial functioning and three indicators of outcome were used. All personality trait scores except Openness associated with initial psychological functioning. Higher Conscientiousness scores predicted more sessions attended for family therapy but fewer for couples-therapy clients. Higher Honesty-Propriety and Extraversion scores predicted fewer sessions attended for family-therapy clients. Better termination outcome was predicted by higher Conscientiousness scores for family- and higher Extraversion scores for individual-therapy clients. Higher Honesty-Propriety and Neuroticism scores predicted more improvement in psychological functioning in terms of successive Outcome Questionnaire-45 administrations. Taken together, the results provide some support for the role of personality traits in predicting treatment usage and outcome and for the utility of a 6-factor model in this context. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  12. Developing a Questionnaire to Measure Perceived Attributes of eHealth Innovations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atkinson, Nancy L.

    2007-01-01

    Objectives: To design a valid and reliable questionnaire to assess perceived attributes of technology-based health education innovations. Methods: College students in 12 personal health courses reviewed a prototype eHealth intervention using a 30-item instrument based upon diffusion theory's perceived attributes of an innovation. Results:…

  13. Brazilian version of the foot health status questionnaire (FHSQ-BR: cross-cultural adaptation and evaluation of measurement properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana F. B. Ferreira

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To conduct a cross-cultural adaptation of the Foot Health Status Questionnaire into Brazilian-Portuguese and to assess its measurement properties. INTRODUCTION: This instrument is an outcome measure with 10 domains with scores ranging from 0-100, worst to best, respectively. The translated instrument will improve the examinations and foot care of rheumatoid arthritis patients. METHODS: The questions were translated, back-translated, evaluated by a multidisciplinary committee and pre-tested (n = 40 rheumatoid arthritis subjects. The new version was submitted to a field test (n = 65 to evaluate measurement properties such as test-retest reliability, internal consistency and construct validity. The Health Assessment Questionnaire, Numeric Rating Scale for foot pain and Sharp/van der Heijde scores for foot X-rays were used to test the construct validity. RESULTS: The cross-cultural adaptation was completed with minor wording adaptations from the original instrument. The evaluation of measurement properties showed high reliability with low variation coefficients between interviews. The a-Cronbach coefficients varied from 0.468 to 0.855, while correlation to the Health Assessment Questionnaire and Numeric Rating Scale was statistically significant for five out of eight domains. DISCUSSION: Intra- and inter-observer correlations showed high reliability. Internal consistency coefficients were high for all domains, revealing higher values for less subjective domains. As for construct validity, each domain revealed correlations with a specific group of parameters according to what the domains intended to measure. CONCLUSION: The FHSQ was cross-culturally adapted, generating a reliable, consistent, and valid instrument that is useful for evaluating foot health in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

  14. Brazilian version of the foot health status questionnaire (FHSQ-BR): cross-cultural adaptation and evaluation of measurement properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferreira, Ana F B; Laurindo, Ieda M M; Rodrigues, Priscilla T; Ferraz, Marcos Bosi; Kowalski, Sérgio C; Tanaka, Clarice

    2008-10-01

    To conduct a cross-cultural adaptation of the Foot Health Status Questionnaire into Brazilian-Portuguese and to assess its measurement properties. This instrument is an outcome measure with 10 domains with scores ranging from 0-100, worst to best, respectively. The translated instrument will improve the examinations and foot care of rheumatoid arthritis patients. The questions were translated, back-translated, evaluated by a multidisciplinary committee and pre-tested (n = 40 rheumatoid arthritis subjects). The new version was submitted to a field test (n = 65) to evaluate measurement properties such as test-retest reliability, internal consistency and construct validity. The Health Assessment Questionnaire, Numeric Rating Scale for foot pain and Sharp/van der Heijde scores for foot X-rays were used to test the construct validity. The cross-cultural adaptation was completed with minor wording adaptations from the original instrument. The evaluation of measurement properties showed high reliability with low variation coefficients between interviews. The alpha-Cronbach coefficients varied from 0.468 to 0.855, while correlation to the Health Assessment Questionnaire and Numeric Rating Scale was statistically significant for five out of eight domains. Intra- and inter-observer correlations showed high reliability. Internal consistency coefficients were high for all domains, revealing higher values for less subjective domains. As for construct validity, each domain revealed correlations with a specific group of parameters according to what the domains intended to measure. The FHSQ was cross-culturally adapted, generating a reliable, consistent, and valid instrument that is useful for evaluating foot health in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

  15. The development and validation of a multidimensional sum-scaling questionnaire to measure patient-reported outcomes in acute respiratory tract infections in primary care: the Acute Respiratory Tract Infection Questionnaire: ARTIQ

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aabenhus, R.; Thorsen, H.; Siersma, V.

    2013-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Patient-reported outcomes are seldom validated measures in clinical trials of acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) in primary care. We developed and validated a patient-reported outcome sum-scaling measure to assess the severity and functional impacts of ARTIs. METHODS: Qualitative...... interviews and field testing among adults with an ARTI were conducted to ascertain a high degree of face and content validity of the questionnaire. Subsequently, a draft version of the Acute Respiratory Tract Infection Questionnaire (ARTIQ) was statistically validated by using the partial credit Rasch model......, sum-scaling questionnaire with high face and content validity and adequate psychometric properties for assessing severity and functional impacts from ARTIs in adults is available to clinical trials and audits in primary care....

  16. Measuring presenteeism: which questionnaire to use in physical activity research?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Helen Elizabeth; Burton, Nicola; Gilson, Nicholas David; Brown, Wendy

    2014-02-01

    An emerging area of interest in workplace health is presenteeism; the measurable extent to which physical or psychosocial symptoms, conditions and disease adversely affect the work productivity of those who choose to remain at work. Given established links between presenteeism and health, and health and physical activity, presenteeism could be an important outcome in workplace physical activity research. This study provides a narrative review of questionnaires for use in such research. Eight self-report measures of presenteeism were identified. Information regarding development, constructs measured and psychometric properties was extracted from relevant articles. Questionnaires were largely self-administered, had 4-44 items, and recall periods ranging from 1 week to 1 year. Items were identified as assessing work performance, physical tolerance, psychological well-being and social or role functioning. Samples used to test questionnaires were predominantly American male employees, with an age range of 30-59 years. All instruments had undergone psychometric assessment, most commonly discriminant and construct validity. Based on instrument characteristics, the range of conceptual foci covered and acceptable measurement properties, the Health and Work Questionnaire, Work Ability Index, and Work Limitations Questionnaire are suggested as most suitable for further exploring the relationship between physical activity and presenteeism.

  17. Youth motivation as a predictor of treatment outcomes in a community mental health system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merrill, Brett M; Warren, Jared S; Garcia, Darren J; Hardy, Sam A

    2017-03-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between youth motivation and psychotherapy outcomes in routine community mental health settings. One hundred fifty youth, ages 12-17, from three community mental health clinics completed the Youth Outcome Questionnaire and Treatment Support Measure at frequent intervals over the course of treatment. Increases in motivation followed a curvilinear trajectory. On average, youth motivation significantly increased over the course of therapy according to both self- and parent reports (p motivation over the course of therapy was negatively associated with the slope for mental health symptoms (p motivation did not predict overall change or the rate of change in symptoms. However, there was significant individual variability in patterns of youth motivation. Our findings demonstrate that youth show increases in motivation over the course of therapy with most gains occurring in the first few sessions. Because increases in motivation over the course of therapy were related to decreases in mental health symptoms, further research is needed to examine how treatment interventions or other factors such as parent motivation may moderate this relationship. Additional research examining the likely complex relationship between initial youth motivation and treatment outcomes in community mental health settings is needed.

  18. Reference values for anxiety questionnaires: the Leiden Routine Outcome Monitoring Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schulte-van Maaren, Yvonne W M; Giltay, Erik J; van Hemert, Albert M; Zitman, Frans G; de Waal, Margot W M; Carlier, Ingrid V E

    2013-09-25

    The monitoring of patients with an anxiety disorder can benefit from Routine Outcome Monitoring (ROM). As anxiety disorders differ in phenomenology, several anxiety questionnaires are included in ROM: Brief Scale for Anxiety (BSA), PADUA Inventory Revised (PI-R), Panic Appraisal Inventory (PAI), Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ), Worry Domains Questionnaire (WDQ), Social Interaction, Anxiety Scale (SIAS), Social Phobia Scale (SPS), and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). We aimed to generate reference values for both 'healthy' and 'clinically anxious' populations for these anxiety questionnaires. We included 1295 subjects from the general population (ROM reference-group) and 5066 psychiatric outpatients diagnosed with a specific anxiety disorder (ROM patient-group). The MINI was used as diagnostic device in both the ROM reference group and the ROM patient group. To define limits for one-sided reference intervals (95th percentile; P95) the outermost 5% of observations were used. Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) analyses were used to yield alternative cut-off values for the anxiety questionnaires. For the ROM reference-group the mean age was 40.3 years (SD=12.6), and for the ROM patient-group it was 36.5 years (SD=11.9). Females constituted 62.8% of the reference-group and 64.4% of the patient-group. P95 ROM reference group cut-off values for reference versus clinically anxious populations were 11 for the BSA, 43 for the PI-R, 37 for the PAI Anticipated Panic, 47 for the PAI Perceived Consequences, 65 for the PAI Perceived Self-efficacy, 66 for the PSWQ, 74 for the WDQ, 32 for the SIAS, 19 for the SPS, and 36 for IES-R. ROC analyses yielded slightly lower reference values. The discriminative power of all eight anxiety questionnaires was very high. Substantial non-response and limited generalizability. For eight anxiety questionnaires a comprehensive set of reference values was provided. Reference values were generally higher in women than in men

  19. Interviewer versus self-administered health-related quality of life questionnaires - Does it matter?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ackatz Lori E

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Patient-reported outcomes are measured in many epidemiologic studies using self- or interviewer-administered questionnaires. While in some studies differences between these administration formats were observed, other studies did not show statistically significant differences important to patients. Since the evidence about the effect of administration format is inconsistent and mainly available from cross-sectional studies our aim was to assess the effects of different administration formats on repeated measurements of patient-reported outcomes in participants with AIDS enrolled in the Longitudinal Study of Ocular Complications of AIDS. Methods We included participants enrolled in the Longitudinal Study of Ocular Complications in AIDS (LSOCA who completed the Medical Outcome Study [MOS] -HIV questionnaire, the EuroQol, the Feeling Thermometer and the Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ 25 every six months thereafter using self- or interviewer-administration. A large print questionnaire was available for participants with visual impairment. Considering all measurements over time and adjusting for patient and study site characteristics we used linear models to compare HRQL scores (all scores from 0-100 between administration formats. We defined adjusted differences of ≥0.2 standard deviations [SD] to be quantitatively meaningful. Results We included 2,261 participants (80.6% males with a median of 43.1 years of age at enrolment who provided data on 23,420 study visits. The self-administered MOS-HIV, Feeling Thermometer and EuroQol were used in 70% of all visits and the VFQ-25 in 80%. For eight domains of the MOS-HIV differences between the interviewer- and self- administered format were Conclusions Our large study provides evidence that administration formats do not have a meaningful effect on repeated measurements of patient-reported outcomes. As a consequence, longitudinal studies may not need to consider the effect of

  20. Mediating role of stress reactivity in the effects of prenatal tobacco exposure on childhood mental health outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Aesoon; O'Malley, Stephanie S; King, Sarah L; Picciotto, Marina R

    2014-02-01

    Prenatal tobacco exposure, through maternal smoking during pregnancy, has been associated with adverse mental health outcomes in childhood. However, the mechanisms by which prenatal tobacco exposure compromises mental health later in life are unclear. We hypothesized that sensitized reactivity to stressful life events in early childhood mediates the effect of prenatal tobacco exposure on mental health outcomes in middle childhood, after accounting for earlier mental health outcomes. Data were from 12,308 mothers and their children drawn from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a large prospective population-based study. Mothers' self-reports of smoking during pregnancy, mothers' ratings of their child's reactivity to stressful life events, and teachers' and mothers' ratings of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire assessing 5 domains of mental health outcomes were measured. A positive association was found between prenatal tobacco exposure and stress reactivity between the ages of 2 and 6. In turn, stress reactivity was positively associated with peer (isolation), hyperactivity, conduct, and emotional problems (but not prosocial behaviors) between the ages of 7 and 11, after accounting for the mental health outcome at age 4 and other confounders. Heightened stress reactivity in preschool ages mediated the effect of prenatal tobacco exposure on adverse mental health outcomes between the ages of 7 and 11. Interventions to assist children exposed to tobacco smoke during gestation in coping with stressful life events may help mitigate psychiatric symptoms in this population.

  1. Do illness perceptions predict health outcomes in primary care patients? A 2-year follow-up study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frostholm, Lisbeth; Ørnbøl, Eva; Christensen, Kaj Aage Sparle

    2007-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Little is known about whether illness perceptions affect health outcomes in primary care patients. The aim of this study was to examine if patients' illness perceptions were associated with their self-rated health in a 2-year follow-up period. METHODS: One thousand seven hundred eighty...... at follow-up for the whole group of patients. Patients presenting with MUS had more negative illness perceptions and lower mental and physical components subscale of the SF-36 scores at all time points. CONCLUSIONS: Patients' perception of a new or recurrent health problem predicts self-reported physical......-five primary care patients presenting a new or recurrent health problem completed an adapted version of the illness perception questionnaire and the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) at baseline and 3, 12, and 24 months' follow-up. Linear regressions were performed for (1) all...

  2. Effects of Mindfulness Interventions on Health Outcomes in Older Lesbian/Bisexual Women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ingraham, Natalie; Eliason, Michele J; Garbers, Samantha; Harbatkin, Dawn; Minnis, Alexandra M; McElroy, Jane A; Haynes, Suzanne G

    2016-07-07

    Lesbian and bisexual (LB) women are at higher risk for obesity, but no reported interventions focus on older LB women who are overweight or obese. The Healthy Weight in Lesbian and Bisexual Women study funded five programs (n = 266 LB women age ≥40); two examined effects of mindfulness interventions on health outcomes. Analysis of variance and regression measured the impact of mindfulness-based programs on health behaviors and quality of life (MCS). Outcomes were also compared between intervention sites (mindfulness vs. standard weight loss approaches). Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ) subscale scores improved significantly from preassessment to postassessment in mindfulness interventions. LB women who reported an increase (top tertile) in mindful eating had the most significant increase in MCS scores (35.3%) compared with those with low gains (low and medium tertile) in mindfulness (3.8%). MEQ score increase predicted 40.8% of the variance (adjusted) in MCS score, R(2) = .431, F(6,145) = 18.337, p mindfulness were significantly related to increases in physical activity and some nutrition outcomes. Mindfulness intervention sites showed within-person improvements in MCS and fruit and vegetable intake, whereas standard intervention sites showed within-person decreases in alcohol intake and increases in physical activity level. Although weight loss was not a primary outcome at the mindfulness sites, small but significant weight loss and weight-to-height ratio decreases were reported at all five sites. Increases in mindfulness were associated with a number of significant self-reported health improvements, including a great increase in perceived mental health quality of life. Mindfulness may be a promising practice to address health issues in aging LB women. Copyright © 2016 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. All rights reserved.

  3. Can the painDETECT Questionnaire score and MRI help predict treatment outcome in rheumatoid arthritis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rifbjerg-Madsen, Signe; Christensen, Anton Wulf; Boesen, Mikael

    2014-01-01

    contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) is performed. METHOD AND ANALYSIS: The painDETECT Questionnaire (PDQ), originally developed to screen for a neuropathic pain component, is applied to indicate the presence of central sensitisation. Adults diagnosed with RA are included when either (A) initiating disease......-inflammatory treatment, to explore the prognostic value of a screening questionnaire for central sensitisation, hand inflammation assessed by conventional MRI, and the interaction between them regarding treatment outcome evaluated by clinical status (DAS28-CRP). For the purpose of further exploratory analyses, dynamic...

  4. Measuring Appetite with the Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire Identifies Hospitalised Older People at Risk of Worse Health Outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pilgrim, A L; Baylis, D; Jameson, K A; Cooper, C; Sayer, A A; Robinson, S M; Roberts, H C

    2016-01-01

    Poor appetite is commonly reported by older people but is rarely measured. The Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire (SNAQ) was validated to predict weight loss in community dwelling older adults but has been little used in hospitals. We evaluated it in older women on admission to hospital and examined associations with healthcare outcomes. Longitudinal observational with follow-up at six months. Female acute Medicine for Older People wards at a University hospital in England. 179 female inpatients. Age, weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), grip strength, SNAQ, Barthel Index Score, Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Geriatric Depression Scale: Short Form (GDS-SF), Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST), category of domicile and receipt of care were measured soon after admission and repeated at six month follow-up. The length of hospital stay (LOS), hospital acquired infection, readmissions and deaths by follow-up were recorded. 179 female participants mean age 87 (SD 4.7) years were recruited. 42% of participants had a low SNAQ score (appetite). A low SNAQ score was associated with an increased risk of hospital acquired infection (OR 3.53; 95% CI: 1.48, 8.41; p=0.004) and with risk of death (HR 2.29; 95% CI: 1.12, 4.68; p = 0.023) by follow-up. Poor appetite was common among the older hospitalised women studied, and was associated with higher risk of poor healthcare outcomes.

  5. Psychological outcomes and health beliefs in adolescent and young adult survivors of childhood cancer and controls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kazak, Anne E; Derosa, Branlyn Werba; Schwartz, Lisa A; Hobbie, Wendy; Carlson, Claire; Ittenbach, Richard F; Mao, Jun J; Ginsberg, Jill P

    2010-04-20

    PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to compare adolescent and young adult (AYA) pediatric cancer survivors and peers without a history of serious illness on psychological distress, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), health beliefs; examine age at diagnosis and cancer treatment intensity on these outcomes; and examine relationships between number of health problems and the outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS AYA cancer survivors (n = 167) and controls (n = 170), recruited during visits to a cancer survivorship clinic and primary care, completed self-report questionnaires of distress, health problems, and health beliefs. For survivors, providers rated treatment intensity and health problems. Results There were no statistically significant differences between survivors and controls in psychological distress or HRQOL. Cancer survivors had less positive health beliefs. Survivors diagnosed as adolescents had significantly greater psychological distress and fewer positive health beliefs than those diagnosed earlier. Survivors with the highest level of treatment intensity had greater anxiety and fewer positive health beliefs than those with less intense treatments. Provider report of current health problems related to survivors' beliefs and mental HRQOL only, whereas patient report of health problems correlated significantly with most psychosocial outcomes and beliefs. CONCLUSION AYA cancer survivors did not differ from peers in psychological adjustment but did endorse less adaptive health beliefs. Survivors diagnosed during adolescence and who had more intensive cancer treatments evidenced poorer psychosocial outcomes. Beliefs about health may be identified and targeted for intervention to improve quality of life, particularly when patient perceptions of current health problems are considered.

  6. Validation of the Oxford Participation and Activities Questionnaire

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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

  7. HEALTH OF CHILDREN FROM THE RESULTS OF THE PARENTS QUESTIONNAIRE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. M. Ostrovskyi

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Health is one of the main conditions that determine the adequate child development. Work objective: to find out the state of health of the children of the city and the changes in these parameters for 16 years. The method of research is the questionnaire survey of parents of children from one year to 17 years. The questionnaire contains 20 questions and 94 answer choices, which are statically processed in comparison with the results of a similar study in 2000.Results and conclusions: 582 respondents were questioned. The findings indicate a change in the health status of children. Over the past 6 years, the number of children breastfed up to one and a half years has increased and the number of children receiving breastfeeding for 1 to 3 months has decreased. A number of factors have been identified that negatively affect the health of children: infection pregnant, pathological pregnancy, short duration of breastfeeding, previous illnesses, smoking during pregnancy and in the home, a negative attitude toward vaccinations, and a long time spent with electronic equipment.

  8. Predictors of positive health in disability pensioners: a population-based questionnaire study using Positive Odds Ratio

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edén Lena

    2002-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Determinants of ill-health have been studied far more than determinants of good and improving health. Health promotion measures are important even among individuals with chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to find predictors of positive subjective health among disability pensioners (DPs with musculoskeletal disorders. Methods Two questionnaire surveys were performed among 352 DPs with musculoskeletal disorders. Two groups were defined: DPs with positive health and negative health, respectively. In consequence with the health perspective in this study the conception Positive Odds Ratio was defined and used in the logistic regression analyses instead of the commonly used odds ratio. Results Positive health was associated with age ≥ 55 years, not being an immigrant, not having fibromyalgia as the main diagnosis for granting an early retirement, no regular use of analgesics, a high ADL capacity, a positive subjective health preceding the study period, and good quality of life. Conclusion Positive odds ratio is a concept well adapted to theories of health promotion. It can be used in relation to positive outcomes instead of risks. Suggested health promotion and secondary prevention efforts among individuals with musculoskeletal disorders are 1 to avoid a disability pension for individuals

  9. Relations of behavioral autonomy to health outcomes among emerging adults with and without type 1 diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helgeson, Vicki S; Reynolds, Kerry A; Becker, Dorothy; Escobar, Oscar; Siminerio, Linda

    2014-01-01

    To examine the relation of behavioral autonomy to psychological, behavioral, and physical health among emerging adults with and without type 1 diabetes. High school seniors with (n = 118) and without type 1 diabetes (n = 122) completed online questionnaires for three consecutive years. Behavioral autonomy, psychological health, risk behaviors, and diabetes outcomes were assessed. Regression analyses were conducted to predict Time 2 and 3 outcomes, controlling for Time 1 outcomes. There were no group differences in behavioral autonomy. Behavioral autonomy predicted better psychological health but only for emerging adults without diabetes. Behavioral autonomy was related to increased risk behavior for both groups. Behavioral autonomy was unrelated to self-care but predicted better glycemic control for females. Behavioral autonomy may be beneficial for psychological health, but is related to increased risk behavior. The implications of behavioral autonomy for emerging adults with type 1 diabetes require careful consideration. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  10. Length of unemployment and health-related outcomes: a life-course analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janlert, Urban; Winefield, Anthony H; Hammarström, Anne

    2015-08-01

    Most previous studies on the effects of length of unemployment on health have focused on the duration of continuous spells of unemployment rather than on the cumulative length of intermittent spells. This study analysed the relationship between the cumulative length of intermittent spells of unemployment and different health-related outcomes using data from a longitudinal study of school leavers. All pupils who completed compulsory schooling in 1981 in a medium-sized town in northern Sweden (N = 1083) were followed for 14 years with repeated questionnaires including questions about unemployment, health and health behaviour. Men tended to react with a steady state or a levelling off of health symptoms with increased unemployment, whereas women showed deteriorating health symptoms. For health behaviour the reverse occurred. Women's health behaviour was less connected with increased unemployment while men's health behaviour tended to deteriorate. Cumulative length of unemployment is correlated with deteriorated health and health behaviour. Long-term unemployment, even as a result of cumulated shorter employment spells over a number of years should be an urgent target for policy makers. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

  11. Sleep, health-related quality of life, and functional outcomes in adults with diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chasens, Eileen R; Sereika, Susan M; Burke, Lora E; Strollo, Patrick J; Korytkowski, Mary

    2014-11-01

    This study explored the association of sleep quality with physical and mental health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and functional outcomes in 116 participants with type 2 diabetes. The study is a secondary analysis of baseline data from a clinical trial that examined treatment of obstructive sleep apnea on physical activity and glucose control. Instruments included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Medical Outcomes Short-Form Physical Component and Mental Component Scores, and Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire. Higher physical HRQoL was significantly associated with better sleep quality and improved functional outcomes of increased activity and productivity. Higher mental HRQoL was associated with improved sleep quality and improved functional outcomes of increased activity, social interactions, vigilance, and productivity. Poor sleep quality was a predictor of decreased functional outcomes while controlling for age, race, education, BMI, marital status and physical and mental HRQoL. Poor sleep quality is associated with negative physical, mental, and functional outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Test-retest of computerized health status questionnaires frequently used in the monitoring of knee osteoarthritis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gudbergsen, Henrik; Bartels, Else M.; Krusager, Peter

    2011-01-01

    ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: To compare data based on touch screen to data based on traditional paper versions of questionnaires frequently used to examine patient reported outcomes in knee osteoarthritis patients and to examine the impact of patient characteristics on this comparison METHODS: Participa......ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: To compare data based on touch screen to data based on traditional paper versions of questionnaires frequently used to examine patient reported outcomes in knee osteoarthritis patients and to examine the impact of patient characteristics on this comparison METHODS...... subgroups, completing either the paper or touch screen version first. Mean, mean differences (95% CI), median, median differences and Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICCs) were calculated for all questionnaires. RESULTS: ICCs between data based on computerized and paper versions ranged from 0.86 to 0.......99. Analysis revealed a statistically significant difference between versions of the ADL Taxonomy, but not for the remaining questionnaires. Age, computer experience or education-level had no significant impact on the results. The computerized questionnaires were reported to be easier to use. CONCLUSION...

  13. The Portuguese version of the Outcome Questionnaire (OQ-45): Normative data, reliability, and clinical significance cut-offs scores.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Machado, Paulo P P; Fassnacht, Daniel B

    2015-12-01

    The Outcome Questionnaire (OQ-45) is one of the most extensively used standardized self-report instruments to monitor psychotherapy outcomes. The questionnaire is designed specifically for the assessment of change during psychotherapy treatments. Therefore, it is crucial to provide norms and clinical cut-off values for clinicians and researchers. The current study aims at providing study provides norms, reliability indices, and clinical cut-off values for the Portuguese version of the scale. Data from two large non-clinical samples (high school/university, N = 1,669; community, N = 879) and one clinical sample (n = 201) were used to investigate psychometric properties and derive normative data for all OQ-45 subscales and the total score. Significant and substantial differences were found for all subscales between the clinical and non-clinical sample. The Portuguese version also showed adequate reliabilities (internal consistency, test-retest), which were comparable to the original version. To assess individual clinical change, clinical cut-off values and reliable change indices were calculated allowing clinicians and researchers to monitor and evaluate clients' individual change. The Portuguese version of the OQ-45 is a reliable instrument with comparable Portuguese norms and cut-off scores to those from the original version. This allows clinicians and researchers to use this instrument for evaluating change and outcome in psychotherapy. This study provides norms for non-clinical and clinical Portuguese samples and investigates the reliability (internal consistency and test-retest) of the OQ-45. Cut-off values and reliable change index are provided allowing clinicians to evaluate clinical change and clients' response to treatment, monitoring the quality of mental health care services. These can be used, in routine clinical practice, as benchmarks for treatment progress and to empirically base clinical decisions such as continuation of treatment or considering

  14. Contribution of health workforce to health outcomes: empirical evidence from Vietnam.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Mai Phuong; Mirzoev, Tolib; Le, Thi Minh

    2016-11-16

    In Vietnam, a lower-middle income country, while the overall skill- and knowledge-based quality of health workforce is improving, health workers are disproportionately distributed across different economic regions. A similar trend appears to be in relation to health outcomes between those regions. It is unclear, however, whether there is any relationship between the distribution of health workers and the achievement of health outcomes in the context of Vietnam. This study examines the statistical relationship between the availability of health workers and health outcomes across the different economic regions in Vietnam. We constructed a panel data of six economic regions covering 8 years (2006-2013) and used principal components analysis regressions to estimate the impact of health workforce on health outcomes. The dependent variables representing the outcomes included life expectancy at birth, infant mortality, and under-five mortality rates. Besides the health workforce as our target explanatory variable, we also controlled for key demographic factors including regional income per capita, poverty rate, illiteracy rate, and population density. The numbers of doctors, nurses, midwives, and pharmacists have been rising in the country over the last decade. However, there are notable differences across the different categories. For example, while the numbers of nurses increased considerably between 2006 and 2013, the number of pharmacists slightly decreased between 2011 and 2013. We found statistically significant evidence of the impact of density of doctors, nurses, midwives, and pharmacists on improvement to life expectancy and reduction of infant and under-five mortality rates. Availability of different categories of health workforce can positively contribute to improvements in health outcomes and ultimately extend the life expectancy of populations. Therefore, increasing investment into more equitable distribution of four main categories of health workforce

  15. Safety culture perceptions of pharmacists in Malaysian hospitals and health clinics: a multicentre assessment using the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samsuri, Srima Elina; Pei Lin, Lua; Fahrni, Mathumalar Loganathan

    2015-01-01

    Objective To assess the safety attitudes of pharmacists, provide a profile of their domains of safety attitude and correlate their attitudes with self-reported rates of medication errors. Design A cross-sectional study utilising the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ). Setting 3 public hospitals and 27 health clinics. Participants 117 pharmacists. Main outcome measure(s) Safety culture mean scores, variation in scores across working units and between hospitals versus health clinics, predictors of safety culture, and medication errors and their correlation. Results Response rate was 83.6% (117 valid questionnaires returned). Stress recognition (73.0±20.4) and working condition (54.8±17.4) received the highest and lowest mean scores, respectively. Pharmacists exhibited positive attitudes towards: stress recognition (58.1%), job satisfaction (46.2%), teamwork climate (38.5%), safety climate (33.3%), perception of management (29.9%) and working condition (15.4%). With the exception of stress recognition, those who worked in health clinics scored higher than those in hospitals (psafety culture. As perceptions improved, the number of medication errors reported decreased. Group-specific interventions that target specific domains are necessary to improve the safety culture. PMID:26610761

  16. Exploring Outcomes to Consider in Economic Evaluations of Health Promotion Programs : What Broader Non-Health Outcomes Matter Most?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Benning, Tim M; Alayli-Goebbels, Adrienne F G; Aarts, Marie-Jeanne; Stolk, Elly; de Wit, G Ardine; Prenger, Rilana; Braakman-Jansen, Louise M A; Evers, Silvia M A A

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Attention is increasing on the consideration of broader non-health outcomes in economic evaluations. It is unknown which non-health outcomes are valued as most relevant in the context of health promotion. The present study fills this gap by investigating the relative importance of

  17. Exploring Outcomes to Consider in Economic Evaluations of Health Promotion Programs: What Broader Non-Health Outcomes Matter Most?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Benning, Tim M.; Alayli-Goebbels, Adrienne F.G.; Aarts, Marie-Jeanne; Stolk, Elly; de Wit, G. Ardine; Prenger, Hendrikje Cornelia; Braakman-Jansen, Louise Marie Antoinette; Evers, Silvia M.A.A.

    2015-01-01

    Background Attention is increasing on the consideration of broader non-health outcomes in economic evaluations. It is unknown which non-health outcomes are valued as most relevant in the context of health promotion. The present study fills this gap by investigating the relative importance of

  18. Outcomes of xerostomia-related quality of life for nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated by IMRT: based on the EORTC QLQ-C30 and H&N35 questionnaires.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bian, Xiuhua; Song, Tao; Wu, Shixiu

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was to review the published literature addressing the question of whether intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) resulted in an improvement of quality of life (QoL), especially xerostomia-related QoL of all nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients as time progressed. A literature search of PubMed, Embase and Google Scholar was performed, only reports containing original data of the QoL scores after treated by IMRT were included. Two independent reviewers extracted information of study design, study population, interventions, outcome measures and conclusions for each article. The inclusion criteria were met by 14 articles covering outcomes based on the questionnaires treated by IMRT. Data from same questionnaires (European Organization of Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 and H&N35 questionnaires) were exacted and we analyzed four items (global health status, dry mouth and sticky saliva, swallowing, social eating and social contact), which have a close relationship with xerostomia-related QoL. Results indicated that a maximal deterioration of most QoL scales including global health status developed during treatment or at the end of the treatment course and then followed by a gradual recovery to 1 year, 1-2 years after IMRT, compared with their baseline level, some specific head and neck items, most in the EORTC QLQ H&N35, remained worse for the surviving patients. In conclusion, the published data reasonably support the benefits of IMRT in improving QoL, but xerostomia-related items still had a significantly negative effect in 2 years to impact a survivor's QoL.

  19. Processes and outcomes in school health promotion

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Simovska, Venka

    2012-01-01

    This is the second special issue of Health Education which features research, theory and practice based perspectives on what counts as desirable outcomes of health promotion in schools in terms of health as well as education, and the effective processes in schools which lead to these outcomes....... The focus in the first special issue was on highlighting the argument that the question about the outcomes of the health-promoting schools should not be limited to narrowly defined health outcomes but needs to be closely linked with the core tasks and values of the school. Building further on this argument......, the papers in this issue feature a number of research issues of relevance for the effectiveness of the health-promoting schools approach, as well as a variety of research and evaluation methodologies contributing to the debate about what counts as reliable evidence within the health-promoting schools...

  20. Migrants and obstetrics in Austria--applying a new questionnaire shows differences in obstetric care and outcome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oberaigner, Willi; Leitner, Hermann; Oberaigner, Karin; Marth, Christian; Pinzger, Gerald; Concin, Hans; Steiner, Horst; Hofmann, Hannes; Wagner, Teresa; Mörtl, Manfred; Ramoni, Angela

    2013-01-01

    Immigration plays a major role in obstetrics in Austria, and about 18 % of the Austrian population are immigrants. Therefore, we aimed to (1) test the feasibility of a proposed questionnaire for assessment of migrant status in epidemiological research and (2) assess some important associations between procedures and outcomes in obstetrics and migration in selected departments in Austria. We adapted a standardized questionnaire to the main immigration groups in Austria. Information on country of origin, length of residence in Austria and German-language ability was collected from eight selected obstetrics departments. Of the 1,971 questionnaires, 1,873 questionnaires of singleton births were selected and included in the analysis. We analyzed a total of 1,873 parturients with singleton births, of which 35 % had migrant status, 12 % were from ex-Yugoslavia, 12 % were from Turkey, and 12 % were from other countries. The proportion of parturients having their first care visit after the 12th week of pregnancy was higher in migrant groups (19 %). Smoking was highest in the migrants from ex-Yugoslavia (21 %). Vaginal delivery was more frequent in migrants from ex-Yugoslavia (78 %) and Turkey (83 %) than in nonmigrants (71 %) and episiotomy was more frequently performed in migrants from other countries. All differences are statistically significant. Administration of a standardized questionnaire for assessment of migrant status in obstetric departments in Austria was shown to be feasible. We assessed differences in obstetric care and outcome and consequently recommend that action should be initiated in Austria toward harmonizing obstetric procedures among the migrant and the nonmigrant groups and toward minimizing risk factors.

  1. Systematic Review Protocol to Assess the Effectiveness of Usability Questionnaires in mHealth App Studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Leming; Bao, Jie; Parmanto, Bambang

    2017-08-01

    Usability questionnaires have a wide use in mobile health (mHealth) app usability studies. However, no systematic review has been conducted for assessing the effectiveness of these questionnaires. This paper describes a protocol for conducting a systematic review of published questionnaire-based mHealth app usability studies. In this systematic review, we will select recently published (2008-2017) articles from peer-reviewed journals and conferences that describe mHealth app usability studies and implement at least one usability questionnaire. The search strategy will include terms such as "mobile app" and "usability." Multiple databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, and INSPEC will be searched. There will be 2 independent reviewers in charge of screening titles and abstracts as well as determining those articles that should be included for a full-text review. The third reviewer will act as a mediator between the other 2 reviewers. Moreover, a data extraction form will be created and used during the full article data analysis. Notably, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines will be followed in reporting this protocol. A preliminary search produced 1271 articles, 40 of which are duplicate records. The inclusion-exclusion criteria are being strictly followed in performing the ongoing study selection. Usability questionnaires are an important tool in mHealth app usability studies. This review will summarize the usability questionnaires used in published research articles while assessing the efficacy of these questionnaires in determining the usability of mHealth apps. ©Leming Zhou, Jie Bao, Bambang Parmanto. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http://www.researchprotocols.org), 01.08.2017.

  2. Validation of the Global Health Professions Students Survey questionnaire in Italy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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

  3. 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

  4. Development of a new occupational balance-questionnaire: incorporating the perspectives of patients and healthy people in the design of a self-reported occupational balance outcome instrument.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dür, Mona; Steiner, Günter; Fialka-Moser, Veronika; Kautzky-Willer, Alexandra; Dejaco, Clemens; Prodinger, Birgit; Stoffer, Michaela Alexandra; Binder, Alexa; Smolen, Josef; Stamm, Tanja Alexandra

    2014-04-05

    Self-reported outcome instruments in health research have become increasingly important over the last decades. Occupational therapy interventions often focus on occupational balance. However, instruments to measure occupational balance are scarce. The aim of the study was therefore to develop a generic self-reported outcome instrument to assess occupational balance based on the experiences of patients and healthy people including an examination of its psychometric properties. We conducted a qualitative analysis of the life stories of 90 people with and without chronic autoimmune diseases to identify components of occupational balance. Based on these components, the Occupational Balance-Questionnaire (OB-Quest) was developed. Construct validity and internal consistency of the OB-Quest were examined in quantitative data. We used Rasch analyses to determine overall fit of the items to the Rasch model, person separation index and potential differential item functioning. Dimensionality testing was conducted by the use of t-tests and Cronbach's alpha. The following components emerged from the qualitative analyses: challenging and relaxing activities, activities with acknowledgement by the individual and by the sociocultural context, impact of health condition on activities, involvement in stressful activities and fewer stressing activities, rest and sleep, variety of activities, adaptation of activities according to changed living conditions and activities intended to care for oneself and for others. Based on these, the seven items of the questionnaire (OB-Quest) were developed. 251 people (132 with rheumatoid arthritis, 43 with systematic lupus erythematous and 76 healthy) filled in the OB-Quest. Dimensionality testing indicated multidimensionality of the questionnaire (t = 0.58, and 1.66 after item reduction, non-significant). The item on the component rest and sleep showed differential item functioning (health condition and age). Person separation index was 0

  5. Sexual health in women with pelvic floor disorders: measuring the sexual activity and function with questionnaires--a summary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Espuña Pons, Montserrat

    2009-05-01

    The integration of sexual health into the health care services is important. In women attending urogynecological clinics, the urinary function, anorectal function, and anatomical defects are more often evaluated than those related to sexual activity and function. A group of experts in urogynecology, sexuality, and patient reported outcome development, met in a roundtable with the final objective of reviewing what is currently available and what is needed to accurately evaluate sexual function in women with pelvic floor dysfunction. An article was prepared for each of the issued presented during the roundtable and combined into this supplement. This article is a summary of all articles included in this supplement. The pathophysiology of sexual dysfunction as related to pelvic floor disorders has not been well established. Sexuality questionnaires and scales play an integral role in the diagnosis and treatment of female sexual dysfunction. The Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire (PISQ) is the only validated female sexual function questionnaire specifically developed to assess sexual function in women with urinary incontinence and/or pelvic organ prolapse; however, the PISQ does not screen for sexual activity. The effects of treatments for pelvic floor problems on sexual function have received little attention. There is a need for a validated sexual function measure that evaluates not only the impact of pelvic floor dysfunction on sexual function but also the impact on sexual activity.

  6. [Professional outcomes and psychological health after workplace bullying: an exploratory follow-up study].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fiabane, Elena; Flachi, Daniela; Giorgi, Ines; Crepaldi, Ilaria; Candura, Stefano M; Mazzacane, Fulvio; Argentero, Piergiorgio

    2015-07-08

    The literature shows that workplace bullying can lead to negative consequences for both individuals' health and professional outcomes. Most of these studies used cross-sectional designs and self-report questionnaires and further research is needed in order to explore long-term effects of workplace bullying. This follow-up study aimed to explore professional and psychological outcomes in a sample of subjects who required a specialized and multidisciplinary assessment for psychological problems related, in their opinion, to workplace bullying. The sample includes 71 patients with a baseline diagnosis of work-related psychological disorder who were assessed at follow-up by means of a structured telephone interview. The interview included structured questions about professional career developments and psycho-somatic health, and administration of the General Health Questionnaire-12. 62.0% of the participants were currently working and, of these, 59.1% had changed workplace after experiencing mobbing. Patients who changed workplace scored significantly higher on job satisfaction levels (p<0.01) and showed lower levels of social dysfunction (p<0.01) compared to those who did not change their job. Patients with a baseline diagnosis of Adjustment disorder/Post-Traumatic Stress disorder had higher levels of general dysphoria (p<0.04) and social dysfunction (p<0.01) at follow-up than other patients. These findings  stress the importance of an accurate diagnostic assessment of mobbing-related psychopathological disorder. Victims of workplace bullying require early and continuous psychological support in order to promote their psychological well-being and work reinstatement.

  7. Adaptation of Questionnaire Measuring Working Conditions and Health Problems Among Iranian Nursing Personnel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Narges Arsalani, RN, MSc

    2011-09-01

    Conclusion: The findings show that the adapted questionnaire has an acceptable conceptual structure and provides reliable information from the nursing profession. Consequently, the questionnaire is applicable to work situation studies among nurses and other health care workers.

  8. A Wireless Health Outcomes Monitoring System (WHOMS: development and field testing with cancer patients using mobile phones

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brunelli Cinzia

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Health-Related Quality of Life assessment is widely used in clinical research, but rarely in clinical practice. Barriers including practical difficulties administering printed questionnaires have limited their use. Telehealth technology could reduce these barriers and encourage better doctor-patient interaction regarding patient symptoms and quality-of-life monitoring. The aim of this study was to develop a new system for transmitting patients' self-reported outcomes using mobile phones or the internet, and to test whether patients can and will use the system via a mobile phone. Methods We have developed a prototype of a Wireless Health Outcomes Monitoring System, which allows structured questionnaires to be sent to the patient by their medical management team. The patients' answers are directly sent to an authorised website immediately accessible by the medical team, and are displayed in a graphic format that highlights the patient's state of health. In the present study, 97 cancer inpatients were asked to complete a ten-item questionnaire. The questionnaire was delivered by display on a mobile phone, and was answered by the patients using the mobile phone keypad. Results Of the 97 patients, 56 (58% attempted the questionnaire, and all of these 56 completed it. Only 6% of the total number of questions were left unanswered by patients. Forty-one (42% patients refused to participate, mostly due to their lack of familiarity with mobile phone use. Compared with those who completed the questionnaire, patients who refused to participate were older, had fewer years of education and were less familiar with new communications technology (mobile phone calls, mobile phone SMS, internet, email. Conclusion More than half of the patients self-completed the questionnaire using the mobile phone. This proportion may increase with the use of multichannel communications which can be incorporated into the system. The proportion may also

  9. Measuring health literacy in populations: illuminating the design and development process of the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sørensen, Kristine; Van den Broucke, Stephan; Pelikan, Jürgen M; Fullam, James; Doyle, Gerardine; Slonska, Zofia; Kondilis, Barbara; Stoffels, Vivian; Osborne, Richard H; Brand, Helmut

    2013-10-10

    Several measurement tools have been developed to measure health literacy. The tools vary in their approach and design, but few have focused on comprehensive health literacy in populations. This paper describes the design and development of the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q), an innovative, comprehensive tool to measure health literacy in populations. Based on a conceptual model and definition, the process involved item development, pre-testing, field-testing, external consultation, plain language check, and translation from English to Bulgarian, Dutch, German, Greek, Polish, and Spanish. The development process resulted in the HLS-EU-Q, which entailed two sections, a core health literacy section and a section on determinants and outcomes associated to health literacy. The health literacy section included 47 items addressing self-reported difficulties in accessing, understanding, appraising and applying information in tasks concerning decisions making in healthcare, disease prevention, and health promotion. The second section included items related to, health behaviour, health status, health service use, community participation, socio-demographic and socio-economic factors. By illuminating the detailed steps in the design and development process of the HLS-EU-Q, it is the aim to provide a deeper understanding of its purpose, its capability and its limitations for others using the tool. By stimulating a wide application it is the vision that HLS-EU-Q will be validated in more countries to enhance the understanding of health literacy in different populations.

  10. Reliability and validity of the Dutch version of the American Burn Association/Shriners Hospital for Children Burn Outcomes Questionnaire (5-18 years of age)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Baar, Margriet E.; Essink-Bot, Marie-Louise; Oen, Irma M. M. H.; Dokter, Jan; Boxma, Han; Hinson, Michelle I.; van Loey, Nancy E. E.; Faber, Albertus W.; van Beeck, Ed F.

    2006-01-01

    The American Burn Association/Shriners Hospital for Children Burn Outcomes Questionnaire (BOQ) is a self-administered questionnaire to monitor functional outcome after burns in children and adolescents. This study aimed to assess feasibility, reliability, and validity of the Dutch BOQ. The BOQ was

  11. 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

  12. Measurement Properties of the Scoliosis Research Society Outcomes Questionnaire in Adolescent Patients With Spondylolisthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gutman, Gabriel; Joncas, Julie; Mac-Thiong, Jean-Marc; Beauséjour, Marie; Roy-Beaudry, Marjolaine; Labelle, Hubert; Parent, Stefan

    2017-09-01

    Prospective validation of the Scoliosis Research Society Outcomes Questionnaire French-Canadian version (SRS-22fv) in adolescent patients with spondylolisthesis. To determine the measurement properties of the SRS-22fv. The SRS-22 is widely used for the assessment of health-related quality of life in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and other spinal deformities. Spondylolisthesis has an important effect on quality of life. The instrument was previously used in this population, although its measurement properties remained unknown. We aim to determine its reliability, factorial, concurrent validity, and its discriminant capacity in an adolescent spondylolisthesis population. The SRS-22fv was tested in 479 subjects (272 patients with spondylolisthesis, 143 with AIS, and 64 controls) at a single institution. Its reliability was measured using the coefficient of internal consistency, concurrent validity by the short form-12 (SF-12v2 French version) and discriminant validity using multivariate analysis of variance, analysis of covariance, and multivariate linear regression. The SRS-22fv showed a good global internal consistency (spondylolisthesis: Cronbach α = 0.91, AIS: 0.86, and controls: 0.78) in all its domains for spondylolisthesis patients. It showed a factorial structure consistent with the original questionnaire, with 60% of explained variance under four factors. Moderate to high correlation coefficients were found for specifically corresponding domains between SRS-22fv and SF-12v2. Boys had higher scores than do girls, scores worsened with increasing age and body mass index. Analysis of covariance showed statistically significant differences between patients with spondylolisthesis, patients with AIS, and controls when controlling for age, sex, body mass index, pain, function, and self-image scores. In the spondylolisthesis group, scores on all domains and mean total scores were significantly lower in surgical candidates and in patients with high

  13. Health outcome after major trauma: what are we measuring?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffman, Karen; Cole, Elaine; Playford, E Diane; Grill, Eva; Soberg, Helene L; Brohi, Karim

    2014-01-01

    Trauma is a global disease and is among the leading causes of disability in the world. The importance of outcome beyond trauma survival has been recognised over the last decade. Despite this there is no internationally agreed approach for assessment of health outcome and rehabilitation of trauma patients. To systematically examine to what extent outcomes measures evaluate health outcomes in patients with major trauma. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL (from 2006-2012) were searched for studies evaluating health outcome after traumatic injuries. Studies of adult patients with injuries involving at least two body areas or organ systems were included. Information on study design, outcome measures used, sample size and outcomes were extracted. The World Health Organisation International Classification of Function, Disability and Health (ICF) were used to evaluate to what extent outcome measures captured health impacts. 34 studies from 755 studies were included in the review. 38 outcome measures were identified. 21 outcome measures were used only once and only five were used in three or more studies. Only 6% of all possible health impacts were captured. Concepts related to activity and participation were the most represented but still only captured 12% of all possible concepts in this domain. Measures performed very poorly in capturing concepts related to body function (5%), functional activities (11%) and environmental factors (2%). Outcome measures used in major trauma capture only a small proportion of health impacts. There is no inclusive classification for measuring disability or health outcome following trauma. The ICF may provide a useful framework for the development of a comprehensive health outcome measure for trauma care.

  14. A systematic review of patient-reported outcome measures in paediatric otolaryngology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Powell, J; Powell, S; Robson, A

    2018-01-01

    Recently, there has been increased emphasis on the development and application of patient-reported outcome measures. This drive to assess the impact of illness or interventions, from the patient's perspective, has resulted in a greater number of available questionnaires. The importance of selecting an appropriate patient-reported outcome measure is specifically emphasised in the paediatric population. The literature on patient-reported outcome measures used in paediatric otolaryngology was reviewed. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the databases Medline, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and PsycInfo, using the terms: 'health assessment questionnaire', 'structured questionnaire', 'questionnaire', 'patient reported outcome measures', 'PROM', 'quality of life' or 'survey', and 'children' or 'otolaryngology'. The search was limited to English-language articles published between 1996 and 2016. The search yielded 656 articles, of which 63 were considered relevant. This included general paediatric patient-reported outcome measures applied to otolaryngology, and paediatric otolaryngology disease-specific patient-reported outcome measures. A large collection of patient-reported outcome measures are described in the paediatric otolaryngology literature. Greater standardisation of the patient-reported outcome measures used in paediatric otolaryngology would assist in pooling of data and increase the validation of tools used.

  15. 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

  16. Factors associated with health care access and outcome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paek, Min-So; Lim, Jung-Won

    2012-01-01

    This study aims to (1) assess ethnic differences in health care access and health outcome between Asian Americans and whites and between Asian American subgroups, (2) examine effects of cultural factors, and (3) investigate moderating effects of health risk behaviors between cultural characteristics and health care access and outcome. Data were derived from the 2007 California Health Interview Survey. Asian Americans (n = 4,462) and whites (n = 4,470) were included. There were significant ethnic differences in health care access and health perception between Asian Americans and Whites and across Asian American subgroups. Health risk behaviors moderated relationships between cultural factors and health care access and outcome. Findings reveal that ethnicity affects an individual's health care access and health perception, and their health behaviors are an important factor that may improve or worsen outcomes. This study may increase our knowledge base of research and interventions to enhance ethnic minority populations' health care accessibility and perceptions.

  17. The Use of Parsimonious Questionnaires in Occupational Health Surveillance: Psychometric Properties of the Short Italian Version of the Effort/Reward Imbalance Questionnaire

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicola Magnavita

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. To perform a parsimonious measurement of workplace psychosocial stress in routine occupational health surveillance, this study tests the psychometric properties of a short version of the original Italian effort-reward imbalance (ERI questionnaire. Methods. 1,803 employees (63 percent women from 19 service companies in the Italian region of Latium participated in a cross-sectional survey containing the short version of the ERI questionnaire (16 items and questions related to self-reported health, musculoskeletal complaints and job satisfaction. Exploratory factor analysis, internal consistency of scales and criterion validity were utilized. Results. The internal consistency of scales was satisfactory. Principal component analysis enabled to identify the model’s main factors. Significant associations with health and job satisfaction in the majority of cases support the notion of criterion validity. A high score on the effort-reward ratio was associated with an elevated odds ratio (OR = 2.71; 95% CI 1.86–3.95 of musculoskeletal complaints in the upper arm. Conclusions. The short form of the Italian ERI questionnaire provides a psychometrically useful tool for routine occupational health surveillance, although further validation is recommended.

  18. Health outcome after major trauma: what are we measuring?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karen Hoffman

    Full Text Available Trauma is a global disease and is among the leading causes of disability in the world. The importance of outcome beyond trauma survival has been recognised over the last decade. Despite this there is no internationally agreed approach for assessment of health outcome and rehabilitation of trauma patients.To systematically examine to what extent outcomes measures evaluate health outcomes in patients with major trauma.MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL (from 2006-2012 were searched for studies evaluating health outcome after traumatic injuries.Studies of adult patients with injuries involving at least two body areas or organ systems were included. Information on study design, outcome measures used, sample size and outcomes were extracted. The World Health Organisation International Classification of Function, Disability and Health (ICF were used to evaluate to what extent outcome measures captured health impacts.34 studies from 755 studies were included in the review. 38 outcome measures were identified. 21 outcome measures were used only once and only five were used in three or more studies. Only 6% of all possible health impacts were captured. Concepts related to activity and participation were the most represented but still only captured 12% of all possible concepts in this domain. Measures performed very poorly in capturing concepts related to body function (5%, functional activities (11% and environmental factors (2%.Outcome measures used in major trauma capture only a small proportion of health impacts. There is no inclusive classification for measuring disability or health outcome following trauma. The ICF may provide a useful framework for the development of a comprehensive health outcome measure for trauma care.

  19. Toward Ensuring Health Equity: Readability and Cultural Equivalence of OMERACT Patient-reported Outcome Measures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petkovic, Jennifer; Epstein, Jonathan; Buchbinder, Rachelle; Welch, Vivian; Rader, Tamara; Lyddiatt, Anne; Clerehan, Rosemary; Christensen, Robin; Boonen, Annelies; Goel, Niti; Maxwell, Lara J; Toupin-April, Karine; De Wit, Maarten; Barton, Jennifer; Flurey, Caroline; Jull, Janet; Barnabe, Cheryl; Sreih, Antoine G; Campbell, Willemina; Pohl, Christoph; Duruöz, Mehmet Tuncay; Singh, Jasvinder A; Tugwell, Peter S; Guillemin, Francis

    2015-12-01

    The goal of the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) 12 (2014) equity working group was to determine whether and how comprehensibility of patient-reported outcome measures (PROM) should be assessed, to ensure suitability for people with low literacy and differing cultures. The English, Dutch, French, and Turkish Health Assessment Questionnaires and English and French Osteoarthritis Knee and Hip Quality of Life questionnaires were evaluated by applying 3 readability formulas: Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid grade level, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook; and a new tool, the Evaluative Linguistic Framework for Questionnaires, developed to assess text quality of questionnaires. We also considered a study assessing cross-cultural adaptation with/without back-translation and/or expert committee. The results of this preconference work were presented to the equity working group participants to gain their perspectives on the importance of comprehensibility and cross-cultural adaptation for PROM. Thirty-one OMERACT delegates attended the equity session. Twenty-six participants agreed that PROM should be assessed for comprehensibility and for use of suitable methods (4 abstained, 1 no). Twenty-two participants agreed that cultural equivalency of PROM should be assessed and suitable methods used (7 abstained, 2 no). Special interest group participants identified challenges with cross-cultural adaptation including resources required, and suggested patient involvement for improving translation and adaptation. Future work will include consensus exercises on what methods are required to ensure PROM are appropriate for people with low literacy and different cultures.

  20. Outcome mapping for health system integration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tsasis P

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Peter Tsasis,1 Jenna M Evans,2 David Forrest,3 Richard Keith Jones4 1School of Health Policy and Management, Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, Canada; 2Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada; 3Global Vision Consulting Ltd, Victoria, Canada; 4R Keith Jones and Associates, Victoria, Canada Abstract: Health systems around the world are implementing integrated care strategies to improve quality, reduce or maintain costs, and improve the patient experience. Yet few practical tools exist to aid leaders and managers in building the prerequisites to integrated care, namely a shared vision, clear roles and responsibilities, and a common understanding of how the vision will be realized. Outcome mapping may facilitate stakeholder alignment on the vision, roles, and processes of integrated care delivery via participative and focused dialogue among diverse stakeholders on desired outcomes and enabling actions. In this paper, we describe an outcome-mapping exercise we conducted at a Local Health Integration Network in Ontario, Canada, using consensus development conferences. Our preliminary findings suggest that outcome mapping may help stakeholders make sense of a complex system and foster collaborative capital, a resource that can support information sharing, trust, and coordinated change toward integration across organizational and professional boundaries. Drawing from the theoretical perspectives of complex adaptive systems and collaborative capital, we also outline recommendations for future outcome-mapping exercises. In particular, we emphasize the potential for outcome mapping to be used as a tool not only for identifying and linking strategic outcomes and actions, but also for studying the boundaries, gaps, and ties that characterize social networks across the continuum of care. Keywords: integrated care, integrated delivery systems, complex adaptive systems, social capital

  1. 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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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

  2. Use of a Latent Topic Model for Characteristic Extraction from Health Checkup Questionnaire Data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hatakeyama, Y; Miyano, I; Kataoka, H; Nakajima, N; Watabe, T; Yasuda, N; Okuhara, Y

    2015-01-01

    When patients complete questionnaires during health checkups, many of their responses are subjective, making topic extraction difficult. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a model capable of extracting appropriate topics from subjective data in questionnaires conducted during health checkups. We employed a latent topic model to group the lifestyle habits of the study participants and represented their responses to items on health checkup questionnaires as a probability model. For the probability model, we used latent Dirichlet allocation to extract 30 topics from the questionnaires. According to the model parameters, a total of 4381 study participants were then divided into groups based on these topics. Results from laboratory tests, including blood glucose level, triglycerides, and estimated glomerular filtration rate, were compared between each group, and these results were then compared with those obtained by hierarchical clustering. If a significant (p topic model and hierarchical clustering grouping revealed that, in the latent topic model method, a small group of participants who reported having subjective signs of urinary disorder were allocated to a single group. The latent topic model is useful for extracting characteristics from a small number of groups from questionnaires with a large number of items. These results show that, in addition to chief complaints and history of past illness, questionnaire data obtained during medical checkups can serve as useful judgment criteria for assessing the conditions of patients.

  3. Measuring the effects of online health information: Scale validation for the e-Health Impact Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly, Laura; Ziebland, Sue; Jenkinson, Crispin

    2015-11-01

    Health-related websites have developed to be much more than information sites: they are used to exchange experiences and find support as well as information and advice. This paper documents the development of a tool to compare the potential consequences and experiences a person may encounter when using health-related websites. Questionnaire items were developed following a review of relevant literature and qualitative secondary analysis of interviews relating to experiences of health. Item reduction steps were performed on pilot survey data (n=167). Tests of validity and reliability were subsequently performed (n=170) to determine the psychometric properties of the questionnaire. Two independent item pools entered psychometric testing: (1) Items relating to general views of using the internet in relation to health and, (2) Items relating to the consequences of using a specific health-related website. Identified sub-scales were found to have high construct validity, internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Analyses confirmed good psychometric properties in the eHIQ-Part 1 (11 items) and the eHIQ-Part 2 (26 items). This tool will facilitate the measurement of the potential consequences of using websites containing different types of material (scientific facts and figures, blogs, experiences, images) across a range of health conditions. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  4. Development and evaluation of an Individualized Outcome Measure (IOM) for randomized controlled trials in mental health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pesola, Francesca; Williams, Julie; Bird, Victoria; Freidl, Marion; Le Boutillier, Clair; Leamy, Mary; Macpherson, Rob; Slade, Mike

    2015-12-01

    Pre-defined, researcher-selected outcomes are routinely used as the clinical end-point in randomized controlled trials (RCTs); however, individualized approaches may be an effective way to assess outcome in mental health research. The present study describes the development and evaluation of the Individualized Outcome Measure (IOM), which is a patient-specific outcome measure to be used for RCTs of complex interventions. IOM was developed using a narrative review, expert consultation and piloting with mental health service users (n = 20). The final version of IOM comprises two components: Goal Attainment (GA) and Personalized Primary Outcome (PPO). For GA, patients identify one relevant goal at baseline and rate its attainment at follow-up. For PPO, patients choose an outcome domain related to their goal from a pre-defined list at baseline, and complete a standardized questionnaire assessing the chosen outcome domain at baseline and follow-up. A feasibility study indicated that IOM had adequate completion (89%) and acceptability (96%) rates in a clinical sample (n = 84). IOM was then evaluated in a RCT (ISRCTN02507940). GA and PPO components were associated with each other and with the trial primary outcome. The use of the PPO component of IOM as the primary outcome could be considered in future RCTs. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  5. Validation of Health Behavior and Stages of Change Questionnaire

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gonzalez-Ramirez LP

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Leivy Patricia Gonzalez-Ramirez,1,2 Jose Maria De la Roca-Chiapas,2 Cecilia Colunga-Rodriguez,3,4 Maria de Lourdes Preciado-Serrano,3 Adrian Daneri-Navarro,5 Francisco Javier Pedroza-Cabrera,6 Reyna Jazmin Martinez-Arriaga1 1Department of Health Sciences, University Centre of Tonala, University of Guadalajara, Guadalajara, 2Department of Psychology, Division of Health Sciences, Campus Leon, University of Guanajuato, Guanajuato, 3Department of Public Health, University Centre for Health Sciences, University of Guadalajara, 4Paediatric Hospital, Western National Medical Centre, Mexican Social Security Institute, 5Departament of Physiology, University Centre for Health Sciences, University of Guadalajara, Guadalajara, 6Department of Psychology, Autonomous University of Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, Mexico Background: The transtheoretical model (TTM has been widely used to promote healthy behaviors in different groups. However, a questionnaire has not yet been developed to evaluate the health behaviors that medical practitioners often consider in individuals with cancer or at a high risk of developing cancer.Purpose: The aim of this study was to construct and validate the Health Behavior and Stages of Change Questionnaire (HBSCQ, which is based on the TTM and health recommendations related to risk and factors that protect against cancer. Methods: Content validity was conducted in two phases (qualitative and quantitative. Item difficulty index, item discrimination index, and discrimination coefficient were obtained based on the classical test theory. Finally, Cronbach’s alpha was used.Results: Measure of concordance showed scores considered adequate and excellent. The item discrimination index obtained a rating of “excellent” and suggested the preservation of all items. The discrimination coefficient scores are >0.74. The global internal consistency of the HBSCQ was 0.384. HBSCQ specification between groups of internal consistency for the

  6. Attitudes of nursing students on consumer participation: the effectiveness of the Mental Health Consumer Participation Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byrne, Louise; Happell, Brenda; Platania-Phung, Chris

    2015-01-01

    The aims of this article were to evaluate the Mental Health Consumer Participation Questionnaire, and measure nursing students' attitudes to consumer participation. Undergraduate nursing students (n = 116) completed the Mental Health Consumer Participation Questionnaire at the start of a course on recovery for mental health nursing practice. The current findings confirm an endorsement of consumer participation in individual care processes, but less agreement with participation in organizational-level processes, such as management of mental health services and education of providers. This article also confirms that the questionnaire can effectively measure attitudes to consumer participation. The participation of consumers is critical for achieving person-centered services mental health services. It is important that nursing education influence positive attitudes. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. The development and validation of a multidimensional sum-scaling questionnaire to measure patient-reported outcomes in acute respiratory tract infections in primary care: the acute respiratory tract infection questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aabenhus, Rune; Thorsen, Hanne; Siersma, Volkert; Brodersen, John

    2013-01-01

    Patient-reported outcomes are seldom validated measures in clinical trials of acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) in primary care. We developed and validated a patient-reported outcome sum-scaling measure to assess the severity and functional impacts of ARTIs. Qualitative interviews and field testing among adults with an ARTI were conducted to ascertain a high degree of face and content validity of the questionnaire. Subsequently, a draft version of the Acute Respiratory Tract Infection Questionnaire (ARTIQ) was statistically validated by using the partial credit Rasch model to test dimensionality, objectivity, and reliability of items. Test of known groups' validity was conducted by comparing participants with and without an ARTI. The final version of the ARTIQ consisted of 38 items covering five dimensions (Physical-upper, Physical-lower, Psychological, Sleep, and Medicine) and five single items. All final dimensions were confirmed to fit the Rasch model, thus enabling sum-scaling of responses. The ARTIQ scores in participants with an ARTI were significantly higher than in those without ARTI (known groups' validity). A self-administered, multidimensional, sum-scaling questionnaire with high face and content validity and adequate psychometric properties for assessing severity and functional impacts from ARTIs in adults is available to clinical trials and audits in primary care. Copyright © 2013, International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc.

  8. The Relationship of Built Environment to Health-Related Behaviors and Health Outcomes in Elderly Community Residents in a Middle Income Country.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blay, Sergio L; Schulz, Amy J; Mentz, Graciela

    2015-07-16

    Few studies have examined the impact of the built environment (BE) on health behaviours and health outcomes in middle income countries. This study examines associations between self-assessed characteristics of the home and neighbourhood environment and health-related behaviours and health outcomes in an elderly population in Brazil. In a community sample of 6963 community dwellers 60 years old and older living in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, associations between self-reported BE conditions and health behaviours and health outcomes were assessed using a structured questionnaire. Multivariate analysis was conducted to investigate these associations while accounting for other relevant characteristics. We found significant positive associations between adverse BE conditions and pulmonary, urinary conditions, gastrointestinal, problems, headache and depression. There were mixed associations between adverse BE conditions and musculoskeletal and sensory conditions, inverse associations with metabolic disorders. and no associations with dermatologic problems and cancer. After accounting for health related behaviours, results suggest a modest association between adverse BE conditions and hypertension, with no significant associations with other indicators of cardiovascular conditions (heart problems, stroke, varicose veins). The findings in this study suggest links between adverse conditions in the BE and health related behaviours in the hypothesized direction. Associations with the health conditions examined here are mixed. We find the strongest evidence for effects of adverse BE conditions for pulmonary and infectious conditions. Significant associations between the adverse BE indicators and health outcomes persist after accounting for health related behaviours, suggesting that BE conditions are linked to health pathways above and beyond the health related behaviours assessed in this study. Significance for public healthThe health outcomes for which we found

  9. Reliability and validity of the Positive Mental Health Questionnaire in a sample of Spanish university students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roldán-Merino, J; Lluch-Canut, M T; Casas, I; Sanromà-Ortíz, M; Ferré-Grau, C; Sequeira, C; Falcó-Pegueroles, A; Soares, D; Puig-Llobet, M

    2017-03-01

    WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: In general, the current studies of positive mental health use questionnaires or parts thereof. However, while these questionnaires evaluate aspects of positive mental health, they fail to measure the construct itself. WHAT DOES THIS PAPER ADD TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: The widespread use and the lack of specific questionnaires for evaluating the positive mental health construct justify the need to measure the robustness of the Positive Mental Health Questionnaire. Also six factors are proposed to measure positive mental health. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: The availability of a good questionnaire to measure positive mental health in university students is useful not only to promote mental health but also to strengthen the curricula of future professionals. Introduction Nursing has a relevant role in managing mental health. It is important to identify and thereafter to enhance positive aspects of mental health among university nursing students. Aim The aim of the present study was to analyse the psychometric properties of the Positive Mental Health Questionnaire (PMHQ) in terms of reliability and validity using confirmatory factor analysis in a sample of university students. Method A cross-sectional study was carried out in a sample of 1091 students at 4 nursing schools in Catalonia, Spain. The reliability of the PMHQ was measured by means of Cronbach's alpha coefficient, and the test-retest stability was measured with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to determine the validity of the factorial structure. Results Cronbach's alpha coefficient was satisfactory (>0.70) for four of the six subscales or dimensions and ranged from 0.54 to 0.79. ICC analysis was satisfactory for the six subscales or dimensions. The hypothesis was confirmed in the analysis of the correlations between subclasses and the overall scale, with the strongest correlations being found between the majority of

  10. Translation and Psychometric Validation of Women Health Questionnaire (WHQ in Persian Language

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sevil Hakimi

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Menopause is not a disease; however the somatic and psychological symptoms that accompany it affect the life of women. Women health questionnaire (WHQ is a self-administered questionnaire that measures the physical and mental health of women ages 40 to 65 years. The purpose of this study is to provide psychometric documentation details of the translation of WHQ into the Persian language. A total of 350 peri and postmenopausal women were recruited from urban health centers in the city of Tabriz, between March and October 2015. The validity of WHQ was assessed using construct and discriminate validity. The reliability of questionnaire was assessed by test retest reliability and measuring internal consistency. The KMO was 0.791, and the Bartlett’s test of Sphericity was significant. Principle component analysis (PCA resulted in 9 factors which explained up to 55.4% of the total variance. Cronbach's coefficient was 0.799 and the Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC of the Persian translation scale was 0.712. Evaluation of the psychometric properties showed that the Persian language translation of the 36-item version of the WHQ was appropriate when applied to middle aged women

  11. Self-reported health outcomes in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis randomized to two etanercept regimens

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gniadecki, R; Robertson, David; Molta, C T

    2012-01-01

    the impact of skin disease on QoL; the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI), an assessment of physical function; the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), which screens for anxiety and depression symptoms; and individual questions on general health, disease activity, fatigue......Background Moderate/severe psoriasis combined with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) impairs health-related quality of life (QoL). Etanercept, a fully human tumour necrosis factor-a receptor fusion protein, is approved for treatment of both diseases. Objective To compare patient-reported health outcomes...... additional weeks. PROs included: the EuroQOL-5D (EQ-5D), which measures general health status and consists of the utility index measuring five dimensions of health, and a visual analogue scale (VAS) allowing patients to assess health status; the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), which measures...

  12. Good agreement between questionnaire and administrative databases for health care use and costs in patients with osteoarthritis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robertson M Clare

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Estimating costs is essential to the economic analysis of health care programs. Health care costs are often captured from administrative databases or by patient report. Administrative records only provide a partial representation of health care costs and have additional limitations. Patient-completed questionnaires may allow a broader representation of health care costs; however the validity and feasibility of such methods have not been firmly established. This study was conducted to assess the validity and feasibility of using a patient-completed questionnaire to capture health care use and costs for patients with osteoarthritis, and to compare the research costs of the data-capture methods. Methods We designed a patient questionnaire and applied it in a clinical trial. We captured equivalent data from four administrative databases. We evaluated aspects of the questionnaire's validity using sensitivity and specificity, Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (ρc, and Bland-Altman comparisons. Results The questionnaire's response rate was 89%. Acceptable sensitivity and specificity levels were found for all types of health care use. The numbers of visits and the majority of medications reported by patients were in agreement with the database-derived estimates (ρc > 0.40. Total cost estimates from the questionnaire agreed with those from the databases. Patient-reported co-payments agreed with administrative records with respect to GP office transactions, but not pharmaceutical co-payments. Research costs for the questionnaire-based method were less than one-third of the costs for the databases method. Conclusion A patient-completed questionnaire is feasible for capturing health care use and costs for patients with osteoarthritis, and data collected using it mostly agree with administrative databases. Caution should be exercised when applying unit costs and collecting co-payment data.

  13. [Validity and reliability of the Culture of Quality Health Services questionnaire in Mexico].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herrera-Kiengelher, L; Zepeda-Zaragoza, J; Austria-Corrales, F; Vázquez-Zarate, V M

    2013-01-01

    Patient Safety is a major public health problem worldwide and is responsibility of all those involved in health care. Establishing a Safety Culture has proved to be a factor that favors the integration of work teams, communication and construction of clear procedures in various organizations. Promote a culture of safety depends on several factors, such as organization, work unit and staff. Objective assessment of these factors will help to identify areas for improvement and establish strategic lines of action. [corrected] To adapt, validate and calibrate the questionnaire Culture of Quality in Health Services (CQHS) in Mexican population. A cross with a stratified representative sample of 522 health workers. The questionnaire was translated and adapted from Singer's. Content was validated by experts, internal consistency, confirmatory factorial validity and item calibration with Samejima's Graded Response Model. Convergent and divergent construct validity was confirmed from the CQHS, item calibration showed that the questionnaire is able to discriminate between patients and represent different levels of the hypothesized dimensions with greater accuracy and lower standard error. The CQHS is a valid and reliable instrument to assess patient safety culture in hospitals in Mexico. Copyright © 2013 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  14. Validation of the King's Health Questionnaire for South Africa in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Objective. To validate the King's Health Questionnaire for urinary incontinence in the local South African English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa female community. Design. A cohort analytical study. Setting and subjects. The study utilised a sample of convenience. Women with urinary incontinence attending the gynaecology clinic ...

  15. Factor analytic study of two questionnaires measuring oral health-related quality of life among children and adults in New Zealand, Germany and Poland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tapsoba, H; Deschamps, J P; Leclercq, M H

    2000-01-01

    A questionnaire designed to measure oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) in adults and children was assessed for its factorial structure and reliability using data from the Second International Collaborative Study on Oral Health Outcomes in New Zealand, Poland and Germany. Principal component analysis with orthogonal and oblique rotation was applied. The three-factor structure hypothesized for the children's questionnaire (self-reported oral disease symptoms, perceived oral well-being, social and physical functioning) was confirmed in New Zealand and Poland, and two self-reported oral disease symptom dimensions emerged in Germany. Five factors instead of the three hypothesized were identified for adults: two dimensions of symptoms were identified, and social and physical functioning appeared to be independent dimensions of OHRQOL. Similarity between the factors was demonstrated in all three countries. The reliability of the questionnaire ranged from moderate to excellent depending on the dimension and the country. These findings provide preliminary evidence of the cross-cultural stability of the OHRQOL questionnaire in New Zealand, Poland and Germany, for both children and adults. Further investigations by the present authors of the properties of the instrument in other samples will focus on demonstrating the stability and replicability of the factor structure identified here.

  16. Cultural adaptation and validation of the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Maindal, Helle Terkildsen; Kayser, Lars; Nørgaard, Ole

    2016-01-01

    Health literacy is an important construct in population health and healthcare requiring rigorous measurement. The Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ), with nine scales, measures a broad perception of health literacy. This study aimed to adapt the HLQ to the Danish setting, and to examine the factor......, composite scale reliability and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Cognitive testing revealed that only minor re-wording was required. The easiest scale to respond to positively was ‘Social support for health’, and the hardest were ‘Navigating the healthcare system’ and ‘Appraisal of health information...... with no cross-loadings or correlated residuals allowed. Given this restricted model, the fit was satisfactory. The HLQ appears robust for its intended application of assessing health literacy in a range of settings. Further work is required to demonstrate sensitivity to measure changes....

  17. Menstruation, objectification and health-related quality of life: A questionnaire study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sveinsdóttir, Herdís

    2018-02-01

    To explore young women's health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and investigate whether menstrual and menarche experiences and objectification predict mental and physical health components of HRQOL. Menstruation plays a fundamental role in female biology, in women's relationship to their bodies and consequently in women's health and their HRQOL. Cross-sectional explorative survey design. A questionnaire that included the SF-36v2, the Self-objectification Questionnaire (SOQ), the Body Surveillance and Body Shame subscales of the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale, the Belief and Attitudes Towards Menstruation Questionnaire (four subscales), and questions on menarche and menstruation was administered at the end of 2013 to 319 Icelandic women who represented the population by age. The SF-36v2 includes eight dimensions addressing the mental and physical components of HRQOL. Scores are presented as raw data scores and scores based on standardised score of American women and range from 0 to 100 with higher scores indicating better HRQL. A hierarchical multiple linear regression model was employed to calculate significant predictors of mental and physical health components of HRQOL. Mean raw data scores on SF36-v2 dimensions ranged from 54.7 to 91.5. The participants scored below the standardised, mean norm-based score for all dimensions. Secrecy of menstruation, experience of body shame and pain during menstruation predicted worse mental HRQOL. To believe in the proscriptive role and the unpleasantness of menstruation, experience of body shame, medication for menstrual pain and not holding a university education predicted worse physical HRQOL. These two models explained 30% and 22% of the variance of the mental and physical components of SF36-v2, respectively. Young women's mental and physical HRQOL is influenced by the specific context of their lives. Women's health education should take into account the various relationships women may have with their bodies. © 2017

  18. Proceedings of Patient Reported Outcome Measure’s (PROMs) Conference Oxford 2017: Advances in Patient Reported Outcomes Research

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Velikova, Galina; Valderas, Jose M.; Potter, Caroline; Batchelder, Laurie; A’Court, Christine; Baker, Matthew; Bostock, Jennifer; Coulter, Angela; Fitzpatrick, Ray; Forder, Julien; Fox, Diane; Geneen, Louise; Gibbons, Elizabeth; Jenkinson, Crispin; Jones, Karen; Kelly, Laura; Peters, Michele; Mulhern, Brendan; Labeit, Alexander; Rowen, Donna; Meadows, Keith; Elliott, Jackie; Brazier, John E.; Knowles, Emma; Keetharuth, Anju; Brazier, John E.; Connell, Janice; Carlton, Jill; Buck, Lizzie Taylor; Ricketts, Thomas; Barkham, Michael; Goswami, Pushpendra; Salek, Sam; Ionova, Tatyana; Oliva, Esther; Fielding, Adele K.; Karakantza, Marina; Al-Ismail, Saad; Collins, Graham P.; McConnell, Stewart; Langton, Catherine; Jennings, Daniel M.; Else, Roger; Kell, Jonathan; Ward, Helen; Day, Sophie; Lumley, Elizabeth; Phillips, Patrick; Duncan, Rosie; Buckley-Woods, Helen; Aber, Ahmed; Jones, Gerogina; Michaels, Jonathan; Porter, Ian; Gangannagaripalli, Jaheeda; Davey, Antoinette; Ricci-Cabello, Ignacio; Haywood, Kirstie; Hansen, Stine Thestrup; Valderas, Jose; Roberts, Deb; Gumber, Anil; Podmore, Bélène; Hutchings, Andrew; van der Meulen, Jan; Aggarwal, Ajay; Konan, Sujith; Price, Andrew; Jackson, William; Bottomley, Nick; Philiips, Michael; Knightley-Day, Toby; Beard, David; Gibbons, Elizabeth; Fitzpatrick, Ray; Greenhalgh, Joanne; Gooding, Kate; Gibbons, Elizabeth; Valderas, Chema; Wright, Judy; Dalkin, Sonia; Meads, David; Black, Nick; Fawkes, Carol; Froud, Robert; Carnes, Dawn; Price, Andrew; Cook, Jonathan; Dakin, Helen; Smith, James; Kang, Sujin; Beard, David; Griffiths, Catrin; Guest, Ella; Harcourt, Diana; Murphy, Mairead; Hollinghurst, Sandra; Salisbury, Chris; Carlton, Jill; Elliott, Jackie; Rowen, Donna; Gao, Anqi; Price, Andrew; Beard, David; Lemanska, Agnieszka; Chen, Tao; Dearnaley, David P.; Jena, Rajesh; Sydes, Matthew; Faithfull, Sara; Ades, A. E.; Kounali, Daphne; Lu, Guobing; Rombach, Ines; Gray, Alastair; Jenkinson, Crispin; Rivero-Arias, Oliver; Holch, Patricia; Holmes, Marie; Rodgers, Zoe; Dickinson, Sarah; Clayton, Beverly; Davidson, Susan; Routledge, Jacqui; Glennon, Julia; Henry, Ann M.; Franks, Kevin; Velikova, Galina; Maguire, Roma; McCann, Lisa; Young, Teresa; Armes, Jo; Harris, Jenny; Miaskowski, Christine; Kotronoulas, Grigorios; Miller, Morven; Ream, Emma; Patiraki, Elizabeth; Geiger, Alexander; Berg, Geir V.; Flowerday, Adrian; Donnan, Peter; McCrone, Paul; Apostolidis, Kathi; Fox, Patricia; Furlong, Eileen; Kearney, Nora; Gibbons, Chris; Fischer, Felix; Gibbons, Chris; Coste, Joel; Martinez, Jose Valderas; Rose, Matthias; Leplege, Alain; Shingler, Sarah; Aldhouse, Natalie; Al-Zubeidi, Tamara; Trigg, Andrew; Kitchen, Helen; Davey, Antoinette; Porter, Ian; Green, Colin; Valderas, Jose M.; Coast, Joanna; Smith, Sarah; Hendriks, Jolijn; Black, Nick; Shah, Koonal; Rivero-Arias, Oliver; Ramos-Goni, Juan-Manuel; Kreimeier, Simone; Herdman, Mike; Devlin, Nancy; Finch, Aureliano Paolo; Brazier, John E.; Mukuria, Clara; Zamora, Bernarda; Parkin, David; Feng, Yan; Bateman, Andrew; Herdman, Mike; Devlin, Nancy; Patton, Thomas; Gutacker, Nils; Shah, Koonal

    2017-01-01

    The proceedings contain 36 papers. The topics discussed include: using patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) in cancer care; validation of the long-term conditions questionnaire (LTCQ) in a diverse sample of health and social care users in England; the national institutes of health

  19. [Application of health questionnaires for health management in small- and medium-sized enterprises].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kishida, K; Saito, M; Hasegawa, T; Aoki, S; Suzuki, S

    1986-01-01

    Two kinds of health questionnaires, the Todai Health Index (THI) and Cumulative Fatigue Index (CFI), were applied as a screening device for health management of workers belonging to small-medium sized enterprises. A total of 495 workers composed of 452 male workers of a glass-bottle manufacturing factory and 43 male workers of a soft-drink bottling factory were the subjects of the present study. It was found that the two kinds of health questionnaires were different from each other and have their own characteristics. Twelve scales of THI were grouped into two, the first consisting of ten scales (SUSY, RESP, EYSK, MOUT, DIGE, IMPU, MENT, DEPR, NERV, and LIFE) and the second consisting of two scales (AGGR and LISC). Nine categories of CFI were grouped into one by using principal factor analysis. It was confirmed that the twelve scale scores of THI obtained at small-medium sized factories differed from those scale scores of a reference group investigated at a large-sized enterprise. It is on the basis of the scales of aggressiveness and lies and also of the scale of mental unstability which characterizes workers, locality, job (clerical or field work), and size of industry (large or small sized) that the difference could be evaluated. Urban life characterized by a life style of staying up late at night and waking up late in the morning has been reflected on the scale of life irregularity. Irregularity of life induced by transformation of working schedule, such as two or three shifts of work and overtime, was also reflected on this scale. Two scales of THI test, i.e., many subjective symptoms and digestive organ complaints, seemed to be the representative scales indicating a close relation between work load and health level. The discriminant score for diagnosis of psychosomatic diseases is considered to be one of the most useful assessments of the individual's health condition. As mentioned above, THI is recommended as a convenient assessment method for health

  20. Reliability and concurrent validity of the adapted Chinese version of Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22) questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheung, Kenneth M C; Senkoylu, Alpaslan; Alanay, Ahmet; Genc, Yasemin; Lau, Sarah; Luk, Keith D

    2007-05-01

    Validation study to define validity and reliability of an adapted and translated questionnaire. Assessment of the concurrent validity and reliability of a Chinese version of SRS-22 outcome instrument. No valid health-related quality of life (HRQL) outcome instrument exists for patients with spinal deformity in Chinese. The modified SRS-22 questionnaire was proven to be an appropriate outcome instrument in English, and has already been translated and validated in several other languages. The English version of the SRS-22 questionnaire was adapted to Chinese according to the International Quality of Life Assessment Project guidelines. To assess reliability, 48 subjects with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (mean age, 16.5 years) filled the questionnaire on 2 separate occasions (Group 1). To assess concurrent validity, 50 subjects (mean age, 21 years) filled in the same questionnaire and a previously validated Chinese version of the Short Form-36 (SF36) questionnaire (Group 2). Internal consistency, reproducibility and concurrent validity were determined with Cronbach's alpha coefficient, interclass correlation coefficient and Pearson correlation coefficient, respectively. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the 4 major domains (function/activity, pain, self-image/appearance and mental health) were high. Intraclass correlation was also excellent for all domains. For concurrent validity, excellent correlation was found in 1 domain, good in 12 domains, moderate in 3 domains, and poor in 1 domain of the 17 relevant domains. Both cultural adaptation and linguistic translation are essential in any attempt to use a HRQL questionnaire across cultures. The Chinese version of the SRS-22 outcome instrument has satisfactory internal consistency and excellent reproducibility. It is ready for use in clinical studies on idiopathic scoliosis in Chinese-speaking societies.

  1. The Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire (DASH can measure the impairment, activity limitations and participation restriction constructs from the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    McQueen Margaret

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF model of the consequences of disease identifies three health outcomes, impairment, activity limitations and participation restrictions. However, few orthopaedic health outcome measures were developed with reference to the ICF. This study examined the ability of a valid and frequently used measure of upper limb function, namely the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire (DASH, to operationalise the ICF. Methods Twenty-four judges used the method of Discriminant Content Validation to allocate the 38 items of the DASH to the theoretical definition of one or more ICF outcome. One-sample t-tests classified each item as measuring, impairment, activity limitations, participation restrictions, or a combination thereof. Results The DASH contains items able to measure each of the three ICF outcomes with discriminant validity. The DASH contains five pure impairment items, 19 pure activity limitations items and three participation restriction items. In addition, seven items measured both activity limitations and participation restrictions. Conclusion The DASH can measure the three health outcomes identified by the ICF. Consequently the DASH could be used to examine the impact of trauma and subsequent interventions on each health outcome in the absence of measurement confound.

  2. Agreement between questionnaire and medical records on some health and socioeconomic problems among poisoning cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fathelrahman Ahmed I

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the agreement between questionnaire and medical records on some health and socioeconomic problems among poisoning cases. Methods Cross-sectional sample of 100 poisoning cases consecutively admitted to the Hospital Pulau Pinang, Malaysia during the period from September 2003 to February 2004 were studied. Data on health and socioeconomic problems were collected both by self-administered questionnaire and from medical records. Agreement between the two sets of data was assessed by calculating the concordance rate, Kappa (k and PABAK. McNemar statistic was used to test differences between categories. Results Data collected by questionnaire and medical records showed excellent agreement on the "marital status"; good agreements on "chronic illness", "psychiatric illness", and "previous history of poisoning"; and fair agreements on "at least one health problem", and "boy-girl friends problem". PABAK values suggest better agreements' measures. Conclusion There were excellent to good agreements between questionnaire and medical records on the marital status and most of the health problems and fair to poor agreements on the majority of socioeconomic problems. The implications of those findings were discussed.

  3. The OnyCOE-t™ questionnaire: responsiveness and clinical meaningfulness of a patient-reported outcomes questionnaire for toenail onychomycosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kianifard Farid

    2006-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background This research was conducted to confirm the validity and reliability and to assess the responsiveness and clinical meaningfulness of the OnyCOE-t™, a questionnaire specifically designed to measure patient-reported outcomes (PRO associated with toenail onychomycosis. Methods 504 patients with toenail onychomycosis randomized to receive 12 weeks of terbinafine 250 mg/day with or without target toenail debridement in the IRON-CLAD® trial completed the OnyCOE-t™ at baseline, weeks 6, 12, 24, and 48. The OnyCOE-t™ is composed of 6 multi-item scales and 1 single-item scale. These include a 7-item Toenail Symptom assessment, which comprises both Symptom Frequency and Symptom Bothersomeness scales; an 8-item Appearance Problems scale; a 7-item Physical Activities Problems scale; a 1-item Overall Problem scale; a 7-item Stigma scale; and a 3-item Treatment Satisfaction scale. In total, 33 toenail onychomycosis-specific items are included in the OnyCOE-t™. Clinical data, in particular the percent clearing of mycotic involvement in the target toenail, and OnyCOE-t™ responses were used to evaluate the questionnaire's reliability, validity, responsiveness, and the minimally clinical important difference (MCID. Results The OnyCOE-t™ was shown to be reliable and valid. Construct validity and known groups validity were acceptable. Internal consistency reliability of multi-item scales was demonstrated by Cronbach's alpha > .84. Responsiveness was good, with the Treatment Satisfaction, Symptom Frequency, Overall Problem, and Appearance Problem scales demonstrating the most responsiveness (Guyatt's statistic of 1.72, 1.31, 1.13, and 1.11, respectively. MCID was evaluated for three different clinical measures, and indicated that approximately an 8.5-point change (on a 0 to 100 scale was clinically meaningful based on a 25% improvement in target nail clearing. Conclusion The OnyCOE-t™ questionnaire is a unique, toenail-specific PRO

  4. Development and Psychometric Evaluation of a Questionnaire Based on the Nursing Outcomes Classification to Determine the Knowledge of Parents on Breast-Feeding: Research Protocol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paloma-Castro, Olga; Romero-Sánchez, José Manuel; Paramio-Cuevas, Juan Carlos; Pastor-Montero, Sonia María; Del Carmen Sánchez-Dalda, María; Rozadillas-Sanmiguel, Elena; Moreno-Corral, Luis Javier

    2017-04-01

    To develop and psychometrically evaluate a questionnaire based on the outcome "Knowledge: Breast-feeding" of the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) to determine the knowledge of parents on breast-feeding. The NOC outcome "Knowledge: Breast-feeding" allows for nurses/midwives to assess the efficacy of interventions aimed to improve the knowledge on breast-feeding in parents thought the clinical interview/observation. However, the use of self-administered questionnaires by patients could facilitate its evaluation. Two-phased study: (1) Development of the questionnaire based on experts' opinions; (2) Methodological design to assess its psychometric properties. The availability of tools that enable the determination of the knowledge of patients would facilitate nurses/midwives to set objectives, individualize interventions, and measure their effectiveness. © 2015 NANDA International, Inc.

  5. Role of Video Games in Improving Health-Related Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Primack, Brian A.; Carroll, Mary V.; McNamara, Megan; Klem, Mary Lou; King, Brandy; Rich, Michael O.; Chan, Chun W.; Nayak, Smita

    2012-01-01

    Context Video games represent a multibillion-dollar industry in the U.S. Although video gaming has been associated with many negative health consequences, it may also be useful for therapeutic purposes. The goal of this study was to determine whether video games may be useful in improving health outcomes. Evidence acquisition Literature searches were performed in February 2010 in six databases: the Center on Media and Child Health Database of Research, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Reference lists were hand-searched to identify additional studies. Only RCTs that tested the effect of video games on a positive, clinically relevant health consequence were included. Study selection criteria were strictly defined and applied by two researchers working independently. Study background information (e.g., location, funding source), sample data (e.g., number of study participants, demographics), intervention and control details, outcomes data, and quality measures were abstracted independently by two researchers. Evidence synthesis Of 1452 articles retrieved using the current search strategy, 38 met all criteria for inclusion. Eligible studies used video games to provide physical therapy, psychological therapy, improved disease self-management, health education, distraction from discomfort, increased physical activity, and skills training for clinicians. Among the 38 studies, a total of 195 health outcomes were examined. Video games improved 69% of psychological therapy outcomes, 59% of physical therapy outcomes, 50% of physical activity outcomes, 46% of clinician skills outcomes, 42% of health education outcomes, 42% of pain distraction outcomes, and 37% of disease self-management outcomes. Study quality was generally poor; for example, two thirds (66%) of studies had follow-up periods of video games to improve health outcomes, particularly in the areas of psychological therapy and physical therapy. RCTs with

  6. Electronic versus paper-based assessment of health-related quality of life specific to HIV disease: reliability study of the PROQOL-HIV questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duracinsky, Martin; Lalanne, Christophe; Goujard, Cécile; Herrmann, Susan; Cheung-Lung, Christian; Brosseau, Jean-Paul; Schwartz, Yannick; Chassany, Olivier

    2014-04-25

    Electronic patient-reported outcomes (PRO) provide quick and usually reliable assessments of patients' health-related quality of life (HRQL). An electronic version of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Quality of Life-human immunodeficiency virus (PROQOL-HIV) questionnaire was developed, and its face validity and reliability were assessed using standard psychometric methods. A sample of 80 French outpatients (66% male, 52/79; mean age 46.7 years, SD 10.9) were recruited. Paper-based and electronic questionnaires were completed in a randomized crossover design (2-7 day interval). Biomedical data were collected. Questionnaire version and order effects were tested on full-scale scores in a 2-way ANOVA with patients as random effects. Test-retest reliability was evaluated using Pearson and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC, with 95% confidence interval) for each dimension. Usability testing was carried out from patients' survey reports, specifically, general satisfaction, ease of completion, quality and clarity of user interface, and motivation to participate in follow-up PROQOL-HIV electronic assessments. Questionnaire version and administration order effects (N=59 complete cases) were not significant at the 5% level, and no interaction was found between these 2 factors (P=.94). Reliability indexes were acceptable, with Pearson correlations greater than .7 and ICCs ranging from .708 to .939; scores were not statistically different between the two versions. A total of 63 (79%) complete patients' survey reports were available, and 55% of patients (30/55) reported being satisfied and interested in electronic assessment of their HRQL in clinical follow-up. Individual ratings of PROQOL-HIV user interface (85%-100% of positive responses) confirmed user interface clarity and usability. The electronic PROQOL-HIV introduces minor modifications to the original paper-based version, following International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) ePRO Task

  7. Parental investments in child health - maternal health behaviours and birth outcomes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wüst, Miriam

    consumption, exercise and diet during pregnancy on birth outcomes and considers the problem of identifying the causal effect of these endogenous maternal health behaviours. The analysis controls for a wide range of covariates and exploits sibling variation in the Danish National Birth Cohort. The paper...... the ways in which child health is generated, and - for children of higher birth order - earlier children's outcomes will shape parental investments in child health....

  8. Favorable Responsiveness of the Hand10 Questionnaire to Assess Treatment Outcomes for Lateral Epicondylitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishizuka, Takanobu; Iwatsuki, Katsuyuki; Kurimoto, Shigeru; Yamamoto, Michiro; Onishi, Tetsuro; Hirata, Hitoshi

    2018-06-01

    The aim of our study was to compare the responsiveness of the Hand10 questionnaire and the Pain visual analogue scale (VAS) for the assessment of lateral epicondylitis. The standardized response mean and effect size were used as indicators of responsiveness, measured at baseline and after 6 months of treatment. Among the 54 patients enrolled, 28 were treated using a forearm band, compress and stretching, with the other 26 patients treated using compress and stretching. The standardized response mean and the effect size were 1.18 and 1.38, respectively, of the Hand10 and 1.39 and 1.75, respectively, for the Pain VAS. The responsiveness of both tests was considered to be large, based on Cohen's classification of effect size, supporting the use of the Hand10 questionnaire to assess treatment outcomes for lateral epicondylitis.

  9. Resilience dimensions and mental health outcomes in bipolar disorder in a follow-up study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Echezarraga, A; Calvete, E; González-Pinto, A M; Las Hayas, C

    2018-02-01

    The individual process of resilience has been related to positive outcomes in mental disorders. We aimed (a) to identify the resilience domains from the Resilience Questionnaire for Bipolar Disorder that are associated cross sectionally and longitudinally with mental health outcomes in bipolar disorder (BD) and (b) to explore cross-lagged associations among resilience factors. A clinical adult sample of 125 patients diagnosed with BD (62.10% female, mean age = 46.13, SD = 10.89) gave their informed consent and completed a battery of disease-specific tools on resilience, personal recovery, symptomatology, psychosocial functioning, and quality of life, at baseline and at follow-up (n = 63, 58.10% female, mean age = 45.13, SD = 11.06, participation rate = 50.40%). Resilience domains of self-management of BD, turning point, self-care, and self-confidence were significantly associated with mental health indicators at baseline. In addition, self-confidence at baseline directly predicted an increase in personal recovery at follow-up, and self-confidence improvement mediated the relationship between interpersonal support and self-care at baseline and personal recovery at follow-up. These findings highlight that resilience domains are significantly associated with positive mental health outcomes in BD and that some predict personal recovery at follow-up. Moreover, some resilience factors improve other resilience factors over time. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  10. A Carotenoid Health Index Based on Plasma Carotenoids and Health Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donaldson, Michael S.

    2011-01-01

    While there have been many studies on health outcomes that have included measurements of plasma carotenoids, this data has not been reviewed and assembled into a useful form. In this review sixty-two studies of plasma carotenoids and health outcomes, mostly prospective cohort studies or population-based case-control studies, are analyzed together to establish a carotenoid health index. Five cutoff points are established across the percentiles of carotenoid concentrations in populations, from the tenth to ninetieth percentile. The cutoff points (mean ± standard error of the mean) are 1.11 ± 0.08, 1.47 ± 0.08, 1.89 ± 0.08, 2.52 ± 0.13, and 3.07 ± 0.20 µM. For all cause mortality there seems to be a low threshold effect with protection above every cutoff point but the lowest. But for metabolic syndrome and cancer outcomes there tends to be significant positive health outcomes only above the higher cutoff points, perhaps as a triage effect. Based on this data a carotenoid health index is proposed with risk categories as follows: very high risk: 4 µM. Over 95 percent of the USA population falls into the moderate or high risk category of the carotenoid health index. PMID:22292108

  11. Review of emergency obstetric care interventions in health facilities in the Upper East Region of Ghana: a questionnaire survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kyei-Onanjiri, Minerva; Carolan-Olah, Mary; Awoonor-Williams, John Koku; McCann, Terence V

    2018-03-15

    Maternal morbidity and mortality is most prevalent in resource-poor settings such as sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia. In sub-Saharan Africa, Ghana is one of the countries still facing particular challenges in reducing its maternal morbidity and mortality. Access to emergency obstetric care (EmOC) interventions has been identified as a means of improving maternal health outcomes. Assessing the range of interventions provided in health facilities is, therefore, important in determining capacity to treat obstetric emergencies. The aim of this study was to examine the availability of emergency obstetric care interventions in the Upper East Region of Ghana. A cross-sectional survey of 120 health facilities was undertaken. Status of emergency obstetric care was assessed through an interviewer administered questionnaire to directors/in-charge officers of maternity care units in selected facilities. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Eighty per cent of health facilities did not meet the criteria for provision of emergency obstetric care. Comparatively, private health facilities generally provided EmOC interventions less frequently than public health facilities. Other challenges identified include inadequate skill mix of maternity health personnel, poor referral processes, a lack of reliable communication systems and poor emergency transport systems. Multiple factors combine to limit women's access to a range of essential maternal health services. The availability of EmOC interventions was found to be low across the region; however, EmOC facilities could be increased by nearly one-third through modest investments in some existing facilities. Also, the key challenges identified in this study can be improved by enhancing pre-existing health system structures such as Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS), training more midwifery personnel, strengthening in-service training and implementation of referral audits as part of health service

  12. Consistency and sources of divergence in recommendations on screening with questionnaires for presently experienced health problems or symptoms: a comparison of recommendations from the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care, UK National Screening Committee, and US Preventive Services Task Force.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thombs, Brett D; Saadat, Nazanin; Riehm, Kira E; Karter, Justin Michael; Vaswani, Akansha; Andrews, Bonnie K; Simons, Peter; Cosgrove, Lisa

    2017-08-09

    did not report any statistically significant primary or secondary health outcomes in favor of screening, and one trial reported equivocal results. Only the USPSTF has made any recommendations for screening with questionnaires for presently experienced problems or symptoms. The CTFPHC and UKNSC recommended against screening in all of their recommendations. Differences in recommendations appear to reflect differences in willingness to assume benefit from indirect evidence and different approaches to assessing possible harms and resource consumption. There were no examples in any recommendations of RCTs with direct evidence of improved health outcomes.

  13. Are physical activity levels associated with better health outcomes in people with epilepsy?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Häfele, César Augusto; Freitas, Matheus Pintanel; da Silva, Marcelo Cozzensa; Rombaldi, Airton José

    2017-07-01

    The aim of the study was to investigate the association of physical activity in three categories (inactive, insufficiently active and active) with health outcomes in people with epilepsy. The dependent variables and the instruments used in the study were: a) quality of life - measured by Quality of Life in Epilepsy-31 for adults and Quality of Life in Epilepsy for Adolescents, b) side effects of medication - measured by Adverse Events Profile, c) depression - measured by Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy, and d) state and trait anxiety - measured by State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Physical activity levels were analyzed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) for adults in the commuting and leisure domains and Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A). Simple and multiple linear regression was used in the statistical analysis. The cross-sectional study with one hundred and one individuals was conducted in Pelotas/RS, Brazil, at the Neurology Clinic of the Faculty of Medicine of the Federal University of Pelotas. In the crude analysis, physical activity was positively associated with quality of life (pepilepsy for improving health and life conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Development of the health literacy on social determinants of health questionnaire in Japanese adults

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masayoshi Matsumoto

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Health inequities are increasing worldwide, with mounting evidence showing that the greatest cause of which are social determinants of health. To reduce inequities, a lot of citizens need to be able to access, understand, appraise, and apply information on the social determinants; that is, they need to improve health literacy on social determinants of health. However, only a limited number of scales focus on these considerations; hence, we developed the Health Literacy on Social Determinants of Health Questionnaire (HL-SDHQ and examined its psychometric properties. Methods We extracted domains of the social determinants of health from “the solid facts” and related articles, operationalizing the following ten domains: “the social gradient,” “early life,” “social exclusion,” “work,” “unemployment,” “social support,” “social capital,” “addiction,” “food,” and “transport,” Next, we developed the scale items in the ten extracted domains based on the literature and included four aspects of health literacy (ability to access, understand, appraise, and apply social determinants of health-related information in the items. We also evaluated the ease of response and content validity. The self-administered questionnaire consisted of 33 items. The reliability and construct validity were verified among 831 Japanese adults in an internet survey. Results The scale items had high reliability with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.92, and also adequate results were obtained for the internal consistency of the information-processing dimensions (Cronbach’s alpha values were 0.82, 0.91, 0.84, and 0.92 for accessing, understanding, appraising, and applying, respectively. The goodness of fit by confirmatory factor analysis based on the four dimensions was an acceptable value (comparative fit index = 0.901; root mean square error of approximation = 0.058. Furthermore, the bivariate relationship between

  15. Occupant Perceptions and a Health Outcome in Retail Stores

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao, Mingjie; Kim, Yang-Seon; Srebric, Jelena

    2015-11-02

    Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) in commercial buildings, such as retail stores, can affect employee satisfaction, productivity, and health. This study administered an IEQ survey to retail employees and found correlations between measured IEQ parameters and the survey responses. The survey included 611 employees in 14 retail stores located in Pennsylvania (climate zone 5A) and Texas (climate zone 2A). The survey questionnaire featured ratings of different aspects of IEQ, including thermal comfort, lighting and noise level, indoor smells, overall cleanness, and environmental quality. Simultaneously with the survey, on-site physical measurements were taken to collect data of relative humidity levels, air exchange rates, dry bulb temperatures, and contaminant concentrations. This data was analyzed using multinomial logit regression with independent variables being the measured IEQ parameters, employees’ gender, and age. This study found that employee perception of stuffy smells is related to formaldehyde and PM10 concentrations. Furthermore, the survey also asked the employees to report an annual frequency of common colds as a health indicator. The regression analysis showed that the cold frequency statistically correlates with the measured air exchange rates, outdoor temperatures, and indoor PM concentrations. Overall, the air exchange rate is the most influential parameter on the employee perception of the overall environmental quality and self-reported health outcome.

  16. Content validity and nursing sensitivity of community-level outcomes from the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Head, Barbara J; Aquilino, Mary Lober; Johnson, Marion; Reed, David; Maas, Meridean; Moorhead, Sue

    2004-01-01

    To evaluate the content validity and nursing sensitivity of six community-level outcomes from the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC; Johnson, Maas, & Moorhead, 2000). A survey research design was used. Questionnaires were mailed to 300 public health nursing experts; 102 nurses responded. Experts evaluated between 11 and 30 indicators for each of the six outcomes for: (a) importance of the indicators for measuring the outcome, and (b) influence of nursing on the indicators. Content validity and nursing sensitivity of the outcomes were estimated with a modified Fehring technique. All outcomes were deemed important; only Community Competence had an outcome content validity score < .80. The outcome sensitivity score for Community Health: Immunity was .80; other outcome scores ranged from .62-.70. Indicator ratios for all 102 indicators met the study criterion for importance, with 87% designated as critical and 13% as supplemental. Sensitivity ratios reflected judgments that 45% of the indicators were sensitive to nursing intervention. The study provided evidence of outcome content validity and nursing sensitivity of the study outcomes; further validation research is recommended, followed by testing of the study outcomes in clinical practice. Community-level nursing-sensitive outcomes will potentially enable study of the efficacy and effectiveness of public health interventions focused on improving health of populations and communities.

  17. Attitudes of Austrian Psychotherapists Towards Process and Outcome Monitoring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaiser, Tim; Schmutzhart, Lisa; Laireiter, Anton-Rupert

    2018-03-08

    While monitoring systems in psychotherapy have become more common, little is known about the attitudes that mental health practitioners have towards these systems. In an online survey among 111 Austrian psychotherapists and trainees, attitudes towards therapy monitoring were measured. A well-validated questionnaire measuring attitudes towards outcome monitoring, the Outcome Measurement Questionnaire, was used. Clinicians' theoretical orientations as well as previous knowledge and experience with monitoring systems were associated with positive attitudes towards monitoring. Possible factors that may have led to these findings, like the views of different theoretical orientations or obstacles in Austrian public health care, are discussed.

  18. Patient health questionnaire for school-based depression screening among Chinese adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, Fang-Ju; Huang, Yu-Hsin; Liu, Hui-Ching; Huang, Kuo-Yang; Huang, Yen-Hsun; Liu, Shen-Ing

    2014-02-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of a Chinese version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 item (PHQ-9) and its 2 subscales (1 item and 2 items) for the screening of major depressive disorder (MDD) among adolescents in Taiwan. A total of 2257 adolescents were recruited from high schools in Taipei. The participants completed assessments including demographic information, the Chinese version of the PHQ-9, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and data on the number of physical illnesses and mental health service utilizations were recorded. Among them, 430 were retested using the PHQ-9 within 2 weeks. Child psychiatrists interviewed a subsample of the adolescents (n = 165) using the Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia Epidemiological Version as the criterion standard. The PHQ-9 had good internal consistency (α = 0.84) and acceptable test-retest reliability (0.80). The participants with higher PHQ-9 scores were more likely to have MDD. Principal component factor analysis of the PHQ-9 yielded a 1-factor structure, which accounted for 45.3% of the variance. A PHQ-9 score ≥15 had a sensitivity of 0.72 and a specificity of 0.95 for recognizing MDD. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.90. The screening accuracy of the 2 subscales was also satisfactory, with a Patient Health Questionnaire-2 item cutoff of ≥3 being 94.4% sensitive and 82.5% specific and a Patient Health Questionnaire-1 item cutoff of ≥2 being 61.1% sensitive and 87.7% specific. The PHQ-9 and its 2 subscales appear to be reliable and valid for detecting MDD among ethnic Chinese adolescents in Taiwan.

  19. Prospective Patient-Related Outcome Evaluation of Secondary Cleft Rhinoplasty Using a Validated Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sawyer, Adam R; Robinson, Stephen; Cadier, Michael

    2017-07-01

    To evaluate patient satisfaction and quality of life following secondary cleft rhinoplasty. Prospective consecutive patient, single unit, single surgeon study. Spires Cleft Centre, Salisbury, Wilshire, United Kingdom, and private practice. 56 (27 secondary cleft rhinoplasty) patients completed evaluation forms preoperatively and 3 to 6 months postoperatively. Subjective assessment was performed using a validated Rhinoplasty Outcomes Evaluation (ROE) questionnaire. This instrument comprises six questions that capture three quality-of-life domains: physical, mental/emotional, and social. Rhinoplasty outcomes evaluation scores were calculated (range = 0 to 100) to indication satisfaction with rhinoplasty outcomes. Average age was 28 years (range = 18 to 59 years). There was a significant subjective improvement in the total ROE evaluation scores from 28 ± 10 to 80 ± 11 (P aesthetic appearance improved from 0.3 ± 0.2 to 3.2 ± 0.3 (P < .01) in secondary cleft rhinoplasty. No significant change was seen in breathing capacity in secondary cleft rhinoplasty (from 2.7 ± 0.3 to 3.2 ± 0.2; P = .29). All patients said they would undergo the procedure again. Our results demonstrate high patient satisfaction after cleft rhinoplasty with particular regard to cosmetic appearance. These results are similar to those for noncleft rhinoplasty. We would recommend the use of this simple and quick validated outcome tool with all rhinoplasty patients.

  20. International and Interdisciplinary Identification of Health Care Transition Outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fair, Cynthia; Cuttance, Jessica; Sharma, Niraj; Maslow, Gary; Wiener, Lori; Betz, Cecily; Porter, Jerlym; McLaughlin, Suzanne; Gilleland-Marchak, Jordan; Renwick, Amy; Naranjo, Diana; Jan, Sophia; Javalkar, Karina; Ferris, Maria

    2016-03-01

    There is a lack of agreement on what constitutes successful outcomes for the process of health care transition (HCT) among adolescent and young adults with special health care needs. To present HCT outcomes identified by a Delphi process with an interdisciplinary group of participants. A Delphi method involving 3 stages was deployed to refine a list of HCT outcomes. This 18-month study (from January 5, 2013, of stage 1 to July 3, 2014, of stage 3) included an initial literature search, expert interviews, and then 2 waves of a web-based survey. On this survey, 93 participants from outpatient, community-based, and primary care clinics rated the importance of the top HCT outcomes identified by the Delphi process. Analyses were performed from July 5, 2014, to December 5, 2014. Health care transition outcomes of adolescents and young adults with special health care needs. Importance ratings of identified HCT outcomes rated on a Likert scale from 1 (not important) to 9 (very important). The 2 waves of surveys included 117 and 93 participants as the list of outcomes was refined. Transition outcomes were refined by the 3 waves of the Delphi process, with quality of life being the highest-rated outcome with broad agreement. The 10 final outcomes identified included individual outcomes (quality of life, understanding the characteristics of conditions and complications, knowledge of medication, self-management, adherence to medication, and understanding health insurance), health services outcomes (attending medical appointments, having a medical home, and avoidance of unnecessary hospitalization), and a social outcome (having a social network). Participants indicated that different outcomes were likely needed for individuals with cognitive disabilities. Quality of life is an important construct relevant to HCT. Future research should identify valid measures associated with each outcome and further explore the role that quality of life plays in the HCT process. Achieving

  1. Using Plain Language and Adding Communication Technology to an Existing Health-Related Questionnaire to Help Generate Accurate Information: Qualitative Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welbie, Marlies; Wittink, Harriet; Westerman, Marjan J; Topper, Ilse; Snoei, Josca; Devillé, Walter Ljm

    2018-04-23

    Low-educated patients are disadvantaged in using questionnaires within the health care setting because most health-related questionnaires do not take the educational background of patients into account. The Dutch Talking Touch Screen Questionnaire (DTTSQ) was developed in an attempt to meet the needs of low-educated patients by using plain language and adding communication technology to an existing paper-based questionnaire. For physical therapists to use the DTTSQ as part of their intake procedure, it needs to generate accurate information from all of their patients, independent of educational level. The aim of this study was to get a first impression of the information that is generated by the DTTSQ. To achieve this goal, response processes of physical therapy patients with diverse levels of education were analyzed. The qualitative Three-Step Test-Interview method was used to collect observational data on actual response behavior of 24 physical therapy patients with diverse levels of education. The interviews included both think-aloud and retrospective probing techniques. Of the 24 respondents, 20 encountered one or more problems during their response process. The use of plain language and information and communication technology (ICT) appeared to have a positive effect on the comprehensibility of the DTTSQ. However, it also had some negative effects on the interpretation, retrieval, judgment, and response selection within the response processes of the participants in this study. No educational group in this research population stood out from the rest in the kind or number of problems that arose. All respondents recognized themselves in the outcomes of the questionnaire. The use of plain language and ICT within the DTTSQ had both positive and negative effects on the response processes of its target population. The results of this study emphasize the importance of earlier recommendations to accompany any adaption of any questionnaire to a new mode of delivery by

  2. Worksite Tobacco Prevention: A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Adoption, Dissemination Strategies, and Aggregated Health-Related Outcomes across Companies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Verena Friedrich

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Evidence based public health requires knowledge about successful dissemination of public health measures. This study analyses (a the changes in worksite tobacco prevention (TP in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland, between 2007 and 2009; (b1 the results of a multistep versus a “brochure only” dissemination strategy; (b2 the results of a monothematic versus a comprehensive dissemination strategy that aim to get companies to adopt TP measures; and (c whether worksite TP is associated with health-related outcomes. A longitudinal design with randomized control groups was applied. Data on worksite TP and health-related outcomes were gathered by a written questionnaire (baseline n=1627; follow-up n=1452 and analysed using descriptive statistics, nonparametric procedures, and ordinal regression models. TP measures at worksites improved slightly between 2007 and 2009. The multistep dissemination was superior to the “brochure only” condition. No significant differences between the monothematic and the comprehensive dissemination strategies were observed. However, improvements in TP measures at worksites were associated with improvements in health-related outcomes. Although dissemination was approached at a mass scale, little change in the advocated adoption of TP measures was observed, suggesting the need for even more aggressive outreach or an acceptance that these channels do not seem to be sufficiently effective.

  3. Worksite Tobacco Prevention: A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Adoption, Dissemination Strategies, and Aggregated Health-Related Outcomes across Companies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedrich, Verena; Brügger, Adrian; Bauer, Georg F

    2015-01-01

    Evidence based public health requires knowledge about successful dissemination of public health measures. This study analyses (a) the changes in worksite tobacco prevention (TP) in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland, between 2007 and 2009; (b1) the results of a multistep versus a "brochure only" dissemination strategy; (b2) the results of a monothematic versus a comprehensive dissemination strategy that aim to get companies to adopt TP measures; and (c) whether worksite TP is associated with health-related outcomes. A longitudinal design with randomized control groups was applied. Data on worksite TP and health-related outcomes were gathered by a written questionnaire (baseline n = 1627; follow-up n = 1452) and analysed using descriptive statistics, nonparametric procedures, and ordinal regression models. TP measures at worksites improved slightly between 2007 and 2009. The multistep dissemination was superior to the "brochure only" condition. No significant differences between the monothematic and the comprehensive dissemination strategies were observed. However, improvements in TP measures at worksites were associated with improvements in health-related outcomes. Although dissemination was approached at a mass scale, little change in the advocated adoption of TP measures was observed, suggesting the need for even more aggressive outreach or an acceptance that these channels do not seem to be sufficiently effective.

  4. Application of Donabedian quality-of-care framework to assess the outcomes of preconception care in urban health centers, Mashhad, Iran in 2012

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fatemeh Ghaffari

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Background and aim: Improving patient health status is the primary goal of healthcare system. and planning to improve the health care services without taking into account the views of care receivers is not possible .In this regard, Donabedian Model as an appropriate framework in assessing the quality of health care, has particular attention to the issue of "outcomes", which are sometimes seen as the most important indicators of quality. This study therefore aimed to assess the outcomes of preconception care including changes to health knowledge as well as patient satisfaction in urban health centers, Mashhad, Iran in 2012. Methods: In this descriptive study, 350 women of reproductive age who received preconception care in urban health centers of Mashhad, Iran, were selected using a two stage sampling design. Demographic and obstetric data were collected through a self-structured questionnaireOutcomes of preconception care including health knowledge as well as patient satisfaction were measured using a questionnaire adopted from Donabedian Model. Data were analyzed with SPSS Software version 16 and statistical tests such as ANOVA, Chi-square and Pearson correlation coefficient. Findings: The mean age of women was 22.5 ± 26.93 and the mean score of their marriage years was 6.32±4.77.  67.4% of subjects experienced between one and six pregnancies. The mean score of health knowledge of preconception care was 53.4 ± 8.14 and the highest score of its subdomains was related to the personal hygiene. The mean score of patients' satisfaction of preconception care was 84.11 ± 56.75 and its highest score was in relation to counseling and provided care. Conclusion: According to the results, planning to provide better education services for clients, raising public awareness regarding preconception care and more emphasis on preconception care importance in continuous education of health care providers are recommended.  

  5. HRM and its effect on employee, organizational and financial outcomes in health care organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vermeeren, Brenda; Steijn, Bram; Tummers, Lars; Lankhaar, Marcel; Poerstamper, Robbert-Jan; van Beek, Sandra

    2014-06-17

    One of the main goals of Human Resource Management (HRM) is to increase the performance of organizations. However, few studies have explicitly addressed the multidimensional character of performance and linked HR practices to various outcome dimensions. This study therefore adds to the literature by relating HR practices to three outcome dimensions: financial, organizational and employee (HR) outcomes. Furthermore, we will analyze how HR practices influence these outcome dimensions, focusing on the mediating role of job satisfaction. This study uses a unique dataset, based on the 'ActiZ Benchmark in Healthcare', a benchmark study conducted in Dutch home care, nursing care and care homes. Data from autumn 2010 to autumn 2011 were analyzed. In total, 162 organizations participated during this period (approximately 35% of all Dutch care organizations). Employee data were collected using a questionnaire (61,061 individuals, response rate 42%). Clients were surveyed using the Client Quality Index for long-term care, via stratified sampling. Financial outcomes were collected using annual reports. SEM analyses were conducted to test the hypotheses. It was found that HR practices are - directly or indirectly - linked to all three outcomes. The use of HR practices is related to improved financial outcomes (measure: net margin), organizational outcomes (measure: client satisfaction) and HR outcomes (measure: sickness absence). The impact of HR practices on HR outcomes and organizational outcomes proved substantially larger than their impact on financial outcomes. Furthermore, with respect to HR and organizational outcomes, the hypotheses concerning the full mediating effect of job satisfaction are confirmed. This is in line with the view that employee attitudes are an important element in the 'black box' between HRM and performance. The results underscore the importance of HRM in the health care sector, especially for HR and organizational outcomes. Further analyses of HRM

  6. Effects of a tailor-made exercise program on exercise adherence and health outcomes in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a mixed-methods pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Fung-Kam Iris; Lee, Tze-Fan Diana; So, Winnie Kwok-Wei

    2016-01-01

    Previous studies showed that exercise intervention was effective in symptoms control of knee osteoarthritis (OA) but poor intervention adherence reduced the exercise effect. It has been suspected that the design of exercise intervention mainly from the health care professionals' perspective could not address the patients' barriers to exercise. Therefore, a tailor-made exercise program which incorporated the patient's perspective in the design was developed and ready for evaluation. This pilot study estimated the effects of a tailor-made exercise program on exercise adherence and health outcomes, and explored the participants' perception and experience of the program. The intervention of this study was a 4-week community-based group exercise program, which required the participants to attend a 1-hour session each week. Thirty-four older people with knee OA were recruited to the program. Mixed-methods study design was used to estimate the effects of this program and explore the participants' perception and experience of the program. Exercise adherence and performance in return-demonstration of the exercise were assessed at 12 weeks after the program. Disease-specific health status (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index), general health status (12-item Short Form of the Medical Outcome Study Questionnaire), knee range of motion, muscle strength, and endurance of the lower extremities (Timed-Stands Test) were measured at the beginning of the program and 12 weeks after. Six participants were interviewed individually on the 12th week. Thirty-three participants (75.0±7.3 years) completed the one-group pretest and post-test study. The participants' exercise adherence was 91.4%±14.54%, and their correct performance in return-demonstration was 76.7%±21.75%. Most of the participants' health outcomes significantly improved at posttests except the 12-item Short Form of the Medical Outcome Study Questionnaire physical health summary score. The

  7. Job autonomy, its predispositions and its relation to work outcomes in community health centers in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Blossom Yen-Ju; Lin, Yung-Kai; Lin, Cheng-Chieh; Lin, Tien-Tse

    2013-06-01

    It has been debated that employees in a government or public ownership agency may perceive less need for growth opportunities or high-powered incentives than is the case for employees in private organizations. This study examined employees' job autonomy in government-run community health centers, its predispositions and its relation to their work outcomes. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Taiwan. From 230 responding community health centers, 1380 staff members responded to the self-completed, structured questionnaire. Structural equation modeling revealed that employees' job autonomy has positive work outcomes: greater work satisfaction, and less intent to transfer and intentions to leave. In addition, job autonomy was related to employees' higher education levels, medical profession, permanent employment and serving smaller populations. Moreover, employees' age, educational levels, medical profession and employment status were found to be related to their work satisfaction, intent to transfer and intent to leave.

  8. The Danish version of Lymphoedema Functioning, Disability and Health Questionnaire (Lymph-ICF) for breast cancer survivors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grarup, Karin R; Devoogdt, Nele; Strand, Liv Inger

    2018-01-01

    PURPOSE: To translate and culturally adapt the Lymphoedema Functioning, Disability and Health Questionnaire (Lymph-ICF) for breast cancer survivors with arm lymphedema into Danish and examine its content validity and reliability. METHODS: (1) Translation and cultural adaptation was performed in 10...... steps following international guidelines (International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcome Research); (2) cognitive interviewing (step 7) was conducted in 15 women with breast cancer related arm lymphedema to explore understandability, interpretation, and cultural relevance; (3) after adjustments...... for the domains ranged from 0.84 to 0.94. SEM values differed for the domains, 6.4 (physical function), 5.7 (mobility activities), 7.09 (life and social activities), 9.1 (mental functions), and 10.2 (household activities). CONCLUSION: The translated and adjusted Lymph-ICF DK (Denmark) is reliable and valid...

  9. Health Outcomes Survey - Limited Data Set

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — The Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (HOS) limited data sets (LDS) are comprised of the entire national sample for a given 2-year cohort (including both respondents...

  10. Associations Between County Wealth, Health and Social Services Spending, and Health Outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCullough, J Mac; Leider, Jonathon P

    2017-11-01

    Each year, the County Health Rankings rate the health outcomes of each county in the U.S. A common refrain is that poor counties perform worse than wealthier ones. This article examines that assumption and specifically analyzes characteristics of counties that have performed better in terms of health outcomes than their wealth alone would suggest. Data from the 2013 County Health Rankings were used, as were 2012 financial and demographic information collected by the U.S. Census Bureau. A logistic model was constructed to examine the odds of a county "overperforming" in the rankings relative to community wealth. Analyses were performed in 2016. Communities that were wealthier performed better on the rankings. However, more than 800 of 3,141 counties overperformed by ranking in a better health outcomes quartile than their county's wealth alone would suggest. Regression analyses found that for each additional percentage point of total public spending that was allocated toward community health care and public health, the odds of being an overperformer increased by 3.7%. Community wealth correlates with health, but not always. Population health outcomes in hundreds of counties overperform what would be expected given community wealth alone. These counties tend to invest more in community health care and public health spending and other social services. Although the level of a community's wealth is outside the control of practitioners, shifting the proportion of spending to certain social services may positively impact population health. Copyright © 2017 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Can life coaching improve health outcomes?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ammentorp, Jette

    26. Ammentorp J, Uhrenfeldt L, Angel F, Ehrensvärd, Carlsen E, Kofoed P-E. Can life coaching improve health outcomes? – A systematic review of intervention studies. Poster presented at the International Conference on Communication in Healthcare, Montreal Canada, 30 Sept 2013.......26. Ammentorp J, Uhrenfeldt L, Angel F, Ehrensvärd, Carlsen E, Kofoed P-E. Can life coaching improve health outcomes? – A systematic review of intervention studies. Poster presented at the International Conference on Communication in Healthcare, Montreal Canada, 30 Sept 2013....

  12. Cultural and linguistic transferability of the multi-dimensional OxCAP-MH capability instrument for outcome measurement in mental health: the German language version.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simon, Judit; Łaszewska, Agata; Leutner, Eva; Spiel, Georg; Churchman, David; Mayer, Susanne

    2018-06-05

    Mental health conditions affect aspects of people's lives that are often not captured in common health-related outcome measures. The OxCAP-MH self-reported, quality of life questionnaire based on Sen's capability approach was developed in the UK to overcome these limitations. The aim of this study was to develop a linguistically and culturally valid German version of the questionnaire. Following forward and back translations, the wording underwent cultural and linguistic validation with input from a sample of 12 native German speaking mental health patients in Austria in 2015. Qualitative feedback from patients and carers was obtained via interviews and focus group meetings. Feedback from mental health researchers from Germany was incorporated to account for cross-country differences. No significant item modifications were necessary. However, changes due to ambiguous wordings, possibilities for differential interpretations, politically unacceptable expressions, cross-country language differences and differences in political and social systems, were needed. The study confirmed that all questions are relevant and understandable for people with mental health conditions in a German speaking setting and transferability of the questionnaire from English to German speaking countries is feasible. Professional translation is necessary for the linguistic accuracy of different language versions of patient-reported outcome measures but does not guarantee linguistic and cultural validity and cross-country transferability. Additional context-specific piloting is essential. The time and resources needed to achieve valid multi-lingual versions should not be underestimated. Further research is ongoing to confirm the psychometric properties of the German version.

  13. Level of response to telematic questionnaires on Health Related Quality of Life on total knee replacement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Besalduch-Balaguer, M; Aguilera-Roig, X; Urrútia-Cuchí, G; Puntonet-Bruch, A; Jordan-Sales, M; González-Osuna, A; Celaya-Ibáñez, F; Colomina-Morales, J

    2015-01-01

    Questionnaires measuring health-related quality of life are difficult to perform and obtain for patients and professionals. Computerised tools are now available to collect this information. The objective of this study was to assess the ability of patients undergoing total knee replacement to fill in health-related quality-of-life questionnaires using a telematic platform. Ninety eight consecutive patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty were included. Participants were given an access code to enter the website where they had to respond to 2 questionnaires (SF8 and the reduced WOMAC), and 3 additional questions about the difficulty in completing the questionnaires. A total of 98 patients agreed to participate: 45 males and 53 females (mean age 72.7 years). Fourteen did not agree to participate due to lack of internet access. Of the final 84 participants, 50% entered the website, and only 36 answered all questions correctly. Of the patients who answered the questionnaire, 80% were helped by a relative or friend, and 22% reported difficulty accessing internet. The use of telematic systems to respond to health-related quality of life questionnaires should be used cautiously, especially in elderly population. It is likely that the population they are directed at is not prepared to use this type of technology. Therefore, before designing telematics questionnaires it must be ensured that they are completed properly. Copyright © 2014 SECOT. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  14. The Perceived Personal Control (PPC) questionnaire as an outcome of genetic counseling: reliability and validity of the instrument.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Smets, E.M.A.; Pieterse, A.H.; Aalfs, C.M.; Ausems, M.G.E.M.; Dulmen, A.M. van

    2006-01-01

    The perceived personal control (PPC) questionnaire was developed by Berkenstadt and colleagues as an outcome measure for the evaluation of the process of genetic counseling. The present study aimed to further assess the psychometric properties of a Dutch version of the instrument. Data were used

  15. [Workplace Violence in the health sector: validation of the Italian version of the WHO questionnaire].

    Science.gov (United States)

    La Torre, G; Sestili, C; Iavazzo, E; Mannocci, A

    2017-01-01

    The phenomenon of violence and aggression in the workplace is frequent and constantly increasing. Healthcare professionals are most exposed to this phenomenon, especially those who work in urgent and psychiatric emergency departments. To validate the Italian version of the questionnaire "Workplace Violence in the Health Sector Case Study Research Instruments Survey Questionnaire", conducted by WHO. 55 randomly selected workers took part in the validation of the questionnaire among physicians, nurses and nursing trainees. The internal consistency analysis of the demand of 5 dichotomous variables on binary values ​​for violence levels suggests that Cronbach's alpha is 0.61, and Cronbach's alpha calculated on standardized elements is 0.69, which means that Reliability shows sufficient levels. The Italian translation carried out in this WHO questionnaire study shows good internal reliability and consistency and could be considered a useful tool in assessing and preventing aggression and violence against health professionals.

  16. Integrated Employee Occupational Health and Organizational-Level Registered Nurse Outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohr, David C; Schult, Tamara; Eaton, Jennifer Lipkowitz; Awosika, Ebi; McPhaul, Kathleen M

    2016-05-01

    The study examined organizational culture, structural supports, and employee health program integration influence on registered nurse (RN) outcomes. An organizational health survey, employee health clinical operations survey, employee attitudes survey, and administration data were collected. Multivariate regression models examined outcomes of sick leave, leave without pay, voluntary turnover, intention to leave, and organizational culture using 122 medical centers. Lower staffing ratios were associated with greater sick leave, higher turnover, and intention to leave. Safety climate was favorably associated with each of the five outcomes. Both onsite employee occupational health services and a robust health promotion program were associated with more positive organizational culture perceptions. Findings highlight the positive influence of integrating employee health and health promotion services on organizational health outcomes. Attention to promoting employee health may benefit organizations in multiple, synergistic ways.

  17. Province-Level Income Inequality and Health Outcomes in Canadian Adolescents

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGrath, Jennifer J.

    2015-01-01

    Objective To examine the effects of provincial income inequality (disparity between rich and poor), independent of provincial income and family socioeconomic status, on multiple adolescent health outcomes. Methods Participants (aged 12–17 years; N = 11,899) were from the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth. Parental education, household income, province income inequality, and province mean income were measured. Health outcomes were measured across a number of domains, including self-rated health, mental health, health behaviors, substance use behaviors, and physical health. Results Income inequality was associated with injuries, general physical symptoms, and limiting conditions, but not associated with most adolescent health outcomes and behaviors. Income inequality had a moderating effect on family socioeconomic status for limiting conditions, hyperactivity/inattention, and conduct problems, but not for other outcomes. Conclusions Province-level income inequality was associated with some physical and mental health outcomes in adolescents, which has research and policy implications for this age-group. PMID:25324533

  18. Outcome-based health equity across different social health insurance schemes for the elderly in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xiaoting; Wong, Hung; Liu, Kai

    2016-01-14

    Against the achievement of nearly universal coverage for social health insurance for the elderly in China, a problem of inequity among different insurance schemes on health outcomes is still a big challenge for the health care system. Whether various health insurance schemes have divergent effects on health outcome is still a puzzle. Empirical evidence will be investigated in this study. This study employs a nationally representative survey database, the National Survey of the Aged Population in Urban/Rural China, to compare the changes of health outcomes among the elderly before and after the reform. A one-way ANOVA is utilized to detect disparities in health care expenditures and health status among different health insurance schemes. Multiple Linear Regression is applied later to examine the further effects of different insurance plans on health outcomes while controlling for other social determinants. The one-way ANOVA result illustrates that although the gaps in insurance reimbursements between the Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance (UEBMI) and the other schemes, the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) and Urban Residents Basic Medical Insurance (URBMI) decreased, out-of-pocket spending accounts for a larger proportion of total health care expenditures, and the disparities among different insurances enlarged. Results of the Multiple Linear Regression suggest that UEBMI participants have better self-reported health status, physical functions and psychological wellbeing than URBMI and NCMS participants, and those uninsured. URBMI participants report better self-reported health than NCMS ones and uninsured people, while having worse psychological wellbeing compared with their NCMS counterparts. This research contributes to a transformation in health insurance studies from an emphasis on the opportunity-oriented health equity measured by coverage and healthcare accessibility to concern with outcome-based equity composed of health expenditure and health

  19. Impact of a health promotion program on employee health risks and work productivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mills, Peter R; Kessler, Ronald C; Cooper, John; Sullivan, Sean

    2007-01-01

    Evaluate the impact of a multicomponent workplace health promotion program on employee health risks and work productivity. Quasi-experimental 12-month before-after intervention-control study. A multinational corporation headquartered in the United Kingdom. Of 618 employees offered the program, 266 (43%) completed questionnaires before and after the program. A total of 1242 of 2500 (49.7%) of a control population also completed questionnaires 12 months apart. A multicomponent health promotion program incorporating a health risk appraisal questionnaire, access to a tailored health improvement web portal, wellness literature, and seminars and workshops focused upon identified wellness issues. Outcomes were (1) cumulative count of health risk factors and the World Health Organization health and work performance questionnaire measures of (2) workplace absenteeism and (3) work performance. After adjusting for baseline differences, improvements in all three outcomes were significantly greater in the intervention group compared with the control group. Mean excess reductions of 0.45 health risk factors and 0.36 monthly absenteeism days and a mean increase of 0.79 on the work performance scale were observed in the intervention group compared with the control group. The intervention yielded a positive return on investment, even using conservative assumptions about effect size estimation. The results suggest that a well-implemented multicomponent workplace health promotion program can produce sizeable changes in health risks and productivity.

  20. The oral health of people with learning disabilities - a user-friendly questionnaire survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Owens, J; Jones, K; Marshman, Z

    2017-03-01

    To conduct a user-friendly questionnaire survey of the oral health and service needs of adults with learning disabilities. Researchers collaborated with local self-advocacy services to develop a questionnaire adapted from one used in a regional postal survey. The questionnaire, which covered dental status, oral health and dental services use, was sent to a random sample of people from the learning disability case register. Of 2,000 questionnaires mailed, 117 were returned undelivered and 625 were completed (response rate 31.3%). The self-reported dental status of people with learning disabilities appeared similar to that of the 2008 postal survey of the general population in Sheffield. The major difference in dental status was 11.5% of people with learning disabilities wore upper dentures and 7.2% wore lower dentures, compared to 21.2% and 12.1% of the general population in Sheffield. Using the case register as a recruitment instrument may have excluded people with learning disabilities not registered. Time and finances only permitted one mailing. Analysis on the basis of deprivation could not be conducted. Contrary to current practice, it is possible to include people with learning disabilities in oral health surveys. A multidisciplinary team was essential for enabling the progression and implementation of inclusive research and for people with learning disabilities and their supporters to engage meaningfully. This level of collaboration appears necessary if we are committed to ensuring that people with learning disabilities and their supporters are made visible to policy and decision-makers. Copyright© 2017 Dennis Barber Ltd

  1. Using plain language and adding communication technology to an existing health-related questionnaire to help generate accurate information : Qualitative study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Welbie, Marlies; Wittink, Harriet; Westerman, Marjan J.; Topper, Ilse; Snoei, Josca; Deville, Walter L.J.M.

    2018-01-01

    Background: Low-educated patients are disadvantaged in using questionnaires within the health care setting because most health-related questionnaires do not take the educational background of patients into account. The Dutch Talking Touch Screen Questionnaire (DTTSQ) was developed in an attempt to

  2. Integrated Worker Health Protection and Promotion Programs: Overview and Perspectives on Health and Economic Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pronk, Nicolaas P.

    2014-01-01

    Objective To describe integrated worker health protection and promotion (IWHPP) program characteristics, to discuss the rationale for integration of OSH and WHP programs, and to summarize what is known about the impact of these programs on health and economic outcomes. Methods A descriptive assessment of the current state of the IWHPP field and a review of studies on the effectiveness of IWHPP programs on health and economic outcomes. Results Sufficient evidence of effectiveness was found for IWHPP programs when health outcomes are considered. Impact on productivity-related outcomes is considered promising, but inconclusive, whereas insufficient evidence was found for health care expenditures. Conclusions Existing evidence supports an integrated approach in terms of health outcomes but will benefit significantly from research designed to support the business case for employers of various company sizes and industry types. PMID:24284747

  3. Reference values for the CAVIPRES-30 questionnaire, a global questionnaire on the health-related quality of life of patients with prostate cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gómez-Veiga, F; Silmi-Moyano, A; Günthner, S; Puyol-Pallas, M; Cózar-Olmo, J M

    2014-06-01

    Define and establish the reference values of the CAVIPRES-30 Questionnaire, a health related quality of life questionnaire specific for prostate cancer patients. The CAVIPRES-30 was administered to 2,630 males with prostate cancer included by 238 Urologist belonging to the Spanish National Healthcare System. Descriptive analysis on socio-demographic and clinical data were performed, and multivariate analyses were used to corroborate that stratification variables were statistically significantly and independently associated to the overall score of the questionnaire. The variables Time since diagnosis of the illness, whether the patient had a Stable partner or not, if he was, or not, undergoing Symptomatic treatment were statistically significantly and independently associated (P < .001) to the overall score of the questionnaire. The reference values table of the CAVIPRES-30 questionnaire is made up of different kinds of information of each patient profile: sample size, descriptive statistics with regard to the overall score, Cronbach's alpha value (between .791 and .875) and the questionnaire's values are reported by deciles. The results of this study contribute new proof as to the suitability and usefulness of the CAVIPRES-30 questionnaire as an instrument for assessing individually the quality of life of prostate cancer. Copyright © 2013 AEU. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  4. Health-related quality of life questionnaire for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOSQ-50): development and psychometric properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nasiri-Amiri, Fatemeh; Ramezani Tehrani, Fahimeh; Simbar, Masoumeh; Montazeri, Ali; Mohammadpour, Reza Ali

    2016-07-01

    The determinants of the health-related quality of life of women with polycystic ovary syndrome are not fully understood. The aim of this study was to develop a comprehensive instrument to assess the health-related quality of life of Iranian women with PCOS and to assess its psychometric properties. We used a mixed-method, sequential, exploratory design including both qualitative [in-depth interview to define the components of health-related quality of life questionnaire (PCOSQ)] and quantitative approaches (to assess the psychometric properties of PCOSQ). A preliminary questionnaire was developed including 147 items which emerged from the qualitative phase of the study. Considering the optimum cutoff points for content validity ratio (CVR), content validity index (CVI), and impact score, items of the preliminary questionnaire were reduced from 147 to 88 items. Finally, by excluding highly correlated items using the exploratory factor analysis, a 50-item questionnaire was obtained. The Kaiser criteria (eigenvalues >1) and Scree plot tests demonstrated that six factors were optimum with an estimated 47.3 % of variance. Assessment of the psychometric properties of the questionnaire demonstrated a mean CVI = 0.92, CVR = 0.91, Cronbach's alpha for whole questionnaire = 0.88 (0.61-0.88 for subscales), Spearman's correlation coefficients of test-retest = 0.75, and the intra-class correlation coefficient for the PCOS questionnaire subscales ranging from 0.57 to 0.88. Eventually the final questionnaire included 50 items in six domains, 'psychosocial and emotional,' 'fertility,' 'sexual function,' 'obesity and menstrual disorders,' 'hirsutism,' and 'coping' and rated on a 5-point Likert scale. The PCOSQ-50 is a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of quality of life of women with PCOS, capable of assessing some obscure aspects overlooked by previous HRQL questionnaires.

  5. The prediction of poor outcome in young adults: comparison of the Young Adult Self-Report, the General Health Questionnaire and the Symptom Checklist.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferdinand, R F; Verhulst, F C

    1994-06-01

    The ability of the Young Adult Self-Report (YASR), the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) to predict maladjustment across a 2-year time-span was assessed in a general population sample of 528 18- to 22-year-olds. Referral for mental health services and need for professional help were predicted by total problem scores of the YASR, the GHQ-28 and the SCL-90 and by the internalizing scale of the YASR. Furthermore, the internalizing scale predicted suicide attempts or suicidal ideation, whereas the externalizing scale predicted police contacts. The YASR delinquent behavior syndrome was the only significant predictor of alcohol abuse. The findings supported the validity of the YASR as an instrument for the assessment of psychopathology in young adults.

  6. Identifying and assessing strategies for evaluating the impact of mobile eye health units on health outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Shiwan; Turner, Angus; Tan, Irene; Muir, Josephine

    2017-12-01

    To identify and assess strategies for evaluating the impact of mobile eye health units on health outcomes. Systematic literature review. Worldwide. Peer-reviewed journal articles that included the use of a mobile eye health unit. Journal articles were included if outcome measures reflected an assessment of the impact of a mobile eye health unit on health outcomes. Six studies were identified with mobile services offering diabetic retinopathy screening (three studies), optometric services (two studies) and orthoptic services (one study). This review identified and assessed strategies in existing literature used to evaluate the impact of mobile eye health units on health outcomes. Studies included in this review used patient outcomes (i.e. disease detection, vision impairment, treatment compliance) and/or service delivery outcomes (i.e. cost per attendance, hospital transport use, inappropriate referrals, time from diabetic retinopathy photography to treatment) to evaluate the impact of mobile eye health units. Limitations include difficulty proving causation of specific outcome measures and the overall shortage of impact evaluation studies. Variation in geographical location, service population and nature of eye care providers limits broad application. © 2017 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.

  7. Women's Mental Health Questionnaire (W-MHQ), Construction, Reliability, Validity: Father Parenting Associations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perkins, Rose J. Merlino

    2018-01-01

    "Women's Mental Health Questionnaire" (W-MHQ) assesses females' adult mental health concerns, and examines their associations with specified father-daughter childhood relationships. Presented are W-MHQ item and scale development, and psychometric findings drawn from factor analyses, reliability assessments, and validation processes. For…

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  9. Recovery, work-life balance and work experiences important to self-rated health : a questionnaire study on salutogenic work factors among Swedish primary health care employees

    OpenAIRE

    Ejlertsson, Lina; Heijbel, Bodil; Ejlertsson, Göran; Andersson, Ingemar

    2018-01-01

    BACKGROUND: There is a lack of information on positive work factors among health care workers. OBJECTIVE: To explore salutogenic work-related factors among primary health care employees. METHOD: Questionnaire to all employees (n = 599) from different professions in public and private primary health care centers in one health care district in Sweden. The questionnaire, which had a salutogenic perspective, included information on self-rated health from the previously validated SHIS (Salutogenic...

  10. Province-level income inequality and health outcomes in Canadian adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quon, Elizabeth C; McGrath, Jennifer J

    2015-03-01

    To examine the effects of provincial income inequality (disparity between rich and poor), independent of provincial income and family socioeconomic status, on multiple adolescent health outcomes. Participants (aged 12-17 years; N = 11,899) were from the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth. Parental education, household income, province income inequality, and province mean income were measured. Health outcomes were measured across a number of domains, including self-rated health, mental health, health behaviors, substance use behaviors, and physical health. Income inequality was associated with injuries, general physical symptoms, and limiting conditions, but not associated with most adolescent health outcomes and behaviors. Income inequality had a moderating effect on family socioeconomic status for limiting conditions, hyperactivity/inattention, and conduct problems, but not for other outcomes. Province-level income inequality was associated with some physical and mental health outcomes in adolescents, which has research and policy implications for this age-group. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  11. Department of Defense Birth and Infant Health Registry: select reproductive health outcomes, 2003-2014.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bukowinski, Anna T; Conlin, Ava Marie S; Gumbs, Gia R; Khodr, Zeina G; Chang, Richard N; Faix, Dennis J

    2017-11-01

    Established following a 1998 directive, the Department of Defense Birth and Infant Health Registry (Registry) team conducts surveillance of select reproductive health outcomes among military families. Data are compiled from the Military Health System Data Repository and Defense Manpower Data Center to define the Registry cohort and outcomes of interest. Outcomes are defined using ICD-9/ICD-10 and Current Procedural Terminology codes, and include: pregnancy outcomes (e.g., live births, losses), birth defects, preterm births, and male:female infant sex ratio. This report includes data from 2003-2014 on 1,304,406 infants among military families and 258,332 pregnancies among active duty women. Rates of common adverse infant and pregnancy outcomes were comparable to or lower than those in the general US population. These observations, along with prior Registry analyses, provide reassurance that military service is not independently associated with increased risks for select adverse reproductive health outcomes. The Registry's diverse research portfolio demonstrates its unique capabilities to answer a wide range of questions related to reproductive health. These data provide the military community with information to identify successes and areas for improvement in prevention and care.

  12. Health status measurement in COPD : the minimal clinically important difference of the clinical COPD questionnaire

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kocks, J. W. H.; Tuinenga, M. G.; Uil, S. M.; van den Berg, J. W. K.; Stahl, E.; van der Molen, T.

    2006-01-01

    Background: Patient-reported outcomes ( PRO) questionnaires are being increasingly used in COPD clinical studies. The challenge facing investigators is to determine what change is significant, ie what is the minimal clinically important difference (MCID). This study aimed to identify the MCID for

  13. Skilled migration and health outcomes in developing countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uprety, Dambar

    2018-04-30

    Many studies have found that health outcomes decline when health professionals leave the country, but do such results remain consistent in gender- and income-disaggregated skilled migration? To help uncover explanations for such a pro-migration nature of health outcomes, the present study revisits this topic but allows for associations of skilled migration with mortality and life expectancy to differ between male and female, and between low- and high-income countries. Using a panel of 133 developing countries as source and 20 OECD countries as destination from 1980 to 2010 allowing the coefficient on emigration across different education levels to differ, the study finds the negative effect of high-skilled emigration on health outcomes. Such effect is more pronounced for high-skilled female migration than those for male and for low-income countries than for middle-and high-income countries. Results also show that such adverse effect is larger for African countries than non-African ones. However, the low-skilled migration appears to be insignificant to affect health outcomes in developing countries. Thus, skilled migration is detrimental to longevity in developing countries but unskilled migration is not.

  14. Consumer preferences for health and nonhealth outcomes of health promotion: results from a discrete choice experiment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alayli-Goebbels, Adrienne F G; Dellaert, Benedict G C; Knox, Stephanie A; Ament, André J H A; Lakerveld, Jeroen; Bot, Sandra D M; Nijpels, G; Severens, J L

    2013-01-01

    Health promotion (HP) interventions have outcomes that go beyond health. Such broader nonhealth outcomes are usually neglected in economic evaluation studies. To allow for their consideration, insights are needed into the types of nonhealth outcomes that HP interventions produce and their relative importance compared with health outcomes. This study explored consumer preferences for health and nonhealth outcomes of HP in the context of lifestyle behavior change. A discrete choice experiment was conducted among participants in a lifestyle intervention (n = 132) and controls (n = 141). Respondents made 16 binary choices between situations that can be experienced after lifestyle behavior change. The situations were described by 10 attributes: future health state value, start point of future health state, life expectancy, clothing size above ideal, days with sufficient relaxation, endurance, experienced control over lifestyle choices, lifestyle improvement of partner and/or children, monetary cost per month, and time cost per week. With the exception of "time cost per week" and "start point of future health state," all attributes significantly determined consumer choices. Thus, both health and nonhealth outcomes affected consumer choice. Marginal rates of substitution between the price attribute and the other attributes revealed that the attributes "endurance," "days with sufficient relaxation," and "future health state value" had the greatest impact on consumer choices. The "life expectancy" attribute had a relatively low impact and for increases of less than 3 years, respondents were not willing to trade. Health outcomes and nonhealth outcomes of lifestyle behavior change were both important to consumers in this study. Decision makers should respond to consumer preferences and consider nonhealth outcomes when deciding about HP interventions. Copyright © 2013 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All

  15. Core Health Outcomes In Childhood Epilepsy (CHOICE): protocol for the selection of a core outcome set.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morris, Christopher; Dunkley, Colin; Gibbon, Frances M; Currier, Janet; Roberts, Deborah; Rogers, Morwenna; Crudgington, Holly; Bray, Lucy; Carter, Bernie; Hughes, Dyfrig; Tudur Smith, Catrin; Williamson, Paula R; Gringras, Paul; Pal, Deb K

    2017-11-28

    There is increasing recognition that establishing a core set of outcomes to be evaluated and reported in trials of interventions for particular conditions will improve the usefulness of health research. There is no established core outcome set for childhood epilepsy. The aim of this work is to select a core outcome set to be used in evaluative research of interventions for children with rolandic epilepsy, as an exemplar of common childhood epilepsy syndromes. First we will identify what outcomes should be measured; then we will decide how to measure those outcomes. We will engage relevant UK charities and health professional societies as partners, and convene advisory panels for young people with epilepsy and parents of children with epilepsy. We will identify candidate outcomes from a search for trials of interventions for childhood epilepsy, statutory guidance and consultation with our advisory panels. Families, charities and health, education and neuropsychology professionals will be invited to participate in a Delphi survey following recommended practices in the development of core outcome sets. Participants will be able to recommend additional outcome domains. Over three rounds of Delphi survey participants will rate the importance of candidate outcome domains and state the rationale for their decisions. Over the three rounds we will seek consensus across and between families and health professionals on the more important outcomes. A face-to-face meeting will be convened to ratify the core outcome set. We will then review and recommend ways to measure the shortlisted outcomes using clinical assessment and/or patient-reported outcome measures. Our methodology is a proportionate and pragmatic approach to expediently produce a core outcome set for evaluative research of interventions aiming to improve the health of children with epilepsy. A number of decisions have to be made when designing a study to develop a core outcome set including defining the scope

  16. Development and Validation of the EXPECT Questionnaire: Assessing Patient Expectations of Outcomes of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Treatments for Chronic Pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Salene M W; Lange, Jane; Turner, Judith; Cherkin, Dan; Ritenbaugh, Cheryl; Hsu, Clarissa; Berthoud, Heidi; Sherman, Karen

    2016-11-01

    Patient expectations may be associated with outcomes of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments for chronic pain. However, a psychometrically sound measure of such expectations is needed. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a questionnaire to assess individuals' expectations regarding outcomes of CAM treatments for chronic low back pain (CLBP), as well as a short form of the questionnaire. An 18-item draft questionnaire was developed through literature review, cognitive interviews with individuals with CLBP, CAM practitioners, and expert consultation. Two samples completed the questionnaire: (1) a community sample (n = 141) completed it via an online survey before or soon after starting a CAM treatment for CLBP, and (2) participants (n = 181) in randomized clinical trials evaluating CAM treatments for CLBP or fibromyalgia completed it prior to or shortly after starting treatment. Factor structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and criterion validity were examined. Based on factor analyses, 10 items reflecting expectations (used to create a total score) and three items reflecting hopes (not scored) were selected for the questionnaire. The questionnaire had high internal consistency, moderate test-retest reliability, and moderate correlations with other measures of expectations. A three-item short form also had adequate reliability and validity. The Expectations for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Treatments (EXPECT) questionnaire can be used in research to assess individuals' expectations of treatments for chronic pain. It is recommended that the three hope questions are included (but not scored) to help respondents distinguish between hopes and expectations. The short form may be appropriate for clinical settings and when expectation measurement is not a primary focus.

  17. Are There Differences in the Health Outcomes of Mothers in Europe and East-Asia? A Cross-Cultural Health Survey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eva Mautner

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the current study was to investigate differences in quality of life outcomes and depression of mothers in East-Asia and Central Europe. 170 women in Japan and 226 women in Austria with children between 3 and 5 answered the same cross-culturally validated questionnaires. The Quality of Life Questionnaire from the WHO (WHOQOL-Bref, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2, the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-13, a Social Support Scale (MSPSS, and questions on gender orientation were used. In all dimensions of QOL (physical, psychological, social, and environmental Japanese women had lower QOL scores compared to Austrian mothers (P<001. Seven percent of women in both countries experienced major depression. In both countries sense of coherence, experienced stress level, satisfaction with income, social support, and gender roles had an influence on QOL and depressive symptoms. Mothers in Japan consider life events less comprehensible, manageable, and meaningful and experience less support. Consequently, creating an environment where fathers could be more involved in child rearing and mothers have more opportunities to choose between life styles and working and social environments would improve QOL not only in Japanese mothers but also in other countries all over the world.

  18. Association of physiological and psychological health outcomes with physical activity and sedentary behavior in adults with type 2 diabetes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia, Jeanette M; Cox, Daniel; Rice, David J

    2017-01-01

    Purpose To examine the association between change in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behavior (SB) over a 6-month period with physiological and psychological factors in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods Participants included 26 middle-aged (mean age=56.1±10.8 years; 42% women), overweight/obese (mean body mass index (BMI) =37.22±8.78 kg/m2) adults who had been diagnosed with T2D within the past 5 years (mean HbA1c=7.81%). Participants underwent a physical examination, blood tests, and psychological questionnaires, including a self-report questionnaire that assessed the consumption of high glycemic and low glycemic load foods. Participants wore an Actigraph accelerometer for 7 days to assess MVPA and SB. All measures were collected at baseline and at the 6-month follow-up. Spearman rank correlations and regression models were conducted to examine the relationship between activity variables, and the association of activity measures with health outcomes at the 6-month follow-up. Results Decreases in duration of SB bouts and increases in MVPA were associated with decreased levels of HbA1c (p<0.05). Over 50% of the variance in HbA1c levels could be attributed to changes in MVPA and SB. Conclusions MVPA and SB were independently associated with diabetes-related health outcomes. Results suggest that emphasis should be placed on increasing MVPA while decreasing SB, particularly duration of SB bouts. This suggests that even small changes in daily behavior may contribute to improvement in diabetes-related health outcomes. PMID:28405340

  19. The headache under-response to treatment (HURT) questionnaire, an outcome measure to guide follow-up in primary care: development, psychometric evaluation and assessment of utility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steiner, T J; Buse, D C; Al Jumah, M; Westergaard, M L; Jensen, R H; Reed, M L; Prilipko, L; Mennini, F S; Láinez, M J A; Ravishankar, K; Sakai, F; Yu, S-Y; Fontebasso, M; Al Khathami, A; MacGregor, E A; Antonaci, F; Tassorelli, C; Lipton, R B

    2018-02-14

    Headache disorders are both common and burdensome but, given the many people affected, provision of health care to all is challenging. Structured headache services based in primary care are the most efficient, equitable and cost-effective solution but place responsibility for managing most patients on health-care providers with limited training in headache care. The development of practical management aids for primary care is therefore a purpose of the Global Campaign against Headache. This manuscript presents an outcome measure, the Headache Under-Response to Treatment (HURT) questionnaire, describing its purpose, development, psychometric evaluation and assessment for clinical utility. The objective was a simple-to-use instrument that would both assess outcome and provide guidance to improving outcome, having utility across the range of headache disorders, across clinical settings and across countries and cultures. After literature review, an expert consensus group drawn from all six world regions formulated HURT through item development and item reduction using item-response theory. Using the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention Study's general-population respondent panel, two mailed surveys assessed the psychometric properties of HURT, comparing it with other instruments as external validators. Reliability was assessed in patients in two culturally-contrasting clinical settings: headache specialist centres in Europe (n = 159) and primary-care centres in Saudi Arabia (n = 40). Clinical utility was assessed in similar settings (Europe n = 201; Saudi Arabia n = 342). The final instrument, an 8-item self-administered questionnaire, addressed headache frequency, disability, medication use and effect, patients' perceptions of headache "control" and their understanding of their diagnoses. Psychometric evaluation revealed a two-factor model (headache frequency, disability and medication use; and medication efficacy and headache control), with

  20. The Diabetes Intention, Attitude, and Behavior Questionnaire: evaluation of a brief questionnaire to measure physical activity, dietary control, maintenance of a healthy weight, and psychological antecedents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Traina SB

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Shana B Traina,1 Susan D Mathias,2 Hilary H Colwell,2 Ross D Crosby,2–4 Charles Abraham5 1Patient-Reported Outcomes, Janssen Global Services, LLC, Raritan, NJ, USA; 2Health Outcomes Solutions, Winter Park, FL, USA; 3Biomedical Statistics & Methodology, Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Fargo, ND, USA; 4Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND, USA; 5Psychology Applied to Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK Background: This study assessed measurement properties of the 17-item Diabetes Intention, Attitude, and Behavior Questionnaire (DIAB-Q, which measures intention to engage in self-care behaviors, including following a diabetes diet and engaging in appropriate physical activity. Methods: The DIAB-Q includes questions based on the Theory of Planned Behavior. Items were developed using published literature, input from health care professionals, and qualitative research findings in patients with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM. In Stage I of the study, 23 adults with T2DM were interviewed to evaluate the content and clarity of the DIAB-Q. In Stage II 1,015 individuals with T2DM completed the DIAB-Q and supplemental questionnaires, including the Short Form-36 acute (SF-36, section III of the Multidimensional Diabetes Questionnaire, the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities questionnaire, and self-administered items relevant to the treatment and management of T2DM (eg, blood pressure and glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c] at baseline and 3–7 days later. Once the DIAB-Q scale structure was determined, its test–retest reliability, construct validity, and known-groups validity were evaluated, and minimal clinically important change was estimated. Results: In Stage I, the 23 respondents surveyed generally reported that the DIAB-Q was clear and comprehensive and endorsed questions as relevant to their intentions to engage in diabetes

  1. Two-year follow-up study on neurodevelopmental outcomes after term intrapartum asphyxia using age and stages questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keihani-Doust, Zarrin; Saeedi, Maryam; Esmaeilni, Tahere; Habibi, Massoud; Nazari, Seyed Saeed Hashemi

    2013-12-01

    Birth asphyxia is one of the multiple causes of neonatal encephalopathy. The objective of this study was to evaluate neurodevelopmental outcomes of newborn term infants with definitive asphyxia. Thirty infants met study criteria for asphyxia. The 5-year incidence of asphyxia was estimated to be 5.5 in 1000. According to the Age and Stage Questionnaire, 10.5% of 6-month-old infants, 14.3% of 12- and 18-month-old infants, and 5.3% of 24-month-old infants had neurodevelopmental delay in gross motor function in the absence of cerebral palsy. In 7.3% of 18-month-old infants, neurodevelopmental delay in problem-solving ability was observed. Higher values of Apgar score and bicarbonate levels were associated with higher Age and Stage Questionnaire total score. Delivery type, maternal age, gravidity of mother, and existence of mother disease during pregnancy were also associated with lower Age and Stage Questionnaire total score in different stages of life.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  3. Spectrum of outcomes following traumatic brain injury-relationship between functional impairment and health-related quality of life.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsyben, Anastasia; Guilfoyle, Mathew; Timofeev, Ivan; Anwar, Fahim; Allanson, Judith; Outtrim, Joanne; Menon, David; Hutchinson, Peter; Helmy, Adel

    2018-01-01

    The outcome following traumatic brain injury (TBI) is heterogeneous and poorly defined and physical disability scales like the extended Glasgow Outcome Score (GOSE) while providing valuation information in terms of broad categorisation of outcome are unlikely to capture the full spectrum of deficits. Quality of life questionnaires such as SF-36 are emerging as potential tools to help characterise factors important to patients' recovery. This study assessed the association between physical disability and subjective health rating. The relationship is of value as it may help evaluate the impact of TBI on patients' lives and facilitate the delivery of appropriate neuro-rehabilitation services. A single-centre retrospective study was undertaken to assess the relationship between physical outcome as measured by GOSE and quality of life captured by the SF-36 questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha was calculated for each of the eight SF-36 domains to measure internal consistency of the test. Multivariate analysis of variance was conducted to look at the association between GOSE and the physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) component scores on the SF-36. Finally, we performed a generalised linear mixed model (GLMM) to assess the relative contribution of GOSE score, age at the time of trauma, sex and TBI duration towards MCS and PCS rating. There is a statistically significant difference in the MCS and PCS scores based on patients' GOSE scores. The mean scores of the eight SF-36 domains showed significant association with GOSE. GLMM demonstrated that GOSE was the strongest predictor of PCS and MCS. Age was an important variable in the PCS score while time following trauma was a significant predictor of MCS rating. This study highlights that patients' physical outcome following TBI is a strong predictor of the subjective mental and physical health. Nevertheless, there remains tremendous variability in individual SF-36 scores for each GOSE category, highlighting that additional factors

  4. Questionnaires in the assessment of sexual function in women with urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mestre, M; Lleberia, J; Pubill, J; Espuña-Pons, M

    2015-04-01

    Integrating sexual health in clinical practice is important. In women with pelvic floor disorders, the evaluation of the anatomical defects, lower urinary tract function and the anorectal function often receives more attention than the sexual function. Review of Medline using defined search terms to identify articles related to sexual health assessment in urogynecology and manual analyses was performed. Only articles published in English or Spanish were included. Only 50% of women attending urogynecological clinics are sexually active. Of those, 60% present with some sort of sexual sexual dysfunction (FSD). Questionnaires and sexuality scales would facilitate discussion of sexual matters between the Health Care professionals and the women, and may increase the likelihood of FSD being diagnosed. The Pelvic Organ Prolapse Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire (PISQ) and the PISQ-IR (IUGA-Revised) are the only female sexual function specific questionnaires currently validated and developed specifically to assess sexual function in women with urinary incontinence and/or pelvic organ prolapse. Furthermore, the PISQ-IR also allows evaluation of the outcomes of women who are not sexually active when requiring urogynecologic care. PISQ-IR is also designed for international validation. In order to use the PISQ-IR in Spain, a proper interpretation and validation of the questionnaire is needed. The evaluation of sexual function through specific questionnaires facilitates the identification of the sexual dysfunctions associated to the pelvic floor disorders. The inclusion of sexuality questionnaires as an outcome measure allows to analyze the impact in the sexual life of women treated for an urogynecological problem. Copyright © 2014 AEU. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  5. A Mokken analysis of the literacy in musculoskeletal problems questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaughan, Brett; Mulcahy, Jane; Coffey, Amy; Addinsall, Laura; Ryan, Stephanie; Fitzgerald, Kylie

    2017-12-21

    Limited health literacy is known to impact on medication adherence, hospital readmission and potentially poorer health outcomes. The literature on the health literacy of those with musculoskeletal conditions suggests greater functional limitations and increased pain levels. There are a number of measures of health literacy. One that specifically relates to musculoskeletal complaints is the Literacy in Musculoskeletal Problems (LiMP) questionnaire. The LiMP contains 9 multiple choice items that cover anatomy, musculoskeletal conditions and the diagnosis of musculoskeletal complaints. The aim of the study was to evaluate the dimensionality and internal structure of the LiMP in patients attending for osteopathy care at a student-led clinic, as a potential measure of musculoskeletal health literacy. Three hundred and sixty-one (n = 361) new patients attending the Victoria University Osteopathy Clinic completed the LiMP and a demographic and health information questionnaire prior to their initial consultation. Mokken scale analysis, a nonparametric item response theory approach, was used to evaluate the dimensionality and structure of the LiMP in this population, to ascertain whether the questionnaire was measuring a single latent construct - musculoskeletal health literacy. McDonald's omega and Cronbach's alpha were calculated as the reliability estimations. The relationship between the LiMP and a single item screen of health literacy was also undertaken. The 9 items on the LiMP did not form a Mokken scale and the reliability estimations were below an acceptable level (alpha and omega literacy (p literacy. Further research may also develop a health literacy measure that is specific to patients seeking manual therapy care for musculoskeletal complaints.

  6. An Evaluation of Army Wellness Center Clients' Health-Related Outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rivera, L Omar; Ford, Jessica Danielle; Hartzell, Meredith Marie; Hoover, Todd Allan

    2018-01-01

    To examine whether Army community members participating in a best-practice based workplace health promotion program (WHPP) experience goal-moderated improvements in health-related outcomes. Pretest/posttest outcome evaluation examining an autonomously participating client cohort over 1 year. Army Wellness Center facilities on 19 Army installations. Army community members sample (N = 5703), mostly Active Duty Soldiers (64%). Assessment of health risks with feedback, health assessments, health education classes, and health coaching sessions conducted by health educators at a recommended frequency of once a month for 3 to 12 months. Initial and follow-up outcome assessments of body mass index (BMI), body fat, cardiorespiratory fitness, blood pressure, and perceived stress. Mixed model linear regression testing for goal-moderated improvements in outcomes. Clients experienced significant improvements in body fat (-2% change), perceived stress (-6% to -12% change), cardiorespiratory fitness (+6% change), and blood pressure (-1% change) regardless of health-related goal. Only clients with a weight loss goal experienced BMI improvement (-1% change). Follow-up outcome assessment rates ranged from 44% (N = 2509) for BMI to 6% (N = 342) for perceived stress. Army Wellness Center clients with at least 1 follow-up outcome assessment experienced improvements in military readiness correlates and chronic disease risk factors. Evaluation design and follow-up-related limitations notwithstanding results suggest that best practices in WHPPs can effectively serve a globally distributed military force.

  7. Health status in patients with coexistent COPD and heart failure: a validation and comparison between the Clinical COPD Questionnaire and the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berkhof, Farida F; Metzemaekers, Leola; Uil, Steven M; Kerstjens, Huib A M; van den Berg, Jan W K

    2014-01-01

    Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure (HF) are both common diseases that coexist frequently. Patients with both diseases have worse stable state health status when compared with patients with one of these diseases. In many outpatient clinics, health status is monitored routinely in COPD patients using the Clinical COPD Questionnaire (CCQ) and in HF patients with the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHF-Q). This study validated and compared which questionnaire, ie, the CCQ or the MLHF-Q, is suited best for patients with coexistent COPD and HF. Patients with both COPD and HF and aged ≥40 years were included. Construct validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and agreement were determined. The Short-Form 36 was used as the external criterion. All questionnaires were completed at baseline. The CCQ and MLHF-Q were repeated after 2 weeks, together with a global rating of change. Fifty-eight patients were included, of whom 50 completed the study. Construct validity was acceptable. Internal consistency was adequate for CCQ and MLHF-Q total and domain scores, with a Cronbach's alpha ≥0.70. Reliability was adequate for MLHF-Q and CCQ total and domain scores, and intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.70-0.90, except for the CCQ symptom score (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.42). The standard error of measurement on the group level was smaller than the minimal clinical important difference for both questionnaires. However, the standard error of measurement on the individual level was larger than the minimal clinical important difference. Agreement was acceptable on the group level and limited on the individual level. CCQ and MLHF-Q were both valid and reliable questionnaires for assessment of health status in patients with coexistent COPD and HF on the group level, and hence for research. However, in clinical practice, on the individual level, the characteristics of both questionnaires were not as good

  8. Evaluation and Characterization of Health Economics and Outcomes Research in SAARC Nations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehta, Manthan; Nerurkar, Rajan

    2018-05-01

    To identify, evaluate, and characterize the variety, quality, and intent of the health economics and outcomes research studies being conducted in SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) nations. Studies published in English language between 1990 and 2015 were retrieved from Medline databases using relevant search strategies. Studies were independently reviewed as per Cochrane methodology and information on the type of research and outcomes were extracted. Quality of reporting was assessed. Of the 2638 studies screened from eight SAARC nations, a total of 179 were included for review (India = 140; Bangladesh = 12; Sri Lanka = 8; Pakistan = 7; Afghanistan = 5; Nepal = 4; Bhutan = 2; Maldives = 1). The broad study categories were cost-effectiveness analyses (CEAs = 76 studies), cost analyses (35 studies), and burden of illness (BOI=26 studies). The outcomes evaluated were direct costs, indirect costs, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). Cost of medicines, consultation and hospital charges, and monitoring costs were assessed as direct medical costs along with non-direct medical costs such as travel and food for patients and caregivers. The components of indirect costs were loss of income of patients and caregivers and loss of productivity. Quality of life (QoL) was assessed in 48 studies. The most commonly used instrument for assessing QoL was the WHO-Quality of Life BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire (76%). The Quality of Health Economic Studies (QHES) score was used for quality assessment of full economic studies (44 studies). The mean QHES score was 43.76. This review identifies various patterns of health economic studies in eight SAARC nations. The quality of economic evaluation studies for health care in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Maldives needs improvement. There is a need to generate the capacity of researchers

  9. Assessing the link between implementation fidelity and health outcomes for a trial of intensive case management by community health workers: a mixed methods study protocol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidt, Barbara; Watt, Kerrianne; McDermott, Robyn; Mills, Jane

    2017-07-17

    Better systems of care are required to address chronic disease in Indigenous people to ensure they can access all their care needs. Health research has produced evidence about effective models of care and chronic disease strategies to address Indigenous health, however the transfer of research findings into routine clinical practice has proven challenging. Complex interventions, such as those related to chronic disease, have many components that are often poorly implemented and hence rarely achieve implementation fidelity. Implementation fidelity is "the degree to which programs are implemented as intended by the program developer". Knowing if an intervention was implemented as planned is fundamental to knowing what has contributed to the success of an intervention. The aim of this study is to adapt the implementation fidelity framework developed by Keith et al. and apply it to the intervention implemented in phase 1 of the Getting Better at Chronic Care in North Queensland study. The objectives are to quantify the level of implementation fidelity achieved during phase 1 of the study, measure the association between implementation fidelity and health outcomes and to explore the features of the primary health care system that contributed to improved health outcomes. A convergent parallel mixed methods study design will be used to develop a process for assessing implementation fidelity. Information collected via a questionnaire and routine data generated during phase 1 of the study will be used to explain the context for the intervention in each site and develop an implementation fidelity score for each component of the intervention. A weighting will be applied to each component of the intervention to calculate the overall implementation score for each participating community. Statistical analysis will assess the level of association between implementation fidelity scores and health outcomes. Health services research seeks to find solutions to social and technical

  10. An exploration of workplace social capital as an antecedent of occupational safety and health climate and outcomes in the Chinese education sector.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Jessica Janice; Leka, Stavroula; Hunt, Nigel; MacLennan, Sara

    2014-07-01

    It is widely acknowledged that teachers are at greater risk of work-related health problems. At the same time, employee perceptions of different dimensions of organizational climate can influence their attitudes, performance, and well-being at work. This study applied and extended a safety climate model in the context of the education sector in Hong Kong. Apart from safety considerations alone, the study included occupational health considerations and social capital and tested their relationships with occupational safety and health (OSH) outcomes. Seven hundred and four Hong Kong teachers completed a range of questionnaires exploring social capital, OSH climate, OSH knowledge, OSH performance (compliance and participation), general health, and self-rated health complaints and injuries. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the relationships between predictive and outcome variables. SEM analysis revealed a high level of goodness of fit, and the hypothesized model including social capital yielded a better fit than the original model. Social capital, OSH climate, and OSH performance were determinants of both positive and negative outcome variables. In addition, social capital not only significantly predicted general health directly, but also had a predictive effect on the OSH climate-behavior-outcome relationship. This study makes a contribution to the workplace social capital and OSH climate literature by empirically assessing their relationship in the Chinese education sector.

  11. The Scoliosis Research Society-22 questionnaire adapted for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients in China: reliability and validity analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Li; Zhang, Yong; Sun, Xiaotang; Du, Qing; Shang, Lei

    2007-12-01

    Outcome investigation to verify the internal consistency, reproducibility and validity of the adapted Chinese version of the Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22) questionnaire for measuring health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children with idiopathic scoliosis. To develop this questionnaire for the outcome measurement in treating Chinese adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis and evaluate its metric qualities. The SRS-22 questionnaire has proven to be a valid instrument for clinical assessment of patients with idiopathic scoliosis and has been successfully translated into Spanish and Turkish. In most developing countries, however, quality of life and psychological health have been poorly described when treating children with idiopathic scoliosis. Trans-cultural adaptation of the SRS-22 questionnaire was carried out according to the International Quality of Life Assessment Project guidelines. The final version was approved by a committee of experts. The questionnaire was completed by 86 adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis who had been treated with a brace; this included 11 males and 75 females, aged from 10 to 18 years (mean 13.9 years). Curve magnitude ranged from 25 degrees to 45 degrees (mean 35.6 degrees ). A subgroup of 30 patients completed the questionnaire again in 3 or 4 weeks. Five common factors were acquired from factorial analysis, and the cumulative contribution ratio was 67.66%. The overall alpha coefficient of the questionnaire was 0.88. Coefficients for individual domains were as follows: function/activity, 0.70; pain, 0.80; self-image, 0.80; mental health, 0.88; and satisfaction, 0.81. The questionnaire as a whole had a test-retest correlation coefficient of 0.97. Test-retest correlation coefficients for individual domains were as follows: function, 0.85; pain, 0.96; self-image, 0.96; mental health, 0.95; and satisfaction, 0.91. The Chinese version of the SRS-22 questionnaire is eligible in terms of reliability and validity, and can be

  12. Identifiable Data Files - Health Outcomes Survey (HOS)

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — The Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (HOS) identifiable data files are comprised of the entire national sample for a given 2-year cohort (including both respondents...

  13. Core outcome sets in women's and newborn health: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duffy, Jmn; Rolph, R; Gale, C; Hirsch, M; Khan, K S; Ziebland, S; McManus, R J

    2017-09-01

    Variation in outcome collection and reporting is a serious hindrance to progress in our specialty; therefore, over 80 journals have come together to support the development, dissemination, and implementation of core outcome sets. This study systematically reviewed and characterised registered, progressing, or completed core outcome sets relevant to women's and newborn health. Systematic search using the Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trial initiative and the Core Outcomes in Women's and Newborn Health initiative databases. Registry entries, protocols, systematic reviews, and core outcome sets. Descriptive statistics to describe characteristics and results. There were 49 core outcome sets registered in maternal and newborn health, with the majority registered in 2015 (n = 22; 48%) or 2016 (n = 16; 32%). Benign gynaecology (n = 8; 16%) and newborn health (n = 3; 6%) are currently under-represented. Twenty-four (52%) core outcome sets were funded by international (n = 1; core outcome sets were completed: reconstructive breast surgery (11 outcomes), preterm birth (13 outcomes), epilepsy in pregnancy (29 outcomes), and maternity care (48 outcomes). The quantitative, qualitative, and consensus methods used to develop core outcome sets varied considerably. Core outcome sets are currently being developed across women's and newborn health, although coverage of topics is variable. Development of further infrastructure to develop, disseminate, and implement core outcome sets is urgently required. Forty-nine women's and newborn core outcome sets registered. 50% funded. 7 protocols, 20 systematic reviews, and 4 core outcome sets published. @coreoutcomes @jamesmnduffy. © 2017 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

  14. Health expenditure and child health outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study sought to understand the relationship between child health outcomes and health spending while investigating lagged effects. The study employed panel data from 45 Sub-Saharan African countries between 1995 and 2011 obtained from the World Bank's World Development Indicators. Fixed and Random effect ...

  15. HIV self-care practices during pregnancy and maternal health outcomes among HIV-positive postnatal mothers aged 18-35 years at Mbuya Nehanda maternity hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dodzo, Lilian Gertrude; Mahaka, Hilda Tandazani; Mukona, Doreen; Zvinavashe, Mathilda; Haruzivishe, Clara

    2017-06-01

    HIV-related conditions are one of the indirect causes of maternal deaths in Zimbabwe and the prevalence rate was estimated to be 13.63% in 2009. The study utilised a descriptive correlational design on 80 pregnant women who were HIV positive at Mbuya Nehanda maternity hospital in Harare, Zimbabwe. Participants comprised a random sample of 80 postnatal mothers. Permission to carry out the study was obtained from the respective review boards. Participants signed an informed consent. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and record review from 1 to 20 March 2012. Interviews were done in a private room and code numbers were used to identify the participants. Completed questionnaires were kept in a lockable cupboard and the researcher had sole access to them. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 12. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse data on demographics, maternal health outcomes and self-care practices. Inferential statistics (Pearson's correlation and regression analysis) were used to analyse the relationship between self-care practices and maternal health outcomes. Self-care practices were good with a mean score of 8 out of 16. Majority (71.3%) fell within the good category. Maternal outcomes were poor with a mean score of 28 out of 62 and 67.5% falling in the poor category. Pearson's correlation indicated a weak significant positive relationship (r = .317, p = <.01). Regression analysis (R 2 ) was .10 implying that self-care practices explained 10% of the variance observed in maternal health outcomes. More research needs to be carried out to identify other variables affecting maternal outcomes in HIV-positive pregnant women.

  16. Cross-cultural adaptation, validation, and reliability of the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire among Persian population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebrahimzadeh, Mohammad H; Birjandinejad, Ali; Kachooei, Amir Reza

    2015-01-01

    We aimed to validate a cross-culturally adapted version of the Persian Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire (MHOQ). We followed the Beaton's guideline to translate the questionnaire to Persian. We administered the final version to 223 patients among which 79 patients returned 3 days later to respond to the Persian MHOQ for the second time. In the first visit, respondents also filled the Disabilities of the Arm Shoulder and Hand (DASH) and rated the pain based on the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Cronbach's alpha for the total MHOQ was 0.79 which showed good internal consistency. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for the total MHOQ was 0.84 which demonstrated good reliability between test and retest. The absolute correlation coefficient between total MHOQ and the DASH was as high as 0.74. Persian version of the MHOQ proved to be a reliable and valid instrument to be implemented among Persian population with the hand and wrist disorders.

  17. Memory Complaint Questionnaire performed poorly as screening tool : validation against psychometric tests and affective measures

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Reid, Meagan; Parkinson, Lynne; Gibson, Richard; Schofield, Peter; D'Este, Catherine; Attia, John; Tavener, Meredith; Byles, Julie

    Objective: This study examined the internal and external validity of the Memory Complaint Questionnaire (MAC-Q), a brief measure of subjective memory complaint in people with normal cognitive function. Study Design and Setting: The Study of Health Outcomes in Aircraft Maintenance Personnel was a

  18. A comparison of four typical green exercise environments and prediction of psychological health outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rogerson, Mike; Brown, Daniel K; Sandercock, Gavin; Wooller, John-James; Barton, Jo

    2016-05-01

    'Green exercise' (GE) is physical activity while simultaneously being exposed to nature. GE comprises three physical components: the individual, the exercise and the environment, and one processes component encompassing a range of psychological and physiological processes. Previous research has consistently shown affective benefits of GE compared to equivalent non-GE. Investigating the possibility of optimum GE environments may help maximise health benefits. The aim of this study was to compare affective outcomes of GE participation between four different typical GE environments (beach, grasslands, riverside, heritage), and further examine influences of several physical component-related variables and one processes component-related variable, on these outcomes. Participants (N = 331) completed questionnaires before and after a 5km run, at one of four parkrun event locations. Self-esteem (Δ = 1.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) = (1.30, 1.93)), stress (Δ = -2.36, 95% CI = (-3.01, -1.71)) and mood (Δ = -5.25, 95% CI = (-7.45, -3.05)) all significantly improved from pre- to post-run (p self-esteem improvement, 1.6% of perceived stress improvement, and 9.5% of mood improvement. GE offers accessible provision for improving acute psychological wellbeing. Although nature-based exercise environments can facilitate affective outcomes, the overall type of nature may be less critical. Other characteristics of the individual, exercise and environment can significantly influence attainment of psychological GE benefits. However, the results support a greater importance of the processes component in attaining previously reported affective outcomes. © Royal Society for Public Health 2015.

  19. Health-related quality of life of food allergic patients measured with generic and disease-specific questionnaires

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Flokstra-de Blok, B. M. J.; van der Velde, J. L.; Vlieg-Boerstra, B. J.; Oude Elberink, J. N. G.; DunnGalvin, A.; Hourihane, J. O.'B.; Duiverman, E. J.; Dubois, A. E. J.

    2010-01-01

    Health-related quality of life (HRQL) has never been measured with both generic and disease-specific questionnaires in the same group of food allergic patients. The aim of this study was to compare HRQL of food allergic patients as measured with generic and disease-specific questionnaires. Generic

  20. Organizational climate and employee mental health outcomes: A systematic review of studies in health care organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bronkhorst, Babette; Tummers, Lars; Steijn, Bram; Vijverberg, Dominique

    2015-01-01

    In recent years, the high prevalence of mental health problems among health care workers has given rise to great concern. The academic literature suggests that employees' perceptions of their work environment can play a role in explaining mental health outcomes. We conducted a systematic review of the literature in order to answer the following two research questions: (1) how does organizational climate relate to mental health outcomes among employees working in health care organizations and (2) which organizational climate dimension is most strongly related to mental health outcomes among employees working in health care organizations? Four search strategies plus inclusion and quality assessment criteria were applied to identify and select eligible studies. As a result, 21 studies were included in the review. Data were extracted from the studies to create a findings database. The contents of the studies were analyzed and categorized according to common characteristics. Perceptions of a good organizational climate were significantly associated with positive employee mental health outcomes such as lower levels of burnout, depression, and anxiety. More specifically, our findings indicate that group relationships between coworkers are very important in explaining the mental health of health care workers. There is also evidence that aspects of leadership and supervision affect mental health outcomes. Relationships between communication, or participation, and mental health outcomes were less clear. If health care organizations want to address mental health issues among their staff, our findings suggest that organizations will benefit from incorporating organizational climate factors in their health and safety policies. Stimulating a supportive atmosphere among coworkers and developing relationship-oriented leadership styles would seem to be steps in the right direction.

  1. Development and Validation of the "iCAN!"--A Self-Administered Questionnaire Measuring Outcomes/Competences and Professionalism of Medical Graduates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dimoliatis, Ioannis D. K.; Lyrakos, Georgios N.; Tseretopoulou, Xanthippi; Tzamalis, Theodoros; Bazoukis, George; Benos, Alexis; Gogos, Charalambos; Malizos, Konstantinos; Pneumatikos, Ioannis; Thermos, Kyriaki; Kaldoudi, Eleni; Tzaphlidou, Margaret; Papadopoulos, Iordanis N.; Jelastopulu, Eleni

    2014-01-01

    The Tuning-Medicine Project produced a set of "level one" and "level two" learning outcomes/competences to be met by European medical graduates. In the learner-centered era self-assessment becomes more and more important. Our aim was to develop a self-completion questionnaire ("iCAN!") evaluating graduates' learning…

  2. Worse patient-reported outcome after lateral approach than after anterior and posterolateral approach in primary hip arthroplasty. A cross-sectional questionnaire study of 1,476 patients 1-3 years after surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amlie, Einar; Havelin, Leif I; Furnes, Ove; Baste, Valborg; Nordsletten, Lars; Hovik, Oystein; Dimmen, Sigbjorn

    2014-09-01

    The surgical approach in total hip arthroplasty (THA) is often based on surgeon preference and local traditions. The anterior muscle-sparing approach has recently gained popularity in Europe. We tested the hypothesis that patient satisfaction, pain, function, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after THA is not related to the surgical approach. 1,476 patients identified through the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register were sent questionnaires 1-3 years after undergoing THA in the period from January 2008 to June 2010. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) included the hip disability osteoarthritis outcome score (HOOS), the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC), health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-3L), visual analog scales (VAS) addressing pain and satisfaction, and questions about complications. 1,273 patients completed the questionnaires and were included in the analysis. Adjusted HOOS scores for pain, other symptoms, activities of daily living (ADL), sport/recreation, and quality of life were significantly worse (p < 0.001 to p = 0.03) for the lateral approach than for the anterior approach and the posterolateral approach (mean differences: 3.2-5.0). These results were related to more patient-reported limping with the lateral approach than with the anterior and posterolateral approaches (25% vs. 12% and 13%, respectively; p < 0.001). Patients operated with the lateral approach reported worse outcomes 1-3 years after THA surgery. Self-reported limping occurred twice as often in patients who underwent THA with a lateral approach than in those who underwent THA with an anterior or posterolateral approach. There were no significant differences in patient-reported outcomes after THA between those who underwent THA with a posterolateral approach and those who underwent THA with an anterior approach.

  3. Public Health Nurses and Mothers Challenge and Shift the Meaning of Health Outcomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Megan Aston

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Maternal, child, and newborn health is a priority area in Canada and around the world. The work of public health nurses (PHNs is often invisible and misunderstood. The purpose of this qualitative research project was to explore how universal and targeted home visiting programs for mothers and babies were organized, delivered, and experienced through the everyday practices of PHNs ( n = 16 and mothers ( n = 16 in Nova Scotia, Canada. Feminist poststructuralism and discourse analysis were used to analyze interviews. Concepts of relations of power enabled an understanding of how health outcomes had been socially and institutionally constructed through binary relations. PHNs and mothers spoke about the importance of “softer” health outcomes, including maternal self-confidence and empowerment that had been constructed as less important than health outcomes that were seen to be more tangible and physical. Findings from this research could be used to guide practice and planning of postpartum home visiting programs.

  4. Promoting employee health by integrating health protection, health promotion, and continuous improvement: a longitudinal quasi-experimental intervention study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    von Thiele Schwarz, Ulrica; Augustsson, Hanna; Hasson, Henna; Stenfors-Hayes, Terese

    2015-02-01

    To test the effects of integrating health protection and health promotion with a continuous improvement system (Kaizen) on proximal employee outcomes (health promotion, integration, and Kaizen) and distal outcomes (workability, productivity, self-rated health and self-rated sickness absence). Twelve units in a county hospital in Sweden were randomized to control or intervention groups using a quasiexperimental study design. All staff (approximately 500) provided self-ratings in questionnaires at baseline, and a 12- and 24-month follow-up (response rate, 79% to 87.5%). There was a significant increase in the proximal outcomes over time in the intervention group compared with the control group, and a trend toward improvement in the distal outcomes workability and productivity. Integration seems to promote staff engagement in health protection and promotion, as well as to improve their understanding of the link between work and health.

  5. Health-related quality of life outcomes and level of evidence in pediatric neurosurgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansen, Daniel; Vedantam, Aditya; Briceño, Valentina; Lam, Sandi K; Luerssen, Thomas G; Jea, Andrew

    2016-10-01

    OBJECTIVE The emphasis on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes is increasing, along with an emphasis on evidence-based medicine. However, there is a notable paucity of validated HRQOL instruments for the pediatric population. Furthermore, no standardization or consensus currently exists concerning which HRQOL outcome measures ought to be used in pediatric neurosurgery. The authors wished to identify HRQOL outcomes used in pediatric neurosurgery research over the past 10 years, their frequency, and usage trends. METHODS Three top pediatric neurosurgical journals were reviewed for the decade from 2005 to 2014 for clinical studies of pediatric neurosurgical procedures that report HRQOL outcomes. Similar studies in the peer-reviewed journal Pediatrics were also used as a benchmark. Publication year, level of evidence, and HRQOL outcomes were collected for each article. RESULTS A total of 31 HRQOL studies were published in the pediatric neurosurgical literature over the study period. By comparison, there were 55 such articles in Pediatrics. The number of publications using HRQOL instruments showed a significant positive trend over time for Pediatrics (B = 0.62, p = 0.02) but did not increase significantly over time for the 3 neurosurgical journals (B = 0.12, p = 0.5). The authors identified a total of 46 different HRQOL instruments used across all journals. Within the neurosurgical journals, the Hydrocephalus Outcome Questionnaire (HOQ) (24%) was the most frequently used, followed by the Health Utilities Index (HUI) (16%), the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) (12%), and the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) (12%). Of the 55 articles identified in Pediatrics, 22 (40%) used a version of the PedsQL. No neurosurgical study reached above Level 4 on the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (OCEBM) system. However, multiple studies from Pediatrics achieved OCEBM Level 3, several were categorized as Level 2, and one reached Level 1

  6. Setting priorities in primary health care - on whose conditions? A questionnaire study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arvidsson Eva

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In Sweden three key criteria are used for priority setting: severity of the health condition; patient benefit; and cost-effectiveness. They are derived from the ethical principles established by the Swedish parliament 1997 but have been used only to a limited extent in primary care. The aim of this study was to describe and analyse: 1 GPs', nurses', and patients' prioritising in routine primary care 2 The association between the three key priority setting criteria and the overall priority assigned by the GPs and nurses to individual patients. Methods Paired questionnaires were distributed to all patients and the GPs or nurses they had contact with during a 2-week period at four health centres in Sweden. The staff registered the health conditions or health problem, and the planned intervention. Then they estimated the severity of the health condition, the expected patient benefit, and the cost-effectiveness of the planned intervention. Both the staff and the patients reported their overall prioritisation of the patient. In total, 1851 paired questionnaires were collected. Results Compared to the medical staff, the patients assigned relatively higher priority to acute/minor conditions than to preventive check-ups for chronic conditions. Severity of the health condition was the priority setting criterion that had the strongest association with the overall priority for the staff as a whole, but for the GPs it was cost-effectiveness. Conclusions The challenge for primary care providers is to balance the patients' demands with medical needs and cost-effectiveness. Transparent priority setting in primary care might contribute to a greater consensus between GPs and nurses on how to use the key priority setting criteria.

  7. Setting priorities in primary health care--on whose conditions? A questionnaire study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arvidsson, Eva; André, Malin; Borgquist, Lars; Andersson, David; Carlsson, Per

    2012-11-26

    In Sweden three key criteria are used for priority setting: severity of the health condition; patient benefit; and cost-effectiveness. They are derived from the ethical principles established by the Swedish parliament 1997 but have been used only to a limited extent in primary care. The aim of this study was to describe and analyse: 1) GPs', nurses', and patients' prioritising in routine primary care 2) The association between the three key priority setting criteria and the overall priority assigned by the GPs and nurses to individual patients. Paired questionnaires were distributed to all patients and the GPs or nurses they had contact with during a 2-week period at four health centres in Sweden. The staff registered the health conditions or health problem, and the planned intervention. Then they estimated the severity of the health condition, the expected patient benefit, and the cost-effectiveness of the planned intervention. Both the staff and the patients reported their overall prioritisation of the patient. In total, 1851 paired questionnaires were collected. Compared to the medical staff, the patients assigned relatively higher priority to acute/minor conditions than to preventive check-ups for chronic conditions. Severity of the health condition was the priority setting criterion that had the strongest association with the overall priority for the staff as a whole, but for the GPs it was cost-effectiveness. The challenge for primary care providers is to balance the patients' demands with medical needs and cost-effectiveness. Transparent priority setting in primary care might contribute to a greater consensus between GPs and nurses on how to use the key priority setting criteria.

  8. Health and imaging outcomes in axial spondyloarthritis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Machado, P.M.

    2016-01-01

    This thesis focuses on the assessment and monitoring of health and imaging outcomes in axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) and the relationship between these outcomes. Four major contributions to the understanding and management of axial SpA were made: 1) the improvement and facilitation of the assessment

  9. The Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire (PCOSQ): a validation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, G L; Benes, K; Clark, T L; Denham, R; Holder, M G; Haynes, T J; Mulgrew, N C; Shepherd, K E; Wilkinson, V H; Singh, M; Balen, A; Lashen, H; Ledger, W L

    2004-02-01

    We wished to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Questionnaire (PCOSQ), a questionnaire developed to measure the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of women with polycystic ovary syndrome. To assess reliability and validity, women recruited from an outpatient gynaecology clinic at the Jessop Wing, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield completed two copies of the PCOSQ and the Short Form-36 (SF-36). Secondary factor analysis was carried out to verify the composition of the dimensions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to assess face validity. Of the 92 women who consented, 82 women (89%) returned questionnaires at time 1, and 69 women (75%) returned questionnaires at time 2. All five PCOSQ dimensions were internally reliable with Cronbach's alpha scores ranging from 0.70 to 0.97. Intra-class correlation coefficients to evaluate test-retest reliability were high (range 0.89-0.95, P PCOSQ (0.49 and 0.54). Acne was identified as an important area of HRQoL missing from the questionnaire. The PCOSQ is a reliable instrument for measuring the HRQoL in women with PCOS. However, the validity of the questionnaire needs to be improved by incorporating a dimension on acne into the instrument.

  10. Women with coronary artery disease report worse health-related quality of life outcomes compared to men

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Galbraith P Diane

    2004-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Although there have been substantial medical advances that improve the outcomes following cardiac ischemic events, gender differences in the treatment and course of recovery for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD continue to exist. There is a general paucity of data comparing the health related quality of life (HRQOL in men and women undergoing treatment for CAD. The purpose of this study was to compare HRQOL outcomes of men and women in Alberta, at one-year following initial catheterization, after adjustment for known demographic, co-morbid, and disease severity predictors of outcome. Method The HRQOL outcome data were collected by means of a self-reported questionnaire mailed to patients on or near the one-year anniversary of their initial cardiac catheterization. Using the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ, 5 dimensions of HRQOL were measured: exertional capacity, anginal stability, anginal frequency, quality of life and treatment satisfaction. Data from the APPROACH registry were used to risk-adjust the SAQ scale scores. Two analytical strategies were used including general least squares linear modeling, and proportional odds modeling sometimes referred to as the "ordinal logistic modeling". Results 3392 (78.1% patients responded to the follow-up survey. The adjusted proportional odds ratios for men relative to women (PORs > 1 = better indicated that men reported significantly better HRQOL on all 5 SAQ dimensions as compared to women. (PORs: Exertional Capacity 3.38 (2.75–4.15, Anginal Stability 1.23 (1.03–1.47, Anginal Frequency 1.70 (1.43–2.01, Treatment Satisfaction 1.27 (1.07–1.50, and QOL 1.74 (1.48–2.04. Conclusions Women with CAD consistently reported worse HRQOL at one year follow-up compared to men. These findings underline the fact that conclusions based on research performed on men with CAD may not be valid for women and that more gender-related research is needed. Future studies are needed to

  11. High Intensity Interval Training for Maximizing Health Outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karlsen, Trine; Aamot, Inger-Lise; Haykowsky, Mark; Rognmo, Øivind

    Regular physical activity and exercise training are important actions to improve cardiorespiratory fitness and maintain health throughout life. There is solid evidence that exercise is an effective preventative strategy against at least 25 medical conditions, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, hypertension, colon and breast cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Traditionally, endurance exercise training (ET) to improve health related outcomes has consisted of low- to moderate ET intensity. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that higher exercise intensities may be superior to moderate intensity for maximizing health outcomes. The primary objective of this review is to discuss how aerobic high-intensity interval training (HIIT) as compared to moderate continuous training may maximize outcomes, and to provide practical advices for successful clinical and home-based HIIT. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  12. Quality of life questionnaires in otorhinolaryngology: a systematic overview.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  13. Health behaviors and work-related outcomes among school employees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    LeCheminant, James D; Merrill, Ray M; Masterson, Travis

    2015-05-01

    To determine the association between selected health behaviors and work-related outcomes among 2398 school-based employees who voluntarily enrolled in a worksite wellness program. This study presents participants' baseline data collected from a personal health assessment used by Well-Steps, a third-party wellness company. Employees with high levels of exercise, fruit/vegetable consumption, or restful sleep exhibited higher job-performance and job-satisfaction, and lower absenteeism (p job-performance (Prevalence Ratio=1.09; 95% CI=1.05-1.13), job-satisfaction (Prevalence Ratio=1.53; 95% CI=1.30-1.80), and lower absenteeism (Prevalence Ratio=1.16; 95% CI=1.08-1.325). Further, number of co-occurring health behaviors influenced other satisfaction and emotional health outcomes. Selected healthy behaviors, individually or co-occurring, are associated with health outcomes potentially important at the worksite.

  14. Mental health problems in children with intellectual disability: Use of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kaptein, S.; Jansen, D.E.M.C.; Vogels, A.G.C.; Reijneveld, S.A.

    2008-01-01

    Background: The assessment of mental health problems in children with intellectual disability (ID) mostly occurs by filling out long questionnaires that are not always validated for children without ID. The aim of this study is to assess the differences in mental health problems between children

  15. Health Outcomes and Costs of Social Work Services: A Systematic Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steketee, Gail; Ross, Abigail M; Wachman, Madeline K

    2017-12-01

    Efforts to reduce expensive health service utilization, contain costs, improve health outcomes, and address the social determinants of health require research that demonstrates the economic value of health services in population health across a variety of settings. Social workers are an integral part of the US health care system, yet the specific contributions of social work to health and cost-containment outcomes are unknown. The social work profession's person-in-environment framework and unique skillset, particularly around addressing social determinants of health, hold promise for improving health and cost outcomes. To systematically review international studies of the effect of social work-involved health services on health and economic outcomes. We searched 4 databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Social Science Citation Index) by using "social work" AND "cost" and "health" for trials published from 1990 to 2017. Abstract review was followed by full-text review of all studies meeting inclusion criteria (social work services, physical health, and cost outcomes). Of the 831 abstracts found, 51 (6.1%) met criteria. Full text review yielded 16 studies involving more than 16 000 participants, including pregnant and pediatric patients, vulnerable low-income adults, and geriatric patients. We examined study quality, health and utilization outcomes, and cost outcomes. Average study quality was fair. Studies of 7 social work-led services scored higher on quality ratings than 9 studies of social workers as team members. Most studies showed positive effects on health and service utilization; cost-savings were consistent across nearly all studies. Despite positive overall effects on outcomes, variability in study methods, health problems, and cost analyses render generalizations difficult. Controlled hypothesis-driven trials are needed to examine the health and cost effects of specific services delivered by social workers independently and through interprofessional team

  16. Health and school outcomes during children's transition into adolescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forrest, Christopher B; Bevans, Katherine B; Riley, Anne W; Crespo, Richard; Louis, Thomas A

    2013-02-01

    Normative biopsychosocial stressors that occur during entry into adolescence can affect school performance.As a set of resources for adapting to life's challenges, good health may buffer a child from these potentially harmful stressors. This study examined the associations between health (measured as well-being, functioning, symptoms, and chronic conditions) and school outcomes among children aged 9-13 years in 4th-8th grades. We conducted a prospective cohort study of 1,479 children from 34 schools followed from 2006 to 2008. Survey data were obtained from children and their parents, and school records were abstracted. Measures of child self-reported health were dichotomized to indicate presence of a health asset. Outcomes included attendance, grade point average, state achievement test scores, and child-reported school engagement and teacher connectedness. Both the transition into middle school and puberty had independent negative influences on school outcomes. Chronic health conditions that affected children's functional status were associated with poorer academic achievement. The number of health assets that a child possessed was positively associated with school outcomes. Low levels of negative stress experiences and high physical comfort had positive effects on teacher connectedness, school engagement, and academic achievement, whereas bullying and bully victimization negatively affected these outcomes. Children with high life satisfaction were more connected with teachers, more engaged in schoolwork, and earned higher grades than those who were less satisfied. As children enter adolescence, good health may buffer them from the potentially negative effects of school and pubertal transitions on academic success. Copyright © 2013 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Personal health and consumer informatics. The impact of health oriented social media applications on health outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gibbons, M C

    2013-01-01

    The rapid evolution in the world-wide use of Social Media tools suggests the emergence of a global phenomenon that may have implications in the Personal Health and Consumer Health Informatics domains. However the impact of these tools on health outcomes is not known. The goal of this research was to review the randomized controlled trial (RCT) evidence of the impact of health oriented Social Media informatics tools on health outcomes. Evaluations of Social Media consumer health tools were systematically reviewed. Research was limited to studies published in the English language, published in Medline, published in the calendar year 2012 and limited to studies that utilized a RCT methodological design. Two high quality Randomized Controlled Trials among over 600 articles published in Medline were identified. These studies indicate that Social Media interventions may be able to significantly improve pain control among patients with chronic pain and enhance weight loss maintenance among individuals attempting to lose weight. Significantly more research needs to be done to confirm these early findings, evaluate additional health outcomes and further evaluate emerging health oriented Social Media interventions. Chronic pain and weight control have both socially oriented determinants. These studies suggest that understanding the social component of a disease may ultimately provide novel therapeutic targets and socio-clinical interventional strategies.

  18. Health-related quality of life of cranial WHO grade I meningioma patients: are current questionnaires relevant?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zamanipoor Najafabadi, Amir H; Peeters, Marthe C M; Lobatto, Daniel J; Broekman, Marieke L D; Smith, Timothy R; Biermasz, Nienke R; Peerdeman, Saskia M; Peul, Wilco C; Taphoorn, Martin J B; van Furth, Wouter R; Dirven, Linda

    2017-11-01

    The clinical relevance of Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in meningioma patients has been increasingly acknowledged in recent years. Various questionnaires have been used. However, almost none of these questionnaires has been particularly developed for and/or validated in this patient group. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the relevance and comprehensiveness of existing HRQoL questionnaires used in meningioma research and to assess the agreement between patients and health care professionals (HCPs) on the most relevant and important HRQoL issues. A systematic literature search, following the PRISMA statement, was conducted to identify all HRQoL questionnaires used in meningioma research. Semi-structured interviews were organized with patients and HCPs to (1) assess the relevance of all issues covered by the questionnaires (score 0-3: not relevant-highly relevant), (2) assess the ten most important issues, and (3) identify new relevant HRQoL issues. Fourteen different questionnaires were found in the literature, comprising 140 unique issues. Interviews were conducted with 20 patients (median age 57, 71% female) and 10 HCPs (4 neurosurgeons, 2 neurologists, 2 radiotherapists, 1 rehabilitation specialist, 1 neuropsychologist; median experience 13 years). Meningioma patients rated 17-80% of the issues in each of the questionnaires as relevant, HCPs 90-100%. Patients and HCPs agreed on the relevance of only 49 issues (35%, Cohen's kappa: 0.027). Both patients and HCPs considered lack of energy the most important issue. Patients and HCPs suggested five additional relevant issues not covered by current HRQoL questionnaires. Existing HRQoL questionnaires currently used in meningioma patients do not fully cover all relevant issues to these patients. Agreement between patients and HCPs on the relevance of issues was poor. Both findings support the need to develop and validate a meningioma-specific HRQoL questionnaire.

  19. Consumer Preferences for Health and Nonhealth Outcomes of Health Promotion: Results from a Discrete Choice Experiment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Alayli-Goebbels, A.F.G.; Dellaert, B.G.C.; Knox, S.A.; Ament, A.J.H.A.; Lakerveld, J.; Bot, S.D.M.; Nijpels, G.; Severens, J.L.

    2013-01-01

    Objective: Health promotion (HP) interventions have outcomes that go beyond health. Such broader nonhealth outcomes are usually neglected in economic evaluation studies. To allow for their consideration, insights are needed into the types of nonhealth outcomes that HP interventions produce and their

  20. Mental health problems in children with intellectual disability : use of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kaptein, S.; Jansen, D. E. M. C.; Vogels, A. G. C.; Reijneveld, S. A.

    Background The assessment of mental health problems in children with intellectual disability (ID) mostly occurs by filling out long questionnaires that are not always validated for children without ID. The aim of this study is to assess the differences in mental health problems between children with

  1. Categorizing Health Outcomes and Efficacy of mHealth Apps for Persons With Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bateman, Daniel R; Srinivas, Bhavana; Emmett, Thomas W; Schleyer, Titus K; Holden, Richard J; Hendrie, Hugh C; Callahan, Christopher M

    2017-08-30

    Use of mobile health (mHealth) apps is growing at an exponential rate in the United States and around the world. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer disease, and related dementias are a global health problem. Numerous mHealth interventions exist for this population, yet the effect of these interventions on health has not been systematically described. The aim of this study is to catalog the types of health outcomes used to measure effectiveness of mHealth interventions and assess which mHealth interventions have been shown to improve the health of persons with MCI, Alzheimer disease, and dementia. We searched 13 databases, including Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, the full Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Ei Compendex, IEEE Xplore, Applied Science & Technology Source, Scopus, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Google Scholar from inception through May 2017 for mHealth studies involving persons with cognitive impairment that were evaluated using at least one quantitative health outcome. Proceedings of the Annual ACM Conferences on Human Factors in Computing Systems, the ACM User Interface Software and Technology Symposium, and the IEEE International Symposium on Wearable Computers were searched in the ACM Digital Library from 2012 to 2016. A hand search of JMIR Publications journals was also completed in July 2017. After removal of duplicates, our initial search returned 3955 records. Of these articles, 24 met final inclusion criteria as studies involving mHealth interventions that measured at least one quantitative health outcome for persons with MCI, Alzheimer disease, and dementia. Common quantitative health outcomes included cognition, function, mood, and quality of life. We found that 21.2% (101/476) of the fully reviewed articles were excluded because of a lack of health outcomes. The health outcomes selected were observed to be inconsistent between studies. For those studies with quantitative health outcomes, more than half (58%) reported

  2. Physical activity derived from questionnaires and wrist-worn accelerometers: comparability and the role of demographic, lifestyle, and health factors among a population-based sample of older adults

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Koolhaas CM

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Chantal M Koolhaas,1 Frank JA van Rooij,1 Magda Cepeda,1 Henning Tiemeier,1–3 Oscar H Franco,1 Josje D Schoufour1 1Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; 2Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; 3Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands Background: Agreement between questionnaires and accelerometers to measure physical activity (PA differs between studies and might be related to demographic, lifestyle, and health characteristics, including disability and depressive symptoms.Methods: We included 1,410 individuals aged 51–94 years from the population-based Rotterdam Study. Participants completed the LASA Physical Activity Questionnaire and wore a wrist-worn accelerometer on the nondominant wrist for 1 week thereafter. We compared the Spearman correlation and disagreement (level and direction for total PA across levels of demographic, lifestyle, and health variables. The level of disagreement was defined as the absolute difference between questionnaire- and accelerometer-derived PA, whereas the direction of disagreement was defined as questionnaire PA minus accelerometer PA. We used linear regression analyses with the level and direction of disagreement as outcome, including all demographic, lifestyle, and health variables in the model.Results: We observed a Spearman correlation of 0.30 between questionnaire- and accelerometer-derived PA in the total population. The level of disagreement (ie, absolute difference was 941.9 (standard deviation [SD] 747.0 minutes/week, and the PA reported by questionnaire was on average 529.4 (SD 1,079.5 minutes/week lower than PA obtained by the accelerometer. The level of disagreement decreased with higher educational levels. Additionally, participants with obesity, higher disability scores, and more depressive symptoms underestimated their self-reported PA more than their

  3. Social Networks, Interpersonal Social Support, and Health Outcomes: A Health Communication Perspective

    OpenAIRE

    Wright, Kevin

    2016-01-01

    This manuscript discusses the development, impact, and several major research findings of studies in the area of social network support and health outcomes. The review focuses largely on the development of online social support networks and the ways in which they may interact with face-to-face support networks to influence physical and psychological health outcomes. The manuscript discusses this area, and it presents a research agenda for future work in this area from an Associate Editor’s pe...

  4. Comparison of neurological health outcomes between two adolescent cohorts exposed to pesticides in Egypt.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmed A Ismail

    Full Text Available Pesticide-exposed adolescents may have a higher risk of neurotoxic effects because of their developing brains and bodies. However, only a limited number of studies have addressed this risk among adolescents. The aim of this study was to compare neurological outcomes from two cohorts of Egyptian adolescents working as pesticide applicators. In 2005 and 2009, two cohorts of male adolescents working as pesticide applicators for the cotton crop were recruited from Menoufia Governorate, Egypt. The same application schedule and pesticides were used at both times, including both organophosphorus, and pyrethroid compounds. Participants in both cohorts completed three neurobehavioral tests, health and exposure questionnaires, and medical and neurological screening examinations. In addition, blood samples were collected to measure butyryl cholinesterase (BChE activity. Pesticide applicators in both cohorts reported more neurological symptoms and signs than non-applicators, particularly among participants in the 2005 cohort (OR ranged from 1.18 to 15.3. Except for one test (Trail Making B, there were no significant differences between either applicators or non-applicators of both cohorts on the neurobehavioral outcome measures (p > 0.05. The 2005 cohort showed greater inhibition of serum BChE activity than the 2009 cohort (p < 0.05. In addition, participants with depressed BChE activity showed more symptoms and signs than others without BChE depression (p < 0.05. Our study is the first to examine the consistency of health outcomes associated with pesticide exposure across two cohorts tested at different times from the same geographical region in rural Egypt. This similar pattern of findings across the two cohorts provides strong evidence of the health impact of exposure of adolescents to pesticides.

  5. Facebook, quality of life, and mental health outcomes in post-disaster urban environments: the l'aquila earthquake experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masedu, Francesco; Mazza, Monica; Di Giovanni, Chiara; Calvarese, Anna; Tiberti, Sergio; Sconci, Vittorio; Valenti, Marco

    2014-01-01

    An understudied area of interest in post-disaster public health is individuals' use of social networks as a potential determinant of quality of life (QOL) and mental health outcomes. A population-based cross-sectional study was carried out to examine whether continual use of online social networking (Facebook) in an adult population following a massive earthquake was correlated with prevalence of depression and post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) and QOL outcomes. Participants were a sample of 890 adults aged 25-54 who had been exposed to the L'Aquila earthquake of 2009. Definition of "user" required a daily connection to the Facebook online social network for more than 1 h per day from at least 2 years. Depression and PTSD were assessed using the Screening Questionnaire for Disaster Mental Health. QOL outcomes were measured using the World Health Organisation Quality of Life BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) instrument. Logistic regression was carried out to calculate the prevalence odds ratios (POR) for social network use and other covariates. Two hundred and twenty one of 423 (52.2%) men, and 195 of 383 (50.9%) women, had been using Facebook as social network for at least 2 years prior to our assessment. Social network use correlated with both depression and PTSD, after adjusting for gender. A halved risk of depression was found in users vs. non-users (POR 0.50 ± 0.16). Similarly, a halved risk of PTSD in users vs. non-users (POR 0.47 ± 0.14) was found. Both men and women using online social networks had significantly higher QOL scores in the psychological and social domains of the WHOQOL-BREF. Social network use among adults 25-54 years old has a positive impact on mental health and QOL outcomes in the years following a disaster. The use of social networks may be an important tool for coping with the mental health outcomes of disruptive natural disasters, helping to maintain, if not improve, QOL in terms of social relationships and psychological distress.

  6. Preferences of patients undergoing hemodialysis – results from a questionnaire-based study with 4,518 patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janssen IM

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Inger Miriam Janssen,1 Ansgar Gerhardus,2,3 Gero D von Gersdorff,4 Conrad August Baldamus,4 Mathias Schaller,4 Claudia Barth,5 Fueloep Scheibler6 1Department of Epidemiology and International Public Health, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany; 2Department for Health Services Research, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany; 3Health Sciences Bremen, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany; 4Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; 5KfH Kuratorium fuer Dialyse und Nierentransplantation e.V., Neu-Isenburg, Germany; 6Department of Non-Drug Interventions, Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care, Cologne, Germany Background: Chronic kidney disease is an increasing health problem worldwide and in its final stage (stage V can only be treated by renal replacement therapy, mostly hemodialysis. Hemodialysis has a major influence on the everyday life of patients and many patients report dissatisfaction with treatment. Little is known about which aspects of treatment are considered important by hemodialysis patients. The objective of this study was to rate the relative importance of different outcomes for hemodialysis patients and to analyze whether the relative importance differed among subgroups of patients.Patients and methods: Within the framework of a yearly questionnaire which is distributed among patients receiving hemodialysis by the largest hemodialysis provider in Germany, we assessed the relative importance of 23 outcomes as rated on a discrete visual analog scale. Descriptive statistics were used to rank the outcomes. Subgroup analyses were performed using Mann–Whitney U or Kruskal–Wallis tests.Results: Questionnaires of 4,518 hemodialysis patients were included in the analysis. The three most important outcomes were safety of treatment, health-related quality of life, and satisfaction with care. Further important outcomes were hospital stays, accompanying symptoms, hemodialysis

  7. 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

    population health surveys to elucidate the impact of acculturation on health outcomes among bicultural youth.

  8. 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

    demonstrated validity. It can be incorporated into population health surveys to elucidate the impact of acculturation on health outcomes among bicultural youth. PMID:27557080

  9. Remote Health Monitoring Outcome Success Prediction Using Baseline and First Month Intervention Data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alshurafa, Nabil; Sideris, Costas; Pourhomayoun, Mohammad; Kalantarian, Haik; Sarrafzadeh, Majid; Eastwood, Jo-Ann

    2017-03-01

    Remote health monitoring (RHM) systems are becoming more widely adopted by clinicians and hospitals to remotely monitor and communicate with patients while optimizing clinician time, decreasing hospital costs, and improving quality of care. In the Women's heart health study (WHHS), we developed Wanda-cardiovascular disease (CVD), where participants received healthy lifestyle education followed by six months of technology support and reinforcement. Wanda-CVD is a smartphone-based RHM system designed to assist participants in reducing identified CVD risk factors through wireless coaching using feedback and prompts as social support. Many participants benefitted from this RHM system. In response to the variance in participants' success, we developed a framework to identify classification schemes that predicted successful and unsuccessful participants. We analyzed both contextual baseline features and data from the first month of intervention such as activity, blood pressure, and questionnaire responses transmitted through the smartphone. A prediction tool can aid clinicians and scientists in identifying participants who may optimally benefit from the RHM system. Targeting therapies could potentially save healthcare costs, clinician, and participant time and resources. Our classification scheme yields RHM outcome success predictions with an F-measure of 91.9%, and identifies behaviors during the first month of intervention that help determine outcome success. We also show an improvement in prediction by using intervention-based smartphone data. Results from the WHHS study demonstrates that factors such as the variation in first month intervention response to the consumption of nuts, beans, and seeds in the diet help predict patient RHM protocol outcome success in a group of young Black women ages 25-45.

  10. Discounting of qualitatively different delayed health outcomes in current and never smokers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedel, Jonathan E.; DeHart, William B.; Frye, Charles C. J.; Rung, Jillian M.; Odum, Amy L.

    2016-01-01

    In delay discounting, temporally remote outcomes have less value. Cigarette smoking is associated with steeper discounting of money and consumable outcomes. It is presently unclear whether smokers discount health outcomes more than non-smokers. We sought to establish the generality of steep discounting for different types of health outcomes in cigarette smokers. Seventy participants (38 smokers and 32 non-smokers) completed four hypothetical outcome delay-discounting tasks: a gain of $500, a loss of $500, a temporary boost in health, and temporary cure from a debilitating disease. Participants reported the duration of each health outcome that would be equivalent to $500; these durations were then used in the respective discounting tasks. Delays ranged from 1 week to 25 years. Smokers’ indifference points for monetary gains, boosts in health, and temporary cures were lower than indifference points from non-smokers. Indifference points of one outcome were correlated with indifference points of other outcomes. Smokers demonstrate steeper discounting across a range of delayed outcomes. How a person discounts one outcome predicts how they will discount other outcomes. These two findings support our assertion that delay discounting is in part a trait. PMID:26691848

  11. Treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head by free vascularized fibular grafting: an analysis of surgical outcome and patient health status

    Science.gov (United States)

    Louie, Brian E.; McKee, Michael D.; Richards, Robin R.; Mahoney, James L.; Waddell, James P.; Beaton, Dorcas E.; Schemitsch, Emil H.; Yoo, Daniel J.

    1999-01-01

    Objective To evaluate the limb-specific outcome and general health status of patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head treated with vascularized fibular grafting. Design A retrospective review. Setting A single tertiary care centre. Patients Fifty-five consecutive patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head who underwent fibular grafting (8 bilaterally). Intervention Vascularized fibular grafting. Outcome measures Limb-specific scores (Harris Hip Score, St. Michael’s Hospital Hip Score), general health status (Nottingham Health Profile, SF-36 health status survey) and radiographic outcome measures (Steinberg stage). Results Patients were young (mean age 34 years, range from 18 to 52 years) and 80% had advanced osteonecrosis (Steinberg stages IV and V). Fifty-nine hips were followed up for an average of 50 months (range from 24 to 117 months) after vascularized fibular grafting. Sixteen hips (27%) were converted to total hip arthroplasty (THA). To date, 73% of hips treated with vascularized fibular grafting have required no further surgery. Preoperative and postoperative Harris Hip Scores were 57.3 and 83.6 respectively (p < 0.001). As measured by patient-oriented health status questionnaires (SF-36, Nottingham Health Profile) and compared with population controls, patients had normal mental health scores and only slight decreases in physical component scores. Conclusions Free vascularized fibular grafting for osteonecrosis of the femoral head provides satisfactory pain relief, functional improvement and general health status and halts the progression of symptomatic disease. PMID:10459327

  12. Child Social Exclusion Risk and Child Health Outcomes in Australia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Itismita Mohanty

    Full Text Available This paper studies the relationship between the risk of child social exclusion, as measured by the Child Social Exclusion (CSE index and its individual domains, and child health outcomes at the small area level in Australia. The CSE index is Australia's only national small-area index of the risk of child social exclusion. It includes five domains that capture different components of social exclusion: socio-economic background, education, connectedness, housing and health services.The paper used data from the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM, University of Canberra for the CSE Index and its domains and two key Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW data sources for the health outcome measures: the National Hospital Morbidity Database and the National Mortality Database.The results show positive associations between rates of both of the negative health outcomes: potentially preventable hospitalisations (PPH and avoidable deaths, and the overall risk of child social exclusion as well as with the index domains. This analysis at the small-area level can be used to identify and study areas with unexpectedly good or bad health outcomes relative to their estimated risk of child social exclusion. We show that children's health outcomes are worse in remote parts of Australia than what would be expected solely based on the CSE index.The results of this study suggest that developing composite indices of the risk of child social exclusion can provide valuable guidance for local interventions and programs aimed at improving children's health outcomes. They also indicate the importance of taking a small-area approach when conducting geographic modelling of disadvantage.

  13. A retrospective observational analysis to identify patient and treatment-related predictors of outcomes in a community mental health programme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Stuart A; Honeybourne, Emmi; Chalkley, Sylvia R; Poots, Alan J; Woodcock, Thomas; Price, Geraint; Bell, Derek; Green, John

    2015-05-20

    This study aims to identify patient and treatment factors that affect clinical outcomes of community psychological therapy through the development of a predictive model using historic data from 2 services in London. In addition, the study aims to assess the completeness of data collection, explore how treatment outcomes are discriminated using current criteria for classifying recovery, and assess the feasibility and need for undertaking a future larger population analysis. Observational, retrospective discriminant analysis. 2 London community mental health services that provide psychological therapies for common mental disorders including anxiety and depression. A total of 7388 patients attended the services between February 2009 and May 2012, of which 4393 (59%) completed therapy, or there was an agreement to end therapy, and were included in the study. Different combinations of the clinical outcome scores for anxiety Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 and depression Patient Health Questionnaire-9 were used to construct different treatment outcomes. The predictive models were able to assign a positive or negative clinical outcome to each patient based on 5 independent pre-treatment variables, with an accuracy of 69.4% and 79.3%, respectively: initial severity of anxiety and depression, ethnicity, deprivation and gender. The number of sessions attended/missed were also important factors identified in recovery. Predicting whether patients are likely to have a positive outcome following treatment at entry might allow suitable modification of scheduled treatment, possibly resulting in improvements in outcomes. The model also highlights factors not only associated with poorer outcomes but inextricably linked to prevalence of common mental disorders, emphasising the importance of social determinants not only in poor health but also poor recovery. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to

  14. [COMMUNICATION AND HEALTH OUTCOMES IN PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM GASTROINTESTINAL DISEASES].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petriček, G; Cerovečki, V; Adžić, Z Ožvačić

    2015-11-01

    Although survey results indicate clear connection between the physician-patient communication and health outcomes, mechanisms of their action are still insufficiently clear. The aim was to investigate the specificity of communication with patients suffering from gastrointestinal diseases and the impact of good communication on measurable outcomes. We performed PubMed (Medline) search using the following key words: communication, health outcomes, and gastrointestinal diseases. Seven pathways through which communication can lead to better health include increased access to care, greater patient knowledge and shared understanding, higher quality medical decisions, enhanced therapeutic alliances, increased social support, patient agency and empowerment, and better management of emotions. Although these pathways were explored with respect to cancer care, they are certainly applicable to other health conditions as well, including the care of patients suffering from gastrointestinal diseases. Although proposing a number of pathways through which communication can lead to improved health, it should be emphasized that the relative importance of a particular pathway will depend on the outcome of interest, the health condition, where the patient is in the illness trajectory, and the patient’s life circumstances. Besides, research increasingly points to the importance of placebo effect, and it is recommended that health professionals encourage placebo effect by applying precisely targeted communication skills, as the unquestionable and successful part of many treatments. It is important that the clinician knows the possible positive and negative effects of communication on health outcomes, and in daily work consciously maximizes therapeutic effects of communication, reaching its proximal (understanding, satisfaction, clinician-patient agreement, trust, feeling known, rapport, motivation) and intermediate outcomes (access to care, quality medical decision, commitment to

  15. HOUSEHOLD NUCLEATION, DEPENDENCY AND CHILD HEALTH OUTCOMES IN GHANA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Annim, Samuel Kobina; Awusabo-Asare, Kofi; Amo-Adjei, Joshua

    2015-09-01

    This study uses three key anthropometric measures of nutritional status among children (stunting, wasting and underweight) to explore the dual effects of household composition and dependency on nutritional outcomes of under-five children in Ghana. The objective is to examine changes in household living arrangements of under-five children to explore the interaction of dependency and nucleation on child health outcomes. The concept of nucleation refers to the changing structure and composition of household living arrangements, from highly extended with its associated socioeconomic system of production and reproduction, social behaviour and values, towards single-family households - especially the nuclear family, containing a husband and wife and their children alone. A negative relationship between levels of dependency, as measured by the number of children in the household, and child health outcomes is premised on the grounds that high dependency depletes resources, both tangible and intangible, to the disadvantage of young children. Data were drawn from the last four rounds of the Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys (GDHSs), from 1993 to 2008, for the first objective - to explore changes in household composition. For the second objective, the study used data from the 2008 GDHS. The results show that, over time, households in Ghana have been changing towards nucleation. The main finding is that in households with the same number of dependent children, in nucleated households children under age 5 have better health outcomes compared with children under age 5 in non-nucleated households. The results also indicate that the effect of dependency on child health outcomes is mediated by household nucleation and wealth status and that, as such, high levels of dependency do not necessarily translate into negative health outcomes for children under age 5, based on anthropometric measures.

  16. Smallest detectable change and test-retest reliability of a self-reported outcome measure: Results of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale, and 12-item General Health Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohno, Shotaro; Takahashi, Kana; Inoue, Aimi; Takada, Koki; Ishihara, Yoshiaki; Tanigawa, Masaru; Hirao, Kazuki

    2017-12-01

    This study aims to examine the smallest detectable change (SDC) and test-retest reliability of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), and 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). We tested 154 young adults at baseline and 2 weeks later. We calculated the intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) for test-retest reliability with a two-way random effects model for agreement. We then calculated the standard error of measurement (SEM) for agreement using the ICC formula. The SEM for agreement was used to calculate SDC values at the individual level (SDC ind ) and group level (SDC group ). The study participants included 137 young adults. The ICCs for all self-reported outcome measurement scales exceeded 0.70. The SEM of CES-D was 3.64, leading to an SDC ind of 10.10 points and SDC group of 0.86 points. The SEM of GSES was 1.56, leading to an SDC ind of 4.33 points and SDC group of 0.37 points. The SEM of GHQ-12 with bimodal scoring was 1.47, leading to an SDC ind of 4.06 points and SDC group of 0.35 points. The SEM of GHQ-12 with Likert scoring was 2.44, leading to an SDC ind of 6.76 points and SDC group of 0.58 points. To confirm that the change was not a result of measurement error, a score of self-reported outcome measurement scales would need to change by an amount greater than these SDC values. This has important implications for clinicians and epidemiologists when assessing outcomes. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  17. Health Outcomes and Costs of Social Work Services: A Systematic Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ross, Abigail M.; Wachman, Madeline K.

    2017-01-01

    Background. Efforts to reduce expensive health service utilization, contain costs, improve health outcomes, and address the social determinants of health require research that demonstrates the economic value of health services in population health across a variety of settings. Social workers are an integral part of the US health care system, yet the specific contributions of social work to health and cost-containment outcomes are unknown. The social work profession’s person-in-environment framework and unique skillset, particularly around addressing social determinants of health, hold promise for improving health and cost outcomes. Objectives. To systematically review international studies of the effect of social work–involved health services on health and economic outcomes. Search Methods. We searched 4 databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Social Science Citation Index) by using “social work” AND “cost” and “health” for trials published from 1990 to 2017. Selection Criteria. Abstract review was followed by full-text review of all studies meeting inclusion criteria (social work services, physical health, and cost outcomes). Data Collection and Analysis. Of the 831 abstracts found, 51 (6.1%) met criteria. Full text review yielded 16 studies involving more than 16 000 participants, including pregnant and pediatric patients, vulnerable low-income adults, and geriatric patients. We examined study quality, health and utilization outcomes, and cost outcomes. Main Results. Average study quality was fair. Studies of 7 social work–led services scored higher on quality ratings than 9 studies of social workers as team members. Most studies showed positive effects on health and service utilization; cost-savings were consistent across nearly all studies. Conclusions. Despite positive overall effects on outcomes, variability in study methods, health problems, and cost analyses render generalizations difficult. Controlled hypothesis-driven trials are needed to

  18. Development and validation of a self-efficacy questionnaire (SE-12) measuring the clinical communication skills of health care professionals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Axboe, Mette K; Christensen, Kaj S; Kofoed, Poul-Erik

    2016-01-01

    of the theoretical approach applied in the communication course, statements from former course participants, teachers, and experts in the field. The questionnaire was initially validated through face-to-face interviews with 9 staff members following a test-retest including 195 participants. Results After minor......Background The outcome of communication training is widely measured by self-efficacy ratings, and different questionnaires have been used. Nevertheless, none of these questionnaires have been formally validated through systematic measurement of assessment properties. Consequently, we decided....... We consider the questionnaire useful for self-evaluation of clinical communication skills; the SE-12 is user-friendly and can be administered as an electronic questionnaire. However, future research should explore potential needs for adjustments to reduce the identified ceiling effect. Keyword...

  19. Occupational exposures and health outcomes among Latina hotel cleaners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsieh, Yu-Chin Jerrie; Apostolopoulos, Yorghos; Hatzudis, Kiki; Sönmez, Sevil

    2014-01-01

    The poor working conditions of Latina hotel cleaners render them particularly vulnerable to elevated occupational hazards that lead to adverse health outcomes. This article presents a comprehensive review of occupational risks (including physical, chemical, biological, and psychosocial risk factors) and health outcomes (including musculoskeletal disorders, respiratory diseases, dermatological diseases and allergies, and psychological disorders) for Latina hotel cleaners, within their unique sociocultural contexts. Preventive interventions for improving Latina hotel cleaners' work and health conditions are recommended.

  20. Adjustment between work demands and health needs: Development of the Work-Health Balance Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gragnano, Andrea; Miglioretti, Massimo; Frings-Dresen, Monique H W; de Boer, Angela G E M

    2017-08-01

    This study presented the construct of Work-Health Balance (WHB) and the design and validation of the Work-Health Balance Questionnaire (WHBq). More and more workers have a long-standing health problem or disability (LSHPD). The management of health needs and work demands is crucial for the quality of working life and work retention of these workers. However, no instrument exists measuring this process. The WHBq assesses key factors in the process of adjusting between health needs and work demands. We tested the reliability and validity of 38 items with cross-sectional data from a sample of 321 Italian workers (mean age = 45 ± 11 years) using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), Rasch analyses, and the correlations with other relevant variables. The instrument ultimately consisted of 17 items that reliably measured three factors: work-health incompatibility, health climate, and external support. These dimensions were associated with well-being in the workplace, dysfunctional behaviors at work, and general psychological health. A higher level on the WHB index was associated with lower levels of presenteeism, emotional exhaustion, workaholism, and psychological distress and with higher levels of job satisfaction and work engagement, supporting the construct validity of the instrument. The WHBq shows good psychometric characteristics and strong and theoretically consistent relationships with important and well-known variables. These results make the WHBq a promising tool in the study and management of health of employees, especially for the work continuation of employees returning to work with LSHPD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  1. Effectiveness of a Multilevel Workplace Health Promotion Program on Vitality, Health, and Work-Related Outcomes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hendriksen, I.J.M.; Snoijer, M.; Kok, B.P. de; Vlisteren, J. van; Hofstetter, H.

    2016-01-01

    Objective: Evaluation of the effectiveness of a workplace health promotion program on employees’ vitality, health, and work-related outcomes, and exploring the influence of organizational support and the supervisors’ role on these outcomes. Methods: The 5-month intervention included activities at

  2. Risk assessment for job burnout with a mobile health web application using questionnaire data: a proof of concept study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    von Känel, Roland; van Nuffel, Marc; Fuchs, Walther J

    2016-01-01

    Job burnout has become a rampant epidemic in working societies, causing high productivity loss and healthcare costs. An easy accessible tool to detect clinically relevant risk may bear the potential to timely avert the dire sequelae of burnout. As a start, we performed a proof of concept study to test the utilization of a mobile health web application for a free and anonymous burnout risk assessment with established questionnaires. We designed a client-side javascript web application for users who filled out demographic and psychometric data forms over the internet. Users were recruited through social media, back links from hospital websites, and search engine optimization. Similar to population-based studies, we used the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS) to calculate a burnout risk index (BRIX). As additional mental health burden indices, users filled out the Perceived Stress Scale, Insomina Severity Index, and Profile of Mood States. Within six months, the MBI-GS was completed by 11,311 users (median age 33 years, 85 % women) of whom 20.0 % had no clinically relevant burnout risk, 54.7 % had mild-to-moderate risk, and 25.3 % had high risk. In the 2947 users completing all questionnaires, female sex ( B  = -0.03), cohabiting ( B  = -0.03), negative affect ( B  = 0.46), positive affect ( B  = -0.20), perceived stress ( B  = 0.18), and insomnia symptoms ( B  = 0.04) explained 56.2 % of the variance in the continuously scaled BRIX. The reliability was good to excellent for all psychometric scales. The weighting of the BRIX with mental health burden indices primarily modified the risk in users with mild-to-moderate burnout risk. A low-threshold web application can reliably assess the risk of job burnout. As the bulk of users had clinically relevant burnout scores, a web application may be useful to target employees at risk. The clinical value of the BRIX and its modification with coexistent/absent mental health burden

  3. Development of a health-related quality-of-life questionnaire (PCOSQ) for women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cronin, L; Guyatt, G; Griffith, L; Wong, E; Azziz, R; Futterweit, W; Cook, D; Dunaif, A

    1998-06-01

    To develop a self-administered questionnaire for measuring health-related quality of life (HRQL) in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). We identified a pool of 182 items potentially relevant to women with PCOS through semistructured interviews with PCOS patients, a survey of health professionals who worked closely with PCOS women, and a literature review. One hundred women with PCOS completed a questionnaire in which they told us whether the 182 items were relevant to them and, if so, how important the issue was in their daily lives. We included items endorsed by at least 50% of women in the analysis plus additional items considered crucial by clinicians and an important subgroup of patients in a factor analysis. We chose items for the final questionnaire taking into account both item impact (the frequency and importance of the items) and the results of the factor analysis. Over 50% of the women with PCOS labelled 47 items as important to them. Clinicians chose 5 additional items from the infertility domain, 4 of which were identified as important by women who were younger, less educated, married, and African-American. The Cattell's Scree plot from a factor analysis of these 51 items suggested 5 factors that made intuitive sense: emotions, body hair, weight, infertility, and menstrual problems. We chose the highest impact items from these 5 domains to construct a final questionnaire, the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Questionnaire (PCOSQ), which includes a total of 26 items and takes 10-15 minutes to complete. We have used established principles to construct a questionnaire that promises to be useful in measuring health-related quality of life. The questionnaire should be tested prior to, or concurrent with, its use in randomized trials of new treatment approaches.

  4. A longitudinal analysis of nursing home outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Porell, F; Caro, F G; Silva, A; Monane, M

    1998-10-01

    To investigate resident and facility attributes associated with long-term care health outcomes in nursing homes. Quarterly Management Minutes Questionnaire (MMQ) survey data for Medicaid case-mix reimbursement of nursing homes in Massachusetts from 1991 to 1994, for specification of outcomes and resident attributes. Facility attributes are specified from cost report data. Multivariate logistic and "state-dependence" regression models are estimated for survival, ADL functional status, incontinence status, and mental status outcomes from longitudinal residence histories of Medicaid residents spanning 3 to 36 months in length. Outcomes are specified to be a function of resident demographic and diagnostic attributes and facility-level operating and nurse staffing attributes. The estimated parameters for resident demographic and diagnostic attributes showed a great deal of construct validity with respect to clinical expectations regarding risk factors for adverse outcomes. Few facility attributes were associated with outcomes generally, and none was significantly associated with all four outcomes. The absence of uniform associations between facility attributes and the various long-term care health outcomes studied suggests that strong facility performance on one health outcome may coexist with much weaker performance on other outcomes. This has implications for the aggregation of individual facility performance measures on multiple outcomes and the development of overall outcome performance measures.

  5. Indicators of fetal and infant health outcomes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Buitendijk, Simone; Zeitlin, Jennifer; Cuttini, Marina; Langhoff-Roos, Jens; Bottu, Jean

    2003-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To assess the ability of the member states of the European Union to produce the indicators recommended by the PERISTAT project on perinatal health indicators and to provide an overview of fetal and infant health outcomes for these countries according to the information now available.

  6. Patient's Satisfaction with Health Care: a Questionnaire Study of Different Aspects of Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spasojevic, Nada; Hrabac, Boris; Huseinagic, Senad

    2015-08-01

    To determine the influence of sociodemographic factors on patients´ satisfaction with health care system. In a cross-sectional study, 1,995 patients from 12 municipalities of Zenica-Doboj Canton were interviewed after a visit to the practice. Individual interviews were conducted and the questionnaire was made on the basis of EUROPEP (European Task Force on Patient Evaluations of General Practice Care) standardized questionnaire. Out of the total number patients, 47.1% were females, 47.9% were from urban population and median of age was 42.0 years (IQR = 30.0 to 53.0 years). The rural population was more likely to buy drugs for medical treatment (p buy drugs for medical treatment (p = 0.001), to buy parenteral injections in primary care practice (p buy drugs for medical treatment (p = 0.004); more likely to buy parenteral injections in primary care practice (p < 0.001). The following variables: gender, age, overall perception of health status and financial status appear to be predictors of patients´ satisfaction.

  7. [ISMP-Spain questionnaire and strategy for improving good medication practices in the Andalusian health system].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Padilla-Marín, V; Corral-Baena, S; Domínguez-Guerrero, F; Santos-Rubio, M D; Santana-López, V; Moreno-Campoy, E

    2012-01-01

    To describe the strategy employed by Andalusian public health service hospitals to foster safe medication use. The self-evaluation questionnaire on drug system safety in hospitals, adapted by the Spanish Institute for Safe Medication Practices was used as a fundamental tool to that end. The strategy is developed in several phases. We analyse the report evaluating drug system safety in Andalusian public hospitals published by the Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumption in 2008 and establish a grading system to assess safe medication practices in Andalusian hospitals and prioritise areas needing improvement. We developed a catalogue of best practices available in the web environment belonging to the Andalusian health care quality agency's patient safety observatory. We publicised the strategy through training seminars and implemented a system allowing hospitals to evaluate the degree of compliance for each of the best practices, and based on that system, we were able to draw up a map of centres of reference. We found areas for improvement among several of the questionnaire's fundamental criteria. These areas for improvement were related to normal medication procedures in daily clinical practice. We therefore wrote 7 best practice guides that provide a cross-section of the assessment components of the questionnaire related to the clinical process needing improvement. The self-evaluation questionnaire adapted by ISMP-Spain is a good tool for designing a systematic, rational intervention to promote safe medication practices and intended for a group of hospitals that share the same values. Copyright © 2011 SEFH. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  8. Epidemiology of mental health problems in female students: a questionnaire survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mokhtari, Mehdi; Dehghan, Somayeh Farhang; Asghari, Mehdi; Ghasembaklo, Uonees; Mohamadyari, Ghasem; Azadmanesh, Seyed Ali; Akbari, Elmira

    2013-06-01

    Mental health as a state of well-being can be affected by gender. The present work aims to examine the mental health status in female students and recognize its affecting factors. A cross-sectional study on female students of Payame-Noor University in West Azerbaijan, Iran, was conducted among 1632 students. Data collection tools were the demographic data and the General Health Questionnaires (GHQ-28). The results show that 51.5% of the population under study were healthy and 48.5% have had mental disorders. Based on the social effects on the mental health of students, the correlations between age (p=0.15), location (p=0.29) and parental education (p=0.34) with general health status were assessed and there were no significant differences between them. However, birth order (pmental health status. This study indicates that 43.6% of students are suspected to have mental and physical disorders, and the most effective factor is the socioeconomic condition. The strong correlation between birth order, marital status, and family income and mental health disorders suggests the necessity to pay more attention to all these issues in all at-risk students. Copyright © 2013 Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Measuring quality of life in cleft lip and palate patients: currently available patient-reported outcomes measures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eckstein, Donna A; Wu, Rebecca L; Akinbiyi, Takintope; Silver, Lester; Taub, Peter J

    2011-11-01

    Patient-reported outcomes in cleft lip and palate treatment are critical for patient care. Traditional surgical outcomes focused on objective measures, such as photographs, anatomic measurements, morbidity, and mortality. Although these remain important, they leave many questions unanswered. Surveys that include aesthetics, speech, functionality, self-image, and quality of life provide more thorough outcomes assessment. It is vital that reliable, valid, and comprehensive questionnaires are available to craniofacial surgeons. The authors performed a literature review to identify questionnaires validated in cleft lip and palate patients. Qualifying instruments were assessed for adherence to guidelines for development and validation by the scientific advisory committee and for content. The authors identified 44 measures used in cleft lip and palate studies. After 15 ad hoc questionnaires, eight generic instruments, 11 psychiatric instruments, and one non-English language questionnaire were excluded, nine measures remained. Of these, four were never validated in the cleft population. Analysis revealed one craniofacial-specific measure (Youth Quality of Life-Facial Differences), two voice-related measures (Patient Voice-Related Quality of Life and Cleft Audit Protocol for Speech-Augmented), and two oral health-related measures (Child Oral Health Impact Profile and Child Oral Health Quality of Life). The Youth Quality of Life-Facial Differences, Child Oral Health Impact Profile, and Child Oral Health Quality of Life questionnaires were sufficiently validated. None was created specifically for clefts, resulting in content limitations. There is a lack of comprehensive, valid, and reliable questionnaires for cleft lip and palate surgery. For thorough assessment of satisfaction, further research to develop and validate cleft lip and palate surgery-specific instruments is needed.

  10. Transition to motherhood in type 1 diabetes: design of the pregnancy and postnatal well-being in transition questionnaires.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rasmussen, Bodil; Dunning, Trisha; Hendrieckx, Christel; Botti, Mari; Speight, Jane

    2013-02-27

    Life transitions are associated with high levels of stress affecting health behaviours among people with Type 1 diabetes. Transition to motherhood is a major transition with potential complications accelerated by pregnancy with risks of adverse childbirth outcomes and added anxiety and worries about pregnancy outcomes. Further, preparing and going through pregnancy requires vigilant attention to a diabetes management regimen and detailed planning of everyday activities with added stress on women. Psychological and social well-being during and after pregnancy are integral for good pregnancy outcomes for both mother and baby. The aim of this study is to establish the face and content validity of two novel measures assessing the well-being of women with type 1 diabetes in their transition to motherhood, 1) during pregnancy and 2) during the postnatal period. The approach to the development of the Pregnancy and Postnatal Well-being in T1DM Transition questionnaires was based on a four-stage pre-testing process; systematic overview of literature, items development, piloting testing of questionnaire and refinement of questionnaire. The questionnaire was reviewed at every stage by expert clinicians, researchers and representatives from consumer groups. The cognitive debriefing approach confirmed relevance of issues and identified additional items. The literature review and interviews identified three main areas impacting on the women's postnatal self-management; (1) psychological well-being; (2) social environment, (3) physical (maternal and fetal) well-being. The cognitive debriefing in pilot testing of the questionnaire identified that immediate postnatal period was difficult, particularly when the women were breastfeeding and felt depressed. The questionnaires fill an important gap by systematically assessing the psychosocial needs of women with type 1 diabetes during pregnancy and in the immediate postnatal period. The questionnaires can be used in larger data

  11. Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation – Outcome Measure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Trujillo A

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Adriana Trujillo,1,2 Guillem Feixas,1,2 Arturo Bados,1 Eugeni García-Grau,1 Marta Salla,1 Joan Carles Medina,1 Adrián Montesano,1,2 José Soriano,3 Leticia Medeiros-Ferreira,4 Josep Cañete,5 Sergi Corbella,6 Antoni Grau,7 Fernando Lana,8 Chris Evans9 1Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatments, Faculty of Psychology, 2Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, University of Barcelona, 3Hospital of the Holy Cross and Saint Paul, 4Nou Barris Mental Health Center, Barcelona, 5Hospital of Mataró, Sanitary Consortium of Maresme, Mataró, 6FPCEE, Blanquerna, Universitat Ramon Llull, 7Institute of Eating Disorders, Barcelona, 8MAR Health Park, CAEMIL, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain; 9East London NHS Foundation Trust, NPDDNet, London, UK Objective: The objective of this paper is to assess the reliability and validity of the Spanish translation of the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation – Outcome Measure, a 34-item self-report questionnaire that measures the client’s status in the domains of Subjective well-being, Problems/Symptoms, Life functioning, and Risk.Method: Six hundred and forty-four adult participants were included in two samples: the clinical sample (n=192 from different mental health and primary care centers; and the nonclinical sample (n=452, which included a student and a community sample.Results: The questionnaire showed good acceptability and internal consistency, appropriate test–retest reliability, and acceptable convergent validity. Strong differentiation between clinical and nonclinical samples was found. As expected, the Risk domain had different characteristics than other domains, but all findings were comparable with the UK referential data. Cutoff scores were calculated for clinical significant change assessment.Conclusion: The Spanish version of the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation – Outcome Measure showed acceptable psychometric properties, providing support for using the

  12. Role of video games in improving health-related outcomes: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Primack, Brian A; Carroll, Mary V; McNamara, Megan; Klem, Mary Lou; King, Brandy; Rich, Michael; Chan, Chun W; Nayak, Smita

    2012-06-01

    Video games represent a multibillion-dollar industry in the U.S. Although video gaming has been associated with many negative health consequences, it also may be useful for therapeutic purposes. The goal of this study was to determine whether video games may be useful in improving health outcomes. Literature searches were performed in February 2010 in six databases: the Center on Media and Child Health Database of Research, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Reference lists were hand-searched to identify additional studies. Only RCTs that tested the effect of video games on a positive, clinically relevant health consequence were included. Study selection criteria were strictly defined and applied by two researchers working independently. Study background information (e.g., location, funding source); sample data (e.g., number of study participants, demographics); intervention and control details; outcomes data; and quality measures were abstracted independently by two researchers. Of 1452 articles retrieved using the current search strategy, 38 met all criteria for inclusion. Eligible studies used video games to provide physical therapy, psychological therapy, improved disease self-management, health education, distraction from discomfort, increased physical activity, and skills training for clinicians. Among the 38 studies, a total of 195 health outcomes were examined. Video games improved 69% of psychological therapy outcomes, 59% of physical therapy outcomes, 50% of physical activity outcomes, 46% of clinician skills outcomes, 42% of health education outcomes, 42% of pain distraction outcomes, and 37% of disease self-management outcomes. Study quality was generally poor; for example, two thirds (66%) of studies had follow-up periods of video games to improve health outcomes, particularly in the areas of psychological therapy and physical therapy. RCTs with appropriate rigor will help build evidence in this

  13. HUMAN HEALTH OUTCOMES AND ACCOUNTABILITY - RISK POLICY REPORT

    Science.gov (United States)

    EPA is identifying human health "outcomes" as part of a significant shift in how the Agency frames questions and assesses its impact on environmental quality. These outcomes, while complementing traditional process indicators such as decreases in emissions, discharges and pollut...

  14. Cultural values and population health: a quantitative analysis of variations in cultural values, health behaviours and health outcomes among 42 European countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mackenbach, Johan P

    2014-07-01

    Variations in 'culture' are often invoked to explain cross-national variations in health, but formal analyses of this relation are scarce. We studied the relation between three sets of cultural values and a wide range of health behaviours and health outcomes in Europe. Cultural values were measured according to Inglehart׳s two, Hofstede׳s six, and Schwartz׳s seven dimensions. Data on individual and collective health behaviours (30 indicators of fertility-related behaviours, adult lifestyles, use of preventive services, prevention policies, health care policies, and environmental policies) and health outcomes (35 indicators of general health and of specific health problems relating to fertility, adult lifestyles, prevention, health care, and violence) in 42 European countries around the year 2010 were extracted from harmonized international data sources. Multivariate regression analysis was used to relate health behaviours to value orientations, controlling for socioeconomic confounders. In univariate analyses, all scales are related to health behaviours and most scales are related to health outcomes, but in multivariate analyses Inglehart׳s 'self-expression' (versus 'survival') scale has by far the largest number of statistically significant associations. Countries with higher scores on 'self-expression' have better outcomes on 16 out of 30 health behaviours and on 19 out of 35 health indicators, and variations on this scale explain up to 26% of the variance in these outcomes in Europe. In mediation analyses the associations between cultural values and health outcomes are partly explained by differences in health behaviours. Variations in cultural values also appear to account for some of the striking variations in health behaviours between neighbouring countries in Europe (Sweden and Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and Estonia and Latvia). This study is the first to provide systematic and coherent empirical evidence that

  15. Development and initial psychometric evaluation of patient-reported outcome questionnaires to evaluate the symptoms and impact of hidradenitis suppurativa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimball, Alexa B; Sundaram, Murali; Banderas, Benjamin; Foley, Catherine; Shields, Alan L

    2018-03-01

    Two patient-reported outcome (PRO) questionnaires, the Hidradenitis Suppurativa Symptom Assessment (HSSA) and Hidradenitis Suppurativa Impact Assessment (HSIA), were developed to measure signs, symptoms and impacts of HS in treatment efficacy studies. In accordance with FDA guidelines and published best practices, four stages of research were conducted to create the questionnaires: concept elicitation, questionnaire construction, content evaluation and psychometric evaluation. Subjects (N = 20) who participated in the concept elicitation stage reported 15 unique HS-related signs and symptoms and 51 impacts. Following this, eight sign and symptom concepts and 21 impacts were selected for construction of the HSSA and HSIA, respectively. During content evaluation, cognitive debriefing interviews with HS subjects (N = 20) confirmed subjects could read, comprehend and meaningfully respond to both questionnaires. Modifications made after this stage of work resulted in a nine-item HSSA and a 17-item HSIA. The HSSA and HSIA were subsequently entered into a US-based observational study (N = 40), and the scores produced by each were found to be reliable, construct valid, and able to distinguish among clinically distinct groups. The HSSA and HSIA are content-valid, HS-specific, PRO questionnaires with demonstrated ability to generate reliable, valid scores when administered to patients with HS in a research setting.

  16. The theory of music, mood and movement to improve health outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murrock, Carolyn J; Higgins, Patricia A

    2009-10-01

    This paper presents a discussion of the development of a middle-range nursing theory of the effects of music on physical activity and improved health outcomes. Due to the high rate of physical inactivity and the associated negative health outcomes worldwide, nurses need new evidence-based theories and interventions to increase physical activity. The theory of music, mood and movement (MMM) was developed from physical activity guidelines and music theory using the principles of statement and theory synthesis. The concepts of music, physical activity and health outcomes were searched using the CINAHL, MEDLINE, ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health Source, PsycINFO and Cochrane Library databases covering the years 1975-2008. The theory of MMM was synthesized by combining the psychological and physiological responses of music to increase physical activity and improve health outcomes. It proposes that music alters mood, is a cue for movement, and makes physical activity more enjoyable leading to improved health outcomes of weight, blood pressure, blood sugar and cardiovascular risk factor management, and improved quality of life. As it was developed from the physical activity guidelines, the middle-range theory is prescriptive, produces testable hypotheses, and can guide nursing research and practice. The middle-range theory needs to be tested to determine its usefulness for nurses to develop physical activity programmes to improve health outcomes across various cultures.

  17. Association Between History of Multiple Concussions and Health Outcomes Among Former College Football Players: 15-Year Follow-up From the NCAA Concussion Study (1999-2001).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerr, Zachary Y; Thomas, Leah C; Simon, Janet E; McCrea, Michael; Guskiewicz, Kevin M

    2018-06-01

    Previous research has examined associations between concussion history and adverse health outcomes among former professional football players. Less is known about the potential effects of concussion among former college football players without additional exposure at the professional level. To examine the association between concussion and adverse health outcomes in a cohort of former college football players without exposure to professional football, 15 years after their playing careers ended. Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. A sample of 204 former collegiate football players (23.4% of eligible athletes with available contact information)-all of whom played at least 1 season of football from 1999 to 2001 in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and had no professional football exposure-completed a general health survey that assessed lifetime concussion history and included the following: the Veterans RAND 36 Item Health Survey, containing a physical composite score (PCS) and mental composite score (MCS); the depression module of the Patient Health Questionnaire; and the 4-item CAGE alcohol dependence questionnaire (for "cutting down, annoyance by criticism, guilty feeling, and eye-openers"). Multivariable binomial regression models estimated adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) with 95% CIs while controlling for demographics and playing history covariates through forward selection model building. Most participants reported a concussion history (84.3%). Overall, 22.1% and 39.2% of participants reported a PCS and an MCS history of multiple concussions and adverse health outcomes were found among former collegiate football players without professional football exposure but were limited to those reporting ≥3 prior concussions. Because only 23.4% of eligible athletes responded to the survey, the possibility of ascertainment bias exists, and our findings should thus be interpreted with some caution. Continued examination within nonprofessional

  18. Validation of the Oxford Participation and Activities Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  19. Potential value of electronic prescribing in health economic and outcomes research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Catherine E Cooke

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Catherine E Cooke1, Brian J Isetts2, Thomas E Sullivan3, Maren Fustgaard4, Daniel A Belletti51PosiHealth Inc., Ellicott City, MD, USA; 2Department of Pharmaceutical Care and Health Systems, University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, Minneapolis, MN, USA; 3Women’s Health Center, Danvers, MA, USA; 4Assistant Director for Regional Outcomes Research, 5Associate Director for Regional Outcomes Research, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, NJ, USAAbstract: Improving access and quality while reducing expenditures in the United States health system is expected to be a priority for many years. The use of health information technology (HIT, including electronic prescribing (eRx, is an important initiative in efforts aimed at improving safety and outcomes, increasing quality, and decreasing costs. Data from eRx has been used in studies that document reductions in medication errors, adverse drug events, and pharmacy order-processing time. Evaluating programs and initiatives intended to improve health care can be facilitated through the use of HIT and eRx. eRx data can be used to conduct research to answer questions about the outcomes of health care products, services, and new clinical initiatives with the goal of providing guidance for clinicians and policy makers. Given the recent explosive growth of eRx in the United States, the purpose of this manuscript is to assess the value and suggest enhanced uses and applications of eRx to facilitate the role of the practitioner in contributing to health economics and outcomes research.Keywords: electronic prescribing, outcomes research, health information technology

  20. Effects of a telephone-delivered multiple health behavior change intervention (CanChange) on health and behavioral outcomes in survivors of colorectal cancer: a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hawkes, Anna L; Chambers, Suzanne K; Pakenham, Kenneth I; Patrao, Tania A; Baade, Peter D; Lynch, Brigid M; Aitken, Joanne F; Meng, Xingqiong; Courneya, Kerry S

    2013-06-20

    Colorectal cancer survivors are at risk for poor health outcomes because of unhealthy lifestyles, but few studies have developed translatable health behavior change interventions. This study aimed to determine the effects of a telephone-delivered multiple health behavior change intervention (CanChange) on health and behavioral outcomes among colorectal cancer survivors. In this two-group randomized controlled trial, 410 colorectal cancer survivors were randomly assigned to the health coaching intervention (11 theory-based telephone-delivered health coaching sessions delivered over 6 months focusing on physical activity, weight management, dietary habits, alcohol, and smoking) or usual care. Assessment of primary (ie, physical activity [Godin Leisure Time Index], health-related quality of life [HRQoL; Short Form-36], and cancer-related fatigue [Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy Fatigue Scale]) and secondary outcomes (ie, body mass index [kg/m(2)], diet and alcohol intake [Food Frequency Questionnaire], and smoking) were conducted at baseline and 6 and 12 months. At 12 months, significant intervention effects were observed for moderate physical activity (28.5 minutes; P = .003), body mass index (-0.9 kg/m(2); P = .001), energy from total fat (-7.0%; P = .006), and energy from saturated fat (-2.8%; P = .016). A significant intervention effect was reported for vegetable intake (0.4 servings per day; P = .001) at 6 months. No significant group differences were found at 6 or 12 months for HRQoL, cancer-related fatigue, fruit, fiber, or alcohol intake, or smoking. The CanChange intervention was effective for improving physical activity, dietary habits, and body mass index in colorectal cancer survivors. The intervention is translatable through existing telephone cancer support and information services in Australia and other countries.

  1. Facebook, quality of life and mental health outcomes in post-disaster urban environments: the L’Aquila earthquake experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesco eMasedu

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available BackgroundAn understudied area of interest in post-disaster public health is individuals’ use of social networks as a potential determinant of quality of life (QOL and mental health outcomes. A population-based cross-sectional study was carried out to examine whether continual use of online social networking (Facebook in an adult population following a massive earthquake was correlated with prevalence of depression and PTSD and QOL outcomes. MethodsParticipants were a sample of 890 adults aged 25 to 54 who had been exposed to the L'Aquila earthquake of 2009. Definition of user required a daily connection to the Facebook online social network for more than one hour per day from at least two years.Depression and PTSD were assessed using the Screening Questionnaire for Disaster Mental Health (SQD. QOL outcomes were measured using the WHOQOL-BREF instrument. Logistic regression was carried out to calculate the prevalence odds ratios (POR for social network use and other covariates.ResultsTwo hundred and twenty one of 423 (52.2% men, and 195 of 383 (50.9% women, had been using Facebook as social network for at least two years prior to our assessment. Social network use correlated with both depression and PTSD, after adjusting for gender. A halved risk of depression was found in users vs. non-users (POR 0.50±0.16. Similarly, a halved risk of PTSD in users vs. non-users (POR 0.47±0.14 was found. Both men and women using online social networks had significantly higher QOL scores in the psychological and social domains of the WHOQOL-BREF.ConclusionsSocial network use among adults 25 to 54 years old has a positive impact on mental health and QOL outcomes in the years following a disaster. The use of social networks may be an important tool for coping with the mental health outcomes of disruptive natural disasters, helping to maintain, if not improve, QOL in terms of social relationships and psychological distress.

  2. Physiotherapy Questionnaires App to Deliver Main Musculoskeletal Assessment Questionnaires: Development and Validation Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teixeira Neto, Nestor Cavalcante; Lima, Yuri Lopes; Almeida, Gabriel Peixoto Leão; Bezerra, Márcio Almeida; Lima, Pedro Olavo De Paula; de Oliveira, Rodrigo Ribeiro

    2018-02-23

    Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) translate subjective outcomes into objective data that can be quantified and analyzed. Nevertheless, the use of PROs in their traditional paper format is not practical for clinical practice due to limitations associated with the analysis and management of the data. To address the need for a viable way to group and utilize the main functioning assessment tools in the field of musculoskeletal disorders, the Physiotherapy Questionnaires app was developed. This study aims to explain the development of the app, to validate it using two questionnaires, and to analyze whether participants prefer to use the app or the paper version of the questionnaires. In the first stage, the app for an Android operational system was developed. In the second stage, the aim was to select questionnaires that were most often used in musculoskeletal clinical practice and research. The Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) questionnaire were selected to validate the app. In total, 50 participants completed the paper and app versions of the AOFAS and 50 completed the FAOS. The study's outcomes were the correlation of the data between the paper and app versions as well as the preference of the participants between the two versions. The app was approved by experts after the adaptations of the layout for mobile phones and a total of 18 questionnaires were included in the app. Moreover, the app allows the generation of PDF and Excel files with the patients' data. In regards to validity, the mean of the total scores of the FAOS were 91.54% (SD 8.86%) for the paper version and 91.74% (SD 9.20%) for the app. There was no statistically significant differences in the means of the total scores or the subscales (P=.11-.94). The mean total scores for the AOFAS were 93.94 (SD 8.47) for the paper version and 93.96 (SD 8.48) for the app. No statistically significant differences were found for the total scores for the AOFAS

  3. Improving detection of first-episode psychosis by mental health-care services using a self-report questionnaire

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boonstra, Nynke; Wunderink, Lex; Sytema, Sjoerd; Wiersma, Durk

    2009-01-01

    Objective: To examine the utility of the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE)-42, a self-report questionnaire, to improve detection of first-episode psychosis in new referrals to mental health services. Method: At first contact with mental health-care services patients were asked to

  4. Cross-Cultural Adaptation of Persian Version of Scale of Oral Health Outcomes for 5-Year-Old Children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Imaneh Asgari

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: Indicators of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL in children are widely adopted to evaluate the effects of oral problems. Recently, the scale of oral health outcomes for 5-year-old children (SOHO-5 was developed based on the children’s self-reports. This study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the questionnaire in a sample of Iranian children.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 160 children from four areas of Isfahan selected via non-random purposive sampling. After forward-backward translation of the questionnaire, content and face validity evaluation, a pilot test was carried out. Children forms were completed by interview, while parents forms were self-administered. Test-retest reliability was evaluated in 30 subjects. Construct validity, internal consistency and descriptive quality of life score were assessed with SPSS 18. The child-parent agreement was measured with correlation test and paired t-test (α=0.05.Results: The mean (±standard deviation quality of life scores in children and parents were 2.3±3 and 1.3±1.9, respectively. The most prevalent impacts were difficulty sleeping and eating. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients were 0.82 and 0.67 for the child and parent versions, respectively. Significant correlation of the scores with the oral health rating, pain history and perceived need for treatment confirmed its construct validity (r: 0.4-0.6, P<0.05. The hypothesis of the agreement was not supported (P>0.05.Conclusions: Based on the findings, the Persian version of SOHO-5 has acceptable reliability and validity for use in the pediatric population of Iran while there were some conflicts by parents.Keywords: Quality of Life; Oral Health; Child; Surveys and Questionnaires

  5. Achievements in mental health outcome measurement in Australia: Reflections on progress made by the Australian Mental Health Outcomes and Classification Network (AMHOCN)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background Australia’s National Mental Health Strategy has emphasised the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of services, and has promoted the collection of outcomes and casemix data as a means of monitoring these. All public sector mental health services across Australia now routinely report outcomes and casemix data. Since late-2003, the Australian Mental Health Outcomes and Classification Network (AMHOCN) has received, processed, analysed and reported on outcome data at a national level, and played a training and service development role. This paper documents the history of AMHOCN’s activities and achievements, with a view to providing lessons for others embarking on similar exercises. Method We conducted a desktop review of relevant documents to summarise the history of AMHOCN. Results AMHOCN has operated within a framework that has provided an overarching structure to guide its activities but has been flexible enough to allow it to respond to changing priorities. With no precedents to draw upon, it has undertaken activities in an iterative fashion with an element of ‘trial and error’. It has taken a multi-pronged approach to ensuring that data are of high quality: developing innovative technical solutions; fostering ‘information literacy’; maximising the clinical utility of data at a local level; and producing reports that are meaningful to a range of audiences. Conclusion AMHOCN’s efforts have contributed to routine outcome measurement gaining a firm foothold in Australia’s public sector mental health services. PMID:22640939

  6. Achievements in mental health outcome measurement in Australia: Reflections on progress made by the Australian Mental Health Outcomes and Classification Network (AMHOCN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Burgess Philip

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Australia’s National Mental Health Strategy has emphasised the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of services, and has promoted the collection of outcomes and casemix data as a means of monitoring these. All public sector mental health services across Australia now routinely report outcomes and casemix data. Since late-2003, the Australian Mental Health Outcomes and Classification Network (AMHOCN has received, processed, analysed and reported on outcome data at a national level, and played a training and service development role. This paper documents the history of AMHOCN’s activities and achievements, with a view to providing lessons for others embarking on similar exercises. Method We conducted a desktop review of relevant documents to summarise the history of AMHOCN. Results AMHOCN has operated within a framework that has provided an overarching structure to guide its activities but has been flexible enough to allow it to respond to changing priorities. With no precedents to draw upon, it has undertaken activities in an iterative fashion with an element of ‘trial and error’. It has taken a multi-pronged approach to ensuring that data are of high quality: developing innovative technical solutions; fostering ‘information literacy’; maximising the clinical utility of data at a local level; and producing reports that are meaningful to a range of audiences. Conclusion AMHOCN’s efforts have contributed to routine outcome measurement gaining a firm foothold in Australia’s public sector mental health services.

  7. Coffee consumption and health: umbrella review of meta-analyses of multiple health outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poole, Robin; Kennedy, Oliver J; Roderick, Paul; Fallowfield, Jonathan A; Hayes, Peter C; Parkes, Julie

    2017-11-22

    Objectives  To evaluate the existing evidence for associations between coffee consumption and multiple health outcomes. Design  Umbrella review of the evidence across meta-analyses of observational and interventional studies of coffee consumption and any health outcome. Data sources  PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and screening of references. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies  Meta-analyses of both observational and interventional studies that examined the associations between coffee consumption and any health outcome in any adult population in all countries and all settings. Studies of genetic polymorphisms for coffee metabolism were excluded. Results  The umbrella review identified 201 meta-analyses of observational research with 67 unique health outcomes and 17 meta-analyses of interventional research with nine unique outcomes. Coffee consumption was more often associated with benefit than harm for a range of health outcomes across exposures including high versus low, any versus none, and one extra cup a day. There was evidence of a non-linear association between consumption and some outcomes, with summary estimates indicating largest relative risk reduction at intakes of three to four cups a day versus none, including all cause mortality (relative risk 0.83 (95% confidence interval 0.79 to 0.88), cardiovascular mortality (0.81, 0.72 to 0.90), and cardiovascular disease (0.85, 0.80 to 0.90). High versus low consumption was associated with an 18% lower risk of incident cancer (0.82, 0.74 to 0.89). Consumption was also associated with a lower risk of several specific cancers and neurological, metabolic, and liver conditions. Harmful associations were largely nullified by adequate adjustment for smoking, except in pregnancy, where high versus low/no consumption was associated with low birth weight (odds ratio 1.31, 95% confidence interval 1.03 to 1.67), preterm birth in the first (1.22, 1.00 to 1.49) and second (1

  8. Oral health-related quality of life after prosthetic rehabilitation in patients with oral cancer: A longitudinal study with the Liverpool Oral Rehabilitation Questionnaire version 3 and Oral Health Impact Profile-14 questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dholam, K P; Chouksey, G C; Dugad, J

    2016-01-01

    Prosthodontic rehabilitation helps to improve the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL). The Liverpool Oral Rehabilitation Questionnaire (LORQ) and Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) are specific tools that measure OHRQOL. The primary objective of this study was to assess the impact of oral rehabilitation on patients' OHRQOL following treatment for cancer of oral cavity using LORQ version 3 (LORQv3) and OHIP-14 questionnaire. Secondary objectives were to identify issues specific to oral rehabilitation, patients compliance to prosthetic rehabilitation, the effect of radiation treatment on prosthetic rehabilitation, to achieve meaningful differences over a time before & after prosthetic intervention, to carryout and document specific patient-deprived problem. Seventy-five oral cancer patients were studied. Patients were asked to rate their experience of dental problems before fabrication of prosthesis and after 1 year using LORQv3 and OHIP-14. The responses were compared on Likert scale. Patients reported with extreme problems before rehabilitation. After 1 year of prosthetic rehabilitation, there was improvement noticed in all the domain of LORQv3 and OHIP-14. Complete compliance to the use of prosthetic appliances for 1 year study period was noted. In response to the question no. 40 (LORQv3), only 15 patients who belonged to the obturator group, brought to notice the problems which were not addressed in the LORQv3 questionnaire. The study showed that the oral cancer patients coped well and adapted to near normal oral status after prosthetic rehabilitation. This contributed to the improved overall health-related quality of life.

  9. Studying the Validity and Reliability of the Persian Version of Physical and Mental Health Questionnaire, Based on the Holistic Wellness Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fatemeh Alian Fini

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background: Mental health is an important aspect of health and the World Health Organization defines health as "full physical, mental and social welfare, and not merely the absence of disease". Given that 79 percent of the health education focused on physical aspects, in fact, the most focus is on biological parameters of people to measure their health. So we need a valid questionnaire to measure mentally and physically the health of people in the research community. Materials and Methods: The Holistic Wellness Model reflects that the researches is done on health which is different in variant cultures perspectives.102 managers and officials of Islamic Azad University of Arak participated in this studyin 2014 and the validity and reliability of the questionnaire were analyzed using the software SPSS20. Results: 102 people were enrolled in this study, 74 males (72.5% and the rest were female. Cronbach' Alpha coefficient for the entire questionnaire was 0.93.In all six aspects which reviewed, the correlation between all questions and its perspective was measured by using Spearman test. There was a significant positive correlation among all the questions and the related aspects. Conclusion: The Persian version of physical and mental health questionnaire, based on the Holistic Wellness Model, is suitable to assess the health of people. Also, validity and reliability is appropriate.

  10. Aesthetic outcome, patient satisfaction, and health-related quality of life in women at high risk undergoing prophylactic mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isern, A E; Tengrup, I; Loman, N; Olsson, H; Ringberg, A

    2008-10-01

    Prophylactic mastectomy is an effective risk-reducing option in women with hereditary increased risk of breast cancer. It may be combined with immediate reconstruction, with the intention of improving aesthetic outcome and health-related quality of life. Sixty-one women underwent prophylactic mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction in Malmö, Sweden, between 1995 and 2003. Forty women underwent bilateral prophylactic mastectomy and immediate reconstruction. Ten of these had a previous breast cancer diagnosis. Twenty-one women underwent contralateral prophylactic mastectomy and immediate reconstruction after a previous breast cancer. Fifty-four of the women (89%) were evaluated clinically for aesthetic results and complications. Patient satisfaction and quality of life were evaluated with one study-specific and two standardised health-related questionnaires administered at time of clinical follow-up. Median follow-up time was 42 months (range 7-99 months). The position of the reconstructed breasts was judged as satisfactory in 77% of breasts. Symmetry in relation to the midline was adequate in 89% of breasts. A capsular contracture grade III according to Baker and indentation tonometry was observed in 1% of breasts (1/104). The complication rate was 18% (7% early and 11% late). Secondary corrections were carried out in 11% of breasts. The study-specific questionnaire revealed a high degree of satisfaction. No woman regretted the procedure, and all women would have chosen the same type of surgery again. An age-stratified comparison of Swedish women using the Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36) questionnaire was carried out for this study. The study population scores were high, suggesting that prophylactic mastectomy and immediate reconstruction on both physical and psychological issues in this retrospective study had no negative effect. Also, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD) questionnaire did not suggest any increased anxiety or

  11. Fundamental resource dis/advantages, youth health and adult educational outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elman, Cheryl; Wray, Linda A; Xi, Juan

    2014-01-01

    Recent studies find lasting effects of poor youth health on educational attainment but use young samples and narrow life course windows of observation to explore outcomes. We apply a life course framework to three sets of Health and Retirement Study birth cohorts to examine early health status effects on education and skills attainment measured late in life. The older cohorts that we study were the earliest recipients of U.S. policies promoting continuing education through the GI Bill, community college expansions and new credentials such as the GED. We examine a wide range of outcomes but focus on GEDs, postsecondary school entry and adult human capital as job-related training. We find that older U.S. cohorts had considerable exposure to these forms of attainment and that the effects of youth health on them vary by outcome: health selection and ascription group effects are weak or fade, respectively, in outcomes associated with delayed or adult attainment. However, poorer health and social disadvantage in youth and barriers associated with ascription carry forward to limit attainment of key credentials such as diplomas and college degrees. We find that the human capital - health gradient is dynamic and that narrow windows of observation in existing studies miss much of it. National context also matters for studying health-education linkages over the life course. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Reliability and validity of an adapted Arabic version of the Scoliosis Research Society-22r Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haidar, Rachid K; Kassak, Kassem; Masrouha, Karim; Ibrahim, Kamal; Mhaidli, Hani

    2015-09-01

    Cross-sectional validation and reliability assessment study of Arabic version of Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22r) Questionnaire. To develop and validate the Arabic version of the SRS-22r questionnaire. The diagnosis and treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis may influence patient quality of life. SRS-22r is an internationally validated questionnaire used to assess function/activity, pain, self-image, and mental health of patients with scoliosis. It has been translated into several languages but not into Arabic language. Therefore, a valid health-related quality-of-life outcome questionnaire for patients with spinal deformity is still lacking in Arabic language. The English version of SRS-22r questionnaire was translated, back-translated, and culturally adapted to Arabic language. Then, 81 patients with idiopathic adolescent scoliosis were allocated randomly into either the reliability testing group (group 1) or the validity testing group (group 2). Group 1 patients completed Arabic version of SRS-22r questionnaire twice with 1-week interval in-between. Cronbach α and intraclass correlation coefficient were measured to determine internal consistency and temporal reliability. Group 2 patients completed the Arabic version of SRS-22r questionnaire and the previously validated Arabic version of 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (Short Form-36) questionnaire concurrently, and Pearson correlation coefficient was obtained to assess validity. Content analysis, internal consistency reliability, test/retest reproducibility (intraclass correlation coefficient range: 0.82-0.90), and test of concurrent validity showed satisfactory results. Function/activity and satisfaction with management domains had a lower Cronbach α (0.58 and 0.44, respectively, vs. 0.71-0.85 range for others). Self-image/appearance and satisfaction with management had a lower correlation with domains of the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey. An Arabic version of the SRS-22r questionnaire has

  13. Health and Occupational Outcomes Among Injured, Nonstandard Shift Workers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Imelda S; Smith, Peter M; Mustard, Cameron A; Gignac, Monique A M

    2015-11-01

    This study compares health and occupational outcomes following a work-related injury for nonstandard and day-shift workers. National Population Health Survey data were used to explore outcomes 2 years post-work injury. Retrospective-matched cohort analyses examined main effects and interactions of shift schedule and work injury with changes in health, shift schedule, and labor force status. Models were adjusted for respondent characteristics, baseline health status, and occupational strength requirements. Injured nonstandard shift workers reported lower health utility index scores, compared with uninjured and injured daytime workers and uninjured nonstandard-shift workers. No significant interactions between shift and injury were found with schedule change and leaving the labor force. Injured nonstandard-shift workers are as likely to remain employed as other groups, but may be vulnerable in terms of diminished health.

  14. Health literacy and patient outcomes in chronic kidney disease: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Dominic M; Fraser, Simon; Dudley, Chris; Oniscu, Gabriel C; Tomson, Charles; Ravanan, Rommel; Roderick, Paul

    2017-11-20

    Limited health literacy affects 25% of people with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and may reduce self-management skills resulting in poorer clinical outcomes. By disproportionately affecting people with low socio-economic status and non-white ethnicity, limited health literacy may promote health inequity. We performed a systematic review of quantitative studies of health literacy and clinical outcomes among adults with CKD. A total of 29 studies (13 articles; 16 conference abstracts) were included. One included non-USA patients. Of the 29 studies, 5 were cohort studies and 24 were cross-sectional. In all, 18 300 patients were studied: 4367 non-dialysis CKD; 13 202 dialysis; 390 transplant; 341 unspecified. Median study size was 127 [interquartile range (IQR) 92-238)], but 480 (IQR 260-2392) for cohort studies. Median proportion of non-white participants was 48% (IQR 17-70%). Six health literacy measures were used. Outcomes included patient attributes, care processes, clinical/laboratory parameters and 'hard' clinical outcomes. Limited health literacy was significantly, independently associated with hospitalizations, emergency department use, missed dialysis sessions, cardiovascular events and mortality (in cohort studies). Study quality was high (1 study), moderate (3 studies) and poor (25 studies), limited by sampling methods, variable adjustment for confounders and reduced methodological detail given in conference abstracts. There is limited robust evidence of the causal effects of health literacy on patient outcomes in CKD. Available evidence suggests associations with adverse clinical events, increased healthcare use and mortality. Prospective studies are required to determine the causal effects of health literacy on outcomes in CKD patients, and examine the relationships between socio-economic status, comorbidity, health literacy and CKD outcomes. Intervention development and evaluation will determine whether health literacy is a modifiable determinant of

  15. The Computer-based Health Evaluation Software (CHES: a software for electronic patient-reported outcome monitoring

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Holzner Bernhard

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Patient-reported Outcomes (PROs capturing e.g., quality of life, fatigue, depression, medication side-effects or disease symptoms, have become important outcome parameters in medical research and daily clinical practice. Electronic PRO data capture (ePRO with software packages to administer questionnaires, storing data, and presenting results has facilitated PRO assessment in hospital settings. Compared to conventional paper-pencil versions of PRO instruments, ePRO is more economical with regard to staff resources and time, and allows immediate presentation of results to the medical staff. The objective of our project was to develop software (CHES – Computer-based Health Evaluation System for ePRO in hospital settings and at home with a special focus on the presentation of individual patient’s results. Methods Following the Extreme Programming development approach architecture was not fixed up-front, but was done in close, continuous collaboration with software end users (medical staff, researchers and patients to meet their specific demands. Developed features include sophisticated, longitudinal charts linking patients’ PRO data to clinical characteristics and to PRO scores from reference populations, a web-interface for questionnaire administration, and a tool for convenient creating and editing of questionnaires. Results By 2012 CHES has been implemented at various institutions in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and the UK and about 5000 patients participated in ePRO (with around 15000 assessments in total. Data entry is done by the patients themselves via tablet PCs with a study nurse or an intern approaching patients and supervising questionnaire completion. Discussion During the last decade several software packages for ePRO have emerged for different purposes. Whereas commercial products are available primarily for ePRO in clinical trials, academic projects have focused on data collection and presentation in daily

  16. The Work Role Functioning Questionnaire v2.0 Showed Consistent Factor Structure Across Six Working Samples

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Abma, Femke I.; Bültmann, Ute; Amick, Benjamin C.

    2017-01-01

    Objective: The Work Role Functioning Questionnaire v2.0 (WRFQ) is an outcome measure linking a persons’ health to the ability to meet work demands in the twenty-first century. We aimed to examine the construct validity of the WRFQ in a heterogeneous set of working samples in the Netherlands...

  17. The Work Role Functioning Questionnaire v2.0 Showed Consistent Factor Structure Across Six Working Samples

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Abma, F.I.; Bultmann, U.; Amick III, B.C.; Arends, I.; Dorland, P.A.; Flach, P.A.; Klink, J.J.L van der; Ven H.A., van de; Bjørner, J.B.

    2017-01-01

    Objective The Work Role Functioning Questionnaire v2.0 (WRFQ) is an outcome measure linking a persons’ health to the ability to meet work demands in the twenty-first century. We aimed to examine the construct validity of the WRFQ in a heterogeneous set of working samples in the Netherlands with

  18. School outcomes of children with special health care needs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forrest, Christopher B; Bevans, Katherine B; Riley, Anne W; Crespo, Richard; Louis, Thomas A

    2011-08-01

    To examine the associations between having a special health care need and school outcomes measured as attendance, student engagement, behavioral threats to achievement, and academic achievement. A total of 1457 children in the fourth through sixth grades from 34 schools in 3 school districts and their parents provided survey data; parents completed the Children With Special Health Care Needs Screener. School records were abstracted for attendance, grades, and standardized achievement test scores. Across 34 schools, 33% of children screened positive for special health care needs. After adjusting for sociodemographic and school effects, children with special health care needs had lower motivation to do well in school, more disruptive behaviors, and more frequent experiences as a bully victim. They experienced significantly lower academic achievement, as measured by grades, standardized testing, and parental-assessed academic performance. These findings were observed for children who qualified as having a special health care need because they had functional limitations attributed to a chronic illness or a behavioral health problem but not for those who qualified only because they took prescription medications. Specific subgroups of children with special health care needs are at increased risk for poor school outcomes. Health and school professionals will need to collaborate to identify these children early, intervene with appropriate medical and educational services, and monitor long-term outcomes.

  19. School Outcomes of Children With Special Health Care Needs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bevans, Katherine B.; Riley, Anne W.; Crespo, Richard; Louis, Thomas A.

    2011-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations between having a special health care need and school outcomes measured as attendance, student engagement, behavioral threats to achievement, and academic achievement. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: A total of 1457 children in the fourth through sixth grades from 34 schools in 3 school districts and their parents provided survey data; parents completed the Children With Special Health Care Needs Screener. School records were abstracted for attendance, grades, and standardized achievement test scores. RESULTS: Across 34 schools, 33% of children screened positive for special health care needs. After adjusting for sociodemographic and school effects, children with special health care needs had lower motivation to do well in school, more disruptive behaviors, and more frequent experiences as a bully victim. They experienced significantly lower academic achievement, as measured by grades, standardized testing, and parental-assessed academic performance. These findings were observed for children who qualified as having a special health care need because they had functional limitations attributed to a chronic illness or a behavioral health problem but not for those who qualified only because they took prescription medications. CONCLUSIONS: Specific subgroups of children with special health care needs are at increased risk for poor school outcomes. Health and school professionals will need to collaborate to identify these children early, intervene with appropriate medical and educational services, and monitor long-term outcomes. PMID:21788226

  20. Autonomy support in primary care--validation of the German version of the Health Care Climate Questionnaire

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schmidt, K.; Gensichen, J.; Petersen, J.J.; Szecsenyi, J.; Walther, M.; Williams, G.; Freund, T.

    2012-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: There is a growing need for studies to measure how patients feel supported in their autonomy. The Health Care Climate Questionnaire (HCCQ) is an instrument to assess the physician's support to motivate the patient to take personal responsibility for his/her health. The aim of this study

  1. Translation of questionnaires measuring health related quality of life is not standardized

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Danielsen, Anne Kjaergaard; Pommergaard, Hans-Christian; Burcharth, Jakob

    2015-01-01

    aimed at patients from both countries. In relation to this and similar international cooperation, the validity and reliability of translated questionnaires are central aspects. MAIN OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to explore which methodological measures were used in studies reporting...... reporting the methodological process when translating questionnaires on health related quality of life for different diseases. RESULTS: We retrieved 187 studies and out of theses we included 52 studies. The psychometric properties of the translated versions were validated using different tests. The focus...... was on internal validity (96%), reliability (67%) criterion validity (81%), and construct validity (62%). For internal validity Cronbach's alpha was used in 94% of the studies. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that there seems to be a consensus regarding the translation process (especially for internal validity...

  2. Parental limited English proficiency and health outcomes for children with special health care needs: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eneriz-Wiemer, Monica; Sanders, Lee M; Barr, Donald A; Mendoza, Fernando S

    2014-01-01

    One in 10 US adults of childbearing age has limited English proficiency (LEP). Parental LEP is associated with worse health outcomes among healthy children. The relationship of parental LEP to health outcomes for children with special health care needs (CSHCN) has not been systematically reviewed. To conduct a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature examining relationships between parental LEP and health outcomes for CSHCN. PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Social Science Abstracts, bibliographies of included studies. Key search term categories: language, child, special health care needs, and health outcomes. US studies published between 1964 and 2012 were included if: 1) subjects were CSHCN; 2) studies included some measure of parental LEP; 3) at least 1 outcome measure of child health status, access, utilization, costs, or quality; and 4) primary or secondary data analysis. Three trained reviewers independently screened studies and extracted data. Two separate reviewers appraised studies for methodological rigor and quality. From 2765 titles and abstracts, 31 studies met eligibility criteria. Five studies assessed child health status, 12 assessed access, 8 assessed utilization, 2 assessed costs, and 14 assessed quality. Nearly all (29 of 31) studies used only parent- or child-reported outcome measures, rather than objective measures. LEP parents were substantially more likely than English-proficient parents to report that their CSHCN were uninsured and had no usual source of care or medical home. LEP parents were also less likely to report family-centered care and satisfaction with care. Disparities persisted for children with LEP parents after adjustment for ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Parental LEP is independently associated with worse health care access and quality for CSHCN. Health care providers should recognize LEP as an independent risk factor for poor health outcomes among CSHCN. Emerging models of chronic disease care should integrate and

  3. [Assessment of the outcome of anorexia nervosa: construction of a self-administered questionnaire based on the patients' perception].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ronze, M; Mamelle, N; Combe, C; Pugeat, M

    2010-02-01

    Our working hypothesis is that a better insight into the outcome of patients suffering from anorexia nervosa should contribute to preventing relapses and further complications and assessing treatment efficiency. Through anorexia nervosa, the patients express the difficulty they have to view themselves as specific subjects. The current classic outcome evaluation is based on the study of objective events, which only partially reflect the reality of the patients' outcome at a subjective level. The objective of this study was to set up a new assessing instrument of the outcome of patients suffering from anorexia nervosa, essentially based on the patients' perception of their experience. The methodology used has been based on: (1) the conduct by the main investigator of unstructured interviews using "free association", with the help of an interview guide. The anorexia nervosa patients were recruited among those who were hospitalized on an isolation contract, or among outpatients under a psychiatrist/psychoanalyst's supervision, aged over 25 years old so that they may have started their reproductive life. The study included 30 patients; (2) the analysis of the interview contents backed by preexisting hypotheses and by new ones suggested by the expression of the patients' perception, so as to set up an inventory of new themes; (3) the construction of a self-administered questionnaire starting from the development of each theme into several questions taking up the patients' own words and offering 4 possible answers (disagree completely, disagree, agree, quite agree). The analysis of the interviews contents has led to the development of 11 themes. The self-administered questionnaire includes a total of 124 items stemming from the development of each theme into between 9 and 16 items that were mixed in the version submitted to patients. This original interpretation of the outcome of the patients through their experience provides a better understanding of their relation to

  4. Which Questionnaire Should Be Used to Measure Quality-of-Life Utilities in Patients with Acute Leukemia? An Evaluation of the Validity and Interpretability of the EQ-5D-5L and Preference-Based Questionnaires Derived from the EORTC QLQ-C30.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Dongen-Leunis, Annemieke; Redekop, W Ken; Uyl-de Groot, Carin A

    The aim of this study was to assess the validity and interpretability of different preference-based questionnaires (generic 5-level EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire [EQ-5D-5L], cancer-specific Quality of Life Questionnaire Preference-Based Measure, and European Organization of Randomized Controlled Trials 8 Dimension [EORTC-8D]) in patients with acute leukemia. Patients who participated in Hemato-Oncologie voor Volwassenen Nederland (HOVON - the Haemato Oncology Foundation for Adults in the Netherlands) clinical trials between 1999 and 2011 at a single hospital were invited to complete the questionnaires. Interpretability was evaluated by the frequency of incomplete data and highest and lowest possible scores. Content validity was evaluated by exploring the health-related quality-of-life domains included in the questionnaires. Construct validity was assessed using correlations with other quality-of-life scales (EQ-visual analogue scale score and global quality-of-life scale of the EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire) and ability to distinguish between patients with different health statuses. Questionnaires were returned by 89% (111 of 125) of the patients. Six to seven respondents did not return full questionnaires. Perfect health on the EQ-5D-5L was reported by 32 respondents and many of them (N = 17) did report health problems on other questionnaires. All questionnaires were strongly correlated (range 0.61-0.78) with other quality-of-life scales and yielded substantially different utility values for patients with different health statuses. Nevertheless, the disease-specific preference-based questionnaires showed greater discriminatory power. Although the Quality of Life Questionnaire Preference-Based Measure and the EORTC-8D appear to have better validity, this study does not provide any strong evidence against the use of the EQ-5D-5L for measuring quality-of-life utilities in acute leukemia. However, our findings need to be confirmed in larger longitudinal

  5. Impaired work functioning due to common mental disorders in nurses and allied health professionals: the Nurses Work Functioning Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gärtner, F R; Nieuwenhuijsen, K; van Dijk, F J H; Sluiter, J K

    2012-02-01

    Common mental disorders (CMD) negatively affect work functioning. In the health service sector not only the prevalence of CMDs is high, but work functioning problems are associated with a risk of serious consequences for patients and healthcare providers. If work functioning problems due to CMDs are detected early, timely help can be provided. Therefore, the aim of this study is to develop a detection questionnaire for impaired work functioning due to CMDs in nurses and allied health professionals working in hospitals. First, an item pool was developed by a systematic literature study and five focus group interviews with employees and experts. To evaluate the content validity, additional interviews were held. Second, a cross-sectional assessment of the item pool in 314 nurses and allied health professionals was used for item selection and for identification and corroboration of subscales by explorative and confirmatory factor analysis. The study results in the Nurses Work Functioning Questionnaire (NWFQ), a 50-item self-report questionnaire consisting of seven subscales: cognitive aspects of task execution, impaired decision making, causing incidents at work, avoidance behavior, conflicts and irritations with colleagues, impaired contact with patients and their family, and lack of energy and motivation. The questionnaire has a proven high content validity. All subscales have good or acceptable internal consistency. The Nurses Work Functioning Questionnaire gives insight into precise and concrete aspects of impaired work functioning of nurses and allied health professionals. The scores can be used as a starting point for purposeful interventions.

  6. Environmental risk factors and health outcomes in selected communities of the Niger delta area, Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ana, Godson; Sridhar, Mynepalli K C; Bamgboye, Elijah A

    2009-07-01

    The main aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of various health outcomes associated with exposure to environmental risk factors including industrial pollution in selected communities of Nigeria's oil-rich Niger delta area (NDA). The study involved both laboratory experiments and community health surveys using questionnaires and hospital records. A total of 14 air samples, 16 grab soil samples and 18 surface water samples were collected and analyzed for physicochemical parameters including heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using standard methods. A 77-item questionnaire was administered on randomly selected 349 subjects. A five-year record was collected from health facilities located in the two communities. The laboratory results indicated that the median PAH level at Eleme as compared to Ahoada East was higher than the guideline limit 50 ng/l for surface waters. The mean TSP level at Eleme was higher than the level at Ahoada East and the guideline limit 100 microg/m3. The median PAH level at Eleme was higher than the level at Ahoada East and the guideline limit problem (p = 0.044). At Ahoada East commonly consumed aquatic food was highly significantly associated with painful body outgrowth (p fuel types was also highly significantly associated with child deformities (p < 0.0001). Hospital records showed high proportions of respiratory disorder among males (3.85%) and females (4.39%) at Eleme as compared to the proportion of respiratory disorder among males (3.68%) and females (4.18%) at Ahoada East. The study shows that industrial communities such as Eleme, which are exposed to higher levels of air pollution, are more predisposed to respiratory morbidities, skin disorders and other related health risks.

  7. Use of the EQ-5D Instrument and Value Scale in Comparing Health States of Patients in Four Health Care Programs among Health Care Providers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rupel, Valentina Prevolnik; Ogorevc, Marko

    2014-09-01

    The main objective of this article was to explore the use of the patient evaluation of health states in determining the quality of health care program provision among health care providers. The other objectives were to explore the effect of size and status of health care providers on patient-reported outcomes. The EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire was used in four health care programs (hip replacement, hernia surgery, carpal tunnel release, and veins surgery) to evaluate patients' health states before and after the procedure, following carefully prepared instructions. Data were collected for a single year, 2011. The number of questionnaires filled by patients was 165 for hip replacement, 551 for hernia surgery, 437 for vein surgery, and 158 for carpal tunnel release. The data were analyzed using linear regression model and the EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire value set for Slovenia. Differences between providers were determined using the Tukey test. Potential quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained for all four programs were calculated for the optimal allocation of patients among providers. There are significant differences among health care providers in the share of patients who reported positive changes in health care status as well as in average improvement in patient-reported outcomes in all four programs. In the case of optimal allocation, each patient undergoing hip replacement would gain 2.25 QALYs, each patient undergoing hernia surgery would gain 0.83 QALY, each patient undergoing veins surgery would gain 0.36 QALY, and each patient undergoing carpal tunnel release would gain 0.78 QALY. The analysis exposed differences in average health state valuations across four health care programs among providers. Further data on patient-reported outcomes for more than a single year should be collected. On the basis of trend data, further analysis to determine the possible causes for differences should be conducted and the possibility to use this

  8. Workplace health interventions in small enterprises: a Swedish longitudinal study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vinberg, Stig

    2008-01-01

    This article has a two-fold approach. First, it investigates relationships between work organizational factors, and health and performance outcomes. Second, it compares two change strategy approaches in workplace health interventions by studying changes of these factors and outcomes. The sample consisted of ten Swedish small enterprises including 102 individuals, who answered a before and after questionnaire about organizational factors and outcomes. The leaders were interviewed and answered a questionnaire about performed workplace health interventions. Statistical methods used were reliability tests, correlation analyses and t-tests. Results indicate rather strong links between indicators of respectful leadership, creative work and team spirit, and the outcome indicators self-assessed health and judged workplace adaptability in association with customer satisfaction. The results concerning changes of determinants and outcomes (after workplace health interventions) showed significant differences between enterprises using a broad change strategy and those using an expert/problem-based strategy with the former having more favourable results. The leader interview results also point at obstacles concerning workplace change processes as lack of resources, insufficient competence and influence of external factors. The study results suggest that work organizational factors and integrated models for workplace health intervention are of importance for health and performance outcomes in small enterprises.

  9. [Polish adaptation and validation of Health-Related Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy Questionnaire].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mathiak, Krystyna A; Karzel, Katarzyna; Mathiak, Klaus; Ostaszewski, Paweł; Luba, Małgorzata; Wolańczyk, Tomasz

    2007-01-01

    Epilepsy is a frequent chronic disease in children, having a strong impact on a child's psychosocial functioning. Effective therapy must take into account the wide range of physical, psychological and social needs of patients. The importance of assessing patients' quality of life is becoming increasingly acknowledged. In addition to providing better health care, it may reveal how the disease and its psychosocial outcome interact. Quality of life in epilepsy can be assessed most reliably by disease-specific measures. Health-Related Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy (QOLCE) is an English parental questionnaire for children aged between 4 and 18 years. It contains 87 questions that fall into five domains: physical function, emotional well-being, cognitive function, social function and behavioural function. The original scale has a well-grounded theoretical background and good psychometric properties. The aim of the study was to create a Polish version of QOLCE and evaluate its psychometric properties. Parents of 87 patients suffering from epilepsy were recruited in neurological clinics in the Warsaw area. Reliability was very high (Cronbach's alpha = 0.97). The construct validity was confirmed by the correlation between subscales of QOLCE and the Child Behaviour Checklist, as well as selected clinical measures of child's health (duration of disease: r=-0.22, p=0.02; duration of treatment: r=-0.20, p=0.04; number of hospitalizations: r=-0.24, p=0.02). All the psychometric properties were similar to those of the original scale. A Polish scale examining the quality of life was created that takes into account a wide range of psychosocial problems. We confirmed very high reliability and good validity, and thus we recommend the inventory for both research on and clinical diagnostics of Polish children with epilepsy.

  10. Parental influence on children's answers to an oral-health-related quality of life questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Granville-Garcia, Ana Flávia; Gomes, Monalisa Cesarino; Dantas, Laíza Rocha; Dantas, Lívia Rocha; da Silva, Bruno Rafael Cruz; Perazzo, Matheus de França; Siqueira, Maria Betânia Lins Dantas

    2016-01-01

    The aim of the study was to evaluate parental influence on children's answers to an oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) questionnaire. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a non-probabilistic sample of 84 pairs of 5-year-olds and parents/guardians. The participants were selected from a primary family healthcare center in Campina Grande, Brazil. First, the children and parents answered respective versions of the Scale of Oral Health Outcomes for Five-Year-Old Children (SOHO-5). Seven days later, the children answered their version of the SOHO-5, without the presence of their parents/guardians, and underwent a clinical exam of dental caries, traumatic dental injury and malocclusion, by a previously calibrated researcher. Statistical analysis involved a comparison of mean scores and the calculation of the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Poisson regression models were used to associate the variables (α = 5%). No significant differences were found between the mean SOHO-5 scores of the children when alone or accompanied by parents/guardians (p > 0.05). The ICC between the answers of the children alone or accompanied was 0.84. White spot (PR = 6.32; 95%CI: 1.36 - 29.40) and cavitated lesions (PR = 9.81; 95%CI: 3.22 - 29.85) had an impact on OHRQoL, according to the children's self-report, whereas cavitated lesions (PR = 90.52; 95%CI: 13.26 - 617.74) and anterior open bite (PR = 1.95; 95%IC: 1.07 - 3.53) remained on the final model, according to the parents' version of the SOHO-5. In conclusion, parents did not influence the children's responses, and dental caries are the oral health problem exerting the greatest impact on the children's OHRQoL.

  11. Toward Ensuring Health Equity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petkovic, Jennifer; Epstein, Jonathan; Buchbinder, Rachelle

    2015-01-01

    , the Evaluative Linguistic Framework for Questionnaires, developed to assess text quality of questionnaires. We also considered a study assessing cross-cultural adaptation with/without back-translation and/or expert committee. The results of this preconference work were presented to the equity working group......OBJECTIVE: The goal of the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) 12 (2014) equity working group was to determine whether and how comprehensibility of patient-reported outcome measures (PROM) should be assessed, to ensure suitability for people with low literacy and differing cultures. METHODS......: The English, Dutch, French, and Turkish Health Assessment Questionnaires and English and French Osteoarthritis Knee and Hip Quality of Life questionnaires were evaluated by applying 3 readability formulas: Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid grade level, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook; and a new tool...

  12. Self-Reported Questionnaire of Functional Health of Home-Dwelling Elderly People Living in Austria: Based on the Patient Questionnaire of the Standardized Assessment of Elderly People in Primary Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schulc, Eva; Gothe, Raffaella Matteucci; Them, Christa; Tufan, İsmail; Mueller, Gerhard

    2017-08-01

    The aim was to review the construct validity and reliability of a functional health assessment questionnaire (Questionnaire on Functional Health 2 [Q-FH2]). The Q-FH2 was used to assess 344 elderly people in a home setting. A polychoric correlation matrix was applied to conduct a principal axis factor analysis with oblique rotation. The number of factors was determined using various procedures and calculated using theta coefficients to estimate ordinal reliability. The exploratory factor analysis supported a 4-factor solution with an explained total variance of 82%. The internal consistency showed  coefficients ranging from 0.758 to 0.854. The Q-FH2 appears to be a useful instrument to assess the multidimensionality of functional health as defined by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health to determine the resources and deficits regarding the independent living of older adults and to derive appropriate consulting measures.

  13. Development and validation of health related quality of life questionnaire (Indian scenario) in diabetic foot ulcer patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kateel, Ramya; Augustine, Alfred J; Ullal, Sheetal; Prabhu, Shivananda; Bhat, Rahul; Adhikari, Prabha

    2017-12-01

    To develop and validate Health Related Quality of Life Questionnaire in Diabetic Foot Ulcer Patients (HRQLQDFU) for Indian scenario. This study was conducted in two phases. First phase was Development of HRQLQDFU which included literature search and expert interview. Second phase was validation of HRQLQDFL which included face validation, content validation and construct validation. Face validation was done by ten diabetic foot ulcer patients, ten practicing nurses and ten care givers. They were asked to read and respond to questionnaire and report any difficulty in understanding the questions. Further they were asked to add any item to the questionnaire which according to them has a significant effect on quality of life. Content validation was done by six subject experts who judged the content relevance of questionnaire with score ranging from zero to four; zero being least relevant and four being most relevant. Content validity index was calculated for each question. Questions having content validity index≥0.8 were selected for the study. Reliability was tested by calculating Cronbach's alpha. In the development phase a questionnaire containing 37 questions with six domains was developed. None of patient had difficulty in understanding questions. After content validation a new questionnaire containing 20 questions was developed. Cronbach's alpha was 0.86 which shows good reliability. The new health related quality of life questionnaire on diabetic foot ulcer patients for an Indian scenario is validated and can be a reliably measure for quality of life in diabetic foot ulcer patients. Copyright © 2017 Diabetes India. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Organizational culture, climate and person-environment fit: Relationships with employment outcomes for mental health consumers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirsh, Bonnie

    2000-01-01

    Although the effects of organizational culture, climate and person-environment fit have been widely studied in the general population, little research exists in this area regarding consumers of mental health services. This research focuses on organizational culture, climate and person-environment fit and their relationship to employment outcomes for mental health consumers. It also examines specific components of organizational culture which are both desired and perceived by mental health consumers. Thirty-six (N=36) consumers were recruited into one of two groups: individuals who were employed at the time of the study and those who had recently left their jobs. Instruments used were the Workplace Climate Questionnaire (WCQ) and the Organizational Culture Profile (OCP). Significant differences were found between groups along the dimensions of organizational culture/climate and person-environment fit. Although few differences were found between groups with regards to desired workplace characteristics, many differences in perceived characteristics were found. The findings point to the importance of assessing the organizational culture/climate and its congruence with individuals' value systems as part of the work integration process.

  15. Outcomes Assessment in Accredited Health Information Management Programs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bennett, Dorine

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the use and perceived usefulness of outcomes assessment methods in health information management programs. Additional characteristics of the outcomes assessment practices were recognized. The findings were evaluated for significant differences in results based on age of the program, type of institution,…

  16. Mokken scale analysis of mental health and well-being questionnaire item responses: a non-parametric IRT method in empirical research for applied health researchers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stochl, Jan; Jones, Peter B; Croudace, Tim J

    2012-06-11

    Mokken scaling techniques are a useful tool for researchers who wish to construct unidimensional tests or use questionnaires that comprise multiple binary or polytomous items. The stochastic cumulative scaling model offered by this approach is ideally suited when the intention is to score an underlying latent trait by simple addition of the item response values. In our experience, the Mokken model appears to be less well-known than for example the (related) Rasch model, but is seeing increasing use in contemporary clinical research and public health. Mokken's method is a generalisation of Guttman scaling that can assist in the determination of the dimensionality of tests or scales, and enables consideration of reliability, without reliance on Cronbach's alpha. This paper provides a practical guide to the application and interpretation of this non-parametric item response theory method in empirical research with health and well-being questionnaires. Scalability of data from 1) a cross-sectional health survey (the Scottish Health Education Population Survey) and 2) a general population birth cohort study (the National Child Development Study) illustrate the method and modeling steps for dichotomous and polytomous items respectively. The questionnaire data analyzed comprise responses to the 12 item General Health Questionnaire, under the binary recoding recommended for screening applications, and the ordinal/polytomous responses to the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale. After an initial analysis example in which we select items by phrasing (six positive versus six negatively worded items) we show that all items from the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12)--when binary scored--were scalable according to the double monotonicity model, in two short scales comprising six items each (Bech's "well-being" and "distress" clinical scales). An illustration of ordinal item analysis confirmed that all 14 positively worded items of the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental

  17. Mokken scale analysis of mental health and well-being questionnaire item responses: a non-parametric IRT method in empirical research for applied health researchers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stochl Jan

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Mokken scaling techniques are a useful tool for researchers who wish to construct unidimensional tests or use questionnaires that comprise multiple binary or polytomous items. The stochastic cumulative scaling model offered by this approach is ideally suited when the intention is to score an underlying latent trait by simple addition of the item response values. In our experience, the Mokken model appears to be less well-known than for example the (related Rasch model, but is seeing increasing use in contemporary clinical research and public health. Mokken's method is a generalisation of Guttman scaling that can assist in the determination of the dimensionality of tests or scales, and enables consideration of reliability, without reliance on Cronbach's alpha. This paper provides a practical guide to the application and interpretation of this non-parametric item response theory method in empirical research with health and well-being questionnaires. Methods Scalability of data from 1 a cross-sectional health survey (the Scottish Health Education Population Survey and 2 a general population birth cohort study (the National Child Development Study illustrate the method and modeling steps for dichotomous and polytomous items respectively. The questionnaire data analyzed comprise responses to the 12 item General Health Questionnaire, under the binary recoding recommended for screening applications, and the ordinal/polytomous responses to the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale. Results and conclusions After an initial analysis example in which we select items by phrasing (six positive versus six negatively worded items we show that all items from the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12 – when binary scored – were scalable according to the double monotonicity model, in two short scales comprising six items each (Bech’s “well-being” and “distress” clinical scales. An illustration of ordinal item analysis

  18. Epidemiology of mental health problems in female students: A questionnaire survey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehdi Mokhtari

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Mental health as a state of well-being can be affected by gender. The present work aims to examine the mental health status in female students and recognize its affecting factors. A cross-sectional study on female students of Payame-Noor University in West Azerbaijan, Iran, was conducted among 1632 students. Data collection tools were the demographic data and the General Health Questionnaires (GHQ-28. The results show that 51.5% of the population under study were healthy and 48.5% have had mental disorders. Based on the social effects on the mental health of students, the correlations between age (p = 0.15, location (p = 0.29 and parental education (p = 0.34 with general health status were assessed and there were no significant differences between them. However, birth order (p < 0.002, marital status (p < 0.001 and family income (p < 0.000 had significant differences with regard to mental health status. This study indicates that 43.6% of students are suspected to have mental and physical disorders, and the most effective factor is the socioeconomic condition. The strong correlation between birth order, marital status, and family income and mental health disorders suggests the necessity to pay more attention to all these issues in all at-risk students.

  19. Effect of Health Insurance on the Use and Provision of Maternal Health Services and Maternal and Neonatal Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Lauren A.; Hatt, Laurel E.

    2013-01-01

    Financial barriers can affect timely access to maternal health services. Health insurance can influence the use and quality of these services and potentially improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes. We conducted a systematic review of the evidence on health insurance and its effects on the use and provision of maternal health services and on maternal and neonatal health outcomes in middle- and low-income countries. Studies were identified through a literature search in key databases and consultation with experts in healthcare financing and maternal health. Twenty-nine articles met the review criteria of focusing on health insurance and its effect on the use or quality of maternal health services, or maternal and neonatal health outcomes. Sixteen studies assessed demand-side effects of insurance, eight focused on supply-side effects, and the remainder addressed both. Geographically, the studies provided evidence from sub-Saharan Africa (n=11), Asia (n=9), Latin America (n=8), and Turkey. The studies included examples from national or social insurance schemes (n=7), government-run public health insurance schemes (n=4), community-based health insurance schemes (n=11), and private insurance (n=3). Half of the studies used econometric analyses while the remaining provided descriptive statistics or qualitative results. There is relatively consistent evidence that health insurance is positively correlated with the use of maternal health services. Only four studies used methods that can establish this causal relationship. Six studies presented suggestive evidence of overprovision of caesarean sections in response to providers’ payment incentives through health insurance. Few studies focused on the relationship between health insurance and the quality of maternal health services or maternal and neonatal health outcomes. The available evidence on the quality and health outcomes is inconclusive, given the differences in measurement, contradictory findings, and

  20. Development and initial cohort validation of the Arthritis Research UK Musculoskeletal Health Questionnaire (MSK-HQ) for use across musculoskeletal care pathways.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hill, Jonathan C; Kang, Sujin; Benedetto, Elena; Myers, Helen; Blackburn, Steven; Smith, Stephanie; Dunn, Kate M; Hay, Elaine; Rees, Jonathan; Beard, David; Glyn-Jones, Sion; Barker, Karen; Ellis, Benjamin; Fitzpatrick, Ray; Price, Andrew

    2016-08-05

    Current musculoskeletal outcome tools are fragmented across different healthcare settings and conditions. Our objectives were to develop and validate a single musculoskeletal outcome measure for use throughout the pathway and patients with different musculoskeletal conditions: the Arthritis Research UK Musculoskeletal Health Questionnaire (MSK-HQ). A consensus workshop with stakeholders from across the musculoskeletal community, workshops and individual interviews with a broad mix of musculoskeletal patients identified and prioritised outcomes for MSK-HQ inclusion. Initial psychometric validation was conducted in four cohorts from community physiotherapy, and secondary care orthopaedic hip, knee and shoulder clinics. Stakeholders (n=29) included primary care, physiotherapy, orthopaedic and rheumatology patients (n=8); general practitioners, physiotherapists, orthopaedists, rheumatologists and pain specialists (n=7), patient and professional national body representatives (n=10), and researchers (n=4). The four validation cohorts included 570 participants (n=210 physiotherapy, n=150 hip, n=150 knee, n=60 shoulder patients). Outcomes included the MSK-HQ's acceptability, feasibility, comprehension, readability and responder burden. The validation cohort outcomes were the MSK-HQ's completion rate, test-retest reliability and convergent validity with reference standards (EQ-5D-5L, Oxford Hip, Knee, Shoulder Scores, and the Keele MSK-PROM). Musculoskeletal domains prioritised were pain severity, physical function, work interference, social interference, sleep, fatigue, emotional health, physical activity, independence, understanding, confidence to self-manage and overall impact. Patients reported MSK-HQ items to be 'highly relevant' and 'easy to understand'. Completion rates were high (94.2%), with scores normally distributed, and no floor/ceiling effects. Test-retest reliability was excellent, and convergent validity was strong (correlations 0.81-0.88). A new

  1. Care and self-reported outcomes of care experienced by women with mental health problems in pregnancy: Findings from a national survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henderson, Jane; Jomeen, Julie; Redshaw, Maggie

    2018-01-01

    mental health problems in pregnancy and the postnatal period are relatively common and, in pregnancy, are associated with an increase in adverse outcome. It is recommended that all women are asked about their emotional and mental health and offered treatment if appropriate. to describe the care received by women self-identifying with mental health problems in pregnancy, and to describe the effects of support, advice and treatment on outcomes in the postnatal period. this study used cross-sectional survey data collected in 2014 which described women's experience of maternity care. England PARTICIPANTS: a random sample of women who had a live birth in January 2014. the questionnaire asked about sociodemographic characteristics, whether women were asked about emotional and mental health in pregnancy, support and treatment offered, about postnatal wellbeing, and questions relating to attachment to their baby. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to examine the associations between mental health and outcomes taking account of sociodemographic characteristics. the survey response rate was 47%. Women with antenatal mental health problems were significantly more worried at the prospect of labour and birth, had lower satisfaction with the experience of birth, worse postnatal mental health, and indications of poorer attachment to their baby. They received substantially more care than other women but they did not always view this positively. Support, advice and treatment for mental health problems had mixed effects. this study describes the significant additional care provided to women self-identifying with mental health problems in pregnancy, the mixed effects of support, advice and treatment, and the poor perception of staff interaction among women with mental health problems. health care professionals may need additional training to effectively support women with mental health problems during the perinatal period. Copyright © 2017 The Authors

  2. Child incarceration and long-term adult health outcomes: a longitudinal study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnert, Elizabeth S; Abrams, Laura S; Tesema, Lello; Dudovitz, Rebecca; Nelson, Bergen B; Coker, Tumaini; Bath, Eraka; Biely, Christopher; Li, Ning; Chung, Paul J

    2018-03-12

    Purpose Although incarceration may have life-long negative health effects, little is known about associations between child incarceration and subsequent adult health outcomes. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach The authors analyzed data from 14,689 adult participants in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) to compare adult health outcomes among those first incarcerated between 7 and 13 years of age (child incarceration); first incarcerated at>or=14 years of age; and never incarcerated. Findings Compared to the other two groups, those with a history of child incarceration were disproportionately black or Hispanic, male, and from lower socio-economic strata. Additionally, individuals incarcerated as children had worse adult health outcomes, including general health, functional limitations (climbing stairs), depressive symptoms, and suicidality, than those first incarcerated at older ages or never incarcerated. Research limitations/implications Despite the limitations of the secondary database analysis, these findings suggest that incarcerated children are an especially medically vulnerable population. Practical implications Programs and policies that address these medically vulnerable children's health needs through comprehensive health and social services in place of, during, and/or after incarceration are needed. Social implications Meeting these unmet health and social service needs offers an important opportunity to achieve necessary health care and justice reform for children. Originality/value No prior studies have examined the longitudinal relationship between child incarceration and adult health outcomes.

  3. Environmental Volunteering and Health Outcomes over a 20-Year Period

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pillemer, Karl; Fuller-Rowell, Thomas E.; Reid, M. C.; Wells, Nancy M.

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: This study tested the hypothesis that volunteering in environmental organizations in midlife is associated with greater physical activity and improved mental and physical health over a 20-year period.  Design and Methods: The study used data from two waves (1974 and 1994) of the Alameda County Study, a longitudinal study of health and mortality that has followed a cohort of 6,928 adults since 1965. Using logistic and multiple regression models, we examined the prospective association between environmental and other volunteerism and three outcomes (physical activity, self-reported health, and depression), with 1974 volunteerism predicting 1994 outcomes, controlling for a number of relevant covariates.  Results: Midlife environmental volunteering was significantly associated with physical activity, self-reported health, and depressive symptoms.  Implications: This population-based study offers the first epidemiological evidence for a significant positive relationship between environmental volunteering and health and well-being outcomes. Further research, including intervention studies, is needed to confirm and shed additional light on these initial findings. PMID:20172902

  4. Consumer attitudes towards the use of routine outcome measures in a public mental health service: a consumer-driven study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guthrie, David; McIntosh, Mishka; Callaly, Tom; Trauer, Tom; Coombs, Tim

    2008-04-01

    In this study conducted by consumer consultants, 50 consumers who have a Barwon Health case manager (the majority of whom were nurses) were interviewed using a structured questionnaire to ascertain their attitudes towards the routine use of outcome measures. Forty participants (80% of those interviewed) reported they had been offered the Behaviour and Symptom Identification Scale (BASIS-32) to complete in routine care by their case managers and of those, 95% (n = 38) completed it. On those who completed the BASIS-32, 42% said their case manager had explained what the BASIS-32 would be used for, 45% said that the case manager had discussed their responses with them, 76% stated that completing the BASIS-32 had helped the case manager to understand them better and 66% believed that completing the BASIS-32 had led to them receiving better care. Only 30% of the group interviewed were aware that their case manager regularly completed a Health of the Nation Outcome Scales and Life Skills Profile. Feedback about the process of completing the BASIS-32 was obtained as well as suggestions on how the process may be improved. The results indicate that consumers see the benefit of routine outcome measurement and believe it leads to improved care. More information about outcome measures, including the clinician-rated outcome measures, needs to be provided to consumers if they are to be engaged constructively in this exercise.

  5. [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.

  6. Information Architecture of Web-Based Interventions to Improve Health Outcomes: Systematic Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pugatch, Jillian; Grenen, Emily; Surla, Stacy; Schwarz, Mary; Cole-Lewis, Heather

    2018-03-21

    The rise in usage of and access to new technologies in recent years has led to a growth in digital health behavior change interventions. As the shift to digital platforms continues to grow, it is increasingly important to consider how the field of information architecture (IA) can inform the development of digital health interventions. IA is the way in which digital content is organized and displayed, which strongly impacts users' ability to find and use content. While many information architecture best practices exist, there is a lack of empirical evidence on the role it plays in influencing behavior change and health outcomes. Our aim was to conduct a systematic review synthesizing the existing literature on website information architecture and its effect on health outcomes, behavioral outcomes, and website engagement. To identify all existing information architecture and health behavior literature, we searched articles published in English in the following databases (no date restrictions imposed): ACM Digital Library, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, Ebsco, and PubMed. The search terms used included information terms (eg, information architecture, interaction design, persuasive design), behavior terms (eg, health behavior, behavioral intervention, ehealth), and health terms (eg, smoking, physical activity, diabetes). The search results were reviewed to determine if they met the inclusion and exclusion criteria created to identify empirical research that studied the effect of IA on health outcomes, behavioral outcomes, or website engagement. Articles that met inclusion criteria were assessed for study quality. Then, data from the articles were extracted using a priori categories established by 3 reviewers. However, the limited health outcome data gathered from the studies precluded a meta-analysis. The initial literature search yielded 685 results, which was narrowed down to three publications that examined the effect of information architecture on

  7. Development of a disease-specific quality of life questionnaire in Addison's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Løvås, Kristian; Curran, Suzanne; Oksnes, Marianne; Husebye, Eystein S; Huppert, Felicia A; Chatterjee, V Krishna K

    2010-02-01

    Patients with Addison's disease reproducibly self-report impairment in specific dimensions of general well-being questionnaires, suggesting particular deficiencies in health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL). We sought to develop an Addison's disease-specific questionnaire (AddiQoL) that could better quantify altered well-being and treatment effects. Design, Setting, Patients, Intervention, and Outcomes: We reviewed the literature to identify HRQoL issues in Addison's disease and interviewed patients and their partners in-depth to explore various symptom domains. A list of items was generated, and nine expert clinicians and five expert patients assessed the list for impact and clarity. A preliminary questionnaire was presented to 100 Addison's outpatients; the number of items was reduced after analysis of the distribution of the responses. The final questionnaire responses were assessed by Cronbach's alpha and Rasch analysis. Published studies of HRQoL in Addison's disease indicated reduced vitality and general health perception and limitations in physical and emotional functioning. In-depth interviews of 14 patients and seven partners emphasized the impact of the disease on the emotional domain. Seventy HRQoL items were generated; after the expert consultation process and pretesting in 100 patients, the number of items was reduced to 36. Eighty-six patients completed the final questionnaire; the responses showed high internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha 0.95 and Person Separation Index 0.94 (Rasch analysis). We envisage AddiQoL having utility in trials of hormone replacement and management of patients with Addison's disease, analogous to similar questionnaires in GH deficiency (AGHDA) and acromegaly (AcroQoL).

  8. Puberty timing associated with diabetes, cardiovascular disease and also diverse health outcomes in men and women: the UK Biobank study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Day, Felix R; Elks, Cathy E; Murray, Anna; Ong, Ken K; Perry, John R B

    2015-06-18

    Early puberty timing is associated with higher risks for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease in women and therefore represents a potential target for early preventive interventions. We characterised the range of diseases and other adverse health outcomes associated with early or late puberty timing in men and women in the very large UK Biobank study. Recalled puberty timing and past/current diseases were self-reported by questionnaire. We limited analyses to individuals of White ethnicity (250,037 women; 197,714 men) and to disease outcomes with at least 500 cases (~ 0.2% prevalence) and we applied stringent correction for multiple testing (corrected threshold P puberty timing was associated with higher risks for angina, hypertension and T2D. Furthermore, compared to the median/average group, earlier or later puberty timing in women or men was associated with higher risks for 48 adverse outcomes, across a range of cancers, cardio-metabolic, gynaecological/obstetric, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, and neuro-cognitive categories. Notably, both early and late menarche were associated with higher risks for early natural menopause in women. Puberty timing in both men and women appears to have a profound impact on later health.

  9. The cultural fairness of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire among diverse adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowe, Anica

    2017-01-01

    The 12-item general health questionnaire (GHQ-12) was used in the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE; N = 15,770) to collect measures on adolescent mental health. Given the debate in current literature regarding the dimensionality of the GHQ-12, this study examined the cultural sensitivity of the instrument at the item level for each of the 7 major ethnic groups within the database. This study used a hybrid approach of ordinal logistic regression and item response theory (IRT) to examine the presence of differential item functioning (DIF) on the questionnaire. Results demonstrated that uniform, nonuniform, and overall DIF were present on items between White and Asian adolescents (7 items), White and Black Caribbean adolescents (1 item), and White and Black African adolescents (7 items), however all McFadden's pseudo R² effect size estimates indicated that the DIF was negligible. Overall, there were cumulative small scale level effects for the Mixed/Biracial, Asian, and Black African groups, but in each case the bias was only marginal. Findings demonstrate that the GHQ-12 can be considered culturally sensitive for adolescents from diverse ethnic groups in England, but follow-up studies are necessary. Implications for future education and health policies as well as the use of IR-based approaches for psychological instruments are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  10. Effect of removing direct payment for health care on utilisation and health outcomes in Ghanaian children: a randomised controlled trial.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Evelyn Korkor Ansah

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Delays in accessing care for malaria and other diseases can lead to disease progression, and user fees are a known barrier to accessing health care. Governments are introducing free health care to improve health outcomes. Free health care affects treatment seeking, and it is therefore assumed to lead to improved health outcomes, but there is no direct trial evidence of the impact of removing out-of-pocket payments on health outcomes in developing countries. This trial was designed to test the impact of free health care on health outcomes directly.2,194 households containing 2,592 Ghanaian children under 5 y old were randomised into a prepayment scheme allowing free primary care including drugs, or to a control group whose families paid user fees for health care (normal practice; 165 children whose families had previously paid to enrol in the prepayment scheme formed an observational arm. The primary outcome was moderate anaemia (haemoglobin [Hb] < 8 g/dl; major secondary outcomes were health care utilisation, severe anaemia, and mortality. At baseline the randomised groups were similar. Introducing free primary health care altered the health care seeking behaviour of households; those randomised to the intervention arm used formal health care more and nonformal care less than the control group. Introducing free primary health care did not lead to any measurable difference in any health outcome. The primary outcome of moderate anaemia was detected in 37 (3.1% children in the control and 36 children (3.2% in the intervention arm (adjusted odds ratio 1.05, 95% confidence interval 0.66-1.67. There were four deaths in the control and five in the intervention group. Mean Hb concentration, severe anaemia, parasite prevalence, and anthropometric measurements were similar in each group. Families who previously self-enrolled in the prepayment scheme were significantly less poor, had better health measures, and used services more frequently than those in

  11. Coffee, Caffeine, and Health Outcomes: An Umbrella Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grosso, Giuseppe; Godos, Justyna; Galvano, Fabio; Giovannucci, Edward L

    2017-08-21

    To evaluate the associations between coffee and caffeine consumption and various health outcomes, we performed an umbrella review of the evidence from meta-analyses of observational studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Of the 59 unique outcomes examined in the selected 112 meta-analyses of observational studies, coffee was associated with a probable decreased risk of breast, colorectal, colon, endometrial, and prostate cancers; cardiovascular disease and mortality; Parkinson's disease; and type-2 diabetes. Of the 14 unique outcomes examined in the 20 selected meta-analyses of observational studies, caffeine was associated with a probable decreased risk of Parkinson's disease and type-2 diabetes and an increased risk of pregnancy loss. Of the 12 unique acute outcomes examined in the selected 9 meta-analyses of RCTs, coffee was associated with a rise in serum lipids, but this result was affected by significant heterogeneity, and caffeine was associated with a rise in blood pressure. Given the spectrum of conditions studied and the robustness of many of the results, these findings indicate that coffee can be part of a healthful diet.

  12. Doubtful outcome of the validation of the Rome II questionnaire: validation of a symptom based diagnostic tool

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nylin Henry BO

    2009-12-01

    the Rome II is of doubtful value for clinical practice and research. The results for reproducibility and reliability were acceptable but the outcome of the predictability test was poor with IBS as an exception. The agreement between the digital and the paper questionnaire was good.

  13. Comparison of Health Outcomes Among Children with Different Levels of Motor Competence

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    Chagas Daniel V.

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. While evidence suggests that children with the developmental coordination disorder (DCD have worse health outcomes than their typically developing peers, it remains unclear whether children with low motor competence but without DCD are also characterized by worse health outcomes than those with average motor competence. The main purpose of this study was to compare health outcomes between children with low motor competence without DCD and those with average motor competence.

  14. Respiratory health as a predictor of questionnaire return in a sample of United States underground coal miners

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Trent, R B; Ames, R G

    1987-06-01

    A logistic model was used to analyse questionnaire return in a postal survey of 311 coalminers, who had left their place of employment between 1977 and 1982. Three measures of respiratory health, obstruction, restriction, and presence of chronic bronchitis symptoms, were included in the model as predictors together with the possibly confounding factors of age, education and marital and smoking status. Age was positively associated with questionnaire return (p<0.001). Speed of return, and whether the return was in response to a prompt, were not predicted by either the respiratory health measures or any of the other possibly confounding variables. 47 refs., 2 tabs.

  15. A Review of Educational Outcomes in the Children's Mental Health Treatment Literature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, Kimberly D.; Brandt, Nicole Evangelista; Stephan, Sharon H.; Chorpita, Bruce F.

    2014-01-01

    We examined the measurement of educational outcomes related to children's mental health treatments. A total of 85 papers describing 88 randomized controlled trials that included at least one educational outcome and one mental health outcome were included in these analyses. Forty-five different measures were identified as the primary educational…

  16. Increasing response rates to follow-up questionnaires in health intervention research: Randomized controlled trial of a gift card prize incentive.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgan, Amy J; Rapee, Ronald M; Bayer, Jordana K

    2017-08-01

    Background/aims Achieving a high response rate to follow-up questionnaires in randomized controlled trials of interventions is important for study validity. Few studies have tested the value of incentives in increasing response rates to online questionnaires in clinical trials of health interventions. This study evaluated the effect of a gift card prize-draw incentive on response rates to follow-up questionnaires within a trial of an online health intervention. Method The study was embedded in a host randomized controlled trial of an online parenting program for child anxiety. A total of 433 participants were randomly allocated to one of two groups: (1) being informed that they would enter a gift card prize-draw if they completed the final study questionnaire (24-week follow-up) and (2) not informed about the prize-draw. All participants had a 1 in 20 chance of winning an AUD50 gift card after they completed the online questionnaire. Results The odds of the informed group completing the follow-up questionnaire were significantly higher than the uninformed group, (79.6% vs 68.5%, odds ratio = 1.79, 95% confidence interval = 1.15-2.79). This response rate increase of 11.1% (95% confidence interval = 2.8-19.1) occurred in both intervention and control groups in the host randomized controlled trial. The incentive was also effective in increasing questionnaire commencement (84.6% vs 75.9%, odds ratio = 1.74, 95% confidence interval = 1.07-2.84) and reducing the delay in completing the questionnaire (19.9 vs 22.6 days, hazard ratio = 1.34, 95% confidence interval = 1.07-1.67). Conclusion This study adds to evidence for the effectiveness of incentives to increase response rates to follow-up questionnaires in health intervention trials.

  17. Reliability and validity of the German version of the Utrecht Questionnaire for Outcome Assessment in Aesthetic Rhinoplasty (D-OAR).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spiekermann, Christoph; Rudack, Claudia; Stenner, Markus

    2017-11-01

    The outcome of aesthetic rhinoplasty is determined by the patient's subjective satisfaction with the nasal appearance which is difficult to assess. The Utrecht Questionnaire for Outcome Assessment in Aesthetic Rhinoplasty (OAR) is a brief and reliable instrument to assess the influence of the subjective nasal appearance on quality of life in patients undergoing aesthetic rhinoplasty. Preoperative application of this questionnaire reveals important aspects and possible disturbances of the body image which could be negative predictors concerning the result. On the other hand, it represents an appropriate tool to assess the postoperative outcome. The aim of this study was to determine the validity, reliability and responsiveness of the adapted German version of the OAR (D-OAR). The adaption of the OAR to German language was performed by a forward and backward translation process. Patients undergoing rhinoplasty were asked to complete the D-OAR preoperatively, 1, 3 and 12 months after procedure and healthy volunteers without any nasal complaints served as controls to test validity, reliability and responsiveness. An excellent internal consistency, a good test-retest reliability and good inter-item and item-total correlations demonstrated a good reliability of the D-OAR. The convincing validity of the adapted version was proven by an excellent discriminant and a sufficient content validity. Significant differences between pre- and postoperative D-OAR scores revealed a good responsiveness of the instrument. Hence, with a sufficient validity, reliability and sensitivity to changes, the D-OAR is a short and helpful instrument to assess the subjective perception of the nasal appearance in German patients.

  18. Parent reports of health-related quality of life and heart failure severity score independently predict outcome in children with dilated cardiomyopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    den Boer, Susanna L; Baart, Sara J; van der Meulen, Marijke H; van Iperen, Gabriëlle G; Backx, Ad P; Ten Harkel, Arend D; Rammeloo, Lukas A; du Marchie Sarvaas, Gideon J; Tanke, Ronald B; Helbing, Willem A; Utens, Elisabeth M; Dalinghaus, Michiel

    2017-08-01

    Dilated cardiomyopathy in children causes heart failure and has a poor prognosis. Health-related quality of life in this patient group is unknown. Moreover, results may provide detailed information of parents' sense of their child's functioning. We hypothesised that health-related quality of life, as rated by parents, and the paediatric heart failure score, as assessed by physicians, have both predictive value on outcome. Methods and results In this prospective study, health-related quality of life was assessed by parent reports: the Infant Toddler Quality of Life questionnaire (0-4 years) or Child Health Questionnaire-Parent Form 50 (4-18 years) at 3-6-month intervals. We included 90 children (median age 3.8 years, interquartile range (IQR) 0.9-12.3) whose parents completed 515 questionnaires. At the same visit, physicians completed the New York University Pediatric Heart Failure Index. Compared with Dutch normative data, quality of life was severely impaired at diagnosis (0-4 years: 7/10 subscales and 4-18 years: 8/11 subscales) and ⩾1 year after diagnosis (3/10 and 6/11 subscales). Older children were more impaired (pFailure Index were independently predictive of the risk of death and heart transplantation (hazard ratio 1.24 per 10% decrease of predicted, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06-1.47 and hazard ratio 1.38 per unit, 95% CI 1.19-1.61, respectively). Physical impairment rated by parents and heart failure severity assessed by physicians independently predicted the risk of death or heart transplantation in children with dilated cardiomyopathy.

  19. Percentile ranks and benchmark estimates of change for the Health Education Impact Questionnaire: Normative data from an Australian sample

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gerald R Elsworth

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Participant self-report data play an essential role in the evaluation of health education activities, programmes and policies. When questionnaire items do not have a clear mapping to a performance-based continuum, percentile norms are useful for communicating individual test results to users. Similarly, when assessing programme impact, the comparison of effect sizes for group differences or baseline to follow-up change with effect sizes observed in relevant normative data provides more directly useful information compared with statistical tests of mean differences and the evaluation of effect sizes for substantive significance using universal rule-of-thumb such as those for Cohen’s ‘d’. This article aims to assist managers, programme staff and clinicians of healthcare organisations who use the Health Education Impact Questionnaire interpret their results using percentile norms for individual baseline and follow-up scores together with group effect sizes for change across the duration of typical chronic disease self-management and support programme. Methods: Percentile norms for individual Health Education Impact Questionnaire scale scores and effect sizes for group change were calculated using freely available software for each of the eight Health Education Impact Questionnaire scales. Data used were archived responses of 2157 participants of chronic disease self-management programmes conducted by a wide range of organisations in Australia between July 2007 and March 2013. Results: Tables of percentile norms and three possible effect size benchmarks for baseline to follow-up change are provided together with two worked examples to assist interpretation. Conclusion: While the norms and benchmarks presented will be particularly relevant for Australian organisations and others using the English-language version of the Health Education Impact Questionnaire, they will also be useful for translated versions as a guide to the

  20. Validation of the Spanish version of the physical activity questionnaire used in the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals' Follow-up Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez-González, Miguel Angel; López-Fontana, Constanza; Varo, José Javier; Sánchez-Villegas, Almudena; Martinez, J Alfredo

    2005-10-01

    The objective of this analysis was to test the validity of the estimates of energy expenditure and sedentary lifestyle obtained through a self-administered questionnaire of physical activity for Spanish-speaking people adapted from US questionnaires (Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals' Follow-up Study) using a triaxial accelerometer (RT3 Triaxial Research Tracker) as the reference. Validation study, calculating the non-parametric correlation coefficients between the level of physical activity and sedentary lifestyle collected by the self-administered questionnaire and the triaxial accelerometer measurements. Percentage of misclassification and kappa coefficients were also calculated. The study population consisted of a sample of 40 obese women who were participants of the SUN (Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra) project (a prospective cohort study among Spanish university alumni). They were selected because of their peculiar metabolic characteristics, in the search for a sub-optimal scenario for validity. Physical activity during leisure time (estimated as MET-h week(-1)) derived from the self-administered questionnaire moderately correlated with kcal day(-1) assessed through the accelerometer (Spearman's rho = 0.507, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.232, 0.707). The Spearman correlation between the ratio of sedentary lifestyle to physical activity obtained through the questionnaire and the direct estimation (RT3) was -0.578 (95% CI -0.754, -0.325). The kappa index was 0.25 (P = 0.002) when assessing the cross-classification into quintiles and 0.41 for the dichotomous estimation of a sedentary lifestyle. Only 2.5% of participants were misclassified by the questionnaire more than two quintiles apart from the estimates of the RT3. The moderate values obtained for correlation in a sub-optimal scenario for validity and the low percentage of extreme misclassification suggest the validity of the questionnaire to assess physical activity in Spanish-speaking women

  1. Detecting Careless Responses to Self-Reported Questionnaires

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kountur, Ronny

    2016-01-01

    Problem Statement: The use of self-report questionnaires may lead to biases such as careless responses that distort the research outcomes. Early detection of careless responses in self-report questionnaires may reduce error, but little guidance exists in the literature regarding techniques for detecting such careless or random responses in…

  2. Health care provider experience with canagliflozin in real-world clinical practice: favorability, treatment patterns, and patient outcomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bolge SC

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Susan C Bolge,1 Natalia M Flores,2 Shu Huang,3 Jennifer Cai1 1Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC, Titusville, NJ, 2Kantar Health, Foster City, CA, 3Kantar Health, New York, NY, USA Purpose: This study describes how health care providers approach canagliflozin for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM in the real world.Patients and methods: An Internet-based questionnaire was completed by 101 endocrinologists, 101 primary care physicians, and 100 nurse practitioners/physician assistants (NP/PAs. Health care providers were required to have experience prescribing or managing patients using canagliflozin to be included in the study. Health care providers compared canagliflozin with other T2DM medication classes on clinical characteristics, costs, and patient satisfaction. Confidence in canagliflozin was also measured. Health care providers reported their canagliflozin prescribing experience and good candidate characteristics for treatment. Finally, providers reported on patient outcomes among those receiving canagliflozin. All variables were compared across provider type.Results: Health care providers reported higher favorability for canagliflozin for blood pressure and body weight compared with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4 inhibitors and higher favorability for effect on blood pressure, body weight, treatment satisfaction, and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c compared with sulfonylureas (SUs, with differences observed for effect on blood pressure. Health care providers reported being very/extremely confident (55%–74% with canagliflozin as a second- to fourth-line treatment. The top 3 characteristics reported by the providers, in terms of describing a good candidate for canagliflozin, include those concerned about their weight, insurance coverage/affordability, and avoiding injectable treatments. Finally, providers reported often/always observing patients’ lowering or controlling HbA1c (82%–88% and improvement in overall

  3. Continuous Quality Improvement and Comprehensive Primary Health Care: A Systems Framework to Improve Service Quality and Health Outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCalman, Janya; Bailie, Ross; Bainbridge, Roxanne; McPhail-Bell, Karen; Percival, Nikki; Askew, Deborah; Fagan, Ruth; Tsey, Komla

    2018-01-01

    Continuous quality improvement (CQI) processes for improving clinical care and health outcomes have been implemented by primary health-care services, with resultant health-care impacts. But only 10-20% of gain in health outcomes is contributed by health-care services; a much larger share is determined by social and cultural factors. This perspective paper argues that health care and health outcomes can be enhanced through applying CQI as a systems approach to comprehensive primary health care. Referring to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian context as an example, the authors provide a systems framework that includes strategies and conditions to facilitate evidence-based and local decision making by primary health-care services. The framework describes the integration of CQI vertically to improve linkages with governments and community members and horizontally with other sectors to influence the social and cultural determinants of health. Further, government and primary health-care service investment is required to support and extend integration and evaluation of CQI efforts vertically and horizontally.

  4. Associations of Health Club Membership with Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizabeth C Schroeder

    Full Text Available This study evaluates whether a health club membership is associated with meeting the US physical activity (PA guidelines and/or favorable cardiovascular health.Using cross-sectional data of health club members (n = 204 and non-members (n = 201 from April to August 2013, this is the first study to our knowledge to examine a health club membership in relation to objectively measured cardiovascular health indicators including resting blood pressure, resting heart rate, body mass index, waist circumference, and cardiorespiratory fitness based on a non-exercise test algorithm. To determine the total PA and sedentary time, this study used a comprehensive PA questionnaire about both aerobic and resistance activities at the health club, as well as lifestyle activities in other settings, which was developed based on the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ.The odds ratios (95% confidence interval of meeting either the aerobic, resistance, or both aerobic and resistance PA guidelines for members compared to non-members were 16.5 (9.8-27.6, 10.1 (6.2-16.3, and 13.8 (8.5-22.4, respectively. Significant associations of health club membership with more favorable cardiovascular health outcomes and sedentary behavior were observed for resting heart rate (B: -4.8 b/min, p1 year had more favorable health outcomes, with a smaller waist circumference (men, B: -4.0 cm, p = 0.04; women, B: -3.4 cm, p = 0.06, compared to non-members.Health club membership is associated with significantly increased aerobic and resistance physical activity levels and more favorable cardiovascular health outcomes compared to non-members. However, longitudinal, randomized controlled trials would be clearly warranted as cross-sectional data prohibits causal inferences.

  5. The Validity and Reliability Characteristics of the M-BACK Questionnaire to Assess the Barriers, Attitudes, Confidence, and Knowledge of Mental Health Staff Regarding Metabolic Health of Mental Health Service Users

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew Watkins

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available BackgroundAddressing the burden of poor physical health and the subsequent gap in life expectancy experienced by people with mental illness is a major priority in mental health services. To equip mental health staff with the competence to deliver evidence-based interventions, targeted staff training regarding metabolic health is required. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of staff training regarding metabolic health, we aimed to develop a succinct measure to determine the barriers, attitudes, confidence, and knowledge of health practitioners through the development and test–retest reliability of the Metabolic-Barriers, Attitudes, Confidence, and Knowledge Questionnaire (M-BACK.MethodsThe M-BACK questionnaire was developed to evaluate the impact of specialized training in metabolic health care for mental health nurses. Content of the M-BACK was developed from a literature review and refined by an expert review panel and validated via a piloting process. To determine the test–retest reliability of the M-BACK, 31 nursing students recruited from the University of Notre Dame, Sydney completed the questionnaire on two separate occasions, 7 days apart. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs were calculated for the total score, as well as each of the four domains.ResultsPilot testing was undertaken with a sample of 106 mental health nurses with a mean age 48.2, ranging from 24 to 63 years of age, who participated in six training courses. Questionnaire development resulted in a 16-item instrument, with each item is scored on a five-point Likert scale ranging from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree.” Test–retest reliability of the M-BACK was completed by 30 of 31 nursing students recruited, ICCs ranged from 0.62 to 0.96.ConclusionThe M-BACK is a reliable measure of the key elements of practitioner perceptions of barriers, and their knowledge, attitudes, and confidence regarding metabolic monitoring in people with mental

  6. Medicine and democracy: The importance of institutional quality in the relationship between health expenditure and health outcomes in the MENA region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bousmah, Marwân-Al-Qays; Ventelou, Bruno; Abu-Zaineh, Mohammad

    2016-08-01

    Evidence suggests that the effect of health expenditure on health outcomes is highly context-specific and may be driven by other factors. We construct a panel dataset of 18 countries from the Middle East and North Africa region for the period 1995-2012. Panel data models are used to estimate the macro-level determinants of health outcomes. The core finding of the paper is that increasing health expenditure leads to health outcomes improvements only to the extent that the quality of institutions within a country is sufficiently high. The sensitivity of the results is assessed using various measures of health outcomes as well as institutional variables. Overall, it appears that increasing health care expenditure in the MENA region is a necessary but not sufficient condition for health outcomes improvements. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Psychosocial predictors of treatment outcome for trauma-affected refugees

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sonne, Charlotte; Carlsson, Jessica; Bech, Per

    2016-01-01

    at the Competence Centre for Transcultural Psychiatry (CTP), Denmark. The CTP Predictor Index used in the study included 15 different possible outcome predictors concerning the patients' past, chronicity of mental health problems, pain, treatment motivation, prerequisites for engaging in psychotherapy, and social...... situation. The primary outcome measure was PTSD symptoms measured on the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ). Other outcome measures included the Hopkins Symptom Check List-25, the WHO-5 Well-being Index, Sheehan Disability Scale, Hamilton Depression and Anxiety Scales, the somatisation scale of the Symptoms...

  8. Psychosocial and Health Behavior Outcomes of Young Adults with Asthma or Diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berge, Jerica M; Bauer, Katherine W; Eisenberg, Marla E; Denny, Kara; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne

    2012-04-30

    Previous research has shown a relationship between childhood/adolescent chronic conditions and negative health behaviors, psychological outcomes, and social outcomes. Less is known about whether these negative outcomes are experienced by young adults with chronic health conditions. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how young adults' BMI, health behaviors, and psychological and social outcomes differ depending on whether they have diabetes, asthma, or neither of these chronic conditions. Data were drawn from the third wave of Project EAT-III: Eating and Activity in Young Adults, a population-based study of 2287 young adults (mean age = 25.3; range 19.8 - 31.2). General linear models were used to test differences in BMI, health behaviors (e.g., fast food intake) and psychosocial outcomes (e.g. depressive symptoms) by young adults' chronic disease status. Young adults with diabetes had higher BMIs, engaged in less physical activity and more unhealthy weight control behaviors and binge eating, had lower self-esteem and lower body satisfaction, and experienced more depressive symptoms and appearance-based teasing compared to young adults with asthma or no chronic conditions, after adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, socio-economic status (SES) and, when relevant, for BMI. There were no significant differences between young adults with asthma and young adults with no chronic condition on all of the psychosocial and health behavior outcomes. Young adults with diabetes reported higher prevalence of negative health behaviors and psychosocial outcomes. Providers may find it useful to assess for negative health behaviors and psychosocial variables with young adults with diabetes in order to improve treatment and quality of life for these individuals.

  9. Driving: a road to unhealthy lifestyles and poor health outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Ding; Gebel, Klaus; Phongsavan, Philayrath; Bauman, Adrian E; Merom, Dafna

    2014-01-01

    Driving is a common part of modern society, but its potential effects on health are not well understood. The present cross-sectional study (n = 37,570) examined the associations of driving time with a series of health behaviors and outcomes in a large population sample of middle-aged and older adults using data from the Social, Economic, and Environmental Factor Study conducted in New South Wales, Australia, in 2010. Multiple logistic regression was used in 2013 to examine the associations of usual daily driving time with health-related behaviors (smoking, alcohol use, diet, physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep) and outcomes (obesity, general health, quality of life, psychological distress, time stress, social functioning), adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics. Findings suggested that longer driving time was associated with higher odds for smoking, insufficient physical activity, short sleep, obesity, and worse physical and mental health. The associations consistently showed a dose-response pattern and more than 120 minutes of driving per day had the strongest and most consistent associations with the majority of outcomes. This study highlights driving as a potential lifestyle risk factor for public health. More population-level multidisciplinary research is needed to understand the mechanism of how driving affects health.

  10. Driving: a road to unhealthy lifestyles and poor health outcomes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ding Ding

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Driving is a common part of modern society, but its potential effects on health are not well understood. PURPOSE: The present cross-sectional study (n = 37,570 examined the associations of driving time with a series of health behaviors and outcomes in a large population sample of middle-aged and older adults using data from the Social, Economic, and Environmental Factor Study conducted in New South Wales, Australia, in 2010. METHODS: Multiple logistic regression was used in 2013 to examine the associations of usual daily driving time with health-related behaviors (smoking, alcohol use, diet, physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep and outcomes (obesity, general health, quality of life, psychological distress, time stress, social functioning, adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics. RESULTS: Findings suggested that longer driving time was associated with higher odds for smoking, insufficient physical activity, short sleep, obesity, and worse physical and mental health. The associations consistently showed a dose-response pattern and more than 120 minutes of driving per day had the strongest and most consistent associations with the majority of outcomes. CONCLUSION: This study highlights driving as a potential lifestyle risk factor for public health. More population-level multidisciplinary research is needed to understand the mechanism of how driving affects health.

  11. Psychometric properties and factor structure of the adapted Self-Regulation Questionnaire assessing autonomous and controlled motivation for healthful eating among youth with type 1 diabetes and their parents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quick, V; Lipsky, L M; Nansel, T R

    2018-07-01

    The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the psychometric properties of 2 adapted Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ) measures assessing youth with type 1 diabetes motivation internalization for healthful eating and their parents motivation internalization for providing healthy meals for the family. External validity of the adapted SRQ was evaluated with respect to healthy eating attitudes (healthful eating self-efficacy, barriers, and outcome expectations) assessed by questionnaire, diet quality (Healthy Eating Index-2005 [HEI-2005]; Nutrient-Rich Foods Index 9.3 [NRF9.3]; Whole Plant Food Density [WPFD]) assessed by 3-day food records, and body mass index assessed by measured height and weight in youth with type 1 diabetes (N = 136; age 12.3 ± 2.5 years) and their parents. Exploratory factor analysis with varimax rotation yielded a 2-factor structure with the expected autonomous and controlled motivation factors for both youth and parents. Internal consistencies of subscales were acceptable (α = .66-.84). Youth autonomous and controlled motivation were positively correlated overall (r = 0.30, p parent: r = 0.36), positive outcome expectations (youth: r = 0.30, parent: r = 0.35), and fewer barriers to healthful eating (youth: r = -0.36, parent: r = -0.32). Controlled motivation was positively correlated with negative outcome expectations for parents (r = 0.29, p expectations for youth. Autonomous motivation was positively associated (p parents (NRF9.3 r = 0.22; WPFD r = 0.24; HEI-2005 r = 0.22) and youth ≥13 years (NRF9.3 r = 0.26) but not youth parents, but not youth, body mass index was associated negatively with autonomous motivation (r = -.33, p < .001) and positively with controlled motivation (r = .27, p < .01). Findings provide initial support for the SRQ in this population and suggest potential developmental differences in the role of motivation on healthful eating among children, adolescents

  12. Interventions to Support Integrated Psychological Care and Holistic Health Outcomes in Paediatrics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shafran, Roz; Bennett, Sophie D; McKenzie Smith, Mhairi

    2017-08-16

    There are strong calls from many national and international bodies for there to be a 'holistic' and integrated approach to the understanding and management of psychological and physical health needs. Such holistic approaches are characterized by the treatment of the whole person, taking into account mental and social factors, rather than just the symptoms of a disease. Holistic approaches can impact on mental and physical health and are cost-effective. Several psychological interventions have demonstrated efficacy in improving holistic health outcomes, for example Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Behavioural Therapies and Problem Solving Therapies. They have shown to impact upon a wide range of outcomes, including psychological distress, pain, physical health, medication adherence, and family outcomes. There is increasing recognition that the holistic goals of the child and family should be prioritised, and that interventions and outcomes should reflect these goals. A focus on holistic goals in therapy can be achieved through a combination of personalised goal-based outcomes in addition to symptom-based measures.

  13. Predictors and health-related outcomes of positive body image in adolescent girls: A prospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrew, Rachel; Tiggemann, Marika; Clark, Levina

    2016-03-01

    This study aimed to investigate prospective predictors and health-related outcomes of positive body image in adolescent girls. In so doing, the modified acceptance model of intuitive eating was also examined longitudinally. A sample of 298 girls aged 12 to 16 years completed a questionnaire containing measures of body appreciation, potential predictors, and a range of health outcomes, at 2 time points separated by 1 year. Longitudinal change regression models showed that perceived body acceptance by others (positively), self-objectification and social comparison (negatively), and body appreciation (positively) prospectively predicted intuitive eating 1 year later, consistent with the acceptance model of intuitive eating. Perceived body acceptance by others was the only proposed predictor to prospectively predict an increase in body appreciation over time. Time 1 body appreciation prospectively predicted a decrease in dieting, alcohol, and cigarette use, and an increase in physical activity 1 year later. In particular, girls with low body appreciation were more likely than girls with high body appreciation to take up alcohol and cigarette use between time points. The results highlight body appreciation as an important target for interventions designed to prevent or delay the uptake of alcohol and cigarette consumption among girls. More broadly, they suggest that a positive body image can confer considerable benefit for adolescent girls. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  14. Frailty, prefrailty and employment outcomes in Health and Employment After Fifty (HEAF) Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palmer, Keith T; D'Angelo, Stefania; Harris, E Clare; Linaker, Cathy; Gale, Catharine R; Evandrou, Maria; Syddall, Holly; van Staa, Tjeerd; Cooper, Cyrus; Aihie Sayer, Avan; Coggon, David; Walker-Bone, Karen

    2017-07-01

    Demographic changes are requiring people to work longer. No previous studies, however, have focused on whether the 'frailty' phenotype (which predicts adverse events in the elderly) is associated with employment difficulties. To provide information, we assessed associations in the Health and Employment After Fifty Study, a population-based cohort of 50-65-year olds. Subjects, who were recruited from 24 English general practices, completed a baseline questionnaire on 'prefrailty' and 'frailty' (adapted Fried criteria) and several work outcomes, including health-related job loss (HRJL), prolonged sickness absence (>20 days vs less, past 12 months), having to cut down substantially at work and difficulty coping with work's demands. Associations were assessed using logistic regression and population attributable fractions (PAFs) were calculated. In all, 3.9% of 8095 respondents were classed as 'frail' and 31.6% as 'prefrail'. Three-quarters of the former were not in work, while 60% had left their last job on health grounds (OR for HRJL vs non-frail subjects, 30.0 (95% CI 23.0 to 39.2)). Among those in work, ORs for prolonged sickness absence, cutting down substantially at work and struggling with work's physical demands ranged from 10.7 to 17.2. The PAF for HRJL when any frailty marker was present was 51.8% and that for prolonged sickness absence was 32.5%. Associations were strongest with slow reported walking speed. Several associations were stronger in manual workers than in managers. Fried frailty symptoms are not uncommon in mid-life and are strongly linked with economically important adverse employment outcomes. Frailty could represent an important target for prevention. 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/.

  15. Changing oral health status and oral health behaviour of schoolchildren in Poland

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wierzbicka, Maria; Petersen, Poul Erik; Szatko, Franciszek

    2002-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: To assess the occurrence of dental caries over time in Polish schoolchildren, to analyse the oral health behaviour of children and mothers, and to compare the levels of dental knowledge and attitudes of mothers and schoolteachers. DESIGN: Cross-sectional oral health surveys of children...... schoolteachers (response rate 95%) were identified for the questionnaire surveys in 1999. OUTCOME MEASURE: Dental caries in children was recorded by WHO methods and criteria, self-administered questionnaires were used to gather information on dental knowledge, attitudes and practices of children and mothers...... while self-administered questionnaires for teachers covered dental knowledge, attitudes and involvement in health education. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The proportions of 6-year-old children being caries-free were 13% in 1995, 17% in 1997, 18% in 1999 and 12% in 2000. The mean DMFT of children aged 12...

  16. Psychometrical Assessment and Item Analysis of the General Health Questionnaire in Victims of Terrorism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delgado-Gomez, David; Lopez-Castroman, Jorge; de Leon-Martinez, Victoria; Baca-Garcia, Enrique; Cabanas-Arrate, Maria Luisa; Sanchez-Gonzalez, Antonio; Aguado, David

    2013-01-01

    There is a need to assess the psychiatric morbidity that appears as a consequence of terrorist attacks. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) has been used to this end, but its psychometric properties have never been evaluated in a population affected by terrorism. A sample of 891 participants included 162 direct victims of terrorist attacks and…

  17. Effects of Triple P parenting intervention on child health outcomes for childhood asthma and eczema: Randomised controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morawska, Alina; Mitchell, Amy E; Burgess, Scott; Fraser, Jennifer

    2016-08-01

    Childhood chronic health conditions have considerable impact on children. We aimed to test the efficacy of a brief, group-based parenting intervention for improving illness-related child behaviour problems, parents' self-efficacy, quality of life, parents' competence with treatment, and symptom severity. A 2 (intervention vs. care as usual) by 3 (baseline, post-intervention, 6-month follow-up) design was used, with random group assignment. Participants were 107 parents of 2- to 10-year-old children with asthma and/or eczema. Parents completed self-report questionnaires, symptom diaries, and home observations were completed. The intervention comprised two 2-h group discussions based on Triple P. Parents in the intervention group reported (i) fewer eczema-related, but not asthma-related, child behaviour problems; (ii) improved self-efficacy for managing eczema, but not asthma; (iii) better quality of life for parent and family, but not child; (iv) no change in parental treatment competence; (v) reduced symptom severity, particularly for children prescribed corticosteroid-based treatments. Results demonstrate the potential for brief parenting interventions to improve childhood chronic illness management, child health outcomes, and family wellbeing. Effects were stronger for eczema-specific outcomes compared to asthma-specific outcomes. Effects on symptom severity are very promising, and further research examining effects on objective disease severity and treatment adherence is warranted. ACTRN12611000558921. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Variation In Health Outcomes: The Role Of Spending On Social Services, Public Health, And Health Care, 2000-09.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bradley, Elizabeth H; Canavan, Maureen; Rogan, Erika; Talbert-Slagle, Kristina; Ndumele, Chima; Taylor, Lauren; Curry, Leslie A

    2016-05-01

    Although spending rates on health care and social services vary substantially across the states, little is known about the possible association between variation in state-level health outcomes and the allocation of state spending between health care and social services. To estimate that association, we used state-level repeated measures multivariable modeling for the period 2000-09, with region and time fixed effects adjusted for total spending and state demographic and economic characteristics and with one- and two-year lags. We found that states with a higher ratio of social to health spending (calculated as the sum of social service spending and public health spending divided by the sum of Medicare spending and Medicaid spending) had significantly better subsequent health outcomes for the following seven measures: adult obesity; asthma; mentally unhealthy days; days with activity limitations; and mortality rates for lung cancer, acute myocardial infarction, and type 2 diabetes. Our study suggests that broadening the debate beyond what should be spent on health care to include what should be invested in health-not only in health care but also in social services and public health-is warranted. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  19. Health status in routine clinical practice: validity of the clinical COPD questionnaire at the individual patient level

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    de Vos Barbara

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background There is a growing interest to use health status or disease control questionnaires in routine clinical practice. However, the validity of most questionnaires is established using techniques developed for group level validation. This study examines a new method, using patient interviews, to validate a short health status questionnaire, the Clinical COPD Questionnaire (CCQ, at the individual patient level. Methods Patients with COPD who visited an outpatient clinic completed the CCQ before the consultation, and the specialist physician completed it after the consultation. After the consultation all patients had a semi-structured in-depth interview. The patients' CCQ scores were compared with those of the treating clinician, and with mean scores from 5 clinicians from a pool of 20 who scored the CCQ after reading the transcript of the in-depth interviews only. Agreement was assessed using Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (CCC, and Blant and Altman plots. Interviews with patients with low agreement were reviewed for possible explanations. Results A total of 44 COPD patients (32 male, mean age 66 years, FEV1 45% of predicted participated. Agreement between the patients' CCQ scores and those of the treating clinicians (CCC = 0.87 and the mean score of the reviewing clinicians (CCC = 0.86 was very high. No systematic error was detected. No explanation for individuals with low agreement was found. Conclusion The validity of the CCQ on the individual patient level, as assessed by these methods, is good. Individual health status assessment with the CCQ is therefore sufficiently accurate to be used in routine clinical practice.

  20. German translation, cultural adaptation, and validation of the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nolte, Sandra; Osborne, Richard H; Dwinger, Sarah; Elsworth, Gerald R; Conrad, Melanie L; Rose, Matthias; Härter, Martin; Dirmaier, Jörg; Zill, Jördis M

    2017-01-01

    The Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ), developed in Australia in 2012 using a 'validity-driven' approach, has been rapidly adopted and is being applied in many countries and languages. It is a multidimensional measure comprising nine distinct domains that may be used for surveys, needs assessment, evaluation and outcomes assessment as well as for informing service improvement and the development of interventions. The aim of this paper is to describe the German translation of the HLQ and to present the results of the validation of the culturally adapted version. The HLQ comprises 44 items, which were translated and culturally adapted to the German context. This study uses data collected from a sample of 1,058 persons with chronic conditions. Statistical analyses include descriptive and confirmatory factor analyses. In one-factor congeneric models, all scales demonstrated good fit after few model adjustments. In a single, highly restrictive nine-factor model (no cross-loadings, no correlated errors) replication of the original English-language version was achieved with fit indices and psychometric properties similar to the original HLQ. Reliability for all scales was excellent, with a Cronbach's Alpha of at least 0.77. High to very high correlations between some HLQ factors were observed, suggesting that higher order factors may be present. Our rigorous development and validation protocol, as well as strict adaptation processes, have generated a remarkable reproduction of the HLQ in German. The results of this validation provide evidence that the HLQ is robust and can be recommended for use in German-speaking populations. German Clinical Trial Registration (DRKS): DRKS00000584. Registered 23 March 2011.

  1. Factor structure of the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28 from infertile women attending the Yazd Research and Clinical Center for Infertility

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    Zahra Shayan

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: Nowadays, infertility problems have become a social concern, and are associated with multiple psychological and social problems. Also, it affects the interpersonal communication between the individual, familial, and social characteristics. Since women are exposed to stressors of physical, mental, social factors, and treatment of infertility, providing a psychometric screening tool is necessary for disorders of this group. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the factor structure of the general health questionnaire-28 to discover mental disorders in infertile women. Materials and Methods: In this study, 220 infertile women undergoing treatment of infertility were selected from the Yazd Research and Clinical Center for Infertility with convenience sampling in 2011. After completing the general health questionnaire by the project manager, validity and, reliability of the questionnaire were calculated by confirmatory factor structure and Cronbach's alpha, respectively. Results: Four factors, including anxiety and insomnia, social dysfunction, depression, and physical symptoms were extracted from the factor structure. 50.12% of the total variance was explained by four factors. The reliability coefficient of the questionnaire was obtained 0.90. Conclusion: Analysis of the factor structure and reliability of General Health Questionnaire-28 showed that it is suitable as a screening instrument for assessing general health of infertile women.

  2. Employee empowerment, innovative behavior and job productivity of public health nurses: a cross-sectional questionnaire survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Li-Chun; Liu, Chieh-Hsing

    2008-10-01

    Employee empowerment is an important organizational issue. Empowered employees with new ideas and innovative attributes may increase their ability to respond more effectively to face extensive changes in current public health care work environments. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationships between employee empowerment, innovative behaviors and job productivity of public health nurses (PHNs). This study conducted a cross-sectional research design. Purposive sampling was conducted from six health bureaus in northern Taiwan. 670 PHNs were approached and 576 valid questionnaires were collected, with a response rate of 85.9%. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data by post. Meaning and competence subscales of psychological empowerment, information and opportunity subscales of organizational empowerment, and innovative behaviors were the predictors of job productivity, only accounting for 16.4% of the variance. The competence subscale of psychological empowerment made the most contribution to job productivity (beta = 0.31). Meaning subscale of psychological empowerment has a negative impact on job productivity. Employee empowerment and innovative behavior of PHNs have little influence on job productivity. Employees with greater competence for delivering public health showed higher self-evaluated job productivity. The negative influences on job productivity possibly caused by conflict meaning on public health among PHNs in current public health policy. It should be an issue in further researches. Public health department should strengthen continuing education to foster competence of psychological sense of empowerment and innovative behavior to increase job productivity

  3. Symptoms and Association with Health Outcomes in Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: Results of a US Patient Survey

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    Angela E. Williams

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. A variety of symptoms have been reported, but the prevalence of specific symptoms in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS, how they are related to one another, and their impact on patient reported outcomes is not well understood. Objective. To describe how symptoms of RRMS cooccur and their impact on patient-reported outcomes. Methods. Individuals who reported a physician diagnosis of RRMS in a large general health survey in the United States indicated the symptoms they experience because of RRMS and completed validated scales, including the work productivity and activity impairment questionnaire and either the SF-12v2 or SF-36v2. Symptom clusters were identified through hierarchical cluster analysis, and the relationship between clusters and outcomes was assessed through regression. Results. Fatigue, difficulty walking, and numbness were the most commonly reported symptoms. Seven symptom clusters were identified, and several were significantly related to patient reported outcomes. Pain, muscle spasms, and stiffness formed a cluster strongly related to physical quality of life; depression was strongly related to mental quality of life and cognitive difficulty was associated with work impairment. Conclusions. Symptoms in RRMS show a strong relationship with quality of life and should be taken into consideration in treatment decisions and evaluation of treatment success.

  4. Functional outcome and health-related quality of life 10 years after moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andelic, N; Hammergren, N; Bautz-Holter, E; Sveen, U; Brunborg, C; Røe, C

    2009-07-01

    To describe the functional outcome and health-related quality of life (HRQL) 10 years after moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). A retrospective, population-based study of 62 survivors of working-age with moderate-to-severe TBI injured in 1995/1996, and hospitalized at the Trauma Referral Center in Eastern Norway. Functional status was measured by the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOS-E). HRQL was assessed by the SF-36 questionnaire. The mean current-age was 40.8 years. The frequency of epilepsy was 19% and the depression rate 31%. A majority had good recovery (48%) or moderate disability (44%). Employment rate was 58%. Functional and employment status were associated with initial injury severity in contrast to HRQL. Study patients had significantly lower scores in all SF-36 dimensions when compared with the general Norwegian population. At 10-years follow-up, our study population is still in their most productive years and affected domains should be considered in long-term follow-up and intervention programs.

  5. Continuous Quality Improvement and Comprehensive Primary Health Care: A Systems Framework to Improve Service Quality and Health Outcomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janya McCalman

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Continuous quality improvement (CQI processes for improving clinical care and health outcomes have been implemented by primary health-care services, with resultant health-care impacts. But only 10–20% of gain in health outcomes is contributed by health-care services; a much larger share is determined by social and cultural factors. This perspective paper argues that health care and health outcomes can be enhanced through applying CQI as a systems approach to comprehensive primary health care. Referring to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian context as an example, the authors provide a systems framework that includes strategies and conditions to facilitate evidence-based and local decision making by primary health-care services. The framework describes the integration of CQI vertically to improve linkages with governments and community members and horizontally with other sectors to influence the social and cultural determinants of health. Further, government and primary health-care service investment is required to support and extend integration and evaluation of CQI efforts vertically and horizontally.

  6. Continuous Quality Improvement and Comprehensive Primary Health Care: A Systems Framework to Improve Service Quality and Health Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCalman, Janya; Bailie, Ross; Bainbridge, Roxanne; McPhail-Bell, Karen; Percival, Nikki; Askew, Deborah; Fagan, Ruth; Tsey, Komla

    2018-01-01

    Continuous quality improvement (CQI) processes for improving clinical care and health outcomes have been implemented by primary health-care services, with resultant health-care impacts. But only 10–20% of gain in health outcomes is contributed by health-care services; a much larger share is determined by social and cultural factors. This perspective paper argues that health care and health outcomes can be enhanced through applying CQI as a systems approach to comprehensive primary health care. Referring to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian context as an example, the authors provide a systems framework that includes strategies and conditions to facilitate evidence-based and local decision making by primary health-care services. The framework describes the integration of CQI vertically to improve linkages with governments and community members and horizontally with other sectors to influence the social and cultural determinants of health. Further, government and primary health-care service investment is required to support and extend integration and evaluation of CQI efforts vertically and horizontally. PMID:29623271

  7. Oral health literacy and oral health outcomes in an adult population in Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marília Jesus Batista

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background To investigate the association between critical and communicative oral health literacy (OHL and oral health outcomes (status, oral health-related quality of life and practices in adults. Methods This cross-sectional study examined a household probability sample of 248 adults, representing 149,635 residents (20–64 years old in Piracicaba-SP, Brazil. Clinical oral health and socioeconomic and demographic data, as well as data on oral health-related quality of life (OHIP-14 and health practices were collected. The oral examinations were carried out in the participants’ homes, using the World Health Organization criteria for oral diseases. The critical and communicative OHL instrument was the primary independent variable, and it was measured using five Likert items that were dichotomized as ‘high’ (‘agree’ and ‘strongly agree’ responses for the 5 items and ‘low’ OHL. Binary and multinomial logistic regressions were performed on each outcome (oral health status and practices, controlling for age, sex and socioeconomic status (SES. Results Approximately 71.5% presented low OHL. When adjusted for age and sex (first model low OHL was associated with untreated caries (Odds Ratio = 1.92, 95% Confidence Interval = 1.07–3.45, tooth brushing <3 times a day (OR = 2.00, 1.11–3.62 and irregular tooth flossing (OR = 2.17, 1.24–3.80. After SES inclusion in the first model, significant associations were found for low OHL when the outcomes were: presence of biofilm (OR = 1.83, 1.08–3.33, dental care for emergency only (OR = 2.24, 1.24–4.04 and prevalence of oral health impact on quality of life (OR = 2.06, 1.15–3.69. Conclusion Adjusting for age, sex and SES, OHL is related to a risk factor (biofilm and a consequence of poor oral health (emergency dental visits and can interfere with the impact of oral diseases on quality of life. As low OHL can be modified, the results support oral health promotion

  8. Family Structure Changes and Children's Health, Behavior, and Educational Outcomes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Astrid Würtz

    More and more children do not grow up in traditional nuclear families. Instead, they grow up in single-parent households or in families with a step-parent. Hence, it is important to improve our understanding of the impact of "shocks" in family structure due to parental relationship dissolution...... on children. In this study I empirically test whether children are traumatized both in the short and the long run by shocks in the family structure during childhood. I focus on educational, behavioral, and health outcomes. A population sample of Danish children born in January to May 1985 is used...... for the analysis. The empirical cross-sectional analysis indicates a negative relation between the number of family structure changes and children.s health, behavior, and educational outcomes. These results are con.rmed by a differences-in-differences analysis of health outcomes. This suggests...

  9. Mobile Health Interventions for Improving Health Outcomes in Youth: A Meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fedele, David A; Cushing, Christopher C; Fritz, Alyssa; Amaro, Christina M; Ortega, Adrian

    2017-05-01

    Mobile health interventions are increasingly popular in pediatrics; however, it is unclear how effective these interventions are in changing health outcomes. To determine the effectiveness of mobile health interventions for improving health outcomes in youth 18 years or younger. Studies published through November 30, 2016, were collected through PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Educational Resources Information Center, and PsychINFO. Backward and forward literature searches were conducted on articles meeting study inclusion criteria. Search terms included telemedicine, eHealth, mobile health, mHealth, app, and mobile application. Search results were limited to infants, children, adolescents, or young adults when possible. Studies were included if quantitative methods were used to evaluate an application of mobile intervention technology in a primary or secondary capacity to promote or modify health behavior in youth 18 years or younger. Studies were excluded if the article was an unpublished dissertation or thesis, the mean age of participants was older than 18 years, the study did not assess a health behavior and disease outcome, or the article did not include sufficient statistics. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied by 2 independent coders with 20% overlap. Of 9773 unique articles, 36 articles (containing 37 unique studies with a total of 29 822 participants) met the inclusion criteria. Of 9773 unique articles, 36 articles (containing 37 unique studies) with a total of 29 822 participants met the inclusion criteria. Effect sizes were calculated from statistical tests that could be converted to standardized mean differences. All aggregate effect sizes and moderator variables were tested using random-effects models. Change in health behavior or disease control. A total of 29 822 participants were included in the studies. In studies that reported sex, the total number of females was 11 226 (53.2%). Of those

  10. Longitudinal Evaluation of Transition Services (“LETS Study”: Protocol for outcome evaluation

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    Tsybina Irina

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Because of advances in medical treatment, most children with physical disabilities can expect to achieve near normal life spans. Typically, coordinated teams of health care providers in specialized pediatric settings care for these children. As these children reach adulthood, however, the availability of services and expertise changes because the adult health care system has different processes designed to meet their specialized needs. Gaps in continuity of care during the transition from pediatric to adult services, and associated poor health outcomes are well documented. In response, new models of care are being introduced to address the complex process of health care transition. This paper describes a study protocol of a client-centred, prospective, longitudinal, mixed-method evaluation of linked model of health care across the lifespan (the LIFEspan Model, offered by a pediatric rehabilitation centre and an adult rehabilitation centre. Method This project will include a process and an outcome evaluation of the LIFEspan Model. The process evaluation will detail the specific service delivery that occurs with respect to preparation for transition and transfer of care through chart audits of pediatric medical records and qualitative interviews with LIFEspan staff. The outcome evaluation will measure the effect of the model on: 1 maintaining continuity within the health care system from pediatric to adult care; and 2 secondary outcomes related to health, well-being, social participation, transition readiness, and health care utilization of youth with cerebral palsy and acquired brain injury. Standardized instruments will include Health Utilities Inventory, Assessment of Life Habits, Arc’s Self-Determination, Assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life, Partners in Health Questionnaire, Social Support Questionnaire, and Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease. Discussion The LETS study will be original in its undertaking

  11. Detection of mental disorders with the Patient Health Questionnaire in primary care settings in Nigeria

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    Michael O. Olatawura

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Mental disorders lead to difficulties in social, occupational and marital relations. Failure to detect mental disorder denies patients potentially effective treatment. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and nature of mental disorders at the primary care settings and the recognition of these disorders by the attending physicians. Over a period of eight weeks, consecutive and consenting patients who attended three randomly selected primary health care facilities in Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun state were recruited and administered a questionnaire that included a socio-demographic section and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ. A total of 412 subjects took part in the study. Subject age ranged from 18-90 years with a mean age of 52.50±21.08 years. One hundred and seventy- six (42.7% of the subjects were males. A total of 120 (29.1% of the subjects had depressive disorder, 100 (24.3% had anxiety disorder, 196 (47.6% somatoform disorder and 104 (25.2% met the criteria for an alcohol related problem. The PHC physicians were only able to diagnose disorders relating to mental health in 52 (12.6% of the subjects. Health and work situations accounted for more than three-quarters of the causes of stress experienced by the subjects. We conclude that there is a high prevalence of mental disorders among patients seen in primary care settings and that a significant proportion of them are not recognized by the primary care physicians. Stress relating to health, work and financial problems is common among primary health care attendees. Physicians in primary health care should be alert to the possibility and the impact of undetected psychiatric morbidity.

  12. Validation of the Walking Impairment Questionnaire for Spanish patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lozano, Francisco S; March, José R; González-Porras, José R; Carrasco, Eduardo; Lobos, José M; Areitio-Aurtena, Alix

    2013-09-01

    The Walking Impairment Questionnaire (WIQ) is a short, easy to complete, disease-specific questionnaire to assess intermittent claudication. A Spanish version of the WIQ for Hispanic Americans has recently been validated in Texas, but it needs to be validated for European Spanish people. After translation and cultural adaptation of the WIQ, 920 patients with intermittent claudication (ankle brachial index Spanish version of the WIQ and European Quality of Life 5 Dimension [EQ-5D]). The validity of the WIQ was determined by correlating WIQ and EQ-5D. Test-retest reliability and internal consistency were determined using the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and Cronbach's alpha, respectively. The three domains of the WIQ were moderately correlated with the EQ-5D health outcome (r = 0.54 to 0.60; p Spanish version of the WIQ for European Spanish patients was valid and reproducible, suggesting that it could be used in Spanish patients with intermittent claudication.

  13. 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.

  14. Long-Term Refugee Health: Health Behaviors and Outcomes of Cambodian Refugee and Immigrant Women

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson-Peterman, Jerusha L.; Toof, Robin; Liang, Sidney L.; Grigg-Saito, Dorcas C.

    2015-01-01

    Refugees in the United States have high rates of chronic disease. Both long-term effects of the refugee experience and adjustment to the U.S. health environment may contribute. While there is significant research on health outcomes of newly resettled refugees and long-term mental health experiences of established refugees, there is currently…

  15. Dimensions of dependence and their influence on the outcome of cognitive behaviour therapy for health anxiety: randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tyrer, Peter; Wang, Duolao; Tyrer, Helen; Crawford, Mike; Cooper, Sylvia

    2016-05-01

    The personality trait of dependence is common in health-seeking behaviour. We therefore examined its impact in a large randomized controlled trial of psychological treatment for health anxiety. To test whether dependent personality traits were positive or negative in determining the outcome of an adapted form of cognitive behaviour therapy for health anxiety (CBT-HA) over the course of 5 years and whether dependent personality dysfunction could be viewed dimensionally in a similar way to the new ICD-11 diagnostic system for general personality disorder. Dependent personality dysfunction was assessed using a self-rated questionnaire, the Dependent Personality Questionnaire, at baseline in a randomized controlled trial of 444 patients from medical clinics with pathological health anxiety treated with a modified form of CBT-HA or standard treatment in the medical clinics, with assessment on five occasions over 5 years. Dependent personality dysfunction was assessed using four severity groups. Patients with mild and moderate dependent personality disorder treated with CBT-HA showed the greatest reduction in health anxiety compared with standard care, and those with no dependent dysfunction showed the least benefit. Patients with higher dependent traits received significantly more treatment sessions (8.6) than those with low trait levels (5.4) (p dependent personality. The reasons for this may be related to better adherence to psychological treatment and greater negative effects of frequent reassurance and excessive consultation in those treated in standard care. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  16. Psychometric Properties of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and Mental Health Problems among Children with Hearing Loss

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niclasen, Janni; Dammeyer, Jesper

    2016-01-01

    More knowledge is needed about the characteristics of mental health problems among deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH) children. This study investigates the factor structure of one of the most widely used screening tools, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and the prevalence of mental health problems among D/HH children. Our data were…

  17. Validity of the effort/reward imbalance questionnaire in health professionals from six Latin-American countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Juárez-García, Arturo; Vera-Calzaretta, Aldo; Blanco-Gomez, Gisela; Gómez-Ortíz, Viviola; Hernández-Mendoza, Elena; Jacinto-Ubillus, José; Choi, Bongkyoo

    2015-06-01

    This study tests the validity and the invariance of ERI questionnaire (ERIQ) data from health professionals in six different Latin-American countries. One thousand two hundred ninety-two (1292) participants who worked in hospitals in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela completed the ERI and GHQ questionnaires. Partial correlations were carried out as well as reliability statistics and confirmatory factor analyses to examine factor structure and invariance of ERIQ in each subsample. Overall confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the theoretical structure of the ERIQ. The effort and overcommitment scales were invariant (equivalent) across the six countries, but the reward scale was only partially invariant. Several associations between ERIQ and mental health remain significant after controlling for sociodemographic variables. Although the validity of the ERIQ' scales were generally satisfactory in most Latin-American samples, future research should examine in depth the equivalence of reward scale across Latin-American cultures. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Trajectories and outcomes among children with special health care needs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quach, Jon; Jansen, Pauline W; Mensah, Fiona K; Wake, Melissa

    2015-04-01

    Outcomes for children with special health care needs (SHCN) can vary by their patterns and persistence over time. We aimed to empirically establish typical SHCN trajectories throughout childhood and their predictive relationships with child and parent outcomes. The 2 cohorts of the nationally representative Longitudinal Study of Australian Children were recruited in 2004 at ages 0 to 1 (n = 5107, B cohort) and 4 to 5 years (n = 4983, K cohort). The parent-reported Children With SHCN Screener (Short Form) was completed at each of 4 biennial waves. Wave 4 outcomes were parent-reported behavior and health-related quality of life, teacher-reported learning, and directly assessed cognition. Both parents self-reported mental distress. We derived intracohort trajectories by using latent class analysis in Mplus. We compared mean outcome scores across trajectories by using linear regression, adjusting for socioeconomic position. Four distinct SHCN trajectories were replicated in both cohorts: persistent (B 6.8%, K 8.7%), emerging (B 4.1%, K 11.5%), transient (B 7.9%, K 4.2%), and none (B 81.3%, K 75.6%). Every outcome was adversely affected except fathers' mental health. From infancy to age 6 to 7 years, the persistent and emerging groups had similarly poor outcomes. From age 4 and 5 to 10 and 11 years, outcomes were incrementally poorer on moving from none to transient to emerging and to persistent SHCN. Effect sizes were largest for behavior, learning, and psychosocial outcomes. Adverse outcomes are shaped more by cumulative burden than point prevalence of SHCNs. In addition to providing care according to a child's need at any given time, prioritizing care toward persistent SHCNs may have the biggest benefits for children and parents. Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  19. Development and validation of a diabetes knowledge questionnaire

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Eigenmann, C. A.; Skinner, T.; Colagiuri, R.

    2011-01-01

    An Australian National Consensus Position on Outcomes and Indicators for Diabetes Education identified knowledge and understanding as the outcomes most directly affected by diabetes education. A subsequent literature review failed to identify a validated, suitable questionnaire for measuring know...

  20. Barriers to the routine collection of health outcome data in an Australian community care organization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nancarrow SA

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Susan A NancarrowSchool of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross University, East Lismore, NSW, AustraliaAbstract: For over a decade, organizations have attempted to include the measurement and reporting of health outcome data in contractual agreements between funders and health service providers, but few have succeeded. This research explores the utility of collecting health outcomes data that could be included in funding contracts for an Australian Community Care Organisation (CCO. An action-research methodology was used to trial the implementation of outcome measurement in six diverse projects within the CCO using a taxonomy of interventions based on the International Classification of Function. The findings from the six projects are presented as vignettes to illustrate the issues around the routine collection of health outcomes in each case. Data collection and analyses were structured around Donabedian's structure–process–outcome triad. Health outcomes are commonly defined as a change in health status that is attributable to an intervention. This definition assumes that a change in health status can be defined and measured objectively; the intervention can be defined; the change in health status is attributable to the intervention; and that the health outcomes data are accessible. This study found flaws with all of these assumptions that seriously undermine the ability of community-based organizations to introduce routine health outcome measurement. Challenges were identified across all stages of the Donabedian triad, including poor adherence to minimum dataset requirements; difficulties standardizing processes or defining interventions; low rates of use of outcome tools; lack of value of the tools to the service provider; difficulties defining or identifying the end point of an intervention; technical and ethical barriers to accessing data; a lack of standardized processes; and time lags for the collection of data. In no case was

  1. Association of perceived neighborhood characteristics, socioeconomic status and rural residency with health outcomes in Egyptian patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: one center study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdul-Sattar, Amal B; Abou El Magd, Sahar

    2017-12-01

    To investigate the role of perceived neighborhood characteristics, socioeconomic status (SES) and rural residency in influencing the health status outcome of Egyptian patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Eighty patients affected with SLE were consecutively included in this a single-center cross-sectional study from July, 2011 to July, 2013. Outcome measures included the Systemic Lupus Activity Questionnaire (SLAQ) score, the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 Health Survey physical functioning score and Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D score of ≥ 19 points). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results from multivariate logistic regression analyses, a separate adjusted model of each perceived neighborhood characteristic, indicate associations of worse perceived social cohesion with higher SLAQ scores (P socioeconomic status and rural residency with health status outcomes, the results found association of poor socioeconomic status with the three health status outcome measures and association between rural residency and depression symptoms. Individuals had increased odds of depressive symptoms if they perceived worse neighborhood social cohesion (odds ratio [OR]: 2.14; CI: 1.42-2.80), if they perceived worse neighborhood safety (OR: 1.64; CI: 1.02-2.40) and if they perceived worse neighborhood aesthetic characteristics (OR: 2.79; CI: 1.84-3.38). Study findings indicate that poor socioeconomic status, rural residency and perceived neighborhood characteristics are associated with depression; worse perceived neighborhood aesthetics and safety are associated with lower SF-36 physical functioning, and worse neighborhood social cohesion is associated with higher disease activity among patients with SLE. © 2014 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  2. Health status in women with Turner syndrome: a questionnaire study on health status, education, work participation and aspects of sexual functioning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naess, Eva Elisabeth; Bahr, David; Gravholt, Claus H

    2010-05-01

    Turner syndrome (TS) is a complex medical condition with specific cognitive and psychosocial characteristics and frequent medical morbidity. Few studies have investigated the influence this has on health status, education and ability to work. To explore health status, level of education, work participation, medical conditions, physical activity, satisfaction with life and aspects of sexual functioning in adult TS women and compare with a matched control group. A questionnaire was sent to 168 adult women with TS >18 years registered in a database of Frambu Resource Centre for Rare Disorders and The TS Association in Norway. We assessed health status with Short Form 36, education with Norwegian Standard Classification of Education, and employment with The General Nordic Questionnaire. Life satisfaction was measured with LiSat-9, and questions on psychological strain during life phases were included. Eighty women with TS (34.0 +/- 11.7 years) and 214 controls (32.9 +/- 10.6) responded. The TS group reported significantly more health problems and impaired health status in the two subscales "physical functioning" and "general health" (P education and work participation was similar among TS and controls. TS moved away from their parents' home later than controls (20.4 +/- 4.0 vs. 18.7 +/- 2.1, P = 0.001). Age at sexual debut differed significantly (21.2 +/- 4.3 vs. 17.3 +/- 2.4 years, P education and level of employment as controls, they report more frequent occurrence of medical conditions, but scored lower on only two subscales in the SF-36. Despite considerable medical morbidity, TS seem to cope well with life.

  3. Effective intervention strategies to improve health outcomes for cardiovascular disease patients with low health literacy skills: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Tae Wha; Lee, Seon Heui; Kim, Hye Hyun; Kang, Soo Jin

    2012-12-01

    Systematic studies on the relationship between health literacy and health outcomes demonstrate that as health literacy declines, patients engage in fewer preventive health and self-care behaviors and have worse disease-related knowledge. The purpose of this study was to identify effective intervention strategies to improve health outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease and low literacy skills. This study employs the following criteria recommended by Khan Kunz, Keijnen, and Antes (2003) for systematic review: framing question, identifying relevant literature, assessing quality of the literature, summarizing the evidence, and interpreting the finding. A total of 235 articles were reviewed by the research team, and 9 articles met inclusion criteria. Although nine studies were reviewed for their health outcomes, only six studies, which had a positive quality grade evaluation were used to recommend effective intervention strategies. Interventions were categorized into three groups: tailored counseling, self-monitoring, and periodic reminder. The main strategies used to improve health outcomes of low literacy patients included tailored counseling, improved provider-patient interactions, organizing information by patient preference, self-care algorithms, and self-directed learning. Specific strategies included written materials tailored to appropriate reading levels, materials using plain language, emphasizing key points with large font size, and using visual items such as icons or color codes. With evidence-driven strategies, health care professionals can use tailored interventions to provide better health education and counseling that meets patient needs and improves health outcomes. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  4. A framework for outcome-level evaluation of in-service training of health care workers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Malley, Gabrielle; Perdue, Thomas; Petracca, Frances

    2013-10-01

    In-service training is a key strategic approach to addressing the severe shortage of health care workers in many countries. However, there is a lack of evidence linking these health care worker trainings to improved health outcomes. In response, the United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief's Human Resources for Health Technical Working Group initiated a project to develop an outcome-focused training evaluation framework. This paper presents the methods and results of that project. A general inductive methodology was used for the conceptualization and development of the framework. Fifteen key informant interviews were conducted to explore contextual factors, perceived needs, barriers and facilitators affecting the evaluation of training outcomes. In addition, a thematic analysis of 70 published articles reporting health care worker training outcomes identified key themes and categories. These were integrated, synthesized and compared to several existing training evaluation models. This formed an overall typology which was used to draft a new framework. Finally, the framework was refined and validated through an iterative process of feedback, pilot testing and revision. The inductive process resulted in identification of themes and categories, as well as relationships among several levels and types of outcomes. The resulting framework includes nine distinct types of outcomes that can be evaluated, which are organized within three nested levels: individual, organizational and health system/population. The outcome types are: (1) individual knowledge, attitudes and skills; (2) individual performance; (3) individual patient health; (4) organizational systems; (5) organizational performance; (6) organizational-level patient health; (7) health systems; (8) population-level performance; and (9) population-level health. The framework also addresses contextual factors which may influence the outcomes of training, as well as the ability of evaluators to

  5. Recovery, work-life balance and work experiences important to self-rated health: A questionnaire study on salutogenic work factors among Swedish primary health care employees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ejlertsson, Lina; Heijbel, Bodil; Ejlertsson, Göran; Andersson, Ingemar

    2018-01-01

    There is a lack of information on positive work factors among health care workers. To explore salutogenic work-related factors among primary health care employees. Questionnaire to all employees (n = 599) from different professions in public and private primary health care centers in one health care district in Sweden. The questionnaire, which had a salutogenic perspective, included information on self-rated health from the previously validated SHIS (Salutogenic Health Indicator Scale), psychosocial work environment and experiences, recovery, leadership, social climate, reflection and work-life balance. The response rate was 84%. A multivariable linear regression model, with SHIS as the dependent variable, showed three significant predictors. Recovery had the highest relationship to SHIS (β= 0.34), followed by experience of work-life balance (β= 0.25) and work experiences (β= 0.20). Increased experience of recovery during working hours related to higher self-rated health independent of recovery outside work. Individual experiences of work, work-life balance and, most importantly, recovery seem to be essential areas for health promotion. Recovery outside the workplace has been studied previously, but since recovery during work was shown to be of great importance in relation to higher self-rated health, more research is needed to explore different recovery strategies in the workplace.

  6. Development and content validity testing of a patient-reported outcomes questionnaire for the assessment of hereditary angioedema in observational studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonner, Nicola; Abetz-Webb, Linda; Renault, Lydie; Caballero, Teresa; Longhurst, Hilary; Maurer, Marcus; Christiansen, Sandra; Zuraw, Bruce

    2015-07-01

    Hereditary Angioedema (HAE), a rare genetic disease, manifests as intermittent, painful attacks of angioedema. Attacks vary in frequency and severity and include skin, abdominal and life-threatening laryngeal swellings. This study aimed to develop a patient reported outcome (PRO) tool for the assessment of HAE attacks, including their management and impact on patients' lives, for use in clinical studies, or by physicians in general practice. The results of open-ended face to face concept elicitation interviews with HAE patients in Argentina (n = 10) and the US (n = 33) were used to develop the first draft questionnaire of the HAE patient reported outcomes questionnaire (HAE PRO). Subsequently, in-depth cognitive debriefing interviews were performed with HAE patients in the UK (n = 10), Brazil (n = 10), Germany (n = 11) and France (n = 12). Following input from eight multinational clinical experts further cognitive interviews were conducted in the US (n = 12) and Germany (n = 12). Patients who experienced abdominal, cutaneous or laryngeal attacks of varying severity levels were included in all rounds of interviews. Across the rounds of interviews patients discussed their HAE attack symptoms, impacts and treatments. Cognitive debriefing interviews explored patient understanding and relevance of questionnaire items. All interviews were conducted face to face following a pre-defined semi-structured interview guide in the patient's native language. Patients reported a variety of HAE symptoms, attack triggers, warning signs, attack impacts and treatment options which were used to develop the HAE PRO. The HAE PRO was revised and refined following input from patients and clinical experts. The final 18-item HAE PRO provides an assessment of the HAE attack experience including symptoms, impacts, treatment requirements, healthcare resource use and loss of productivity caused by HAE attacks. Patient and expert input has contributed to the

  7. The development of a bridging social capital questionnaire for use in population health research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. Villalonga-Olives

    2016-12-01

    immigrant population in the United States. Our questionnaire may be suitable for further refinement and adaptation to other immigrant groups in different countries. Keywords: Bridging social capital, Epidemiology, Public health, Focus groups, Psychometric properties, Validity, Reliability

  8. CDDUX: A disease-specific health-related quality-of-life questionnaire for children with celiac disease

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Doorn, Roesja K.; Winkler, Lex M. F.; Zwinderman, Koos H.; Mearin, M. Luisa; Koopman, Hendrik M.

    2008-01-01

    Objective: The development of a disease-specific, health-related, quality-of-life questionnaire for children ages 8 to 18 with celiac disease (CD), together with a parent-as-proxy version. Materials and Methods: We used a focus-group method (bottom-up approach) to investigate the impact of CD on

  9. Outcome and Impact Evaluation of a Transgender Health Course for Health Profession Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braun, Hannan M; Garcia-Grossman, Ilana R; Quiñones-Rivera, Andrea; Deutsch, Madeline B

    2017-02-01

    Being transgender is associated with numerous health disparities, and transgender individuals face mistreatment and discrimination in healthcare settings. At the same time, healthcare professionals report inadequate preparation to care for transgender people, and patients often have to teach their own medical providers about transgender care. Our study aimed to evaluate the impact of an elective course for health profession students in transgender health that was implemented to address these gaps in provider knowledge. Students participated in a 10-session, lunch-hour elective course during the spring of 2015. To evaluate impact, course participants completed pre-, immediately post-, and 3-month postcourse questionnaires, including a previously validated nine-item transphobia scale, to determine the course's effect on knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about transgender health. Forty-six students completed the pre- and immediately postelective questionnaire (74% response rate). Compared with pre-elective surveys, immediately postelective scores demonstrated increased knowledge in most domains and reduced transphobia. Specific knowledge domains with improvements included terminology, best practices for collecting gender identity, awareness of the DSM-V gender dysphoria diagnosis, medications used for gender affirmation, and relevant federal policies. A previously validated transphobia scale was found to have good reliability in the current sample. This elective course led to positive short-term changes in measures of multiple knowledge domains and reduced measures of transphobia among health profession students. Further study is needed to assess the long-term impact. Our methods and findings, including the demonstration of reliability of a previously validated nine-item transphobia scale, serve as formative data for the future development of theory-based transgender medicine curricula and measures.

  10. Systematic review of pediatric health outcomes associated with childhood adversity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, Debora Lee; Jerman, Petra; Silvério Marques, Sara; Koita, Kadiatou; Purewal Boparai, Sukhdip Kaur; Burke Harris, Nadine; Bucci, Monica

    2018-02-23

    Early detection of and intervention in childhood adversity has powerful potential to improve the health and well-being of children. A systematic review was conducted to better understand the pediatric health outcomes associated with childhood adversity. PubMed, PsycArticles, and CINAHL were searched for relevant articles. Longitudinal studies examining various adverse childhood experiences and biological health outcomes occurring prior to age 20 were selected. Mental and behavioral health outcomes were excluded, as were physical health outcomes that were a direct result of adversity (i.e. abusive head trauma). Data were extracted and risk of bias was assessed by 2 independent reviewers. After identifying 15940 records, 35 studies were included in this review. Selected studies indicated that exposure to childhood adversity was associated with delays in cognitive development, asthma, infection, somatic complaints, and sleep disruption. Studies on household dysfunction reported an effect on weight during early childhood, and studies on maltreatment reported an effect on weight during adolescence. Maternal mental health issues were associated with elevated cortisol levels, and maltreatment was associated with blunted cortisol levels in childhood. Furthermore, exposure to childhood adversity was associated with alterations of immune and inflammatory response and stress-related accelerated telomere erosion. Childhood adversity affects brain development and multiple body systems, and the physiologic manifestations can be detectable in childhood. A history of childhood adversity should be considered in the differential diagnosis of developmental delay, asthma, recurrent infections requiring hospitalization, somatic complaints, and sleep disruption. The variability in children's response to adversity suggests complex underlying mechanisms and poses a challenge in the development of uniform diagnostic guidelines. More large longitudinal studies are needed to better

  11. The Relationship Between Maternal Education and Child Health Outcomes in Urban Australian Children in the First 12 Months of Life.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davey, Tamzyn M; Cameron, Cate M; Ng, Shu-Kay; McClure, Rod J

    2015-11-01

    To describe the relationship between maternal education and child health outcomes at 12 months of age in a cohort of children in urban Australia, and to determine whether this relationship could be explained by the intermediate factors of maternal health behaviour and the social environmental context. Data were derived from The Environments for Health Living Griffith Birth Cohort Study. Women attending their third trimester antenatal appointment at one of three public hospitals were recruited between 2006 and 2010 and invited to complete a 48-item, baseline self-administered questionnaire. Twelve months following the birth of their baby, a follow-up questionnaire consisting of 63 items was distributed. Women for whom complete follow-up data were not available were different from women who did complete follow-up data. The children of women with follow-up data-whom at the time of their pregnancy had not completed school or whose highest level of education was secondary school or a trade-had respectively a 59 and 57 % increased chance of having had a respiratory/infectious disease or injury in the first year of life (according to parent proxy-reports), compared to children of women with a tertiary education. When maternal behavioural and social environmental factors during pregnancy were included in the model (n=1914), the effect of secondary education was still evident but with a reduced odds ratio of 1.35 (95 % CI 1.07-1.72) and 1.19 (95 % CI 0.87-1.64), respectively. The effect of not having completed school was no longer significant. Results indicate that the relationship between maternal education and child outcomes may be mediated by maternal social environmental and behavioural factors. Results are likely an underestimation of the effect size, given the under representation in our cohort of participants with maternal characteristics associated with elevated risk of infant morbidity.

  12. Assessing obstetric patient experience: a SERVQUAL questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garrard, Francesca; Narayan, Harini

    2013-01-01

    Across health services, there is a drive to respond to patient feedback and to incorporate their views into service improvement. The SERVQUAL method has been used in several clinical settings to quantify whether services meet patient expectations. However, work has been limited in the obstetric population. This paper seeks to address these issues. This study used an adapted SERVQUAL questionnaire to assess a reconfigured antenatal clinic service. The most important care aspects, as rated by patients, were used to construct the SERVQUAL questions. The questionnaire was administered to eligible women in two parts. The first was completed before their first hospital antenatal appointment and the second either at home (a postal-chasing exercise) or while waiting for their next appointment. Only fully completed questionnaires (both parts) were analysed. Service strengths included staff politeness, patient respect and privacy. Areas for improvement included hand cleanliness, women's involvement in decision making and communicating risk. However, the low variability in patient responses makes concrete conclusions difficult and methodological issues complicate evaluating hand cleanliness. The new antenatal clinic service received low negative weighted and un-weighted overall scores. The SERVQUAL measure was developed from patient feedback and used to further improve services. The SERVQUAL-based measure allowed an internal evaluation of patient experience and highlighted areas for improvement. However, without validation, the questionnaire cannot be used as an outcome measure and variation between published SERVQUAL questionnaires makes comparisons difficult. This highlights an important balance in patient evaluation measures--between locally responsive and externally comparable. The SERVQUAL approach allows healthcare teams to evaluate patient experience, while accounting for variation in their expectations and priorities. The study highlights several areas that are

  13. Is treatment outcome improved if patients match themselves to treatment options?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hell, Morten Ellegaard; Miller, William R; Nielsen, Bent

    2018-01-01

    standardized measures of alcohol problems: the Addiction Severity Index, Timeline Followback, the World Health Organization quality of life questionnaire, the NEO Five-Factor Inventory 3, and the Personal Happiness Form. For each outcome measure, two analyses will be conducted. Intention-to-treat analyses (ITT....... The primary outcome is decrease in number of monthly excessive drinking days 6 months after initiation of treatment. Secondary outcomes are compliance and 2 quality of life. The influence of personality traits on outcome will also be examined in both groups. DISCUSSION: The debate on matching patients...

  14. Predicting physical health: implicit mental health measures versus self-report scales.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cousineau, Tara McKee; Shedler, Jonathan

    2006-06-01

    Researchers have traditionally relied on self-report questionnaires to assess psychological well-being, but such measures may be unable to differentiate individuals who are genuinely psychologically healthy from those who maintain a facade or illusion of mental health based on denial and self-deception. Prior research suggests that clinically derived assessment procedures that assess implicit psychological processes may have advantages over self-report mental health measures. This prospective study compared the Early Memory Index, an implicit measure of mental health/distress, with a range of familiar self-report scales as predictors of physical health. The Early Memory Index showed significant prospective associations with health service utilization and clinically verified illness. In contrast, self-report measures of mental health, perceived stress, life events stress, and mood states did not predict health outcomes. The findings highlight the limitations of self-report questionnaires and suggest that implicit measures have an important role to play in mental health research.

  15. Associations of military divorce with mental, behavioral, and physical health outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lawrence; Seelig, Amber; Wadsworth, Shelley MacDermid; McMaster, Hope; Alcaraz, John E; Crum-Cianflone, Nancy F

    2015-06-19

    Divorce has been linked with poor physical and mental health outcomes among civilians. Given the unique stressors experienced by U.S. service members, including lengthy and/or multiple deployments, this study aimed to examine the associations of recent divorce on health and military outcomes among a cohort of U.S. service members. Millennium Cohort participants from the first enrollment panel, married at baseline (2001-2003), and married or divorced at follow-up (2004-2006), (N = 29,314). Those divorced were compared to those who remained married for mental, behavioral, physical health, and military outcomes using logistic regression models. Compared to those who remained married, recently divorced participants were significantly more likely to screen positive for new-onset posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, smoking initiation, binge drinking, alcohol-related problems, and experience moderate weight gain. However, they were also more likely be in the highest 15(th) percentile of physical functioning, and be able to deploy within the subsequent 3-year period after divorce. Recent divorce among military members was associated with adverse mental health outcomes and risky behaviors, but was also associated with higher odds of subsequent deployment. Attention should be given to those recently divorced regarding mental health and substance abuse treatment and prevention strategies.

  16. Religion, Poverty, and Politics: Their Impact on Women's Reproductive Health Outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimball, Richard; Wissner, Michael

    2015-01-01

    This study sought to explore the relationship(s) between U.S. states of selected social determinants of health (SDH) and three women's reproductive health outcomes including abortion, teen births, and infant mortality rates (IMR). The data from multiple population surveys were used to establish on a state-by-state basis, the interactions between selected SDH (religion, voting patterns, child poverty, and GINI) and their policy effects on three women's reproductive health outcomes (abortion, teen births, and IMRs) using publicly available national databases. Child poverty rates and the GINI coefficient were analyzed. Religiosity information was obtained from the Pew Forum's surveys. Voting results were collected from the 2008 congressional and presidential races and were used as proxy measures for conservative- versus liberal-leaning policies and policy makers. Using multiple regression analysis, higher IMRs were associated with higher religiosity scores. Lower abortion rates were associated with voting conservatively and higher income inequality. Higher teen birth rates were associated with higher child poverty rates and voting conservatively. This study shows that selected SDH may have substantial impacts on women's reproductive health outcomes at the state level. Significant inequalities exist between liberal and conservative states that affect women's health outcomes. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. Differences in perceived fairness and health outcomes in two injury compensation systems: a comparative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elbers, Nieke A; Collie, Alex; Hogg-Johnson, Sheilah; Lippel, Katherine; Lockwood, Keri; Cameron, Ian D

    2016-07-29

    Involvement in a compensation process following a motor vehicle collision is consistently associated with worse health status but the reasons underlying this are unclear. Some compensation systems are hypothesised to be more stressful than others. In particular, fault-based compensation systems are considered to be more adversarial than no-fault systems and associated with poorer recovery. This study compares the perceived fairness and recovery of claimants in the fault-based compensation system in New South Wales (NSW) to the no-fault system in Victoria, Australia. One hundred eighty two participants were recruited via claims databases of the compensation system regulators in Victoria and NSW. Participants were > 18 years old and involved in a transport injury compensation process. The crash occurred 12 months (n = 95) or 24 months ago (n = 87). Perceived fairness about the compensation process was measured by items derived from a validated organisational justice questionnaire. Health outcome was measured by the initial question of the Short Form Health Survey. In Victoria, 84 % of the participants considered the claims process fair, compared to 46 % of NSW participants (χ(2) = 28.54; p < .001). Lawyer involvement and medical assessments were significantly associated with poorer perceived fairness. Overall perceived fairness was positively associated with health outcome after adjusting for demographic and injury variables (Adjusted Odds Ratio = 2.8, 95 % CI = 1.4 - 5.7, p = .004). The study shows large differences in perceived fairness between two different compensation systems and an association between fairness and health. These findings are politically important because compensation processes are designed to improve recovery. Lower perceived fairness in NSW may have been caused by potential adversarial aspects of the scheme, such as liability assessment, medical assessments, dealing with a third party for-profit insurance

  18. Children's participation in school: a cross-sectional study of the relationship between school environments, participation and health and well-being outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    John-Akinola, Yetunde O; Nic-Gabhainn, Saoirse

    2014-09-17

    Schools are a key setting for health promotion and improvement activities and the psycho-social environment of the school is an important dimension for promoting the health and well-being of children. The development of Health Promoting Schools (HPS) draws on the settings-based approach to health promotion and includes child participation as one of its basic values. This paper investigates the relationships between child participation, the school environment and child outcomes. Study participants were recruited from nine primary schools, three of which were designated as Health Promoting Schools (HPS). Each HPS was matched with two non-HPS (NHPS) with similar characteristics. Two hundred and thirty-one pupils in the 4th-6th class groups completed self-report questionnaires to document their perspectives on the school socio-ecological environment, how they take part in school life, school processes and their health and well-being. School participation was measured with four scales: participation in school decisions and rules, school activities, school events and positive perception of school participation. The differences in the reported mean score for three of the four scales were marginal and not statistically significant. However, the mean score for reported positive perception of school participation was significantly lower (χ2 = 5.13, df =1, p school decisions and rules (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.12-1.33), participating in school activities (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.10-1.31), participating in school events (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.10-1.29) and reported positive perception of school participation (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.15-1.39) were all positively associated with health and well-being outcomes for all pupils. Logistic regression analyses indicated positive associations between school participation and school socio-ecological environment. These findings suggest that school participation is important for children in schools and is relevant for improved school environment

  19. Development of the Oxford Participation and Activities Questionnaire: constructing an item pool

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kelly L

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Laura Kelly, Crispin Jenkinson, Sarah Dummett, Jill Dawson, Ray Fitzpatrick, David Morley Health Services Research Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK Purpose: The Oxford Participation and Activities Questionnaire is a patient-reported outcome measure in development that is grounded on the World Health Organization International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF. The study reported here aimed to inform and generate an item pool for the new measure, which is specifically designed for the assessment of participation and activity in patients experiencing a range of health conditions. Methods: Items were informed through in-depth interviews conducted with 37 participants spanning a range of conditions. Interviews aimed to identify how their condition impacted their ability to participate in meaningful activities. Conditions included arthritis, cancer, chronic back pain, diabetes, motor neuron disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and spinal cord injury. Transcripts were analyzed using the framework method. Statements relating to ICF themes were recast as questionnaire items and shown for review to an expert panel. Cognitive debrief interviews (n=13 were used to assess items for face and content validity. Results: ICF themes relevant to activities and participation in everyday life were explored, and a total of 222 items formed the initial item pool. This item pool was refined by the research team and 28 generic items were mapped onto all nine chapters of the ICF construct, detailing activity and participation. Cognitive interviewing confirmed the questionnaire instructions, items, and response options were acceptable to participants. Conclusion: Using a clear conceptual basis to inform item generation, 28 items have been identified as suitable to undergo further psychometric testing. A large-scale postal survey will follow in order to refine the instrument further and

  20. Toward improved public health outcomes from urban nature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shanahan, Danielle F; Lin, Brenda B; Bush, Robert; Gaston, Kevin J; Dean, Julie H; Barber, Elizabeth; Fuller, Richard A

    2015-03-01

    There is mounting concern for the health of urban populations as cities expand at an unprecedented rate. Urban green spaces provide settings for a remarkable range of physical and mental health benefits, and pioneering health policy is recognizing nature as a cost-effective tool for planning healthy cities. Despite this, limited information on how specific elements of nature deliver health outcomes restricts its use for enhancing population health. We articulate a framework for identifying direct and indirect causal pathways through which nature delivers health benefits, and highlight current evidence. We see a need for a bold new research agenda founded on testing causality that transcends disciplinary boundaries between ecology and health. This will lead to cost-effective and tailored solutions that could enhance population health and reduce health inequalities.

  1. The art and science of using routine outcome measurement in mental health benchmarking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKay, Roderick; Coombs, Tim; Duerden, David

    2014-02-01

    To report and critique the application of routine outcome measurement data when benchmarking Australian mental health services. The experience of the authors as participants and facilitators of benchmarking activities is augmented by a review of the literature regarding mental health benchmarking in Australia. Although the published literature is limited, in practice, routine outcome measures, in particular the Health of the National Outcomes Scales (HoNOS) family of measures, are used in a variety of benchmarking activities. Use in exploring similarities and differences in consumers between services and the outcomes of care are illustrated. This requires the rigour of science in data management and interpretation, supplemented by the art that comes from clinical experience, a desire to reflect on clinical practice and the flexibility to use incomplete data to explore clinical practice. Routine outcome measurement data can be used in a variety of ways to support mental health benchmarking. With the increasing sophistication of information development in mental health, the opportunity to become involved in benchmarking will continue to increase. The techniques used during benchmarking and the insights gathered may prove useful to support reflection on practice by psychiatrists and other senior mental health clinicians.

  2. Inequities in maternal and child health outcomes and interventions in Ghana

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zere Eyob

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background With the date for achieving the targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs approaching fast, there is a heightened concern about equity, as inequities hamper progress towards the MDGs. Equity-focused approaches have the potential to accelerate the progress towards achieving the health-related MDGs faster than the current pace in a more cost-effective and sustainable manner. Ghana's rate of progress towards MDGs 4 and 5 related to reducing child and maternal mortality respectively is less than what is required to achieve the targets. The objective of this paper is to examine the equity dimension of child and maternal health outcomes and interventions using Ghana as a case study. Methods Data from Ghana Demographic and Health Survey 2008 report is analyzed for inequities in selected maternal and child health outcomes and interventions using population-weighted, regression-based measures: slope index of inequality and relative index of inequality. Results No statistically significant inequities are observed in infant and under-five mortality, perinatal mortality, wasting and acute respiratory infection in children. However, stunting, underweight in under-five children, anaemia in children and women, childhood diarrhoea and underweight in women (BMI Conclusion Significant Inequities are observed in many of the selected child and maternal health outcomes and interventions. Failure to address these inequities vigorously is likely to lead to non-achievement of the MDG targets related to improving child and maternal health (MDGs 4 and 5. The government should therefore give due attention to tackling inequities in health outcomes and use of interventions by implementing equity-enhancing measure both within and outside the health sector in line with the principles of Primary Health Care and the recommendations of the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health.

  3. Criterion-related validity of the foot health status questionnaire regarding strength and plantar pressure measurements in elderly people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cuesta-Vargas, Antonio I; Galan-Mercant, Alejandro; Martín-Borras, Maria Carmen; González-Sánchez, Manuel

    2012-12-01

    Criterion-related validity of a self-administered questionnaire listed as gold standard requires objective testing. The aim of this study was to analyze the Foot Health Status Questionnaire (FHSQ) using functional variable measures (dynamic plantar pressure and foot strength). A total of 22 elderly healthy participants (13 women and 9 men) were screened by interview and physical examination for foot or gait abnormalities. Foot strength, footprint pressure, and foot health status were measured. All the items of the FHSQ show significant correlation with functional variables, but general foot health shows the highest correlation with the 4 physical variables related to plantar pressure (R2 = 0.741), followed by foot pain (R2 = 0.652). A set of different, directly measured physical variables related to foot strength and plantar pressure significantly correlate with the FHSQ dimensions. Cross-sectional trial.

  4. Oral health-related quality of life after prosthetic rehabilitation: a longitudinal study with the OHIP questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenei, Ágnes; Sándor, János; Hegedűs, Csaba; Bágyi, Kinga; Nagy, László; Kiss, Csongor; Szabó, Gyula; Márton, Ildikó J

    2015-07-10

    Aspects of oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) attracted an increased attention recently. The aim of the study was to assess self-reported oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) among patients requiring prosthetic rehabilitation and to determine the rate of improvement 1 month and 6-12 months after therapy. In addition, effect of age, gender, oral health indicators and denture types before treatment were assessed on OHRQoL as evaluated and reported by the patients. Hungarian version of OHIP-49 (OHIP-49-H) questionnaire was completed before oral rehabilitation (T0-phase) by 389 patients undergoing prosthetic replacement. After 1 month (T1-phase) and 6-12 months (T2-phase) recall periods 235 and 92 patients completed the questionnaire. The median interquartile range (IQR) values of the total OHIP-49-H score were calculated for T0-, T1- and T2-phases. Reliability of the questionnaire was checked by Cronbach's statistics. Age, gender, oral health indicators and denture types of patients before and after treatment were recorded and treatment-associated changes in OHRQoL were evaluated. The study demonstrated the excellent reliability and internal consistency of OHIP-49-H by a high and narrow range of Cronbach's alpha value (0.81-0.93). A median OHIP-49-H score of 52; IQR = 25-83 demonstrated a poor OHRQoL on first admission. Decreasing median total OHIP-49-H scores 1 month (24; IQR = 9-51; p < 0.001) and 6-12 months (20; IQR = 7-37; p = 0,055) after therapy indicated an improvement of OHRQoL. Patients' age and CPI value assessed before treatment proved to be significant factors of OHRQoL. Here we presented representative data about self-assessed OHRQoL of patients requiring prosthetic treatment from Hungary using OHIP-49-H questionnaire. The results demonstrated that the restoration of oral health was associated with an improvement in patients' OHRQoL. According to the demographical and T0 phase clinical status, the treatment was more

  5. Impact of hospital atmosphere on perceived health care outcome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narang, Ritu; Polsa, Pia; Soneye, Alabi; Fuxiang, Wei

    2015-01-01

    Healthcare service quality studies primarily examine the relationships between patients' perceived quality and satisfaction with healthcare services, clinical effectiveness, service use, recommendations and value for money. These studies suggest that patient-independent quality dimensions (structure, process and outcome) are antecedents to quality. The purpose of this paper is to propose an alternative by looking at the relationship between hospital atmosphere and healthcare quality with perceived outcome. Data were collected from Finland, India, Nigeria and the People's Republic of China. Regression analysis used perceived outcome as the dependent variable and atmosphere and healthcare service quality as independent variables. Findings - Results showed that atmosphere and healthcare service quality have a statistically significant relationship with patient perceived outcomes. The sample size was small and the sampling units were selected on convenience; thus, caution must be exercised in generalizing the findings. The study determined that service quality and atmosphere are considered significant for developing and developed nations. This result could have significant implications for policy makers and service providers developing healthcare quality and hospital atmosphere. Studies concentrate on healthcare outcome primarily regarding population health status, mortality, morbidity, customer satisfaction, loyalty, quality of life, customer behavior and consumption. However, the study exposes how patients perceive their health after treatment. Furthermore, the authors develop the healthcare service literature by considering atmosphere and perceived outcome.

  6. Prospective evaluation of PBC-specific health-related quality of life questionnaires in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raszeja-Wyszomirska, Joanna; Wunsch, Ewa; Krawczyk, Marek; Rigopoulou, Eirini I; Bogdanos, Dimitrios; Milkiewicz, Piotr

    2015-06-01

    Primary biliary cirrhosis and Primary sclerosing cholangitis are autoimmune cholestatic liver diseases sharing a lot in common, including a significant impairment of patients' health-related quality of life HRQoL HRQoL in PBC is assessed with disease-specific PBC-40 and PBC-27 questionnaires. A PSC-specific questionnaire has not been developed. Neither PBC-40 nor PBC-27s applicability for PSC has been evaluated. We applied these three questionnaires for HRQoL assessment in a large homogenous cohort of PSC patients. This cross-sectional study enrolled 102 Caucasian PSCs and 53 matched healthy controls and measured HRQoL using generic SF-36, and disease-specific (PBC-40/PBC-27) questionnaires. (i) SF-36. Most SF-36 domains were significantly lower in PSCs than controls. Physical Functioning and Mental Component Summary scores were significantly lower in female patients and correlated negatively with age but not with concurrent inflammatory bowel disease. Cirrhosis was associated with lower Physical Functioning, Role Physical, General Health, Vitality and Physical Component Summary. (ii) PBC-40 and PBC-27. Both tools showed similar HRQoL impairment scoring. Fatigue and Cognitive were impaired in female patients. Several correlations existed between HRQoL and laboratory parameters, including cholestatic tests and Itch. Cirrhosis correlated with Other symptoms and Fatigue PBC-40. (iii) PBC-40 vs PBC-27. Strong correlations among most domains of both questionnaires were seen, as well as between (iv) SF-36 vs PBC-40 or SF-36 vs PBC-27. This is the first study directly comparing PBC-40, PBC-27 and SF-36 in PSC. PSC patients, especially females, show HRQoL impairment. PBC-40 and PBC-27 questionnaires could be of potential use for HRQoL assessment in PSC. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. Customized Care: An intervention to Improve Communication and health outcomes in multimorbidity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marsha N. Wittink

    2016-12-01

    Conclusions: With better communication about everyday challenges, patients and PCPs can have more informed discussions about health care options that positively influence patient outcomes. We expect that Customized Care will improve patient-PCP communication about day-to-day challenges, which can lead to better health outcomes.

  8. Health systems performance in sub-Saharan Africa: governance, outcome and equity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olafsdottir, Anna E; Reidpath, Daniel D; Pokhrel, Subhash; Allotey, Pascale

    2011-04-16

    The literature on health systems focuses largely on the performance of healthcare systems operationalised around indicators such as hospital beds, maternity care and immunisation coverage. A broader definition of health systems however, needs to include the wider determinants of health including, possibly, governance and its relationship to health and health equity. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between health systems outcomes and equity, and governance as a part of a process to extend the range of indicators used to assess health systems performance. Using cross sectional data from 46 countries in the African region of the World Health Organization, an ecological analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between governance and health systems performance. The data were analysed using multiple linear regression and a standard progressive modelling procedure. The under-five mortality rate (U5MR) was used as the health outcome measure and the ratio of U5MR in the wealthiest and poorest quintiles was used as the measure of health equity. Governance was measured using two contextually relevant indices developed by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation. Governance was strongly associated with U5MR and moderately associated with the U5MR quintile ratio. After controlling for possible confounding by healthcare, finance, education, and water and sanitation, governance remained significantly associated with U5MR. Governance was not, however, significantly associated with equity in U5MR outcomes. This study suggests that the quality of governance may be an important structural determinant of health systems performance, and could be an indicator to be monitored. The association suggests there might be a causal relationship. However, the cross-sectional design, the level of missing data, and the small sample size, forces tentative conclusions. Further research will be needed to assess the causal relationship, and its generalizability beyond U5MR as a health

  9. Health systems performance in sub-Saharan Africa: governance, outcome and equity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pokhrel Subhash

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The literature on health systems focuses largely on the performance of healthcare systems operationalised around indicators such as hospital beds, maternity care and immunisation coverage. A broader definition of health systems however, needs to include the wider determinants of health including, possibly, governance and its relationship to health and health equity. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between health systems outcomes and equity, and governance as a part of a process to extend the range of indicators used to assess health systems performance. Methods Using cross sectional data from 46 countries in the African region of the World Health Organization, an ecological analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between governance and health systems performance. The data were analysed using multiple linear regression and a standard progressive modelling procedure. The under-five mortality rate (U5MR was used as the health outcome measure and the ratio of U5MR in the wealthiest and poorest quintiles was used as the measure of health equity. Governance was measured using two contextually relevant indices developed by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation. Results Governance was strongly associated with U5MR and moderately associated with the U5MR quintile ratio. After controlling for possible confounding by healthcare, finance, education, and water and sanitation, governance remained significantly associated with U5MR. Governance was not, however, significantly associated with equity in U5MR outcomes. Conclusion This study suggests that the quality of governance may be an important structural determinant of health systems performance, and could be an indicator to be monitored. The association suggests there might be a causal relationship. However, the cross-sectional design, the level of missing data, and the small sample size, forces tentative conclusions. Further research will be needed to assess the

  10. 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

  11. Self-Rated Competences Questionnaires from a Design Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braun, Edith; Woodley, Alan; Richardson, John T. E.; Leidner, Bernhard

    2012-01-01

    This paper provides a theoretical review of self-rated competences questionnaires. This topic is influenced by the ongoing world-wide reform of higher education, which has led to a focus on the learner outcomes of higher education. Consequently, questionnaires on self-rated competences have increasingly been employed. However, self-ratings are…

  12. Prevalence of Gulf war veterans who believe they have Gulf war syndrome: questionnaire study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chalder, T; Hotopf, M; Unwin, C; Hull, L; Ismail, K; David, A; Wessely, S

    2001-01-01

    Objectives To determine how many veterans in a random sample of British veterans who served in the Gulf war believe they have “Gulf war syndrome,” to examine factors associated with the presence of this belief, and to compare the health status of those who believe they have Gulf war syndrome with those who do not. Design Questionnaire study asking British Gulf war veterans whether they believe they have Gulf war syndrome and about symptoms, fatigue, psychological distress, post-traumatic stress, physical functioning, and their perception of health. Participants 2961 respondents to questionnaires sent out to a random sample of 4250 Gulf war veterans (69.7%). Main outcome measure The proportion of veterans who believe they have Gulf war syndrome. Results Overall, 17.3% (95% confidence interval 15.9 to 18.7) of the respondents believed they had Gulf war syndrome. The belief was associated with the veteran having poor health, not serving in the army when responding to the questionnaire, and having received a high number of vaccinations before deployment to the Gulf. The strongest association was knowing another person who also thought they had Gulf war syndrome. Conclusions Substantial numbers of British Gulf war veterans believe they have Gulf war syndrome, which is associated with psychological distress, a high number of symptoms, and some reduction in activity levels. A combination of biological, psychological, and sociological factors are associated with the belief, and these factors should be addressed in clinical practice. What is already known on this topicThe term Gulf war syndrome has been used to describe illnesses and symptoms experienced by veterans of the 1991 Gulf warConcerns exist over the validity of Gulf war syndrome as a unique entityWhat this study adds17% of Gulf war veterans believe they have Gulf war syndromeHolding the belief is associated with worse health outcomesKnowing someone else who believes they have Gulf war syndrome and receiving

  13. Perceived discrimination and health outcomes a gender comparison among Asian-Americans nationwide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hahm, Hyeouk Chris; Ozonoff, Al; Gaumond, Jillian; Sue, Stanley

    2010-09-01

    We examined whether similarities and differences exist in the association between perceived discrimination and poor mental and physical health among Asian-American adult women and men. We also tested whether Asian-American women would have a lower perceived discrimination threshold for developing negative health outcomes than Asian-American men. Data were derived from the National Latino and Asian-American Study (2002-2003). A nationally representative sample of Asian-American adults (1,075 women and 972 men) was examined. There were more gender similarities than differences in the strong association between discrimination and health. More prominent gender differences were found for the specific level of discrimination and its potential health effects. Specifically, for both Asian women and men, a high level of perceived discrimination showed stronger associations with mental health than with physical health outcomes. And yet, compared with men, the threshold of discrimination was lower for women in affecting mental and physical health status. The findings underscore that a high level of discrimination was associated with negative mental and physical health outcomes for both women and men. However, women had more negative mental and physical health outcomes when exposed to a lower threshold of discrimination than men. These findings suggest that failing to examine women and men separately in discrimination research may no longer be appropriate among the Asian-American population. Future research should focus attention on the biological, social, and political mechanisms that mitigate the adverse health effects of discrimination in order to develop a more comprehensive approach to eliminate disparities in health. 2010 Jacobs Institute of Women

  14. Agreement between touch-screen and paper-based patient-reported outcomes for patients with fibromyalgia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wæhrens, Eva Elisabet Ejlersen; Amris, Kirstine; Bartels, Else Marie

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: To compare data based on computerized and paper versions of health status questionnaires (HSQs) for sampling patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in patients with fibromyalgia (FM). In addition, to examine associations between patient characteristics (age, education, computer experience......) and differences between versions. Finally, to evaluate the acceptability of computer-based questionnaires among patients with FM. METHOD: The study population comprised female patients diagnosed with FM. All patients completed six HSQs: the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), the Major Depression Inventory...

  15. The development and validation of a novel questionnaire to measure patient and family satisfaction with end-of-life care: the Canadian Health Care Evaluation Project (CANHELP) Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heyland, Daren K; Cook, Deborah J; Rocker, Graeme M; Dodek, Peter M; Kutsogiannis, Demetrios J; Skrobik, Yoanna; Jiang, Xuran; Day, Andrew G; Cohen, S Robin

    2010-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to further validate a novel instrument to measure satisfaction with end-of-life care, called the Canadian Health Care Evaluation Project (CANHELP) questionnaire. Data were collected by a cross-sectional survey of patients who had advanced, life-limiting illnesses and their family caregivers, and who completed CANHELP, a global rating of satisfaction, and a quality of life questionnaire. We conducted factor analysis, assessed internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha, and evaluated construct validity by describing the correlation amongst CANHELP, global rating of satisfaction and the quality of life questionnaire scores. There were 361 patient and 193 family questionnaires available for analysis. In the factor analysis, we identified six easily interpretable factors which explained 55.4% and 60.2% of the variance for the patient and caregiver questionnaire, respectively. For the patient version, the subscales derived from these factors were Relationship with Doctors, Illness Management, Communication, Decision-Making, Role of the Family, and Your Well-being. For the family questionnaire, the factors were Relationship with Doctors, Characteristics of Doctors and Nurses, Illness Management, Communication and Decision-Making, Your Involvement, and Your Well-being. Each subscale for each questionnaire had acceptable to excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.69-0.94). We observed good correlations between the CANHELP overall satisfaction score and global rating of satisfaction (correlation coefficient 0.49 and 0.63 for patient and family, respectively) which was greater than the correlations between CANHELP and the quality of life instruments. We conclude that the CANHELP Questionnaire is a valid and internally consistent instrument to measure satisfaction with end-of-life care.

  16. Spiritual well-being and mental health outcomes in adolescents with or without inflammatory bowel disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cotton, Sian; Kudel, Ian; Roberts, Yvonne Humenay; Pallerla, Harini; Tsevat, Joel; Succop, Paul; Yi, Michael S

    2009-05-01

    The purpose of this study was threefold: 1) to describe spiritual well-being (existential and religious well-being) in adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) versus healthy peers; 2) to examine associations of spiritual well-being with mental health outcomes (emotional functioning and depressive symptoms); and 3) to assess the differential impact of existential versus religious well-being on mental health. A total of 155 adolescents aged 11-19 years from a children's hospital and a university hospital filled out questionnaires including the Spiritual Well-Being Scale, the Children's Depression Inventory-Short Form, and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory. Covariates in multivariable models included demographics, disease status, and interactions. Participants' mean (SD) age was 15.1 (2.0) years; 80 (52%) were male; and 121 (78%) were of white ethnicity. Levels of existential and religious well-being were similar between adolescents with IBD and healthy peers. In multivariable analyses, existential well-being was associated with mental health (partial R(2) change = .08-.11, p religious well-being and depressive symptoms: that is, the relationships were stronger in adolescents with IBD as compared with healthy peers. Religious well-being was only marginally significantly associated with mental health after controlling for other factors. Although both healthy adolescents and those with IBD had high levels of spiritual well-being, having IBD moderated the relationship between spiritual well-being and mental health. Meaning/purpose was related to mental health more than was connectedness to the sacred.

  17. Exploring models for the roles of health systems’ responsiveness and social determinants in explaining universal health coverage and health outcomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicole Britt Valentine

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: Intersectoral perspectives of health are present in the rhetoric of the sustainable development goals. Yet its descriptions of systematic approaches for an intersectoral monitoring vision, joining determinants of health, and barriers or facilitators to accessing healthcare services are lacking. Objective: To explore models of associations between health outcomes and health service coverage, and health determinants and health systems responsiveness, and thereby to contribute to monitoring, analysis, and assessment approaches informed by an intersectoral vision of health. Design: The study is designed as a series of ecological, cross-country regression analyses, covering between 23 and 57 countries with dependent health variables concentrated on the years 2002–2003. Countries cover a range of development contexts. Health outcome and health service coverage dependent variables were derived from World Health Organization (WHO information sources. Predictor variables representing determinants are derived from the WHO and World Bank databases; variables used for health systems’ responsiveness are derived from the WHO World Health Survey. Responsiveness is a measure of acceptability of health services to the population, complementing financial health protection. Results: Health determinants’ indicators – access to improved drinking sources, accountability, and average years of schooling – were statistically significant in particular health outcome regressions. Statistically significant coefficients were more common for mortality rate regressions than for coverage rate regressions. Responsiveness was systematically associated with poorer health and health service coverage. With respect to levels of inequality in health, the indicator of responsiveness problems experienced by the unhealthy poor groups in the population was statistically significant for regressions on measles vaccination inequalities between rich and poor. For the

  18. Exploring models for the roles of health systems' responsiveness and social determinants in explaining universal health coverage and health outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valentine, Nicole Britt; Bonsel, Gouke J

    2016-01-01

    Intersectoral perspectives of health are present in the rhetoric of the sustainable development goals. Yet its descriptions of systematic approaches for an intersectoral monitoring vision, joining determinants of health, and barriers or facilitators to accessing healthcare services are lacking. To explore models of associations between health outcomes and health service coverage, and health determinants and health systems responsiveness, and thereby to contribute to monitoring, analysis, and assessment approaches informed by an intersectoral vision of health. The study is designed as a series of ecological, cross-country regression analyses, covering between 23 and 57 countries with dependent health variables concentrated on the years 2002-2003. Countries cover a range of development contexts. Health outcome and health service coverage dependent variables were derived from World Health Organization (WHO) information sources. Predictor variables representing determinants are derived from the WHO and World Bank databases; variables used for health systems' responsiveness are derived from the WHO World Health Survey. Responsiveness is a measure of acceptability of health services to the population, complementing financial health protection. Health determinants' indicators - access to improved drinking sources, accountability, and average years of schooling - were statistically significant in particular health outcome regressions. Statistically significant coefficients were more common for mortality rate regressions than for coverage rate regressions. Responsiveness was systematically associated with poorer health and health service coverage. With respect to levels of inequality in health, the indicator of responsiveness problems experienced by the unhealthy poor groups in the population was statistically significant for regressions on measles vaccination inequalities between rich and poor. For the broader determinants, the Gini mattered most for inequalities in child

  19. Oral health literacy and oral health outcomes in an adult population in Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Batista, Marília Jesus; Lawrence, Herenia Procopio; Sousa, Maria da Luz Rosário de

    2017-07-26

    To investigate the association between critical and communicative oral health literacy (OHL) and oral health outcomes (status, oral health-related quality of life and practices) in adults. This cross-sectional study examined a household probability sample of 248 adults, representing 149,635 residents (20-64 years old) in Piracicaba-SP, Brazil. Clinical oral health and socioeconomic and demographic data, as well as data on oral health-related quality of life (OHIP-14) and health practices were collected. The oral examinations were carried out in the participants' homes, using the World Health Organization criteria for oral diseases. The critical and communicative OHL instrument was the primary independent variable, and it was measured using five Likert items that were dichotomized as 'high' ('agree' and 'strongly agree' responses for the 5 items) and 'low' OHL. Binary and multinomial logistic regressions were performed on each outcome (oral health status and practices), controlling for age, sex and socioeconomic status (SES). Approximately 71.5% presented low OHL. When adjusted for age and sex (first model) low OHL was associated with untreated caries (Odds Ratio = 1.92, 95% Confidence Interval = 1.07-3.45), tooth brushing oral health impact on quality of life (OR = 2.06, 1.15-3.69). Adjusting for age, sex and SES, OHL is related to a risk factor (biofilm) and a consequence of poor oral health (emergency dental visits) and can interfere with the impact of oral diseases on quality of life. As low OHL can be modified, the results support oral health promotion strategies directed at improving critical and communicative oral health literacy in adult populations.

  20. Short-term influence of cataract surgery on circadian biological rhythm and related health outcomes (CLOCK-IOL trial): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saeki, Keigo; Obayashi, Kenji; Nishi, Tomo; Miyata, Kimie; Maruoka, Shinji; Ueda, Tetsuo; Okamoto, Masahiro; Hasegawa, Taiji; Matsuura, Toyoaki; Tone, Nobuhiro; Ogata, Nahoko; Kurumatani, Norio

    2014-12-29

    Light information is the most important cue of circadian rhythm which synchronizes biological rhythm with external environment. Circadian misalignment of biological rhythm and external environment is associated with increased risk of depression, insomnia, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Increased light transmission by cataract surgery may improve circadian misalignment and related health outcomes. Although some observational studies have shown improvement of depression and insomnia after cataract surgery, randomized controlled trials are lacking. We will conduct a parallel-group, assessor-blinded, simple randomized controlled study comparing a cataract surgery group at three months after surgery with a control group to determine whether cataract surgery improves depressive symptoms, sleep quality, body mass regulation, and glucose and lipid metabolism. We will recruit patients who are aged 60 years and over, scheduled to receive their first cataract surgery, and have grade 2 or higher nuclear opacification as defined by the lens opacities classification system III. Exclusion criteria will be patients with major depression, severe corneal opacity, severe glaucoma, vitreous haemorrhage, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, macular oedema, age-related macular degeneration, and patients needing immediate or combined cataract surgery. After baseline participants will be randomized to two groups. Outcomes will be measured at three months after surgery among the intervention group, and three months after baseline among the control group. We will assess depressive symptoms as a primary outcome, using the short version geriatric depression scale (GDS-15). Secondary outcomes will be subjective and actigraph-measured sleep quality, sleepiness, glycated haemoglobin, fasting plasma glucose and triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, body mass index, abdominal circumference, circadian rhythms of physical

  1. Targeted health department expenditures benefit birth outcomes at the county level.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bekemeier, Betty; Yang, Youngran; Dunbar, Matthew D; Pantazis, Athena; Grembowski, David E

    2014-06-01

    Public health leaders lack evidence for making decisions about the optimal allocation of resources across local health department (LHD) services, even as limited funding has forced cuts to public health services while local needs grow. A lack of data has also limited examination of the outcomes of targeted LHD investments in specific service areas. This study used unique, detailed LHD expenditure data gathered from state health departments to examine the influence of maternal and child health (MCH) service investments by LHDs on health outcomes. A multivariate panel time-series design was used in 2013 to estimate ecologic relationships between 2000-2010 LHD expenditures on MCH and county-level rates of low birth weight and infant mortality. The unit of analysis was 102 LHD jurisdictions in Washington and Florida. Results indicate that LHD expenditures on MCH services have a beneficial relationship with county-level low birth weight rates, particularly in counties with high concentrations of poverty. This relationship is stronger for more targeted expenditure categories, with expenditures in each of the three specific examined MCH service areas demonstrating the strongest effects. Findings indicate that specific LHD investments in MCH have an important effect on related health outcomes for populations in poverty and likely help reduce the costly burden of poor birth outcomes for families and communities. These findings underscore the importance of monitoring the impact of these evolving investments and ensuring that targeted, beneficial investments are not lost but expanded upon across care delivery systems. Copyright © 2014 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Child health-related quality of life following neurocritical care for traumatic brain injury: an analysis of preference-weighted outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tilford, John M; Aitken, Mary E; Goodman, Allen C; Fiser, Debra H; Killingsworth, Jeffrey B; Green, Jerril W; Adelson, P David

    2007-01-01

    Cost-effectiveness analysis relies on preference-weighted health outcome measures as they form the basis for quality adjusted life years. Studies of preference-weighted outcomes for children following traumatic brain injury are lacking. This study seeks to describe the preference-weighted health outcomes of children following a traumatic brain injury at 3- and 6-months following pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) discharge. Children aged 5-17 who required ICU admission and endotracheal intubation or mechanical ventilation. The Quality of Well-being (QWB) score was used to describe preference-weighted outcomes. Clinical measures from the intensive care unit stay were used to estimate risk of mortality. Risk of mortality, Glasgow coma scores, patient length of stay in the intensive care unit, and parent-reported items from the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) were used to test construct validity. Subject data were obtained from nine pediatric intensive care units with consent procedures approved by representative institutional review boards. Medical records containing clinical information from the ICU stay were abstracted by the study coordinating center. Caregivers of children were contacted by telephone for follow-up interviews at 3- and 6-months following ICU discharge. All interviews were conducted by telephone with the primary caregiver of the injured child. Preference score statistics are presented overall and in relation to characteristics of the patient and their ICU admission. A response rate of 59% was achieved for the 3-month interviews (N = 56) and 67% for the 6-month interviews (N = 65) for caregivers of children aged 5 years and above that consented to participate. Overall, QWB scores averaged 0.508 (95% CI: 0.454-0.562) at the 3-month interview and 0.582 (95% CI: 0.526-0.639) at the 6-month interview. For both interview periods, scores ranged from 0.093 to 1.0 on a 0-1 value scale, where 0 represents death and 1 represents perfect health. Specific

  3. Measuring public health practice and outcomes in chronic disease: a call for coordination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Porterfield, Deborah S; Rogers, Todd; Glasgow, LaShawn M; Beitsch, Leslie M

    2015-04-01

    A strategic opportunity exists to coordinate public health systems and services researchers' efforts to develop local health department service delivery measures and the efforts of divisions within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) to establish outcome indicators for public health practice in chronic disease. Several sets of outcome indicators developed by divisions within NCCDPHP and intended for use by state programs can be tailored to assess outcomes of interventions within smaller geographic areas or intervention settings. Coordination of measurement efforts could potentially allow information to flow from the local to the state to the federal level, enhancing program planning, accountability, and even subsequent funding for public health practice.

  4. Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the "World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire--Brief Version" for Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Susan M.; Chan, Fong; Ferrin, James M.; Lin, Chen-Ping; Chan, Jacob Y. C.

    2008-01-01

    This study examined the factorial structure of the "World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire--Brief Version" in a community sample of Canadians with spinal cord injuries. A confirmatory factor analysis provides evidence that the instrument is a multidimensional measure of quality of life. Additionally, the questionnaire is…

  5. High Intensity Interval Training for Maximizing Health Outcomes

    OpenAIRE

    Karlsen, Trine; Aamot, Inger Lise; Haykowsky, Mark; Rognmo, Øivind

    2017-01-01

    Author's accepted version (post-print). Regular physical activity and exercise training are important actions to improve cardiorespiratory fitness and maintain health throughout life. There is solid evidence that exercise is an effective preventative strategy against at least 25 medical conditions, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, hypertension, colon and breast cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Traditionally, endurance exercise training (ET) to improve health related outcomes has consi...

  6. Specific trauma subtypes improve the predictive validity of the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire in Iraqi refugees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arnetz, Bengt B; Broadbridge, Carissa L; Jamil, Hikmet; Lumley, Mark A; Pole, Nnamdi; Barkho, Evone; Fakhouri, Monty; Talia, Yousif Rofa; Arnetz, Judith E

    2014-12-01

    Trauma exposure contributes to poor mental health among refugees, and exposure often is measured using a cumulative index of items from the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ). Few studies, however, have asked whether trauma subtypes derived from the HTQ could be superior to this cumulative index in predicting mental health outcomes. A community sample of recently arrived Iraqi refugees (N = 298) completed the HTQ and measures of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms. Principal components analysis of HTQ items revealed a 5-component subtype model of trauma that accounted for more item variance than a 1-component solution. These trauma subtypes also accounted for more variance in PTSD and depression symptoms (12 and 10%, respectively) than did the cumulative trauma index (7 and 3%, respectively). Trauma subtypes provided more information than cumulative trauma in the prediction of negative mental health outcomes. Therefore, use of these subtypes may enhance the utility of the HTQ when assessing at-risk populations.

  7. Specific Trauma Subtypes Improve the Predictive Validity of the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire in Iraqi Refugees

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arnetz, Bengt B.; Broadbridge, Carissa L.; Jamil, Hikmet; Lumley, Mark A.; Pole, Nnamdi; Barkho, Evone; Fakhouri, Monty; Talia, Yousif Rofa; Arnetz, Judith E.

    2014-01-01

    Background Trauma exposure contributes to poor mental health among refugees, and exposure often is measured using a cumulative index of items from the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ). Few studies, however, have asked whether trauma subtypes derived from the HTQ could be superior to this cumulative index in predicting mental health outcomes. Methods A community sample of recently arrived Iraqi refugees (N = 298) completed the HTQ and measures of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms. Results Principal components analysis of HTQ items revealed a 5-component subtype model of trauma that accounted for more item variance than a 1-component solution. These trauma subtypes also accounted for more variance in PTSD and depression symptoms (12% and 10%, respectively) than did the cumulative trauma index (7% and 3%, respectively). Discussion Trauma subtypes provided more information than cumulative trauma in the prediction of negative mental health outcomes. Therefore, use of these subtypes may enhance the utility of the HTQ when assessing at-risk populations. PMID:24549491

  8. The relationship between pain severity and patient-reported outcomes among patients with chronic low back pain in Japan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Montgomery W

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available William Montgomery,1 Jeffrey Vietri,2 Jing Shi,3 Kei Ogawa,4 Sawako Kariyasu,4 Levent Alev,4 Masaya Nakamura5 1Eli Lilly Australia Pty Ltd., Sydney, NSW, Australia; 2Health Outcomes Practice, Kantar Health, Horsham, PA, 3Health Outcomes Practice, Kantar Health, Princeton, NJ, USA; 4Eli Lilly Japan K.K., Kobe, Japan; 5Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan Objective: The aim of this study was to quantify the impact of pain severity on patient-reported outcomes among individuals diagnosed with chronic low back pain in Japan. Methods: Data were provided by the 2012 Japan National Health and Wellness Survey (N=29,997, a web-based survey of individuals in Japan aged ≥18 years. This analysis included respondents diagnosed with low back pain of ≥3-month duration. Measures included the revised Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Survey Instrument, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale, the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment: General Health questionnaire, and self-reported all-cause health care visits (6 months. Generalized linear models were used to assess the relationship between outcomes and severity of pain in the past week as reported on a numeric rating scale ranging from 0 (no pain to 10 (pain as bad as you can imagine, controlling for length of diagnosis, sociodemographics, and general health characteristics. Results: A total of 290 respondents were included in the analysis; mean age was 56 years, 41% were females, and 56% were employed. Pain severity was 3/10 for the first quartile, 5/10 for the median, and 7/10 for the third quartile of this sample. Increasing severity was associated with lower scores for mental and physical component summaries and Short-Form 6D health utility, higher depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scores, greater absenteeism and presenteeism, greater activity impairment

  9. Psychometric performance and responsiveness of the functional outcomes of sleep questionnaire and sleep apnea quality of life instrument in a randomized trial: the HomePAP study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Billings, Martha E; Rosen, Carol L; Auckley, Dennis; Benca, Ruth; Foldvary-Schaefer, Nancy; Iber, Conrad; Zee, Phyllis C; Redline, Susan; Kapur, Vishesh K

    2014-12-01

    Measures of health-related quality of life (HRQL) specific for sleep disorders have had limited psychometric evaluation in the context of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We investigated the psychometric properties of the Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire (FOSQ) and Sleep Apnea Quality of Life Instrument (SAQLI). We evaluated the FOSQ and SAQLI construct and criterion validity, determined a minimally important difference, and assessed for associations of responsiveness to baseline subject characteristics and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) adherence in a RCT population. Secondary analysis of data collected in a multisite RCT of home versus laboratory-based diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (HomePAP trial). Individuals enrolled in the HomePAP trial (n = 335). N/A. The FOSQ and SAQLI subscores demonstrated high reliability and criterion validity, correlating with Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Survey domains. Correlations were weaker with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Both the FOSQ and SAQLI scores improved after 3 mo with CPAP therapy. Averaging 4 h or more of CPAP use was associated with an increase in the FOSQ beyond the minimally important difference. Baseline depressive symptoms and sleepiness predicted FOSQ and SAQLI responsiveness; demographic, objective obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity and sleep habits were not predictive in linear regression. The FOSQ and SAQLI are responsive to CPAP intervention, with the FOSQ being more sensitive to differences in CPAP adherence than the SAQLI. These instruments provide unique information about health outcomes beyond that provided by changes in physiological measures of OSA severity (apnea-hypopnea index). Portable Monitoring for Diagnosis and Management of Sleep Apnea (HomePAP) URL: http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00642486. NIH clinical trials registry number: NCT00642486. © 2014 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

  10. Male and female ecstasy users: differences in patterns of use, sleep quality and mental health outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogeil, Rowan P; Rajaratnam, Shantha M W; Broadbear, Jillian H

    2013-09-01

    Ecstasy users report a number of adverse effects following use including mood and sleep disturbances. The present study examined differences in characteristics of ecstasy use (amount, frequency of use, reported harm resulting from use) between males and females and assessed relationships between ecstasy use, sleep quality and mental health outcomes. An online survey of 268 ecstasy users (54.1% male, 45.9% female) was conducted. Validated sleep instruments assessing sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness, as well as questionnaires regarding physical and mental health (measured using the short-form health survey 12 (SF-12) and details of drug use were included. Male ecstasy users reported taking larger amounts of ecstasy, but were not more frequent users compared to females. Female ecstasy users were more likely to report increased harm following ecstasy including: feelings of guilt and remorse; failing to do what was normally expected of them; and having been told by others to cut down their ecstasy use. There were interactions between amount and gender and frequency and gender in predicting use of sleep medication and daytime dysfunction. There was a positive correlation between poorer sleep quality and negative mood, although this relationship was not moderated by sex. There is a significant association between sleep quality and mood disturbance in ecstasy users suggesting that these negative outcomes are co-morbid. These findings have implications for the treatment and advice given to ecstasy users who are experiencing sleep and/or mood related complaints. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Translation of the Ibadan Knee/Hip Osteoarthritis Outcome Measure

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Dr Olaleye

    rated by the clinician on five and six (0-5) point ordinal scales. IKHOAM has been ... Igbo translation of Ibadan osteoarthritis outcome measure. 176 .... encourage the use of scales and questionnaires in an .... Validation of a Yoruba translation of the World Health ... Scales: A practical guide to their development and use (1st.

  12. [An evaluation of the quality of health web pages using a validated questionnaire].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conesa Fuentes, Maria del Carmen; Aguinaga Ontoso, Enrique; Hernández Morante, Juan José

    2011-01-01

    The objective of the present study was to evaluate the quality of general health information in Spanish language web pages, and the official Regional Services web pages from the different Autonomous Regions. It is a cross-sectional study. We have used a previously validated questionnaire to study the present state of the health information on Internet for a lay-user point of view. By mean of PageRank (Google®), we obtained a group of webs, including a total of 65 health web pages. We applied some exclusion criteria, and finally obtained a total of 36 webs. We also analyzed the official web pages from the different Health Services in Spain (19 webs), making a total of 54 health web pages. In the light of our data, we observed that, the quality of the general information health web pages was generally rather low, especially regarding the information quality. Not one page reached the maximum score (19 points). The mean score of the web pages was of 9.8±2.8. In conclusion, to avoid the problems arising from the lack of quality, health professionals should design advertising campaigns and other media to teach the lay-user how to evaluate the information quality. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

  13. Improving Patient Satisfaction Through Computer-Based Questionnaires.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Matthew J; Reiter, Michael J; Crist, Brett D; Schultz, Loren G; Choma, Theodore J

    2016-01-01

    Patient-reported outcome measures are helping clinicians to use evidence-based medicine in decision making. The use of computer-based questionnaires to gather such data may offer advantages over traditional paper-based methods. These advantages include consistent presentation, prompts for missed questions, reliable scoring, and simple and accurate transfer of information into databases without manual data entry. The authors enrolled 308 patients over a 16-month period from 3 orthopedic clinics: spine, upper extremity, and trauma. Patients were randomized to complete either electronic or paper validated outcome forms during their first visit, and they completed the opposite modality at their second visit, which was approximately 7 weeks later. For patients with upper-extremity injuries, the Penn Shoulder Score (PSS) was used. For patients with lower-extremity injuries, the Foot Function Index (FFI) was used. For patients with lumbar spine symptoms, the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) was used. All patients also were asked to complete the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) Health Status Survey, version 1. The authors assessed patient satisfaction with each survey modality and determined potential advantages and disadvantages for each. No statistically significant differences were found between the paper and electronic versions for patient-reported outcome data. However, patients strongly preferred the electronic surveys. Additionally, the paper forms had significantly more missed questions for the FFI (P<.0001), ODI (P<.0001), and PSS (P=.008), and patents were significantly less likely to complete these forms (P<.0001). Future research should focus on limiting the burden on responders, individualizing forms and questions as much as possible, and offering alternative environments for completion (home or mobile platforms). Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

  14. Adolescents with congenital heart disease: the importance of perceived parenting for psychosocial and health outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luyckx, Koen; Goossens, Eva; Missotten, Lies; Moons, Philip

    2011-11-01

    : Little is known about how parenting relates to psychosocial functioning and health behavior in adolescents with congenital heart disease (CHD). Different parenting styles were identified through relying on adolescent perceptions of multiple dimensions (regulation, responsiveness, and psychological control). The degree to which parents were perceived as consistent in their rearing style was assessed. : Adolescents with CHD were selected from the database of pediatric and congenital cardiology of the University Hospitals Leuven; control individuals were recruited at secondary schools. A total of 429 adolescents (14-18 years) with CHD participated; 403 were matched on gender and age with control individuals. Adolescents completed questionnaires on maternal and paternal regulation, psychological control, and responsiveness. Main outcome measures were depressive symptoms, loneliness, quality of life, health status, alcohol, cigarette, and drug use. : No significant differences emerged between adolescents with CHD and controls in perceived parenting styles. Democratic parenting was accompanied by the most optimal pattern of outcomes in adolescents with CHD, whereas psychologically controlling parenting by the least optimal pattern. Overprotective parenting was related to high patient substance use. Perceiving both parents as democratic turned out most favorably for psychosocial functioning and quality of life, whereas parental consistency was unrelated to substance use in adolescents with CHD. : By building bridges between the fields of adolescent medicine and family studies, the present study generated important information on the role of parents in psychosocial and behavioral functioning of adolescents with CHD. Future longitudinal studies could inform family-based interventions for this population.

  15. Development and validation of an asthma first aid knowledge questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luckie, Kate; Pang, Tsz Chun; Kritikos, Vicky; Saini, Bandana; Moles, Rebekah Jane

    2018-05-01

    There is no gold standard outcome assessment for asthma first-aid knowledge. We therefore aimed to develop and validate an asthma first-aid knowledge questionnaire (AFAKQ) to be used before and after educational interventions. The AFAKQ was developed based on a content analysis of existing asthma knowledge questionnaires and current asthma management guidelines. Content and face validity was performed by a review panel consisting of expert respiratory physicians, researchers and parents of school aged children. A 21 item questionnaire was then pilot tested among a sample of caregivers, health professionals and pharmacy students. Exploratory Factor analysis was performed to determine internal consistency. The initial 46 item version of the AFAKQ, was reduced to 21 items after revision by the expert panel. This was then pilot tested amongst 161 participants and further reduced to 14 items. The exploratory factor analysis revealed a parsimonious one factor solution with a Cronbach's Alpha of 0.77 with the 14 item AFAKQ. The AFAKQ is a valid tool ready for application in evaluating the impact of educational interventions on asthma first-aid knowledge. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. 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

  17. Linguistic validation of the US Spanish work productivity and activity impairment questionnaire, general health version.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gawlicki, Mary C; Reilly, Margaret C; Popielnicki, Ana; Reilly, Kate

    2006-01-01

    There are no measures of health-related absenteeism and presenteeism validated for use in the large and increasing US Spanish-speaking population. Before using a Spanish translation of an available English-language questionnaire, the linguistic validity of the Spanish version must be established to ensure its conceptual equivalence to the original and its cultural appropriateness. The objective of this study was to evaluate the linguistic validity of the US Spanish version of the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire, General Health Version (WPAI:GH). A US Spanish translation of the US English WPAI:GH was created through a reiterative process of creating harmonized forward and back translations by independent translators. Spanish-speaking and English-speaking subjects residing in the US self-administered the WPAI:GH in their primary language and were subsequently debriefed by a bilingual (Spanish-English) interviewer. US Spanish subjects (N = 31) and English subjects (N = 35), stratified equally by educational level, with and without a high school degree participated in the study. The WPAI-GH item comprehension rate was 98.6% for Spanish and 99.6% for English. Response revision rates during debriefing were 1.6% for Spanish and 0.5% for English. Responses to hypothetical scenarios indicated that both language versions adequately differentiate sick time taken for health and non-health reasons and between absenteeism and presenteeism. Linguistic validity of the US Spanish translation of the WPAI:GH was established among a diverse US Spanish-speaking population, including those with minimal education.

  18. Development and validation of a self-efficacy questionnaire (SE-12) measuring the clinical communication skills of health care professionals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Axboe, Mette K; Christensen, Kaj S; Kofoed, Poul-Erik; Ammentorp, Jette

    2016-10-18

    The outcome of communication training is widely measured by self-efficacy ratings, and different questionnaires have been used. Nevertheless, none of these questionnaires have been formally validated through systematic measurement of assessment properties. Consequently, we decided to further develop a self-efficacy questionnaire which has been used in previous studies. This study aims to examine the content, internal structure, and relations with other variables of the new version of the self-efficacy questionnaire (SE-12). The questionnaire was developed on the basis of the theoretical approach applied in the communication course, statements from former course participants, teachers, and experts in the field. The questionnaire was initially validated through face-to-face interviews with 9 staff members following a test-retest including 195 participants. After minor adjustments, the SE-12 questionnaire demonstrated evidence of content validity. An explorative factor analysis indicated unidimensionality with highly correlated items. A Cronbach's α of 0.95 and a Loevinger's H coefficient of 0.71 provided evidence of statistical reliability and scalability. The test-retest reliability had a value of 0.71 when evaluated using intra-class correlation. Expected relations with other variables were partially confirmed in two of three hypotheses, but a ceiling effect was present in 9 of 12 items. The SE-12 scale should be regarded a reliable and partially valid instrument. We consider the questionnaire useful for self-evaluation of clinical communication skills; the SE-12 is user-friendly and can be administered as an electronic questionnaire. However, future research should explore potential needs for adjustments to reduce the identified ceiling effect.

  19. 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...

  20. Development and Preliminary Validation of a Comprehensive Questionnaire to Assess Women’s Knowledge and Perception of the Current Weight Gain Guidelines during Pregnancy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Holly Ockenden

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to develop and validate an electronic questionnaire, the Electronic Maternal Health Survey (EMat Health Survey, related to women’s knowledge and perceptions of the current gestational weight gain guidelines (GWG, as well as pregnancy-related health behaviours. Constructs addressed within the questionnaire include self-efficacy, locus of control, perceived barriers, and facilitators of physical activity and diet, outcome expectations, social environment and health practices. Content validity was examined using an expert panel (n = 7 and pilot testing items in a small sample (n = 5 of pregnant women and recent mothers (target population. Test re-test reliability was assessed among a sample (n = 71 of the target population. Reliability scores were calculated for all constructs (r and intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC, those with a score of >0.5 were considered acceptable. The content validity of the questionnaire reflects the degree to which all relevant components of excessive GWG risk in women are included. Strong test-retest reliability was found in the current study, indicating that responses to the questionnaire were reliable in this population. The EMat Health Survey adds to the growing body of literature on maternal health and gestational weight gain by providing the first comprehensive questionnaire that can be self-administered and remotely accessed. The questionnaire can be completed in 15–25 min and collects useful data on various social determinants of health and GWG as well as associated health behaviours. This online tool may assist researchers by providing them with a platform to collect useful information in developing and tailoring interventions to better support women in achieving recommended weight gain targets in pregnancy.

  1. Cross-cultural validation of the Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire in vascular amputees fitted with prostheses in Spain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benavent, Jose Vicente; Igual, Celedonia; Mora, Enrique; Antonio, Rosa; Tenias, Jose Maria

    2016-12-01

    The lack of specific prosthetic-related outcome instruments for Spanish amputees must be addressed. To elaborate a culturally equivalent version of the Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire in the Spanish language. Cross-cultural questionnaire validation. Two-step process for cultural adaptation: forward and backward translations of English original and Spanish translated versions; assessment of both construct and criterion validity and reliability in a group of vascular amputees. A total of 61 patients were recruited, 44 men (72.1%) and 17 women (27.9%), with a median age of 71.1 years (standard deviation: 7.7 years; range: 51-87 years). In the Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire-Spanish, the lowest scores were for gait and frustration, and the highest scores were for noise and stump health. Internal consistency of the questionnaire was acceptable (>0.70) for four of the scales used in the Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire but poor (<0.50) for the scales relating to appearance and stump health. Correlations with the quality-of-life levels as measured by the Short Form-36 were positive and mostly significant. Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire-Spanish could assess the quality of life in patients who have undergone vascular amputations and then been fitted with a prosthetic limb. The questionnaire shows adequate criteria validity when compared with other instruments for measuring quality of life. The Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire-Spanish could be a valid and reliable instrument for assessing adaptation to prostheses in vascular amputees. The questionnaire adds information relevant to the patient and the physician and may identify cases with poor expected adaptation to the prosthesis. © The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics 2015.

  2. The Oxford Participation and Activities Questionnaire: study protocol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Morley D

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available David Morley, Sarah Dummett, Laura Kelly, Jill Dawson, Ray Fitzpatrick, Crispin JenkinsonNuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKBackground: With an ageing population and increasing demands on health and social care services, there is growing importance attached to the management of long-term conditions, including maximizing the cost-effectiveness of treatments. In line with this, there is increasing emphasis on the need to keep people both active and participating in daily life. Consequently, it is essential that well developed and validated instruments that can meaningfully assess levels of participation and activity are widely available. Current measures, however, are largely focused on disability and rehabilitation, and there is no measure of activity or participation for generic use that fully meets the standards set by regulatory bodies such as the US Food and Drug Administration. Here we detail a protocol for the development and validation of a new patient-reported outcome measure (PROM for assessment of participation and activity in people experiencing a variety of health conditions, ie, the Oxford Participation and Activities Questionnaire (Ox-PAQ. The stages incorporated in its development are entirely in line with current regulations and represent best practice in the development of PROMs.Methods: Development of the Ox-PAQ is theoretically grounded in the World Health Organization International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health. The project incorporates a new strategy of engaging with stakeholders from the outset in an attempt to identify those characteristics of PROMs considered most important to a range of potential users. Items will be generated through interviews with patients from a range of conditions. Pretesting of the instrument will be via cognitive interviews and focus groups. A postal survey will be conducted, with data subject to factor and Rasch analysis in order to

  3. Migration, environmental hazards, and health outcomes in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Juan; Chen, Shuo; Landry, Pierre F

    2013-03-01

    China's rapid economic growth has had a serious impact on the environment. Environmental hazards are major sources of health risk factors. The migration of over 200 million people to heavily polluted urban areas is likely to be significantly detrimental to health. Based on data from the 2009 national household survey "Chinese Attitudes toward Inequality and Distributive Injustice" (N = 2866) and various county-level and municipal indicators, we investigate the disparities in subjective exposure to environmental hazards and associated health outcomes in China. This study focuses particularly on migration-residency status and county-level socio-economic development. We employ multiple regressions that account for the complex multi-stage survey design to assess the associations between perceived environmental hazards and individual and county-level indicators and between perceived environmental hazards and health outcomes, controlling for physical and social environments at multiple levels. We find that perceived environmental hazards are associated with county-level industrialization and economic development: respondents living in more industrialized counties report greater exposure to environmental hazards. Rural-to-urban migrants are exposed to more water pollution and a higher measure of overall environmental hazard. Perceived environmental risk factors severely affect the physical and mental health of the respondents. The negative effects of perceived overall environmental hazard on physical health are more detrimental for rural-to-urban migrants than for urban residents. The research findings call for restructuring the household registration system in order to equalize access to public services and mitigate adverse environmental health effects, particularly among the migrant population. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. 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

  5. Validation of the Italian version of the Laval questionnaire: health-related quality of life in subjects with obesity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donini, Lorenzo Maria; Rosano, Aldo; Di Lazzaro, Luca; Poggiogalle, Eleonora; Lubrano, Carla; Migliaccio, Silvia; Carbonelli, Mariagrazia; Pinto, Alessandro; Lenzi, Andrea

    2017-05-15

    Obesity is associated to increased risk of metabolic comorbidity as well as increased mortality. Notably, obesity is also associated to the impairment of the psychological status and of quality of life. Only three questionnaires are available in the Italian language evaluating the health-related quality of life in subjects with obesity. The aim of the present study was to test the validity and reliability of the Italian version of the Laval Questionnaire. The original French version was translated into Italian and back-translated by a French native speaker. 273 subjects with obesity (Body Mass Index ≥ 30 kg/m 2 ) were enrolled; the Italian version of the Laval Questionnaire and the O.R.Well-97 questionnaire were administered in order to assess health- related quality of life. The Laval questionnaire consists of 44 items distributed in 6 domains (symptoms, activity/mobility, personal hygiene/clothing, emotions, social interaction, sexual life). Disability and overall psychopathology levels were assessed through the TSD-OC test (SIO test for obesity correlated disabilities) and the SCL-90 (Symptom Checklist-90) questionnaire, respectively. To verify the validity of the Italian version, the analysis of internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity were performed. The observed proportion of agreement concordance of results was 50.2% with Cohen's K = 0.336 (CI 95%: 0.267-0.404), indicating a fair agreement between the two tests. Test-retest correlation was statistically significant (ρ = 0.82; p  0.70). The analysis of construct validity showed a statistically significant association in terms of both total score (ρ = -0.66) and scores at each single domain (p obesity.

  6. Differences in mental health outcomes by acculturation status following a major urban disaster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, Richard E; Boscarino, Joseph A

    2013-01-01

    A number of studies have assessed the association between acculturation and psychological outcomes following a traumatic event. Some suggest that low acculturation is associated with poorer health outcomes, while others show no differences or that low acculturation is associated with better outcomes. One year after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, we surveyed a multi-ethnic population of New York City adults (N= 2,368). We assessed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depression, panic attack, anxiety symptoms, and general physical and mental health status. We classified study respondents into "low," "moderate," or "high" acculturation, based on survey responses. Bivariate results indicated that low acculturation individuals were more likely to experience negative life events, have low social support, and less likely to have pre-disaster mental health disorders. Those in the low acculturation group were also more likely to experience post-disaster perievent panic attacks, have higher anxiety, and have poorer mental health status. However, using logistic regression to control for confounding, and adjusting for multiple comparisons, we found that none of these outcomes were associated with acculturation status. Thus, our study suggests that acculturation was not associated with mental health outcomes following a major traumatic event.

  7. [Cultural adaptation and validation of the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey questionnaire (MOS-SSS)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alonso Fachado, A; Montes Martinez, A; Menendez Villalva, C; Pereira, M Graça

    2007-01-01

    The aim of this study was the assesment of psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the instrument "Medical Outcomes Study - Social Support Survey (MOSSSS)". This questionnaire has been translated and adapted in a Portuguese sample of 101 patients with chronic illness of a rural health centre in Portugal. The average age of patients was 63.4 years, 56.4% female. 29% were illiterate and 2% had completed high school. 78% had arterial hypertension and the 56.4% had diabetes mellitus type 2. The internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha. Exploratory and Confirmatory factor analysis were performed in order to confirm reliability and validity of the scale and its multidimensional characteristics. The 2-week test-retest reliability was estimated using weighted kappa for the ordinals variables and intraclass coefficient correlation for the quantitative variables. Cronbach's alphas for the subscales ranged from 0.873 to 0.967 at test, and 0.862 to 0.972 at retest. Exploratory factor analysis revealed the existence of four factors (emotional, tangible, positive interaction and affection support) that explain the 72.71% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the existence of four factors that allowed the application of the scale with original items. The goodness-of-fit measures corroborate the initial structure, with chi2/ df=2.01, GFI=0.998, CFI=0.999, AGFI=0.998, TLI=0.999, NFI=0.998, SRMR=0.332, RMSEA=0.76. The 2-weeks test-retest reliability of the Portuguese MOS-SSS as measured by the intraclass correlation coefficient was ranged from 0.941 to 0.966 for the four dimensions and the overall support index. The weighted kappa was ranged from 0.67 to 0.87 for all the items. The MOS-SSS Portuguese version demonstrates good psychometric properties and seems to be useful to measure multidimensional aspects of social support in the Portuguese population.

  8. Healthcare spending and health outcomes: evidence from selected ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Conclusion: The results of this study have important policy and management implications for the eight East African .... care expenditures and health outcomes in Middle Eastern .... 2 shows that our data is free of outliers, which allows us.

  9. Impact of Diabetes Mellitus on Occupational Health Outcomes in Canada

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anson KC Li

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: Research suggests that diabetes mellitus (DM has a negative impact on employment and workplace injury, but there is little data within the Canadian context. Objective: To determine if DM has an impact on various occupational health outcomes using the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS. Methods: CCHS data between 2001 and 2014 were used to assess the relationships between DM and various occupational health outcomes. The final sample size for the 14-year study period was 505 606, which represented 159 432 239 employed Canadians aged 15–75 years during this period. Results: We found significant associations between people with diabetes and their type of occupation (business, finance, administration: 2009, p=0.002; 2010, p=0.002; trades, transportation, equipment: 2008, p=0.025; 2011, p=0.002; primary industry, processing, manufacturing, utility: 2013, p=0.018, reasons for missing work (looking for work: 2001, p=0.024; school or education: 2003, p=0.04; family responsibilities: 2014, p=0.015; other reasons: 2001, p<0.001; 2003, p<0.001; 2010, p=0.015, the number of work days missed (2010, 3 days, p=0.033; 4 days, p=0.038; 11 days, p<0.001; 24 days, p<0.001, and work-related injuries (traveling to and from work: 2014, p=0.003; working at a job or business: 2009, p=0.021; 2014, p=0.001. Conclusion: DM is associated with various occupational health outcomes, including work-related injury, work loss productivity, and occupation type. This allows stakeholders to assess the impact of DM on health outcomes in workplace.

  10. Disability and health outcomes - from a cohort of people on long-term anti-retroviral therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Myezwa, Hellen; Hanass-Hancock, Jill; Ajidahun, Adedayo Tunde; Carpenter, Bradley

    2018-12-01

    Human-immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/Acquired immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) remains a major health problem in South Africa - even after two decades since the introduction of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Long-term survival with HIV is associated with new health-related issues and a risk of functional limitation/disability. The aim of this study was to assess functional limitation associated with HIV/AIDS among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in South Africa. This study is a cross-sectional survey using a cohort in an urban area in Gauteng province, South Africa. Data were collected using questionnaires through an interview process. The information collected included aspects such as demographics, livelihood, the state of mental and physical health, adherence and disability. A total of 1044 participants with an average age of 42 ± 12 years were included in the study, with 51.9% of the participants reporting functional limitations (WHODAS ≥ 2). These were reported mainly in the domains of participation (40.2%) and mobility (38.7%). In addition, adherence to ART, symptoms of poor physical health and depression were strongly associated with their functional limitations/disability. HIV as a chronic disease is associated with functional limitations that are not adequately addressed and pose a risk of long-term disability and negative adherence outcomes. Therefore, wellness for PLHIV/AIDS needs to include interventions that can prevent and manage disability.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  12. Development of a Maltese version of oral health-associated questionnaires: OHIP-14, GOHAI, and the Denture Satisfaction Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  13. RECALMIN: The association between management of Spanish National Health Service Internal Medical Units and health outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zapatero-Gaviria, Antonio; Javier Elola-Somoza, Francisco; Casariego-Vales, Emilio; Fernandez-Perez, Cristina; Gomez-Huelgas, Ricardo; Bernal, José Luis; Barba-Martín, Raquel

    2017-08-01

    To investigate the association between management of Internal Medical Units (IMUs) with outcomes (mortality and length of stay) within the Spanish National Health Service. Data on management were obtained from a descriptive transversal study performed among IMUs of the acute hospitals. Outcome indicators were taken from an administrative database of all hospital discharges from the IMUs. Spanish National Health Service. One hundred and twenty-four acute general hospitals with available data of management and outcomes (401 424 discharges). IMU risk standardized mortality rates were calculated using a multilevel model adjusted by Charlson Index. Risk standardized myocardial infarction and heart failure mortality rates were calculated using specific multilevel models. Length of stay was adjusted by complexity. Greater hospital complexity was associated with longer average length of stays (r: 0.42; P International Society for Quality in Health Care. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

  14. Health-related quality of life of food allergic patients measured with generic and disease-specific questionnaires

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Flokstra-de Blok, B. M. J.; van der Velde, J. L.; Vlieg-Boerstra, B. J.; Oude Elberink, J. N. G.; DunnGalvin, A.; Hourihane, J. O'B.; Duiverman, E. J.; Dubois, A. E. J.

    P>Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQL) has never been measured with both generic and disease-specific questionnaires in the same group of food allergic patients. The aim of this study was to compare HRQL of food allergic patients as measured with generic and disease-specific

  15. Mental health outcomes in HIV and childhood maltreatment: a systematic review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Spies Georgina

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background High rates of childhood maltreatment have been documented in HIV-positive men and women. In addition, mental disorders are highly prevalent in both HIV-infected individuals and victims of childhood maltreatment. However, there is a paucity of research investigating the mental health outcomes associated with childhood maltreatment in the context of HIV infection. The present systematic review assessed mental health outcomes in HIV-positive individuals who were victims of childhood maltreatment. Methods A systematic search of all retrospective, prospective, or clinical trial studies assessing mental health outcomes associated with HIV and childhood maltreatment. The following online databases were searched on 25–31 August 2010: PubMed, Social Science Citation Index, and the Cochrane Library (the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and the Cochrane Developmental, Psychosocial and Learning Problems, HIV/AIDS, and Depression, Anxiety and Neurosis registers. Results We identified 34 studies suitable for inclusion. A total of 14,935 participants were included in these studies. A variety of mixed mental health outcomes were reported. The most commonly reported psychiatric disorders among HIV-positive individuals with a history of childhood maltreatment included: substance abuse, major depressive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. An association between childhood maltreatment and poor adherence to antiretroviral regimens was also reported in some studies. Conclusion A broad range of adult psychopathology has been reported in studies of HIV-infected individuals with a history of childhood maltreatment. However, a direct causal link cannot be well established. Longer term assessment will better delineate the nature, severity, and temporal relationship of childhood maltreatment to mental health outcomes.

  16. The role of anxiety sensitivity in the relationship between posttraumatic stress symptoms and negative outcomes in trauma-exposed adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kugler, Brittany B; Phares, Vicky; Salloum, Alison; Storch, Eric A

    2016-01-01

    The development of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSs) following a trauma is related to impairment, diminished quality of life, and physical health issues. Yet it is not clear why some trauma-exposed individuals experience negative outcomes while others do not. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of several influential factors related to PTS severity and negative outcomes. One hundred and twenty-two trauma-exposed adults were administered the following self-report measures: the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian, the Trauma History Questionnaire-Short, the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3, Depression and Anxiety Stress Scale 21, Sheehan Disability Scale, World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF, and an abbreviated Patient Health Questionnaire. PTS severity was positively correlated with depressive symptom severity (r = 0.54, p effects were found for PTS severity (β = -0.38, p life. No interaction was found between PTS severity and AS with any negative outcome. PTS severity mediated the relationship between AS and physical health issues (0.05; 95% CI: 0.02-0.08). This study helps clarify the role of various factors in the relationship between trauma and negative outcomes. Clinical and research implications are discussed.

  17. Organizational Climate and Employee Mental Health Outcomes -- A Systematic Review of Studies in Health Care Organizations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bronkhorst, B.A.C.; Tummers, L.G.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/341028274; Steijn, A.J.; Vijverberg, D.

    2015-01-01

    Background: In recent years, the high prevalence of mental health problems among health care workers has given rise to great concern. The academic literature suggests that employees’ perceptions of their work environment can play a role in explaining mental health outcomes. Purposes: We conducted a

  18. Italian Translation of the Questionnaire for Professional Training Evaluation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fregonese, Chiara; Caputo, Andrea; Langher, Viviana

    2018-01-01

    This work illustrates the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Questionnaire for Professional Training Evaluation, designed and validated by Grohmann and Kauffeld. This 12-item questionnaire provides for the evaluation of different training outcomes, is time-efficient, applicable to several professional contexts and shows sound…

  19. Educational, developmental and psychological outcomes of resettled refugee children in Western Australia: a review of School of Special Educational Needs: Medical and Mental Health input.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mace, Ariel Olivia; Mulheron, Shani; Jones, Caleb; Cherian, Sarah

    2014-12-01

    There are limited data regarding the educational backgrounds and associated psychological and developmental outcomes of refugee children resettling in Western Australia (WA). The WA paediatric Refugee Health Service (RHS) revised its first consult questionnaire (August 2011) to increase educational and psychosocial documentation, concurrent with engagement of a School of Special Educational Needs: Medical and Mental Health (SSEN: MMH) liaison teacher. This study aims to utilise these data to increase understanding of this cohort's educational, developmental and psychological needs and to describe SSEN: MMH's role within the RHS. Retrospective audit and analyses were performed on all initial standardised questionnaires for school-aged refugee children (4-18 years) and SSEN: MMH referrals between August 2011 and December 2012. Demographic data from 332 refugees are described (mean age 9.58 ± standard deviation 3.43 years). Detailed educational information was available for 205 children. Prior education was limited (median 2 years), 64.9% experienced likely schooling interruption and 55.8% received education in their primary language. Language development concerns were significantly associated with previous education in a second language (odds ratio (OR) 4.55, P schooling issues were uncommon at presentation, with few correlations to prior education. In contrast, several migration factors, including family separation and mandatory detention, were significantly associated with psychological comorbidities such as post-traumatic stress disorder (OR 5.60, P children have varied migration, trauma and educational backgrounds, impacting on health and psychological outcomes. In-depth multidisciplinary history including prior education and psychosocial issues is recommended. Partnering with education services appears to play an effective, multifaceted role in aiding resettlement; however, longitudinal studies are required. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child

  20. Linking Cultural Competence to Functional Life Outcomes in Mental Health Care Settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michalopoulou, Georgia; Falzarano, Pamela; Butkus, Michael; Zeman, Lori; Vershave, Judy; Arfken, Cynthia

    2014-01-01

    Minorities in the United States have well-documented health disparities. Cultural barriers and biases by health care providers may contribute to lower quality of services which may contribute to these disparities. However, evidence linking cultural competency and health outcomes is lacking. This study, part of an ongoing quality improvement effort, tested the mediation hypothesis that patients' perception of provider cultural competency indirectly influences patients' health outcomes through process of care. Data were from patient satisfaction surveys collected in seven mental health clinics (n=94 minority patients). Consistent with our hypothesis, patients' perception of clinicians' cultural competency was indirectly associated with patients' self-reported improvements in social interactions, improvements in performance at work or school, and improvements in managing life problems through the patients' experience of respect, trust, and communication with the clinician. These findings indicate that process of care characteristics during the clinical encounter influence patients' perceptions of clinicians' cultural competency and affect functional outcomes. © 2013 National Medical Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.