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Sample records for reliever questionnaire items

  1. Grouping of Items in Mobile Web Questionnaires

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    Mavletova, Aigul; Couper, Mick P.

    2016-01-01

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

  2. Chinese Medicinal Formula (MHGWT for Relieving Diabetic Neuropathic Pain: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

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    Chia-I Tsai

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective. To investigate the effects of modified Hungqi Guizhi Wuwu Tang (MHGWT, a formula that comprises Chinese medicinal herbs, in relieving neuropathic pain in diabetics. Method. Between March 2008 and April 2009, 112 participants were randomly assigned to either the MHGWT group, whose members received MHGWT (n=56, or the control group, whose members received a placebo (n=56. Diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP was rated using the 15-item Short-Form Brief Pain Inventory (SF-BPI, the 17-item Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ, the 13-item Modified Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MMNSI, and the 36-item “SF-36.” Nerve conduction studies (NCSs were performed before and after treatment. Results. After 12 weeks of treatment, the SF-MPQ and SF-BPI scores of the MHGWT group were significantly (P0.05 reduced, and no significant difference in NCS level was observed between the groups (P>0.05. Conclusions. MHGWT shows promise in relieving DNP and deserves further investigation.

  3. The development of a single-item Food Choice Questionnaire

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    Onwezen, M.C.; Reinders, M.J.; Verain, M.C.D.; Snoek, H.M.

    2019-01-01

    Based on the multi-item Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ) originally developed by Steptoe and colleagues (1995), the current study developed a single-item FCQ that provides an acceptable balance between practical needs and psychometric concerns. Studies 1 (N = 1851) and 2 (2a (N = 3290), 2b (N =

  4. Development of the Oxford Participation and Activities Questionnaire: constructing an item pool

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    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

  5. Item response theory analysis of the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire.

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    Costa, Daniel S J; Asghari, Ali; Nicholas, Michael K

    2017-01-01

    The Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ) is a 10-item instrument designed to assess the extent to which a person in pain believes s/he is able to accomplish various activities despite their pain. There is strong evidence for the validity and reliability of both the full-length PSEQ and a 2-item version. The purpose of this study is to further examine the properties of the PSEQ using an item response theory (IRT) approach. We used the two-parameter graded response model to examine the category probability curves, and location and discrimination parameters of the 10 PSEQ items. In item response theory, responses to a set of items are assumed to be probabilistically determined by a latent (unobserved) variable. In the graded-response model specifically, item response threshold (the value of the latent variable for which adjacent response categories are equally likely) and discrimination parameters are estimated for each item. Participants were 1511 mixed, chronic pain patients attending for initial assessment at a tertiary pain management centre. All items except item 7 ('I can cope with my pain without medication') performed well in IRT analysis, and the category probability curves suggested that participants used the 7-point response scale consistently. Items 6 ('I can still do many of the things I enjoy doing, such as hobbies or leisure activity, despite pain'), 8 ('I can still accomplish most of my goals in life, despite the pain') and 9 ('I can live a normal lifestyle, despite the pain') captured higher levels of the latent variable with greater precision. The results from this IRT analysis add to the body of evidence based on classical test theory illustrating the strong psychometric properties of the PSEQ. Despite the relatively poor performance of Item 7, its clinical utility warrants its retention in the questionnaire. The strong psychometric properties of the PSEQ support its use as an effective tool for assessing self-efficacy in people with pain

  6. Evaluation of psychometric properties and differential item functioning of 8-item Child Perceptions Questionnaires using item response theory.

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    Yau, David T W; Wong, May C M; Lam, K F; McGrath, Colman

    2015-08-19

    Four-factor structure of the two 8-item short forms of Child Perceptions Questionnaire CPQ11-14 (RSF:8 and ISF:8) has been confirmed. However, the sum scores are typically reported in practice as a proxy of Oral health-related Quality of Life (OHRQoL), which implied a unidimensional structure. This study first assessed the unidimensionality of 8-item short forms of CPQ11-14. Item response theory (IRT) was employed to offer an alternative and complementary approach of validation and to overcome the limitations of classical test theory assumptions. A random sample of 649 12-year-old school children in Hong Kong was analyzed. Unidimensionality of the scale was tested by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), principle component analysis (PCA) and local dependency (LD) statistic. Graded response model was fitted to the data. Contribution of each item to the scale was assessed by item information function (IIF). Reliability of the scale was assessed by test information function (TIF). Differential item functioning (DIF) across gender was identified by Wald test and expected score functions. Both CPQ11-14 RSF:8 and ISF:8 did not deviate much from the unidimensionality assumption. Results from CFA indicated acceptable fit of the one-factor model. PCA indicated that the first principle component explained >30 % of the total variation with high factor loadings for both RSF:8 and ISF:8. Almost all LD statistic items suggesting little contribution of information to the scale and item removal caused little practical impact. Comparing the TIFs, RSF:8 showed slightly better information than ISF:8. In addition to oral symptoms items, the item "Concerned with what other people think" demonstrated a uniform DIF (p Items related to oral symptoms were not informative to OHRQoL and deletion of these items is suggested. The impact of DIF across gender on the overall score was minimal. CPQ11-14 RSF:8 performed slightly better than ISF:8 in measurement precision. The 6-item short forms

  7. A Psychometric Evaluation of the Learning Styles Questionnaire: 40-Item Version

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    Klein, Britt; McCall, Louise; Austin, David; Piterman, Leon

    2007-01-01

    Sixty-six English-speaking postgraduate distance-education medical students completed the Learning Styles Questionnaire (LSQ: 40-item version). This was completed while attending a residential workshop at the beginning of the semester, and 44 of these students completed the same LSQ questionnaire 5 months later at the completion of the semester.…

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

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

    2005-01-01

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

  9. The cultural fairness of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire among diverse adolescents.

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    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. Re-evaluating a vision-related quality of life questionnaire with item response theory (IRT and differential item functioning (DIF analyses

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    Knol Dirk L

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background For the Low Vision Quality Of Life questionnaire (LVQOL it is unknown whether the psychometric properties are satisfactory when an item response theory (IRT perspective is considered. This study evaluates some essential psychometric properties of the LVQOL questionnaire in an IRT model, and investigates differential item functioning (DIF. Methods Cross-sectional data were used from an observational study among visually-impaired patients (n = 296. Calibration was performed for every dimension of the LVQOL in the graded response model. Item goodness-of-fit was assessed with the S-X2-test. DIF was assessed on relevant background variables (i.e. age, gender, visual acuity, eye condition, rehabilitation type and administration type with likelihood-ratio tests for DIF. The magnitude of DIF was interpreted by assessing the largest difference in expected scores between subgroups. Measurement precision was assessed by presenting test information curves; reliability with the index of subject separation. Results All items of the LVQOL dimensions fitted the model. There was significant DIF on several items. For two items the maximum difference between expected scores exceeded one point, and DIF was found on multiple relevant background variables. Item 1 'Vision in general' from the "Adjustment" dimension and item 24 'Using tools' from the "Reading and fine work" dimension were removed. Test information was highest for the "Reading and fine work" dimension. Indices for subject separation ranged from 0.83 to 0.94. Conclusions The items of the LVQOL showed satisfactory item fit to the graded response model; however, two items were removed because of DIF. The adapted LVQOL with 21 items is DIF-free and therefore seems highly appropriate for use in heterogeneous populations of visually impaired patients.

  11. An Efficient Way to Detect Poststroke Depression by Subsequent Administration of a 9-Item and a 2-Item Patient Health Questionnaire

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    de Man-van Ginkel, Janneke M.; Hafsteinsdottir, Thora; Lindeman, Eline; Burger, Huibert; Grobbee, Diederick; Schuurmans, Marieke

    Background and Purpose-The early detection of poststroke depression is essential for optimizing recovery after stroke. A prospective study was conducted to investigate the diagnostic value of the 9-item and the 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9, PHQ-2). Methods-One hundred seventy-one

  12. The Dysexecutive Questionnaire advanced: item and test score characteristics, 4-factor solution, and severity classification.

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    Bodenburg, Sebastian; Dopslaff, Nina

    2008-01-01

    The Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX, , Behavioral assessment of the dysexecutive syndrome, 1996) is a standardized instrument to measure possible behavioral changes as a result of the dysexecutive syndrome. Although initially intended only as a qualitative instrument, the DEX has also been used increasingly to address quantitative problems. Until now there have not been more fundamental statistical analyses of the questionnaire's testing quality. The present study is based on an unselected sample of 191 patients with acquired brain injury and reports on the data relating to the quality of the items, the reliability and the factorial structure of the DEX. Item 3 displayed too great an item difficulty, whereas item 11 was not sufficiently discriminating. The DEX's reliability in self-rating is r = 0.85. In addition to presenting the statistical values of the tests, a clinical severity classification of the overall scores of the 4 found factors and of the questionnaire as a whole is carried out on the basis of quartile standards.

  13. Use of differential item functioning analysis to assess the equivalence of translations of a questionnaire

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    Petersen, Morten Aa; Groenvold, Mogens; Bjorner, Jakob B.; Aaronson, Neil; Conroy, Thierry; Cull, Ann; Fayers, Peter; Hjermstad, Marianne; Sprangers, Mirjam; Sullivan, Marianne

    2003-01-01

    In cross-national comparisons based on questionnaires, accurate translations are necessary to obtain valid results. Differential item functioning (DIF) analysis can be used to test whether translations of items in multi-item scales are equivalent to the original. In data from 10,815 respondents

  14. The Long-Term Conditions Questionnaire: conceptual framework and item development.

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    Peters, Michele; Potter, Caroline M; Kelly, Laura; Hunter, Cheryl; Gibbons, Elizabeth; Jenkinson, Crispin; Coulter, Angela; Forder, Julien; Towers, Ann-Marie; A'Court, Christine; Fitzpatrick, Ray

    2016-01-01

    To identify the main issues of importance when living with long-term conditions to refine a conceptual framework for informing the item development of a patient-reported outcome measure for long-term conditions. Semi-structured qualitative interviews (n=48) were conducted with people living with at least one long-term condition. Participants were recruited through primary care. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed by thematic analysis. The analysis served to refine the conceptual framework, based on reviews of the literature and stakeholder consultations, for developing candidate items for a new measure for long-term conditions. Three main organizing concepts were identified: impact of long-term conditions, experience of services and support, and self-care. The findings helped to refine a conceptual framework, leading to the development of 23 items that represent issues of importance in long-term conditions. The 23 candidate items formed the first draft of the measure, currently named the Long-Term Conditions Questionnaire. The aim of this study was to refine the conceptual framework and develop items for a patient-reported outcome measure for long-term conditions, including single and multiple morbidities and physical and mental health conditions. Qualitative interviews identified the key themes for assessing outcomes in long-term conditions, and these underpinned the development of the initial draft of the measure. These initial items will undergo cognitive testing to refine the items prior to further validation in a survey.

  15. Item wording and internal consistency of a measure of cohesion: the group environment questionnaire.

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    Eys, Mark A; Carron, Albert V; Bray, Steven R; Brawley, Lawrence R

    2007-06-01

    A common practice for counteracting response acquiescence in psychological measures has been to employ both negatively and positively worded items. However, previous research has highlighted that the reliability of measures can be affected by this practice (Spector, 1992). The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect that the presence of negatively worded items has on the internal reliability of the Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ). Two samples (N = 276) were utilized, and participants were asked to complete the GEQ (original and revised) on separate occasions. Results demonstrated that the revised questionnaire (containing all positively worded items) had significantly higher Cronbach alpha values for three of the four dimensions of the GEQ. Implications, alternatives, and future directions are discussed.

  16. Structural Validation of a French Food Frequency Questionnaire of 94 Items.

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    Gazan, Rozenn; Vieux, Florent; Darmon, Nicole; Maillot, Matthieu

    2017-01-01

    Food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) are used to estimate the usual food and nutrient intakes over a period of time. Such estimates can suffer from measurement errors, either due to bias induced by respondent's answers or to errors induced by the structure of the questionnaire (e.g., using a limited number of food items and an aggregated food database with average portion sizes). The "structural validation" presented in this study aims to isolate and quantify the impact of the inherent structure of a FFQ on the estimation of food and nutrient intakes, independently of respondent's perception of the questionnaire. A semi-quantitative FFQ ( n  = 94 items, including 50 items with questions on portion sizes) and an associated aggregated food composition database (named the item-composition database) were developed, based on the self-reported weekly dietary records of 1918 adults (18-79 years-old) in the French Individual and National Dietary Survey 2 (INCA2), and the French CIQUAL 2013 food-composition database of all the foods ( n  = 1342 foods) declared as consumed in the population. Reference intakes of foods ("REF_FOOD") and nutrients ("REF_NUT") were calculated for each adult using the food-composition database and the amounts of foods self-reported in his/her dietary record. Then, answers to the FFQ were simulated for each adult based on his/her self-reported dietary record. "FFQ_FOOD" and "FFQ_NUT" intakes were estimated using the simulated answers and the item-composition database. Measurement errors (in %), spearman correlations and cross-classification were used to compare "REF_FOOD" with "FFQ_FOOD" and "REF_NUT" with "FFQ_NUT". Compared to "REF_NUT," "FFQ_NUT" total quantity and total energy intake were underestimated on average by 198 g/day and 666 kJ/day, respectively. "FFQ_FOOD" intakes were well estimated for starches, underestimated for most of the subgroups, and overestimated for some subgroups, in particular vegetables. Underestimation were

  17. Evaluating construct validity of the second version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire through analysis of differential item functioning and differential item effect

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjorner, Jakob Bue; Pejtersen, Jan Hyld

    2010-01-01

    AIMS: To evaluate the construct validity of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire II (COPSOQ II) by means of tests for differential item functioning (DIF) and differential item effect (DIE). METHODS: We used a Danish general population postal survey (n = 4,732 with 3,517 wage earners) with a ...

  18. Validity and Reliability of the 8-Item Work Limitations Questionnaire.

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    Walker, Timothy J; Tullar, Jessica M; Diamond, Pamela M; Kohl, Harold W; Amick, Benjamin C

    2017-12-01

    Purpose To evaluate factorial validity, scale reliability, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity of the 8-item Work Limitations Questionnaire (WLQ) among employees from a public university system. Methods A secondary analysis using de-identified data from employees who completed an annual Health Assessment between the years 2009-2015 tested research aims. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) (n = 10,165) tested the latent structure of the 8-item WLQ. Scale reliability was determined using a CFA-based approach while test-retest reliability was determined using the intraclass correlation coefficient. Convergent/discriminant validity was tested by evaluating relations between the 8-item WLQ with health/performance variables for convergent validity (health-related work performance, number of chronic conditions, and general health) and demographic variables for discriminant validity (gender and institution type). Results A 1-factor model with three correlated residuals demonstrated excellent model fit (CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.03, and SRMR = 0.01). The scale reliability was acceptable (0.69, 95% CI 0.68-0.70) and the test-retest reliability was very good (ICC = 0.78). Low-to-moderate associations were observed between the 8-item WLQ and the health/performance variables while weak associations were observed between the demographic variables. Conclusions The 8-item WLQ demonstrated sufficient reliability and validity among employees from a public university system. Results suggest the 8-item WLQ is a usable alternative for studies when the more comprehensive 25-item WLQ is not available.

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

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    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.

  20. Structural Validation of a French Food Frequency Questionnaire of 94 Items

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rozenn Gazan

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available BackgroundFood frequency questionnaires (FFQs are used to estimate the usual food and nutrient intakes over a period of time. Such estimates can suffer from measurement errors, either due to bias induced by respondent’s answers or to errors induced by the structure of the questionnaire (e.g., using a limited number of food items and an aggregated food database with average portion sizes. The “structural validation” presented in this study aims to isolate and quantify the impact of the inherent structure of a FFQ on the estimation of food and nutrient intakes, independently of respondent’s perception of the questionnaire.MethodsA semi-quantitative FFQ (n = 94 items, including 50 items with questions on portion sizes and an associated aggregated food composition database (named the item-composition database were developed, based on the self-reported weekly dietary records of 1918 adults (18–79 years-old in the French Individual and National Dietary Survey 2 (INCA2, and the French CIQUAL 2013 food-composition database of all the foods (n = 1342 foods declared as consumed in the population. Reference intakes of foods (“REF_FOOD” and nutrients (“REF_NUT” were calculated for each adult using the food-composition database and the amounts of foods self-reported in his/her dietary record. Then, answers to the FFQ were simulated for each adult based on his/her self-reported dietary record. “FFQ_FOOD” and “FFQ_NUT” intakes were estimated using the simulated answers and the item-composition database. Measurement errors (in %, spearman correlations and cross-classification were used to compare “REF_FOOD” with “FFQ_FOOD” and “REF_NUT” with “FFQ_NUT”.ResultsCompared to “REF_NUT,” “FFQ_NUT” total quantity and total energy intake were underestimated on average by 198 g/day and 666 kJ/day, respectively. “FFQ_FOOD” intakes were well estimated for starches, underestimated for most of the subgroups, and

  1. Differential item functional analysis on pedagogic and content knowledge (PCK) questionnaire for Indonesian teachers using RASCH model

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    Rahmani, B. D.

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to evaluate Indonesian senior high school teacher’s pedagogical content knowledge also their perception toward curriculum changing in West Java Indonesia. The data used in this study were derived from a questionnaire survey conducted among teachers in Bandung, West Java. A total of 61 usable responses were collected. The Differential Item Functioning (DIFF) was used to analyze the data whether the item had a difference or not toward gender, education background also on school location. However, the result showed that there was no any significant difference on gender and school location toward the item response but educational background. As a conclusion, the teacher’s educational background influence on giving the response to the questionnaire. Therefore, it is suggested in the future to construct the items on the questionnaire which is coped the differences of the participant particularly the educational background.

  2. Statistical power as a function of Cronbach alpha of instrument questionnaire items.

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    Heo, Moonseong; Kim, Namhee; Faith, Myles S

    2015-10-14

    In countless number of clinical trials, measurements of outcomes rely on instrument questionnaire items which however often suffer measurement error problems which in turn affect statistical power of study designs. The Cronbach alpha or coefficient alpha, here denoted by C(α), can be used as a measure of internal consistency of parallel instrument items that are developed to measure a target unidimensional outcome construct. Scale score for the target construct is often represented by the sum of the item scores. However, power functions based on C(α) have been lacking for various study designs. We formulate a statistical model for parallel items to derive power functions as a function of C(α) under several study designs. To this end, we assume fixed true score variance assumption as opposed to usual fixed total variance assumption. That assumption is critical and practically relevant to show that smaller measurement errors are inversely associated with higher inter-item correlations, and thus that greater C(α) is associated with greater statistical power. We compare the derived theoretical statistical power with empirical power obtained through Monte Carlo simulations for the following comparisons: one-sample comparison of pre- and post-treatment mean differences, two-sample comparison of pre-post mean differences between groups, and two-sample comparison of mean differences between groups. It is shown that C(α) is the same as a test-retest correlation of the scale scores of parallel items, which enables testing significance of C(α). Closed-form power functions and samples size determination formulas are derived in terms of C(α), for all of the aforementioned comparisons. Power functions are shown to be an increasing function of C(α), regardless of comparison of interest. The derived power functions are well validated by simulation studies that show that the magnitudes of theoretical power are virtually identical to those of the empirical power. Regardless

  3. Budesonide/formoterol maintenance and reliever therapy in adolescent patients with asthma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jorup, Carin; Lythgoe, Dan; Bisgaard, Hans

    2018-01-01

    Asthma control is often suboptimal in adolescents, but few studies have evaluated asthma treatments in this population.This post hoc analysis assessed the efficacy and safety of budesonide/formoterol (BUD/FORM) maintenance and reliever therapy (MART) for treatment of persistent asthma in adolescent...... (age 12-17 years) subgroups within six randomised, double-blind trials. The primary end-point was time to first severe exacerbation. Secondary end-points included number of severe exacerbations, asthma-related symptoms, night-time awakenings, morning peak expiratory flow, forced expiratory volume in 1...... s, as-needed medication use and five-item asthma control questionnaire scores.In adolescents (n=1847), BUD/FORM MART was similar to or more effective than comparators across each of the studies in reducing the risk of a first severe exacerbation (hazard ratios (HR) BUD/FORM MART versus comparators 0...

  4. Self-administered semiquantitative food frequency questionnaires: patterns, predictors, and interpretation of omitted items

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    Michels, Karin B.; Willett, Walter C.

    2013-01-01

    Background Food items on a self-administered food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) may be left blank because the food was not consumed, because of difficulties remembering the frequency or amount of intake, or due to an oversight. Methods We explored the predictors and frequency of consumption of omitted food items on an FFQ used in the Nurses’ Health Study II. Of 87,676 women who returned a mailed 147-item FFQ in 1999, 34% completed the entire questionnaire, whereas 66% left at least 1 food item blank. Ten or more foods were omitted by 5% of participants. Foods were more likely omitted by women who were older, more physically active, and had more children. We resurveyed 2876 participants who had left between 1 and 70 food items blank and asked them to fill in the blanks. Overall, 2485 participants provided complete responses. Results In the resurvey, 64% of the formerly omitted foods were marked as consumed never or less than once per month, 20% as 1–3 times per month, 8% as once per week, and 9% as more than once per week. Commonly consumed foods and beverages were less likely omitted because they were not consumed than rarely consumed foods. The best estimate for the true intake value of an omitted food was 0.82 times the average population intake. Conclusions When calculating nutrient intake, the assumption that items missing represent zero intake is reasonable. However, foods consumed more often in the population at large are less likely than rarely consumed foods to be left blank because they were not consumed. PMID:19106799

  5. The effect of the spatial positioning of items on the reliability of questionnaires measuring affect

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    Leigh Leo

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Orientation: Extant research has shown that the relationship between spatial location and affect may have pervasive effects on evaluation. In particular, experimental findings on embodied cognition indicate that a person is spatially orientated to position what is positive at the top and what is negative at the bottom (vertical spatial orientation, and to a lesser extent, to position what is positive on the left and what is negative on the right (horizontal spatial orientation. It is therefore hypothesised, that when there is congruence between a respondent’s spatial orientation (related to affect and the spatial positioning (layout of a questionnaire, the reliability will be higher than in the case of incongruence. Research purpose: The principal objective of the two studies reported here was to ascertain the extent to which congruence between a respondent’s spatial orientation (related to affect and the layout of the questionnaire (spatial positioning of questionnaire items may impact on the reliability of a questionnaire measuring affect. Motivation for the study: The spatial position of items on a questionnaire measuring affect may indirectly impact on the reliability of the questionnaire. Research approach, design and method: In both studies, a controlled experimental research design was conducted using a sample of university students (n = 1825. Major findings: In both experiments, evidence was found to support the hypothesis that greater congruence between a respondent’s spatial orientation (related to affect and the spatial positioning (layout of a questionnaire leads to higher reliability on a questionnaire measuring affect. Practical implications: These findings may serve to create awareness of the influence of the spatial positioning of items as a confounding variable in questionnaire design. Contribution/value-add: Overall, this research complements previous studies by confirming the metaphorical representation of affect and

  6. Translation and validation of the Dutch version of the Oxford 12-item knee questionnaire for knee arthroplasty

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    Haverkamp, Daniël; Breugem, Stefan J. M.; Sierevelt, Inger N.; Blankevoort, Leendert; van Dijk, C. Nick

    2005-01-01

    Background In 1998, the Oxford 12-item knee questionnaire was developed by Dawson et al. as a self-administered disease- and site-specific questionnaire, specifically developed for knee arthroplasty patients. Since then, it has proven to be an effective outcome questionnaire, and is widely used.

  7. Development and validation of a ten-item questionnaire with explanatory illustrations to assess upper extremity disorders: favorable effect of illustrations in the item reduction process.

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    Kurimoto, Shigeru; Suzuki, Mikako; Yamamoto, Michiro; Okui, Nobuyuki; Imaeda, Toshihiko; Hirata, Hitoshi

    2011-11-01

    The purpose of this study is to develop a short and valid measure for upper extremity disorders and to assess the effect of attached illustrations in item reduction of a self-administered disability questionnaire while retaining psychometric properties. A validated questionnaire used to assess upper extremity disorders, the Hand20, was reduced to ten items using two item-reduction techniques. The psychometric properties of the abbreviated form, the Hand10, were evaluated on an independent sample that was used for the shortening process. Validity, reliability, and responsiveness of the Hand10 were retained in the item reduction process. It was possible that the use of explanatory illustrations attached to the Hand10 helped with its reproducibility. The illustrations for the Hand10 promoted text comprehension and motivation to answer the items. These changes resulted in high acceptability; more than 99.3% of patients, including 98.5% of elderly patients, could complete the Hand10 properly. The illustrations had favorable effects on the item reduction process and made it possible to retain precision of the instrument. The Hand10 is a reliable and valid instrument for individual-level applications with the advantage of being compact and broadly applicable, even in elderly individuals.

  8. Rasch analysis of the 23-item version of the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kent, Peter; Grotle, Margreth; Dunn, Kate M

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To determine the psychometric properties of the 23-item version of the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ-23) and to quantify their stability across 2 cultures/languages and 2 types of care-settings. METHODS: Rasch analysis of data from 1,000 patients with low back pain from...... clinical characteristics (such as age, gender, pain intensity, pain duration and care setting), depending on the country. CONCLUSION: As similar results have been found for the RMDQ-24, we believe it is timely to reconsider whether: (i) the RMDQ should be reconstructed using an item-response theory...

  9. Validity and reliability of the TED-QOL: a new three-item questionnaire to assess quality of life in thyroid eye disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fayers, Tessa; Dolman, Peter J

    2011-12-01

    To develop and test a user-friendly questionnaire for rapidly assessing quality of life (QOL) in thyroid eye disease (TED). A three-item questionnaire, the TED-QOL, was designed and compared to the 16-item Graves Ophthalmopathy (GO)-QOL and the nine-item GO-Quality of Life Scale (QLS). 100 patients with TED were administered all three questionnaires on two occasions. Results were compared to clinical severity scores (Vision, Inflammation, Strabismus, Appearance (VISA) classification). Main outcomes were construct and criterion validity, test-retest reliability, duration, comprehension and completion rates. TED-QOL correlated strongly with the other questionnaires for corresponding items (Pearson correlation: appearance 0.71, 0.62; functioning 0.69, 0.66; overall QOL 0.53). Test-retest analysis demonstrated good reliability for all three questionnaires (intraclass correlations: TED-QOL 0.81, 0.74, 0.87; GO-QOL 0.81, 0.82; GO-QLS 0.74, 0.86, 0.67). TED-QOL was significantly faster to complete (1.6 min vs GO-QOL 3.1 min, GO-QLS 2.7 min, p<0.0001) and had a higher completion rate (100% vs GO-QOL 78%, GO-QLS 94%). There was only moderate correlation between items on all three questionnaires and VISA scores. The TED-QOL is rapid and easy to complete and analyse and has similar validity and reliability to longer questionnaires. All questionnaires showed only moderate correlation with disease severity, emphasising the discrepancy between objective and subjective assessments and the importance of measuring both.

  10. 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

  11. Assessing cross-cultural item bias in questionnaires : Acculturation and the Measurement of Social Support and Family Cohesion for Adolescents

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hemert, Dianne A. van; Baerveldt, Chris; Vermande, Marjolijn

    2001-01-01

    Amethod is presented for evaluating the presence and size of cross-cultural item biases. The examined items concern parental support and family cohesion in a Likert-type questionnaire for adolescents in The Netherlands. Each evaluated item has two versions, a collectivist and an individualistic one,

  12. A short 18 items food frequency questionnaire biochemically validated to estimate zinc status in humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trame, Sarah; Wessels, Inga; Haase, Hajo; Rink, Lothar

    2018-02-21

    Inadequate dietary zinc intake is wide-spread in the world's population. Despite the clinical significance of zinc deficiency there is no established method or biomarker to reliably evaluate the zinc status. The aim of our study was to develop a biochemically validated questionnaire as a clinically useful tool that can predict the risk of an individual being zinc deficient. From 71 subjects aged 18-55 years blood and urine samples were collected. Zinc concentrations in serum and urine were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) including 38 items was filled out representing the consumption during the last 6 months obtaining nutrient diet scores. Latter were calculated by multiplication of the particular frequency of consumption, the nutrient intake of the respective portion size and the extent of the consumed quantity. Results from the FFQ were compared with nutrient intake information gathered in 24-h dietary recalls. A hemogram was performed and cytokine concentrations were obtained using Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay. Reducing the items of the primary FFQ from 38 to 18 did not result in a significant variance between both calculated scores. Zinc diet scores showed highly significant correlation with serum zinc (r = 0.37; p < 0.01) and urine zinc concentrations (r = 0.34; p < 0.01). Serum zinc concentrations and zinc diet scores showed a significant positive correlation with animal protein intake (r = 0.37; p < 0.01/r = 0.54; p < 0.0001). Higher zinc diet scores were found in omnivores compared to vegetarians (213.5 vs. 111.9; p < 0.0001). The 18 items FFQ seems to be a sufficient tool to provide a good estimation of the zinc status. Moreover, shortening of the questionnaire to 18 items without a loss of predictive efficiency enables a facilitated and resource-saving routine use. A validation of the questionnaire in other cohorts could enable the progression towards clinical

  13. Assessing cross-cultural item bias in questionnaires: Acculturation and the Measurement of Social Support and Family Cohesion for Adolescents

    OpenAIRE

    Hemert, Dianne A. van; Baerveldt, Chris; Vermande, Marjolijn

    2001-01-01

    Amethod is presented for evaluating the presence and size of cross-cultural item biases. The examined items concern parental support and family cohesion in a Likert-type questionnaire for adolescents in The Netherlands. Each evaluated item has two versions, a collectivist and an individualistic one, that measure the same theoretical construct. The standardized difference between the score means of the item versions, called the ?e score, gives an indication of the cultural bias of the item. As...

  14. A hierarchy of distress and invariant item ordering in the General Health Questionnaire-12.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doyle, F; Watson, R; Morgan, K; McBride, O

    2012-06-01

    Invariant item ordering (IIO) is defined as the extent to which items have the same ordering (in terms of item difficulty/severity - i.e. demonstrating whether items are difficult [rare] or less difficult [common]) for each respondent who completes a scale. IIO is therefore crucial for establishing a scale hierarchy that is replicable across samples, but no research has demonstrated IIO in scales of psychological distress. We aimed to determine if a hierarchy of distress with IIO exists in a large general population sample who completed a scale measuring distress. Data from 4107 participants who completed the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) from the Northern Ireland Health and Social Wellbeing Survey 2005-6 were analysed. Mokken scaling was used to determine the dimensionality and hierarchy of the GHQ-12, and items were investigated for IIO. All items of the GHQ-12 formed a single, strong unidimensional scale (H=0.58). IIO was found for six of the 12 items (H-trans=0.55), and these symptoms reflected the following hierarchy: anhedonia, concentration, participation, coping, decision-making and worthlessness. The cross-sectional analysis needs replication. The GHQ-12 showed a hierarchy of distress, but IIO is only demonstrated for six of the items, and the scale could therefore be shortened. Adopting brief, hierarchical scales with IIO may be beneficial in both clinical and research contexts. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Teoria da Resposta ao Item Teoria de la respuesta al item Item response theory

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    Eutalia Aparecida Candido de Araujo

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available A preocupação com medidas de traços psicológicos é antiga, sendo que muitos estudos e propostas de métodos foram desenvolvidos no sentido de alcançar este objetivo. Entre os trabalhos propostos, destaca-se a Teoria da Resposta ao Item (TRI que, a princípio, veio completar limitações da Teoria Clássica de Medidas, empregada em larga escala até hoje na medida de traços psicológicos. O ponto principal da TRI é que ela leva em consideração o item particularmente, sem relevar os escores totais; portanto, as conclusões não dependem apenas do teste ou questionário, mas de cada item que o compõe. Este artigo propõe-se a apresentar esta Teoria que revolucionou a teoria de medidas.La preocupación con las medidas de los rasgos psicológicos es antigua y muchos estudios y propuestas de métodos fueron desarrollados para lograr este objetivo. Entre estas propuestas de trabajo se incluye la Teoría de la Respuesta al Ítem (TRI que, en principio, vino a completar las limitaciones de la Teoría Clásica de los Tests, ampliamente utilizada hasta hoy en la medida de los rasgos psicológicos. El punto principal de la TRI es que se tiene en cuenta el punto concreto, sin relevar las puntuaciones totales; por lo tanto, los resultados no sólo dependen de la prueba o cuestionario, sino que de cada ítem que lo compone. En este artículo se propone presentar la Teoría que revolucionó la teoría de medidas.The concern with measures of psychological traits is old and many studies and proposals of methods were developed to achieve this goal. Among these proposed methods highlights the Item Response Theory (IRT that, in principle, came to complete limitations of the Classical Test Theory, which is widely used until nowadays in the measurement of psychological traits. The main point of IRT is that it takes into account the item in particular, not relieving the total scores; therefore, the findings do not only depend on the test or questionnaire

  16. Psychometric evaluation of Persian Nomophobia Questionnaire: Differential item functioning and measurement invariance across gender.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Chung-Ying; Griffiths, Mark D; Pakpour, Amir H

    2018-03-01

    Background and aims Research examining problematic mobile phone use has increased markedly over the past 5 years and has been related to "no mobile phone phobia" (so-called nomophobia). The 20-item Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) is the only instrument that assesses nomophobia with an underlying theoretical structure and robust psychometric testing. This study aimed to confirm the construct validity of the Persian NMP-Q using Rasch and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models. Methods After ensuring the linguistic validity, Rasch models were used to examine the unidimensionality of each Persian NMP-Q factor among 3,216 Iranian adolescents and CFAs were used to confirm its four-factor structure. Differential item functioning (DIF) and multigroup CFA were used to examine whether males and females interpreted the NMP-Q similarly, including item content and NMP-Q structure. Results Each factor was unidimensional according to the Rach findings, and the four-factor structure was supported by CFA. Two items did not quite fit the Rasch models (Item 14: "I would be nervous because I could not know if someone had tried to get a hold of me;" Item 9: "If I could not check my smartphone for a while, I would feel a desire to check it"). No DIF items were found across gender and measurement invariance was supported in multigroup CFA across gender. Conclusions Due to the satisfactory psychometric properties, it is concluded that the Persian NMP-Q can be used to assess nomophobia among adolescents. Moreover, NMP-Q users may compare its scores between genders in the knowledge that there are no score differences contributed by different understandings of NMP-Q items.

  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.

    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

  18. 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

  19. Evaluating the validity of the Work Role Functioning Questionnaire (Canadian French version) using classical test theory and item response theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Quan Nha; Coutu, Marie-France; Berbiche, Djamal

    2017-01-01

    The Work Role Functioning Questionnaire (WRFQ) was developed to assess workers' perceived ability to perform job demands and is used to monitor presenteeism. Still few studies on its validity can be found in the literature. The purpose of this study was to assess the items and factorial composition of the Canadian French version of the WRFQ (WRFQ-CF). Two measurement approaches were used to test the WRFQ-CF: Classical Test Theory (CTT) and non-parametric Item Response Theory (IRT). A total of 352 completed questionnaires were analyzed. A four-factor and three-factor model models were tested and shown respectively good fit with 14 items (Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.06, Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR) = 0.04, Bentler Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.98) and with 17 items (RMSEA = 0.059, SRMR = 0.048, CFI = 0.98). Using IRT, 13 problematic items were identified, of which 9 were common with CTT. This study tested different models with fewer problematic items found in a three-factor model. Using a non-parametric IRT and CTT for item purification gave complementary results. IRT is still scarcely used and can be an interesting alternative method to enhance the quality of a measurement instrument. More studies are needed on the WRFQ-CF to refine its items and factorial composition.

  20. Measuring Experiential Avoidance: Reliability and Validity of the Dutch 9-item Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boelen, P.A.; Reijntjes, A.H.A.

    2008-01-01

    Three studies evaluated psychometric properties of the Dutch version of the 9-item Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ)—a self-report measure designed to assess experiential avoidance as conceptualized inAcceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Study 1, among bereaved adults, showed that a

  1. Mind Your Words: Positive and Negative Items Create Method Effects on the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Dam, Nicholas T.; Hobkirk, Andrea L.; Danoff-Burg, Sharon; Earleywine, Mitch

    2012-01-01

    Mindfulness, a construct that entails moment-to-moment effort to be aware of present experiences and positive attitudinal features, has become integrated into the sciences. The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), one popular measure of mindfulness, exhibits different responses to positively and negatively worded items in nonmeditating…

  2. Using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 item parameters of a common metric resulted in similar depression scores compared to independent item response theory model reestimation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liegl, Gregor; Wahl, Inka; Berghöfer, Anne; Nolte, Sandra; Pieh, Christoph; Rose, Matthias; Fischer, Felix

    2016-03-01

    To investigate the validity of a common depression metric in independent samples. We applied a common metrics approach based on item-response theory for measuring depression to four German-speaking samples that completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). We compared the PHQ item parameters reported for this common metric to reestimated item parameters that derived from fitting a generalized partial credit model solely to the PHQ-9 items. We calibrated the new model on the same scale as the common metric using two approaches (estimation with shifted prior and Stocking-Lord linking). By fitting a mixed-effects model and using Bland-Altman plots, we investigated the agreement between latent depression scores resulting from the different estimation models. We found different item parameters across samples and estimation methods. Although differences in latent depression scores between different estimation methods were statistically significant, these were clinically irrelevant. Our findings provide evidence that it is possible to estimate latent depression scores by using the item parameters from a common metric instead of reestimating and linking a model. The use of common metric parameters is simple, for example, using a Web application (http://www.common-metrics.org) and offers a long-term perspective to improve the comparability of patient-reported outcome measures. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Criterion validity of the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire and one- and two-item depression screens in young adolescents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    McCauley Elizabeth

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The use of short screening questionnaires may be a promising option for identifying children at risk for depression in a community setting. The objective of this study was to assess the validity of the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ and one- and two-item screening instruments for depressive disorders in a school-based sample of young adolescents. Methods Participants were 521 sixth-grade students attending public middle schools. Child and parent versions of the SMFQ were administered to evaluate the child's depressive symptoms. The presence of any depressive disorder during the previous month was assessed using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC as the criterion standard. First, we assessed the diagnostic accuracy of child, parent, and combined scores of the full 13-item SMFQ by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC, sensitivity and specificity. The same approach was then used to evaluate the accuracy of a two-item scale consisting of only depressed mood and anhedonia items, and a single depressed mood item. Results The combined child + parent SMFQ score showed the highest accuracy (AUC = 0.86. Diagnostic accuracy was lower for child (AUC = 0.73 and parent (AUC = 0.74 SMFQ versions. Corresponding versions of one- and two-item screens had lower AUC estimates, but the combined versions of the brief screens each still showed moderate accuracy. Furthermore, child and combined versions of the two-item screen demonstrated higher sensitivity (although lower specificity than either the one-item screen or the full SMFQ. Conclusions Under conditions where parents accompany children to screening settings (e.g. primary care, use of a child + parent version of the SMFQ is recommended. However, when parents are not available, and the cost of a false positive result is minimal, then a one- or two-item screen may be useful for initial identification of at-risk youth.

  4. Development of a questionnaire to assess patient satisfaction with allergen-specific immunotherapy in adults: item generation, item reduction, and preliminary validation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Justícia JL

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Jose Luis Justícia1, Eva Baró2, Victoria Cardona3, Pedro Guardia4, Pedro Ojeda5, José Maria Olaguíbel6, José Maria Vega7, Carmen Vidal81Medical Department, Stallergenes Ibérica, Barcelona, Spain; 2Health Outcomes Research Department, 3D Health Research, Barcelona, Spain; 3Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain; 4Hospital Virgen Macarena, Sevilla, Spain; 5Clínica de Asma y Alergia Dres. Ojeda, Madrid, Spain; 6Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; 7Hospital Regional Universitario Carlos Haya Málaga, Spain; 8Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, SpainBackground: Allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT is a treatment capable of modifying the natural course of allergy, so ensuring good adherence to SIT is fundamental. Up until now there has not existed an instrument specifically developed to measure patient satisfaction with SIT, although its assessment could help us to comprehend better and improve treatment adherence and effectiveness. The aim of this study was to develop an instrument to measure adult patient satisfaction with SIT.Methods: Items were generated from a literature review, focus groups with allergic adult patients undergoing SIT, and a meeting with experts. Potential items were administered to allergic patients undergoing SIT in an observational, cross-sectional, multicenter study. Item reduction was based on quantitative and qualitative criteria. A preliminary assessment of feasibility, reliability, and validity of the retained items was performed.Results: An initial pool of 70 items was administered to 257 patients undergoing SIT. Fifty-four items were eliminated resulting in a provisional instrument with 16 items. Factor analysis yielded four factors that were identified as perceived efficacy, activities and environment, cost-benefit balance, and overall satisfaction, explaining 74.8% of variance. Ceiling and floor effects were negligible for overall score. Overall score was

  5. Precipitating and relieving factors of migraine versus tension type headache

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haque Badrul

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background To determine the differences of precipitating and relieving factors between migraine and tension type headache. Methods This is a cross sectional study. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 250 migraine patients and 250 patients diagnosed as tension type headache from the specialized headache clinic in Dept. of Neurology, Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Data were collected through a predesigned questionnaire containing information on age, sex, social status and a predetermined list of precipitating and relieving factors. Results In this study, the female patients predominated (67%. Most of the patients were within 21–30 years age group (58.6%. About 58% of them belonged to middle class families. The common precipitating factors like stress, anxiety, activity, journey, reading, cold and warm were well distributed among both the migraine and tension type headache (TTH patients. But significant difference was demonstrated for fatigue (p  Conclusion The most frequent precipitating factors for headache appear to be identical for both migraine and TTH patients. Even though some factors like fatigue, sleep deprivation, sunlight and food significantly precipitate migraine and drug, massage are effective maneuver for relieving pain among migrianeurs.

  6. Evaluation properties of the French version of the OUT-PATSAT35 satisfaction with care questionnaire according to classical and item response theory analyses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panouillères, M; Anota, A; Nguyen, T V; Brédart, A; Bosset, J F; Monnier, A; Mercier, M; Hardouin, J B

    2014-09-01

    The present study investigates the properties of the French version of the OUT-PATSAT35 questionnaire, which evaluates the outpatients' satisfaction with care in oncology using classical analysis (CTT) and item response theory (IRT). This cross-sectional multicenter study includes 692 patients who completed the questionnaire at the end of their ambulatory treatment. CTT analyses tested the main psychometric properties (convergent and divergent validity, and internal consistency). IRT analyses were conducted separately for each OUT-PATSAT35 domain (the doctors, the nurses or the radiation therapists and the services/organization) by models from the Rasch family. We examined the fit of the data to the model expectations and tested whether the model assumptions of unidimensionality, monotonicity and local independence were respected. A total of 605 (87.4%) respondents were analyzed with a mean age of 64 years (range 29-88). Internal consistency for all scales separately and for the three main domains was good (Cronbach's α 0.74-0.98). IRT analyses were performed with the partial credit model. No disordered thresholds of polytomous items were found. Each domain showed high reliability but fitted poorly to the Rasch models. Three items in particular, the item about "promptness" in the doctors' domain and the items about "accessibility" and "environment" in the services/organization domain, presented the highest default of fit. A correct fit of the Rasch model can be obtained by dropping these items. Most of the local dependence concerned items about "information provided" in each domain. A major deviation of unidimensionality was found in the nurses' domain. CTT showed good psychometric properties of the OUT-PATSAT35. However, the Rasch analysis revealed some misfitting and redundant items. Taking the above problems into consideration, it could be interesting to refine the questionnaire in a future study.

  7. Precipitating and relieving factors of migraine versus tension type headache

    OpenAIRE

    Haque, Badrul; Rahman, Kazi Mohibur; Hoque, Azharul; Hasan, ATM Hasibul; Chowdhury, Rajib Nayan; Khan, Sharif Uddin; Alam, Mondal Badrul; Habib, Mansur; Mohammad, Quazi Deen

    2012-01-01

    Abstract Background To determine the differences of precipitating and relieving factors between migraine and tension type headache. Methods This is a cross sectional study. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 250 migraine patients and 250 patients diagnosed as tension type headache from the specialized headache clinic in Dept. of Neurology, Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Data were collected through a predesigned questionnaire containing information on age, sex, social status and a pre...

  8. The 12-item well-being questionnaire. An evaluation of its validity and reliability in Dutch people with diabetes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pouwer, F; Van Der Ploeg, Henk M; Adér, Herman J

    1999-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the validity and reliability of the short-form 12-Item Well-Being Questionnaire (W-BQ12). The 12 items were used to construct the three 4-item subscales Negative Well-Being (NWB), Energy (ENE), and Positive Well-Being (PWB), and the 12-item...... and 701 as having type 2 diabetes. Cronbach's alpha proved to be high and stable across sex and type of diabetes for all W-BQ12 scales. Test-retest reliability ranged from 0.66 (PWB) to 0.83 (GWB), with a mean interval of 66 +/- 14 days. Convergent validity of the W-BQ12 scales was supported by high....../psychiatrist. CONCLUSIONS: The W-BQ12 appeared to be a reliable and valid measure of psychological well-being. This short instrument is easy to administer and may be considered a useful tool for both clinicians and researchers to assess the psychological well-being of patients with diabetes....

  9. A study of the face validity of the 40 item version of the Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ-40).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chabrol, Henri; Rousseau, Amélie; Rodgers, Rachel; Callahan, Stacey; Pirlot, Gérard; Sztulman, Henri

    2005-11-01

    There are few studies examining the face validity of the 40-item version of the Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ-40). Moreover, the existing studies have provided conflicting results. The present study provides an in-depth examination of the face validity of the DSQ-40. Eight clinicians independently attributed each item of the DSQ-40 to a defense mechanism. The defense mechanisms listed in the DSM-IV Defensive Functioning Scale and their definitions were provided as a guide, along with the definition of those defense mechanisms investigated by the DSQ that are not included. It was further specified that the raters could attribute the items to defense mechanisms other than those listed or coping mechanisms. Twelve items out of 40 (30%) were attributed to the defense mechanisms they were supposed to investigate by fewer than four out of the eight raters. This result suggests that a substantial part of the DSQ-40 is lacking in face validity.

  10. Development of the knee quality of life (KQoL-26) 26-item questionnaire: data quality, reliability, validity and responsiveness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garratt, Andrew M; Brealey, Stephen; Robling, Michael; Atwell, Chris; Russell, Ian; Gillespie, William; King, David

    2008-07-10

    This article describes the development and validation of a self-reported questionnaire, the KQoL-26, that is based on the views of patients with a suspected ligamentous or meniscal injury of the knee that assesses the impact of their knee problem on the quality of their lives. Patient interviews and focus groups were used to derive questionnaire content. The instrument was assessed for data quality, reliability, validity, and responsiveness using data from a randomised trial and patient survey about general practitioners' use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging for patients with a suspected ligamentous or meniscal injury. Interview and focus group data produced a 40-item questionnaire designed for self-completion. 559 trial patients and 323 survey patients responded to the questionnaire. Following principal components analysis and Rasch analysis, 26 items were found to contribute to three scales of knee-related quality of life: physical functioning, activity limitations, and emotional functioning. Item-total correlations ranged from 0.60-0.82. Cronbach's alpha and test retest reliability estimates were 0.91-0.94 and 0.80-0.93 respectively. Hypothesised correlations with the Lysholm Knee Scale, EQ-5D, SF-36 and knee symptom questions were evidence for construct validity. The instrument produced highly significant change scores for 65 trial patients indicating that their knee was a little or somewhat better at six months. The new instrument had higher effect sizes (range 0.86-1.13) and responsiveness statistics (range 1.50-2.13) than the EQ-5D and SF-36. The KQoL-26 has good evidence for internal reliability, test-retest reliability, validity and responsiveness, and is recommended for use in randomised trials and other evaluative studies of patients with a suspected ligamentous or meniscal injury.

  11. Development of the Knee Quality of Life (KQoL-26 26-item questionnaire: data quality, reliability, validity and responsiveness

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Atwell Chris

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background This article describes the development and validation of a self-reported questionnaire, the KQoL-26, that is based on the views of patients with a suspected ligamentous or meniscal injury of the knee that assesses the impact of their knee problem on the quality of their lives. Methods Patient interviews and focus groups were used to derive questionnaire content. The instrument was assessed for data quality, reliability, validity, and responsiveness using data from a randomised trial and patient survey about general practitioners' use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging for patients with a suspected ligamentous or meniscal injury. Results Interview and focus group data produced a 40-item questionnaire designed for self-completion. 559 trial patients and 323 survey patients responded to the questionnaire. Following principal components analysis and Rasch analysis, 26 items were found to contribute to three scales of knee-related quality of life: physical functioning, activity limitations, and emotional functioning. Item-total correlations ranged from 0.60–0.82. Cronbach's alpha and test retest reliability estimates were 0.91–0.94 and 0.80–0.93 respectively. Hypothesised correlations with the Lysholm Knee Scale, EQ-5D, SF-36 and knee symptom questions were evidence for construct validity. The instrument produced highly significant change scores for 65 trial patients indicating that their knee was a little or somewhat better at six months. The new instrument had higher effect sizes (range 0.86–1.13 and responsiveness statistics (range 1.50–2.13 than the EQ-5D and SF-36. Conclusion The KQoL-26 has good evidence for internal reliability, test-retest reliability, validity and responsiveness, and is recommended for use in randomised trials and other evaluative studies of patients with a suspected ligamentous or meniscal injury.

  12. Item-level and subscale-level factoring of Biggs' Learning Process Questionnaire (LPQ) in a mainland Chinese sample.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sachs, J; Gao, L

    2000-09-01

    The learning process questionnaire (LPQ) has been the source of intensive cross-cultural study. However, an item-level factor analysis of all the LPQ items simultaneously has never been reported. Rather, items within each subscale have been factor analysed to establish subscale unidimensionality and justify the use of composite subscale scores. It was of major interest to see if the six logically constructed items groups of the LPQ would be supported by empirical evidence. Additionally, it was of interest to compare the consistency of the reliability and correlational structure of the LPQ subscales in our study with those of previous cross-cultural studies. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to fit the six-factor item level model and to fit five representative subscale level factor models. A total of 1070 students between the ages of 15 to 18 years was drawn from a representative selection of 29 classes from within 15 secondary schools in Guangzhou, China. Males and females were almost equally represented. The six-factor item level model of the LPQ seemed to fit reasonably well, thus supporting the six dimensional structure of the LPQ and justifying the use of composite subscale scores for each LPQ dimension. However, the reliability of many of these subscales was low. Furthermore, only two subscale-level factor models showed marginally acceptable fit. Substantive considerations supported an oblique three-factor model. Because the LPQ subscales often show low internal consistency reliability, experimental and correlational studies that have used these subscales as dependent measures have been disappointing. It is suggested that some LPQ items should be revised and other items added to improve the inventory's overall psychometric properties.

  13. Deep brain stimulation and responsiveness of the Persian version of Parkinson's disease questionnaire with 39-items.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shahidi, Gholam Ali; Ghaempanah, Zeinab; Khalili, Yasaman; Nojomi, Marzieh

    2014-10-06

    Assessment of quality-of-life (QOF) as an outcome measure after deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) need a valid, reliable and responsive instrument. The aim of the current study was to determine responsiveness of validated Persian version of PD questionnaire with 39-items (PDQ-39) after DBS surgery in patients with PD. Eleven patients with PD, who were candidate for DBS operation between May 2012 and June 2013 were assessed. PDQ-39 and short-form questionnaire with 36-items (SF-36) were used. To assess responsiveness of PDQ-39 standardized response mean (SRM) was used. Mean age was 51.8 (8.8) and all of the patients, but just one were male (10 patients). Mean duration of the disease was 8.7 (2.1) years. Eight patients were categorized as moderate using Hoehn and Yahr (H and Y) classification. All patients had a better H and Y score compared with the baseline evaluation (3.09 vs. 0.79). The amount of SRM was above 0.70 for all domains means a large responsiveness for PDQ-39. Persian version of PDQ-39 has an acceptable responsiveness and could be used to assess as an outcome measure to evaluate the effect of therapies on PD.

  14. El relieve de los Pirineos

    OpenAIRE

    Babault, Julien

    2007-01-01

    La evolución del relieve de los Pirineos es un buen ejemplo de la interacción entre procesos superficiales y profundos. La elevada topografía media de la cadena es fruto del acortamiento y engrosamiento cortical, hoy inactivo, que se produjo principalmente durante el Paleógeno. Aunque la topografía es antigua, el escarpado relieve local es moderno. La etapa paleógena culminó con la formación de superficies de erosión con bajo relieve, formadas ya desde su inicio a gran altitud, en relación co...

  15. How to score questionnaires

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hofstee, W.K.B.; Ten Berge, J.M.F.; Hendriks, A.A.J.

    The standard practice in scoring questionnaires consists of adding item scores and standardizing these sums. We present a set of alternative procedures, consisting of (a) correcting for the acquiescence variance that disturbs the structure of the questionnaire; (b) establishing item weights through

  16. Development of a cohesion questionnaire for youth: the Youth Sport Environment Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eys, Mark; Loughead, Todd; Bray, Steven R; Carron, Albert V

    2009-06-01

    The purpose of the current study was to initiate the development of a psychometrically sound measure of cohesion for youth sport groups. A series of projects were undertaken in a four-phase research program. The initial phase was designed to garner an understanding of how youth sport group members perceived the concept of cohesion through focus groups (n = 56), open-ended questionnaires (n = 280), and a literature review. In Phase 2, information from the initial projects was used in the development of 142 potential items and content validity was assessed. In Phase 3, 227 participants completed a revised 87-item questionnaire. Principal components analyses further reduced the number of items to 17 and suggested a two-factor structure (i.e., task and social cohesion dimensions). Finally, support for the factorial validity of the resultant questionnaire was provided through confirmatory factor analyses with an independent sample (n = 352) in Phase 4. The final version of the questionnaire contains 16 items that assess task and social cohesion in addition to 2 negatively worded spurious items. Specific issues related to assessing youth perceptions of cohesion are discussed and future research directions are suggested.

  17. Psychometric Properties of the International Personality Item Pool Big-Five Personality Questionnaire for the Greek population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ypofanti, Maria; Zisi, Vasiliki; Zourbanos, Nikolaos; Mouchtouri, Barbara; Tzanne, Pothiti; Theodorakis, Yannis; Lyrakos, Georgios

    2015-09-30

    Goldberg's International Personality Item Pool (IPIP) big-five personality factor markers currently lack validating evidence. The structure of the 50-item IPIP was examined in two different adult samples (total N=811), in each case justifying a 5-factor solution, with only minor discrepancies. Age differences were comparable to previous findings using other inventories. One sample (N=193) also completed additionally another personality measure (the TIPI Short Form). Conscientiousness, extraversion and emotional stability/neuroticism scales of the IPIP were highly correlated with those of the TIPI (r=0.62 to 0.65, P=0.01). Agreeableness and Intellect/Openness scales correlated less strongly (r=0.54 and 0.58 respectively, P=0.01). The IPIP scales have good internal consistency (a=0.88) and relate strongly to major dimensions of personality assessed by the two questionnaires.

  18. Methodological Issues in Questionnaire Design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Youngshin; Son, Youn Jung; Oh, Doonam

    2015-06-01

    The process of designing a questionnaire is complicated. Many questionnaires on nursing phenomena have been developed and used by nursing researchers. The purpose of this paper was to discuss questionnaire design and factors that should be considered when using existing scales. Methodological issues were discussed, such as factors in the design of questions, steps in developing questionnaires, wording and formatting methods for items, and administrations methods. How to use existing scales, how to facilitate cultural adaptation, and how to prevent socially desirable responding were discussed. Moreover, the triangulation method in questionnaire development was introduced. Steps were recommended for designing questions such as appropriately operationalizing key concepts for the target population, clearly formatting response options, generating items and confirming final items through face or content validity, sufficiently piloting the questionnaire using item analysis, demonstrating reliability and validity, finalizing the scale, and training the administrator. Psychometric properties and cultural equivalence should be evaluated prior to administration when using an existing questionnaire and performing cultural adaptation. In the context of well-defined nursing phenomena, logical and systematic methods will contribute to the development of simple and precise questionnaires.

  19. 12-Item Pruritus Severity Scale: Development and Validation of New Itch Severity Questionnaire

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adam Reich

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. A validated assessment of pruritus intensity is an important but still difficult clinical problem due to a subjective nature of this sensation. Objective. The aim of this study was the creation and validation of new itch severity questionnaire assessing pruritus intensity. Material and Methods. A total of 148 patients with pruritic dermatoses were asked to assess pruritus intensity using 12-Item Pruritus Severity Score (12-PSS and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS. Patients were also asked to complete the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI and Hospitality Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS. Test-retest comparison of 12-PSS was conducted in 102 subjects who completed the itch questionnaire twice with the 3- to 5-day interval. Results. We have created the 12-PSS assessing pruritus intensity (two questions, pruritus extent (one question and duration (one question, influence of pruritus on concentration and patient psyche (four questions, and scratching as a response to pruritus stimuli (four questions. A maximum scoring was 22 points. The results showed strong consistency (Cronbach α coefficient 0.81. A significant correlation was observed with VAS (r=0.58, p<0.001 and quality of life level according to DLQI (r=0.53, p<0.001. Test-retest comparison in 102 subjects revealed a satisfactory reproducibility of achieved results (ICC = 0,72. Conclusions. The newly developed pruritus severity questionnaire may be used in daily clinical practice in the future.

  20. Database of Standardized Questionnaires About Walking & Bicycling

    Science.gov (United States)

    This database contains questionnaire items and a list of validation studies for standardized items related to walking and biking. The items come from multiple national and international physical activity questionnaires.

  1. Factoring handedness data: I. Item analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Messinger, H B; Messinger, M I

    1995-12-01

    Recently in this journal Peters and Murphy challenged the validity of factor analyses done on bimodal handedness data, suggesting instead that right- and left-handers be studied separately. But bimodality may be avoidable if attention is paid to Oldfield's questionnaire format and instructions for the subjects. Two characteristics appear crucial: a two-column LEFT-RIGHT format for the body of the instrument and what we call Oldfield's Admonition: not to indicate strong preference for handedness item, such as write, unless "... the preference is so strong that you would never try to use the other hand unless absolutely forced to...". Attaining unimodality of an item distribution would seem to overcome the objections of Peters and Murphy. In a 1984 survey in Boston we used Oldfield's ten-item questionnaire exactly as published. This produced unimodal item distributions. With reflection of the five-point item scale and a logarithmic transformation, we achieved a degree of normalization for the items. Two surveys elsewhere based on Oldfield's 20-item list but with changes in the questionnaire format and the instructions, yielded markedly different item distributions with peaks at each extreme and sometimes in the middle as well.

  2. Using Rasch Analysis to Evaluate the Reliability and Validity of the Swallowing Quality of Life Questionnaire: An Item Response Theory Approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cordier, Reinie; Speyer, Renée; Schindler, Antonio; Michou, Emilia; Heijnen, Bas Joris; Baijens, Laura; Karaduman, Ayşe; Swan, Katina; Clavé, Pere; Joosten, Annette Veronica

    2018-02-01

    The Swallowing Quality of Life questionnaire (SWAL-QOL) is widely used clinically and in research to evaluate quality of life related to swallowing difficulties. It has been described as a valid and reliable tool, but was developed and tested using classic test theory. This study describes the reliability and validity of the SWAL-QOL using item response theory (IRT; Rasch analysis). SWAL-QOL data were gathered from 507 participants at risk of oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) across four European countries. OD was confirmed in 75.7% of participants via videofluoroscopy and/or fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation, or a clinical diagnosis based on meeting selected criteria. Patients with esophageal dysphagia were excluded. Data were analysed using Rasch analysis. Item and person reliability was good for all the items combined. However, person reliability was poor for 8 subscales and item reliability was poor for one subscale. Eight subscales exhibited poor person separation and two exhibited poor item separation. Overall item and person fit statistics were acceptable. However, at an individual item fit level results indicated unpredictable item responses for 28 items, and item redundancy for 10 items. The item-person dimensionality map confirmed these findings. Results from the overall Rasch model fit and Principal Component Analysis were suggestive of a second dimension. For all the items combined, none of the item categories were 'category', 'threshold' or 'step' disordered; however, all subscales demonstrated category disordered functioning. Findings suggest an urgent need to further investigate the underlying structure of the SWAL-QOL and its psychometric characteristics using IRT.

  3. Questionnaire Adapting: Little Changes Mean a Lot.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sousa, Vanessa E C; Matson, Jeffrey; Dunn Lopez, Karen

    2017-09-01

    Questionnaire development involves rigorous testing to ensure reliability and validity. Due to time and cost constraints of developing new questionnaires, researchers often adapt existing questionnaires to better fit the purpose of their study. However, the effect of such adaptations is unclear. We conducted cognitive interviews as a method to evaluate the understanding of original and adapted questionnaire items to be applied in a future study. The findings revealed that all subjects (a) comprehended the original and adapted items differently, (b) changed their scores after comparing the original to the adapted items, and (c) were unanimous in stating that the adapted items were easier to understand. Cognitive interviewing allowed us to assess the interpretation of adapted items in a useful and efficient manner before use in data collection.

  4. The emotion regulation questionnaire in women with cancer: A psychometric evaluation and an item response theory analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandão, Tânia; Schulz, Marc S; Gross, James J; Matos, Paula Mena

    2017-10-01

    Emotion regulation is thought to play an important role in adaptation to cancer. However, the emotion regulation questionnaire (ERQ), a widely used instrument to assess emotion regulation, has not yet been validated in this context. This study addresses this gap by examining the psychometric properties of the ERQ in a sample of Portuguese women with cancer. The ERQ was administered to 204 women with cancer (mean age = 48.89 years, SD = 7.55). Confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory analysis were used to examine psychometric properties of the ERQ. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the 2-factor solution proposed by the original authors (expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal). This solution was invariant across age and type of cancer. Item response theory analyses showed that all items were moderately to highly discriminant and that items are better suited for identifying moderate levels of expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal. Support was found for the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the ERQ. The pattern of relationships with emotional control, alexithymia, emotional self-efficacy, attachment, and quality of life provided evidence of the convergent and concurrent validity for both dimensions of the ERQ. Overall, the ERQ is a psychometrically sound approach for assessing emotion regulation strategies in the oncological context. Clinical implications are discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  5. The 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12: translation and validation study of the Iranian version

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Garmaroudi Gholamreza

    2003-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The objective of this study was to translate and to test the reliability and validity of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12 in Iran. Methods Using a standard 'forward-backward' translation procedure, the English language version of the questionnaire was translated into Persian (Iranian language. Then a sample of young people aged 18 to 25 years old completed the questionnaire. In addition, a short questionnaire containing demographic questions and a single measure of global quality of life was administered. To test reliability the internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Validity was performed using convergent validity. Finally, the factor structure of the questionnaire was extracted by performing principal component analysis using oblique factor solution. Results In all 748 young people entered into the study. The mean age of respondents was 21.1 (SD = 2.1 years. Employing the recommended method of scoring (ranging from 0 to 12, the mean GHQ score was 3.7 (SD = 3.5. Reliability analysis showed satisfactory result (Cronbach's alpha coefficient = 0.87. Convergent validity indicated a significant negative correlation between the GHQ-12 and global quality of life scores as expected (r = -0.56, P Conclusion The study findings showed that the Iranian version of the GHQ-12 has a good structural characteristic and is a reliable and valid instrument that can be used for measuring psychological well being in Iran.

  6. Development and validation of a 6-item working alliance questionnaire for repeated administrations during psychotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Falkenström, Fredrik; Hatcher, Robert L; Skjulsvik, Tommy; Larsson, Mattias Holmqvist; Holmqvist, Rolf

    2015-03-01

    Recently, researchers have started to measure the working alliance repeatedly across sessions of psychotherapy, relating the working alliance to symptom change session by session. Responding to questionnaires after each session can become tedious, leading to careless responses and/or increasing levels of missing data. Therefore, assessment with the briefest possible instrument is desirable. Because previous research on the Working Alliance Inventory has found the separation of the Goal and Task factors problematic, the present study examined the psychometric properties of a 2-factor, 6-item working alliance measure, adapted from the Working Alliance Inventory, in 3 patient samples (ns = 1,095, 235, and 234). Results showed that a bifactor model fit the data well across the 3 samples, and the factor structure was stable across 10 sessions of primary care counseling/psychotherapy. Although the bifactor model with 1 general and 2 specific factors outperformed the 1-factor model in terms of model fit, dimensionality analyses based on the bifactor model results indicated that in practice the instrument is best treated as unidimensional. Results support the use of composite scores of all 6 items. The instrument was validated by replicating previous findings of session-by-session prediction of symptom reduction using the Autoregressive Latent Trajectory model. The 6-item working alliance scale, called the Session Alliance Inventory, is a promising alternative for researchers in search for a brief alliance measure to administer after every session. 2015 APA, all rights reserved

  7. Radiation stress relieving of polymer articles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frisch, D.C.; Weber, W.

    1982-01-01

    A method of rapidly relieving stress in an extruded or molded polymer article is disclosed. The method can be used in the preparation of printed circuit boards. An article comprised of the polymer is exposed to electromagnetic radiation, for a time period sufficient to absorb enough energy to stress relieve the polymer against stress cracking therein. Exposure occurs at one or more ranges of frequencies which are capable of being absorbed by the polymer and which are effective for stress relieving without or substantially without causing heat induced softening or flowing of the polymer. The electromagnetic radiation is selected from the ranges of infrared, microwave or ultraviolet radiation

  8. An 8-item short form of the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire adapted for children (ChEDE-Q8).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kliem, Sören; Schmidt, Ricarda; Vogel, Mandy; Hiemisch, Andreas; Kiess, Wieland; Hilbert, Anja

    2017-06-01

    Eating disturbances are common in children placing a vulnerable group of them at risk for full-syndrome eating disorders and adverse health outcomes. To provide a valid self-report assessment of eating disorder psychopathology in children, a short form of the child version of the Eating Disorder Examination (ChEDE-Q) was psychometrically evaluated. Similar to the EDE-Q, the ChEDE-Q provides assessment of eating disorder psychopathology related to anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder; however, the ChEDE-Q does not assess symptoms of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, pica, or rumination disorder. In 1,836 participants ages 7 to 18 years, recruited from two independent population-based samples, the factor structure of the recently established 8-item short form EDE-Q8 for adults was examined, including measurement invariance analyses on age, gender, and weight status derived from objectively measured weight and height. For convergent validity, the ChEDE-Q global score, body esteem scale, strengths and difficulties questionnaire, and sociodemographic characteristics were used. Item characteristics and age- and gender-specific norms were calculated. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed good model fit for the 8-item ChEDE-Q. Measurement invariance analyses indicated strict invariance for all analyzed subgroups. Convergent validity was provided through associations with well-established questionnaires and age, gender, and weight status, in expected directions. The newly developed ChEDE-Q8 proved to be a psychometrically sound and economical self-report assessment tool of eating disorder psychopathology in children. Further validation studies are needed, particularly concerning discriminant and predictive validity. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Examining the Factor Structure and Discriminant Validity of the 12-Item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) Among Spanish Postpartum Women

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguado, Jaume; Campbell, Alistair; Ascaso, Carlos; Navarro, Purificacion; Garcia-Esteve, Lluisa; Luciano, Juan V.

    2012-01-01

    In this study, the authors tested alternative factor models of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) in a sample of Spanish postpartum women, using confirmatory factor analysis. The authors report the results of modeling three different methods for scoring the GHQ-12 using estimation methods recommended for categorical and binary data.…

  10. Inversion Therapy: Can It Relieve Back Pain?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inversion therapy: Can it relieve back pain? Does inversion therapy relieve back pain? Is it safe? Answers from Edward R. Laskowski, M.D. Inversion therapy doesn't provide lasting relief from back ...

  11. [Development of cough-relieving herbal teas].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puodziūniene, Gene; Janulis, Valdimaras; Milasius, Arvydas; Budnikas, Vytautas

    2005-01-01

    Cough-relieving medicinal herbs in tea are used from ancient times. Mucilage present in them or secretion produced under the influence of the active substances covers the oral and throat mucosa soothing its irritability and relieving dry, tiresome cough. It is known that the mixtures of medicinal herbs (Specias) have a complex influence on the human organism and the rational combination of medicinal herbs can improve their curative action and decrease the undesirable side effects. Having summarized the properties of those medicinal herbs we decided to create two formulations of cough-relieving herbal tea. The first formulation consists of marshmallow roots, liquorice roots and lime flowers, the second -- of marshmallow roots, Iceland moss and lime flowers. The methods for identification and assay of the active substances in the compounds were applied. The purity of the mixtures was regulated by limitation of the loss on drying, total ash, microbial contamination, contamination with radionuclides, heavy metals, pesticides and foreign matter. The expiry date of both cough-relieving herbal teas was approved to be 2 years.

  12. Gender Invariance of the Gambling Behavior Scale for Adolescents (GBS-A): An Analysis of Differential Item Functioning Using Item Response Theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donati, Maria Anna; Chiesi, Francesca; Izzo, Viola A; Primi, Caterina

    2017-01-01

    As there is a lack of evidence attesting the equivalent item functioning across genders for the most employed instruments used to measure pathological gambling in adolescence, the present study was aimed to test the gender invariance of the Gambling Behavior Scale for Adolescents (GBS-A), a new measurement tool to assess the severity of Gambling Disorder (GD) in adolescents. The equivalence of the items across genders was assessed by analyzing Differential Item Functioning within an Item Response Theory framework. The GBS-A was administered to 1,723 adolescents, and the graded response model was employed. The results attested the measurement equivalence of the GBS-A when administered to male and female adolescent gamblers. Overall, findings provided evidence that the GBS-A is an effective measurement tool of the severity of GD in male and female adolescents and that the scale was unbiased and able to relieve truly gender differences. As such, the GBS-A can be profitably used in educational interventions and clinical treatments with young people.

  13. Item selection via Bayesian IRT models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arima, Serena

    2015-02-10

    With reference to a questionnaire that aimed to assess the quality of life for dysarthric speakers, we investigate the usefulness of a model-based procedure for reducing the number of items. We propose a mixed cumulative logit model, which is known in the psychometrics literature as the graded response model: responses to different items are modelled as a function of individual latent traits and as a function of item characteristics, such as their difficulty and their discrimination power. We jointly model the discrimination and the difficulty parameters by using a k-component mixture of normal distributions. Mixture components correspond to disjoint groups of items. Items that belong to the same groups can be considered equivalent in terms of both difficulty and discrimination power. According to decision criteria, we select a subset of items such that the reduced questionnaire is able to provide the same information that the complete questionnaire provides. The model is estimated by using a Bayesian approach, and the choice of the number of mixture components is justified according to information criteria. We illustrate the proposed approach on the basis of data that are collected for 104 dysarthric patients by local health authorities in Lecce and in Milan. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  14. Measurement equivalence of the KINDL questionnaire across child self-reports and parent proxy-reports: a comparison between item response theory and ordinal logistic regression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jafari, Peyman; Sharafi, Zahra; Bagheri, Zahra; Shalileh, Sara

    2014-06-01

    Measurement equivalence is a necessary assumption for meaningful comparison of pediatric quality of life rated by children and parents. In this study, differential item functioning (DIF) analysis is used to examine whether children and their parents respond consistently to the items in the KINDer Lebensqualitätsfragebogen (KINDL; in German, Children Quality of Life Questionnaire). Two DIF detection methods, graded response model (GRM) and ordinal logistic regression (OLR), were applied for comparability. The KINDL was completed by 1,086 school children and 1,061 of their parents. While the GRM revealed that 12 out of the 24 items were flagged with DIF, the OLR identified 14 out of the 24 items with DIF. Seven items with DIF and five items without DIF were common across the two methods, yielding a total agreement rate of 50 %. This study revealed that parent proxy-reports cannot be used as a substitute for a child's ratings in the KINDL.

  15. How Do Pain Relievers Work? (For Kids)

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... First Aid & Safety Doctors & Hospitals Videos Recipes for Kids Kids site Sitio para niños How the Body Works ... Español How Do Pain Relievers Work? KidsHealth / For Kids / How Do Pain Relievers Work? Print en español ¿ ...

  16. Development of a brief questionnaire to assess contraceptive intent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raine-Bennett, Tina R; Rocca, Corinne H

    2015-11-01

    We sought to develop and validate an instrument that can enable providers to identify young women who may be at risk of contraceptive non-adherence. Item response theory based methods were used to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Contraceptive Intent Questionnaire, a 15-item self-administered questionnaire, based on theory and prior qualitative and quantitative research. The questionnaire was administered to 200 women aged 15-24 years who were initiating contraceptives. We assessed item fit to the item response model, internal consistency, internal structure validity, and differential item functioning. All items fit a one-dimensional model. The separation reliability coefficient was 0.73. Participants' overall scores covered the full range of the scale (0-15), and items appropriately matched the range of participants' contraceptive intent. Items met the criteria for internal structure validity and most items functioned similarly between groups of women. The Contraceptive Intent Questionnaire appears to be a reliable and valid tool. Future testing is needed to assess predictive ability and clinical utility. The Contraceptive Intent Questionnaire may serve as a valid tool to help providers identify women who may have problems with contraceptive adherence, as well as to pinpoint areas in which counseling may be directed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. 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.

  18. Construction and validation of attitudes toward plagiarism questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mavrinac, Martina; Brumini, Gordana; Bilić-Zulle, Lidija; Petrovecki, Mladen

    2010-06-01

    To develop and test the psychometric characteristics of a questionnaire measuring attitudes toward plagiarism. Participants were 227 undergraduates and graduate students (128 women and 99 men) from three Croatian universities, with a median age of 21 years (range 18 to 48). Research was conducted from March to June 2009. For the purpose of construction of the first version of the questionnaire, 67 statements (items) were developed. The statements were based on the relevant literature and were developed following rules and recommendations for questionnaire writing, and 36 items were chosen for final validation. Factor analysis was used to find out the factor structure of the questionnaire and to measure construct validity. The final version of the questionnaire consisted of 29 items divided into a three-factor structure: factor I - positive attitude toward plagiarism (12 items); factor II - negative attitude toward plagiarism (7 items); and factor III - subjective norms toward plagiarism (10 items). Cronbach alpha was calculated to confirm the reliability of the scale: factor I - alpha=0.83; factor II - alpha=0.79; and factor III - alpha=0.85. Correlations between factors were: -0.37 between I and II, -0.41 between I and III, and +0.31 between II and III. Attitudes Toward Plagiarism questionnaire was developed, with good psychometric characteristics. It will be used in future research as a standardized tool for measuring attitudes toward plagiarism.

  19. Psychological stress-relieving effects of chewing - Relationship between masticatory function-related factors and stress-relieving effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tasaka, Akinori; Kikuchi, Manaki; Nakanishi, Kousuke; Ueda, Takayuki; Yamashita, Shuichiro; Sakurai, Kaoru

    2018-01-01

    The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship between masticatory function-related factors (masticatory performance, occlusal contact area, maximum bite force, number of chewing strokes, and muscle activity) and the stress-relieving effects of chewing. A total of 28 healthy male subjects were instructed to rest or chew for 10min after 30min of stress loading with arithmetic calculations. Their stress state was assessed by measuring salivary cortisol levels. Saliva was collected at three time points: before stress loading, immediately after stress loading, and 10min after stress loading. Compared to resting, chewing produced a significantly greater reduction in the rate of change in salivary cortisol levels 10min after stress loading. A negative correlation was observed between the rate of decrease in salivary cortisol levels and the number of chewing strokes. No significant correlation was observed between the rate of decrease in salivary cortisol levels and other measurement items. In healthy dentulous people, the number of chewing strokes has been shown to be a masticatory function-related factor that affects stress relief from chewing, suggesting the possibility that more appropriate chewing would produce a greater effect psychological stress relief. Copyright © 2017 Japan Prosthodontic Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Development and Psychometric Validation of the EDE-QS, a 12 Item Short Form of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicole Gideon

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to develop and validate a short form of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q for routine, including session by session, outcome assessment.The current, 28-item version (6.0 of the EDE-Q was completed by 489 individuals aged 18-72 with various eating disorders recruited from three UK specialist eating disorder services. Rasch analysis was carried out on factors identified by means of principal component analysis, which in combination with expert ratings informed the development of an EDE-Q short form. The shortened questionnaire's reliability, validity and sensitivity was assessed based on online data collected from students of a UK university and volunteers with a history of eating disorders recruited from a national eating disorders charity aged 18-74 (N = 559.A 12-item short form, the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire Short (EDE-QS was derived. The new measure showed high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .913 and temporal stability (ICC = .93; p < .001. It was highly correlated with the original EDE-Q (r = .91 for people without ED; r = .82 for people with ED and other measures of eating disorder and comorbid psychopathology. It was sufficiently sensitive to distinguish between people with and without eating disorders.The EDE-QS is a brief, reliable and valid measure of eating disorder symptom severity that performs similarly to the EDE-Q and that lends itself for the use of sessional outcome monitoring in treatment and research.

  1. Danish Translation and Cultural Adaption of the 9-Item Shared Decision Making Questionnaire (SDM-Q-9) patient version

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hulbæk, Mette; Jørgensen, Marianne Johansson; Primdahl, Jette

    Background and aims Measure instruments that measure the extent to which patients are involved in the process of decision-making are developed and validated and being used worldwide. So far, no validated self-report instrument for the shared decision making (SDM) process is available in Denmark....... The German 9-item Shared Decision Making Questionnaire (SDM-Q-9, patient version) is used to measure the extent to which patients are involved in the process of decision-making. The questionnaire can be used in both research and clinical practice. It can be used when there are several treatment options...... conclusion A forward and backward translation were completed by four different translators and followed by an adjustment made by the expert panel. The expert panel included the three of the four translators, experts in health, instrument development and translation and an expert in the field of gynecology...

  2. Validation of the italian version of the 15-item Myasthenia Gravis Quality-of-Life questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raggi, Alberto; Leonardi, Matilde; Ayadi, Roberta; Antozzi, Carlo; Maggi, Lorenzo; Baggi, Fulvio; Mantegazza, Renato

    2017-10-01

    In this study we assess the Italian version of the 15-item Myasthenia Gravis Quality-of-Life questionnaire (MG-QOL15). The validation protocol included the MG-QOL15, the 36-item Short Form (SF-36), the Besta Neurological Institute Rating Scale for Myasthenia Gravis, and the MG-Composite. We used the Cronbach α to test reliability, the Spearman correlation to test short-term test-retest, the Kruskal-Wallis test to assess differences in MG-QOL15 between patients with different disease severity, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test to assess sensitivity to change. Seventy-two patients were enrolled in the study. The mean MG-QOL15 score was 15.2 ± 12.2, with α = 0.93 and test-retest correlation = 0.93. Compared with the SF-36, the MG-QOL15 was superior in differentiating patients with different MG types (P = 0.041) and severity (P = 0.004), showed higher sensitivity to change (P = 0.003 for improved and P = 0.024 for worsened patients), and had higher correlations with the MG-Composite (rho = 0.367 vs. -0.213 and -0.154). The Italian version of the MG-QOL15 is valid, reliable, stable, and sensitive to changes. Muscle Nerve 56: 716-720, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Spanish translation Questionnaire of the Developmental Coordination Disorder

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Salamanca LM

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available The developmental coordination disorder can be recognized by motor difficulties that affect the performance in daily and school activities; therefore, it is necessary to get its early diagnosis in order to initiate early intervention. A tool for diagnosis is the Developmental coordination disorder questionnaire’07, DCDQ’07. Objective: the translation and cultural adaptation of the DCDQ’07 into Spanish. Materials and methods: three independent translators translated the questionnaire into Spanish. Its items were classified according to their equivalent or non-equivalent problems in some words, and also according to their experiential, semantic, conceptual or idioms equivalence. Results: 8 items out of 15 questionnaire items were classified as equivalent 8, 6 of them presented problems in a few words and only one was classified as non-equivalent, 10 items correspond to experiential equivalence translation, 4 items were classified as semantic equivalent and only one got two equivalents. The author agreed the Spanish version. Also, the parent´s opinions about the questionnaire were positive. Conclusions: most of the items of the questionnaire did not have translation difficulties. It allowed its translation and cultural adaptation into Spanish as well as its validation continuity and reliability process

  4. Thermal stress relieving of dilute uranium alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eckelmeyer, K.H.

    1981-01-01

    The kinetics of thermal stress relieving of uranium - 2.3 wt % niobium, uranium - 2.0 wt % molybdenum, and uranium - 0.75 wt % titanium are reported and discussed. Two temperature regimes of stress relieving are observed. In the low temperature regime (T 0 C) the process appears to be controlled by an athermal microplasticity mechanism which can be completely suppressed by prior age hardening. In the high temperature regime (300 0 C 0 C) the process appears to be controlled by a classical diffusional creep mechanism which is strongly dependent on temperature and time. Stress relieving is accelerated in cases where it occurs simultaneously with age hardening. The potential danger of residual stress induced stress corrosion cracking of uranium alloys is discussed

  5. The Virtual Care Climate Questionnaire: Development and Validation of a Questionnaire Measuring Perceived Support for Autonomy in a Virtual Care Setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smit, Eline Suzanne; Dima, Alexandra Lelia; Immerzeel, Stephanie Annette Maria; van den Putte, Bas; Williams, Geoffrey Colin

    2017-05-08

    Web-based health behavior change interventions may be more effective if they offer autonomy-supportive communication facilitating the internalization of motivation for health behavior change. Yet, at this moment no validated tools exist to assess user-perceived autonomy-support of such interventions. The aim of this study was to develop and validate the virtual climate care questionnaire (VCCQ), a measure of perceived autonomy-support in a virtual care setting. Items were developed based on existing questionnaires and expert consultation and were pretested among experts and target populations. The virtual climate care questionnaire was administered in relation to Web-based interventions aimed at reducing consumption of alcohol (Study 1; N=230) or cannabis (Study 2; N=228). Item properties, structural validity, and reliability were examined with item-response and classical test theory methods, and convergent and divergent validity via correlations with relevant concepts. In Study 1, 20 of 23 items formed a one-dimensional scale (alpha=.97; omega=.97; H=.66; mean 4.9 [SD 1.0]; range 1-7) that met the assumptions of monotonicity and invariant item ordering. In Study 2, 16 items fitted these criteria (alpha=.92; H=.45; omega=.93; mean 4.2 [SD 1.1]; range 1-7). Only 15 items remained in the questionnaire in both studies, thus we proceeded to the analyses of the questionnaire's reliability and construct validity with a 15-item version of the virtual climate care questionnaire. Convergent validity of the resulting 15-item virtual climate care questionnaire was confirmed by positive associations with autonomous motivation (Study 1: r=.66, Pperceived competence for reducing alcohol intake (Study 1: r=.52, Pperceived competence for learning (Study 2: r=.05, P=.48). The virtual climate care questionnaire accurately assessed participants' perceived autonomy-support offered by two Web-based health behavior change interventions. Overall, the scale showed the expected properties

  6. Rasch analysis of the 23-item version of the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kent, Peter; Grotle, Margreth; Dunn, Kate

    2015-01-01

    participants (35 villagers and 13 healthcare providers). Analysis included constant comparative methods followed by a structured approach to identify and assemble walking stick text for interpretation. Results: Observations and discussions revealed that many walking sticks were handcrafted from natural...... or household objects. From a therapeutic perspective, homemade and commercial aids were improperly fitted and poorly maintained. Villagers reported walking stick use to: uphold posture and balance; relieve MuBoJo pain; honour fashionable tradition; and assist visually impaired persons to negotiate rough...

  7. Cross-cultural and sex differences in the Emotional Skills and Competence Questionnaire scales: Challenges of differential item functioning analyses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bo Molander

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available University students in Croatia, Slovenia, and Sweden (N = 1129 were examined by means of the Emotional Skills and Competence Questionnaire (Takšić, 1998. Results showed a significant effect for the sex factor only on the total-score scale, women scoring higher than men, but significant effects were obtained for country, as well as for sex, on the Express and Label (EL and Perceive and Understand (PU subscales. Sweden showed higher scores than Croatia and Slovenia on the EL scale, and Slovenia showed higher scores than Croatia and Sweden on the PU scale. In subsequent analyses of differential item functioning (DIF, comparisons were carried out for pairs of countries. The analyses revealed that a large proportion of the items in the total-score scale were potentially biased, most so for the Croatian-Swedish comparison, less for the Slovenian-Swedish comparison, and least for the Croatian-Slovenian comparison. These findings give doubts about the validity of mean score differences in comparisons of countries. However, DIF analyses of sex differences within each country show very few DIF items, indicating that the ESCQ instrument works well within each cultural/linguistic setting. Possible explanations of the findings are discussed, and improvements for future studies are suggested.

  8. The Mental Vulnerability Questionnaire: a psychometric evaluation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Eplov, Lene Falgaard; Petersen, Janne; Jørgensen, Torben

    2010-01-01

    The Mental Vulnerability Questionnaire was originally a 22 item scale, later reduced to a 12 item scale. In population studies the 12 item scale has been a significant predictor of health and illness. The scale has not been psychometrically evaluated for more than 30 years, and the aim of the pre......The Mental Vulnerability Questionnaire was originally a 22 item scale, later reduced to a 12 item scale. In population studies the 12 item scale has been a significant predictor of health and illness. The scale has not been psychometrically evaluated for more than 30 years, and the aim...... 0.30 for the 12 and the 22 item scales. All five Mental Vulnerability scales had positively skewed score distributions which were associated significantly with both SCL-90-R symptom scores and NEO-PI-R personality scales (primarily Neuroticism and Extraversion). Coefficient alpha was highest...

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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.

  10. Assessing Psycho-social Barriers to Rehabilitation in Injured Workers with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: Development and Item Properties of the Yellow Flag Questionnaire (YFQ).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salathé, Cornelia Rolli; Trippolini, Maurizio Alen; Terribilini, Livio Claudio; Oliveri, Michael; Elfering, Achim

    2018-06-01

    Purpose To develop a multidimensional scale to asses psychosocial beliefs-the Yellow Flag Questionnaire (YFQ)-aimed at guiding interventions for workers with chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) pain. Methods Phase 1 consisted of item selection based on literature search, item development and expert consensus rounds. In phase 2, items were reduced with calculating a quality-score per item, using structure equation modeling and confirmatory factor analysis on data from 666 workers. In phase 3, Cronbach's α, and Pearson correlations coefficients were computed to compare YFQ with disability, anxiety, depression and self-efficacy and the YFQ score based on data from 253 injured workers. Regressions of YFQ total score on disability, anxiety, depression and self-efficacy were calculated. Results After phase 1, the YFQ included 116 items and 15 domains. Further reductions of items in phase 2 by applying the item quality criteria reduced the total to 48 items. Phase factor analysis with structural equation modeling confirmed 32 items in seven domains: activity, work, emotions, harm & blame, diagnosis beliefs, co-morbidity and control. Cronbach α was 0.91 for the total score, between 0.49 and 0.81 for the 7 distinct scores of each domain, respectively. Correlations between YFQ total score ranged with disability, anxiety, depression and self-efficacy was .58, .66, .73, -.51, respectively. After controlling for age and gender the YFQ total score explained between R2 27% and R2 53% variance of disability, anxiety, depression and self-efficacy. Conclusions The YFQ, a multidimensional screening scale is recommended for use to assess psychosocial beliefs of workers with chronic MSK pain. Further evaluation of the measurement properties such as the test-retest reliability, responsiveness and prognostic validity is warranted.

  11. Factor structure and internal consistency of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12 and the Subjective Vitality Scale (VS, and the relationship between them: a study from France

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ismaïl Amany

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The objectives of this study were to test the factor structure and internal consistency of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12 and the Subjective Vitality Scale (VS in elderly French people, and to test the relationship between these two questionnaires. Methods Using a standard 'forward-backward' translation procedure, the English language versions of the two instruments (i.e. the 12-item General Health Questionnaire and the Subjective Vitality Scale were translated into French. A sample of adults aged 58–72 years then completed both questionnaires. Internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The factor structures of the two instruments were extracted by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA. Finally, the relationship between the two instruments was assessed by correlation analysis. Results In all, 217 elderly adults participated in the study. The mean age of the respondents was 61.7 (SD = 6.2 years. The mean GHQ-12 score was 17.4 (SD = 8.0, and analysis showed satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient = 0.78. The mean VS score was 22.4 (SD = 7.4 and its internal consistency was found to be good (Cronbach's alpha coefficient = 0.83. While CFA showed that the VS was uni-dimensional, analysis for the GHQ-12 demonstrated a good fit not only to the two-factor model (positive vs. negative items but also to a three-factor model. As expected, there was a strong and significant negative correlation between the GHQ-12 and the VS (r = -0.71, P Conclusion The results showed that the French versions of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12 and the Subjective Vitality Scale (VS are reliable measures of psychological distress and vitality. They also confirm a significant negative correlation between these two instruments, lending support to their convergent validity in an elderly French population. The findings indicate that both measures have good structural

  12. Selecting informative food items for compiling food-frequency questionnaires: Comparison of procedures

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Molag, M.L.; Vries, J.H.M. de; Duif, N.; Ocké, M.C.; Dagnelie, P.C.; Goldbohm, R.A.; Veer, P. van 't

    2010-01-01

    The authors automated the selection of foods in a computer system that compiles and processes tailored FFQ. For the selection of food items, several methods are available. The aim of the present study was to compare food lists made by MOM2, which identifies food items with highest between-person

  13. Pesticide applicators questionnaire content validation: A fuzzy delphi method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manakandan, S K; Rosnah, I; Mohd Ridhuan, J; Priya, R

    2017-08-01

    The most crucial step in forming a set of survey questionnaire is deciding the appropriate items in a construct. Retaining irrelevant items and removing important items will certainly mislead the direction of a particular study. This article demonstrates Fuzzy Delphi method as one of the scientific analysis technique to consolidate consensus agreement within a panel of experts pertaining to each item's appropriateness. This method reduces the ambiguity, diversity, and discrepancy of the opinions among the experts hence enhances the quality of the selected items. The main purpose of this study was to obtain experts' consensus on the suitability of the preselected items on the questionnaire. The panel consists of sixteen experts from the Occupational and Environmental Health Unit of Ministry of Health, Vector-borne Disease Control Unit of Ministry of Health and Occupational and Safety Health Unit of both public and private universities. A set of questionnaires related to noise and chemical exposure were compiled based on the literature search. There was a total of six constructs with 60 items in which three constructs for knowledge, attitude, and practice of noise exposure and three constructs for knowledge, attitude, and practice of chemical exposure. The validation process replicated recent Fuzzy Delphi method that using a concept of Triangular Fuzzy Numbers and Defuzzification process. A 100% response rate was obtained from all the sixteen experts with an average Likert scoring of four to five. Post FDM analysis, the first prerequisite was fulfilled with a threshold value (d) ≤ 0.2, hence all the six constructs were accepted. For the second prerequisite, three items (21%) from noise-attitude construct and four items (40%) from chemical-practice construct had expert consensus lesser than 75%, which giving rise to about 12% from the total items in the questionnaire. The third prerequisite was used to rank the items within the constructs by calculating the average

  14. Development of a subjective cognitive decline questionnaire using item response theory: a pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gifford, Katherine A; Liu, Dandan; Romano, Raymond; Jones, Richard N; Jefferson, Angela L

    2015-12-01

    Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) may indicate unhealthy cognitive changes, but no standardized SCD measurement exists. This pilot study aims to identify reliable SCD questions. 112 cognitively normal (NC, 76±8 years, 63% female), 43 mild cognitive impairment (MCI; 77±7 years, 51% female), and 33 diagnostically ambiguous participants (79±9 years, 58% female) were recruited from a research registry and completed 57 self-report SCD questions. Psychometric methods were used for item-reduction. Factor analytic models assessed unidimensionality of the latent trait (SCD); 19 items were removed with extreme response distribution or trait-fit. Item response theory (IRT) provided information about question utility; 17 items with low information were dropped. Post-hoc simulation using computerized adaptive test (CAT) modeling selected the most commonly used items (n=9 of 21 items) that represented the latent trait well (r=0.94) and differentiated NC from MCI participants (F(1,146)=8.9, p=0.003). Item response theory and computerized adaptive test modeling identified nine reliable SCD items. This pilot study is a first step toward refining SCD assessment in older adults. Replication of these findings and validation with Alzheimer's disease biomarkers will be an important next step for the creation of a SCD screener.

  15. The pornography craving questionnaire: psychometric properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kraus, Shane; Rosenberg, Harold

    2014-04-01

    Despite the prevalence of pornography use, and recent conceptualization of problematic use as an addiction, we could find no published scale to measure craving for pornography. Therefore, we conducted three studies employing young male pornography users to develop and evaluate such a questionnaire. In Study 1, we had participants rate their agreement with 20 potential craving items after reading a control script or a script designed to induce craving to watch pornography. We dropped eight items because of low endorsement. In Study 2, we revised both the questionnaire and cue exposure stimuli and then evaluated several psychometric properties of the modified questionnaire. Item loadings from a principal components analysis, a high internal consistency reliability coefficient, and a moderate mean inter-item correlation supported interpreting the 12 revised items as a single scale. Correlations of craving scores with preoccupation with pornography, sexual history, compulsive internet use, and sensation seeking provided support for convergent validity, criterion validity, and discriminant validity, respectively. The enhanced imagery script did not impact reported craving; however, more frequent users of pornography reported higher craving than less frequent users regardless of script condition. In Study 3, craving scores demonstrated good one-week test-retest reliability and predicted the number of times participants used pornography during the following week. This questionnaire could be applied in clinical settings to plan and evaluate therapy for problematic users of pornography and as a research tool to assess the prevalence and contextual triggers of craving among different types of pornography users.

  16. 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

  17. How French subjects describe well-being from food and eating habits? Development, item reduction and scoring definition of the Well-Being related to Food Questionnaire (Well-BFQ©).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guillemin, I; Marrel, A; Arnould, B; Capuron, L; Dupuy, A; Ginon, E; Layé, S; Lecerf, J-M; Prost, M; Rogeaux, M; Urdapilleta, I; Allaert, F-A

    2016-01-01

    Providing well-being and maintaining good health are main objectives subjects seek from diet. This manuscript describes the development and preliminary validation of an instrument assessing well-being associated with food and eating habits in a general healthy population. Qualitative data from 12 groups of discussion (102 subjects) conducted with healthy subjects were used to develop the core of the Well-being related to Food Questionnaire (Well-BFQ). Twelve other groups of discussion with subjects with joint (n = 34), digestive (n = 32) or repetitive infection complaints (n = 30) were performed to develop items specific to these complaints. Five main themes emerged from the discussions and formed the modular backbone of the questionnaire: "Grocery shopping", "Cooking", "Dining places", "Commensality", "Eating and drinking". Each module has a common structure: items about subject's food behavior and items about immediate and short-term benefits. An additional theme - "Eating habits and health" - assesses subjects' beliefs about expected benefits of food and eating habits on health, disease prevention and protection, and quality of ageing. A preliminary validation was conducted with 444 subjects with balanced diet; non-balanced diet; and standard diet. The structure of the questionnaire was further determined using principal component analyses exploratory factor analyses, with confirmation of the sub-sections food behaviors, immediate benefits (pleasure, security, relaxation), direct short-term benefits (digestion and satiety, energy and psychology), and deferred long-term benefits (eating habits and health). Thirty-three subscales and 14 single items were further defined. Confirmatory analyses confirmed the structure, with overall moderate to excellent convergent and divergent validity and internal consistency reliability. The Well-BFQ is a unique, modular tool that comprehensively assesses the full picture of well-being related to food and eating habits in

  18. Development and Psychometric Validation of the EDE-QS, a 12 Item Short Form of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gideon, Nicole; Hawkes, Nick; Mond, Jonathan; Saunders, Rob; Tchanturia, Kate; Serpell, Lucy

    2016-01-01

    Objective The aim of this study was to develop and validate a short form of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) for routine, including session by session, outcome assessment. Method The current, 28-item version (6.0) of the EDE-Q was completed by 489 individuals aged 18–72 with various eating disorders recruited from three UK specialist eating disorder services. Rasch analysis was carried out on factors identified by means of principal component analysis, which in combination with expert ratings informed the development of an EDE-Q short form. The shortened questionnaire’s reliability, validity and sensitivity was assessed based on online data collected from students of a UK university and volunteers with a history of eating disorders recruited from a national eating disorders charity aged 18–74 (N = 559). Results A 12-item short form, the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire Short (EDE-QS) was derived. The new measure showed high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .913) and temporal stability (ICC = .93; p eating disorder and comorbid psychopathology. It was sufficiently sensitive to distinguish between people with and without eating disorders. Discussion The EDE-QS is a brief, reliable and valid measure of eating disorder symptom severity that performs similarly to the EDE-Q and that lends itself for the use of sessional outcome monitoring in treatment and research. PMID:27138364

  19. Risk relievers and customer brand preference in the purchase of cars

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Seventeen risk-relievers were found to be suitable in purchase of cars. The study purported to find out the more influencing risk reducers among the chosen seventeen risk relievers in purchase of cars. Secondly the study tries to find out the impact of risk relievers based on brand choice. Seven brands namely Maruti, Tata, ...

  20. Performance of the 16-Item Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline for the Elderly (IQCODE) in an Arabic-Speaking Older Population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Phung, Thien Kieu Thi; Chaaya, Monique; Asmar, Khalil

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND/AIM: The North African and Middle Eastern region has high illiteracy rates among older people, making direct cognitive testing challenging. Validated screening instruments for dementia in Arabic are lacking. We aimed to validate the Arabic version of the 16-item Informant Questionnaire...... on Cognitive Decline for the Elderly (A-IQCODE 16) for screening for dementia through an informant. METHODS: 236 Lebanese participants older than 65 years, 143 with normal cognition and 93 with mild-to-moderate dementia according to the DSM-IV criteria, and their informants were recruited. Half...

  1. Turkish Nurses' Use of Nonpharmacological Methods for Relieving Children's Postoperative Pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Çelebioğlu, Ayda; Küçükoğlu, Sibel; Odabaşoğlu, Emel

    2015-01-01

    The experience of pain is frequently observed among children undergoing surgery. Hospitalization and surgery are stressful experiences for those children. The research was conducted to investigate and analyze Turkish nurses' use of nonpharmacological methods to relieve postoperative pain in children. The study was cross-sectional and descriptive. The study took place at 2 hospitals in eastern Turkey. Participants were 143 nurses whose patients had undergone surgical procedures at the 2 hospitals. The researchers used a questionnaire, a checklist of nonpharmacological methods, and a visual analogue scale (VAS) to collect the data. To assess the data, descriptive statistics and the χ² test were used. Of the 143 nurses, 73.4% initially had applied medication when the children had pain. Most of the nurses (58.7%) stated the children generally experienced a middle level of postoperative pain. The most frequent practices that the nurses applied after the children's surgery were (1) "providing verbal encouragement" (90.2%), a cognitive-behavioral method; (2) "a change in the child's position" (85.3%), a physical method; (3) "touch" (82.5%), a method of emotional support; and (4) "ventilation of the room" (79.7%), a regulation of the surroundings. Compared with participants with other educational levels, the cognitive-behavioral methods were the ones most commonly used by the more educated nurses (P encouraging patients with rewards, (2) helping them think happy thoughts, (3) helping them use their imaginations, (4) providing music, and (5) reading books. Female nurses used the following methods more than the male nurses did (P encouragement with rewards, (2) helping patients with deep breathing, (3) keeping a desired item beside them, (4) changing their positions, and (5) ventilating the room. Undergoing surgery is generally a painful experience for children. Nurses most commonly use cognitive-behavioral methods in the postoperative care of their pediatric patients

  2. Acromegaly Quality of Life Questionnaire (AcroQoL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lara Nuria

    2004-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Acromegaly is a chronic disease with an important impact on patients, Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL. The ability to effectively measure Health Related Quality of Life is central to describing the impacts of disease or treatment upon the patient, therefore the importance of having a disease specific questionnaire for acromegaly. For the development of the AcroQoL questionnaire different sources of information were used: first a literature search was performed to identify relevant papers describing the impact of acromegaly in HRQoL, second the main domains of impact on HRQoL were identified by 10 experts endocrinologists, and third ten in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted in acromegalic patients to identify domains and items related to the self-perceived impact of acromegaly in patients' life. After a proper qualitative analysis a preliminary 38 item questionnaire was obtained. Rasch analysis concluded with a final 22 item questionnaire. The measurement properties (validity and reliability of the resulting final questionnaire were tested and compared using standard procedures (Cronbach's Alpha and item-total correlation. The evaluation of the item parameters confirmed the construct validity of the new instrument. Responsiveness to change was assessed in a small sample of 32 acromegalic patients with active disease in Spain who were administered the AcroQoL and the generic questionnaire EuroQoL 5-D. The results showed a statistically significant relationship between all the dimensions of AcroQoL and the VAS (visual analogic scale of EQ-5D. An improvement in the global score of AcroQoL was related to a global improvement in the VAS of the EQ-5D. Following the current recommended standard methodology the Spanish questionnaire was translated into eleven other languages.

  3. Peening as a stress relieving method for welded joints

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ferreira, M.L.R.

    1984-01-01

    The efficacy of the process of stress relieving by hammer-peening, in heavy plates of low carbon steel is analysed. The effects of peening in the mechanical properties of welded metal deposited by shield metal arc welding, using the electrodes E-6010, E-7018 and E-8018C-2, and the weld metal deposited by submerged arc welding, using the filler metals ENil and EA3, are also analysed. X-ray diffraction was used in order to verify the efficacy of peening as a stress-relieving process. The obtained results and the literature reviewed show that, peening is effective in stress relieving. (author) [pt

  4. A Randomized Controlled Trial to Compare the Safety and Efficacy of Tadalafil and Tamsulosin in Relieving Double J Stent Related Symptoms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Satinder Pal Aggarwal

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of Tadalafil and Tamsulosin in treating Double J stent related symptoms. Methods. In a prospective study, 161 patients with DJ related symptoms were randomized into 3 groups: Group A patients (54, Group B patients (53, and Group C patients (54. They were given Tadalafil, Tamsulosin, and placebo, respectively, at 1st week till removal of DJ stent at 3rd week. All patients completed Ureteral Stent Symptom Questionnaire (USSQ at 1st week and at 3rd week. The statistical significant difference among groups was determined by the t-test, Kruskal-Wallis test and multivariate analysis were used to assess association of the variables within the three groups, and the level of significance was set at P<0.05. Results. Tadalafil and Tamsulosin were comparable in relieving urinary symptoms, general health, and work performance (OR = 0.65, 1.8, and 0.92. But Tadalafil was more effective in relieving body pain, sexual problems, and additional problems than Tamsulosin (OR = 5.95, 19.25, and 2.69 and was statistically significant as P<0.05. Conclusion. Tadalafil was as effective as Tamsulosin in relieving urinary symptom but more effective in relieving sexual symptoms and body pain.

  5. The psychometric properties of the 5-item gratitude questionnaire in Chinese adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Y; Ling, Y; Huebner, E S; He, Y; Lei, X

    2017-05-01

    WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: The GQ-6 is one of the most widely used self-report questionnaires to evaluate the level of gratitude among adults. The GQ-5 appears suitable for adolescents. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: We developed a Chinese version of the GQ-5 and examined evidence for its reliability and validity. Results demonstrated adequate reliability and validity, indicating that it is appropriate for the assessment of gratitude in Chinese adolescents. In addition, Chinese early adolescent females reported higher gratitude than adolescent males. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Screening adolescents who have lower levels of gratitude through the GQ-5 could help identify students who may benefit from empirically validated interventions to promote higher levels of gratitude in an effort to promote positive psychosocial and academic outcomes. Background This study was conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the 5-item Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-5). Method The sample consisted of 2093 middle school students (46.8% males) in mainland China. Confirmatory factor analysis and multigroup confirmatory factor analysis were performed to examine the factor structure and the measurement equivalence across gender. The convergent validity, Cronbach's α and mean interitem correlations of the GQ-5 were also evaluated. Results The results provided evidence of internal consistency reliability through a Cronbach's α of 0.812 and a mean interitem correlation of 0.463 for the total sample. The results also supported a one-dimensional factor structure. In addition, convergent validity was assessed by statistically significant positive correlations between the GQ-5 and the two subscales of the Children's Hope Scale (CHS) and the Brief Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS) total score. Finally, multigroup confirmatory factor analysis also demonstrated measurement equivalence across gender. Subsequent

  6. Thermal stress relieving of dilute uranium alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eckelmeyer, K.H.

    1980-01-01

    The kinetics of thermal stress relieving of uranium - 2.3 wt. % niobium, uranium - 2.0 wt. % molybdenum, and uranium - 0.75 wt. % titanium are reported and discussed. Two temperature regimes of stress relieving are observed. In the low temperature regime (T 0 C) the process appears to be controlled by an athermal microplasticity mechanism which can be completely suppressed by prior age hardening. In the high temperature regime (300 0 C 0 C) the process appears to be controlled by a classical diffusional creep mechanism which is strongly dependent on temperature and time. Stress relieving is accelerated in cases where it occurs simultaneously with age hardening. The potential danger of residual stress induced stress corrosion cracking of uranium alloys is discussed. It is shown that the residual stress relief which accompanies age hardening of uranium - 0.75% titanium more than compensates for the reduction in K/sub ISCC/ caused by aging. As a result, age hardening actually decreases the susceptibility of this alloy to residual stress induced stress corrosion cracking

  7. RELIEVE: A FORTRAN 77 program for numerical and graphical processing of digital topographic maps; RELIEVE: Un programa FORTRAN para procesamiento numerico y grafico de mapas topograficos digitalizados

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sanchez, J.J.; Gorostiza, C.

    1995-07-01

    The RELIEVE program was developed in order to its integration with the expert system SIRENAS, in the frame of the Industrial Risks Programme, within the CIEMAT center. For accomplishing this mentioned system, arose the necessity of an additional component enabled for analyzing the topography (relieve) of the territory in which the focused site is located. That is just the mission of the RELIEVE program. Basically RELIEVE analyses the digitalized data points of a determinate topographic area, around a location of interest. The program allows us estimation by numerical techniques, using IMSL library, of the deep width, and other geometrical characteristics of the valley that is involved in. Optionally RELIEVE produces also graphical outputs concerning 3D representation of topographical map, level curves, sections of interest considered in the valley, etc., by means of the DISSPLA II library, running in the IBM system of the CIEMAT. (Author) 5 refs.

  8. RELIEVE: A FORTRAN 77 program for numerical and graphical processing of digital topographic maps; RELIEVE: Un programa FORTRAN para procesamiento numerico y grafico de mapas topograficos digitalizados

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sanchez, J.J.; Gorostiza, C.

    1995-12-01

    The RELIEVE program was developed in order to its integration with the expert system SIRENAS, in the frame of the Industrial Risks Programme, within the CIEMAT center. For accomplishing this mentioned system, arose the necessity of an additional component unable for analyzing the topography (relieve) of the territory in which the focused site is located. That one is just the mission of the RELIEVE program. Basically RELIEVE analyses the digitalized data points of a determined topographic area, around a location of interest. The program allows us estimation by numerical techniques, using IMSL library, of the deep width, and other geometrical characteristics of the valley that are involved in. Optionally RELIEVE produces also graphical outputs concerning 3D representation of topographical map, level curves, sections of interest considered in the valley, etc., by means of the DISSPLA II library, running in the IBM system of the CIEMAT. (Author)

  9. [Validation of a questionnaire to evaluate patient safety in clinical laboratories].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giménez Marín, Ángeles; Rivas-Ruiz, Francisco

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this study was to prepare, pilot and validate a questionnaire to evaluate patient safety in the specific context of clinical laboratories. A specific questionnaire on patient safety in the laboratory, with 62 items grouped into six areas, was developed, taking into consideration the diverse human and laboratory contextual factors which may contribute to producing errors. A pilot study of 30 interviews was carried out, including validity and reliability analyses using principal components factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha. Subsequently, 240 questionnaires were sent to 21 hospitals, followed by a test-retest of 41 questionnaires with the definitive version. The sample analyzed was composed of 225 questionnaires (an overall response rate of 80%). Of the 62 items initially assessed, 17 were eliminated due to non-compliance with the criteria established before the principal components factor analysis was performed. For the 45 remaining items, 12 components were identified, with an cumulative variance of 69.5%. In seven of the 10 components with two or more items, Cronbach's alpha was higher than 0.7. The questionnaire items assessed in the test-retest were found to be stable. We present the first questionnaire with sufficiently proven validity and reliability for evaluating patient safety in the specific context of clinical laboratories. This questionnaire provides a useful instrument to perform a subsequent macrostudy of hospital clinical laboratories in Spain. The questionnaire can also be used to monitor and promote commitment to patient safety within the search for continuous quality improvement. Copyright © 2011 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  10. An emotional functioning item bank of 24 items for computerized adaptive testing (CAT) was established

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Morten Aa.; Gamper, Eva-Maria; Costantini, Anna

    2016-01-01

    of the widely used EORTC Quality of Life questionnaire (QLQ-C30). STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: On the basis of literature search and evaluations by international samples of experts and cancer patients, 38 candidate items were developed. The psychometric properties of the items were evaluated in a large...... international sample of cancer patients. This included evaluations of dimensionality, item response theory (IRT) model fit, differential item functioning (DIF), and of measurement precision/statistical power. RESULTS: Responses were obtained from 1,023 cancer patients from four countries. The evaluations showed...... that 24 items could be included in a unidimensional IRT model. DIF did not seem to have any significant impact on the estimation of EF. Evaluations indicated that the CAT measure may reduce sample size requirements by up to 50% compared to the QLQ-C30 EF scale without reducing power. CONCLUSION...

  11. Construct validity of the items on the Stroke Specific Quality of Life (SS-QOL) questionnaire that evaluate the participation component of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, Soraia Micaela; Corrêa, Fernanda Ishida; Pereira, Gabriela Santos; Faria, Christina Danielli Coelho de Morais; Corrêa, João Carlos Ferrari

    2018-01-01

    Analyze the construct validity and internal consistency of the Stroke Specific Quality of Life (SS-QOL) items that address the participation component of the ICF as well as analyze the ceiling and floor effects. One hundred subjects were analyzed: 85 community-dwelling and 15 institutionalized individuals. The analysis of construct validity was performed using classic psychometrics: (1) the comparison of known groups (individuals without restriction to participation vs. those with restriction to participation) using the Mann-Whitney test and (2) convergent validity - correlation between the scores on the SS-QOL items that address participation and the subscale scores of measures used to evaluate the similar constructs and concepts [the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and grip strength test]. Spearman's correlation coefficients were calculated for this analysis. Cronbach's α was used for the analysis of internal consistency and both the ceiling and floor effects were analyzed. The level of significance for all analyses was α = 0.05. The a priori hypotheses regarding construct validity were partially demonstrated, as only five of the eight domains exhibited positive moderate to strong correlations (r > 0.40) with measures that address constructs similar to those addressed on the SS-QOL questionnaire. The items demonstrated adequate internal consistency and are capable of differentiating individuals with and without restriction to participation. The ceiling and floor effects were considered adequate for the total SS-QOL score, but beyond acceptable standards for some domains. The 26 items of the SS-QOL questionnaire measure a multidimensional construct and therefore do not only address participation. However, the items demonstrated adequate internal consistency and are capable of differentiating individuals with and without restriction to participation. Implications for rehabilitation The 26 items of the SS

  12. Using existing questionnaires in latent class analysis: should we use summary scores or single items as input? A methodological study using a cohort of patients with low back pain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nielsen AM

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Anne Molgaard Nielsen,1 Werner Vach,2 Peter Kent,1,3 Lise Hestbaek,1,4 Alice Kongsted1,4 1Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; 2Center for Medical Biometry and Medical Informatics, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; 3School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Curtin University, Perth, Australia; 4Nordic Institute of Chiropractic and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark Background: Latent class analysis (LCA is increasingly being used in health research, but optimal approaches to handling complex clinical data are unclear. One issue is that commonly used questionnaires are multidimensional, but expressed as summary scores. Using the example of low back pain (LBP, the aim of this study was to explore and descriptively compare the application of LCA when using questionnaire summary scores and when using single items to subgrouping of patients based on multidimensional data. Materials and methods: Baseline data from 928 LBP patients in an observational study were classified into four health domains (psychology, pain, activity, and participation using the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health framework. LCA was performed within each health domain using the strategies of summary-score and single-item analyses. The resulting subgroups were descriptively compared using statistical measures and clinical interpretability. Results: For each health domain, the preferred model solution ranged from five to seven subgroups for the summary-score strategy and seven to eight subgroups for the single-item strategy. There was considerable overlap between the results of the two strategies, indicating that they were reflecting the same underlying data structure. However, in three of the four health domains, the single-item strategy resulted in a more nuanced description, in terms

  13. Patient-reported questionnaires in MS rehabilitation: responsiveness and minimal important difference of the multiple sclerosis questionnaire for physiotherapists (MSQPT).

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Maas, Nico Arie

    2017-03-16

    The Multiple Sclerosis Questionnaire for Physical Therapists (MSQPT) is a patient-rated outcome questionnaire for evaluating the rehabilitation of persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). Responsiveness was evaluated, and minimal important difference (MID) estimates were calculated to provide thresholds for clinical change for four items, three sections and the total score of the MSQPT. This multicentre study used a combined distribution- and anchor-based approach with multiple anchors and multiple rating of change questions. Responsiveness was evaluated using effect size, standardized response mean (SRM), modified SRM and relative efficiency. For distribution-based MID estimates, 0.2 and 0.33 standard deviations (SD), standard error of measurement (SEM) and minimal detectable change were used . Triangulation of anchor- and distribution-based MID estimates provided a range of MID values for each of the four items, the three sections and the total score of the MSQPT. The MID values were tested for their sensitivity and specificity for amelioration and deterioration for each of the four items, the three sections and the total score of the MSQPT. The MID values of each item and section and of the total score with the best sensitivity and specificity were selected as thresholds for clinical change. The outcome measures were the MSQPT, Hamburg Quality of Life Questionnaire for Multiple Sclerosis (HAQUAMS), rating of change questionnaires, Expanded Disability Status Scale, 6-metre timed walking test, Berg Balance Scale and 6-minute walking test. The effect size ranged from 0.46 to 1.49. The SRM data showed comparable results. The modified SRM ranged from 0.00 to 0.60. Anchor-based MID estimates were very low and were comparable with SD- and SEM-based estimates. The MSQPT was more responsive than the HAQUAMS in detecting improvement but less responsive in finding deterioration. The best MID estimates of the items, sections and total score, expressed in percentage of their

  14. The measurement artifact in the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caught, K; Shadur, M A; Rodwell, J J

    2000-12-01

    This study empirically examined the debate in the literature regarding the dimensionality of the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire. The sample comprised 803 employees from organizations in the information technology and hospitality industries. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire appears to have a two-factor structure, with one factor consisting of positively worded items and the other factor, negatively worded items. Scores on both factors correlated significantly with job satisfaction, suggesting that both factors appear to be measuring a similar aspect of organizational commitment and that they present as two factors given as measurement artifacts of the item wording.

  15. Adaptive Vocational Personality Questionnaire Development and Validation of an adaptive personality questionnaire to analyze the vocational behavior of university students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amparo Gómez-Artiga

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available This study presents a personality evaluation instrument adapted to the vocational setting: the Adaptive Vocational Personality Questionnaire (AVPQ. The questionnaire was developed and tested in a sample of 2160 university students in the final years of their degree programs. The purpose of the study is to validate the questionnaire, providing evidence about its internal structure and its usefulness for predicting scores on a criterion scale. A confirmatory factor analysis combined with a cross-validation design was used: the exploratory sample (n = 879 helped to identify the model with the factorial structure that best fit the relations among the items. As expected, this model had two related but clearly separate factors: Adaptive Personality Characteristics (AC with 9 items and Non-Adaptive Personality Characteristics (NAC with 11 items. The validation sample (n =932 was used to test the generalization capacity of this model, which was satisfactory and showed a good reliability index. Regarding its usefulness in predicting proactive job-search behaviors, the results were also satisfactory. The questionnaire and keys are provided, as well as the criteria for calculating the scores on each scale and on the entire questionnaire.

  16. Psychometric properties of the 25-item Work Limitations Questionnaire in Japan: factor structure, validity, and reliability in information and communication technology company employees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kono, Yuko; Matsushima, Eisuke; Uji, Masayo

    2014-02-01

    The 25-item Work Limitations Questionnaire (WLQ-25) measures presenteeism but has not been sufficiently validated in a Japanese population. A total of 451 employees from four information technology companies in Tokyo completed the WLQ-25 and questionnaires of other variables on two occasions, 2 weeks apart. The WLQ-25 yielded a two-factor structure: Cognitive Demand and Physical Demand. These subscales showed good internal consistency, and both were associated with adverse working conditions, greater perceived job strain, lower skill use, poorer workplace social support, and less satisfactory psychological adjustment. Intraclass correlation coefficients of the two WLQ-25 subscales between time 1 and time 2 were 0.78 and 0.55, respectively. This study suggests acceptable psychometric properties of the WLQ-25 in Japan.

  17. Questionnaire discrimination: (re-introducing coefficient δ

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hankins Matthew

    2007-05-01

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

  18. Comparison of single questions and brief questionnaire with longer validated food frequency questionnaire to assess adequate fruit and vegetable intake.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cook, Amelia; Roberts, Kia; O'Leary, Fiona; Allman-Farinelli, Margaret Anne

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was to determine if a single question (SQ) for fruit and a SQ or five-item questionnaire for vegetable consumption (VFQ) could replace a longer food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to screen for inadequate versus adequate intakes in populations. Participants (109) completed three test screeners: fruit SQ, vegetable SQ, and a five-item VFQ followed by the reference 74-item FFQ (version 2 of the Dietary Questionnaire for Epidemiological Studies [DQESv2]) including 13 fruit and 25 vegetable items. The five-item VFQ asked about intake of salad vegetables, cooked vegetables, white potatoes, legumes, and vegetable juice. The screeners were compared with the reference (DQESv2 FFQ) for sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive powers (PPV, NPV) to detect intakes of two or more servings of fruit and three or more servings of vegetables. Relative validity was examined using Bland-Altman statistics. The fruit SQ showed a PPV of 56% and an NPV of 83%. The PPV for the vegetable SQ was 30% and the NPV was 89%. For the five-item VFQ, the PPV was 39% and the NPV was 85%. Bland-Altman plots and linear regression equations showed that although the screener showed good agreement for fruit (unstandardized b1 coefficient = 0.04) for vegetable intake the difference between methods increased at higher intake levels (unstandardized b1 coefficients = -0.3 for the SQ, b1 = -0.6 for five-item VFQ). The fruit SQ and the five-item VFQ are suitable replacements for longer FFQs to detect inadequate intake and assess population mean but not individual intakes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Topical Pain Relievers May Cause Burns

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... joint pain relievers containing the active ingredients menthol, methyl salicylate and capsaicin. These cases were uncovered by FDA ... people who purchase these products, Tan notes. Menthol, methyl salicylate and capsaicin create sensations of local warmth or ...

  20. Parental authority questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buri, J R

    1991-08-01

    A questionnaire was developed for the purpose of measuring Baumrind's (1971) permissive, authoritarian, and authoritative parental authority prototypes. It consists of 30 items per parent and yields permissive, authoritarian, and authoritative scores for both the mother and the father; each of these scores is derived from the phenomenological appraisals of the parents' authority by their son or daughter. The results of several studies have supported the Parental Authority Questionnaire as a psychometrically sound and valid measure of Baumrind's parental authority prototypes, and they have suggested that this questionnaire has considerable potential as a valuable tool in the investigation of correlates of parental permissiveness, authoritarianism, and authoritativeness.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bongkyoo Choi

    2015-04-01

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

  2. Development and Validation of the Motivation for Tutoring Questionnaire in Problem-Based Learning Programs

    OpenAIRE

    Kassab, Salah Eldin; Hassan, Nahla; El-Araby, Shimaa; Salem, Abdel Halim; Alrebish, Saleh Ali; Al-Amro, Ahmed S.; Al-Shobaili, Hani A.; Hamdy, Hossam

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: There are no published instruments, which measure tutor motivation for conducting small group tutorials in problem-based learning programs. Therefore, we aimed to develop a motivation for tutoring questionnaire in problem-based learning (MTQ-PBL) and evaluate its construct validity. Methods: The questionnaire included 28 items representing four constructs: tutoring self-efficacy (15 items), tutoring interest (6 items), tutoring value (4 items), and tutoring effort (3 items). Tutor...

  3. Development and initial validation of the Bristol Impact of Hypermobility questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palmer, S; Cramp, F; Lewis, R; Gould, G; Clark, E M

    2017-06-01

    Stage 1 - to identify the impact of joint hypermobility syndrome (JHS) on adults; Stage 2 - to develop a questionnaire to assess the impact of JHS; and Stage 3 - to undertake item reduction and establish the questionnaire's concurrent validity. A mixed methods study employing qualitative focus groups and interviews (Stage 1); a working group of patients, clinicians and researchers, and 'think aloud' interviews (Stage 2); and quantitative analysis of questionnaire responses (Stage 3). Stages 1 and 2 took place in one secondary care hospital in the UK. Members of a UK-wide patient organisation were recruited in Stage 3. In total, 15, four and 615 participants took part in Stages 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Inclusion criteria were: age ≥18 years; diagnosis of JHS; no other conditions affecting physical function; able to give informed consent; and able to understand and communicate in English. None. The development of a questionnaire to assess the impact of JHS. Stage 1 identified a wide range of impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions In Stage 2, a draft questionnaire was developed and refined following 'think aloud' analysis, leaving 94 scored items. In Stage 3, items were removed on the basis of low severity and/or high correlation with other items. The final Bristol Impact of Hypermobility (BIoH) questionnaire had 55 scored items, and correlated well with the physical component score of the Short Form 36 health questionnaire (r=-0.725). The BIoH questionnaire demonstrated good concurrent validity. Further psychometric properties need to be established. Copyright © 2016 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. [Good reproducibility of a 14-item food frequency questionnaire for cardiovascular prevention in students].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balquet, L; Noury-Desvaux, B; Jaquinandi, V; Mahé, G

    2015-02-01

    Diet is a modifiable risk factor of atherosclerosis. A 14-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) has been developed. The reproducibility of this FFQ is unknown in a student population whereas its use could be of interest. This FFQ allows calculating different scores for different food groups involved in cardiovascular disease. The vascular dietary score (VDS) can be calculated. The VSD ranges from -17 to +19. The higher the VSD, the better diet. Reproducibility was assessed in sports faculty students using mean tests comparing measurement 1 and 2 (minimum time interval ≥ 7 days) and intra-class correlation (ICC) tests. Thirty students (50% men) were included in a French Sports Faculty. Time between two FFQ assessments was 19 ± 9 days. Mean VSD was 0.50 ± 3.70 for the first assessment and 0.30 ± 3.14 for the second one (non significant). Any score for each food group was statistically significant between the first and the second measurement. ICC of VSD was 0.68 [95% confidence interval: 0.43-0.83]. This FFQ that assesses a risky vascular diet has good reproducibility. This tool could be useful for large studies involving students. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  5. Validation of the Reflux Disease Questionnaire into Greek

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eirini Oikonomidou

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Primary care physicians face challenges in diagnosing and managing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD. The Reflux Disease Questionnaire (RDQ meets the standards of validity, reliability, and practicability. This paper reports on the validation of the Greek translation of the RDQ. RDQ is a condition specific instrument. For the validation of the questionnaire, the internal consistency of its items was established using the alpha coefficient of Chronbach. The reproducibility (test-retest reliability was measured by kappa correlation coefficient and the criterion of validity was calculated against the diagnosis of another questionnaire already translated and validated into Greek (IDGP using kappa correlation coefficient. A factor analysis was also performed. Greek RDQ showed a high overall internal consistency (alpha value: 0.91 for individual comparison. All 8 items regarding heartburn and regurgitation, GERD, had good reproducibility (Cohen’s κ 0.60-0.79, while the remaining 4 items about dyspepsia had a moderate reproducibility (Cohen’s κ=’ 0.40-0.59 The kappa coefficient for criterion validity for GERD was rather poor (0.20, 95% CI: 0.04, 0.36 and the overall agreement between the results of the RDQ questionnaire and those based on the IDGP questionnaire was 70.5%. Factor analysis indicated 3 factors with Eigenvalue over 1.0, and responsible for 76.91% of variance. Regurgitation items correlated more strongly with the third component but pain behind sternum and upper stomach pain correlated with the second component. The Greek version of RDQ seems to be a reliable and valid instrument following the pattern of the original questionnaire, and could be used in primary care research in Greece.

  6. Development and validation of the Perceived Food Environment Questionnaire in a French-Canadian population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carbonneau, Elise; Robitaille, Julie; Lamarche, Benoît; Corneau, Louise; Lemieux, Simone

    2017-08-01

    The present study aimed to develop and validate a questionnaire assessing perceived food environment in a French-Canadian population. A questionnaire, the Perceived Food Environment Questionnaire, was developed assessing perceived accessibility to healthy (nine items) and unhealthy foods (three items). A pre-test sample was recruited for a pilot testing of the questionnaire. For the validation study, another sample was recruited and completed the questionnaire twice. Exploratory factor analysis was performed on the items to assess the number of factors (subscales). Cronbach's α was used to measure internal consistency reliability. Test-retest reliability was assessed with Pearson correlations. Online survey. Men and women from the Québec City area (n 31 in the pre-test sample; n 150 in the validation study sample). The pilot testing did not lead to any change in the questionnaire. The exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-subscale structure. The first subscale is composed of six items assessing accessibility to healthy foods and the second includes three items related to accessibility to unhealthy foods. Three items were removed from the questionnaire due to low loading on the two subscales. The subscales demonstrated adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's α=0·77 for healthy foods and 0·62 for unhealthy foods) and test-retest reliability (r=0·59 and 0·60, respectively; both PFood Environment Questionnaire was developed for a French-Canadian population and demonstrated good psychometric properties. Further validation is recommended if the questionnaire is to be used in other populations.

  7. Experimentally Manipulating Items Informs on the (Limited Construct and Criterion Validity of the Humor Styles Questionnaire

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Willibald Ruch

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available How strongly does humor (i.e., the construct-relevant content in the Humor Styles Questionnaire (HSQ; Martin et al., 2003 determine the responses to this measure (i.e., construct validity? Also, how much does humor influence the relationships of the four HSQ scales, namely affiliative, self-enhancing, aggressive, and self-defeating, with personality traits and subjective well-being (i.e., criterion validity? The present paper answers these two questions by experimentally manipulating the 32 items of the HSQ to only (or mostly contain humor (i.e., construct-relevant content or to substitute the humor content with non-humorous alternatives (i.e., only assessing construct-irrelevant context. Study 1 (N = 187 showed that the HSQ affiliative scale was mainly determined by humor, self-enhancing and aggressive were determined by both humor and non-humorous context, and self-defeating was primarily determined by the context. This suggests that humor is not the primary source of the variance in three of the HQS scales, thereby limiting their construct validity. Study 2 (N = 261 showed that the relationships of the HSQ scales to the Big Five personality traits and subjective well-being (positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction were consistently reduced (personality or vanished (subjective well-being when the non-humorous contexts in the HSQ items were controlled for. For the HSQ self-defeating scale, the pattern of relationships to personality was also altered, supporting an positive rather than a negative view of the humor in this humor style. The present findings thus call for a reevaluation of the role that humor plays in the HSQ (construct validity and in the relationships to personality and well-being (criterion validity.

  8. Experimentally Manipulating Items Informs on the (Limited) Construct and Criterion Validity of the Humor Styles Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruch, Willibald; Heintz, Sonja

    2017-01-01

    How strongly does humor (i.e., the construct-relevant content) in the Humor Styles Questionnaire (HSQ; Martin et al., 2003) determine the responses to this measure (i.e., construct validity)? Also, how much does humor influence the relationships of the four HSQ scales, namely affiliative, self-enhancing, aggressive, and self-defeating, with personality traits and subjective well-being (i.e., criterion validity)? The present paper answers these two questions by experimentally manipulating the 32 items of the HSQ to only (or mostly) contain humor (i.e., construct-relevant content) or to substitute the humor content with non-humorous alternatives (i.e., only assessing construct-irrelevant context). Study 1 ( N = 187) showed that the HSQ affiliative scale was mainly determined by humor, self-enhancing and aggressive were determined by both humor and non-humorous context, and self-defeating was primarily determined by the context. This suggests that humor is not the primary source of the variance in three of the HQS scales, thereby limiting their construct validity. Study 2 ( N = 261) showed that the relationships of the HSQ scales to the Big Five personality traits and subjective well-being (positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction) were consistently reduced (personality) or vanished (subjective well-being) when the non-humorous contexts in the HSQ items were controlled for. For the HSQ self-defeating scale, the pattern of relationships to personality was also altered, supporting an positive rather than a negative view of the humor in this humor style. The present findings thus call for a reevaluation of the role that humor plays in the HSQ (construct validity) and in the relationships to personality and well-being (criterion validity).

  9. Evaluation of complementary-alternative medicine (CAM) questionnaire development for Indonesian clinical psychologists: A pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liem, Andrian; Newcombe, Peter A; Pohlman, Annie

    2017-08-01

    This study aimed to evaluate questionnaire development to measure the knowledge of Complementary-Alternative Medicine (CAM), attitudes towards CAM, CAM experiences, and CAM educational needs of clinical psychologists in Indonesia. A 26-item questionnaire was developed through an extensive literature search. Data was obtained from provisional psychologists from the Master of Professional Clinical Psychology programs at two established public universities in urban areas of Indonesia. To validate the questionnaire, panel reviews by executive members of the Indonesian Clinical Psychology Association (ICPA), experts in health psychology, and experts in public health and CAM provided their professional judgements. The self-reporting questionnaire consisted of four scales including: knowledge of CAM (6 items), attitudes towards CAM (10 items), CAM experiences (4 items), and CAM educational needs (6 items). All scales, except CAM Experiences, were assessed on a 7-point Likert scale. Sixty provisional psychologists were eligible to complete the questionnaire with a response rate of 73% (N=44). The results showed that the CAM questionnaire was reliable (Cronbach's coefficient alpha range=0.62-0.96; item-total correlation range=0.14-0.92) and demonstrated content validity. Following further psychometric evaluation, the CAM questionnaire may provide the evidence-based information to inform the education and practice of Indonesian clinical psychologists. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Development of a questionnaire to measure heart disease risk knowledge in people with diabetes: the Heart Disease Fact Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagner, Julie; Lacey, Kimberly; Chyun, Deborah; Abbott, Gina

    2005-07-01

    This paper describes a paper and pencil questionnaire that measures heart disease risk knowledge in people with diabetes. The Heart Disease Fact Questionnaire (HDFQ) is a 25-item questionnaire that was developed to tap into respondents' knowledge of major risk factors for the development of CHD. Approximately half of these items specifically address diabetes-related CHD risk factors. Based on extensive pilot data, the current study analyzed responses from 524 people with diabetes to assess the psychometric properties. The HDFQ is readable to an average 13-year old and imposes little burden. It shows good content and face validity. It demonstrates adequate internal consistency, with Kuder-Richardson-20 formula = 0.77 and good item-total correlations. Item analysis showed a desirable range in P-values. In discriminant function analyses, HDFQ scores differentiated respondents by knowledge of their own cardiovascular health, use of lipid lowering medications, health insurance status, and educational attainment, thus indicating good criterion related validity. This measure of heart disease risk knowledge is brief, understandable to respondents, and easy to administer and score. Its potential for use in research and practice is discussed. Future research should establish norms as well as investigate its test-retest reliability and predictive validity.

  11. End-of-life decision making in respiratory failure. The therapeutic choices in chronic respiratory failure in a 7-item questionnaire

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dagmar Elfriede Rinnenburger

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: The transition from paternalistic medicine to a healthcare culture centred on the patient's decision making autonomy presents problems of communication and understanding. Chronic respiratory failure challenges patients, their families and caregivers with important choices, such as invasive and non-invasive mechanical ventilation and tracheostomy, which, especially in the case of neuromuscular diseases, can significantly postpone the end of life. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A 7-item questionnaire was administered to 100 patients with advanced COPD, neuromuscular diseases and pulmonary fibrosis, all of them on oxygen therapy and receiving day-hospital treatment for respiratory failure. The objective was to find out whether or not patients, if faced with a deterioration of their health condition, would want to take part in the decision making process and, if so, how and with whom. RESULTS. Results showed that: 90% of patients wanted to be interviewed, 10% preferred not to be interviewed, 82% wanted to be regularly updated on their clinical situation, 75% wanted to be intubated, if necessary, and 56% would also agree to have a tracheostomy. These choices have been confirmed one year later, with 93% of respondents accepting the questionnaire and considering it useful. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible to conclude that a simple questionnaire can be a useful tool contributing to therapeutic decision making in respiratory failure.

  12. Questionnaire Construction Manual

    Science.gov (United States)

    1976-07-01

    fwiW ........ ..., „.,. , r-m-lili^fa^BMiai igMiit VI-C Page 3 1 Jul 76 (2) All questionnaire items should be gramatically correct. (3) All...kept in mind: a. All response alternatives should follow the stem both gramatically and logically, and if possible, be parallel in structure. b

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2015-01-01

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

  14. 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.

  15. Questionnaire measuring training's impact

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Corfield, R.A.

    1987-01-01

    A questionnaire has been prepared to evaluate the impact of training of a nuclear power plant. Items covered are the degree to which training is systematic, the influence that should be exerted by INPO, and the costs of an effective training program

  16. The development of a screening questionnaire for obstructive sleep apnoea in children with Down syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emma eSanders

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Obstructive sleep apnoea is a condition which affects an estimated 50% of children with Down syndrome, particularly in their early years. It can cause serious sequelae in affected children but may not be recognised by parents or health professionals. Routine screening has been recommended in some countries but is not standard practice. There are no validated questionnaire based tools available to screen this population of children for this particular sleep-related disorder. Using existing validated sleep questionnaire items, we have developed a questionnaire to screen children with Down syndrome up to 6 years of age for obstructive sleep apnoea, which corresponds with the recommendations made in UK national guidelines. This paper describes these first steps in demonstrating content validity for a new questionnaire which will be subject to further in-depth psychometric analysis. Relevance, clarity and age-appropriateness was rated for 33 items using a content review questionnaire by a group of 18 health professionals with expertise in respiratory paediatrics, neurodevelopmental paediatrics and sleep physiology. The content validity index was calculated for individual items and contributed to decisions about item inclusion. Scale level content validity index for the modified questionnaire of 14 items was at an accepted level of 0.78. Two parents of children with Down syndrome took part in cognitive interviews after completing the modified questionnaire. We describe the development of this 14 item questionnaire to screen for OSA in children with DS from infancy to 6 years.

  17. The English version of the four-dimensional symptom questionnaire (4DSQ) measures the same as the original Dutch questionnaire: a validation study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terluin, Berend; Smits, Niels; Miedema, Baukje

    2014-12-01

    Translations of questionnaires need to be carefully validated to assure that the translation measures the same construct(s) as the original questionnaire. The four-dimensional symptom questionnaire (4DSQ) is a Dutch self-report questionnaire measuring distress, depression, anxiety and somatization. To evaluate the equivalence of the English version of the 4DSQ. 4DSQ data of English and Dutch speaking general practice attendees were analysed and compared. The English speaking group consisted of 205 attendees, aged 18-64 years, in general practice, in Canada whereas the Dutch group consisted of 302 general practice attendees in the Netherlands. Differential item functioning (DIF) analysis was conducted using the Mantel-Haenszel method and ordinal logistic regression. Differential test functioning (DTF; i.e., the scale impact of DIF) was evaluated using linear regression analysis. DIF was detected in 2/16 distress items, 2/6 depression items, 2/12 anxiety items, and 1/16 somatization items. With respect to mean scale scores, the impact of DIF on the scale level was negligible for all scales. On the anxiety scale DIF caused the English speaking patients with moderate to severe anxiety to score about one point lower than Dutch patients with the same anxiety level. The English 4DSQ measures the same constructs like the original Dutch 4DSQ. The distress, depression and somatization scales can employ the same cut-off points as the corresponding Dutch scales. However, cut-off points of the English 4DSQ anxiety scale should be lowered by one point to retain the same meaning as the Dutch anxiety cut-off points.

  18. Evaluating a questionnaire to measure improvement initiatives in Swedish healthcare

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andersson Ann-Christine

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Quality improvement initiatives have expanded recently within the healthcare sector. Studies have shown that less than 40% of these initiatives are successful, indicating the need for an instrument that can measure the progress and results of quality improvement initiatives and answer questions about how quality initiatives are conducted. The aim of the present study was to develop and test an instrument to measure improvement process and outcome in Swedish healthcare. Methods A questionnaire, founded on the Minnesota Innovation Survey (MIS, was developed in several steps. Items were merged and answer alternatives were revised. Employees participating in a county council improvement program received the web-based questionnaire. Data was analysed by descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. The questionnaire psychometric properties were investigated and an exploratory factor analysis was conducted. Results The Swedish Improvement Measurement Questionnaire consists of 27 items. The Improvement Effectiveness Outcome dimension consists of three items and has a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.67. The Internal Improvement Processes dimension consists of eight sub-dimensions with a total of 24 items. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the complete dimension was 0.72. Three significant item correlations were found. A large involvement in the improvement initiative was shown and the majority of the respondents were satisfied with their work. Conclusions The psychometric property tests suggest initial support for the questionnaire to study and evaluate quality improvement initiatives in Swedish healthcare settings. The overall satisfaction with the quality improvement initiative correlates positively to the awareness of individual responsibilities.

  19. Development of a psychosocial adaptation questionnaire for Chinese patients with visual impairments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiu-jie; Wang, Ai-ping

    2011-10-01

    To develop a psychosocial adaptation questionnaire for Chinese patients with visual impairments and to examine its reliability and validity. Psychosocial adaptation with disease has been studied, however, there have been few reports on the impact of visual impairment on psychosocial adaptation. An instrument has not been developed to assess psychosocial adaptation with visual impairment specifically for patients in China. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used. A questionnaire was developed based on the concept of psychosocial adaptation with visual impairment. Items for the questionnaire were developed by reviewing the literature and carrying out a semi-structured interview with 12 visually impaired patients. Five ophthalmologists and ten patients evaluated the content validity and face validity of the questionnaire, respectively. The method of convenient sampling was used to select 213 visually impaired patients in the Ophthalmology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University to participate in the study. Discriminative index and item-total correlation analyses were used to delete items that were lower than a set criterion. Regarding construct validity, factor analysis was performed. The Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) and Self Acceptance Questionnaire (SAQ) were used to evaluate criterion validity. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used as an index of internal consistency. To evaluate test-retest reliability, 50 patients were re-evaluated after 24 hours. A total of 204 questionnaire items were created. 22 items were deleted by discriminative index and item-total correlation before factor analysis; 38 items were entered into the model for factor analysis. Seven factors were extracted by using principal factor analysis and varimax rotation, with a cumulative contribution of 59·18%. The correlation coefficients between the psychosocial adaptation questionnaire for visual impairment

  20. Development and Validation of the Bicultural Youth Acculturation Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2016-01-01

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

  1. Development and Validation of the Bicultural Youth Acculturation Questionnaire

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2016-01-01

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

  2. The Personal Attributes Questionnaire: A Conceptual Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozer, Daniel

    The rich complexity of the concepts of masculinity and femininity has been reflected in personality measures in at least two different ways: by employing a variety of subscales with comparatively homogeneous items or by using a single scale with comparatively heterogeneous items. The Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ) was the subject of an…

  3. Validation of the Gratitude Questionnaire in Filipino Secondary School Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valdez, Jana Patricia M; Yang, Weipeng; Datu, Jesus Alfonso D

    2017-10-11

    Most studies have assessed the psychometric properties of the Gratitude Questionnaire - Six-Item Form (GQ-6) in the Western contexts while very few research has been generated to explore the applicability of this scale in non-Western settings. To address this gap, the aim of the study was to examine the factorial validity and gender invariance of the Gratitude Questionnaire in the Philippines through a construct validation approach. There were 383 Filipino high school students who participated in the research. In terms of within-network construct validity, results of confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the five-item version of the questionnaire (GQ-5) had better fit compared to the original six-item version of the gratitude questionnaire. The scores from the GQ-5 also exhibited invariance across gender. Between-network construct validation showed that gratitude was associated with higher levels of academic achievement (β = .46, p gratitude was linked to lower degree of amotivation (β = -.51, p <.001). Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

  4. Spa therapy (balneotherapy) relieves mental stress, sleep disorder, and general health problems in sub-healthy people

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Bei; Qin, Qi-zhong; Han, Ling-li; Lin, Jing; Chen, Yu

    2018-02-01

    To investigate the relieving effects of hot spring balneotherapy on mental stress, sleep disorder, general health problems, and women's health problems in sub-healthy people, we recruited 500 volunteers in sub-health in Chongqing, and 362 volunteers completed the project, including 223 in the intervention group and 139 in the control group. The intervention group underwent hot spring balneotherapy for 5 months, while the control group did not. The two groups took questionnaire investigation (general data, mental stress, emotional status, sleep quality, general health problems, as well as some women's health problems) and physical examination (height, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, blood lipid, blood sugar) 5 months before and after the intervention, respectively. After intervention, sleep disorder (difficulty in falling asleep ( P = 0.017); dreaminess, nightmare suffering, and restless sleep ( P = 0.013); easy awakening ( P = 0.003) and difficulty in falling into sleep again after awakening( P = 0.016); and mental stress ( P = 0.031) and problems of general health (head pain ( P = 0.026), joint pain( P = 0.009), leg or foot cramps ( P = 0.001), blurred vision ( P = 0.009)) were relieved significantly in the intervention group, as compared with the control group. While other indicators (fatigue, eye tiredness, limb numbness, constipation, skin allergy) and women's health problems (breast distending pain; dysmenorrhea, irregular menstruation) were relieved significantly in the self-comparison of the intervention group before and after intervention ( P 0.05). All indications (except bad mood, low mood, and worry or irritability) in the intervention group significantly improved, with effect size from 0.096 to 1.302. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the frequency, length, and location of balneotherapy in the intervention group were the factors influencing emotion, sleep, and health condition ( P Physical examination found that waist

  5. Multicultural personality questionnaire : Development of a short form

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Der Zee, Karen; Van Oudenhoven, Jan Pieter; Ponterotto, Joseph G.; Fietzer, Alexander W.

    2013-01-01

    This study reports on the development of the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire-Short Form among 511 participants. Using a split-sample scale validation design, Study 1 (N = 260) employed a principal component analysis and rigorous item selection criteria to extract a 40-item short form

  6. A questionnaire for screening the micronutrient intake of economically active South African adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Senekal, Marjanne; Steyn, Nelia P; Nel, Johanna

    2009-11-01

    The aim of the present study was to develop (phase 1) and validate (phase 2) a screening questionnaire to assess the adequacy of micronutrient intake of economically active South African adults. For identification of indicator foods to be included in the screening questionnaire (phase 1), a comprehensive, eighty-six-item, quantified FFQ that reflected the food sources of thirteen selected micronutrients associated with the nutrition-related health status of South Africans was developed and completed by 554 adults of all four major ethnic groups. Resulting dietary data were subjected to stepwise regression analyses to identify indicator foods to be included in the final screening questionnaire. For validation of frequency of intake reporting of specific food items included in the screening questionnaire (phase 2), a sample of sixty-six African and eighty-four white adult volunteers of both genders completed a 7 d record as well as the screening questionnaire. The frequency of intake of specific food items derived from the two methods was then compared using Spearman correlation coefficients. Phase 1 identified thirty indicator foods that formed the basis of the screening questionnaire. In phase 2, significant correlations were found for the total group for twenty-two out of the thirty items in the questionnaire, with correlations being the best for white females and the poorest for African males and females. A screening questionnaire (thirty-item FFQ) that can be used by researchers and health professionals to assess an individual's risk of inadequate micronutrient intake was developed and validated.

  7. 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.

  8. ABORTION ATTITUDES, 1984-1987-1988 - EFFECTS OF ITEM ORDER AND DIMENSIONALITY

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    TENVERGERT, E; GILLESPIE, MW; KINGMA, J; KLASEN, H

    The comparability of surveys is often hampered by differences in the item order of presentation. The major focus of the present study was to investigate whether a general item or a specific item at the beginning of the questionnaire would affect the endorsement as well as the scalability of a set of

  9. Dysphagia in Multiple Sclerosis: Evaluation and Validation of the DYMUS Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alali, Dalal; Ballard, Kirrie; Vucic, Steve; Bogaardt, Hans

    2018-06-01

    The 10-item Dysphagia in Multiple Sclerosis (DYMUS) questionnaire is a self-administered tool used to identify swallowing problems in adults with MS. The questionnaire was not validated against other existing questionnaires to assess its convergent validity. Moreover, its test-retest reliability was not measured previously. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the factor analysis, internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the DYMUS, as well as its convergent validity against an established and validated questionnaire, the EAT-10. English-speaking adults with MS in New South Wales, Australia who were seen for routine medical check-ups were invited to complete two questionnaires across two phases. One hundred participants completed phase 1, while 55 completed phase 2. Statistical analyses were performed to investigate the psychometric properties of the DYMUS questionnaire. Internal consistency (Cronbach's Alpha) reduced the DYMUS questionnaire from ten to five items. The shortened version of the DYMUS showed high internal consistency (alpha = 0.904). It also showed satisfactory reproducibility, and adequate correlation with the 10-item Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10). Evaluation of the DYMUS resulted in a shortened version of the questionnaire with five questions related to dysphagia. This shortened version is considered an easy and useful tool in identifying patients with MS-related dysphagia.

  10. Eating Disorders in Youth-Questionnaire

    OpenAIRE

    van Dyck, Zoé; Hilbert, Anja

    2016-01-01

    Der Essstörungen im Kindesalter-Fragebogen (Eating Disorders in Youth-Questionnaire; EDY-Q) ist ein aus 14 Items bestehendes Instrument zur Erfassung von restriktiven Essproblemen bei 8-13-jährigen Kindern im Selbstbericht. Die Items basieren auf den Kriterien der Störung mit Vermeidung oder Einschränkung der Nahrungseinschränkung (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder; ARFID), definiert im Diagnostischen und Statistischen Manual Psychischer Störungen, 5. Auflage (DSM-5; American Psychiat...

  11. Development and Validation of the Questionnaire of Vaping Craving.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dowd, Ashley N; Motschman, Courtney A; Tiffany, Stephen T

    2018-03-12

    Craving may represent core motivational processes in tobacco dependence, but there is no psychometrically evaluated measure of craving for e-cigarettes (vaping craving). This research developed and validated a brief measure of vaping craving. The measure was evaluated in two studies. In Study 1, a 42-item questionnaire assessing a wide range of vaping craving content was administered to 209 current e-cigarette users. In Study 2, a 10-item questionnaire derived from Study 1 results was administered to 224 current e-cigarette users. Participants were recruited from Amazon's Mechanical Turk, an online labor market. Principal factor analysis identified the strongest loading items (.815 - .867) on the first extracted factor (77% of the factor variance) for inclusion in a 10-item Questionnaire of Vaping Craving (QVC). This item set, with an internal consistency (α) of .97, focused on desire and intent to vape, and anticipation of positive outcomes related to e-cigarette use. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed the items had strong factor loadings that were significantly predicted by the latent vaping craving construct (ps vaping craving was significantly associated with the level of e-cigarette use, greater negative mood, and lower confidence in ability to quit vaping (ps vaping craving was more strongly associated with e-cigarette dependence than tobacco dependence. The findings support the reliability and validity of the QVC and suggest it could be used in laboratory and clinical settings as a psychometrically sound measure of vaping craving.

  12. How does social support relieve depression among flood victims? The contribution of feelings of safety, self-disclosure, and negative cognition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhen, Rui; Quan, Lijuan; Zhou, Xiao

    2018-03-15

    Depression is one of the most common post-trauma symptoms that can be alleivated by social support. The purpose of this study was to examine the multiple mediating effects of social support on depression via feelings of safety, disclosure, and negative cognition. One hundred and eighty-seven flood victims in Wuhu City, an area affected most severely by a flood during July 2016, were selected to complete a self-report questionnaire package. Social support has four indirect negative effects on depression, including a one-step indirect path to self-disclosure, 2 two-step paths from feelings of safety to self-disclosure, and from self-disclosure to negative cognition about self, and a three-step indirect path from feelings of life safety via self-disclosure to negative self-cognition. All variables were measured using self-report scales. Social support may relieve depression in flood victims by inducing feelings of safety and self-disclosure, and by relieving negative cognition. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Exploring the measurement properties of the osteopathy clinical teaching questionnaire using Rasch analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaughan, Brett

    2018-01-01

    Clinical teaching evaluations are common in health profession education programs to ensure students are receiving a quality clinical education experience. Questionnaires students use to evaluate their clinical teachers have been developed in professions such as medicine and nursing. The development of a questionnaire that is specifically for the osteopathy on-campus, student-led clinic environment is warranted. Previous work developed the 30-item Osteopathy Clinical Teaching Questionnaire. The current study utilised Rasch analysis to investigate the construct validity of the Osteopathy Clinical Teaching Questionnaire and provide evidence for the validity argument through fit to the Rasch model. Senior osteopathy students at four institutions in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom rated their clinical teachers using the Osteopathy Clinical Teaching Questionnaire. Three hundred and ninety-nine valid responses were received and the data were evaluated for fit to the Rasch model. Reliability estimations (Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega) were also evaluated for the final model. The initial analysis demonstrated the data did not fit the Rasch model. Accordingly, modifications to the questionnaire were made including removing items, removing person responses, and rescoring one item. The final model contained 12 items and fit to the Rasch model was adequate. Support for unidimensionality was demonstrated through both the Principal Components Analysis/t-test, and the Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega reliability estimates. Analysis of the questionnaire using McDonald's omega hierarchical supported a general factor (quality of clinical teaching in osteopathy). The evidence for unidimensionality and the presence of a general factor support the calculation of a total score for the questionnaire as a sufficient statistic. Further work is now required to investigate the reliability of the 12-item Osteopathy Clinical Teaching Questionnaire to provide evidence

  14. 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

    Full Text Available Bridging social capital is defined as the connections between individuals who are dissimilar with respect to socioeconomic and other characteristics. There is an important gap in the literature related to its measurement. We describe the development and validation of a questionnaire to measure bridging social capital. We focused the development of the questionnaire to be suitable for use in Latino immigrant populations in the U.S. The structure of the questionnaire comprised the following: Socialization in the job place (5 items; Membership in community activities (16 items; Participation in community activities (5 items; Contact with similar/different people (7 items; Assistance (17 items; Trust of institutions, corporations and other people(14 items; and Trust of intimate people (3 items. First, we used focus groups (N=17 participants to establish content validity with an inductive thematic analysis to identify themes and subthemes. Changes were made to the questionnaire based on difficulty, redundancy, length and semantic equivalence. Second, we analyzed the questionnaire's psychometric properties (N=138. We tested internal consistency with Cronbach alpha and construct validity with a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA for each sub-scale to test theoretical unity; discriminant validity to observe differences between participants from high and low SES backgrounds and different language; and content validity with an independent expert panel. Cronbach alphas ranged from 0.80 (Assistance to 0.92 (Trust. CFA results indicated that CFI and TLI were higher than 0.90 in almost all the scales, with high factor loadings. The Wilcoxon tests indicated that there were statistically significant mean differences between SES and language groups (p<0.00. The independent expert panel determined that the questionnaire had good content validity. This is the first demonstration of a psychometrically validated questionnaire to measure bridging social capital in an

  15. Development and Validation of the Behavioral Tendencies Questionnaire.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicholas T Van Dam

    Full Text Available At a fundamental level, taxonomy of behavior and behavioral tendencies can be described in terms of approach, avoid, or equivocate (i.e., neither approach nor avoid. While there are numerous theories of personality, temperament, and character, few seem to take advantage of parsimonious taxonomy. The present study sought to implement this taxonomy by creating a questionnaire based on a categorization of behavioral temperaments/tendencies first identified in Buddhist accounts over fifteen hundred years ago. Items were developed using historical and contemporary texts of the behavioral temperaments, described as "Greedy/Faithful", "Aversive/Discerning", and "Deluded/Speculative". To both maintain this categorical typology and benefit from the advantageous properties of forced-choice response format (e.g., reduction of response biases, binary pairwise preferences for items were modeled using Latent Class Analysis (LCA. One sample (n1 = 394 was used to estimate the item parameters, and the second sample (n2 = 504 was used to classify the participants using the established parameters and cross-validate the classification against multiple other measures. The cross-validated measure exhibited good nomothetic span (construct-consistent relationships with related measures that seemed to corroborate the ideas present in the original Buddhist source documents. The final 13-block questionnaire created from the best performing items (the Behavioral Tendencies Questionnaire or BTQ is a psychometrically valid questionnaire that is historically consistent, based in behavioral tendencies, and promises practical and clinical utility particularly in settings that teach and study meditation practices such as Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR.

  16. Validation of a Persian version of the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ-P).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bidari, Ali; Hassanzadeh, Morteza; Mohabat, Mohamad-Farzam; Talachian, Elham; Khoei, Effat Merghati

    2014-02-01

    The aim of this study is to translate, adapt, and validate a Persian version of the Fibromyalgia (FM) Impact Questionnaire (FIQ-P). The FIQ-P was adapted following the translation and back-translation approach; then, it was administered to thirty females with FM. Participants also completed two other validated questionnaires, the Medical Outcome Survey Short Form-36 (SF-36) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Internal consistency within the FIQ-P items and its test-retest reliability were assessed with Cronbach's alpha and Spearman's correlation coefficient, respectively. Construct validity was analyzed by Spearman's r when correlating the FIQ-P to other questionnaires. The translated version was concordant. Adaptation affected two sub-items of physical function. Participants' mean age ± standard deviation was 40.4 ± 9.0 years. Internal consistency proved good with α = 0.80. Test-retest coefficient ranged from 0.50 for the item "work days missed" to 0.79 for all FIQ-P items. Fair and statistically significant (P FIQ-P items and two other questionnaires, SF-36 (r = -0.57) and BDI (r = 0.53). We concluded that the FIQ-P is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring health status of Persian-speaking FM patients.

  17. The importance of rating scale design in the measurement of patient-reported outcomes using questionnaires or item banks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khadka, Jyoti; McAlinden, Colm; Gothwal, Vijaya K; Lamoureux, Ecosse L; Pesudovs, Konrad

    2012-06-26

    To investigate the effect of rating scale designs (question formats and response categories) on item difficulty calibrations and assess the impact that rating scale differences have on overall vision-related activity limitation (VRAL) scores. Sixteen existing patient-reported outcome instruments (PROs) suitable for cataract assessment, with different rating scales, were self-administered by patients on a cataract surgery waiting list. A total of 226 VRAL items from these PROs in their native rating scales were included in an item bank and calibrated using Rasch analysis. Fifteen item/content areas (e.g., reading newspapers) appearing in at least three different PROs were identified. Within each content area, item calibrations were compared and their range calculated. Similarly, five PROs having at least three items in common with the Visual Function (VF-14) were compared in terms of average item measures. A total of 614 patients (mean age ± SD, 74.1 ± 9.4 years) participated. Items with the same content varied in their calibration by as much as two logits; "reading the small print" had the largest range (1.99 logits) followed by "watching TV" (1.60). Compared with the VF-14 (0.00 logits), the rating scale of the Visual Disability Assessment (1.13 logits) produced the most difficult items and the Cataract Symptom Scale (0.24 logits) produced the least difficult items. The VRAL item bank was suboptimally targeted to the ability level of the participants (2.00 logits). Rating scale designs have a significant effect on item calibrations. Therefore, constructing item banks from existing items in their native formats carries risks to face validity and transmission of problems inherent in existing instruments, such as poor targeting.

  18. Does Foot Massage Relieve Acute Postoperative Pain? A Literature Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chanif Chanif

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: This study aimed to examine the current state of knowledge regarding foot massageto determine if foot massage has an effect on relieving acute postoperative pain.Method: The following questions were used to guide this review: How does pain occur?What is the pain management modalities used in relieving acute postoperative pain? Does footmassage relieve acute postoperative pain? A comprehensive systematic search of publishedliterature and journal articles from Science Direct, CINAHL, PubMed, ProQuest and fromrelevant textbooks was conducted. The universal case entry website, Google-scholar was usedas well. The following keywords were used: foot massage, pain management, andpostoperative pain. Eight studies on foot massage and more than thirty related articles werereviewed.Result: Postoperative pain is caused by tissue damage that induces release of chemicalmediators from the surgical wound. The four processes of pain are transduction, transmission,perception and modulation. Pain medication is the goal standard for acute postoperative painrelief. In addition, foot massage is a modality that can be used in relieving acute postoperativepain. Massage stimulates large nerve fibers and dermatome layers which contain tactile andpressure receptors. The receptors subsequently transmit the nerve impulse to the centralnervous system. The gate control system in the dorsal horn is activated through the inhibitoryinterneuron, thus closing the gate. Subsequently, the brain does not receive the pain message.Eight reviewed studies demonstrated that foot massage relieves acute postoperative pain.However, there were some methodological limitations of these studies.Conclusion: It is recommended to examine the effect of foot massage on acute postoperativepain with high homogenous samples using various duration of massage and range of time forpain measurement at different settings.Key words: foot massage, pain management and postoperative pain.

  19. The development and validation of the advance care planning questionnaire in Malaysia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Pauline Siew Mei; Mohd Mudri, Salinah; Chinna, Karuthan; Othman, Sajaratulnisah

    2016-10-18

    Advance care planning is a voluntary process whereby individual preferences, values and beliefs are used to aid a person in planning for end-of-life care. Currently, there is no local instrument to assess an individual's awareness and attitude towards advance care planning. This study aimed to develop an Advance Care Planning Questionnaire and to determine its validity and reliability among older people in Malaysia. The Advance Care Planning Questionnaire was developed based on literature review. Face and content validity was verified by an expert panel, and piloted among 15 participants. Our study was conducted from October 2013 to February 2014, at an urban primary care clinic in Malaysia. Included were those aged >50 years, who could understand English. A retest was conducted 2 weeks after the first administration. Participants from the pilot study did not encounter any problems in answering the Advance Care Planning Questionnaire. Hence, no further modifications were made. Flesch reading ease was 71. The final version of the Advance Care Planning Questionnaire consists of 66 items: 30 items were measured on a nominal scale, whilst 36 items were measured on a Likert-like scale; of which we were only able to validate 22 items, as the remaining 14 items were descriptive in nature. A total of 245 eligible participants were approached; of which 230 agreed to participate (response rate = 93.9 %). Factor analysis on the 22 items measured on a Likert-scale revealed four domains: "feelings regarding advance care planning", "justifications for advance care planning", "justifications for not having advance care planning: fate and religion", and "justifications for not having advance care planning: avoid thinking about death". The Cronbach's alpha values for items each domain ranged from 0.637-0.915. In test-retest, kappa values ranged from 0.738-0.947. The final Advance Care Planning Questionnaire consisted of 63 items and 4 domains. It was found to be a valid and

  20. RELIEVE: A FORTRAN 77 program for numerical and graphical processing of digital topographic maps

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanchez, J.J.; Gorostiza, C.

    1995-01-01

    The RELIEVE program was developed in order to its integration with the expert system SIRENAS, in the frame of the Industrial Risks Programme, within the CIEMAT center. For accomplishing this mentioned system, arose the necessity of an additional component enabled for analyzing the topography (relieve) of the territory in which the focused site is located. That is just the mission of the RELIEVE program. Basically RELIEVE analyses the digitalized data points of a determinate topographic area, around a location of interest. The program allows us estimation by numerical techniques, using IMSL library, of the deep width, and other geometrical characteristics of the valley that is involved in. Optionally RELIEVE produces also graphical outputs concerning 3D representation of topographical map, level curves, sections of interest considered in the valley, etc., by means of the DISSPLA II library, running in the IBM system of the CIEMAT. (Author) 5 refs

  1. Reliability and validity of a brief sleep questionnaire for children in Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okada, Masakazu; Kitamura, Shingo; Iwadare, Yoshitaka; Tachimori, Hisateru; Kamei, Yuichi; Higuchi, Shigekazu; Mishima, Kazuo

    2017-09-15

    There is a dearth of sleep questionnaires with few items and confirmed reliability and validity that can be used for the early detection of sleep problems in children. The aim of this study was to develop a questionnaire with few items and assess its reliability and validity in both children at high risk of sleep disorders and a community population. Data for analysis were derived from two populations targeted by the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ): 178 children attending elementary school and 432 children who visited a pediatric psychiatric hospital (aged 6-12 years). The new questionnaire was constructed as a subset of the CSHQ. The newly developed short version of the sleep questionnaire for children (19 items) had an acceptable internal consistency (0.65). Using the cutoff value of the CSHQ, the total score of the new questionnaire was confirmed to have discriminant validity (27.2 ± 3.9 vs. 22.0 ± 2.1, p questionnaire was significantly correlated with total score (r = 0.81, p questionnaire demonstrated an adequate reliability and validity in both high-risk children and a community population, as well as similar screening ability to the CSHQ. It could thus be a convenient instrument to detect sleep problems in children.

  2. A standardised questionnaire for evaluating hospital-based rotations in general practice vocational training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viniol, Annika; Lommler-Thamer, Martina; Baum, Erika; Banzhoff, Norbert Donner

    2015-05-01

    The residency period of vocational training is a fundamental component for a general practitioner's (GP's) qualification. During the residency, teaching is given by consultants and staff from different medical disciplines who do not necessarily know the GP registrar's training objectives. To develop a standardised feedback questionnaire to evaluate residency attachments and enable GP registrars and their supervisors to discuss the actual training environment and areas for improvement. A cross-sectional study was carried out to assess GP registrars' ratings of items preselected by an expert group to reflect important elements in high-quality vocational training. We recruited GP registrars in Germany via mailing lists and online discussion forums and used the importance-severity-score method to score the content and importance of the selected items. On the basis of these ratings, we eliminated 74 items. This version of the questionnaire then underwent an intra-observer-reliability evaluation by the same GP registrars after eight weeks. Items with a correlation of less than 0.4 (Pearson correlation coefficient) were dropped or rephrased. Our initial questionnaire featured 117 potential items. We reduced this to 43 items after the first study; two additional items were dropped following the reliability test. To our knowledge, this is the first standardised feedback questionnaire evaluating the residency period of vocational training. We hope our work will improve the quality of GPs' vocational training. The importance-severity-score method is a fast and efficient method for developing instruments using personal judgement to evaluate constructs.

  3. Assessing the test-retest repeatability of the Vietnamese version of the National Eye Institute 25-item Visual Function Questionnaire among bilateral cataract patients for a Vietnamese population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    To, Kien Gia; Meuleners, Lynn; Chen, Huei-Yang; Lee, Andy; Do, Dung Van; Duong, Dat Van; Phi, Tien Duy; Tran, Hoang Huy; Nguyen, Nguyen Do

    2014-06-01

    To determine the test-retest repeatability of the National Eye Institute 25-item Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25) for use with older Vietnamese adults with bilateral cataract. The questionnaire was translated into Vietnamese and back-translated into English by two independent translators. Patients with bilateral cataract aged 50 and older completed the questionnaire on two separate occasions, one to two weeks after first administration of the questionnaire. Test-retest repeatability was assessed using the Cronbach's α and intraclass correlation coefficients. The average age of participants was 67 ± 8 years and most participants were female (73%). Internal consistency was acceptable with the α coefficient above 0.7 for all subscales and intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.6 or greater in all subscales. The Vietnamese NEI VFQ-25 is reliable for use in studies assessing vision-related quality of life in older adults with bilateral cataract in Vietnam. We propose some modifications to the NEI-VFQ questions to reflect activities of older people in Vietnam. © 2013 ACOTA.

  4. Construction of a questionnaire measuring outpatients' opinion of quality of hospital consultation departments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Durieux Pierre

    2004-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Few questionnaires on outpatients' satisfaction with hospital exist. All have been constructed without giving enough room for the patient's point of view in the validation procedure. The main objective was to develop, according to psychometric standards, a self-administered generic outpatient questionnaire exploring opinion on quality of hospital care. Method First, a qualitative phase was conducted to generate items and identify domains using critical analysis incident technique and literature review. A list of easily comprehensible non-redundant items was defined using Delphi technique and a pilot study on outpatients. This phase involved outpatients, patient association representatives and experts. The second step was a quantitative validation phase comprised a multicenter study in 3 hospitals, 10 departments and 1007 outpatients. It was designed to select items, identify dimensions, measure reliability, internal and concurrent validity. Patients were randomized according to the place of questionnaire completion (hospital v. home (participation rate = 65%. Third, a mail-back study on 2 departments and 248 outpatients was conducted to replicate the validation (participation rate = 57%. Results A 27-item questionnaire comprising 4 subscales (appointment making, reception facilities, waiting time and consultation with the doctor. The factorial structure was satisfactory (loading >0.50 on each subscale for all items, except one item. Interscale correlations ranged from 0.42 to 0.59, Cronbach α coefficients ranged from 0.79 to 0.94. All Item-scale correlations were higher than 0.40. Test-retest intraclass coefficients ranged from 0.69 to 0.85. A unidimensional 9-item version was produced by selection of one third of the items within each subscale with the strongest loading on the principal component and the best item-scale correlation corrected for overlap. Factors related to satisfaction level independent from departments

  5. Optimising the selection of food items for food frequency questionnaires using Mixed Integer Linear Programming

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lemmen-Gerdessen, van J.C.; Souverein, O.W.; Veer, van 't P.; Vries, de J.H.M.

    2015-01-01

    Objective To support the selection of food items for FFQs in such a way that the amount of information on all relevant nutrients is maximised while the food list is as short as possible. Design Selection of the most informative food items to be included in FFQs was modelled as a Mixed Integer Linear

  6. Improving the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire using Rasch analysis.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koopmans, L.; Bernaards, C.M.; Hildebrandt, V.H.; Buuren, S. van; Beek, A.J. van der; Vet, H.C.W. de

    2014-01-01

    Recently, the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ) version 0.2 was developed using Rasch analysis. The goal of the current study was to improve targeting of the IWPQ scales by including additional items. The IWPQ 0.2 (original) and 0.3 (including additional items) were examined using

  7. The Child-care Food and Activity Practices Questionnaire (CFAPQ): development and first validation steps.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gubbels, Jessica S; Sleddens, Ester Fc; Raaijmakers, Lieke Ch; Gies, Judith M; Kremers, Stef Pj

    2016-08-01

    To develop and validate a questionnaire to measure food-related and activity-related practices of child-care staff, based on existing, validated parenting practices questionnaires. A selection of items from the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire (CFPQ) and the Preschooler Physical Activity Parenting Practices (PPAPP) questionnaire was made to include items most suitable for the child-care setting. The converted questionnaire was pre-tested among child-care staff during cognitive interviews and pilot-tested among a larger sample of child-care staff. Factor analyses with Varimax rotation and internal consistencies were used to examine the scales. Spearman correlations, t tests and ANOVA were used to examine associations between the scales and staff's background characteristics (e.g. years of experience, gender). Child-care centres in the Netherlands. The qualitative pre-test included ten child-care staff members. The quantitative pilot test included 178 child-care staff members. The new questionnaire, the Child-care Food and Activity Practices Questionnaire (CFAPQ), consists of sixty-three items (forty food-related and twenty-three activity-related items), divided over twelve scales (seven food-related and five activity-related scales). The CFAPQ scales are to a large extent similar to the original CFPQ and PPAPP scales. The CFAPQ scales show sufficient internal consistency with Cronbach's α ranging between 0·53 and 0·96, and average corrected item-total correlations within acceptable ranges (0·30-0·89). Several of the scales were significantly associated with child-care staff's background characteristics. Scale psychometrics of the CFAPQ indicate it is a valid questionnaire that assesses child-care staff's practices related to both food and activities.

  8. Which dimensions of disability does the HIV Disability Questionnaire (HDQ) measure? A factor analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Brien, Kelly K; Bayoumi, Ahmed M; Stratford, Paul; Solomon, Patricia

    2015-01-01

    To assess the dimensions of disability measured by the HIV Disability Questionnaire (HDQ), a newly developed 72-item self-administered questionnaire that describes the presence, severity and episodic nature of disability experienced by people living with HIV. We recruited adults living with HIV from hospital clinics, AIDS service organizations and a specialty hospital and administered the HDQ followed by a demographic questionnaire. We conducted an exploratory factor analysis using disability severity scores to determine the domains of disability in the HDQ. We used the following steps: (a) ensured correlations between items were >0.30 and 1.5 to determine the number of factors to retain; and d) used oblique rotation to simplify the factor loading matrix. We assigned items to factors based on factor loadings of >0.30. Of the 361 participants, 80% were men and 77% reported living with at least two concurrent health conditions in addition to HIV. The exploratory factor analysis suggested retaining six factors. Items related to symptoms and impairments loaded on three factors (physical [20 items], cognitive [3 items], and mental and emotional health [11 items]) and items related to worrying about the future, daily activities, and personal relationships loaded on three additional factors (uncertainty [14 items], difficulties with day-to-day activities [9 items], social inclusion [12 items]). The HDQ has six domains: physical symptoms and impairments; cognitive symptoms and impairments; mental and emotional health symptoms and impairments; uncertainty; difficulties with day-to-day activities and challenges to social inclusion. These domains establish the scoring structure for the dimensions of disability measured by the HDQ. Implications for Rehabilitation As individuals live longer and age with HIV, they may be living with the health-related consequences of HIV and concurrent health conditions, a concept that may be termed disability. Measuring disability is important

  9. 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.

  10. Reliability and validity of the adapted Dutch version of the revised Scoliosis Research Society 22-item questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schlösser, Tom P C; Stadhouder, Agnita; Schimmel, Janneke J P; Lehr, A Mechteld; van der Heijden, Geert J M G; Castelein, René M

    2014-08-01

    As in other fields of medicine, there is an increasing interest among orthopedic surgeons to measure health-related quality of life in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients and to evaluate the burden of disease and the effectiveness of different treatment strategies. The development of the revised Scoliosis Research Society 22-item patient questionnaire (SRS-22r) enabled a comprehensive evaluation of health-related quality of life of these patients. Over the years, the SRS-22r gained wide acceptance and has been used in several different countries, languages, and cultures. The SRS-22r has not been translated into Dutch to date. To translate the SRS-22r into Dutch and adapt it cross-culturally as outlined by international guidelines and to test its psychometric properties to measure health-related quality of life of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients in the Netherlands. A cross-sectional, multicenter validation study. A total of 135 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients (mean age 15.1 years old) of three major scoliosis centers in the Netherlands were enrolled in this study. Ninety-two (68%) subjects completed the Dutch SRS-22r, Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ)-CF87 (golden standard for adolescents), and Short Form (SF)-36 (golden standard for adults). Two weeks later, 73 (79%) of 92 respondents returned a second SRS-22r. Demographics, curve type, Risser stage, and treatment status were documented. Floor and ceiling effects, internal consistency, reproducibility, concurrent validity, and discriminative ability of the Dutch version of the SRS-22r questionnaire. For content analysis, SRS-22r domain scores (function, pain, self-image, mental health, and satisfaction with management) were explored and floor and ceiling effects were determined. Cronbach's α was calculated for internal consistency of each domain of the questionnaires and reproducibility was assessed by test-retest reliability analysis. Using Pearson's correlation coefficient, comparison of

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  12. 31 CFR 585.521 - Donations of food to relieve human suffering authorized.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Donations of food to relieve human... Donations of food to relieve human suffering authorized. (a) Specific licenses may be issued on a case-by.... (b) In general, specific licenses will only be granted for donations of food to be provided through...

  13. Instemmingsgeneigdheid en verskillende item- en responsformate in 'n gesommeerde selfbeoordelingskaal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nadene Hanekom

    1998-06-01

    Full Text Available This study examines the degree of acquiescence present when the item and response formats of a summated rating scale are varied. It is often recommended that acquiescence response bias in rating scales may be controlled by using both positively and negatively worded items. Such items are generally worded in the Likert-type format of statements. The purpose of the study was to establish whether items in question format would result in a smaller degree of acquiescence than items worded as statements. the response format was also varied (five- and seven-point options to determine whether this would influence the reliability and degree of acquiescence in the scales. A twenty-item Locus of Control (LC questionnaire was used, but each item was complemented by its opposite, resulting in 40 items. The subjects, divided randomly into two groups, were second year students who had to complete four versions of the questionnaire, plus a shortened version of Bass's scale for measuring acquiescence. The LC version were questions or statements each combined with a five- or seven-point respons format. Partial counterbalancing was introduced by testing on two separate occasions, presenting the tests to the two groups in the opposite order. The degree of acquiescence was assessed by correlating the items with their opposite, and by correlating scores on each version with scores on the acquiescence questionnaire. No major difference were found between the various item and response format in relation to acquiescence. Opsomming Hierdie ondersoek is uitgevoer om te bepaal of die mate van instemmingsgeneigdheid deur die item- en responsformaat van 'n gesommeerde selfbeoordelingskaal beinvloed word. Daar word dikwels aanbeveel dat die gebruik van positief- sowel as negatiefbewoorde items in 'n vraelys instemmingsgeneigdheid beperk. Suike items word gewoonlik in die tradisionele Likertformaat as stellings geformuleer. Die doel van die ondersoek was om te bepaal of items

  14. Missing data methods for dealing with missing items in quality of life questionnaires. A comparison by simulation of personal mean score, full information maximum likelihood, multiple imputation, and hot deck techniques applied to the SF-36 in the French 2003 decennial health survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peyre, Hugo; Leplège, Alain; Coste, Joël

    2011-03-01

    Missing items are common in quality of life (QoL) questionnaires and present a challenge for research in this field. It remains unclear which of the various methods proposed to deal with missing data performs best in this context. We compared personal mean score, full information maximum likelihood, multiple imputation, and hot deck techniques using various realistic simulation scenarios of item missingness in QoL questionnaires constructed within the framework of classical test theory. Samples of 300 and 1,000 subjects were randomly drawn from the 2003 INSEE Decennial Health Survey (of 23,018 subjects representative of the French population and having completed the SF-36) and various patterns of missing data were generated according to three different item non-response rates (3, 6, and 9%) and three types of missing data (Little and Rubin's "missing completely at random," "missing at random," and "missing not at random"). The missing data methods were evaluated in terms of accuracy and precision for the analysis of one descriptive and one association parameter for three different scales of the SF-36. For all item non-response rates and types of missing data, multiple imputation and full information maximum likelihood appeared superior to the personal mean score and especially to hot deck in terms of accuracy and precision; however, the use of personal mean score was associated with insignificant bias (relative bias personal mean score appears nonetheless appropriate for dealing with items missing from completed SF-36 questionnaires in most situations of routine use. These results can reasonably be extended to other questionnaires constructed according to classical test theory.

  15. Development of the EORTC QLQ-CAX24, A Questionnaire for Cancer Patients With Cachexia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wheelwright, Sally J; Hopkinson, Jane B; Darlington, Anne-Sophie; Fitzsimmons, Deborah F; Fayers, Peter; Balstad, Trude R; Bredart, Anne; Hammerlid, Eva; Kaasa, Stein; Nicolatou-Galitis, Ourania; Pinto, Monica; Schmidt, Heike; Solheim, Tora S; Strasser, Florian; Tomaszewska, Iwona M; Johnson, Colin D

    2017-02-01

    Cachexia is commonly found in cancer patients and has profound consequences; yet there is only one questionnaire that examines the patient's perspective. To report a rigorously developed module for patient self-reported impact of cancer cachexia. Module development followed published guidelines. Patients from across the cancer cachexia trajectory were included. In Phase 1, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) issues were generated from a literature review and interviews with patients in four countries. The issues were revised based on patient and health care professional (HCP) input. In Phase 2, questionnaire items were formulated and translated into the languages required for Phase 3, the pilot phase, in which patients from eight countries scored the relevance and importance of each item, and provided qualitative feedback. A total of 39 patients and 12 HCPs took part in Phase 1. The literature review produced 68 HRQOL issues, with 22 new issues arising from the patient interviews. After patient and HCP input, 44 issues were formulated into questionnaire items in Phase 2. One hundred ten patients took part in Phase 3. One item was reworded, and 20 items were deleted as a consequence of patient feedback. The QLQ-CAX24 is a cancer cachexia-specific questionnaire, comprising 24 items, for HRQOL assessment in clinical trials and practice. It contains five multi-item scales (food aversion, eating and weight-loss worry, eating difficulties, loss of control, and physical decline) and four single items. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Validation of Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (B-YAACQ): Portuguese version.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferreira, Joaquim A; Martins, Jorge S; Coelho, Mariana S; Kahler, Christopher W

    2014-10-28

    Extant literature suggests that Portuguese college students frequently drinking alcohol and experience a variety of alcohol-related negative consequences. However, to our knowledge, there is no validated measure to assess negative consequences of drinking alcohol for college students in Portugal. This article describes a validation of the Portuguese version of the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire. Originally developed by Kahler, Strong, and Read (2005), this 24-item questionnaire is a widely used self-report measure with strong psychometric properties and validity for the evaluation of the negative consequences of drinking in college students. We collected data from 620 students at the University of Coimbra (Portugal). Participants completed (a) a background questionnaire, (b) the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), (c) the Daily Drinking Questionnaire - Revised (DDQ-R), and (d) the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (B-YAACQ) translated into Portuguese as part of this study. Analyses showed that items fit a unidimensional Rasch model well with items infit statistics raging from .82 to 1.27, supporting using all items to create a total sum score of the Portuguese version of the B-YAACQ. The Portuguese version of the B-YAACQ showed adequate internal reliability (α = .87) and concurrent validity. Results support its use and integration in research on interventions targeted to reduce adverse effects associated with excessive drinking among Portuguese college students.

  17. Cognitive interviews guide design of a new CAM patient expectations questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sherman, Karen J; Eaves, Emery R; Ritenbaugh, Cheryl; Hsu, Clarissa; Cherkin, Daniel C; Turner, Judith A

    2014-01-25

    No consistent relationship exists between pre-treatment expectations and therapeutic benefit from various complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies in clinical trials. However, many different expectancy measures have been used in those studies, with no validated questionnaires clearly focused on CAM and pain. We undertook cognitive interviews as part of a process to develop and validate such a questionnaire. We reviewed questions about expectations of benefits of acupuncture, chiropractic, massage, or yoga for pain. Components of the questions - verbs, nouns, response options, terms and phrases describing back pain - were identified. Using seven different cognitive interview scripts, we conducted 39 interviews to evaluate how individuals with chronic low back pain understood these individual components in the context of expectancy questions for a therapy they had not yet received. Chosen items were those with the greatest agreement and least confusion among participants, and were closest to the meanings intended by the investigators. The questionnaire drafted for psychometric evaluation had 18 items covering various domains of expectancy. "Back pain" was the most consistently interpreted descriptor for this condition. The most understandable response options were 0-10 scales, a structure used throughout the questionnaire, with 0 always indicating no change, and 10 anchored with an absolute descriptor such as "complete relief". The use of words to describe midpoints was found to be confusing. The word "expect" held different and shifting meanings for participants. Thus paired items comparing "hope" and "realistically expect" were chosen to evaluate 5 different aspects of treatment expectations (back pain; back dysfunction and global effects; impact of back pain on specific areas of life; sleep, mood, and energy; coping). "Impact of back pain" on various areas of life was found to be a consistently meaningful concept, and more global than "interference

  18. Relieving idiopathic dental pain without drugs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haryono Utomo

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: Teeth are commonly obvious source of orofacial pain. Sometimes the pain source is undetectable, thus called as idiopathic dental pain. Since dentist wants to alleviate or eliminate the pains with every effort in their mind, a lot of drugs could be prescribed. Moreover, it is make sense that endodontic treatment or even tooth extraction will be done. Unfortunately, endodontic treatment may also initiate neuropathic tooth pain that is caused by nerve extirpation, thus worsen the pain. Therefore, another cause of dental pain such as referred pain, periodontal disease, or stress which related to psychoneuroimmunology should be considered. In order to prevent from unnecessary drugs or invasive treatment such as root canal treatment and extraction, correct diagnosis and preliminary non-invasive therapies should be done. Purpose: This review elucidates several therapies that could be done by dentists for relieving idiopathic dental pain which includes massage, the “assisted drainage” therapy, modulation of psychoneuroimmunologic status and dietary omega-3. Reviews: Understanding the basic pathogenesis of pain may help in elucidating the effects of non-drug pain therapy such as muscle massage, the “assisted drainage” therapy, omega-3 and psychological stress relieving. These measures are accounted for eliminating referred pain, reducing proinflammatory mediators and relieving unwanted stress reactions consecutively. Psychological stress increases proinflammatory cytokines and thus lowered pain threshold. Conclusion: As an individual treatment, this non-drug therapy is useful in relieving idiopathic dental pain; nevertheless, if they work together the result could be more superior.Latar belakang: Gigi adalah suatu penyebab umum dari nyeri orofasial. Kadang kala penyebab nyeri tidak dapat ditemukan, sehingga disebut sebagai nyeri gigi idiopatik. Karena dokter gigi berupaya untuk mengurangi atau menghilangkan nyeri dengan segala cara

  19. The development of indonesian online game addiction questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jap, Tjibeng; Tiatri, Sri; Jaya, Edo Sebastian; Suteja, Mekar Sari

    2013-01-01

    Online game is an increasingly popular source of entertainment for all ages, with relatively prevalent negative consequences. Addiction is a problem that has received much attention. This research aims to develop a measure of online game addiction for Indonesian children and adolescents. The Indonesian Online Game Addiction Questionnaire draws from earlier theories and research on the internet and game addiction. Its construction is further enriched by including findings from qualitative interviews and field observation to ensure appropriate expression of the items. The measure consists of 7 items with a 5-point Likert Scale. It is validated by testing 1,477 Indonesian junior and senior high school students from several schools in Manado, Medan, Pontianak, and Yogyakarta. The validation evidence is shown by item-total correlation and criterion validity. The Indonesian Online Game Addiction Questionnaire has good item-total correlation (ranging from 0.29 to 0.55) and acceptable reliability (α = 0.73). It is also moderately correlated with the participant's longest time record to play online games (r = 0.39; ponline games (ρ = 0.43; ponline games (ρ = 0.41; ponline games (ρ = 0.30; ponline game addiction, and the score of 22 and above may indicate online game addiction. Overall, the result shows that Indonesian Online Game Addiction Questionnaire has sufficient psychometric property for research use, as well as limited clinical application.

  20. Developing a Questionnaire to Evaluate College Students' Knowledge, Attitude, Behavior, Self-efficacy, and Environmental Factors Related to Canned Foods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richards, Rickelle; Brown, Lora Beth; Williams, D Pauline; Eggett, Dennis L

    2017-02-01

    Develop a questionnaire to measure students' knowledge, attitude, behavior, self-efficacy, and environmental factors related to the use of canned foods. The Knowledge-Attitude-Behavior Model, Social Cognitive Theory, and Canned Foods Alliance survey were used as frameworks for questionnaire development. Cognitive interviews were conducted with college students (n = 8). Nutrition and survey experts assessed content validity. Reliability was measured via Cronbach α and 2 rounds (1, n = 81; 2, n = 65) of test-retest statistics. Means and frequencies were used. The 65-item questionnaire had a test-retest reliability of .69. Cronbach α scores were .87 for knowledge (9 items), .86 for attitude (30 items), .80 for self-efficacy (12 items), .68 for canned foods use (8 items), and .30 for environment (6 items). A reliable questionnaire was developed to measure perceptions and use of canned foods. Nutrition educators may find this questionnaire useful to evaluate pretest-posttest changes from canned foods-based interventions among college students. Copyright © 2016 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Predicting multicultural effectiveness of international students : the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Oudenhoven, J.P.; Van der Zee, K.I.

    The present study considered the reliability and validity of the 78-item revised version of the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire, a multidimensional instrument aimed at measuring multicultural effectiveness of expatriate employees and students. The questionnaire includes scales for cultural

  2. Predicting multicultural effectiveness of international students : The Multicultural Personality Questionnaire

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Oudenhoven, Jan Pieter; Van der Zee, K.I.

    2002-01-01

    The present study considered the reliability and validity of the 78-item revised version of the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire, a multidimensional instrument aimed at measuring multicultural effectiveness of expatriate employees and students. The questionnaire includes scales for cultural

  3. Not throwing out the baby with the bathwater: lessons from the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Wilgen, C Paul; Vuijk, Pieter Jelle; van Ittersum, Miriam W; Nijs, Jo

    2013-03-01

    The Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) is the most frequently used questionnaire in patients with fibromyalgia in the last 20 years. Recently, a revised version of the FIQ has been published. In this study, we examined the factor structure of the original version using explorative and confirmative factor analyses in a representative group of about 500 Dutch and Belgian patients with fibromyalgia, in which the work-related item was excluded. The FIQ consisting of a three-factor structure with a functional domain (ten items), physical symptom domain (six items), and mental symptom domain (two items), which is the most accurate. From the data presented, it is concluded that the FIQ is a solid, worldwide-used questionnaire with a history of 20 years consisting of three domains. When constructing a revised FIQ, the results of this study can be incorporated.

  4. How Can I Relieve My Pregnancy Leg Cramps?

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Fitness Diseases & Conditions Infections Drugs & Alcohol School & Jobs Sports Expert Answers (Q&A) Staying Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español How Can I Relieve My Pregnancy Leg Cramps? KidsHealth / For Parents / How Can I ...

  5. Few items in the thyroid-related quality of life instrument ThyPRO exhibited differential item functioning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watt, Torquil; Groenvold, Mogens; Hegedüs, Laszlo; Bonnema, Steen Joop; Rasmussen, Åse Krogh; Feldt-Rasmussen, Ulla; Bjorner, Jakob Bue

    2014-02-01

    To evaluate the extent of differential item functioning (DIF) within the thyroid-specific quality of life patient-reported outcome measure, ThyPRO, according to sex, age, education and thyroid diagnosis. A total of 838 patients with benign thyroid diseases completed the ThyPRO questionnaire (84 five-point items, 13 scales). Uniform and nonuniform DIF were investigated using ordinal logistic regression, testing for both statistical significance and magnitude (∆R(2) > 0.02). Scale level was estimated by the sum score, after purification. Twenty instances of DIF in 17 of the 84 items were found. Eight according to diagnosis, where the goiter scale was the one most affected, possibly due to differing perceptions in patients with auto-immune thyroid diseases compared to patients with simple goiter. Eight DIFs according to age were found, of which 5 were in positively worded items, which younger patients were more likely to endorse; one according to gender: women were more likely to report crying, and three according to educational level. The vast majority of DIF had only minor influence on the scale scores (0.1-2.3 points on the 0-100 scales), but two DIF corresponded to a difference of 4.6 and 9.8, respectively. Ordinal logistic regression identified DIF in 17 of 84 items. The potential impact of this on the present scales was low, but items displaying DIF could be avoided when developing abbreviated scales, where the potential impact of DIF (due to fewer items) will be larger.

  6. 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…

  7. Increase of resistance to cracking on stress relieving of hardened steel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Velichko, V.V.; Zabil'skij, V.V.; Mikheev, G.M.

    1995-01-01

    Regularities of increase of resistance to cracking during stress relieving of hardened low-alloyed steels were studied, using complex of methods. Effect of carbon, stress concentrator radius, duration and temperature of stress relieving was studies in particular. Results of investigating kinetics of change of physicomechanical properties, hydrogen desorption from hardened specimens showed, that increase of resistance to cracking was caused by desorption from grain boundaries of diffusion-mobile hydrogen, formed during hardening. 18 refs., 8 figs

  8. Development of the talent development environment questionnaire for sport.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martindale, Russell J J; Collins, Dave; Wang, John C K; McNeill, Michael; Lee, Kok Sonk; Sproule, John; Westbury, Tony

    2010-09-01

    As sporting challenge at the elite level becomes ever harder, maximizing effectiveness of the talent development pathway is crucial. Reflecting this need, this paper describes the development of the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire, which has been designed to facilitate the development of sporting potential to world-class standard. The questionnaire measures the experiences of developing athletes in relation to empirically identified "key features" of effective talent development environments. The first phase involved the generation of questionnaire items with clear content and face validity. The second phase explored the factor structure and reliability. This was carried out with 590 developing athletes through application of exploratory factor analysis with oblique rotation, principal axis factoring extraction and cronbach alpha tests. This yielded a 59-item, seven-factor structure with good internal consistency (0.616-0.978). The Talent Development Environment Questionnaire appears to be a promising psychometric instrument that can potentially be useful for education and formative review in applied settings, and as a measurement tool in talent development research.

  9. Developing and validating a nutrition knowledge questionnaire: key methods and considerations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trakman, Gina Louise; Forsyth, Adrienne; Hoye, Russell; Belski, Regina

    2017-10-01

    To outline key statistical considerations and detailed methodologies for the development and evaluation of a valid and reliable nutrition knowledge questionnaire. Literature on questionnaire development in a range of fields was reviewed and a set of evidence-based guidelines specific to the creation of a nutrition knowledge questionnaire have been developed. The recommendations describe key qualitative methods and statistical considerations, and include relevant examples from previous papers and existing nutrition knowledge questionnaires. Where details have been omitted for the sake of brevity, the reader has been directed to suitable references. We recommend an eight-step methodology for nutrition knowledge questionnaire development as follows: (i) definition of the construct and development of a test plan; (ii) generation of the item pool; (iii) choice of the scoring system and response format; (iv) assessment of content validity; (v) assessment of face validity; (vi) purification of the scale using item analysis, including item characteristics, difficulty and discrimination; (vii) evaluation of the scale including its factor structure and internal reliability, or Rasch analysis, including assessment of dimensionality and internal reliability; and (viii) gathering of data to re-examine the questionnaire's properties, assess temporal stability and confirm construct validity. Several of these methods have previously been overlooked. The measurement of nutrition knowledge is an important consideration for individuals working in the nutrition field. Improved methods in the development of nutrition knowledge questionnaires, such as the use of factor analysis or Rasch analysis, will enable more confidence in reported measures of nutrition knowledge.

  10. A closer look at web questionnaire design

    OpenAIRE

    Toepoel, V.

    2008-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2000-03-01

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

  12. 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).

  13. The second version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pejtersen, Jan Hyld; Kristensen, Tage Søndergård; Borg, Vilhelm

    2010-01-01

    AIMS: The aim of the present paper is to present the development of the second version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ II). METHODS: The development of COPSOQ II took place in five main steps: (1) We considered practical experience from the use of COPSOQ I, in particular...... feedback from workplace studies where the questionnaire had been used; (2) All scales concerning workplace factors in COPSOQ I were analyzed for differential item functioning (DIF) with regard to gender, age and occupational status; (3) A test version of COPSOQ II including new scales and items...... was developed and tested in a representative sample of working Danes between 20 and 59 years of age. In all, 3,517 Danish employees participated in the study. The overall response rate was 60.4%; (4) Based on psychometric analyses, the final questionnaire was developed; and (5) Criteria-related validity...

  14. The influence of item order on intentional response distortion in the assessment of high potentials: assessing pilot applicants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khorramdel, Lale; Kubinger, Klaus D; Uitz, Alexander

    2014-04-01

    An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of item order and questionnaire content on faking good or intentional response distortion. It was hypothesized that intentional response distortion would either increase towards the end of a long questionnaire, as learning effects might make it easier to adjust responses to a faking good schema, or decrease because applicants' will to distort responses is reduced if the questionnaire lasts long enough. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that certain types of questionnaire content are especially vulnerable to response distortion. Eighty-four pre-selected pilot applicants filled out a questionnaire consisting of 516 items including items from the NEO five factor inventory (NEO FFI), NEO personality inventory revised (NEO PI-R) and business-focused inventory of personality (BIP). The positions of the items were varied within the applicant sample to test if responses are affected by item order, and applicants' response behaviour was additionally compared to that of volunteers. Applicants reported significantly higher mean scores than volunteers, and results provide some evidence of decreased faking tendencies towards the end of the questionnaire. Furthermore, it could be demonstrated that lower variances or standard deviations in combination with appropriate (often higher) mean scores can serve as an indicator for faking tendencies in group comparisons, even if effects are not significant. © 2013 International Union of Psychological Science.

  15. Questionnaire to assess patient satisfaction with pharmaceutical care in Spanish language.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Traverso, María Luz; Salamano, Mercedes; Botta, Carina; Colautti, Marisel; Palchik, Valeria; Pérez, Beatriz

    2007-08-01

    To develop and validate a questionnaire, in Spanish, for assessing patient satisfaction with pharmaceutical care received in community pharmacies. Selection and translation of questionnaire's items; definition of response scale and demographic questions. Evaluation of face and content validity, feasibility, factor structure, reliability and construct validity. Forty-one community pharmacies of the province of Santa Fe. Argentina. Questionnaire administered to patients receiving pharmaceutical care or traditional pharmacy services. Pilot test to assess feasibility. Factor analysis used principal components and varimax rotation. Reliability established using internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha. Construct validity determined with extreme group method. A self-administered questionnaire with 27 items, 5-point Likert response scale and demographic questions was designed considering multidimensional structure of patient satisfaction. Questionnaire evaluates cumulative experience of patients with comprehensive pharmaceutical care practice in community pharmacies. Two hundred and seventy-four complete questionnaires were obtained. Factor analysis resulted in three factors: Managing therapy, Interpersonal relationship and General satisfaction, with a cumulative variance of 62.51%. Cronbach's alpha for the whole questionnaire was 0.96, and 0.95, 0.88 and 0.76 for the three factors, respectively. Mann-Whitney test for construct validity did not showed significant differences between pharmacies that provide pharmaceutical care and those that do not, however, 23 items showed significant differences between the two groups of pharmacies. The questionnaire developed can be a reliable and valid instrument to assess patient satisfaction with pharmaceutical care in community pharmacies in Spanish. Further research is needed to deepen the validation process.

  16. Development and validation of the diabetes adolescent problem solving questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mulvaney, Shelagh A; Jaser, Sarah S; Rothman, Russell L; Russell, William E; Pittel, Eric J; Lybarger, Cindy; Wallston, Kenneth A

    2014-10-01

    Problem solving is a critical diabetes self-management skill. Because of a lack of clinically feasible measures, our aim was to develop and validate a self-report self-management problem solving questionnaire for adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D). A multidisciplinary team of diabetes experts generated questionnaire items that addressed diabetes self-management problem solving. Iterative feedback from parents and adolescents resulted in 27 items. Adolescents from two studies (N=156) aged 13-17 were recruited through a pediatric diabetes clinic and completed measures through an online survey. Glycemic control was measured by HbA1c recorded in the medical record. Empirical elimination of items using principal components analyses resulted in a 13-item unidimensional measure, the diabetes adolescent problem solving questionnaire (DAPSQ) that explained 56% of the variance. The DAPSQ demonstrated internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.92) and was correlated with diabetes self-management (r=0.53, pproblem solving in youth with T1D and is associated with better self-management behaviors and glycemic control. The DAPSQ is a clinically feasible self-report measure that can provide valuable information regarding level of self-management problem solving and guide patient education. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Validation d'un questionnaire sur la croyance au phenomene ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study presents the results of research that was carried out to construct and validate a questionnaire that measures paranormal belief in the context of a southern country: the Republic of Benin. The experimental version is made up of 22 items and was obtained from the factorial analysis of 72 items that were ...

  18. Development of the Attitudes to Domestic Violence Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fox, Claire L; Gadd, David; Sim, Julius

    2015-09-01

    To provide a more robust assessment of the effectiveness of a domestic abuse prevention education program, a questionnaire was developed to measure children's attitudes to domestic violence. The aim was to develop a short questionnaire that would be easy to use for practitioners but, at the same time, sensitive enough to pick up on subtle changes in young people's attitudes. We therefore chose to ask children about different situations in which they might be willing to condone domestic violence. In Study 1, we tested a set of 20 items, which we reduced by half to a set of 10 items. The factor structure of the scale was explored and its internal consistency was calculated. In Study 2, we tested the factor structure of the 10-item Attitudes to Domestic Violence (ADV) Scale in a separate calibration sample. Finally, in Study 3, we then assessed the test-retest reliability of the 10-item scale. The ADV Questionnaire is a promising tool to evaluate the effectiveness of domestic abuse education prevention programs. However, further development work is necessary. © The Author(s) 2014.

  19. [Theory analysis and clinical application of spirit-regulating and pain-relieving acupuncture method].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Liang; Tang, Lewei; Du, Huaibin; Zheng, Hui; Liang, Fanrong

    2015-04-01

    The theoretical foundation and scientific connotation of spirit-regulating and pain-relieving acupuncture method as well as its clinical application for pain are discussed. During spirit regulation, attention should be paid on regulating heart and brain, while acupoints should be selected mainly from the Heart Meridian, Pericardium Meridian and Governor Vessel. It has significant efficacy for refractory pain in clinical treatment. Spirit-regulating and pain-relieving acupuncture method is development of acupuncture treating spirit, and it is an important method for pain in clinic. Improvement on sensitization of pain center and brain function is considered as one of the mechanisms in spirit-regulating and pain-relieving acupuncture method.

  20. Aesthetic dermatology and emotional well-being questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez-González, M Covadonga; Martínez-González, Raquel-Amaya; Guerra-Tapia, Aurora

    2014-12-01

    In recent years, there has been a great development of esthetic dermatology as a subspecialty of dermatology. It is important to know to which extent the general population regard this branch of medical surgical specialty as being of interest and contributing to emotional well-being. To analyze the technical features of a questionnaire which has been designed to reflect such perception of the general population about esthetic dermatology and its contribution to emotional well-being. Production and psychometric analysis of a self-filled in questionnaire in relation to esthetic dermatology and emotional well-being (DEBIE). This questionnaire is made of 57 items and has been applied to a sample of 770 people within the general population. The drawing-up process of the questionnaire is described to provide content validity. Items analysis was carried out together with exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis to assess the structure and construct validity of the tool. The extent of internal consistency (reliability) and concurrent validity has also been verified. DEBIE questionnaire (Spanish acronym for Aesthetic Dermatology and Emotional Well-being) revolves around six factors explaining 53.91% of the variance; there is a high level of internal consistency (Cronbach's α 0.90) and reasonable criterion validity. DEBIE questionnaire brings together adequate psychometric properties that can be applied to assess the perception that the general population have in relation to esthetic dermatology and its contribution to their emotional well-being. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. Development and Validation of the Food Liking Questionnaire in a French-Canadian Population

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carbonneau, Elise; Bradette-Laplante, Maude; Lamarche, Benoît; Provencher, Véronique; Bégin, Catherine; Robitaille, Julie; Desroches, Sophie; Corneau, Louise; Lemieux, Simone

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire assessing food liking in a French-Canadian population. A questionnaire was developed, in which participants were asked to rate their degree of liking of 50 food items. An expert panel evaluated the content validity. For the validation study, 150 men and women completed the questionnaire twice. An Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was performed to assess the number of subscales of the questionnaire. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the subscales were evaluated. Concurrent validity was assessed through correlations between liking scores and self-reported frequencies of consumption. Comments from the experts led to changes in the list of foods included in the questionnaire. The EFA revealed a two-factor structure for the questionnaire (i.e., savory and sweet foods) and led to the removal of nine items, resulting in a 32-item questionnaire. The two subscales revealed good internal consistency (Cronbach alphas: 0.85 and 0.89) and test-retest reliability (p = 0.84 and 0.86). The questionnaire demonstrated adequate concurrent validity, with moderate correlations between food liking and self-reported frequency of consumption (r = 0.19–0.39, ps < 0.05). This new Food Liking Questionnaire assessing liking of a variety of savory and sweet foods demonstrated good psychometric properties in every validation step. This questionnaire will be useful to explore the role of food liking and its interactions with other factors in predicting eating behaviors and energy intake. PMID:29292754

  2. Development and Validation of the Food Liking Questionnaire in a French-Canadian Population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carbonneau, Elise; Bradette-Laplante, Maude; Lamarche, Benoît; Provencher, Véronique; Bégin, Catherine; Robitaille, Julie; Desroches, Sophie; Vohl, Marie-Claude; Corneau, Louise; Lemieux, Simone

    2017-12-08

    The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire assessing food liking in a French-Canadian population. A questionnaire was developed, in which participants were asked to rate their degree of liking of 50 food items. An expert panel evaluated the content validity. For the validation study, 150 men and women completed the questionnaire twice. An Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was performed to assess the number of subscales of the questionnaire. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the subscales were evaluated. Concurrent validity was assessed through correlations between liking scores and self-reported frequencies of consumption. Comments from the experts led to changes in the list of foods included in the questionnaire. The EFA revealed a two-factor structure for the questionnaire (i.e., savory and sweet foods) and led to the removal of nine items, resulting in a 32-item questionnaire. The two subscales revealed good internal consistency (Cronbach alphas: 0.85 and 0.89) and test-retest reliability ( p = 0.84 and 0.86). The questionnaire demonstrated adequate concurrent validity, with moderate correlations between food liking and self-reported frequency of consumption ( r = 0.19-0.39, p s Food Liking Questionnaire assessing liking of a variety of savory and sweet foods demonstrated good psychometric properties in every validation step. This questionnaire will be useful to explore the role of food liking and its interactions with other factors in predicting eating behaviors and energy intake.

  3. Item response theory, computerized adaptive testing, and PROMIS: assessment of physical function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fries, James F; Witter, James; Rose, Matthias; Cella, David; Khanna, Dinesh; Morgan-DeWitt, Esi

    2014-01-01

    Patient-reported outcome (PRO) questionnaires record health information directly from research participants because observers may not accurately represent the patient perspective. Patient-reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) is a US National Institutes of Health cooperative group charged with bringing PRO to a new level of precision and standardization across diseases by item development and use of item response theory (IRT). With IRT methods, improved items are calibrated on an underlying concept to form an item bank for a "domain" such as physical function (PF). The most informative items can be combined to construct efficient "instruments" such as 10-item or 20-item PF static forms. Each item is calibrated on the basis of the probability that a given person will respond at a given level, and the ability of the item to discriminate people from one another. Tailored forms may cover any desired level of the domain being measured. Computerized adaptive testing (CAT) selects the best items to sharpen the estimate of a person's functional ability, based on prior responses to earlier questions. PROMIS item banks have been improved with experience from several thousand items, and are calibrated on over 21,000 respondents. In areas tested to date, PROMIS PF instruments are superior or equal to Health Assessment Questionnaire and Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36 Survey legacy instruments in clarity, translatability, patient importance, reliability, and sensitivity to change. Precise measures, such as PROMIS, efficiently incorporate patient self-report of health into research, potentially reducing research cost by lowering sample size requirements. The advent of routine IRT applications has the potential to transform PRO measurement.

  4. Probing smoking craving with a multidimensional approach: validation of the 12-item French-language version of the Questionnaire on Smoking Urges

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dethier V

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Vincent Dethier,1 Alexandre Heeren,1,2 Laurence Galanti,3 Pierre Philippot,1 Joël Billieux1 1Laboratory for Experimental Psychopathology, Psychological Science Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; 2National Fund for Scientific Research, Brussels, Belgium; 3Department of Clinical Biology, Mont-Godinne University Hospital, Yvoir, Belgium Background: The current study examined the psychometric properties of the 12-item French-language version of the Questionnaire on Smoking Urges (QSU-12, a widely used multidimensional measure of cigarette craving. Methods: Daily smokers (n=230 completed the QSU-12, the Fägerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence, and items about addiction-related symptoms. Additional participants (n=40 completed the QSU-12 and the Fägerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence and were assessed for expired carbon monoxide. Results: Consistent with studies validating the English version of the scale, confirmatory factor analyses supported a two-factor solution in the French version of the scale. Good scale and subscales reliabilities were observed, and convergent validity was evidenced through relationships with dependence and addiction-related symptoms. Conclusion: The French-language version of the QSU-12 is an adequate instrument to assess the multidimensional construct of craving in both research and clinical practice. Keywords: tobacco, smoking, nicotine, craving, measurement model, psychometrics, confirmatory factor analyses, carbon monoxide, addiction

  5. The Motherhood Inventory: A Questionnaire for Studying Attitudes Toward Motherhood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hare-Mustin, Rachel T.; Broderick, Patricia C.

    The Motherhood Inventory (MI) is a 40-item questionnaire developed to study attitudes toward motherhood and the motherhood myth. It includes items related to the control of reproduction, abortion, adoption, single motherhood, male-female relationships, and idealized and punitive attitudes toward mothers. The MI was investigated using 301 subjects…

  6. Formal psychological assessment in evaluating depression: a new methodology to build exhaustive and irredundant adaptive questionnaires.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serra, Francesca; Spoto, Andrea; Ghisi, Marta; Vidotto, Giulio

    2015-01-01

    Psychological Assessment can be defined as a complex procedure of information collection, analysis and processing. Formal Psychological Assessment (FPA) tries to improve this procedure by providing a formal framework to build assessment tools. In this paper, FPA is applied to depression. Seven questionnaires widely used for the self-evaluation of depression were selected. Diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder were derived from the DSM-5, literature and Seligman's and Beck's theories. A Boolean matrix was built, including 266 items from the questionnaires in the rows and 20 selected attributes, obtained through diagnostic criteria decomposition, in the columns. In the matrix, a 1 in a cell meant that the corresponding item investigated the specific attribute. It was thus possible to analyze the relationships between items and attributes and among items. While none of the considered questionnaires could alone cover all the criteria for the evaluation of depressive symptoms, we observed that a set of 30 items contained the same information that was obtained redundantly with 266 items. Another result highlighted by the matrix regards the relations among items. FPA allows in-depth analysis of currently used questionnaires based on the presence/absence of clinical elements. FPA allows for going beyond the mere score by differentiating the patients according to symptomatology. Furthermore, it allows for computerized-adaptive assessment.

  7. Development and validation of a questionnaire to evaluate patient satisfaction with diabetes disease management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paddock, L E; Veloski, J; Chatterton, M L; Gevirtz, F O; Nash, D B

    2000-07-01

    To develop a reliable and valid questionnaire to measure patient satisfaction with diabetes disease management programs. Questions related to structure, process, and outcomes were categorized into 14 domains defining the essential elements of diabetes disease management. Health professionals confirmed the content validity. Face validity was established by a patient focus group. The questionnaire was mailed to 711 patients with diabetes who participated in a disease management program. To reduce the number of questionnaire items, a principal components analysis was performed using a varimax rotation. The Scree test was used to select significant components. To further assess reliability and validity; Cronbach's alpha and product-moment correlations were calculated for components having > or =3 items with loadings >0.50. The validated 73-item mailed satisfaction survey had a 34.1% response rate. Principal components analysis yielded 13 components with eigenvalues > 1.0. The Scree test proposed a 6-component solution (39 items), which explained 59% of the total variation. Internal consistency reliabilities computed for the first 6 components (alpha = 0.79-0.95) were acceptable. The final questionnaire, the Diabetes Management Evaluation Tool (DMET), was designed to assess patient satisfaction with diabetes disease management programs. Although more extensive testing of the questionnaire is appropriate, preliminary reliability and validity of the DMET has been demonstrated.

  8. The negative affect repair questionnaire: factor analysis and psychometric evaluation in three samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Scherer Anne

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Negative affect and difficulties in its regulation have been connected to several adverse psychological consequences. While several questionnaires exist, it would be important to have a theory-based measure that includes clinically relevant items and shows good psychometric properties in healthy and patient samples. This study aims at developing such a questionnaire, combining the two Gross [1] scales Reappraisal and Suppression with an additional response-focused scale called Externalizing Behavioral Strategies covering clinically relevant items. Methods The samples consisted of 684 students (mean age = 23.3, SD = 3.5; 53.6% female and 369 persons with mixed mental disorders (mean age = 36.0 SD = 14.6; 71.2% female. Items for the questionnaire were derived from existing questionnaires and additional items were formulated based on suggestions by clinical experts. All items start with “When I don’t feel well, in order to feel better…”. Participants rated how frequently they used each strategy on a 5-point Likert scale. Confirmatory Factor Analyses were conducted to verify the factor structure in two separate student samples and a clinical sample. Group comparisons and correlations with other questionnaires were calculated to ensure validity. Results After modification, the CFA showed good model fit in all three samples. Reliability scores (Cronbach’s α for the three NARQ scales ranged between .71 and .80. Comparisons between students and persons with mental disorders showed the postulated relationships, as did comparisons between male and female students and persons with or without Borderline Personality Disorder. Correlations with other questionnaires suggest the NARQ’s construct validity. Conclusions The results indicate that the NARQ is a psychometrically sound and reliable measure with practical use for therapy planning and tracking of treatment outcome across time. We advocate the integration

  9. Improving the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire using Rasch analysis.

    OpenAIRE

    Koopmans, L.; Bernaards, C.M.; Hildebrandt, V.H.; Buuren, S. van; Beek, A.J. van der; Vet, H.C.W. de

    2014-01-01

    Recently, the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ) version 0.2 was developed using Rasch analysis. The goal of the current study was to improve targeting of the IWPQ scales by including additional items. The IWPQ 0.2 (original) and 0.3 (including additional items) were examined using Rasch analysis. Additional items that showed misfit or did not improve targeting were removed from the IWPQ 0.3, resulting in a final IWPQ 1.0. Subsequently, the scales showed good model fit and relia...

  10. Development of new physical activity and sedentary behavior change self-efficacy questionnaires using item response modeling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Venditti Elizabeth

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Theoretically, increased levels of physical activity self-efficacy (PASE should lead to increased physical activity, but few studies have reported this effect among youth. This failure may be at least partially attributable to measurement limitations. In this study, Item Response Modeling (IRM was used to develop new physical activity and sedentary behavior change self-efficacy scales. The validity of the new scales was compared with accelerometer assessments of physical activity and sedentary behavior. Methods New PASE and sedentary behavior change (TV viewing, computer video game use, and telephone use self-efficacy items were developed. The scales were completed by 714, 6th grade students in seven US cities. A limited number of participants (83 also wore an accelerometer for five days and provided at least 3 full days of complete data. The new scales were analyzed using Classical Test Theory (CTT and IRM; a reduced set of items was produced with IRM and correlated with accelerometer counts per minute and minutes of sedentary, light and moderate to vigorous activity per day after school. Results The PASE items discriminated between high and low levels of PASE. Full and reduced scales were weakly correlated (r = 0.18 with accelerometer counts per minute after school for boys, with comparable associations for girls. Weaker correlations were observed between PASE and minutes of moderate to vigorous activity (r = 0.09 – 0.11. The uni-dimensionality of the sedentary scales was established by both exploratory factor analysis and the fit of items to the underlying variable and reliability was assessed across the length of the underlying variable with some limitations. The reduced sedentary behavior scales had poor reliability. The full scales were moderately correlated with light intensity physical activity after school (r = 0.17 to 0.33 and sedentary behavior (r = -0.29 to -0.12 among the boys, but not for girls. Conclusion New

  11. Evaluating HIV Knowledge Questionnaires Among Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Multi-Study Item Response Theory Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janulis, Patrick; Newcomb, Michael E; Sullivan, Patrick; Mustanski, Brian

    2018-01-01

    Knowledge about the transmission, prevention, and treatment of HIV remains a critical element in psychosocial models of HIV risk behavior and is commonly used as an outcome in HIV prevention interventions. However, most HIV knowledge questions have not undergone rigorous psychometric testing such as using item response theory. The current study used data from six studies of men who have sex with men (MSM; n = 3565) to (1) examine the item properties of HIV knowledge questions, (2) test for differential item functioning on commonly studied characteristics (i.e., age, race/ethnicity, and HIV risk behavior), (3) select items with the optimal item characteristics, and (4) leverage this combined dataset to examine the potential moderating effect of age on the relationship between condomless anal sex (CAS) and HIV knowledge. Findings indicated that existing questions tend to poorly differentiate those with higher levels of HIV knowledge, but items were relatively robust across diverse individuals. Furthermore, age moderated the relationship between CAS and HIV knowledge with older MSM having the strongest association. These findings suggest that additional items are required in order to capture a more nuanced understanding of HIV knowledge and that the association between CAS and HIV knowledge may vary by age.

  12. Validation of eating disorders examination questionnaire in Mexican women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Unikel Santoncini, Claudia; Bojorquez Chapela, Ietza; Díaz de León Vázquez, Concepción; Vázquez Velázquez, Verónica; Rivera Márquez, José Alberto; Galván Sánchez, Griselda; Rocha Velis, Ingrid

    2018-02-01

    Efficient assessment of eating disorders (ED) is indispensable for research and clinical practice in Mexico. One of the most commonly used questionnaires, the EDE-Q, has a self-applicable questionnaire format with 28 questions and four subscales drawn from the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE), a semistructured interview developed to evaluate the specific symptomatology of eating disorders. Obtain the factorial structure and construct validity of the EDE-Q questionnaire in Mexican women. The language in the EDE-Q was adapted. It was applied to university students (N = 330) and a sample of patients with ED (N = 165) from two ED outpatient treatment services. The anthropometric data of the participants was obtained. Internal consistency was explored using the Cronbach's Alpha coefficient and a confirmatory factor analysis was conducted by group. Cronbach's alpha was 0.9 for the full scale in all groups, while the reliability of each of the subscales fluctuated between 0.8 and 0.9. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the fit of the seven-item model in three factors was better than that of the original 22-item one and that of the eight-item model for one factor. This study provides information supporting the seven-item and three-factor version, rather than the original or eight-item versions of the EDE-Q. In the future, the adapted version of the EDE-Q will make it possible to draw comparisons between Mexican samples in other socio-cultural contexts. Future research is required to continue refining the instruments to achieve more representative results from the general ED population. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. Development of a questionnaire to assess maternal attitudes towards infant growth and milk feeding practices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Schiff Annie

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background There is increasing recognition that public health strategies to prevent childhood obesity need to start early in life. Any behavioural interventions need to target maternal attitudes and infant feeding practices, This paper describes the development and preliminary validation of a questionnaire to assess maternal attitudes towards infant growth and milk feeding practices. Methods We designed a 57-item (19 questions, self-administered questionnaire to measure the following four domains- 1 type of milk feeding, decision making and sources of advice; 2 frequency and quantity of milk feeds; 3 attitudes to infant feeding and growth; and 4 theory-based beliefs about following infant feeding recommendations. Forty mothers completed the questionnaire on two occasions six days apart (to assess test-retest reliability and then participated in a semi-structured, open-ended telephone interview covering the same domains (to assess criterion validity. Percentage agreement, Cohen's Kappas (for categorical variables and Spearman's correlation coefficients (for continuous variables were used to quantify reliability and validity. Internal consistency between theory-based constructs (self-efficacy, outcome expectancy and intention was quantified by Chronbach's alpha. Results Of the 57 questionnaire items 51 (89% had percentage agreement above 70% indicating good test-retest reliability, and the remaining 6 items had moderate or substantial levels of agreement (kappa 0.41-0.68. Comparing questionnaire with interview coding (validity, percentage agreement was above 66% for 39/57 items (68%. Of the 16 items with percentage agreement below 66%, only five had kappa values below 0.20 (two items had insufficient interview responses. Internal consistency was 0.51, 0.79 and 0.90 for self-efficacy, outcome expectancy and intention respectively. Conclusions This questionnaire could be a useful tool in understanding the determinants of infant feeding and

  14. Classification of natural and supernatural causes of mental distress. Development of a Mental Distress Explanatory Model Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eisenbruch, M

    1990-11-01

    This paper describes the background and development of a Mental Distress Explanatory Model Questionnaire designed to explore how people from different cultures explain mental distress. A 45-item questionnaire was developed with items derived from the Murdock et al. categories, with additional items covering western notions of physiological causation and stress. The questionnaire was administered to 261 people, mostly college students. Multi-dimensional scaling analysis shows four clusters of mental distress: a) stress; b) western physiological; c) nonwestern physiological; and d) supernatural. These clusters form two dimensions: western physiological vs. supernatural and impersonal vs. personalistic explanations. Natural and stress items are separated from supernatural and nonwestern physiological items along the first dimension. Brain damage, physical illness, and genetic defects have the greatest separation along the first dimension. Being hot, the body being out of balance, and wind currents passing through the body most strongly represent the non-western physiological category. The questionnaire has the potential to be used for community health screening and for monitoring patient care, as well as with students in the health sciences and with health practitioners.

  15. Linguistic validation of stigmatisation degree, self-esteem and knowledge questionnaire among asthma patients using Rasch analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmad, Sohail; Ismail, Ahmad Izuanuddin; Khan, Tahir Mehmood; Akram, Waqas; Mohd Zim, Mohd Arif; Ismail, Nahlah Elkudssiah

    2017-04-01

    The stigmatisation degree, self-esteem and knowledge either directly or indirectly influence the control and self-management of asthma. To date, there is no valid and reliable instrument that can assess these key issues collectively. The main aim of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the newly devised and translated "Stigmatisation Degree, Self-Esteem and Knowledge Questionnaire" among adult asthma patients using the Rasch measurement model. This cross-sectional study recruited thirty adult asthma patients from two respiratory specialist clinics in Selangor, Malaysia. The newly devised self-administered questionnaire was adapted from relevant publications and translated into the Malay language using international standard translation guidelines. Content and face validation was done. The data were extracted and analysed for real item reliability and construct validation using the Rasch model. The translated "Stigmatisation Degree, Self-Esteem and Knowledge Questionnaire" showed high real item reliability values of 0.90, 0.86 and 0.89 for stigmatisation degree, self-esteem, and knowledge of asthma, respectively. Furthermore, all values of point measure correlation (PTMEA Corr) analysis were within the acceptable specified range of the Rasch model. Infit/outfit mean square values and Z standard (ZSTD) values of each item verified the construct validity and suggested retaining all the items in the questionnaire. The reliability analyses and output tables of item measures for construct validation proved the translated Malaysian version of "Stigmatisation Degree, Self-Esteem and Knowledge Questionnaire" as a valid and highly reliable questionnaire.

  16. Development and initial validation of the interprofessional team learning profiling questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nisbet, Gillian; Dunn, Stewart; Lincoln, Michelle; Shaw, Joanne

    2016-05-01

    Informal workplace interprofessional learning occurs as health professionals interact with each other as part of everyday work practice. Participation in interprofessional team meetings is a practical way to foster learning. However, a gap exists in the availability of a reliable and valid instrument that adequately captures the nuances of informal workplace interprofessional learning in this setting. The purpose of this study was to develop a questionnaire to measure the different components of interprofessional learning that contribute to the quality of interprofessional learning within the interprofessional team meeting. Questionnaire items were developed from a review of the literature and interviews with health professionals. Exploratory factor analysis was used to determine the underlying factor structure. Two hundred and eighty-five health professionals completed a 98-item questionnaire. After elimination of unreliable items, the remaining items (n = 41) loaded onto four factors named personal and professional capacity; turning words into action-"walk the talk"; the rhetoric of interprofessional learning-"talk the talk"; and inclusiveness. Internal consistency was high for all sub-scales (Cronbach's alpha 0.91, 0.87, 0.83, and 0.83, respectively). Content, construct, and concurrent validity were assessed. The instrument developed in this study indicated consistency and robust psychometric properties. Future studies that further test the psychometric properties of the questionnaire will help to establish the usefulness of this measure in establishing evidence for the perceived effectiveness of interprofessional learning in a healthcare setting.

  17. Questionnaire for low back pain in the garment industry workers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bindra, Supreet; Sinha, A G K; Benjamin, A I

    2013-05-01

    Low back pain affects up to 90% of the world's population at some point in their lives. Until date no questionnaire has been designed for back pain in the garment industry workers. Therefore, the objective of this study is to design a questionnaire to determine the prevalence, risk factors, impact, health care service utilization and back pain features in the garment industry workers and gain preliminary experience of its use. The content validity and reliability of the questionnaire was established. Items showing acceptable internal consistency and moderate to high test re-test reliability were retained in the questionnaire. Items showing unacceptable internal consistency, low test re-test reliability or poor differentiation were reworded, redrafted and re-tested on the workers. It took 20 min to complete one interview schedule. Environmental factors such as the absence of the garment industry owner/supervisor or co-workers at the time of the interview and interview during leisure hours need to be standardized. Thus, final questionnaire is ready for use after necessary amendments and will be used on the larger sample size in the main study.

  18. Development of the multiple sclerosis (MS) early mobility impairment questionnaire (EMIQ).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ziemssen, Tjalf; Phillips, Glenn; Shah, Ruchit; Mathias, Adam; Foley, Catherine; Coon, Cheryl; Sen, Rohini; Lee, Andrew; Agarwal, Sonalee

    2016-10-01

    The Early Mobility Impairment Questionnaire (EMIQ) was developed to facilitate early identification of mobility impairments in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. We describe the initial development of the EMIQ with a focus on the psychometric evaluation of the questionnaire using classical and item response theory methods. The initial 20-item EMIQ was constructed by clinical specialists and qualitatively tested among people with MS and physicians via cognitive interviews. Data from an observational study was used to make additional updates to the instrument based on exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and item response theory (IRT) analysis, and psychometric analyses were performed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the final instrument's scores and screening properties (i.e., sensitivity and specificity). Based on qualitative interview analyses, a revised 15-item EMIQ was included in the observational study. EFA, IRT and item-to-item correlation analyses revealed redundant items which were removed leading to the final nine-item EMIQ. The nine-item EMIQ performed well with respect to: test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.858); internal consistency (α = 0.893); convergent validity; and known-groups methods for construct validity. A cut-point of 41 on the 0-to-100 scale resulted in sufficient sensitivity and specificity statistics for viably identifying patients with mobility impairment. The EMIQ is a content valid and psychometrically sound instrument for capturing MS patients' experience with mobility impairments in a clinical practice setting. Additional research is suggested to further confirm the EMIQ's screening properties over time.

  19. Psychometric Characteristics of the Attitude Questionnaire Toward the Donation of Organs for Transplant (PCID-DTO-RIOS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ríos, A; López-Navas, A I; De-Francisco, C; Sánchez, Á; Hernández, A M; Ramírez, P; Parrilla, P

    2018-03-01

    Most psychosocial attitude studies for donors are not evaluated and are not valid. Validated questionnaires are necessary to compare results and guarantee that they measure what they are intended to measure. To analyze the psychometric characteristics of the attitude questionnaire toward the donation of one's own organs after death. We evaluated PCID-DTO RIOS (Questionnaire of "Proyecto Colaborativo Internacional Donante" about organ donation and transplant; donación y trasplante de órganos in Spanish), developed by Dr Ríos, for its validation in a Spanish-speaking population. A sample of 600 Spaniards over 18 stratified by age and gender according to the center were included. The PCID-DTO-RIOS was used, which allows determination of the factors that condition that attitude. Structured analysis was used in several stages, with an initial description of the data, exploratory factorial analysis, item analysis, and internal factor consistency. The 20 items of the questionnaire are grouped into 4 factors, which explain 63.203% of the total variance. By factors, this is distributed as follows: factor 1 (6 items) 26.287%; factor 2 (7 items) 24.972%; factor 3 (4 items) 6.834%; and factor 4 (3 items) 5.110%. The analysis of the items and the internal consistency measured through Cronbach α (α1 = .95, α2 = .80, α3 = .74, and α4 = .64) support the four-factor composition, with α = 0.834. The questionnaire PCID-DTO-RIOS is composed of 4 factors that explain a high percentage of the attitude toward the donation of one's own organs after death. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Fear of progression in chronic diseases: psychometric properties of the Fear of Progression Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herschbach, Peter; Berg, Petra; Dankert, Andrea; Duran, Gabriele; Engst-Hastreiter, Ursula; Waadt, Sabine; Keller, Monika; Ukat, Robert; Henrich, Gerhard

    2005-06-01

    The aim of this study was the development and psychometric testing of a new psychological questionnaire to measure the fear of progression (FoP) in chronically ill patients (cancer, diabetes mellitus and rheumatic diseases). The Fear of Progression Questionnaire (FoP-Q) was developed in four phases: (1) generation of items (65 interviews); (2) reduction of items--the initial version of the questionnaire (87 items) was presented to 411 patients, to construct subscales and test the reliability; (3) testing the convergent and discriminative validity of the reduced test version (43 items) within a new sample (n=439); (4) translation--German to English. The scale comprised five factors (Cronbach's alpha >.70): affective reactions (13 items), partnership/family (7), occupation (7), loss of autonomy (7) and coping with anxiety (9). The test-retest reliability coefficients varied between .77 and .94. There was only a medium relationship to traditional anxiety scales. This is an indication of the independence of the FoP. Significant relationships between the FoP-Q and the patient's illness behaviour indicate discriminative validity. The FoP-Q is a new and unique questionnaire developed for the chronically ill. A major problem and source of stress for this patient group has been measuring both specifically and economically the FoP of an illness. The FoP-Q was designed to resolve this problem, fulfill this need and reduce this stress.

  1. Rasch scaling of the Oswestry Disability Index and the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lauridsen, Henrik Hein; Hartvigsen, Jan

    Questionnaire (RMQ) and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), however, only few studies have tested these questionnaires using Rasch analysis. This study used Rasch scaling to test the construct validity of the Danish versions of the RMQ (23-item Patrick version) and the ODI (version 2.1a) in a heterogeneous...... on an ordinal scale into interval scaling in addition to optimising the fit of instrument items to the target population. In low back pain research the two most commonly used and well-validated questionnaires to assess functional status in patients with low back pain are the Roland-Morris Disability...

  2. GIS tailored questionnaires for assisting health care management in distributing resources

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Herselman, M

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available A tailored questionnaire focuses on dynamic generation of items and questions according to the location where the questionnaire is used. The approach is connected to the management of resources and the support of decision making processes which...

  3. Glucose intolerance and General Health Questionnaire 12-item version scores of male two-shift workers stratified by precariousness of work.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawada, Tomoyuki

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the relationship between precariousness of work, glucose intolerance and psychological wellbeing for male workers, stratified by age. I recruited 2542 manufacturing two-shift workers, aged from 35 to 54 years. Glucose intolerance was defined as fasting plasma glucose of ≥100mg/dL or current medication of diabetes mellitus. The rating scale of General Health Questionnaire 12-item version (GHQ-12) was used for evaluating psychological well-being. There was a significant increase in the prevalence of glucose intolerance by aging in permanent workers. In addition, the prevalence of glucose intolerance except 30s and the prevalence of positive GHQ-12 scores except 50s of permanent workers were both significantly higher than that of temporary workers in each age class. Temporary workers in this study sign contracts for 3 years, and heather worker's effect, compared with permanent workers, would be reflected in this study. Copyright © 2015 Diabetes India. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. [The Italian version of Nordic Musculoskeletal Standardized Questionnaire].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghersi, R; Martinelli, S; Richeldi, A; Clerici, P; Grazioli, P; Gobba, F M

    2007-01-01

    We translated into Italian the Nordic musculoskelethal questionnaire, as completed by Canadian IRSST with Authors' agreement in 2001, according to OMS recommendations. This translation involved the following items: aches and troubles of neck, dorsal region, low back, shoulders, elbows, hands and wrists, hips and thighs, ankles and feet in the last 12 months. The questionnaire was then submitted to reliability and stability tests. The Italian version of the questionnaire, already used in different languages, proved to be suitable and reliable also for self administration.

  5. [Design and validation of a questionnaire for psychosocial nursing diagnosis in Primary Care].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brito-Brito, Pedro Ruymán; Rodríguez-Álvarez, Cristobalina; Sierra-López, Antonio; Rodríguez-Gómez, José Ángel; Aguirre-Jaime, Armando

    2012-01-01

    To develop a valid, reliable and easy-to-use questionnaire for a psychosocial nursing diagnosis. The study was performed in two phases: first phase, questionnaire design and construction; second phase, validity and reliability tests. A bank of items was constructed using the NANDA classification as a theoretical framework. Each item was assigned a Likert scale or dichotomous response. The combination of responses to the items constituted the diagnostic rules to assign up to 28 labels. A group of experts carried out the validity test for content. Other validated scales were used as reference standards for the criterion validity tests. Forty-five nurses provided the questionnaire to the patients on three separate occasions over a period of three weeks, and the other validated scales only once to 188 randomly selected patients in Primary Care centres in Tenerife (Spain). Validity tests for construct confirmed the six dimensions of the questionnaire with 91% of total variance explained. Validity tests for criterion showed a specificity of 66%-100%, and showed high correlations with the reference scales when the questionnaire was assigning nursing diagnoses. Reliability tests showed agreement of 56%-91% (PQuestionnaire for Psychosocial Nursing Diagnosis was called CdePS, and included 61 items. The CdePS is a valid, reliable and easy-to-use tool in Primary Care centres to improve the assigning of a psychosocial nursing diagnosis. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

  6. Validation of satisfaction questionnaire for outpatient neurology ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Patient satisfaction questionnaires are the commonly used patient satisfaction measure, and may be global or multidimensional in focus. Global patient satisfaction consists of overall patient satisfaction while multidimensional patient satisfaction has multiple items focusing on different dimensions of the ...

  7. 100-point scale evaluating job satisfaction and the results of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire in occupational workers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawada, Tomoyuki; Yamada, Natsuki

    2012-01-01

    Job satisfaction is an important factor in the occupational lives of workers. In this study, the relationship between one-dimensional scale of job satisfaction and psychological wellbeing was evaluated. A total of 1,742 workers (1,191 men and 551 women) participated. 100-point scale evaluating job satisfaction (0 [extremely dissatisfied] to 100 [extremely satisfied]) and the General Health Questionnaire, 12-item version (GHQ-12) evaluating psychological wellbeing were used. A multiple regression analysis was then used, controlling for gender and age. The change in the GHQ-12 and job satisfaction scores after a two-year interval was also evaluated. The mean age for the subjects was 42.2 years for the men and 36.2 years for the women. The GHQ-12 and job satisfaction scores were significantly correlated in each generation. The partial correlation coefficients between the changes in the two variables, controlling for age, were -0.395 for men and -0.435 for women (pjob satisfaction score was associated with the GHQ-12 results (pjob satisfaction, was significantly associated with psychological wellbeing as judged using the GHQ-12.

  8. Social support for healthy eating: development and validation of a questionnaire for the French-Canadian population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carbonneau, Elise; Bradette-Laplante, Maude; Lamarche, Benoît; Provencher, Véronique; Bégin, Catherine; Robitaille, Julie; Desroches, Sophie; Vohl, Marie-Claude; Corneau, Louise; Lemieux, Simone

    2018-05-28

    The present study aimed to develop and validate a questionnaire assessing social support for healthy eating in a French-Canadian population. A twenty-one-item questionnaire was developed. For each item, participants were asked to rate the frequency, in the past month, with which the actions described had been done by family and friends in two different environments: (i) at home and (ii) outside of home. The content was evaluated by an expert panel. A validation study sample was recruited and completed the questionnaire twice. Exploratory factor analysis was performed on items to assess the number of subscales. Internal consistency reliability was assessed using Cronbach's ɑ. Test-retest reliability was evaluated with intraclass correlations between scores of the two completions. Online survey. Men and women from the Québec City area (n 150). The content validity assessment led to a few changes, resulting in a twenty-two-item questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure for both environments, resulting in four subscales: supportive actions at home; non-supportive actions at home; supportive actions outside of home; and non-supportive actions outside of home. Two items were removed from the questionnaire due to low loadings. The four subscales were found to be reliable (Cronbach's ɑ=0·82-0·94; test-retest intraclass correlation=0·51-0·70). The Social Support for Healthy Eating Questionnaire was developed for a French-Canadian population and demonstrated good psychometric properties. This questionnaire will be useful to explore the role of social support and its interactions with other factors in predicting eating behaviours.

  9. Validation of the Korean version of the 39-Item Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Hye-Ja; Sohng, Kyeong-Yae; Kim, Sehyun

    2014-03-01

    To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the 39-item Parkinson's disease questionnaire (PDQ-39). Cross-cultural adaptation was performed according to the international guidelines: forward and backward translation, focus group meeting, and a field test. With Korean consensus translation produced, validation was assessed by evaluating reliability and validity. Ninety-three outpatients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and 89 healthy aged controls were recruited. Internal consistency reliability was assessed by Cronbach's alpha. Validity was assessed by Spearman correlation analysis, t test, factor analysis, and analysis of variance with Duncan's multiple range tests. In the PD group, mean age was 65.13 ± 9.84 years, and mean duration of PD was 42.41 ± 37.01 months. Ceiling and floor effects ranged 1.1%-2.2% and 1.1%-15.1%, respectively. Cronbach's alpha of eight dimensions ranged from .70 to .97. All dimensions were correlated with each other, except for the stigma dimension. PD patients had significantly lower quality of life than healthy aged controls did, except for the bodily discomfort dimension. Eight dimensions of Korean PDQ-39 loaded on one factor. PD patients with a Modified Hoehn and Yarh Staging score of 4 had the worst quality of life. The relationships among the eight dimensions of Koran PDQ-39 and the Modified Hoehn and Yarh Staging is fair to good, except for the stigma and social support dimension. The Korean PDQ-39 was proved to be reliable and valid. Our results suggest that Korean PDQ-39 could be used in clinical research to assess and evaluate the disease process and its impacts on health-related quality of life in Korean PD patients. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  10. The patient-centeredness self-efficacy questionnaire

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zachariae, Robert; O Connor, Maja; Lassesen, Berit

    2014-01-01

    was to develop a questionnaire to assess medical student and physician patient-centeredness self-efficacy (PCSEQ) and explore its reliability and validity. METHODS: A preliminary 88-item version, based on a review of the literature on patient centeredness and student portfolios on patient communication...... experiences, was completed by 448 medical graduate student interns. Exploratory analyses resulted in a 27-item version (PCSEQ-27) with three underlying factors: Confidence in: a) Exploring the patient perspective, b) Sharing information and power, and c) Dealing with communicative challenges. Psychometric...... properties, including gender-related differential item function (DIF), were examined. The PCSEQ-27 was then completed by 291 medical students from two medical schools and 101 hospital physicians. The fit of the factor structure was examined with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and construct validity...

  11. 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.

  12. Theoretical implementation of prior knowledge in the design of a multi-scale prosthesis satisfaction questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schürmann, Tim; Beckerle, Philipp; Preller, Julia; Vogt, Joachim; Christ, Oliver

    2016-12-19

    In product development for lower limb prosthetic devices, a set of special criteria needs to be met. Prosthetic devices have a direct impact on the rehabilitation process after an amputation with both perceived technological and psychological aspects playing an important role. However, available psychometric questionnaires fail to consider the important links between these two dimensions. In this article a probabilistic latent trait model is proposed with seven technical and psychological factors which measure satisfaction with the prosthesis. The results of a first study are used to determine the basic parameters of the statistical model. These distributions represent hypotheses about factor loadings between manifest items and latent factors of the proposed psychometric questionnaire. A study was conducted and analyzed to form hypotheses for the prior distributions of the questionnaire's measurement model. An expert agreement study conducted on 22 experts was used to determine the prior distribution of item-factor loadings in the model. Model parameters that had to be specified as part of the measurement model were informed prior distributions on the item-factor loadings. For the current 70 items in the questionnaire, each factor loading was set to represent the certainty with which experts had assigned the items to their respective factors. Considering only the measurement model and not the structural model of the questionnaire, 70 out of 217 informed prior distributions on parameters were set. The use of preliminary studies to set prior distributions in latent trait models, while being a relatively new approach in psychological research, provides helpful information towards the design of a seven factor questionnaire that means to identify relations between technical and psychological factors in prosthetic product design and rehabilitation medicine.

  13. Validation of the Danish version of the Patient Assessment of Care for Chronic Conditions questionnaire (PACIC)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sokolowski, Ineta; Maindal, Helle Terkildsen; Vedsted, Peter

    Objective: To evaluate the level of chronic care patients must be involved. The Danish version of the 20-item Patient Assessment of Care for Chronic Conditions PACIC questionnaire consisting of 5 scales and an overall summary score measuring patient reported assessment of structured chronic care ...... the same questionnaire is constructed and applied to different countries with diverse cultural backgrounds and health care systems. It is decisive, that translated questionnaires are validated in country they are used.......Objective: To evaluate the level of chronic care patients must be involved. The Danish version of the 20-item Patient Assessment of Care for Chronic Conditions PACIC questionnaire consisting of 5 scales and an overall summary score measuring patient reported assessment of structured chronic care...... interitem correlation), item-rest correlations. Model fit from confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results: We present the psychometric properties of the questionnaire and the first results evaluating chronic care in Danish people with diabetes. Conclusions: The complexity of validation is greater when...

  14. The Conscientious Responders Scale Helps Researchers Verify the Integrity of Personality Questionnaire Data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marjanovic, Zdravko; Bajkov, Lisa; MacDonald, Jennifer

    2018-01-01

    The Conscientious Responders Scale is a five-item embeddable validity scale that differentiates between conscientious and indiscriminate responding in personality-questionnaire data (CR & IR). This investigation presents further evidence of its validity and generalizability across two experiments. Study 1 tests its sensitivity to questionnaire length, a known cause of IR, and tries to provoke IR by manipulating psychological reactance. As expected, short questionnaires produced higher Conscientious Responders Scale scores than long questionnaires, and Conscientious Responders Scale scores were unaffected by reactance manipulations. Study 2 tests concerns that the Conscientious Responders Scale's unusual item content could potentially irritate and baffle responders, ironically increasing rates of IR. We administered two nearly identical questionnaires: one with an embedded Conscientious Responders Scale and one without the Conscientious Responders Scale. Psychometric comparisons revealed no differences across questionnaires' means, variances, interitem response consistencies, and Cronbach's alphas. In sum, the Conscientious Responders Scale is highly sensitive to questionnaire length-a known correlate of IR-and can be embedded harmlessly in questionnaires without provoking IR or changing the psychometrics of other measures.

  15. A mathematics vocabulary questionnaire for use in the intermediate phase

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marthie van der Walt

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available Teachers and psychologists need an instrument to assess learners' language proficiency in mathematics to enable them to plan and evaluate interventions and to facilitate best practice in mathematics classrooms. We describe the development of a mathematics vocabulary questionnaire to measure learners' language proficiency in mathematics in the intermediate phase. It covers all the steps from designing the preliminary questionnaire to standardising the final instrument. A sample of 1 103 Grades 4 to 7 Afrikaans-, English- and Tswana-speaking learners in North West Province completed the Mathematics Vocabulary questionnaire (Primary (MV(P, consisting of 12 items. We analysed the data by calculating discrimination values, performing a factor analysis, determining reliability coefficients, and investigating item bias by language, gender, and grade. We concluded that there was strong evidence of validity and reliability for the MV(P.

  16. A content validated questionnaire for assessment of self reported venous blood sampling practices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bölenius, Karin; Brulin, Christine; Grankvist, Kjell; Lindkvist, Marie; Söderberg, Johan

    2012-01-19

    Venous blood sampling is a common procedure in health care. It is strictly regulated by national and international guidelines. Deviations from guidelines due to human mistakes can cause patient harm. Validated questionnaires for health care personnel can be used to assess preventable "near misses"--i.e. potential errors and nonconformities during venous blood sampling practices that could transform into adverse events. However, no validated questionnaire that assesses nonconformities in venous blood sampling has previously been presented. The aim was to test a recently developed questionnaire in self reported venous blood sampling practices for validity and reliability. We developed a questionnaire to assess deviations from best practices during venous blood sampling. The questionnaire contained questions about patient identification, test request management, test tube labeling, test tube handling, information search procedures and frequencies of error reporting. For content validity, the questionnaire was confirmed by experts on questionnaires and venous blood sampling. For reliability, test-retest statistics were used on the questionnaire answered twice. The final venous blood sampling questionnaire included 19 questions out of which 9 had in total 34 underlying items. It was found to have content validity. The test-retest analysis demonstrated that the items were generally stable. In total, 82% of the items fulfilled the reliability acceptance criteria. The questionnaire could be used for assessment of "near miss" practices that could jeopardize patient safety and gives several benefits instead of assessing rare adverse events only. The higher frequencies of "near miss" practices allows for quantitative analysis of the effect of corrective interventions and to benchmark preanalytical quality not only at the laboratory/hospital level but also at the health care unit/hospital ward.

  17. Heubach Smoking Habits and Attitudes Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heubach, Philip Gilbert

    This Questionnaire, consisting of 74 yes/no, multiple choice, and completion items, is designed to assess smoking practices and attitudes toward smoking in high school students. Questions pertain to personal data, family smoking practices and attitudes, personal smoking habits, reasons for smoking or not smoking, and opinions on smoking. Detailed…

  18. Applying the revised Chinese Job Content Questionnaire to assess psychosocial work conditions among Taiwan's hospital workers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Castillo Roberto

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background For hospital accreditation and health promotion reasons, we examined whether the 22-item Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ could be applied to evaluate job strain of individual hospital employees and to determine the number of factors extracted from JCQ. Additionally, we developed an Excel module of self-evaluation diagnostic system for consultation with experts. Methods To develop an Excel-based self-evaluation diagnostic system for consultation to experts to make job strain assessment easier and quicker than ever, Rasch rating scale model was used to analyze data from 1,644 hospital employees who enrolled in 2008 for a job strain survey. We determined whether the 22-item Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ could evaluate job strain of individual employees in work sites. The respective item responding to specific groups' occupational hazards causing job stress was investigated by using skewness coefficient with its 95% CI through item-by-item analyses. Results Each of those 22 items on the questionnaire was examined to have five factors. The prevalence rate of Chinese hospital workers with high job strain was 16.5%. Conclusions Graphical representations of four quadrants, item-by-item bar chart plots and skewness 95% CI comparison generated in Excel can help employers and consultants of an organization focusing on a small number of key areas of concern for each worker in job strain.

  19. Three-item Direct Observation Screen (TIDOS) for autism spectrum disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oner, Pinar; Oner, Ozgur; Munir, Kerim

    2014-08-01

    We compared ratings on the Three-Item Direct Observation Screen test for autism spectrum disorders completed by pediatric residents with the Social Communication Questionnaire parent reports as an augmentative tool for improving autism spectrum disorder screening performance. We examined three groups of children (18-60 months) comparable in age (18-24 month, 24-36 month, 36-60 preschool subgroups) and gender distribution: n = 86 with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.) autism spectrum disorders; n = 76 with developmental delay without autism spectrum disorders; and n = 97 with typical development. The Three-Item Direct Observation Screen test included the following (a) Joint Attention, (b) Eye Contact, and (c) Responsiveness to Name. The parent Social Communication Questionnaire ratings had a sensitivity of .73 and specificity of .70 for diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders. The Three-Item Direct Observation Screen test item Joint Attention had a sensitivity of .82 and specificity of .90, Eye Contact had a sensitivity of .89 and specificity of .91, and Responsiveness to Name had a sensitivity of .67 and specificity of .87. In the Three-Item Direct Observation Screen test, having at least one of the three items positive had a sensitivity of .95 and specificity of .85. Age, diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, and developmental level were important factors affecting sensitivity and specificity. The results indicate that augmentation of autism spectrum disorder screening by observational items completed by trained pediatric-oriented professionals can be a highly effective tool in improving screening performance. If supported by future population studies, the results suggest that primary care practitioners will be able to be trained to use this direct procedure to augment screening for autism spectrum disorders in the community. © The Author(s) 2013.

  20. Combination of classical test theory (CTT) and item response theory (IRT) analysis to study the psychometric properties of the French version of the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire-Short Form (Q-LES-Q-SF).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bourion-Bédès, Stéphanie; Schwan, Raymund; Epstein, Jonathan; Laprevote, Vincent; Bédès, Alex; Bonnet, Jean-Louis; Baumann, Cédric

    2015-02-01

    The study aimed to examine the construct validity and reliability of the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire-Short Form (Q-LES-Q-SF) according to both classical test and item response theories. The psychometric properties of the French version of this instrument were investigated in a cross-sectional, multicenter study. A total of 124 outpatients with a substance dependence diagnosis participated in the study. Psychometric evaluation included descriptive analysis, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and validity. The dimensionality of the instrument was explored using a combination of the classical test, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and an item response theory analysis, the Person Separation Index (PSI), in a complementary manner. The results of the Q-LES-Q-SF revealed that the questionnaire was easy to administer and the acceptability was good. The internal consistency and the test-retest reliability were 0.9 and 0.88, respectively. All items were significantly correlated with the total score and the SF-12 used in the study. The CFA with one factor model was good, and for the unidimensional construct, the PSI was found to be 0.902. The French version of the Q-LES-Q-SF yielded valid and reliable clinical assessments of the quality of life for future research and clinical practice involving French substance abusers. In response to recent questioning regarding the unidimensionality or bidimensionality of the instrument and according to the underlying theoretical unidimensional construct used for its development, this study suggests the Q-LES-Q-SF as a one-dimension questionnaire in French QoL studies.

  1. Design and Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of a Paternal Adaptation Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eskandari, Narges; Simbar, Masoumeh; Vadadhir, AbouAli; Baghestani, Ahmad Reza

    2016-07-25

    The present study aimed to design and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Paternal Adaptation Questionnaire (PAQ). The study was a mixed (qualitative and quantitative) sequential exploratory study. In the qualitative phase, a preliminary questionnaire with 210 items emerged from in-depth interviews with 17 fathers and 15 key informants. In the quantitative phase, psychometric properties of the PAQ were assessed. Considering cutoff points as 1.5 for item impact, 0.49 for content validity ratio (CVR), and 0.7 for content validity index (CVI), items of the questionnaire were reduced from 210 to 132. Assessment of the content validity of the questionnaire demonstrated S-CVR = 0.68 and S-CVI = 0.92. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in the development of a PAQ with 38 items classified under five factors (ability in performing the roles and responsibilities; perceiving the parental development; stabilization in paternal position; spiritual stability and internal satisfaction; and challenges and concerns), which explained 52.19% of cumulative variance. Measurement of internal consistency reported a Cronbach's α of .89 for PAQ (.61-.86 for subscales), and stability assessment of the PAQ through the test-retest demonstrated Spearman's correlation coefficients and intraclass correlation coefficient of .96 (.81-.97 for subscales). It was identified that the PAQ is a valid and reliable instrument that could be used to assess fatherhood adaptation with the paternal roles and fathers' needs, as well as to design appropriate interventions and to evaluate their effectiveness. © The Author(s) 2016.

  2. Consequences of Screening in Breast Cancer (COS-BC): development of a questionnaire

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brodersen, John; Thorsen, Hanne

    2008-01-01

    The aims of the study were to translate and adapt both the negative and positive items of the Psychological Consequences Questionnaire (PCQ) into Danish and to test the translated version for comprehension, suitability, and content coverage by developing new items in a setting of false...

  3. Revision and psychometric testing of the City of Hope Quality of Life-Ostomy Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grant, Marcia; Ferrell, Betty; Dean, Grace; Uman, Gwen; Chu, David; Krouse, Robert

    2004-10-01

    Ostomies may be performed for bowel or urinary diversion, and occur in both cancer and non-cancer patients. Impact on physical, psychological, social and spiritual well-being is not unexpected, but has been minimally described in the literature. The City of Hope Quality of Life (COH-QOL)-Ostomy Questionnaire is an adult patient self-report instrument designed to assess quality of life. This report focuses on the revision and psychometric testing of this questionnaire. The revised COH-QOL-Ostomy Questionnaire involved in-depth patient interviews and expert panel review. The format consisted of a 13-item disease and demographic section, a 34-item forced-choice section, and a 41-item linear analogue scaled section. A mailed survey to California members of the United Ostomy Association resulted in a 62% response rate (n = 1513). Factor analysis was conducted to refine the instrument. Construct validity involved testing a number of hypotheses identifying contrasting groups. Factor analysis confirmed the conceptual framework. Reliability of subscales ranged from 0.77 to 0.90. The questionnaire discriminated between subpopulations with specific concerns. Overall, the analyses provide evidence for the validity and reliability of the COH-QOL-Ostomy Questionnaire as a comprehensive, multidimensional self-report questionnaire for measuring quality of life in patients with intestinal ostomies.

  4. Integrated System Validation Usability Questionnaire: Computerized Procedures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garcés, Ma. I.; Torralba, B.

    2015-01-01

    The Research and Development (R&D) project on “Theoretical and Methodological Approaches to Integrated System Validation of Control Rooms, 2014-2015”, in which the research activities described in this report are framed, has two main objectives: to develop the items for an usability methodology conceived as a part of the measurement framework for performance-based control room evaluation that the OECD Halden Reactor Project will test in the experiments planned for 2015; and the statistical analysis of the data generated in the experimental activities of the Halden Man-Machine Laboratory (HAMMLAB) facility, with previous usability questionnaires, in 2010 and 2011. In this report, the procedure designed to meet the first goal of the project is described, in particular, the process followed to identify the items related to operating procedures, both computer and paper-based, one of the elements to be included in the usability questionnaire. Three phases are performed, in the first one, the approaches developed by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NRC, are reviewed, the models used by the nuclear industry and their technical support organizations, mainly, the Electric Power Research Institute, EPRI, are analyzed, and scientist advances are also explored. In the remaining stages, general and specific guidelines for computerized and paper-based procedures are compared and criteria for the preliminary selection of the items that should be incorporated into the usability questionnaire are defined. This proposal will be reviewed and adapted by the Halden Reactor Project to the design of the specific experiments performed in HAMLAB.

  5. Reliability and validity assessment of gastrointestinal dystemperaments questionnaire: a novel scale in Persian traditional medicine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoseinzadeh, Hamidreza; Taghipour, Ali; Yousefi, Mahdi

    2018-01-01

    Background Development of a questionnaire based on the resources of Persian traditional medicine seems necessary. One of the problems faced by practitioners of traditional medicine is the different opinions regarding the diagnosis of general temperament or temperament of member. One of the reasons is the lack of validity tools, and it has led to difficulties in training the student of traditional medicine and the treatment of patients. The differences in the detection methods, have given rise to several treatment methods. Objective The present study aimed to develop a questionnaire and standard software for diagnosis of gastrointestinal dystemperaments. Methods The present research is a tool developing study which included 8 stages of developing the items, determining the statements based on items, assessing the face validity, assessing the content validity, assessing the reliability, rating the items, developing a software for calculation of the total score of the questionnaire named GDS v.1.1, and evaluating the concurrent validity using statistical tests including Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, Cohen’s kappa coefficient. Results Based on the results, 112 notes including 62 symptoms were extracted from resources, and 58 items were obtained from in-person interview sessions with a panel of experts. A statement was selected for each item and, after merging a number of statements, a total of 49 statements were finally obtained. By calculating the score of statement impact and determining the content validity, respectively, 6 and 10 other items were removed from the list of statements. Standardized Cronbach’s alpha for this questionnaire was obtained 0.795 and its concurrent validity was equal to 0.8. Conclusion A quantitative tool was developed for diagnosis and examination of gastrointestinal dystemperaments. The developed questionnaire is adequately reliable and valid for this purpose. In addition, the software can be used for clinical diagnosis. PMID

  6. 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.

  7. Development and Validation of an HIV Risk Exposure and Indicator Conditions Questionnaire to Support Targeted HIV Screening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elías, María Jesús Pérez; Gómez-Ayerbe, Cristina; Elías, Pilar Pérez; Muriel, Alfonso; de Santiago, Alberto Diaz; Martinez-Colubi, María; Moreno, Ana; Santos, Cristina; Polo, Lidia; Barea, Rafa; Robledillo, Gema; Uranga, Almudena; Espín, Agustina Cano; Quereda, Carmen; Dronda, Fernando; Casado, Jose Luis; Moreno, Santiago

    2016-02-01

    The aim of our study was to develop a Spanish-structured HIV risk of exposure and indicator conditions (RE&IC) questionnaire. People attending to an emergency room or to a primary clinical care center were offered to participate in a prospective, 1 arm, open label study, in which all enrolled patients filled out our developed questionnaire and were HIV tested. Questionnaire accuracy, feasibility, and reliability were evaluated.Valid paired 5329 HIV RE&IC questionnaire and rapid HIV tests were performed, 69.3% in the primary clinical care center, 49.6% women, median age 37 years old, 74.9% Spaniards, 20.1% Latin-Americans. Confirmed hidden HIV infection was detected in 4.1%, while HIV RE&IC questionnaire was positive in 51.2%. HIV RE&IC questionnaire sensitivity was 100% to predict HIV infection, with a 100% negative predictive value. When considered separately, RE or IC items sensitivity decreases to 86.4% or 91%, and similarly their negative predictive value to 99.9% for both of them. The majority of people studied, 90.8% self-completed HIV RE&IC questionnaire. Median time to complete was 3 minutes. Overall HIV RE&IC questionnaire test-retest Kappa agreement was 0.82 (almost perfect), likewise for IC items 0.89, while for RE items was lower 0.78 (substantial).A feasible and reliable Spanish HIV RE&IC self questionnaire accurately discriminated all non-HIV-infected people without missing any HIV diagnoses, in a low prevalence HIV infection area. The best accuracy and reliability were obtained when combining HIV RE&IC items.

  8. Validity and Reliability Testing of an e-learning Questionnaire for Chemistry Instruction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guspatni, G.; Kurniawati, Y.

    2018-04-01

    The aim of this paper is to examine validity and reliability of a questionnaire used to evaluate e-learning implementation in chemistry instruction. 48 questionnaires were filled in by students who had studied chemistry through e-learning system. The questionnaire consisted of 20 indicators evaluating students’ perception on using e-learning. Parametric testing was done as data were assumed to follow normal distribution. Item validity of the questionnaire was examined through item-total correlation using Pearson’s formula while its reliability was assessed with Cronbach’s alpha formula. Moreover, convergent validity was assessed to see whether indicators building a factor had theoretically the same underlying construct. The result of validity testing revealed 19 valid indicators while the result of reliability testing revealed Cronbach’s alpha value of .886. The result of factor analysis showed that questionnaire consisted of five factors, and each of them had indicators building the same construct. This article shows the importance of factor analysis to get a construct valid questionnaire before it is used as research instrument.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Morteza Rafiei

    2013-01-01

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

  10. Validity of the international consultation on incontinence questionnaire-pediatric lower urinary tract symptoms: a screening questionnaire for children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Gennaro, Mario; Niero, Mauro; Capitanucci, Maria Luisa; von Gontard, Alexander; Woodward, Mark; Tubaro, Andrea; Abrams, Paul

    2010-10-01

    Lower urinary tract symptoms are common in pediatric patients. To our knowledge no validated instruments properly designed to screen lower urinary tract symptoms in the pediatric population have been published to date. In the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Committee the psychometric properties of a screening questionnaire for pediatric lower urinary tract symptoms were assessed. The 12-item International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Pediatric Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms was developed in child and parent self-administered versions, and produced in English, Italian and German using a standard cross-cultural adaptation process. The questionnaire was self-administered to children 5 to 18 years old and their parents presenting for lower urinary tract symptoms (cases) or to pediatric/urological clinics for other reasons (controls). A case report form included history, urinalysis, bladder diary, flowmetry/post-void residual urine volume and clinician judgment on whether each child did or did not have lower urinary tract symptoms. Questionnaire psychometric properties were evaluated and data were stratified into 3 age groups, including 5 to 9, 10 to 13 and 14 to 18 years. A total of 345 questionnaires were completed, of which 147 were negative and 198 were positive for lower urinary tract symptoms. A mean of 1.67% and 2.10% of items were missing in the child and parent versions, respectively. Reliability (Cronbach's α) was unacceptable in only the 5 to 9-year-old group. The high ICC of 0.847 suggested fair child/parent equivalence. Sensitivity and specificity were 89% and 76% in the child version, and 91% and 73.5% in the parent version, respectively. The questionnaire is an acceptable, reliable tool with high sensitivity and specificity to screen for lower urinary tract symptoms in pediatric practice. Problems related to literacy suggest use of the child versions for patients older than 9 years. In research this questionnaire

  11. The psychometric properties of the Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaire in a Dutch-speaking population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanneste, S; To, W T; De Ridder, D

    2011-02-01

    The aim of the study is to translate and validate the tinnitus handicap questionnaire (THQ) for a Dutch-speaking population. The factor structure of the questionnaire, the reliability and the validity is determined. Furthermore, a statistical comparison with the original English version of the tinnitus handicap questionnaire is performed. We assessed 101 patients at the Tinnitus Research Initiative clinic of Antwerp University Hospital. Twenty-seven Dutch items from the tinnitus handicap questionnaire by Kuk et al. [(1990), Ear Hear11:434-45.] were obtained by the process of translation and back translation. The factor structure, internal consistency, was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and item correlations were used to confirm reliability. The construct validity was confirmed with a visual analogue scale for loudness and distress, awareness, annoyance, the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ), the mini-Tinnitus Questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Profile of Mood State (POMS), ensuring that this new instrument measures the tinnitus handicap. This study demonstrates that the Dutch version of the tinnitus handicap questionnaire is a reliable (Cronbach's alpha coefficient α = 0.93) and valid measure of self-perceived tinnitus-related distress [with visual analogue scale for loudness (r = 0.39) and distress (r =0.45), awareness (r = 0.39), annoyance (r = 0.57), the Tinnitus Questionnaire (r = 0.82), the mini-Tinnitus Questionnaire (r = 0.79), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (r = 0.62) and the Beck Depression Inventory (r = 0.32)]. The psychometric properties are in line with previous findings on the English version with regard to reliability and validity. However, the items in the subscales differ from the English version. While the English version has three subscales, our version has only two subscales. Yet, the English version reports that for the three factors, there is a low

  12. The development and initial validation of a questionnaire to measure help-seeking behaviour in patients with new onset rheumatoid arthritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stack, Rebecca J; Mallen, Christian D; Deighton, Chris; Kiely, Patrick; Shaw, Karen L; Booth, Alison; Kumar, Kanta; Thomas, Susan; Rowan, Ian; Horne, Rob; Nightingale, Peter; Herron-Marx, Sandy; Jinks, Clare; Raza, Karim

    2015-12-01

    Early treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is vital. However, people often delay in seeking help at symptom onset. An assessment of the reasons behind patient delay is necessary to develop interventions to promote rapid consultation. Using a mixed methods design, we aimed to develop and test a questionnaire to assess the barriers to help seeking at RA onset. Questionnaire items were extracted from previous qualitative studies. Fifteen people with a lived experience of arthritis participated in focus groups to enhance the questionnaire's face validity. The questionnaire was also reviewed by groups of multidisciplinary health-care professionals. A test-retest survey of 41 patients with newly presenting RA or unclassified arthritis assessed the questionnaire items' intraclass correlations. During focus groups, participants rephrased questions, added questions and deleted items not relevant to the questionnaire's aims. Participants organized items into themes: early symptom experience, initial reactions to symptoms, self-management behaviours, causal beliefs, involvement of significant others, pre-diagnosis knowledge about RA, direct barriers to seeking help and relationship with GP. The test-retest survey identified seven items (out of 79) with low intraclass correlations which were removed from the final questionnaire. The involvement of people with a lived experience of arthritis and multidisciplinary health-care professionals in the preliminary validation of the DELAY (delays in evaluating arthritis early) questionnaire has enriched its development. Preliminary assessment established its reliability. The DELAY questionnaire provides a tool for researchers to evaluate individual, cultural and health service barriers to help-seeking behaviour at RA onset. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. The validation of the Supervision of Thesis Questionnaire (STQ).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henricson, Maria; Fridlund, Bengt; Mårtensson, Jan; Hedberg, Berith

    2018-06-01

    The supervision process is characterized by differences between the supervisors' and the students' expectations before the start of writing a bachelor thesis as well as after its completion. A review of the literature did not reveal any scientifically tested questionnaire for evaluating nursing students' expectations of the supervision process when writing a bachelor thesis. The aim of the study was to determine the construct validity and internal consistency reliability of a questionnaire for measuring nursing students' expectations of the bachelor thesis supervision process. The study had a developmental and methodological design carried out in four steps including construct validity and internal consistency reliability statistical procedures: construction of the items, assessment of face validity, data collection and data analysis. This study was conducted at a university in southern Sweden, where students on the "Nursing student thesis, 15 ECTS" course were consecutively selected for participation. Of the 512 questionnaires distributed, 327 were returned, a response rate of 64%. Five factors with a total variance of 74% and good communalities, ≥0.64, were extracted from the 10-item STQ. The internal consistency of the 10 items was 0.68. The five factors were labelled: The nature of the supervision process, The supervisor's role as a coach, The students' progression to self-support, The interaction between students and supervisor and supervisor competence. A didactic, useful and secure questionnaire measuring nursing students' expectations of the bachelor thesis supervision process based on three main forms of supervision was created. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Development and validation of the WEll-being and Satisfaction of CAREgivers of Children with Diabetes Questionnaire (WE-CARE

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    Deutschmann Rosemarie

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background This study was designed to develop a diabetes-specific questionnaire on parents' quality of life and satisfaction with their child's diabetes treatment, the WEll-being and Satisfaction of CAREgivers of Children with Diabetes Questionnaire, and to conduct psychometric validation of the WE-CARE. Methods Parents of 116 children aged 6 to 11 years were enrolled in the United States. Children had type 1 diabetes mellitus for > 1 year, had been treated with subcutaneous insulin for ≥ 2 months, and had a recent glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C measurement. Recruiting clinicians provided clinical information on the children. Over a two-week period, parents completed WE-CARE (initial 68 items and two other questionnaires (the 36-item Short Form of the Medical Outcomes Study and the 50-item Child Health Questionnaire-Parent Form twice. Results A literature review and one-on-one interview with caregivers and pediatricians led to the development of a draft questionnaire consisting of 68 items. Factor analysis suggested retention of 37 of the 68 initial items grouped into four multi-item scales (Psychosocial Well-being, Ease of Insulin Use, Treatment Satisfaction, and Acceptance of Insulin Administration as well as a Total Score. The four multi-item domains of WE-CARE were found to be psychometrically robust – they had negligible floor and ceiling effects, excellent internal consistency and test-retest reliability, high item-discriminant validity and good concurrent, divergent, known-group and clinical validity. Moderate interscale correlations among the four WE-CARE domains indicated that the concepts they measure were related but distinct. Conclusion These data suggest that WE-CARE provides a reliable and valid measure of parents' well-being and treatment satisfaction related to their child's diabetes. While these results show promise, additional validation of WE-CARE is warranted.

  15. The development of indonesian online game addiction questionnaire.

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    Tjibeng Jap

    Full Text Available Online game is an increasingly popular source of entertainment for all ages, with relatively prevalent negative consequences. Addiction is a problem that has received much attention. This research aims to develop a measure of online game addiction for Indonesian children and adolescents. The Indonesian Online Game Addiction Questionnaire draws from earlier theories and research on the internet and game addiction. Its construction is further enriched by including findings from qualitative interviews and field observation to ensure appropriate expression of the items. The measure consists of 7 items with a 5-point Likert Scale. It is validated by testing 1,477 Indonesian junior and senior high school students from several schools in Manado, Medan, Pontianak, and Yogyakarta. The validation evidence is shown by item-total correlation and criterion validity. The Indonesian Online Game Addiction Questionnaire has good item-total correlation (ranging from 0.29 to 0.55 and acceptable reliability (α = 0.73. It is also moderately correlated with the participant's longest time record to play online games (r = 0.39; p<0.01, average days per week in playing online games (ρ = 0.43; p<0.01, average hours per days in playing online games (ρ = 0.41; p<0.01, and monthly expenditure for online games (ρ = 0.30; p<0.01. Furthermore, we created a clinical cut-off estimate by combining criteria and population norm. The clinical cut-off estimate showed that the score of 14 to 21 may indicate mild online game addiction, and the score of 22 and above may indicate online game addiction. Overall, the result shows that Indonesian Online Game Addiction Questionnaire has sufficient psychometric property for research use, as well as limited clinical application.

  16. Reliability and validity of television food advertising questionnaire in Malaysia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zalma, Abdul Razak; Safiah, Md Yusof; Ajau, Danis; Khairil Anuar, Md Isa

    2015-09-01

    Interventions to counter the influence of television food advertising amongst children are important. Thus, reliable and valid instrument to assess its effect is needed. The objective of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of such a questionnaire. The questionnaire was administered twice on 32 primary schoolchildren aged 10-11 years in Selangor, Malaysia. The interval between the first and second administration was 2 weeks. Test-retest method was used to examine the reliability of the questionnaire. Intra-rater reliability was determined by kappa coefficient and internal consistency by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Construct validity was evaluated using factor analysis. The test-retest correlation showed moderate-to-high reliability for all scores (r = 0.40*, p = 0.02 to r = 0.95**, p = 0.00), with one exception, consumption of fast foods (r = 0.24, p = 0.20). Kappa coefficient showed acceptable-to-strong intra-rater reliability (K = 0.40-0.92), except for two items under knowledge on television food advertising (K = 0.26 and K = 0.21) and one item under preference for healthier foods (K = 0.33). Cronbach's alpha coefficient indicated acceptable internal consistency for all scores (0.45-0.60). After deleting two items under Consumption of Commonly Advertised Food, the items showed moderate-to-high loading (0.52, 0.84, 0.42 and 0.42) with the Scree plot showing that there was only one factor. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin was 0.60, showing that the sample was adequate for factor analysis. The questionnaire on television food advertising is reliable and valid to assess the effect of media literacy education on television food advertising on schoolchildren. © The Author (2013). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  17. Designing and Determining Psychometric Properties of the Domestic Elder Abuse Questionnaire

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    Majid Heravi-Karimooi

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: The purpose of this methodological study was to design and determine the psychometric properties of a new and specific questionnaire for assessing domestic elder abuse in the context of Iranian culture. Methods & Materials: This study was conducted in three phases. In the first phase, phenomenology was applied to explore the meaning of domestic elder abuse phenomenon. In the second phase, a questionnaire was compiled, using the results of the qualitative research implemented in the first phase, in conjunction with the inductions from the expert panel. In the third phase, the psychometric properties including face validity, content validity, construct validity, internal consistency, and test- retest reliability were measured. 325 elderly people who were selected randomly participated in the last stage. Results: The initial 78 item questionnaire designed using the results of first and second phases of study, reduced to 49 items in the process of determining the face and content validity. The result of exploratory factor analysis showed that this questionnaire contains 8 factors including care neglect, psychological abuse, physical abuse, financial abuse, curtailment of personal autonomy, abandonment, financial neglect and emotional neglect. These 8 factors explained nearly 79.93% of the variance. The results of known groups' comparisons showed that this questionnaire could successfully discriminate between subgroups of elderly people in the indexes of re-hospitalization and functional status. The internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha was 0.90–0.975. Test-retest reliability (ICC of the questionnaire with interval time of two weeks was 0.98 (P<0.001. Conclusion: We concluded that the Domestic Elder Abuse questionnaire with 49 items appears to be a promising tool, providing reliable and valid data helping to detect abuse among elders in different settings such as clinical settings, homes and research environments by health care

  18. The Development of a Self-Report Questionnaire on Coping with Cyberbullying: The Cyberbullying Coping Questionnaire

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    Niels C.L. Jacobs

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available The negative effects and the continuation of cyberbullying seem to depend on the coping strategies the victims use. To assess their coping strategies, self-report questionnaires (SRQs are used. However, these SRQs are often subject to several shortcomings: the (single and topological categorizations used in SRQs do not always adequately differentiate among various coping responses, in addition the strategies of general SRQs fail to accurately measure coping with cyberbullying. This study is therefore aimed to develop a SRQ that specifically measures coping with cyberbullying (i.e., Cyberbullying Coping Questionnaire; CCQ and to discover whether other, not single and topological, categorizations of coping strategies can be found. Based on previous SRQs used in the (cyberbullying (i.e., traditional and cyberbullying literature (i.e., 49 studies were found with three different SRQs measuring coping with traditional bullying, cyberbullying or (cyberbullying items and categorizations were selected, compared and merged into a new questionnaire. In compliance with recommendations from the classical test-theory, a principal component analysis and a confirmatory factor analysis were done, and a final model was constructed. Seventeen items loaded onto four different coping categorizations: mental-, passive-, social-, and confrontational-coping. The CCQ appeared to have good internal consistency, acceptable test-retest reliability, good discriminant validity and the development of the CCQ fulfilled many of the recommendations from classical test-theory. The CCQ omits working in single and topological categorizations and measures cognitive, behavioral, approach and avoidance strategies.

  19. A content validated questionnaire for assessment of self reported venous blood sampling practices

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    Bölenius Karin

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Venous blood sampling is a common procedure in health care. It is strictly regulated by national and international guidelines. Deviations from guidelines due to human mistakes can cause patient harm. Validated questionnaires for health care personnel can be used to assess preventable "near misses"--i.e. potential errors and nonconformities during venous blood sampling practices that could transform into adverse events. However, no validated questionnaire that assesses nonconformities in venous blood sampling has previously been presented. The aim was to test a recently developed questionnaire in self reported venous blood sampling practices for validity and reliability. Findings We developed a questionnaire to assess deviations from best practices during venous blood sampling. The questionnaire contained questions about patient identification, test request management, test tube labeling, test tube handling, information search procedures and frequencies of error reporting. For content validity, the questionnaire was confirmed by experts on questionnaires and venous blood sampling. For reliability, test-retest statistics were used on the questionnaire answered twice. The final venous blood sampling questionnaire included 19 questions out of which 9 had in total 34 underlying items. It was found to have content validity. The test-retest analysis demonstrated that the items were generally stable. In total, 82% of the items fulfilled the reliability acceptance criteria. Conclusions The questionnaire could be used for assessment of "near miss" practices that could jeopardize patient safety and gives several benefits instead of assessing rare adverse events only. The higher frequencies of "near miss" practices allows for quantitative analysis of the effect of corrective interventions and to benchmark preanalytical quality not only at the laboratory/hospital level but also at the health care unit/hospital ward.

  20. Development of a patient-reported questionnaire for collecting toxicity data following prostate brachytherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Farnell, Damian J.J.; Mandall, Paula; Anandadas, Carmel; Routledge, Jaqueline; Burns, Meriel P.; Logue, John P.; Wylie, James P.; Swindell, Ric; Livsey, Jac; West, Catharine M.L.; Davidson, Susan E.

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: To improve a questionnaire used to collect patient-reported outcomes from patients with early stage prostate cancer treated with brachytherapy. A secondary aim was to adapt the Late Effects of Normal Tissue (LENT) subjective toxicity questionnaire for use to collect Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) data, the current preferred platform for assessing radiation toxicity. Materials and methods: Three hundred and seventy-seven patients were treated with permanent iodine-125 seed implant brachytherapy for early prostate cancer. Toxicity data were collected before and at nine time points post-treatment (0-36 months). Compliance rates for patients completing individual items and item-subsection correlation coefficients were calculated. A factor analysis was carried out to analyse responses to the questionnaire and identify less informative questions, which could be removed. Cronbach's α coefficient was used to measure reliability. Results: Two thousand one hundred and eighty-eight questionnaires were analysed. There was poor compliance for questions specifically relating to operations and bowel medication. We found that the division of the questionnaire into subsections based on anatomical site was reasonable and that certain items could be safely removed. The high mean value for Cronbach's α across all questionnaires (0.752; 95% CI: 0.726-0.779) indicated that the questionnaire was reliable. Fifteen of the 44 questions were removed from the original questionnaires. Questions on urinary incontinence severity, management of urinary and bowel incontinence, effects of reduced flow of urine and the effects of symptoms on activity of daily living and change in sexual function were required to adapt the LENT subjective questionnaire for use to collect CTCAE data. Conclusions: A questionnaire, validated over 6 years to collect LENT subjective data were adapted and is a reliable approach for collecting CTCAE data after prostate brachytherapy.

  1. Development and Validation of the Basal and Squamous Cell Carcinoma Quality of Life (BaSQoL) Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waalboer-Spuij, Rick; Hollestein, Loes M; Timman, Reinier; van de Poll-Franse, Lonneke V; Nijsten, Tamar E

    2018-02-07

    Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is important in the management of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Disease-specific questionnaires exist, but with important shortcomings. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire suitable for use in all patients with BCC and those with SCC. In a 4-phase trajectory, a preliminary questionnaire was created and population-based testing (1,173 patients) carried out. The questionnaire was reduced using exploratory factor analysis and item response theory. Individual item performance was assessed using classical test theory. A total of 721 patients completed the questionnaire. The number of items was reduced to 16, covering 5 scales. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit. Cronbach�s ?s (range 0.67�0.82) were reasonable to high with good internal consistency. In conclusion, the Basal and Squamous Cell Carcinoma Quality of Life questionnaire has good face, content and construct validity. It is useful in the wide range of BCC and SCC patients and captures HRQoL impact over different time-frames.

  2. Stress at work: development of the Stress Perception Questionnaire of Rome (SPQR), an ad hoc questionnaire for multidimensional assessment of work related stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cinti, M E; Cannavò, M; Fioravanti, M

    2017-01-01

    Stress is an emotional condition, mostly experienced as negative, initially identified and defined by Selye in the mid-thirties of the last Century. Since the first definition, stress concerns the adaptation pro- cess mostly related to environmental changes. An application of stress focuses on the evaluation of its interference on work conditions, and the scientific evidence on work related stress is very ample and rich. We are proposing a new ad hoc questionnaire for the multidimensional assessment of work related stress, called Stress Perception Question- naire of Rome (SPQR) composed of 50 items. The development of this questionnaire is based on a multi-step process: a) Identification of all the relevant topics to work related stress and areas in the scientific evidence and their transformation on specific contents of 60 tentative items; b) Exploratory factor analysis aimed to identify the best items (50) which could guarantee the maximum convergence on single scales (8), and the minimum redundancy between scales; c) Validation of the 8 scales' structure by a confirmatory factor analysis (fully achieved); d) Factor analysis for a second level factor resulting in a single factor identified as the questionnaire total score (Stress Score); d) Reliability analysis of the questionnaire total score and the single scale scores (at optimum level); e) Validation by external criteria of work related stress identified in the presence of personal violence episodes experienced by a group of health workers with different professional profiles and from two different hospitals in Rome. Our results show that the SPQR is a useful and sensitive tool for assessing the presence of emotional stress related problems identifiable in a work environment. The advantage of this questionnaire is that it allows for a multidimensional description of the different components of this problematic area besides its ability to quantify the overall stress level of those who have been administered

  3. Development of the Comprehensive General Parenting Questionnaire for caregivers of 5-13 year olds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sleddens, Ester F C; O'Connor, Teresia M; Watson, Kathleen B; Hughes, Sheryl O; Power, Thomas G; Thijs, Carel; De Vries, Nanne K; Kremers, Stef P J

    2014-02-10

    Despite the large number of parenting questionnaires, considerable disagreement exists about how to best assess parenting. Most of the instruments only assess limited aspects of parenting. To overcome this shortcoming, the "Comprehensive General Parenting Questionnaire" (CGPQ) was systematically developed. Such a measure is frequently requested in the area of childhood overweight. First, an item bank of existing parenting measures was created assessing five key parenting constructs that have been identified across multiple theoretical approaches to parenting (Nurturance, Overprotection, Coercive control, Behavioral control, and Structure). Caregivers of 5- to 13-year-olds were asked to complete the online survey in the Netherlands (N = 821), Belgium (N = 435) and the United States (N = 241). In addition, a questionnaire regarding personality characteristics ("Big Five") of the caregiver was administered and parents were asked to report about their child's height and weight. Factor analyses and Item-Response Modeling (IRM) techniques were used to assess the underlying parenting constructs and for item reduction. Correlation analyses were performed to assess the relations between general parenting and personality of the caregivers, adjusting for socio-economic status (SES) indicators, to establish criterion validity. Multivariate linear regressions were performed to examine the associations of SES indicators and parenting with child BMI z-scores. Additionally, we assessed whether scores on the parenting constructs and child BMI z-scores differed depending on SES indicators. The reduced questionnaire (62 items) revealed acceptable fit of our parenting model and acceptable IRM item fit statistics. Caregiver personality was related as hypothesized with the GCPQ parenting constructs. While correcting for SES, overprotection was positively related to child BMI. The negative relationship between structure and BMI was borderline significant. Parents with a high

  4. Design and validation of a questionnaire to assess organizational culture in French hospital wards.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saillour-Glénisson, F; Domecq, S; Kret, M; Sibe, M; Dumond, J P; Michel, P

    2016-09-17

    Although many organizational culture questionnaires have been developed, there is a lack of any validated multidimensional questionnaire assessing organizational culture at hospital ward level and adapted to health care context. Facing the lack of an appropriate tool, a multidisciplinary team designed and validated a dimensional organizational culture questionnaire for healthcare settings to be administered at ward level. A database of organizational culture items and themes was created after extensive literature review. Items were regrouped into dimensions and subdimensions (classification validated by experts). Pre-test and face validation was conducted with 15 health care professionals. In a stratified cluster random sample of hospitals, the psychometric validation was conducted in three phases on a sample of 859 healthcare professionals from 36 multidisciplinary medicine services: 1) the exploratory phase included a description of responses' saturation levels, factor and correlations analyses and an internal consistency analysis (Cronbach's alpha coefficient); 2) confirmatory phase used the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM); 3) reproducibility was studied by a test-retest. The overall response rate was 80 %; the completion average was 97 %. The metrological results were: a global Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.93, higher than 0.70 for 12 sub-dimensions; all Dillon-Goldstein's rho coefficients higher than 0.70; an excellent quality of external model with a Goodness of Fitness (GoF) criterion of 0.99. Seventy percent of the items had a reproducibility ranging from moderate (Intra-Class Coefficient between 50 and 70 % for 25 items) to good (ICC higher than 70 % for 33 items). COMEt (Contexte Organisationnel et Managérial en Etablissement de Santé) questionnaire is a validated multidimensional organizational culture questionnaire made of 6 dimensions, 21 sub-dimensions and 83 items. It is the first dimensional organizational culture questionnaire

  5. Examining the Validity of a Swedish Version of the Self-Presentation in Exercise Questionnaire

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindwall, Magnus

    2005-01-01

    This study examines the factorial validity, factorial invariance across gender, and construct validity of a Swedish version of the Self-Presentation in Exercise Questionnaire (SPEQ; Conroy, Motl, & Hall, 2000). The a priori two-factor 14-item, 11-item, and 9-item models fail to reach acceptable levels of fit in a calibration sample. A modified…

  6. Learning Process Questionnaire Manual. Student Approaches to Learning and Studying.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biggs, John B.

    This manual describes the theory behind the Learning Process Questionnaire (LPQ) used in Australia and defines what the subscale and scale scores mean. The LPQ is a 36-item self-report questionnaire that yields scores on three basic motives for learning and three learning strategies, and on the approaches to learning that are formed by these…

  7. Study Process Questionnaire Manual. Student Approaches to Learning and Studying.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biggs, John B.

    This manual describes the theory behind the Study Process Questionnaire (SPQ) and explains what the subscale and scale scores mean. The SPQ is a 42-item self-report questionnaire used in Australia to assess the extent to which a tertiary student at a college or university endorses different approaches to learning and the motives and strategies…

  8. Item-focussed Trees for the Identification of Items in Differential Item Functioning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tutz, Gerhard; Berger, Moritz

    2016-09-01

    A novel method for the identification of differential item functioning (DIF) by means of recursive partitioning techniques is proposed. We assume an extension of the Rasch model that allows for DIF being induced by an arbitrary number of covariates for each item. Recursive partitioning on the item level results in one tree for each item and leads to simultaneous selection of items and variables that induce DIF. For each item, it is possible to detect groups of subjects with different item difficulties, defined by combinations of characteristics that are not pre-specified. The way a DIF item is determined by covariates is visualized in a small tree and therefore easily accessible. An algorithm is proposed that is based on permutation tests. Various simulation studies, including the comparison with traditional approaches to identify items with DIF, show the applicability and the competitive performance of the method. Two applications illustrate the usefulness and the advantages of the new method.

  9. Emotional Intelligence and Nurse Recruitment: Rasch and confirmatory factor analysis of the trait emotional intelligence questionnaire short form.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snowden, Austyn; Watson, Roger; Stenhouse, Rosie; Hale, Claire

    2015-12-01

    To examine the construct validity of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire Short form. Emotional intelligence involves the identification and regulation of our own emotions and the emotions of others. It is therefore a potentially useful construct in the investigation of recruitment and retention in nursing and many questionnaires have been constructed to measure it. Secondary analysis of existing dataset of responses to Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire Short form using concurrent application of Rasch analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. First year undergraduate nursing and computing students completed Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form in September 2013. Responses were analysed by synthesising results of Rasch analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Participants (N = 938) completed Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire Short form. Rasch analysis showed the majority of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form items made a unique contribution to the latent trait of emotional intelligence. Five items did not fit the model and differential item functioning (gender) accounted for this misfit. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a four-factor structure consisting of: self-confidence, empathy, uncertainty and social connection. All five misfitting items from the Rasch analysis belonged to the 'social connection' factor. The concurrent use of Rasch and factor analysis allowed for novel interpretation of Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire Short form. Much of the response variation in Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire Short form can be accounted for by the social connection factor. Implications for practice are discussed. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Factor analysis of the contextual fine motor questionnaire in children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Chin-Kai; Meng, Ling-Fu; Yu, Ya-Wen; Chen, Che-Kuo; Li, Kuan-Hua

    2014-02-01

    Most studies treat fine motor as one subscale in a developmental test, hence, further factor analysis of fine motor has not been conducted. In fact, fine motor has been treated as a multi-dimensional domain from both clinical and theoretical perspectives, and therefore to know its factors would be valuable. The aim of this study is to analyze the internal consistency and factor validity of the Contextual Fine Motor Questionnaire (CFMQ). Based on the ecological observation and literature, the Contextual Fine Motor Questionnaire (CFMQ) was developed and includes 5 subscales: Pen Control, Tool Use During Handicraft Activities, the Use of Dining Utensils, Connecting and Separating during Dressing and Undressing, and Opening Containers. The main purpose of this study is to establish the factorial validity of the CFMQ through conducting this factor analysis study. Among 1208 questionnaires, 904 were successfully completed. Data from the children's CFMQ submitted by primary care providers was analyzed, including 485 females (53.6%) and 419 males (46.4%) from grades 1 to 5, ranging in age from 82 to 167 months (M=113.9, SD=16.3). Cronbach's alpha was used to measure internal consistency and explorative factor analysis was applied to test the five factor structures within the CFMQ. Results showed that Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the CFMQ for 5 subscales ranged from .77 to .92 and all item-total correlations with corresponding subscales were larger than .4 except one item. The factor loading of almost all items classified to their factor was larger than .5 except 3 items. There were five factors, explaining a total of 62.59% variance for the CFMQ. In conclusion, the remaining 24 items in the 5 subscales of the CFMQ had appropriate internal consistency, test-retest reliability and construct validity. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Validity and Reliability of the Turkish Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akmaz, Hazel Ekin; Uyar, Meltem; Kuzeyli Yıldırım, Yasemin; Akın Korhan, Esra

    2018-05-29

    Pain acceptance is the process of giving up the struggle with pain and learning to live a worthwhile life despite it. In assessing patients with chronic pain in Turkey, making a diagnosis and tracking the effectiveness of treatment is done with scales that have been translated into Turkish. However, there is as yet no valid and reliable scale in Turkish to assess the acceptance of pain. To validate a Turkish version of the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire developed by McCracken and colleagues. Methodological and cross sectional study. A simple randomized sampling method was used in selecting the study sample. The sample was composed of 201 patients, more than 10 times the number of items examined for validity and reliability in the study, which totaled 20. A patient identification form, the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire, and the Brief Pain Inventory were used to collect data. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews. In the validity testing, the content validity index was used to evaluate linguistic equivalence, content validity, construct validity, and expert views. In reliability testing of the scale, Cronbach’s α coefficient was calculated, and item analysis and split-test reliability methods were used. Principal component analysis and varimax rotation were used in factor analysis and to examine factor structure for construct concept validity. The item analysis established that the scale, all items, and item-total correlations were satisfactory. The mean total score of the scale was 21.78. The internal consistency coefficient was 0.94, and the correlation between the two halves of the scale was 0.89. The Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire, which is intended to be used in Turkey upon confirmation of its validity and reliability, is an evaluation instrument with sufficient validity and reliability, and it can be reliably used to examine patients’ acceptance of chronic pain.

  12. A closer look at web questionnaire design

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Toepoel, V.

    2008-01-01

    This dissertation deals with the design of online questionnaires and its consequences for data quality: what is the effect of the number of items placed on a screen, the response categories, layout choices et cetera. It also focuses on attrition and panel conditioning: what do people learn from

  13. Labour anxiety questionnaire (KLP II)- revised-the construction and psychological validation

    OpenAIRE

    Putyński, Leszek; Paciorek, Mariusz

    2008-01-01

    Self-report Labour Anxiety Questionnaire (KLP II) was developed to asses the level of labour anxiety in pregnant women. This short tool consists of 9 items, which include attitudes toward labour and fear of labour. The questionnaire was valided on 53 pregnant women. The results of the study indicate that the Labour Anxiety Questionnaire (KLP II) is reliable and valid method to identify pregnant women with high level of labour anxiety.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2016-04-01

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

  15. Weight Bias: A Systematic Review of Characteristics and Psychometric Properties of Self-Report Questionnaires.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lacroix, Emilie; Alberga, Angela; Russell-Mathew, Shelly; McLaren, Lindsay; von Ranson, Kristin

    2017-01-01

    People living with overweight and obesity often experience weight-based stigmatization. Investigations of the prevalence and correlates of weight bias and evaluation of weight bias reduction interventions depend upon psychometrically-sound measurement. Our paper is the first to comprehensively evaluate the psychometric properties, use of people-first language within items, and suitability for use with various populations of available self-report measures of weight bias. We searched five electronic databases to identify English-language self-report questionnaires of weight bias. We rated each questionnaire's psychometric properties based on initial validation reports and subsequent use, and examined item language. Our systematic review identified 40 original self-report questionnaires. Most questionnaires were brief, demonstrated adequate internal consistency, and tapped key cognitive and affective dimensions of weight bias such as stereotypes and blaming. Current psychometric evidence is incomplete for many questionnaires, particularly with regard to the properties of test-retest reliability, sensitivity to change as well as discriminant and structural validity. Most questionnaires were developed prior to debate surrounding terminology preferences, and do not employ people-first language in the items administered to participants. We provide information and recommendations for clinicians and researchers in selecting psychometrically sound measures of weight bias for various purposes and populations, and discuss future directions to improve measurement of this construct. © 2017 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

  16. Psychosocial aspects of hereditary cancer (PAHC) questionnaire: development and testing of a screening questionnaire for use in clinical cancer genetics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eijzenga, W; Bleiker, E M A; Hahn, D E E; Kluijt, I; Sidharta, G N; Gundy, C; Aaronson, N K

    2014-08-01

    Up to three-quarters of individuals who undergo cancer genetic counseling and testing report psychosocial problems specifically related to that setting. The objectives of this study were to develop and evaluate the screening properties of a questionnaire designed to assess specific psychosocial problems related to cancer genetic counseling. We adopted the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Group guidelines to develop the Psychosocial Aspects of Hereditary Cancer (PAHC) questionnaire, a 26-item questionnaire organized into six problem domains: genetics, practical issues, family, living with cancer, emotions, and children. The Distress Thermometer and a question per domain on the perceived need for extra psychosocial services were included as well. We administered the questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale to 127 counselees at the time of genetic counseling and 3 weeks after DNA test disclosure. As a gold standard to evaluate the screening properties of the questionnaire, participants underwent a semi-structured interview with an experienced social worker who assessed the presence and severity of problems per domain. A cutoff score representing responses of 'quite a bit' or 'very much' to one or more items within a given problem domain yielded moderate to high sensitivity across domains. A cutoff of 4 on the Distress Thermometer yielded high sensitivity. The questions regarding the perceived need for extra psychosocial services yielded high specificity and negative predictive values. The Psychosocial Aspects of Hereditary Cancer questionnaire in combination with the Distress Thermometer can be used as a first-line screener for psychosocial problems within the cancer genetic counseling setting. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  17. Effects of herbal medicine Sijunzi decoction on rabbits after relieving intestinal obstruction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. Li

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Intestinal obstruction leads to blockage of the movement of intestinal contents. After relieving the obstruction, patients might still suffer with compromised immune function and nutritional deficiency. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Sijunzi decoction on restoring the immune function and nutritional status after relieving the obstruction. Experimental rabbits (2.5±0.2 kg were randomly divided into normal control group, 2-day intestinal obstruction group, 2-day natural recovery group, 4-day natural recovery group, 2-day treated group, and 4-day treated group. Sijunzi decoction was given twice a day to the treated groups. The concentration of markers was analyzed to evaluate the immune function and nutritional status. The concentration of interleukin-2, immunoglobulins and complement components of the treated groups were significantly higher than the natural recovery group (P<0.05. The levels of CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ increased then decreased in the treated groups. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and CD8+ were significantly lower than the natural recovery group. The level of total protein in the treated groups also increased then decreased after relieving the obstruction. The levels of albumin, prealbumin and insulin-like growth factor-1 were significantly higher in the treated groups than in the natural recovery group (P<0.05. Transferrin level in the treated groups was significantly higher than the obstruction group (P<0.05. Sijunzi decoction can lessen the inflammatory response and improve the nutrition absorption after relieving the obstruction.

  18. Managing missing scores on the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kent, Peter; Lauridsen, Henrik Hein

    2011-01-01

    Study Design: Analysis of Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) and Oswestry Disability Index (Oswestry) responses.Objectives: To determine the prevalence of unanswered questions on the RMDQ23 (23-item RMDQ version) and Oswestry questionnaires. To determine if managing RMDQ23 missing data...... fully completed RMDQ23 and matching Oswestry questionnaire sets. Raw sum scores were calculated, and questions systematically dropped. At each stage, sum scores were converted to a score on a 0-100 scale and the error calculated. Wilcoxon Tests were used to compare the magnitude of the error scores...

  19. [Validation and reliability study of the parent concerns about surgery questionnaire: What worries parents?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gironés Muriel, Alberto; Campos Segovia, Ana; Ríos Gómez, Patricia

    2018-01-01

    The study of mediating variables and psychological responses to child surgery involves the evaluation of both the patient and the parents as regards different stressors. To have a reliable and reproducible valid evaluation tool that assesses the level of paternal involvement in relation to different stressors in the setting of surgery. A self-report questionnaire study was completed by 123 subjects of both sexes, subdivided into 2populations, due to their relationship with the hospital setting. The items were determined by a group of experts and analysed using the Lawshe validity index to determine a first validity of content. Subsequently, the reliability of the tool was determined by an item-re-item analysis of the 2sub-populations. A factorial analysis was performed to analyse the construct validity with the maximum likelihood and rotation of varimax type factors. A questionnaire of paternal concern was offered, consisting of 21 items with a Cronbach coefficient of 0.97, giving good precision and stability. The posterior factor analysis gives an adequate validity to the questionnaire, with the determination of 10 common stressors that cover 74.08% of the common and non-common variance of the questionnaire. The proposed questionnaire is reliable, valid and easy-to-apply and is developed to assess the level of paternal concern about the surgery of a child and to be able to apply measures and programs through the prior assessment of these elements. Copyright © 2016 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  20. A comprehensive questionnaire for the assessment of health-related quality of life in coeliac disease (CDQL).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skjerning, Halfdan; Hourihane, Jonathan; Husby, Steffen; DunnGalvin, Audrey

    2017-10-01

    Coeliac disease (CD) is a chronic immune-mediated disease in genetically susceptible individuals, induced by ingested gluten. The treatment for CD is a lifelong gluten-free diet (GFD). The GFD involves restrictions in diet that may impact on a person's Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). The aim of the present study was to develop the Coeliac Disease Quality of Life questionnaire (CDQL): a comprehensive CD-specific HRQoL measure that can be completed by children, adolescents, and adults or by proxy. The questionnaire was developed in three phases. In phase 1, focus group methods and qualitative analysis of verbatim transcripts generated CD-specific items for a prototype instrument to sensitively captured patient concerns. In phase 2, CD patients completed the prototype CDQL. The questionnaire was refined through analysis of data and cognitive interviewing. In phase 3, the final version of the CDQL was answered by Danish respondents. The psychometric properties of the CDQL were assessed, and the HRQoL data were analyzed. The CDQL was completed by 422 respondents. The CDQL has 12 patient background items, 2 generic HRQoL items, and 30 CD-specific HRQoL item. The CD-specific HRQoL items were distributed on eight scales with acceptable to excellent reliability. Comprehensiveness and understandability was shown by feedback from cognitive interviewing from children, adolescents, and adults. Content validity was ensured by involving patients and clinicians in the development of the questionnaire. Sensitivity of the questionnaire was demonstrated in differences found between children, adolescents, and adult's perception of their HRQoL in relation to having CD. The CDQL comprehensively measures HRQoL in CD, and is psychometrically robust. The questionnaire may prove useful in tracking HRQoL in CD across age groups.

  1. Using existing questionnaires in latent class analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Anne Molgaard; Vach, Werner; Kent, Peter

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Latent class analysis (LCA) is increasingly being used in health research, but optimal approaches to handling complex clinical data are unclear. One issue is that commonly used questionnaires are multidimensional, but expressed as summary scores. Using the example of low back pain (LBP......), the aim of this study was to explore and descriptively compare the application of LCA when using questionnaire summary scores and when using single items to subgrouping of patients based on multidimensional data. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Baseline data from 928 LBP patients in an observational study were...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2011-07-01

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

  3. The Validation of a Food Label Literacy Questionnaire for Elementary School Children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reynolds, Jesse S.; Treu, Judith A.; Njike, Valentine; Walker, Jennifer; Smith, Erica; Katz, Catherine S.; Katz, David L.

    2012-01-01

    Objective: To determine the reliability and validity of a 10-item questionnaire, the Food Label Literacy for Applied Nutrition Knowledge questionnaire. Methods: Participants were elementary school children exposed to a 90-minute school-based nutrition program. Reliability was assessed via Cronbach alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient…

  4. Designing and determining validity and reliability of a questionnaire to identify factors affecting nutritional behavior among patients with metabolic syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naseh Esmaeili

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Background : A number of studies have shown a clear relationship between diet and component of metabolic syndrome. Based on the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA, attitude and subjective norm are factors affecting behavioral intention and subsequently behavior. The aim of the present study is to design a valid questionnaire identifying factors affecting nutritional behavior among patients with metabolic syndrome. Materials and Methods: Via literature review, six focus group discussion and interview with nutrition specialists were performed to develop an instrument based on the theory of reasoned action. To determine validity of the instrument, content and face validity analyses with 15 expert panels conducted and also to determine reliability, Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient performed. Results: A draft of 100 items questionnaire was developed and after evaluation of validity and reliability, final questionnaire included 46 items: 17 items for attitude, 13 items for subjective norms and 16 items for behavioral intention. For the final questionnaire average of content validity index was 0/92 and Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient was 0/85. Conclusion: Based on the results of the current study the developed questionnaire is a valid and reliable instrument and it can be used to identify factors affecting nutritional behavior among people with metabolic syndrome based on the theory of reasoned action.

  5. 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.

  6. Integrated System Validation Usability Questionnaire: Information Display Element

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garcés, Ma. I.; Torralba, B.

    2015-01-01

    The Research and Development (R&D) project on “Theoretical and Methodological Approaches to Integrated System Validation of Control Rooms, 2014-2015”, in which the research activities described in this report are framed, has two main objectives: to develop the items for an usability methodology conceived as a part of the measurement framework for performance-based control room evaluation that the OECD Halden Reactor Project will test in the experiments planned for 2015; and the statistical analysis of the data generated in the experimental activities of the Halden Man-Machine Laboratory (HAMMLAB) facility, with previous usability questionnaires, in 2010 and 2011. In this report, the procedure designed to meet the first goal of the project is described, in particular, the process followed to identify the items related to information displays, one of the elements to be included in the usability questionnaire. Three phases are performed, in the first one, the approaches developed by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NRC, are reviewed and the models proposed by the nuclear energy industry and their technical support organizations, mainly, the United States Electric Power Research Institute, EPRI, are analyzed. In the remaining stages, general and specific guidelines for information displays, in particular, display pages, formats, elements and data quality and update rate recommendations are compared and criteria for the preliminary selection of the items that should be incorporated into the usability questionnaire are defined. This proposal will be reviewed and adapted by the Halden Reactor Project to the design of the specific experiments performed in HAMMLAB.

  7. Spanish translation and validation of four short pelvic floor disorders questionnaires.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Treszezamsky, Alejandro D; Karp, Deborah; Dick-Biascoechea, Madeline; Ehsani, Nazanin; Dancz, Christina; Montoya, T Ignacio; Olivera, Cedric K; Smith, Aimee L; Cardenas, Rosa; Fashokun, Tola; Bradley, Catherine S

    2013-04-01

    Globally, Spanish is the primary language for 329 million people; however, most urogynecologic questionnaires are available in English. We set out to develop valid Spanish translations of the Questionnaire for Urinary Incontinence Diagnosis (QUID), the Three Incontinence Questions (3IQ), and the short Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI-20) and Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire (PFIQ-7). The TRAPD method (translation, review, adjudication, pretesting, and documentation) was used for translation. Eight native Spanish-speaking translators developed Spanish versions collaboratively. These were pretested with cognitive interviews and revised until optimal. For validation, bilingual patients at seven clinics completed Spanish and English questionnaire versions in randomized order. Participants completed a second set of questionnaires later. The Spanish versions' internal consistency and reliability and Spanish-English agreement were measured using Cronbach's alpha, weighted kappa, and intraclass correlation coefficients. A total of 78 subjects were included; 94.9 % self-identified as Hispanic and 73.1 % spoke Spanish as their primary language. The proportion of per-item missing responses was similar in both languages (median 1.3 %). Internal consistency for Spanish PFDI-20 subscales was acceptable to good and for PFIQ-7 and QUID excellent. Test-retest reliability per item was moderate to near perfect for PFDI-20, substantial to near perfect for PFIQ-7 and 3IQ, and substantial for QUID. Spanish-English agreement for individual items was substantial to near perfect for all questionnaires (kappa range 0.64-0.95) and agreement for PFDI-20, PFIQ-7, and QUID subscales scores was high [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) range 0.92-0.99]. We obtained valid Spanish translations of the PFDI-20, PFIQ-7, QUID, and 3IQ. These results support their use as clinical and research assessment tools in Spanish-speaking populations.

  8. Validation of the Gambling Disorder Screening Questionnaire, a self-administered diagnostic questionnaire for gambling disorder based on the DSM-5 criteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villella, Corrado; Pascucci, Marco; de Waure, Chiara; Bellomo, Antonello; Conte, Gianluigi

    2016-01-01

    The DSM-5 has modified the diagnostic criteria for gambling disorder, compared to the fourth edition of the manual; new diagnostic instruments are therefore needed. This study evaluated the psychometric characteristics of the Gambling Disorder Screening Questionnaire (GDSQ), a self-report questionnaire based on the DSM-IV and DSM-5 criteria for Gambling Disorder, measuring its validity, internal consistency, and submitting the questionnaire to a principal components analysis. 71 patients from a gambling disorder outpatient clinic and 70 controls were evaluated with the GDSQ, the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), and a psychiatric interview. The test showed a good sensibility, specificity, internal consistency, concurrent validity with the SOGS. The exclusion of the “illegal acts” item, and the lowering of the cut-off score to four positive items, as suggested by the DSM-5 criteria, improved the test sensibility and internal consistency. The GDSQ can be considered a useful screening test for Gambling Disorder. Furthermore, this study confirms the improved diagnostic accuracy of the criteria listed in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, compared to the previous edition.

  9. Budesonide/formoterol maintenance and reliever therapy versus conventional best practice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Demoly, Pascal; Louis, Renaud; Søes-Petersen, Ulrik

    2009-01-01

    Budesonide/formoterol maintenance and reliever therapy (Symbicort SMART) reduces asthma exacerbations and symptoms versus fixed-dose regimens plus short-acting beta(2)-agonists (SABA) in double-blind trials. Information is lacking regarding its effectiveness versus conventional best practice (CBP...

  10. Living Kidney Donation Questionnaire (PCID-DVR-Ríos): Validation and Psychometric Characteristics in a Spanish-Speaking Population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ríos, A; López-Navas, A I; De-Francisco, C; Sánchez, Á; Hernández, A M; Ramírez, P; Parrilla, P

    2018-03-01

    The attitude toward living kidney donation is important for certain promotion campaigns, however, there are few validated questionnaires in this regard. The aim of this work was to analyze the psychometric characteristics of the attitudes questionnaire about living renal donation, PCID-DVR-Ríos (Cuestionario del Proyecto Colaborativo Internacional Donante sobre Donación de Vivo Renal [Questionnaire of the International Collaborative Donor Project on Living Kidney Donation] developed by Dr Ríos) for the validation of the questionnaire in population of Spanish speakers. The sample studied represented the population >18 years of age, native and resident of Spain, stratified by age and sex. The measurement instrument was the PCID-DVR-Ríos questionnaire. Analysis of data was structured in several stages: an initial description of the data, exploratory factor analysis, item analysis, and internal consistency of the factors. The questionnaire consists of 11 items, distributed in 3 factors of 6, 3, and 2 items. This structure accounts for 63.995% of the total variance. By factors, the variance is distributed as follows: factor 1: 38.461%; factor 2: 14.228%; and factor 3: 11.306%. The analysis of items and internal consistency supported the trifactorial composition. Each factor is internally consistent (α1 = .80; α2 = .70; α3 = .55). The analyzed dimensions of the PCID-DVR Ríos questionnaire to analyze attitude toward living kidney donation showed a good fit in terms of factorial validity and internal consistency values. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Assessing the Risk of Sarcopenia in the Elderly: The Mini Sarcopenia Risk Assessment (MSRA) Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossi, A P; Micciolo, R; Rubele, S; Fantin, F; Caliari, C; Zoico, E; Mazzali, G; Ferrari, E; Volpato, S; Zamboni, M

    2017-01-01

    to validate the MSRA questionnaire proposed as prescreening tool for sarcopenia, in a population of community-dwelling elderly subjects. observational study. community dwelling elderly subjects. 274 community dwelling elderly subjects, 177 women and 97 men, aged 66-78 years. Based on EWGSOP diagnostic criteria subjects were classified as sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic. The Mini Sarcopenia Risk Assessment (MSRA) questionnaire, is composed of seven questions and investigates anamnestic and nutritional characteristics related to risk of sarcopenia onset (age, protein and dairy products consumption, number of meals per day, physical activity level, number of hospitalizations and weight loss in the last year). 33.5% of the study population, were classified as sarcopenic. With the 7-item MSRA score, subjects with a score of 30 or less, had a 4-fold greater risk of being sarcopenic than subjects with a score higher than 30 (OR:4.20;95% CI:2.26-8.06); area under the ROC curve was 0.786 (95% CI:0.725-0.847). In a logistic regression, considering as dependent variable the probability of being sarcopenic, and as independent variables the 7 items of the questionnaire, two items (number of meals and milk and dairy products consumption) showed non-significant diagnostic power. A 5-item score was then derived and the area under the ROC curve was 0.789 (95% IC:0.728-0.851). Taking into account the cost of false positive and false negative costs and the prevalence of sarcopenia, the "optimal" threshold of the original MSRA score (based on 7 items) is 30, with a sensitivity of 0.804 and a specificity of 0.505, while the "optimal" threshold of the MSRA score based on 5 items, is 45, with a sensitivity of 0.804 and a specificity of 0.604. this preliminary study shows that the MSRA questionnaire is predictive of sarcopenia and can be suggested as prescreening instrument to detect this condition. The use of a short form of the MSRA questionnaire improves the capacity to identify

  12. Development and Validation of the Groupwork Skills Questionnaire (GSQ) for Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cumming, Jennifer; Woodcock, Charlotte; Cooley, Sam J.; Holland, Mark J. G.; Burns, Victoria E.

    2015-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to develop and provide psychometric evidence in support of the groupwork skills questionnaire (GSQ) for measuring task and interpersonal groupwork skills. A 46-item version of the GSQ was initially completed by 672 university students. The number of items was reduced to 15 following exploratory factor analyses, and…

  13. Swedish Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (SAAQ): a psychometric evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lundgren, Tobias; Parling, Thomas

    2017-06-01

    Psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance are equivalent (with somewhat different connotations) concepts and refer to an unwillingness to remain in contact with particular private events. This concept is most often measured by the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ-II) and is strongly related to psychopathology and behavioral effectiveness. In this study, the preliminary psychometric properties of the Swedish version of the AAQ-II (Swedish Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-SAAQ) are presented. The study is done in two steps. In the first step, the 10-item version of the AAQ-II is investigated through principal component analysis (n = 147). Secondly, due to problems with the component structure, the instrument is reduced to a six-item version and its validity and internal consistency are investigated (n = 154). The six-item version shows good concurrent and convergent validity as well as satisfying internal consistency (α = .85). Furthermore, the Swedish six-item version of the AAQ-II showed one strong component. Test-retest reliability was satisfactory (r = .80; n = 228). In future research, predictive and external validity would be important to investigate in order to further ensure that the SAAQ is a useful measure for clinical research. In conclusion, the SAAQ has satisfactory psychometric properties, but more data need to be gathered to further explore the possibilities for the instruments in Swedish contexts.

  14. The Italian version of the 16-item prodromal questionnaire (iPQ-16): Field-test and psychometric features.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lorenzo, Pelizza; Silvia, Azzali; Federica, Paterlini; Sara, Garlassi; Ilaria, Scazza; Pupo, Simona; Andrea, Raballo

    2018-03-20

    Among current early screeners for psychosis-risk states, the Prodromal Questionnaire-16 items (PQ-16) is often used. We aimed to assess validity and reliability of the Italian version of the PQ-16 in a young adult help-seeking population. We included 154 individuals aged 18-35years seeking help at the Reggio Emilia outpatient mental health services in a large semirural catchment area (550.000 inhabitants). Participants completed the Italian version of the PQ-16 (iPQ-16) and were subsequently evaluated with the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States (CAARMS). We examined diagnostic accuracy (i.e. specificity, sensitivity, negative and positive likelihood ratios, and negative and positive predictive values) and content, convergent, and concurrent validity between PQ-16 and CAARMS using Cronbach's alpha, Spearman's rho, and Cohen's kappa, respectively. We also tested the validity of the adopted PQ-16 cut-offs through Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves plotted against CAARMS diagnoses and the 1-year predictive validity of the PQ-16. The iPQ-16 showed high internal consistency and acceptable diagnostic accuracy and concurrent validity. ROC analyses pointed to a cut-off score of ≥5 as best cut-off. After 12months of follow-up, 8.7% of participants with a PQ-16 symptom total score of ≥5 who were below the CAARMS psychosis threshold at the baseline, developed a psychotic disorder. Psychometric properties of the iPQ-16 were satisfactory. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  15. Development and validation of the brief esophageal dysphagia questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taft, T H; Riehl, M; Sodikoff, J B; Kahrilas, P J; Keefer, L; Doerfler, B; Pandolfino, J E

    2016-12-01

    Esophageal dysphagia is common in gastroenterology practice and has multiple etiologies. A complication for some patients with dysphagia is food impaction. A valid and reliable questionnaire to rapidly evaluate esophageal dysphagia and impaction symptoms can aid the gastroenterologist in gathering information to inform treatment approach and further evaluation, including endoscopy. 1638 patients participated over two study phases. 744 participants completed the Brief Esophageal Dysphagia Questionnaire (BEDQ) for phase 1; 869 completed the BEDQ, Visceral Sensitivity Index, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Questionnaire, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale for phase 2. Demographic and clinical data were obtained via the electronic medical record. The BEDQ was evaluated for internal consistency, split-half reliability, ceiling and floor effects, and construct validity. The BEDQ demonstrated excellent internal consistency, reliability, and construct validity. The symptom frequency and severity scales scored above the standard acceptable cutoffs for reliability while the impaction subscale yielded poor internal consistency and split-half reliability; thus the impaction items were deemed qualifiers only and removed from the total score. No significant ceiling or floor effects were found with the exception of 1 item, and inter-item correlations fell within accepted ranges. Construct validity was supported by moderate yet significant correlations with other measures. The predictive ability of the BEDQ was small but significant. The BEDQ represents a rapid, reliable, and valid assessment tool for esophageal dysphagia with food impaction for clinical practice that differentiates between patients with major motor dysfunction and mechanical obstruction. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. [Questionnaire for the mobbing risk: CDL2.0].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilioli, R; Cassitto, M G; Campanini, P; Punzi, S; Consonni, D; Rengo, C; Fattorini, E; Foá, V

    2005-01-01

    The aim of the study is to develop and validate a questionnaire able to evaluate the risk of mobbing at the workplace. A multiple-choice questionnaire has been developed which contains, among the different items, only one revealing a mobbing situation. The questionnaire has been administered to two groups (group A--243 subjects in a mobbing situation and group B--63 subjects without exposure to mobbing) and the differences in the scores obtained have been analysed. The questionnaire has proved to be valid and reliable. The results show that the presence of five mobbing actions is sufficient to define the workplace situation as potentially at risk for mobbing. The study reveals some limits in the selection of the two samples thus needing some adjustment. However, the questionnaire, also in the present form, can be considered a tool able to detect the mobbing situations.

  17. Development of a Measure of Sleep, Circadian Rhythms, and Mood: The SCRAM Questionnaire

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jamie E. M. Byrne

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Sleep quality, circadian phase, and mood are highly interdependent processes. Remarkably, there is currently no self-report questionnaire that measures all three of these clinically significant functions: The aim of this project was to address this deficit. In Study 1, 720 participants completed a set of potential items was generated from existing questionnaires in each of the three domains and refined to follow a single presentation format. Study 2 used an independent sample (N = 498 to interrogate the latent structure. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify a parsimonious, three-factor latent structure. Following item reduction, the optimal representation of sleep quality, circadian phase, and mood was captured by a questionnaire with three 5-item scales: Depressed Mood, Morningness, and Good Sleep. Confirmatory factor analysis found the three-scale structure provided adequate fit. In both samples, Morningness and Good Sleep were positively associated, and each was negatively associated with the Depressed Mood scale. Further research is now required to quantify the convergent and discriminant validity of its three face-valid and structurally replicated scales. The new sleep, circadian rhythms, and mood (SCRAM questionnaire is the first instrument to conjointly measure sleep quality, circadian phase, and mood processes, and has significant potential as a clinical tool.

  18. Validation of the generic medical interview satisfaction scale: the G-MISS questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maurice-Szamburski, Axel; Michel, Pierre; Loundou, Anderson; Auquier, Pascal

    2017-02-14

    Patients have about seven medical consultations a year. Despite the importance of medical interviews in the healthcare process, there is no generic instrument to assess patients' experiences in general practices, medical specialties, and surgical specialties. The main objective was to validate a questionnaire assessing patients' experiences with medical consultations in various practices. The G-MISS study was a prospective multi-center trial that enrolled patients from May to July 2016. A total of 2055 patients were included from general practices, medical specialties, and surgical specialties. Patients filled out a questionnaire assessing various aspects of their experience and satisfaction within 1 week after their medical interview. The validation process relied on item response theory. Internal validity was examined using exploratory factorial analysis. The statistical model used the root mean square error of approximation, confirmatory fit index, and standard root mean square residual as fit indices. Scalability and reliability were assessed with the Rasch model and Cronbach's alpha coefficients, respectively. Scale properties across the three subgroups were explored with differential item functioning. The G-MISS final questionnaire contained 16 items, structured in three dimensions of patients' experiences: "Relief", "Communication", and "Compliance". A global index of patients' experiences was computed as the mean of the dimension scores. All fit indices from the statistical model were satisfactory (RMSEA = 0.03, CFI = 0.98, SRMR = 0.06). The overall scalability had a good fit to the Rasch model. Each dimension was reliable, with Cronbach's alpha ranging from 0.73 to 0.86. Differential item functioning across the three consultation settings was negligible. Patients undergoing medical or surgical specialties reported higher scores in the "Relief" dimension compared with general practice (83.0 ± 11.6 or 82.4 ± 11.6 vs. 73.2 ± 16

  19. The Mini Questionnaire of Personal Organization (MQPO): preliminary validation of a new post-rationalist personality questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nardi, Bernardo; Arimatea, Emidio; Giovagnoli, Sara; Blasi, Stefano; Bellantuono, Cesario; Rezzonico, Giorgio

    2012-01-01

    The Mini Questionnaire of Personal Organization (MQPO) has been constructed in order to comply with the inward/outward Personal Meaning Organization's (PMO) theory. According to Nardi's Adaptive Post-Rationalist approach, predictable and invariable caregivers' behaviours allow inward focus and a physical sight of reciprocity; non-predictable and variable caregivers' behaviours allow outward focus and a semantic sight of reciprocity. The 20 items of MQPO have been selected from 29 intermediate (n = 160) and 40 initial items (n = 204). Psychometric validation has been conducted (n = 296), including Internal Validity (Item-Total Correlation; Factor Analysis), Internal Coherence by Factor Analysis, two analyses in Discriminant Validity (n = 132 and n = 80) and Reliability by Test-Retest Analysis (n = 49). All subjects have been given their written informed consent before beginning the test. The validation of the MQPO shows that the ultimate version is consistent with its post-rationalist paradigm. Four different factors have been found, one for each PMO. Validity of the construct and the internal reliability index are satisfying (Alpha = 0.73). Moreover, the results obtained are constant (from r = 0.80 to r = 0.89). There is an adequate agreement between the MQPO scales and the clinical evaluations (72.5%), as well as an excellent agreement (80.0%) between the scores of the MQPO and those of the Personal Meaning Questionnaire. The MQPO is a tool able to study personality as a process by focusing on the relationships between personality and developmental process axes, which are the bases of the PMO's theory, according to the APR approach. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  20. Overall asthma control achieved with budesonide/formoterol maintenance and reliever therapy for patients on different treatment steps

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    Östlund Ollie

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Adjusting medication for uncontrolled asthma involves selecting one of several options from the same or a higher treatment step outlined in asthma guidelines. We examined the relative benefit of introducing budesonide/formoterol (BUD/FORM maintenance and reliever therapy (Symbicort SMART® Turbuhaler® in patients previously prescribed treatments from Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA Steps 2, 3 or 4. Methods This is a post hoc analysis of the results of five large clinical trials (>12000 patients comparing BUD/FORM maintenance and reliever therapy with other treatments categorised by treatment step at study entry. Both current clinical asthma control during the last week of treatment and exacerbations during the study were examined. Results At each GINA treatment step, the proportion of patients achieving target levels of current clinical control were similar or higher with BUD/FORM maintenance and reliever therapy compared with the same or a higher fixed maintenance dose of inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting β2-agonist (ICS/LABA (plus short-acting β2-agonist [SABA] as reliever, and rates of exacerbations were lower at all treatment steps in BUD/FORM maintenance and reliever therapy versus same maintenance dose ICS/LABA (P Conclusions BUD/FORM maintenance and reliever therapy may be a preferable option for patients on Steps 2 to 4 of asthma guidelines requiring a more effective treatment and, compared with other fixed dose alternatives, is most effective in the higher treatment steps.

  1. Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Finnish Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) in 590 Professional Musicians.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vastamäki, Heidi; Vastamäki, Martti; Laimi, Katri; Saltychev, Michail

    2017-07-01

    Poorly functioning work environments may lead to dissatisfaction for the employees and financial loss for the employers. The Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) was designed to measure social and psychological characteristics of work environments. To investigate the factor construct of the Finnish 14-item version of JCQ when applied to professional orchestra musicians. In a cross-sectional survey, the questionnaire was sent by mail to 1550 orchestra musicians and students. 630 responses were received. Full data were available for 590 respondents (response rate 38%).The questionnaire also contained questions on demographics, job satisfaction, health status, health behaviors, and intensity of playing music. Confirmatory factor analysis of the 2-factor model of JCQ was conducted. Of the 5 estimates, JCQ items in the "job demand" construct, the "conflicting demands" (question 5) explained most of the total variance in this construct (79%) demonstrating almost perfect correlation of 0.63. In the construct of "job control," "opinions influential" (question 10) demonstrated a perfect correlation index of 0.84 and the items "little decision freedom" (question 14) and "allows own decisions" (question 6) showed substantial correlations of 0.77 and 0.65. The 2-factor model of the Finnish 14-item version of JCQ proposed in this study fitted well into the observed data. The "conflicting demands," "opinions influential," "little decision freedom," and "allows own decisions" items demonstrated the strongest correlations with latent factors suggesting that in a population similar to the studied one, especially these items should be taken into account when observed in the response of a population.

  2. Quality of life and swallowing questionnaire for individuals with Parkinson's disease: development and validation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diniz, Juliana Garcia; da Silva, Alfredo Carlos; Nóbrega, Ana Caline

    2018-05-21

    Individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) may exhibit some degree of change in swallowing dynamics during the course of the disease. These changes can affect their physical, functional and emotional quality of life. To develop a quality of life and swallowing questionnaire for individuals with PD. The first version of the questionnaire comprised 29 items taken from the accounts of 50 patients treated over a 2-month period at Sarah Hospital in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. A committee of 10 experts in the field analyzed the content and reduced the questionnaire to 28 questions. The questionnaire was then administered to 140 PD patients and 47 healthy individuals. A factor analysis of the items guided the drafting of the final questionnaire, which consisted of 19 items grouped into four factors, encompassing physical, functional and emotional aspects. A test-retest assessment was conducted with 44 individuals with PD. The internal consistency, estimated by the mean of Cronbach's alpha coefficient, varied between 0.71 (domain 3) and 0.94 (domain 1) in the test and between 0.69 (domain 3) and 0.95 (domain 1) in the retest. The correlation coefficient in the test/retest comparison was high and significant, demonstrating that the measurement was stable. A significant difference was observed between the PD group and the comparison group. The questionnaire developed is a valid, statistically appropriate and clinically effective self-administered instrument for individuals with PD. © 2018 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

  3. Stress-relieving effects of short-term balneotherapy - a randomized controlled pilot study in healthy adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matzer, Franziska; Nagele, Eva; Bahadori, Babak; Dam, Karl; Fazekas, Christian

    2014-01-01

    Stress-relieving effects of balneotherapy compared to progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) and to resting were investigated by measuring subjective relaxation and salivary cortisol. It was also examined whether participants with a high versus low stress level would have a different relaxation response. A sample of healthy volunteers was randomized to balneotherapy, PMR, or a resting control group, each intervention lasting for 25 min. Pre- and post-intervention salivary cortisol samples were collected, and participants rated their status of relaxation on a quantitative scale. In addition, 3 questionnaires were applied to detect participants' stress level and bodily complaints. 49 healthy participants were recruited (65.3% female). In a pre-post comparison, salivary cortisol decreased (F = 23.53, p balneotherapy group rated themselves as more relaxed after the intervention as compared to the other groups (F = 5.22, p balneotherapy seems to be more beneficial with regard to subjective relaxation effects and similarly beneficial with regard to a decrease in salivary cortisol. © 2014 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

  4. Measuring emotion socialization in families affected by pediatric cancer: Refinement and reduction of the Parents' Beliefs about Children's Emotions questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beitra, Danette; El-Behadli, Ana F; Faith, Melissa A

    2018-01-01

    The aim of this study is to conduct a multimethod psychometric reduction in the Parents' Beliefs about Children's Emotions (PBCE) questionnaire using an item response theory framework with a pediatric oncology sample. Participants were 216 pediatric oncology caregivers who completed the PBCE. The PBCE contains 105 items (11 subscales) rated on a 6-point Likert-type scale. We evaluated the PBCE subscale performance by applying a partial credit model in WINSTEPS. Sixty-six statistically weak items were removed, creating a 44-item PBCE questionnaire with 10 subscales and 3 response options per item. The refined scale displayed good psychometric properties and correlated .910 with the original PBCE. Additional analyses examined dimensionality, item-level (e.g. difficulty), and person-level (e.g. ethnicity) characteristics. The refined PBCE questionnaire provides better test information, improves instrument reliability, and reduces burden on families, providers, and researchers. With this improved measure, providers can more easily identify families who may benefit from psychosocial interventions targeting emotion socialization. The results of the multistep approach presented should be considered preliminary, given the limited sample size.

  5. The Conceptions about Teamwork Questionnaire: Design, Reliability and Validity with Secondary Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez-Fernandez, J. Reinaldo; Corcelles, Mariona; Cerrato-Lara, Maria

    2011-01-01

    In this study, we present the conceptions about teamwork questionnaire designed to evaluate the conceptions that secondary students have about teamwork. Participants were 309 students aged 15-16 from eight secondary schools, seven from Barcelona and one from Girona (Spain). The original 27-item questionnaire was reduced according to expert…

  6. Applicability of the Organisational Climate Description Questionnaire - Rutgers Elementary: a South African case study

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    D Vos

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The Organisational Climate Description Questionnaire - Rutgers Elementary (OCDQ - RE was used to determine the current organizational climate of primary schools in North-West Province, South Africa. This questionnaire evaluates the actions of principals and educators; the current organizational climate in primary schools can be determined from the results. A quantitative research approach, with 904 teachers from 68 schools, was used to determine the applicability of the measuring instrument. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed that certain items measuring directive behaviour in the OCDQ-RE grouped with supportive behaviour of the principal. Hence, in this study, these items were regarded as supportive towards the educators and their work by the respondents. According to Cronbach's alpha coefficient the questionnaire can be regarded as reliable. Recommendations are made to render the questionnaire even more applicable for the South African context.

  7. 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.

  8. Development of the Comprehensive General Parenting Questionnaire for caregivers of 5-13 year olds

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background Despite the large number of parenting questionnaires, considerable disagreement exists about how to best assess parenting. Most of the instruments only assess limited aspects of parenting. To overcome this shortcoming, the “Comprehensive General Parenting Questionnaire” (CGPQ) was systematically developed. Such a measure is frequently requested in the area of childhood overweight. Methods First, an item bank of existing parenting measures was created assessing five key parenting constructs that have been identified across multiple theoretical approaches to parenting (Nurturance, Overprotection, Coercive control, Behavioral control, and Structure). Caregivers of 5- to 13-year-olds were asked to complete the online survey in the Netherlands (N = 821), Belgium (N = 435) and the United States (N = 241). In addition, a questionnaire regarding personality characteristics (“Big Five”) of the caregiver was administered and parents were asked to report about their child’s height and weight. Factor analyses and Item-Response Modeling (IRM) techniques were used to assess the underlying parenting constructs and for item reduction. Correlation analyses were performed to assess the relations between general parenting and personality of the caregivers, adjusting for socio-economic status (SES) indicators, to establish criterion validity. Multivariate linear regressions were performed to examine the associations of SES indicators and parenting with child BMI z-scores. Additionally, we assessed whether scores on the parenting constructs and child BMI z-scores differed depending on SES indicators. Results The reduced questionnaire (62 items) revealed acceptable fit of our parenting model and acceptable IRM item fit statistics. Caregiver personality was related as hypothesized with the GCPQ parenting constructs. While correcting for SES, overprotection was positively related to child BMI. The negative relationship between structure and BMI was

  9. Measuring cognitive assessment and intervention burden in patients with acquired brain injured:  Development of the ”How Much is Too Much” questionnaire

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer Tomaszczyk

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To design and preliminarily test a questionnaire intended to measure patient treatment burden resulting from participation in cognitive assessments and interventions. Methods: An expert consensus process was used to develop the concept of patient treatment burden and to determine the first set of questionnaire items and administration protocol. The pilot questionnaire was administered to 20 patients with mild to severe acquired brain injuries on completion of a 2-h or longer neuropsychological assessment. Following preliminary testing, the questionnaire was revised and re-evaluated by a second expert panel and content validity was assessed. Results: Burden was defined as psychologically and/or physically aversive symptoms in response to cognitive assessment or intervention. The first questionnaire contained 21 items assigned to 3 categories: physical, cognitive, and emotional. Eighty-five percent of patients endorsed symptom level increases, with “tired/fatigued” the most frequently endorsed item (80% of patients. Instructions and test items were easily understood, and the questionnaire was quick to administer. Content validity ratio (CVR of the revised questionnaire yielded 23 acceptable items and a subset met the highest CVR threshold (>0.78. Conclusion: This patient-reported outcome will ultimately help patients give voice to aversive experiences, and help clinicians and researchers to monitor and adapt assessments/treatments appropriately. Future steps in development are described.

  10. 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.

  11. Item validity vs. item discrimination index: a redundancy?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panjaitan, R. L.; Irawati, R.; Sujana, A.; Hanifah, N.; Djuanda, D.

    2018-03-01

    In several literatures about evaluation and test analysis, it is common to find that there are calculations of item validity as well as item discrimination index (D) with different formula for each. Meanwhile, other resources said that item discrimination index could be obtained by calculating the correlation between the testee’s score in a particular item and the testee’s score on the overall test, which is actually the same concept as item validity. Some research reports, especially undergraduate theses tend to include both item validity and item discrimination index in the instrument analysis. It seems that these concepts might overlap for both reflect the test quality on measuring the examinees’ ability. In this paper, examples of some results of data processing on item validity and item discrimination index were compared. It would be discussed whether item validity and item discrimination index can be represented by one of them only or it should be better to present both calculations for simple test analysis, especially in undergraduate theses where test analyses were included.

  12. Do people with and without medical conditions respond similarly to the short health anxiety inventory? An assessment of differential item functioning using item response theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    LeBouthillier, Daniel M; Thibodeau, Michel A; Alberts, Nicole M; Hadjistavropoulos, Heather D; Asmundson, Gordon J G

    2015-04-01

    Individuals with medical conditions are likely to have elevated health anxiety; however, research has not demonstrated how medical status impacts response patterns on health anxiety measures. Measurement bias can undermine the validity of a questionnaire by overestimating or underestimating scores in groups of individuals. We investigated whether the Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI), a widely-used measure of health anxiety, exhibits medical condition-based bias on item and subscale levels, and whether the SHAI subscales adequately assess the health anxiety continuum. Data were from 963 individuals with diabetes, breast cancer, or multiple sclerosis, and 372 healthy individuals. Mantel-Haenszel tests and item characteristic curves were used to classify the severity of item-level differential item functioning in all three medical groups compared to the healthy group. Test characteristic curves were used to assess scale-level differential item functioning and whether the SHAI subscales adequately assess the health anxiety continuum. Nine out of 14 items exhibited differential item functioning. Two items exhibited differential item functioning in all medical groups compared to the healthy group. In both Thought Intrusion and Fear of Illness subscales, differential item functioning was associated with mildly deflated scores in medical groups with very high levels of the latent traits. Fear of Illness items poorly discriminated between individuals with low and very low levels of the latent trait. While individuals with medical conditions may respond differentially to some items, clinicians and researchers can confidently use the SHAI with a variety of medical populations without concern of significant bias. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Development and validation of the quality care questionnaire -palliative care (QCQ-PC): patient-reported assessment of quality of palliative care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yun, Young Ho; Kang, Eun Kyo; Lee, Jihye; Choo, Jiyeon; Ryu, Hyewon; Yun, Hye-Min; Kang, Jung Hun; Kim, Tae You; Sim, Jin-Ah; Kim, Yaeji

    2018-03-05

    In this study, we aimed to develop and validate an instrument that could be used by patients with cancer to evaluate their quality of palliative care. Development of the questionnaire followed the four-phase process: item generation and reduction, construction, pilot testing, and field testing. Based on the literature, we constructed a list of items for the quality of palliative care from 104 quality care issues divided into 14 subscales. We constructed scales of 43 items that only the cancer patients were asked to answer. Using relevance and feasibility criteria and pilot testing, we developed a 44-item questionnaire. To assess the sensitivity and validity of the questionnaire, we recruited 220 patients over 18 years of age from three Korean hospitals. Factor analysis of the data and fit statistics process resulted in the 4-factor, 32-item Quality Care Questionnaire-Palliative Care (QCQ-PC), which covers appropriate communication with health care professionals (ten items), discussing value of life and goals of care (nine items), support and counseling for needs of holistic care (seven items), and accessibility and sustainability of care (six items). All subscales and total scores showed a high internal consistency (Cronbach alpha range, 0.89 to 0.97). Multi-trait scaling analysis showed good convergent (0.568-0.995) and discriminant (0.472-0.869) validity. The correlation between the total and subscale scores of QCQ-PC and those of EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL, MQOL, SAT-SF, and DCS was obtained. This study demonstrates that the QCQ-PC can be adopted to assess the quality of care in patients with cancer.

  14. Dyadic confirmatory factor analysis of the inflammatory bowel disease family responsibility questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenley, Rachel Neff; Reed-Knight, Bonney; Blount, Ronald L; Wilson, Helen W

    2013-09-01

    Evaluate the factor structure of youth and maternal involvement ratings on the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Family Responsibility Questionnaire, a measure of family allocation of condition management responsibilities in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease. Participants included 251 youth aged 11-18 years with inflammatory bowel disease and their mothers. Item-level descriptive analyses, subscale internal consistency estimates, and confirmatory factor analyses of youth and maternal involvement were conducted using a dyadic data-analytic approach. Results supported the validity of 4 conceptually derived subscales including general health maintenance, social aspects, condition management tasks, and nutrition domains. Additionally, results indicated adequate support for the factor structure of a 21-item youth involvement measure and strong support for a 16-item maternal involvement measure. Additional empirical support for the validity of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Family Responsibility Questionnaire was provided. Future research to replicate current findings and to examine the measure's clinical utility is warranted.

  15. The Schizotypic Syndrome Questionnaire (SSQ): Psychometrics, validation and norms.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Kampen, D.

    2006-01-01

    This paper examines the psychometric properties (reliability and factor structure) and validity (relationship with various self-report measures and SPEM dysfunction) of the SSQ or Schizotypic Syndrome Questionnaire, a 108-item inventory for the measurement of 12 prodromal or schizotypic symptoms

  16. Test-retest reliability and construct validity of the DOiT (Dutch Obesity Intervention in Teenagers) questionnaire: measuring energy balance-related behaviours in Dutch adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janssen, Evelien H C; Singh, Amika S; van Nassau, Femke; Brug, Johannes; van Mechelen, Willem; Chinapaw, Mai J M

    2014-02-01

    Adequate assessment of energy balance-related behaviours in adolescents is essential to develop and evaluate effective obesity prevention programmes. The present study examined the test-retest reliability and construct validity of a questionnaire assessing energy balance-related behaviours in adolescents during the evaluation of the DOiT (Dutch Obesity Intervention in Teenagers) intervention. To assess test-retest reliability, adolescents filled in the questionnaire twice (n 111). To assess construct validity, the results from the first test were compared with data collected in a personal cognitive interview (n 20, independent from the reliability study). For both reliability and validity, intraclass correlation coefficients for continuous data or Cohen's kappa coefficients for categorical data were calculated as well as percentage agreement. Data were collected during school time from February to May 2010. Study participants were Dutch adolescents aged 12-14 years attending pre-vocational secondary schools. In more than three-quarters of the ninety-five questionnaire items the test-retest reliability appeared to be good to excellent. Moderate reliability was found for all other twenty-one items. Fifty-one items (of ninety-five items) showed good to excellent construct validity. Construct validity appeared moderate in twenty-three items and poor in twenty-one items. Most items with poor construct validity concerned consumption of sugar-containing beverages and high-energy snacks/sweets. Our study showed good test-retest reliability and largely moderate to good construct validity for the majority of items of the DOiT questionnaire. Items with poor construct validity (most of them found for items concerning energy intake-related behaviours) should be revised and tested again to improve the questionnaire for future use.

  17. Psychometric Properties of a 36-Item Version of the “Stress Management Competency Indicator Tool”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefano Toderi

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The development of supervisors’ behaviours has been proposed as an innovative approach for the reduction of employees’ work stress. The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE developed the “Stress Management Competency Indicator Tool” (SMCIT, designed to be used within a learning and development intervention. However, its psychometric properties have never been evaluated, and the length of the questionnaire (66 items limits its practical applicability. We developed a brief 36-item version of the questionnaire, assessed its psychometric properties and studied the relationship with the employees’ psychosocial work environment. 353 employees filled in the brief SMCIT and the “Stress Management Indicator Tool”. The latter is a self-report questionnaire developed by the UK HSE, measuring workers’ perceptions of seven dimensions of the psychosocial work environment that if not properly managed can lead to harm. Data were analysed with structural equation modelling and multiple regressions. The results confirmed the factorial structure of the brief SMCIT questionnaire and mainly supported the convergent validity and internal consistency of the scales. Furthermore, with few exceptions, the relations hypothesized between supervisors’ competencies and the psychosocial work environment were confirmed, supporting the criterion validity of the revised questionnaire and the UK HSE framework. We conclude that the brief 36-item version of the SMCIT represents an important step toward the development of interventions directed at supervisors and we discuss the practical implications for work stress prevention.

  18. Brief Sensation Seeking Scale: Latent structure of 8-item and 4-item versions in Peruvian adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merino-Soto, Cesar; Salas Blas, Edwin

    2018-01-01

    This research intended to validate two brief scales of sensations seeking with Peruvian adolescents: the eight item scale (BSSS8; Hoyle, Stephenson, Palmgreen, Lorch, y Donohew, 2002) and the four item scale (BSSS4; Stephenson, Hoyle, Slater, y Palmgreen, 2003). Questionnaires were administered to 618 voluntary participants, with an average age of 13.6 years, from different levels of high school, state and private school in a district in the south of Lima. It analyzed the internal structure of both short versions using three models: a) unidimensional (M1), b) oblique or related dimensions (M2), and c) the bifactor model (M3). Results show that both instruments have a single dimension which best represents the variability of the items; a fact that can be explained both by the complexity of the concept and by the small number of items representing each factor, which is more noticeable in the BSSS4. Reliability is within levels found by previous studies: alpha: .745 = BSSS8 and BSSS4 =. 643; omega coefficient: .747 in BSSS8 and .651 in BSSS4. These are considered suitable for the type of instruments studied. Based on the correlation between the two instruments, it was found that there are satisfactory levels of equivalence between the BSSS8 and BSSS4. However, it is recommended that the BSSS4 is mainly used for research and for the purpose of describing populations.

  19. Development and Validation of an Abbreviated Questionnaire to Easily Measure Cognitive Failure in ICU Survivors: A Multicenter Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wassenaar, Annelies; de Reus, Jorn; Donders, A Rogier T; Schoonhoven, Lisette; Cremer, Olaf L; de Lange, Dylan W; van Dijk, Diederik; Slooter, Arjen J C; Pickkers, Peter; van den Boogaard, Mark

    2018-01-01

    To develop and validate an abbreviated version of the Cognitive Failure Questionnaire that can be used by patients as part of self-assessment to measure functional cognitive outcome in ICU survivors. A retrospective multicenter observational study. The ICUs of two Dutch university hospitals. Adult ICU survivors. None. Cognitive functioning was evaluated between 12 and 24 months after ICU discharge using the full 25-item Cognitive Failure Questionnaire (CFQ-25). Incomplete CFQ-25 questionnaires were excluded from analysis. Forward selection in a linear regression model was used in hospital A to assess which of the CFQ-25 items should be included to prevent a significant loss of correlation between an abbreviated and the full CFQ-25. Subsequently, the performance of an abbreviated Cognitive Failure Questionnaire was determined in hospital B using Pearson's correlation. A Bland-Altman plot was used to examine whether the reduced-item outcome scores of an abbreviated Cognitive Failure Questionnaire were a replacement for the full CFQ-25 outcome scores. Among 1,934 ICU survivors, 1,737 were included, 819 in hospital A, 918 in hospital B. The Pearson's correlation between the abbreviated 14-item Cognitive Failure Questionnaire (CFQ-14) and the CFQ-25 was 0.99. The mean of the difference scores was -0.26, and 95% of the difference scores fell within +5 and -5.5 on a 100-point maximum score. It is feasible to use the abbreviated CFQ-14 to measure self-reported cognitive failure in ICU survivors as this questionnaire has a similar performance as the full CFQ-25.

  20. The Groningen Enjoyment Questionnaire : A measure of enjoyment in leisure-time physical activity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Stevens, M; Moget, P; de Greef, MHG; Lemmink, KAPM; Rispens, P

    The purpose of this study was to develop a short and easily used questionnaire to measure enjoyment in leisure-time physical activity. The first part of the study involved the questionnaire's composition. A set of 30 positively formulated potential items was generated and subsequently completed ty

  1. A Rasch and confirmatory factor analysis of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ - 12

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    Velikova Galina

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ - 12 was designed as a short questionnaire to assess psychiatric morbidity. Despite the fact that studies have suggested a number of competing multidimensional factor structures, it continues to be largely used as a unidimensional instrument. This may have an impact on the identification of psychiatric morbidity in target populations. The aim of this study was to explore the dimensionality of the GHQ-12 and to evaluate a number of alternative models for the instrument. Methods The data were drawn from a large heterogeneous sample of cancer patients. The Partial Credit Model (Rasch was applied to the 12-item GHQ. Item misfit (infit mean square ≥ 1.3 was identified, misfitting items removed and unidimensionality and differential item functioning (age, gender, and treatment aims were assessed. The factor structures of the various alternative models proposed in the literature were explored and optimum model fit evaluated using Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Results The Rasch analysis of the 12-item GHQ identified six misfitting items. Removal of these items produced a six-item instrument which was not unidimensional. The Rasch analysis of an 8-item GHQ demonstrated two unidimensional structures corresponding to Anxiety/Depression and Social Dysfunction. No significant differential item functioning was observed by age, gender and treatment aims for the six- and eight-item GHQ. Two models competed for best fit from the confirmatory factor analysis, namely the GHQ-8 and Hankin's (2008 unidimensional model, however, the GHQ-8 produced the best overall fit statistics. Conclusions The results are consistent with the evidence that the GHQ-12 is a multi-dimensional instrument. Use of the summated scores for the GHQ-12 could potentially lead to an incorrect assessment of patients' psychiatric morbidity. Further evaluation of the GHQ-12 with different target populations is warranted.

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

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    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.

  3. Validation of the Danish-language chronic pain acceptance questionnaire

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    la Cour, P; Højsted, J

    2015-01-01

    version of the CPAQ. METHODS: A total of 114 patients with chronic pain completed the questionnaire as well as other measures of pain, anxiety, depression, coping, and health-related quality of life. RESULTS: Internal consistency was satisfactory and the factorial analysis yielded a two-factor solution......, confirming the original structure of the questionnaire. CONCLUSION: The psychometric properties of the Danish version of the 20-item CPAQ were satisfactory, showing that the Danish version of CPAQ is valid and reliable....

  4. Tradução, adaptação e validação preliminar do Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ The Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire's (PRMQ translation, adaptation and preliminary validation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniela Benites

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Falhas de memória são comuns no cotidiano. Contudo, elas podem indicar ocorrências de problemas cognitivos, principalmente entre idosos. O artigo traz a tradução e a adaptação do Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ. O instrumento, no original constituído de 16 itens, avalia auto-relatos de falhas de memória prospectiva e retrospectiva. O estudo contou com 642 participantes, com idade variando entre 16 e 81 anos, recrutados em uma universidade e em grupos comunitários. A análise fatorial exploratória dos dados do PRMQ apontou a validade de construto apenas para oito itens. Então, optou-se por reconsiderar mais dois itens que apresentaram carga fatorial aceitável e compor uma escala de 10 itens, sendo cinco para cada dimensão da memória. A correlação para validade convergente e discriminante foi realizada com o Questionário de Percepção Subjetiva de Queixas de Memória para idosos (MAC-Q, em uma amostra de 38 participantes idosos, com idade média de 69 anos. O PRMQ-10 apresentou validade e confiabilidade (a = 0,80, com boas perspectivas para uso em pesquisa.Memory failures are common in daily life. However, these failures could indicate cognitive problems, mainly in elders. This study presents the translation and adaptation of the Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ to Portuguese. The questionnaire measures prospective and retrospective self-report memory failures through 16 items. There were 642 participants aged between 16 and 81 years recruited in a university and in community groups. The exploratory factor analysis revealed the construct validity only for eight items. So, it was reconsidered two of the original 16 items that showed acceptable factorial load and tested a questionnaire of 10 items. Convergent and concurrent validity was tested in a sample of 38 participants aged around 69 years, through the Elders' Subjective Perception of Memory Complaints Questionnaire (MAC-Q. As

  5. Questionnaires for eliciting evaluation data from users of interactive question answering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kelly, Diane; Kantor, Paul B.; Morse, Emile; Scholtz, Jean; Sun, Y.

    2009-01-01

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

  6. Digitised audio questionnaire for assessment of informed consent comprehension in a low-literacy African research population: development and psychometric evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afolabi, Muhammed O; Bojang, Kalifa; D'Alessandro, Umberto; Ota, Martin O C; Imoukhuede, Egeruan B; Ravinetto, Raffaella; Larson, Heidi J; McGrath, Nuala; Chandramohan, Daniel

    2014-06-24

    To develop and psychometrically evaluate an audio digitised tool for assessment of comprehension of informed consent among low-literacy Gambian research participants. We conducted this study in the Gambia where a high illiteracy rate and absence of standardised writing formats of local languages pose major challenges for research participants to comprehend consent information. We developed a 34-item questionnaire to assess participants' comprehension of key elements of informed consent. The questionnaire was face validated and content validated by experienced researchers. To bypass the challenge of a lack of standardised writing formats, we audiorecorded the questionnaire in three major Gambian languages: Mandinka, Wolof and Fula. The questionnaire was further developed into an audio computer-assisted interview format. The digitised questionnaire was administered to 250 participants enrolled in two clinical trials in the urban and rural areas of the Gambia. One week after first administration, the questionnaire was readministered to half of the participants who were randomly selected. Participants were eligible if enrolled in the parent trials and could speak any of the three major Gambian languages. The primary outcome measure was reliability and validity of the questionnaire. Item reduction by factor analysis showed that 21 of the question items have strong factor loadings. These were retained along with five other items which were fundamental components of informed consent. The 26-item questionnaire has high internal consistency with a Cronbach's α of 0.73-0.79 and an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.94 (95% CI 0.923 to 0.954). Hypotheses testing also showed that the questionnaire has a positive correlation with a similar questionnaire and discriminates between participants with and without education. We have developed a reliable and valid measure of comprehension of informed consent information for the Gambian context, which might be easily adapted to

  7. Development and validation of the Chinese Attitudes to Starting Insulin Questionnaire (Ch-ASIQ) for primary care patients with type 2 diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Sau Nga; Chin, Weng Yee; Wong, Carlos King Ho; Yeung, Vincent Tok Fai; Yiu, Ming Pong; Tsui, Hoi Yee; Chan, Ka Hung

    2013-01-01

    To develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a Chinese questionnaire which assesses the barriers and enablers to commencing insulin in primary care patients with poorly controlled Type 2 diabetes. Questionnaire items were identified using literature review. Content validation was performed and items were further refined using an expert panel. Following translation, back translation and cognitive debriefing, the translated Chinese questionnaire was piloted on target patients. Exploratory factor analysis and item-scale correlations were performed to test the construct validity of the subscales and items. Internal reliability was tested by Cronbach's alpha. Twenty-seven identified items underwent content validation, translation and cognitive debriefing. The translated questionnaire was piloted on 303 insulin naïve (never taken insulin) Type 2 diabetes patients recruited from 10 government-funded primary care clinics across Hong Kong. Sufficient variability in the dataset for factor analysis was confirmed by Bartlett's Test of Sphericity (P 0.4 and Eigenvalues >1. Total variance for the 10 factors was 66.22%. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure was 0.725. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the first four factors were ≥0.6 identifying four sub-scales to which 13 items correlated. Remaining sub-scales and items with poor internal reliability were deleted. The final 13-item instrument had a four scale structure addressing: 'Self-image and stigmatization'; 'Factors promoting self-efficacy; 'Fear of pain or needles'; and 'Time and family support'. The Chinese Attitudes to Starting Insulin Questionnaire (Ch-ASIQ) appears to be a reliable and valid measure for assessing barriers to starting insulin. This short instrument is easy to administer and may be used by healthcare providers and researchers as an assessment tool for Chinese diabetic primary care patients, including the elderly, who are unwilling to start insulin.

  8. Development and validation of the Chinese Attitudes to Starting Insulin Questionnaire (Ch-ASIQ for primary care patients with type 2 diabetes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sau Nga Fu

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: To develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a Chinese questionnaire which assesses the barriers and enablers to commencing insulin in primary care patients with poorly controlled Type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHOD: Questionnaire items were identified using literature review. Content validation was performed and items were further refined using an expert panel. Following translation, back translation and cognitive debriefing, the translated Chinese questionnaire was piloted on target patients. Exploratory factor analysis and item-scale correlations were performed to test the construct validity of the subscales and items. Internal reliability was tested by Cronbach's alpha. RESULTS: Twenty-seven identified items underwent content validation, translation and cognitive debriefing. The translated questionnaire was piloted on 303 insulin naïve (never taken insulin Type 2 diabetes patients recruited from 10 government-funded primary care clinics across Hong Kong. Sufficient variability in the dataset for factor analysis was confirmed by Bartlett's Test of Sphericity (P 0.4 and Eigenvalues >1. Total variance for the 10 factors was 66.22%. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure was 0.725. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the first four factors were ≥0.6 identifying four sub-scales to which 13 items correlated. Remaining sub-scales and items with poor internal reliability were deleted. The final 13-item instrument had a four scale structure addressing: 'Self-image and stigmatization'; 'Factors promoting self-efficacy; 'Fear of pain or needles'; and 'Time and family support'. CONCLUSION: The Chinese Attitudes to Starting Insulin Questionnaire (Ch-ASIQ appears to be a reliable and valid measure for assessing barriers to starting insulin. This short instrument is easy to administer and may be used by healthcare providers and researchers as an assessment tool for Chinese diabetic primary care patients, including the elderly, who are

  9. Development and Initial Validation of the Five-Factor Model Adolescent Personality Questionnaire (FFM-APQ).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rogers, Mary E; Glendon, A Ian

    2018-01-01

    This research reports on the 4-phase development of the 25-item Five-Factor Model Adolescent Personality Questionnaire (FFM-APQ). The purpose was to develop and determine initial evidence for validity of a brief adolescent personality inventory using a vocabulary that could be understood by adolescents up to 18 years old. Phase 1 (N = 48) consisted of item generation and expert (N = 5) review of items; Phase 2 (N = 179) involved item analyses; in Phase 3 (N = 496) exploratory factor analysis assessed the underlying structure; in Phase 4 (N = 405) confirmatory factor analyses resulted in a 25-item inventory with 5 subscales.

  10. Young Adults' Belief in Genetic Determinism, and Knowledge and Attitudes towards Modern Genetics and Genomics: The PUGGS Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carver, Rebecca Bruu; Castéra, Jérémy; Gericke, Niklas; Evangelista, Neima Alice Menezes; El-Hani, Charbel N

    2017-01-01

    In this paper we present the development and validation a comprehensive questionnaire to assess college students' knowledge about modern genetics and genomics, their belief in genetic determinism, and their attitudes towards applications of modern genetics and genomic-based technologies. Written in everyday language with minimal jargon, the Public Understanding and Attitudes towards Genetics and Genomics (PUGGS) questionnaire is intended for use in research on science education and public understanding of science, as a means to investigate relationships between knowledge, determinism and attitudes about modern genetics, which are to date little understood. We developed a set of core ideas and initial items from reviewing the scientific literature on genetics and previous studies on public and student knowledge and attitudes about genetics. Seventeen international experts from different fields (e.g., genetics, education, philosophy of science) reviewed the initial items and their feedback was used to revise the questionnaire. We validated the questionnaire in two pilot tests with samples of university freshmen students. The final questionnaire contains 45 items, including both multiple choice and Likert scale response formats. Cronbach alpha showed good reliability for each section of the questionnaire. In conclusion, the PUGGS questionnaire is a reliable tool for investigating public understanding and attitudes towards modern genetics and genomic-based technologies.

  11. Young Adults’ Belief in Genetic Determinism, and Knowledge and Attitudes towards Modern Genetics and Genomics: The PUGGS Questionnaire

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carver, Rebecca Bruu; Castéra, Jérémy; Gericke, Niklas; Evangelista, Neima Alice Menezes

    2017-01-01

    In this paper we present the development and validation a comprehensive questionnaire to assess college students’ knowledge about modern genetics and genomics, their belief in genetic determinism, and their attitudes towards applications of modern genetics and genomic-based technologies. Written in everyday language with minimal jargon, the Public Understanding and Attitudes towards Genetics and Genomics (PUGGS) questionnaire is intended for use in research on science education and public understanding of science, as a means to investigate relationships between knowledge, determinism and attitudes about modern genetics, which are to date little understood. We developed a set of core ideas and initial items from reviewing the scientific literature on genetics and previous studies on public and student knowledge and attitudes about genetics. Seventeen international experts from different fields (e.g., genetics, education, philosophy of science) reviewed the initial items and their feedback was used to revise the questionnaire. We validated the questionnaire in two pilot tests with samples of university freshmen students. The final questionnaire contains 45 items, including both multiple choice and Likert scale response formats. Cronbach alpha showed good reliability for each section of the questionnaire. In conclusion, the PUGGS questionnaire is a reliable tool for investigating public understanding and attitudes towards modern genetics and genomic-based technologies. PMID:28114357

  12. Validity and Reliability of the Turkish Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hazel Ekin Akmaz

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: Pain acceptance is the process of giving up the struggle with pain and learning to live a worthwhile life despite it. In assessing patients with chronic pain in Turkey, making a diagnosis and tracking the effectiveness of treatment is done with scales that have been translated into Turkish. However, there is as yet no valid and reliable scale in Turkish to assess the acceptance of pain. Aims: To validate a Turkish version of the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire developed by McCracken and colleagues. Study Design: Methodological and cross sectional study. Methods: A simple randomized sampling method was used in selecting the study sample. The sample was composed of 201 patients, more than 10 times the number of items examined for validity and reliability in the study, which totaled 20. A patient identification form, the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire, and the Brief Pain Inventory were used to collect data. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews. In the validity testing, the content validity index was used to evaluate linguistic equivalence, content validity, construct validity, and expert views. In reliability testing of the scale, Cronbach’s α coefficient was calculated, and item analysis and split-test reliability methods were used. Principal component analysis and varimax rotation were used in factor analysis and to examine factor structure for construct concept validity. Results: The item analysis established that the scale, all items, and item-total correlations were satisfactory. The mean total score of the scale was 21.78. The internal consistency coefficient was 0.94, and the correlation between the two halves of the scale was 0.89. Conclusion: The Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire, which is intended to be used in Turkey upon confirmation of its validity and reliability, is an evaluation instrument with sufficient validity and reliability, and it can be reliably used to examine patients’ acceptance

  13. Validation of Medical Tourism Service Quality Questionnaire (MTSQQ) for Iranian Hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qolipour, Mohammad; Torabipour, Amin; Khiavi, Farzad Faraji; Malehi, Amal Saki

    2017-03-01

    Assessing service quality is one of the basic requirements to develop the medical tourism industry. There is no valid and reliable tool to measure service quality of medical tourism. This study aimed to determine the reliability and validity of a Persian version of medical tourism service quality questionnaire for Iranian hospitals. To validate the medical tourism service quality questionnaire (MTSQQ), a cross-sectional study was conducted on 250 Iraqi patients referred to hospitals in Ahvaz (Iran) from 2015. To design a questionnaire and determine its content validity, the Delphi Technique (3 rounds) with the participation of 20 medical tourism experts was used. Construct validity of the questionnaire was assessed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Data were analyzed by Excel 2007, SPSS version18, and Lisrel l8.0 software. The content validity of the questionnaire with CVI=0.775 was confirmed. According to exploratory factor analysis, the MTSQQ included 31 items and 8 dimensions (tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, exchange and travel facilities, technical and infrastructure facilities and safety and security). Construct validity of the questionnaire was confirmed, based on the goodness of fit quantities of model (RMSEA=0.032, CFI= 0.98, GFI=0.88). Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.837 and 0.919 for expectation and perception questionnaire. The results of the study showed that the medical tourism SERVQUAL questionnaire with 31 items and 8 dimensions was a valid and reliable tool to measure service quality of medical tourism in Iranian hospitals.

  14. Acupoint Massage in Relieving Pain after Ureteroscopic Holmium Laser Lithotripsy

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Xia Wei-qin

    2014-01-01

    Objective: To observe the effect of acupoint massage in relieving pain after ureteroscopic holmium laser lithotripsy. Methods: Ninety-two patients undergone ureteroscopic holmium laser lithotripsy were enrolled and randomized into a treatment group and a control group, 46 in each group. Patients in the control group were given regular nursing care, while patients in the treatment group were intervened by acupoint massage in addition to the regular nursing care. The pain was evaluated by visual analogue scale (VAS) at 6 h, 12 h, and 24 h after operation, and compared between the two groups. Results:There was no significant difference in comparing the VAS score at 6 h after operation between the two groups (P>0.05). The VAS scores in the treatment group at 12 h and 24 h after operation were significantly lower than those in the control group (both P Conclusion: Acupoint massage can effectively relieve the pain after ureteroscopic holmium laser lithotripsy, reduce the use of analgesics, and promote the recovery.

  15. Development and psychometric testing of the Canine Owner-Reported Quality of Life questionnaire, an instrument designed to measure quality of life in dogs with cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giuffrida, Michelle A; Brown, Dorothy Cimino; Ellenberg, Susan S; Farrar, John T

    2018-05-01

    OBJECTIVE To describe development and initial psychometric testing of an owner-reported questionnaire designed to standardize measurement of general quality of life (QOL) in dogs with cancer. DESIGN Key-informant interviews, questionnaire development, and field trial. SAMPLE Owners of 25 dogs with cancer for item development and pretesting and owners of 90 dogs with cancer for reliability and validity testing. PROCEDURES Standard methods for development and testing of questionnaire instruments intended to measure subjective states were used. Items were generated, selected, scaled, and pretested for content, meaning, and readability. Response items were evaluated with exploratory factor analysis and by assessing internal consistency (Cronbach α) and convergence with global QOL as determined with a visual analog scale. Preliminary tests of stability and responsiveness were performed. RESULTS The final questionnaire-which was named the Canine Owner-Reported Quality of Life (CORQ) questionnaire-contained 17 items related to observable behaviors commonly used by owners to evaluate QOL in their dogs. Several items pertaining to physical symptoms performed poorly and were omitted. The 17 items were assigned to 4 factors-vitality, companionship, pain, and mobility-on the basis of the items they contained. The CORQ questionnaire and its factors had high internal consistency (Cronbach α = 0.68 to 0.90) and moderate to strong correlations (r = 0.49 to 0.71) with global QOL as measured on a visual analog scale. Preliminary testing indicated good test-retest reliability and responsiveness to improvements in overall QOL. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE The CORQ questionnaire was a valid, reliable owner-reported questionnaire that measured general QOL in dogs with cancer and showed promise as a clinical trial outcome measure for quantifying changes in individual dog QOL occurring in response to cancer treatment and progression.

  16. Bullying and Cyberbullying in Portugal: Validation of a Questionnaire and Analysis of Prevalence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coelho, Vítor Alexandre; Sousa, Vanda; Marchante, Marta; Brás, Patrícia; Romão, Ana Maria

    2016-01-01

    This study aims to validate the Bullying and Cyberbullying Behaviors Questionnaire, to examine the prevalence of bullying and victimization behaviors in Portuguese middle school students, and to analyse the differences in victimization and bullying between genders and across school grades. The questionnaire is composed of 36 items, allowing for…

  17. Characterizing problematic hypoglycaemia: iterative design and preliminary psychometric validation of the Hypoglycaemia Awareness Questionnaire (HypoA-Q).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Speight, J; Barendse, S M; Singh, H; Little, S A; Inkster, B; Frier, B M; Heller, S R; Rutter, M K; Shaw, J A M

    2016-03-01

    To design and conduct preliminary validation of a measure of hypoglycaemia awareness and problematic hypoglycaemia, the Hypoglycaemia Awareness Questionnaire. Exploratory and cognitive debriefing interviews were conducted with 17 adults (nine of whom were women) with Type 1 diabetes (mean ± sd age 48 ± 10 years). Questionnaire items were modified in consultation with diabetologists/psychologists. Psychometric validation was undertaken using data from 120 adults (53 women) with Type 1 diabetes (mean ± sd age 44 ± 16 years; 50% with clinically diagnosed impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia), who completed the following questionnaires: the Hypoglycaemia Awareness Questionnaire, the Gold score, the Clarke questionnaire and the Problem Areas in Diabetes questionnaire. Iterative design resulted in 33 items eliciting responses about awareness of hypoglycaemia when awake/asleep and hypoglycaemia frequency, severity and impact (healthcare utilization). Psychometric analysis identified three subscales reflecting 'impaired awareness', 'symptom level' and 'symptom frequency'. Convergent validity was indicated by strong correlations between the 'impaired awareness' subscale and existing measures of awareness: (Gold: rs =0.75, P Questionnaire has robust face and content validity; satisfactory structure; internal reliability; convergent, divergent and known groups validity. The impaired awareness subscale and other items contribute significantly to models explaining recall of severe and nocturnal hypoglycaemia. Prospective validation, including determination of a threshold to identify impaired awareness, is now warranted. © 2015 The Authors. Diabetic Medicine © 2015 Diabetes UK.

  18. Improving the measurement of health-related quality of life in adolescent with idiopathic scoliosis: the SRS-7, a Rasch-developed short form of the SRS-22 questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caronni, Antonio; Zaina, Fabio; Negrini, Stefano

    2014-04-01

    Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22) questionnaire was developed to evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQL) in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients. Rasch analysis (RA) is a statistical procedure which turns questionnaire ordinal scores into interval measures. Measures from Rasch-compatible questionnaires can be used, similar to body temperature or blood pressure, to quantify disease severity progression and treatment efficacy. Purpose of the current work is to present Rasch analysis (RA) of the SRS-22 questionnaire and to develop an SRS-22 Rasch-approved short form. 300 SRS-22 were randomly collected from 2447 consecutive IS adolescents at their first evaluation (229 females; 13.9 ± 1.9 years; 26.9 ± 14.7 Cobb°) in a scoliosis outpatient clinic. RA showed both disordered thresholds and overall misfit of the SRS-22. Sixteen items were re-scored and two misfitting items (6 and 14) removed to obtain a Rasch-compatible questionnaire. Participants HRQL measured too high with the rearranged questionnaire, indicating a severe SRS-22 ceiling effect. RA also highlighted SRS-22 multidimensionality, with pain/function not merging with self-image/mental health items. Item 3 showed differential item functioning (DIF) for both curve and hump amplitude. A 7-item questionnaire (SRS-7) was prepared by selecting single items from the original SRS-22. SRS-7 showed fit to the model, unidimensionality and no DIF. Compared with the SRS-22, the short form scale shows better targeting of the participants' population. RA shows that SRS-22 has poor clinimetric properties; moreover, when used with AIS at first evaluation, SRS-22 is affected by a severe ceiling effect. SRS-7, an SRS-22 7-item short form questionnaire, provides an HRQL interval measure better tailored to these participants. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Integration of the Forced-Choice Questionnaire and the Likert Scale: A Simulation Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yue Xiao

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The Thurstonian item response theory (IRT model allows estimating the latent trait scores of respondents directly through their responses in forced-choice questionnaires. It solves a part of problems brought by the traditional scoring methods of this kind of questionnaires. However, the forced-choice designs may still have their own limitations: The model may encounter underidentification and non-convergence and the test may show low test reliability in simple test designs (e.g., test designs with only a small number of traits measured or short length. To overcome these weaknesses, the present study applied the Thurstonian IRT model and the Graded Response Model to a different test format that comprises both forced-choice blocks and Likert-type items. And the Likert items should have low social desirability. A Monte Carlo simulation study is used to investigate how the mixed response format performs under various conditions. Four factors are considered: the number of traits, test length, the percentage of Likert items, and the proportion of pairs composed of items keyed in opposite directions. Results reveal that the mixed response format can be superior to the forced-choice format, especially in simple designs where the latter performs poorly. Besides the number of Likert items needed is small. One point to note is that researchers need to choose Likert items cautiously as Likert items may bring other response biases to the test. Discussion and suggestions are given to construct personality tests that can resist faking as much as possible and have acceptable reliability.

  20. Two years follow-up study of the pain-relieving effect of gold bead implantation in dogs with hip-joint arthritis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Søli Nils

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Seventy-eight dogs with pain from hip dysplasia participated in a six-month placebo-controlled, double-blinded clinical trial of gold bead implantation. In the present, non-blinded study, 73 of these dogs were followed for an additional 18 months to evaluate the long-term pain-relieving effect of gold bead implantation. The recently-published results of the six month period revealed that 30 of the 36 dogs (83% in the gold implantation group showed significant improvement (p = 0.02, included improved mobility and reduction in the signs of pain, compared to the placebo group (60% improvement. In the long-term two-year follow-up study, 66 of the 73 dogs had gold implantation and seven dogs continued as a control group. The 32 dogs in the original placebo group had gold beads implanted and were followed for a further 18 months. A certified veterinary acupuncturist used the same procedure to insert the gold beads as in the blinded study, and the owners completed the same type of detailed questionnaires. As in the blinded study, one investigator was responsible for all the assessments of each dog. The present study revealed that the pain-relieving effect of gold bead implantation observed in the blinded study continued throughout the two-year follow-up period.

  1. Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Finnish Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ in 590 Professional Musicians

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heidi Vastamäki

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Background: Poorly functioning work environments may lead to dissatisfaction for the employees and financial loss for the employers. The Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ was designed to measure social and psychological characteristics of work environments. Objective: To investigate the factor construct of the Finnish 14-item version of JCQ when applied to professional orchestra musicians. Methods: In a cross-sectional survey, the questionnaire was sent by mail to 1550 orchestra musicians and students. 630 responses were received. Full data were available for 590 respondents (response rate 38%.The questionnaire also contained questions on demographics, job satisfaction, health status, health behaviors, and intensity of playing music. Confirmatory factor analysis of the 2-factor model of JCQ was conducted. Results: Of the 5 estimates, JCQ items in the “job demand” construct, the “conflicting demands” (question 5 explained most of the total variance in this construct (79% demonstrating almost perfect correlation of 0.63. In the construct of “job control,” “repetitive work” (question 10 demonstrated a perfect correlation index of 0.84 and the items “little decision freedom” (question 14 and “allows own decisions” (question 6 showed substantial correlations of 0.77 and 0.65. Conclusion: The 2-factor model of the Finnish 14-item version of JCQ proposed in this study fitted well into the observed data. The “conflicting demands,” “repetitive work,” “little decision freedom,” and “allows own decisions” items demonstrated the strongest correlations with latent factors suggesting that in a population similar to the studied one, especially these items should be taken into account when observed in the response of a population.

  2. Comparison of three shortened questionnaires for assessment of quality of life in advanced cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiu, Leonard; Chiu, Nicholas; Chow, Edward; Cella, David; Beaumont, Jennifer L; Lam, Henry; Popovic, Marko; Bedard, Gillian; Poon, Michael; Wong, Erin; Zeng, Liang; Bottomley, Andrew

    2014-08-01

    Quality of life (QoL) assessment questionnaires can be burdensome to advanced cancer patients, thus necessitating the need for shorter assessment instruments than traditionally available. We compare three shortened QoL questionnaires in regards to their characteristics, validity, and reliability. A literature search was conducted to identify studies that employed or discussed three abridged QoL questionnaires: the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core 15-Palliative Care (EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL), the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General-7 (FACT-G7), and the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Palliative Care-14 (FACIT-PAL-14). Articles that discussed questionnaire length, intended use, scoring procedure, and validation were included. The 7-item FACT-G7 is the shortest instrument, whereas the EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL and the FACIT-PAL-14 contain 14 and 15 items, respectively. All three questionnaires have similar recall period, item organization, and subscale components. Designed as core questionnaires, all three maintain content and concurrent validity of their unabridged original questionnaires. Both the EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL and the FACT-G7 demonstrate good internal consistency and reliability, with Cronbach's α ≥0.7 deemed acceptable. The developmental study for the FACIT-PAL-14 was published in 2013 and subsequent validation studies are not yet available. The EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL and the FACT-G7 were found to be reliable and appropriate for assessing health-related QoL issues-the former for palliative cancer patients and the latter for advanced cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Conceptually, the FACIT-PAL-14 holds promise to cover social and emotional support issues that are not completely addressed by the other two questionnaires; however, further validation is needed.

  3. A short form of the Diabetes Quality of Life for Youth questionnaire

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skinner, T. C.; Hoey, H.; McGee, H. M.

    2006-01-01

    Aims/hypothesis: The aim of this study was to test the construct validity of the Diabetes Quality of Life for Youth (DQOLY) questionnaire in a large representative sample of young people with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Methods: The 52-item DQOLY questionnaire was completed by 2,077 adolescent...... of a revised questionnaire, two with four factors and one with six factors, with all models indicating the presence of one satisfaction scale, but with many of the impact and worry scale items either double loading or not loading on any factors. Subsequent confirmatory analysis indicated that compared...... with the original DQOLY scales, the six-factor solution was the best-fitting model. Conclusions/interpretation: The DQOLY factor structure does not show construct validity in a large, diverse representative sample of young people with type 1 diabetes. However, a revised (short-form) version of the DQOLY is proposed...

  4. [Development and validation of a questionnaire on knowledge and personal hygiene habits in childhood (HICORIN®)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreno-Martínez, Francisco José; Ruzafa-Martínez, María; Ramos-Morcillo, Antonio Jesús; Gómez García, Carmen Isabel; Hernández-Susarte, Ana María

    2015-01-01

    To develop and validate a questionnaire on the integral assessment of the habits and knowledge in personal hygiene in children between 7 to 12 years old in the educational, social and health environment. Cross-sectional study for the validation of a questionnaire. One primary and secondary school and one children's home in the Region of Murcia, Spain. A total of 86 children were included (80 from a primary and secondary school; 6 from a children's home), as well as 7 experts. Content validation by experts; qualitative assessment; identify difficulties related to some questions, item response analysis, and test-retest reliability. After the literature search, 20 tools that included items related to child body hygiene were obtained. The researchers selected 34 items and drafted 48 additional ones. After content validity by the experts, the questionnaire (HICORIN®) was reduced to 63 items, and consisted of 7 dimensions of child personal hygiene (skin, hair, hands, oral, feet, ears, and intimate hygiene). After with the children some terms were adapted to improve their understanding. Only two items had non-response rates that exceeded 10%. The test-retest showed that 84.1% of the items had between very good and moderate reliability. HICORIN® is a reliable and valid instrument that integrally assesses the habits and knowledge in personal hygiene in children between 7-12 years old. It is applicable in educative and social and health environments and in children from different socioeconomic levels. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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

  6. Factorial composition of the Aggression Questionnaire: a multi-sample study in Greek adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vitoratou, Silia; Ntzoufras, Ioannis; Smyrnis, Nikolaos; Stefanis, Nicholas C

    2009-06-30

    The primary aim of the current article was the evaluation of the factorial composition of the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ(29)) in the Greek population. The translated questionnaire was administered to the following three heterogeneous adult samples: a general population sample from Athens, a sample of young male conscripts and a sample of individuals facing problems related to substance use. Factor analysis highlighted a structure similar to the one proposed by Buss and Perry [Buss, A.F., Perry, M., 1992. The Aggression Questionnaire. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 63, 452-459]. However, the refined 12-item version of Bryant and Smith [Bryant, F.B., Smith, B.D., 2001. Refining the architecture of aggression: a measurement model for the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire. Journal of Research in Personality 35, 138-167] provided a better fit to our data. Therefore, the refined model was implemented in further analysis. Multiple group confirmatory factor analysis was applied in order to assess the variability of the 12-item AQ across gender and samples. The percentage of factor loading invariance between males and females and across the three samples defined above was high (higher than 75%). The reliability (internal consistency) of the scale was satisfactory in all cases. Content validity of the 12-item AQ was confirmed by comparison with the Symptom Check-List 90 Revised.

  7. Development and validation of makeup and sexualized clothing questionnaires.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Haylie; Perez, Marisol; Sladek, Michael R; Becker, Carolyn Black; Ohrt, Tara K; Bruening, Amanda B

    2017-01-01

    Body acceptance programs on college campuses indicated that collegiate women often report feeling pressure to dress in a sexualized manner, and use makeup to enhance beauty. Currently, no quantitative measures exist to assess attitudes and daily behaviors that may arise in response to perceived pressure to wear makeup or dress in a provocative manner. The goal of the current studies was to develop brief self-report questionnaires aimed at assessing makeup and sexualized clothing use and attitudes in young women. An exploratory factor analysis in a sample of 403 undergraduate women was used in Study 1 to create items to measure the pressure women feel to wear makeup and sexualized clothing. A confirmatory factor analysis ( N  = 153) was used in Study 2 to confirm the factor structure found in Study 1. An incremental validity analysis was also conducted in Study 2. Across both studies, participants completed online questionnaires. In Study 1, items were developed for two questionnaires to assess perceived pressure to wear makeup and discomfort when not wearing makeup, and perceived pressure to wear sexualized clothing, and body image concerns with regards to sexualized clothing. The exploratory factor analyses revealed Unconfident and Unease scales for the Makeup Questionnaire (MUQ) and Body Dissatisfaction and Pressure scales for the Sexualized Clothing Questionnaire (SCQ). In Study 2, the confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the factor structure for the MUQ and SCQ. The incremental validity analysis revealed that these measures can be used to predict self-objectification and shape and weight concern in women. These studies provide preliminary support for the factor structure of two novel questionnaires aimed at assessing perceived pressure to wear makeup and sexualized clothing.

  8. Detecting recurrent major depressive disorder within primary care rapidly and reliably using short questionnaire measures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thapar, Ajay; Hammerton, Gemma; Collishaw, Stephan; Potter, Robert; Rice, Frances; Harold, Gordon; Craddock, Nicholas; Thapar, Anita; Smith, Daniel J

    2014-01-01

    Major depressive disorder (MDD) is often a chronic disorder with relapses usually detected and managed in primary care using a validated depression symptom questionnaire. However, for individuals with recurrent depression the choice of which questionnaire to use and whether a shorter measure could suffice is not established. To compare the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale against shorter PHQ-derived measures for detecting episodes of DSM-IV major depression in primary care patients with recurrent MDD. Diagnostic accuracy study of adults with recurrent depression in primary care predominantly from Wales Scores on each of the depression questionnaire measures were compared with the results of a semi-structured clinical diagnostic interview using Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analysis for 337 adults with recurrent MDD. Concurrent questionnaire and interview data were available for 272 participants. The one-month prevalence rate of depression was 22.2%. The area under the curve (AUC) and positive predictive value (PPV) at the derived optimal cut-off value for the three longer questionnaires were comparable (AUC = 0.86-0.90, PPV = 49.4-58.4%) but the AUC for the PHQ-9 was significantly greater than for the PHQ-2. However, by supplementing the PHQ-2 score with items on problems concentrating and feeling slowed down or restless, the AUC (0.91) and the PPV (55.3%) were comparable with those for the PHQ-9. A novel four-item PHQ-based questionnaire measure of depression performs equivalently to three longer depression questionnaires in identifying depression relapse in patients with recurrent MDD.

  9. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) as screening instruments for depression in patients with cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hartung, Tim J; Friedrich, Michael; Johansen, Christoffer

    2017-01-01

    all major tumor sites and treatment settings. The PHQ-9 and HADS-D were assessed and compared in terms of diagnostic accuracy and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition diagnosis of major depressive disorder using......BACKGROUND: Depression screening in patients with cancer is recommended by major clinical guidelines, although the evidence on individual screening tools is limited for this population. Here, the authors assess and compare the diagnostic accuracy of 2 established screening instruments......: the depression modules of the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D), in a representative sample of patients with cancer. METHODS: This multicenter study was conducted with a proportional, stratified, random sample of 2141 patients with cancer across...

  10. Evaluation of a Validated Food Frequency Questionnaire for Self-Defined Vegans in the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dyett, Patricia; Rajaram, Sujatha; Haddad, Ella H.; Sabate, Joan

    2014-01-01

    This study aimed to develop and validate a de novo food frequency questionnaire for self-defined vegans in the United States. Diet histories from pilot samples of vegans and a modified ‘Block Method’ using seven selected nutrients of concern in vegan diet patterns, were employed to generate the questionnaire food list. Food frequency responses of 100 vegans from 19 different U.S. states were obtained via completed mailed questionnaires and compared to multiple telephone-conducted diet recall interviews. Computerized diet analyses were performed. Correlation coefficients, t-tests, rank, cross-tabulations, and probability tests were used to validate and compare intake estimates and dietary reference intake (DRI) assessment trends between the two methods. A 369-item vegan-specific questionnaire was developed with 252 listed food frequency items. Calorie-adjusted correlation coefficients ranged from r = 0.374 to 0.600 (p vegans). This vegan-specific questionnaire can be a useful assessment tool for health screening initiatives in U.S. vegan communities. PMID:25006856

  11. Evaluation of a validated food frequency questionnaire for self-defined vegans in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dyett, Patricia; Rajaram, Sujatha; Haddad, Ella H; Sabate, Joan

    2014-07-08

    This study aimed to develop and validate a de novo food frequency questionnaire for self-defined vegans in the United States. Diet histories from pilot samples of vegans and a modified 'Block Method' using seven selected nutrients of concern in vegan diet patterns, were employed to generate the questionnaire food list. Food frequency responses of 100 vegans from 19 different U.S. states were obtained via completed mailed questionnaires and compared to multiple telephone-conducted diet recall interviews. Computerized diet analyses were performed. Correlation coefficients, t-tests, rank, cross-tabulations, and probability tests were used to validate and compare intake estimates and dietary reference intake (DRI) assessment trends between the two methods. A 369-item vegan-specific questionnaire was developed with 252 listed food frequency items. Calorie-adjusted correlation coefficients ranged from r = 0.374 to 0.600 (p vegans). This vegan-specific questionnaire can be a useful assessment tool for health screening initiatives in U.S. vegan communities.

  12. Catquest-9SF questionnaire: validation of Malay and Chinese-language versions using Rasch analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adnan, Tassha Hilda; Mohamed Apandi, Mokhlisoh; Kamaruddin, Haireen; Salowi, Mohamad Aziz; Law, Kian Boon; Haniff, Jamaiyah; Goh, Pik Pin

    2018-01-05

    Catquest questionnaire was originally developed in Swedish to measure patients' self-assessed visual function to evaluate the benefit of cataract surgery. The result of the Rasch analysis leading to the creation of the nine-item short form of Catquest, (Catquest-9SF), and it had been translated and validated in English. The aim is therefore to evaluate the translated Catquest-9SF questionnaire in Malay and Chinese (Mandarin) language version for measuring patient-reported visual function among cataract population in Malaysia. The English version of Catquest-9SF questionnaire was translated and back translated into Malay and Chinese languages. The Malay and Chinese translated versions were self-administered by 236 and 202 pre-operative patients drawn from a cataract surgery waiting list, respectively. The translated Catquest-9SF data and its four response options were assessed for fit to the Rasch model. The Catquest-9SF performed well in the Malay and Chinese translated versions fulfilling all criteria for valid measurement, as demonstrated by Rasch analysis. Both versions of questionnaire had ordered response thresholds, with a good person separation (Malay 2.84; and Chinese 2.59) and patient separation reliability (Malay 0.89; Chinese 0.87). Targeting was 0.30 and -0.11 logits in Malay and Chinese versions respectively, indicating that the item difficulty was well suited to the visual abilities of the patients. All items fit a single overall construct (Malay infit range 0.85-1.26, outfit range 0.73-1.13; Chinese infit range 0.80-1.51, outfit range 0.71-1.36), unidimensional by principal components analysis, and was free of Differential Item Functioning (DIF). These results support the good overall functioning of the Catquest-9SF in patients with cataract. The translated questionnaire to Malay and Chinese-language versions are reliable and valid in measuring visual disability outcomes in the Malaysian cataract population.

  13. Quality of questionnaires for the assessment of otitis media with effusion in children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gan, R W C; Daniel, M; Ridley, M; Barry, J G

    2018-04-01

    Audiometric tests provide information about hearing in otitis media with effusion (OME). Questionnaires can supplement this information by supporting clinical history-taking as well as potentially providing a standardized and comprehensive assessment of the impact of the disease on a child. There are many possible candidate questionnaires. This study aimed to assess the quality and usability of parent / child questionnaires in OME assessment. Fifteen, published questionnaires, commonly used in audiological departments (Auditory Behaviour in Everyday Life (ABEL), Children's Auditory Performance Scale (CHAPS), Children's Home Inventory for Listening Difficulties (CHILD), Children's Outcome Worksheets (COW), Evaluation of Children's Listening and Processing Skills (ECLiPS), Early Listening Function (ELF), Fisher's Auditory Problem Checklist (FAPC), Hearing Loss 7 (HL-7), Listening Inventory for Education- Revised (LIFE-R Student), Listening Inventory for Education UK Individual Hearing Profile (LIFE-UK IHP), LittlEARS Auditory Questionnaire (LittlEARS), Listening Situations Questionnaire (LSQ), Otitis Media 6 (OM-6), Quality of Life in Children's Ear Problems (OMQ-14), Parents' Evaluation of Aural/Oral Performance of Children (PEACH) were assessed according to the following 8 criteria: conceptual clarity, respondent burden, reliability, validity, normative data, item bias, ceiling/ floor effects, and administrative burden. ECLiPS, LittlEARS and PEACH scored highest overall based on the assessment criteria established for this study. None of the questionnaires fully satisfied all 8 criteria. Although all questionnaires assessed issues considered to be of at least adequate relevance to OME, the majority had weaknesses with respect to the assessment of psychometric properties, such as item bias, floor/ceiling effects or measurement reliability and validity. Publications reporting on the evaluation of reliability, validity, normative data, item bias and ceiling

  14. Assessing the influence of actinic keratosis on patients' quality of life - The AKQoL questionnaire

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Esmann, S; Vinding, G R; Christensen, K B

    2013-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Limited knowledge is available regarding quality of life in patients with actinic keratosis (AK). OBJECTIVES: To develop and validate a disease-specific questionnaire - the Actinic Keratosis Quality of Life questionnaire (AKQoL) - to assess the quality of life of patients with AK....... METHODS: Based on an extensive literature search and patient interviews, the AKQoL was developed in a stepwise approach. An initial mega-questionnaire was composed and subsequently shortened based on statistical differences between patients and controls. A test-retest was done to establish the reliability....... Items are scored on a standard 4-point Likert scale and summarized in a total score of maximum 27 points. A higher score indicates greater quality of life impairment. CONCLUSIONS: A nine-item questionnaire for patients with AK was developed. The AKQoL has three domains covering emotions, function...

  15. Development and Validation of a Questionnaire on Breastfeeding Intentions, Attitudes and Knowledge of a Sample of Croatian Secondary-School Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Čatipović, Marija; Marković, Martina; Grgurić, Josip

    2018-04-27

    Validating a questionnaire/instrument before proceeding to the field for data collection is important. An 18-item breastfeeding intention, 39-item attitude and 44-item knowledge questionnaire was validated in a Croatian sample of secondary-school students ( N = 277). For the intentions, principal component analysis (PCA) yielded a four-factor solution with 8 items explaining 68.3% of the total variance. Cronbach’s alpha (0.71) indicated satisfactory internal consistency. For the attitudes, PCA showed a seven-factor structure with 33 items explaining 58.41% of total variance. Cronbach’s alpha (0.87) indicated good internal consistency. There were 13 knowledge questions that were retained after item analysis, showing good internal consistency (KR20 = 0.83). In terms of criterion validity, the questionnaire differentiated between students who received breastfeeding education compared to students who were not educated in breastfeeding. Correlations between intentions and attitudes (r = 0.49), intentions and knowledge (r = 0.29), and attitudes and knowledge (r = 0.38) confirmed concurrent validity. The final instrument is reliable and valid for data collection on breastfeeding. Therefore, the instrument is recommended for evaluation of breastfeeding education programs aimed at upper-grade elementary and secondary school students.

  16. Comparison of examination grades using item response theory : a case study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Korobko, O.B.

    2007-01-01

    In item response theory (IRT), mathematical models are applied to analyze data from tests and questionnaires used to measure abilities, proficiency, personality traits and attitudes. This thesis is concerned with comparison of subjects, students and schools based on average examination grades using

  17. Validation of a General and Sport Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire in Adolescents and Young Adults: GeSNK

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrizia Calella

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Good knowledge of nutrition is widely thought to be an important aspect to maintaining a balanced and healthy diet. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a new reliable tool to measure the general and the sport nutrition knowledge (GeSNK in people who used to practice sports at different levels. The development of (GeSNK was carried out in six phases as follows: (1 item development and selection by a panel of experts; (2 pilot study in order to assess item difficulty and item discrimination; (3 measurement of the internal consistency; (4 reliability assessment with a 2-week test-retest analysis; (5 concurrent validity was tested by administering the questionnaire along with other two similar tools; (6 construct validity by administering the questionnaire to three groups of young adults with different general nutrition and sport nutrition knowledge. The final questionnaire, consisted of 62 items of the original 183 questions. It is a consistent, valid, and suitable instrument that can be applied over time, making it a promising tool to look at the relationship between nutrition knowledge, demographic characteristics, and dietary behavior in adolescents and young adults.

  18. Specialty Training's Organizational Readiness for curriculum Change (STORC): development of a questionnaire in a Delphi study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bank, Lindsay; Jippes, Mariëlle; van Luijk, Scheltus; den Rooyen, Corry; Scherpbier, Albert; Scheele, Fedde

    2015-08-05

    In postgraduate medical education (PGME), programs have been restructured according to competency-based frameworks. The scale and implications of these adjustments justify a comprehensive implementation plan. Organizational Readiness for Change (ORC) is seen as a critical precursor for a successful implementation of change initiatives. Though, ORC in health care settings is mostly assessed in small scale settings and in relation to new policies and practices rather than educational change. Therefore our aim with this work was to develop an instrument to asses Specialty Training's Organizational Readiness for curriculum Change (STORC). A Delphi procedure was conducted to examine the applicability of a preliminary questionnaire in PGME, which was based on existing instruments designed for business and health care organizations. The 41 panellists (19 trainees and 22 supervisors from 6 specialties) from four different countries who were confronted with an apparent curriculum change, or would be in the near future, were asked to rate the relevance of a 89-item web-based questionnaire with regard to changes in specialty training on a 5-point Likert scale. Furthermore, they were invited to make qualitative comments on the items. In two rounds the 89-item preliminary questionnaire was reduced to 44 items. Items were either removed, kept, adapted or added based on individual item scores and qualitative comments. In the absence of a gold standard, this Delphi procedure was considered complete when the overall questionnaire rating exceeded 4.0 (scale 0-5). The overall item score reached 4.1 in the second round, meeting our criteria for completion of this Delphi procedure. This Delphi study describes the initial validating step in the development of an instrument to asses Specialty Training's Organisational Readiness for curriculum Change (STORC). Since ORC is measured on various subscales and presented as such, its strength lies in analysing these subscales. The latter makes

  19. Acute effects of massage or active exercise in relieving muscle soreness

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Lars L; Jay, Kenneth; Andersen, Christoffer H

    2013-01-01

    Massage is commonly believed to be the best modality for relieving muscle soreness. However, actively warming up the muscles with exercise may be an effective alternative. The purpose of this study was to compare the acute effect of massage with active exercise for relieving muscle soreness. Twenty...... healthy female volunteers (mean age 32 years) participated in this examiner-blind randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01478451). The participants performed eccentric contractions for the upper trapezius muscle on a Biodex dynamometer. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) presented 48 hours...... later, at which the participants (a) received 10 minutes of massage of the trapezius muscle or (b) performed 10 minutes of active exercise (shoulder shrugs 10 × 10 reps) with increasing elastic resistance (Thera-Band). First, 1 treatment was randomly applied to 1 shoulder while the contralateral...

  20. Validation of the Community Integration Questionnaire in the adult burn injury population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerrard, Paul; Kazis, Lewis E; Ryan, Colleen M; Shie, Vivian L; Holavanahalli, Radha; Lee, Austin; Jette, Alan; Fauerbach, James A; Esselman, Peter; Herndon, David; Schneider, Jeffrey C

    2015-11-01

    With improved survival, long-term effects of burn injuries on quality of life, particularly community integration, are important outcomes. This study aims to assess the Community Integration Questionnaire's psychometric properties in the adult burn population. Data were obtained from a multicenter longitudinal data set of burn survivors. The psychometric properties of the Community Integration Questionnaire (n = 492) were examined. The questionnaire items were evaluated for clinical and substantive relevance; validation procedures were conducted on different samples of the population; construct validity was assessed using exploratory factor analysis; internal consistency reliability was examined using Cronbach's α statistics; and item response theory was applied to the final models. The CIQ-15 was reduced by two questions to form the CIQ-13, with a two-factor structure, interpreted as self/family care and social integration. Item response theory testing suggests that Factor 2 captures a wider range of community integration levels. Cronbach's α was 0.80 for Factor 1, 0.77 for Factor 2, and 0.79 for the test as a whole. The CIQ-13 demonstrates validity and reliability in the adult burn survivor population addressing issues of self/family care and social integration. This instrument is useful in future research of community reintegration outcomes in the burn population.

  1. Development and validity of a questionnaire to test the knowledge of primary care personnel regarding nutrition in obese adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Pinho, Lucinéia; Moura, Paulo Henrique Tolentino; Silveira, Marise Fagundes; de Botelho, Ana Cristina Carvalho; Caldeira, Antônio Prates

    2013-07-18

    In light of its epidemic proportions in developed and developing countries, obesity is considered a serious public health issue. In order to increase knowledge concerning the ability of health care professionals in caring for obese adolescents and adopt more efficient preventive and control measures, a questionnaire was developed and validated to assess non-dietitian health professionals regarding their Knowledge of Nutrition in Obese Adolescents (KNOA). The development and evaluation of a questionnaire to assess the knowledge of primary care practitioners with respect to nutrition in obese adolescents was carried out in five phases, as follows: 1) definition of study dimensions 2) development of 42 questions and preliminary evaluation of the questionnaire by a panel of experts; 3) characterization and selection of primary care practitioners (35 dietitians and 265 non-dietitians) and measurement of questionnaire criteria by contrasting the responses of dietitians and non-dietitians; 4) reliability assessment by question exclusion based on item difficulty (too easy and too difficult for non-dietitian practitioners), item discrimination, internal consistency and reproducibility index determination; and 5) scoring the completed questionnaires. Dietitians obtained higher scores than non-dietitians (Mann-Whitney U test, P validity of the questionnaire criteria. Items were discriminated by correlating the score for each item with the total score, using a minimum of 0.2 as a correlation coefficient cutoff value. Item difficulty was controlled by excluding questions answered correctly by more than 90% of the non-dietitian subjects (too easy) or by less than 10% of them (too difficult). The final questionnaire contained 26 of the original 42 questions, increasing Cronbach's α value from 0.788 to 0.807. Test-retest agreement between respondents was classified as good to very good (Kappa test, >0.60). The KNOA questionnaire developed for primary care practitioners is a

  2. Efficacy of Trimetazidine Dihydrochloride for Relieving Chronic Tinnitus: A Randomized Double-Blind Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumral, Tolgar Lütfi; Yıldırım, Güven; Berkiten, Güler; Saltürk, Ziya; Ataç, Enes; Atar, Yavuz; Uyar, Yavuz

    2016-01-01

    Objectives. To evaluate the efficacy of trimetazidine dihydrochloride as a treatment for chronic tinnitus. Methods. A total of 97 chronic tinnitus patients were evaluated in this randomized, prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. After assessing for eligibility, 82 patients were randomly assigned into placebo or trimetazidine groups according to the medication. The trimetazidine group received 20×3 mg/day per oral trimetazidine dihydrochloride and the placebo group received 20×3 mg/day per oral placebo for 3 months. Tinnitus handicap inventory (THI), visual analogue scale (VAS) questionnaires and audiometric results were used to determine the effectiveness of trimetazidine treatment. Results. The study group comprised 82 tinnitus subjects, 42 (51%) of whom received trimetazidine dihydrochloride and 40 (49%) who received placebo. There was no significant difference between placebo and trimetazidine groups in THI grade and VAS (both pre- and posttreatment scores) (P>0.05) and no significant improvement was observed in subjective loudness score in either group (P>0.05). Additionally there was no significant difference between groups in pre- and posttreatment pure tone hearing thresholds at all measured frequencies (P>0.05). Conclusion. Trimetazidine dihydrochloride therapy was ineffective for relieving chronic tinnitus. PMID:27230273

  3. An evaluation of the quick inventory of depressive symptomatology and the hamilton rating scale for depression: a sequenced treatment alternatives to relieve depression trial report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rush, A John; Bernstein, Ira H; Trivedi, Madhukar H; Carmody, Thomas J; Wisniewski, Stephen; Mundt, James C; Shores-Wilson, Kathy; Biggs, Melanie M; Woo, Ada; Nierenberg, Andrew A; Fava, Maurizio

    2006-03-15

    Nine DSM-IV-TR criterion symptom domains are evaluated to diagnose major depressive disorder (MDD). The Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS) provides an efficient assessment of these domains and is available as a clinician rating (QIDS-C16), a self-report (QIDS-SR16), and in an automated, interactive voice response (IVR) (QIDS-IVR16) telephone system. This report compares the performance of these three versions of the QIDS and the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD17). Data were acquired at baseline and exit from the first treatment step (citalopram) in the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) trial. Outpatients with nonpsychotic MDD who completed all four ratings within +/-2 days were identified from the first 1500 STAR*D subjects. Both item response theory and classical test theory analyses were conducted. The three methods for obtaining QIDS data produced consistent findings regarding relationships between the nine symptom domains and overall depression, demonstrating interchangeability among the three methods. The HRSD17, while generally satisfactory, rarely utilized the full range of item scores, and evidence suggested multidimensional measurement properties. In nonpsychotic MDD outpatients without overt cognitive impairment, clinician assessment of depression severity using either the QIDS-C16 or HRSD17 may be successfully replaced by either the self-report or IVR version of the QIDS.

  4. Nursing Care Interpersonal Relationship Questionnaire: elaboration and validation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borges, José Wicto Pereira; Moreira, Thereza Maria Magalhães; Andrade, Dalton Franscisco de

    2018-01-08

    to elaborate an instrument for the measurement of the interpersonal relationship in nursing care through the Item Response Theory, and the validation thereof. methodological study, which followed the three poles of psychometry: theoretical, empirical and analytical. The Nursing Care Interpersonal Relationship Questionnaire was developed in light of the Imogene King's Interpersonal Conceptual Model and the psychometric properties were studied through the Item Response Theory in a sample of 950 patients attended in Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Health Care. the final instrument consisted of 31 items, with Cronbach's alpha of 0.90 and McDonald's Omega of 0.92. The parameters of the Item Response Theory demonstrated high discrimination in 28 items, being developed a five-level interpretive scale. At the first level, the communication process begins, gaining a wealth of interaction. Subsequent levels demonstrate qualitatively the points of effectiveness of the interpersonal relationship with the involvement of behaviors related to the concepts of transaction and interaction, followed by the concept of role. the instrument was created and proved to be consistent to measure interpersonal relationship in nursing care, as it presented adequate reliability and validity parameters.

  5. Nursing Care Interpersonal Relationship Questionnaire: elaboration and validation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Wicto Pereira Borges

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: to elaborate an instrument for the measurement of the interpersonal relationship in nursing care through the Item Response Theory, and the validation thereof. Method: methodological study, which followed the three poles of psychometry: theoretical, empirical and analytical. The Nursing Care Interpersonal Relationship Questionnaire was developed in light of the Imogene King’s Interpersonal Conceptual Model and the psychometric properties were studied through the Item Response Theory in a sample of 950 patients attended in Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Health Care. Results: the final instrument consisted of 31 items, with Cronbach’s alpha of 0.90 and McDonald’s Omega of 0.92. The parameters of the Item Response Theory demonstrated high discrimination in 28 items, being developed a five-level interpretive scale. At the first level, the communication process begins, gaining a wealth of interaction. Subsequent levels demonstrate qualitatively the points of effectiveness of the interpersonal relationship with the involvement of behaviors related to the concepts of transaction and interaction, followed by the concept of role. Conclusion: the instrument was created and proved to be consistent to measure interpersonal relationship in nursing care, as it presented adequate reliability and validity parameters.

  6. Development of a questionnaire encompassing indicators of distress: a tool for use with women in surgical continuity of care for breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jørgensen, L; Garne, J P; Søgaard, M; Laursen, B S

    2015-04-01

    Women with breast cancer often experience significant distress. Currently, there are no questionnaires aimed at identifying women's unique and possible changing indicators for distress in surgical continuity of care for breast cancer. We developed and tested three questionnaires specifically for this use. We first searched PubMed, CINAHL and PsycINFO to retrieve information on previously described indicators. Next, we conducted a focus group interview with 6 specialised nurses, who have extensive experience about consequences of breast cancer for women in surgical continuity of care. The questionnaire was tested on 18 women scheduled for breast cancer surgery. Subsequently, the women were debriefed to gain knowledge about comprehensibility, readability and relevance of items, and the time needed to complete the questionnaire. After adjustment, the questionnaires were field-tested concomitantly with a clinical study, which both consisted of a survey and an interview study. Three multi-item questionnaires were developed specific to different time points in surgical continuity of care. The questionnaires share a core of statements divided into seven sub-scales: emotional and physical situation, social condition, sexuality, body image, religion and organisational factors. Besides the core of statements, each questionnaire has different statements depending on the time point of surgical continuity of care when it was to be responded to. The questionnaires contain comprehensive items that can identify indicators for distress in individual women taking part in surgical continuity of care. The items were understandable and the time used for filling in the questionnaires was reasonable. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Development of a self-administered questionnaire to screen patients for cervical myelopathy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sekiguchi Yasufumi

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In primary care, it is often difficult to diagnose cervical myelopathy. However, a delay in treatment could cause irreversible aftereffects. With a brief and effective self-administered questionnaire for cervical myelopathy, cervical myelopathy may be screened more easily and oversight may be avoided. As there is presently no screening tool for cervical myelopathy, the aim of this study was to develop a self-administered questionnaire for the screening of cervical myelopathy. Methods A case-control study was performed with the following two groups at our university hospital from February 2006 to September 2008. Sixty-two patients (48 men, 14 women with cervical myelopathy who underwent operative treatment were included in the myelopathy group. In the control group, 49 patients (20 men, 29 women with symptoms that could be distinguished from those of cervical myelopathy, such as numbness, pain in the upper extremities, and manual clumsiness, were included. The underlying conditions were diagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome, thoracic outlet syndrome, tarsal tunnel syndrome, diabetes mellitus neuropathy, cervical radiculopathy, and neuralgic amyotrophy. Twenty items for a questionnaire in this study were chosen from the Japanese Orthopaedic Association Cervical Myelopathy Evaluation Questionnaire, which is a new self-administered questionnaire, as an outcome measure for patients with cervical myelopathy. Data were analyzed by univariate analysis using the chi-square test and by multiple logistic regression analysis. According to the resulting odds ratio, β-coefficients, and p value, items were chosen and assigned a score. Results Eight items were chosen by univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses and assigned a score. The Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic showed p = 0.805. The area under the receiver operation characteristic curve was 0.86. The developed questionnaire had a sensitivity of 93.5% and a

  8. Evaluation of the Relative Validity and Test-Retest Reliability of a 15-Item Beverage Intake Questionnaire in Children and Adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hill, Catelyn E; MacDougall, Carly R; Riebl, Shaun K; Savla, Jyoti; Hedrick, Valisa E; Davy, Brenda M

    2017-11-01

    Added sugar intake, in the form of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), may contribute to weight gain and obesity development in children and adolescents. A valid and reliable brief beverage intake assessment tool for children and adolescents could facilitate research in this area. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the relative validity and test-retest reliability of a 15-item beverage intake questionnaire (BEVQ) for assessing usual beverage intake in children and adolescents. This cross-sectional investigation included four study visits within a 2- to 3-week time period. Participants (333 enrolled; 98% completion rate) were children aged 6 to 11 years and adolescents aged 12 to18 years recruited from the New River Valley, VA, region from January 2014 to September 2015. Study visits included assessment of height/weight, health history, and four 24-hour dietary recalls (24HRs). The BEVQ was completed at two visits (BEVQ 1, BEVQ 2). To evaluate relative validity, BEVQ 1 was compared with habitual beverage intake determined by the averaged 24HR. To evaluate test-retest reliability, BEVQ 1 was compared with BEVQ 2. Analyses included descriptive statistics, independent sample t tests, χ 2 tests, one-way analysis of variance, paired sample t tests, and correlational analyses. In the full sample, self-reported water and total SSB intake were not different between BEVQ 1 and 24HR (mean differences 0±1 fl oz and 0±1 fl oz, respectively; both P values >0.05). Reported intake across all beverage categories was significantly correlated between BEVQ 1 and BEVQ 2 (Pbeverages was not different (all P values >0.05) between BEVQ 1 and 24HR (mean differences: whole milk=3±4 kcal, reduced-fat milk=9±5 kcal, and fat-free milk=7±6 kcal, which is 7±15 total beverage kilocalories). In adolescents (n=200), water and SSB kilocalories were not different (both P values >0.05) between BEVQ 1 and 24HR (mean differences: -1±1 fl oz and 12±9 kcal, respectively). A 15

  9. State and Substate Estimates of Nonmedical Use of Prescription Pain Relievers

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... with other local area data to enhance statistical power and analytic capability. 10 Delete Template National, Regional, and State Estimates In this section, estimates of past year nonmedical use of prescription pain relievers among people aged 12 or older are ...

  10. BCQ+: a body constitution questionnaire to assess Yang-Xu. Part I: establishment of a first final version through a Delphi process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Yi-Chang; Chen, Li-Li; Lin, Jun-Dai; Lin, Jui-Shan; Huang, Yi-Chia; Lai, Jim-Shoung

    2008-12-01

    Assessing an individual's level of Yang deficiency (Yang-Xu) by its manifestations is a frequent issue in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinical trials. To this end, an objective, reliable and rigorous diagnostic tool is required. This study aimed to develop a first final version of the Yang-Xu Constitution Questionnaire. We conducted 3 steps to develop such an objective measurement tool: 1) the research team was formed and a panel of 26 experts was selected for the Delphi process; 2) items for the questionnaire were generated by literature review and a Delphi process; items were reworded into colloquial questions; face and content validity of the items were evaluated through a Delphi process again; 3) the difficulty of the questionnaire was evaluated in a pilot study with 81 subjects aged 20-60 years. The literature review retrieved 35 relevant items which matched the definition of 'constitution' and 'Yang-Xu'. After a first Delphi process, 22 items were retained and translated into colloquial questions. According to the second part of the Delphi process, the content validity index of each of the 22 questions ranged between 0.85-1. These 22 questions were evaluated by 81 subjects, 2 questions that were hard to tell the difference were combined; 3 questions were modified after the research team had discussed the participants' feedback. Finally, the questionnaire was established with 21 questions. This first final version of a questionnaire to assess Yang-Xu constitution with considerable face and content validity may serve as a basis to develop an advanced Yang-Xu questionnaire. 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  11. Spanish version of the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire for sport: Cultural adaptation and initial validation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Javier Brazo-Sayavera

    Full Text Available This study aimed to translate the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire into Spanish and provide an initial validation. A recommended methodology for translation and cultural adaptation of questionnaires was applied. Once this had been completed, three hundred and thirty-two young athletes completed the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire. The results revealed that the five factor solution Talent Development Environment Questionnaire was confirmed. With the exclusion of one item due to low factor loading, the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire-5 had robust statistical support for its factor structure (χ2 (df = 305 = 499.64, p<0.01, CFI = 0.90, RMSEA = 0.045, SRMR = 0.055. It also demonstrated adequate convergent and discriminant validity. While the internal reliability was lower than in previous studies, it revealed acceptable levels. Specifically the overall 27 item Talent Development Environment Questionnaire-5 had a Cronbach α score of .877, and the reliability scores for individual factors 1-5 were .622; .761; .658; .605; .602 respectively. As such, it is recommended that the Spanish Talent Development Environment Questionnaire-5 can be used with confidence in Spain in both applied and research settings.

  12. Psychometric Properties of Interpersonal Communication skills Questionnaire (ISAQ from the Viewpoint of Students at Tabriz University and Tabriz University of Medical Sciences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Firoz Mahmoodi

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Background and Objective: One of the skills needed for social life is interpersonal communication skills. Assessing the Interpersonal communication skills due to the growth and development of social networks is very important. This study aimed to validate the Fetro's (2000 interpersonal communication skills questionnaire among students of Tabriz University and Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: In this descriptivestudy, 750 students of Tabriz University and Tabriz University of Medical Sciences were selected by simple random sampling. Data collected by Fetro (2000 interpersonal communication skills questionnaire. This questionnaire has 65 items with five degrees based on Likert scale. Data were analyzed using Exploratory Factor Analysis through SPSS 23. Results: In total 750 Students filled questionnaires. 423 from University of Tabriz and 327 from of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Based on the results of exploratory factor analysis on original 65 items, 6 factors extracted and 54 items remained. Based on original questionnaire factors and literature extracted factors were labeled. So 45.26% of total variance were explained by these six factors (empathy and intimacy, communication skills, ability to maintain communication, assertiveness, listening and conflict resolution skills. Conclusion: According to the result of factor analysis, new validated questionnaire has less items and more components than the original questionnaire. So it is a suitable instrument for measuring interpersonal communication skills by researchers.

  13. Development of a Saudi Food Frequency Questionnaire and testing its reliability and validity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gosadi, Ibrahim M; Alatar, Abdullah A; Otayf, Mojahed M; AlJahani, Dhaherah M; Ghabbani, Hisham M; AlRajban, Waleed A; Alrsheed, Abdullah M; Al-Nasser, Khalid A

    2017-06-01

    To create a food frequency questionnaire specifically designed to capture the dietary habits of Saudis and test its validity and reliability. Methods: This investigation is a longitudinal, test-retest study conducted in King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between December 2015 and March 2016. A list of 140 food items was included in the questionnaire where a closed-ended and open-ended approach was used. Regarding past   year food frequency consumption and 24 hours dietary recall, body weight and height were collected. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, completeness of the food list, and criterion validity were assessed. Results: One-hundred and thirty eight participants were interviewed to complete the 24 hours dietary recall and the constructed questionnaire. Approximately 85% of the food items reported in the dietary recall were covered in the food frequency questionnaire. The association of body mass index with meats (regression coefficients: 2.28) and dairy products consumption frequency was statistically significant (regression coefficients: 2.31). A high overall reproducibility rate of the questionnaire was detected (Pearsons' correlation coefficient: 0.78 p less than 0.001).  Conclusion: The developed questionnaire has a high reliability and reasonable validity, and suitable for use in nutritional epidemiological investigations in Saudi Arabia.

  14. Development and psychometric testing of a trans-professional evidence-based practice profile questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McEvoy, Maureen Patricia; Williams, Marie T; Olds, Timothy Stephen

    2010-01-01

    Previous survey tools operationalising knowledge, attitudes or beliefs about evidence-based practice (EBP) have shortcomings in content, psychometric properties and target audience. This study developed and psychometrically assessed a self-report trans-professional questionnaire to describe an EBP profile. Sixty-six items were collated from existing EBP questionnaires and administered to 526 academics and students from health and non-health backgrounds. Principal component factor analysis revealed the presence of five factors (Relevance, Terminology, Confidence, Practice and Sympathy). Following expert panel review and pilot testing, the 58-item final questionnaire was disseminated to 105 subjects on two occasions. Test-retest and internal reliability were quantified using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Cronbach's alpha, convergent validity against a commonly used EBP questionnaire by Pearson's correlation coefficient and discriminative validity via analysis of variance (ANOVA) based on exposure to EBP training. The final questionnaire demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.96), test-retest reliability (ICCs range 0.77-0.94) and convergent validity (Practice 0.66, Confidence 0.80 and Sympathy 0.54). Three factors (Relevance, Terminology and Confidence) distinguished EBP exposure groups (ANOVA p profile (EBP(2)) questionnaire is a reliable instrument with the ability to discriminate for three factors, between respondents with differing EBP exposures.

  15. Clinical validation of a quality of life questionnaire in angina pectoris patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marquis, P; Fayol, C; Joire, J E

    1995-11-01

    Angina pectoris impairs patients' quality of life. In order to assess its impact on quality of life, a questionnaire was developed using a literature review and interviews with patients and clinicians. It consisted of a general profile (SF-36) which measured functional status, well-being, perceived health, and a specific index, the Angina Pectoris Quality of Life Questionnaire, supplemented by new items. The acceptability, internal consistency reliability and clinical validity of this 70-item questionnaire were analysed in a cross-sectional study. Of 197 coronary patients approached, 93% (n = 184) agreed to participate and 86% (n = 170) returned the mailed questionnaire. Mean age of patients was 67 years (+/- 10); 79% were male and 70% were retired. Sixty patients were asymptomatic and 110 reported anginal crises (Canadian Cardiovascular Society Classification: class I: 48; II: 37; III: 13; IV: 0; V: 12). Globally, angina pectoris was found to affect each quality of life concept measured: physical functioning, well-being, and perceived health. Quality of life profiles worsened in accordance with increasing severity of the condition, as stratified by angina pectoris class. Asymptomatic patients reported better general and specific profiles. These results support the feasibility and usefulness of evaluating quality of life using the questionnaire. The validation of the data is very encouraging and enables the questionnaire to be used in clinical trials.

  16. Validation of the Danish-language psychological well-being-post-traumatic changes questionnaire

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    la Cour, Peter; Sternhagen Nielsen, Anni Brit; Andersen, Soren Bo

    2016-01-01

    The Psychological Well-Being–Post-Traumatic Changes Questionnaire (PWB-PTCQ) is an 18-item self-report measure for assessing perceived changes in psychological well-being following traumatic events. The aim of the study was to translate, adapt, and test a Danish-language version of the questionna...... with the psychological distress measures; the PWB-PTCQ did not correlate, whereas the PTGI correlated positively. The Danish-language version of the PWB-PTCQ is found valid and reliable.......The Psychological Well-Being–Post-Traumatic Changes Questionnaire (PWB-PTCQ) is an 18-item self-report measure for assessing perceived changes in psychological well-being following traumatic events. The aim of the study was to translate, adapt, and test a Danish-language version...... of the questionnaire and to compare the measure with the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI). The PWB-PTCQ, the PTGI, and scales measuring psychological distress were administered to 290 soldiers a mean of 8 months after they returned from deployment. The psychometric properties of the PWB-PTCQ were satisfactory...

  17. Adaptation of the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire in a Spanish sample of athletes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arce, Constantino; De Francisco, Cristina; Andrade, Elena; Seoane, Gloria; Raedeke, Thomas

    2012-11-01

    In this paper, we offer a general version of the Spanish adaptation of Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ) designed to measure the syndrome of burnout in athletes of different sports. In previous works, the Spanish version of ABQ was administered to different samples of soccer players. Its psychometric properties were appropriate and similar to the findings in original ABQ. The purpose of this study was to examine the generalization to others sports of the Spanish adaptation. We started from this adaptation, but we included three alternative statements (one for each dimension of the questionnaire), and we replaced the word "soccer" with the word "sport". An 18-item version was administered to a sample of 487 athletes aged 13 and 29 years old. Confirmatory factor analyses replicated the factor structure, but two items modification were necessary in order to obtain a good overall fit of the model. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the questionnaire were satisfactory.

  18. Validation of the Marijuana Effect Expectancy Questionnaire-Brief

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torrealday, O.; Stein, L. A. R.; Barnett, N.; Golembeske, C.; Lebeau, R.; Colby, S. M.; Monti, P. M.

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate a brief version of the Marijuana Effect Expectancy Questionnaire (MEEQ; Schafer & Brown, 1991). The original MEEQ was reduced to 6 items (MEEQ-B). Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed and two factors were identified (positive effects and negative effects) accounting for 52.3% of the variance.…

  19. 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.

  20. Using automatic item generation to create multiple-choice test items.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gierl, Mark J; Lai, Hollis; Turner, Simon R

    2012-08-01

    Many tests of medical knowledge, from the undergraduate level to the level of certification and licensure, contain multiple-choice items. Although these are efficient in measuring examinees' knowledge and skills across diverse content areas, multiple-choice items are time-consuming and expensive to create. Changes in student assessment brought about by new forms of computer-based testing have created the demand for large numbers of multiple-choice items. Our current approaches to item development cannot meet this demand. We present a methodology for developing multiple-choice items based on automatic item generation (AIG) concepts and procedures. We describe a three-stage approach to AIG and we illustrate this approach by generating multiple-choice items for a medical licensure test in the content area of surgery. To generate multiple-choice items, our method requires a three-stage process. Firstly, a cognitive model is created by content specialists. Secondly, item models are developed using the content from the cognitive model. Thirdly, items are generated from the item models using computer software. Using this methodology, we generated 1248 multiple-choice items from one item model. Automatic item generation is a process that involves using models to generate items using computer technology. With our method, content specialists identify and structure the content for the test items, and computer technology systematically combines the content to generate new test items. By combining these outcomes, items can be generated automatically. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2012.

  1. Validation of Noise Induced Hearing Loss Questionnaire Among Malay Sawmill Workers in Kelantan Malaysia

    OpenAIRE

    Razman, MR; Naing, L; Aziah, D; Kamarul, IM

    2010-01-01

    Exposure to excessive noise is the major avoidable cause of permanent hearing impairment. Sawmill is one of the workplaces where workers are exposed to hazardous noise level. This study was conducted to determine the reliability and validity of noise-induced hearing loss questionnaire among sawmill workers. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in March 2007 among 35 consented sawmill workers. A total of 40 items; 10 items for knowledge (8 areas), 20 items for attitu...

  2. [Gender-determinant factors in contraception: design and validation of a questionnaire].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yago Simón, Teresa; Tomás Aznar, Concepción

    2013-10-01

    To design and validate a questionnaire for young women on gender-determinant factors in contraception. A questionnaire was developed from conversations with young women attending contraception clinic in the Health Promotion Municpal Centre, Zaragoza. A total of 200 young women between the ages of 13 and 24 self-completed the questionnaire, with only one no response. Several items were analysed: reliability, using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, and construct validity by analysis of the main components with eigenvalues above 1, and Quartimax rotation with Kaiser normalisation. The questionnaire contained 36 items and took 10minutes to self-complete. There was good internal consistency, with a Cronbach's alpha 0,853. Twelve factors were established with an explanation of 61.42% variance, and three descriptive lines: relationship dimension («submissive attitude», «blind attitude», «let go due to affection», «dominant partner»), gender identity («maternity as identity», «non-idealised maternity», «traditional role», «insecurity», «shame») and caring. This questionnaire enabled gender determinant-factors that take part in contraception to be identified, and will be useful to find out how the different ways of relating between the sexes influence the problems of sexual and reproductive health in young women in our environment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

  3. [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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. Validity and reliability of the Spanish version of the 10-item CD-RISC in patients with fibromyalgia

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background No resilience scale has been validated in Spanish patients with fibromyalgia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the 10-item CD-RISC in a sample of Spanish patients with fibromyalgia. Methods Design: Observational prospective multicenter study. Sample: Patients with diagnoses of fibromyalgia recruited from primary care settings (N = 208). Instruments: In addition to sociodemographic data, the following questionnaires were administered: Pain Visual Analogue Scale (PVAS), the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience scale (10-item CD-RISC), the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ), and the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). Results Regarding construct validity, the factor solution in the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was considered adequate, so the KMO test had a value of 0.91, and the Barlett’s test of sphericity was significant (χ2 = 852.8; gl = 45; p fibromyalgia, acceptable psychometric properties, with a high level of reliability and validity. PMID:24484847

  7. An Introduction to Item Response Theory for Health Behavior Researchers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warne, Russell T.; McKyer, E. J. Lisako; Smith, Matthew L.

    2012-01-01

    Objective: To introduce item response theory (IRT) to health behavior researchers by contrasting it with classical test theory and providing an example of IRT in health behavior. Method: Demonstrate IRT by fitting the 2PL model to substance-use survey data from the Adolescent Health Risk Behavior questionnaire (n = 1343 adolescents). Results: An…

  8. Validation of the Dutch Questionnaire on Emotional Labor (D-QEL) in Nurses and Teachers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Näring, Gérard; Briët, Mariette; Brouwers, André

    2008-01-01

    This paper describes the validation of the Dutch Questionnaire on Emotional Labor (D-QEL) in a sample of 365 teachers and in a sample of 334 nurses. The D-QEL is a 13 item self-report questionnaire that measures surface acting, deep acting, suppression and emotional consonance. Confirmatory factor

  9. Budesonide/formoterol maintenance plus reliever therapy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bisgaard, Hans; Le Roux, Pascal; Bjåmer, Ditlef

    2006-01-01

    on ICS investigated whether a novel regimen using budesonide/formoterol for maintenance and reliever therapy (Symbicort maintenance and relief therapy [SMART]) [Symbicort; AstraZeneca R&D, Lund, Sweden] could reduce exacerbations. METHODS: Patients received SMART (budesonide/formoterol 80/4.5 microg qd...... maintenance plus additional inhalations for symptom relief), budesonide/formoterol 80/4.5 microg qd for maintenance (fixed combination), or higher-dose budesonide 320 microg qd (fixed-dose budesonide). Blinded as-needed medication (terbutaline 0.4 microg) was provided in both fixed-dose groups. RESULTS: SMART...... prolonged the time to first exacerbation vs fixed-dose budesonide (p = 0.02) and fixed-dose combination (p SMART vs fixed-dose budesonide and fixed-dose combination (0.08/patient vs 0.28/patient and 0.40/patient...

  10. 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.

  11. Korean Emotional Laborers' Job Stressors and Relievers: Focus on Work Conditions and Emotional Labor Properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Garam

    2015-12-01

    The present study aims to investigate job stressors and stress relievers for Korean emotional laborers, specifically focusing on the effects of work conditions and emotional labor properties. Emotional laborers are asked to hide or distort their real emotions in their interaction with clients. They are exposed to high levels of stress in the emotional labor process, which leads to serious mental health risks including burnout, depression, and even suicide impulse. Exploring job stressors and relieving factors would be the first step in seeking alternatives to protect emotional laborers from those mental health risks. Using the third wave data of Korean Working Conditions Survey, logistic regression analysis was conducted for two purposes: to examine the relations of emotional labor and stress, and to find out job stressors and relievers for emotional laborers. The chances of stress arousal are 3.5 times higher for emotional laborers; emotional laborers experience double risk-burden for stress arousal. In addition to general job stressors, emotional laborers need to bear burdens related to emotional labor properties. The effect of social support at the workplace is not significant for stress relief, unlike common assumptions, whereas subjective satisfaction (wage satisfaction and work-life balance) is proven to have relieving effects on emotional laborers' job stress. From the results, the importance of a balanced understanding of emotional labor for establishing effective policies for emotional laborer protection is stressed.

  12. The relieving effects of shelter modes on physiological stress of traffic police in summer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, G. Z.; Wang, Y. J.; Bu, W. T.; Lu, Y. Z.; Li, Ke; Li, Z. H.

    2018-03-01

    In summer, high temperature and strong sun radiation last for a long time. However, traffic police still stick to their positions to ensure normal traffic order. Therefore, the health and safety of traffic police are challenged by the high temperature weather. To protect the safety of the traffic police in the outdoor high temperature environment, some shelter modes, such as sun hat and sun umbrella are selected for duty traffic police. The relieving effects on the physiological stress of the shelter modes are analyzed by comparison of the physiological parameters in these shelter modes. The results show that sun umbrella has a good effect on relieving physiological stress. And sun hat has no effect on relieving physiological stress, although it avoids the direct sunlight on the face. However, it causes the increase of the thermal sensation. This study can provide important methods for health protecting of traffic police in the outdoor high temperature environment. It also provides a theoretical support for the revision of the outdoor high temperature labour protection standard.

  13. Patients' expectations of orthodontic treatment: part 1 - development of a questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sayers, M S; Newton, J T

    2006-12-01

    The development of a questionnaire to measure patients' and their parents' expectations before orthodontic treatment, and to test the reliability and validity of this measure. A two-stage methodology, with open-ended interviews to identify themes and concepts followed by development and testing of the questionnaire. GKT Orthodontic Department, King's College Dental Hospital. The sample consisted of 140 participants, 70 patients aged 12-14 years, who had been referred to the orthodontic department for treatment. One parent of each patient was also recruited. The study was in two phases. In the first phase 30 participants (15 new patients and their 15 parents) participated in open-ended interviews, which were analysed qualitatively. Information from these interviews was used to construct a questionnaire. During the second phase, the questionnaire was piloted on 10 participants, five new consecutive patients and their parents. The questionnaire was then distributed to 174 subjects (87 new patients and their 87 parents). Seventy-eight subjects (39 new patients and their 39 parents) completed the questionnaire before their orthodontic consultation. Another 96 subjects (48 new patients and their 48 parents) were invited to complete the questionnaire prior to and at their orthodontic consultation. Test-retest analysis was conducted on 22 participants (11 patients and their 11 parents), who completed the questionnaire previous to and at their orthodontic consultation, and contributed to the psychometric validation of this questionnaire. A questionnaire was devized using the key themes and concepts identified in the open-ended interviews. As a result, 10 questions, some with sub-questions were constructed using a visual analogue scale as the response format. The questionnaire developed had good face validity. Internal consistency of the questionnaire using Cronbach's alpha, produced an overall inter-item reliability > 0.7 along with item-total correlations > 0.3 in over 50

  14. The Psoriatic Arthritis Impact of Disease 12-item questionnaire: equivalence, reliability, validity, and feasibility of the touch-screen administration versus the paper-and-pencil version

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salaffi, Fausto; Di Carlo, Marco; Carotti, Marina; Farah, Sonia; Gutierrez, Marwin

    2016-01-01

    Background Over the last few years, there has been a shift toward a more patient-centered perspective of the disease by adopting patient-reported outcomes. Touch-screen formats are increasingly being used for data collection in routine care and research. Objectives The aim of this study is to examine the equivalence, reliability, validity and respondent preference for a computerized touch-screen version of the Psoriatic Arthritis Impact of Disease 12-item (PsAID-12) questionnaire in comparison with the original paper-and-pencil version, in a cohort of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Methods One hundred and fifty-nine patients with PsA completed both the touch screen- and the conventional paper-and-pencil administered PsAID-12 questionnaire. Agreement between formats was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficients. Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient was used to test convergent validity of the touch screen format of PsAID-12, while receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to test discriminant validity. In order to assess the patient’s preference, the participants filled in an additional questionnaire. The time taken to complete both formats was measured. Results A high concordance between the responses to the two modes of the PsAID-12 tested was found, with no significant mean differences. Intraclass correlation coefficients between data obtained for touch-screen and paper versions ranged from 0.801 to 0.962. There was a very high degree of correlation between the touch-screen format of PsAID-12 and composite disease activity indices (all at a P level touch-screen format of PsAID-12, assessed using the minimal disease activity – Outcome Measurements in Rheumatology Clinical Trials criteria, was very good, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.937 and a resulting cutoff value of 2.5. The touch-screen questionnaire was readily accepted and preferred. The mean time spent for completing the

  15. Social Support Questionnaire for Children: Development and Initial Validation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gordon-Hollingsworth, Arlene T.; Thompson, Julia E.; Geary, Meghan A.; Schexnaildre, Mark A.; Lai, Betty S.; Kelley, Mary Lou

    2016-01-01

    The Social Support Questionnaire for Children (SSQC) is a 50-item scale that assesses children's social support from parents, relatives, nonrelative adults, siblings, and peers. The SSQC demonstrates good psychometric properties (e.g., internal consistency, factorial validity). Furthermore, the SSQC appears to be an ethnically sensitive measure of…

  16. Consequences of screening in lung cancer: development and dimensionality of a questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brodersen, John; Thorsen, Hanne; Kreiner, Svend

    2010-08-01

    The objective of this study was to extend the Consequences of Screening (COS) Questionnaire for use in a lung cancer screening by testing for comprehension, content coverage, dimensionality, and reliability. In interviews, the suitability, content coverage, and relevance of the COS were tested on participants in a lung cancer screening program. The results were thematically analyzed to identify the key consequences of abnormal and false-positive screening results. Item Response Theory and Classical Test Theory were used to analyze data. Dimensionality, objectivity, and reliability were established by item analysis, examining the fit between item responses and Rasch models. Eight themes specifically relevant for participants in lung cancer screening results were identified: "self-blame,"focus on symptoms,"stigmatization,"introvert,"harm of smoking,"impulsivity,"empathy," and "regretful of still smoking." Altogether, 26 new items for part I and 16 new items for part II were generated. These themes were confirmed to fit a partial-credit Rasch model measuring different constructs including several of the new items. In conclusion, the reliability and the dimensionality of a condition-specific measure with high content validity for persons having abnormal or false-positive lung cancer screening results have been demonstrated. This new questionnaire called Consequences of Screening in Lung Cancer (COS-LC) covers in two parts the psychosocial experience in lung cancer screening. Part I: "anxiety,"behavior,"dejection,"sleep,"self-blame,"focus on airway symptoms,"stigmatization,"introvert," and "harm of smoking." Part II: "calm/relax,"social network,"existential values,"impulsivity,"empathy," and "regretful of still smoking."

  17. Brazilian adaptation and validation of the Empowerment of Parents in the Intensive Care-Neonatology (EMPATHIC-N) questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomez, Dafne B C A; Vidal, Suely A; Lima, Luciana C S

    Considering the lack of questionnaires that propose to evaluate parental satisfaction with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Brazil, this study aimed to carry out the translation of the EMPATHIC-N questionnaire into Brazilian Portuguese, the cross-cultural adaptation and validation of its contents. The translation and cultural adaptation of the questionnaire was carried out according to the protocol established by the Translation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation Group of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) in 2005. The validation of the content was carried out by a panel of experts, who evaluated each item from "very irrelevant" to "very relevant". Items with a mean Likert scale value <3.5 were excluded. Cronbach's alpha of the domains was calculated. The questionnaire was submitted to two pilot tests with mothers of newborns admitted to the NICU of the study, after which some terms were modified to achieve global understanding. Cronbach's alpha remained above 0.7 in all items. The tool resulting from the translation, cultural adaptation, and validation of the EMPATHIC-N questionnaire showed to be adequate to assess satisfaction of parents of newborns admitted to the NICU in Brazil. Copyright © 2016 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  18. Brazilian adaptation and validation of the Empowerment of Parents in the Intensive Care-Neonatology (EMPATHIC-N questionnaire

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dafne B.C.A. Gomez

    Full Text Available Abstract Objectives: Considering the lack of questionnaires that propose to evaluate parental satisfaction with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU in Brazil, this study aimed to carry out the translation of the EMPATHIC-N questionnaire into Brazilian Portuguese, the cross-cultural adaptation and validation of its contents. Method: The translation and cultural adaptation of the questionnaire was carried out according to the protocol established by the Translation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation Group of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR in 2005. The validation of the content was carried out by a panel of experts, who evaluated each item from "very irrelevant" to "very relevant". Items with a mean Likert scale value <3.5 were excluded. Cronbach's alpha of the domains was calculated. Results: The questionnaire was submitted to two pilot tests with mothers of newborns admitted to the NICU of the study, after which some terms were modified to achieve global understanding. Cronbach's alpha remained above 0.7 in all items. Conclusion: The tool resulting from the translation, cultural adaptation, and validation of the EMPATHIC-N questionnaire showed to be adequate to assess satisfaction of parents of newborns admitted to the NICU in Brazil.

  19. Structural validity and reliability of the healthcare professionals' economic reasoning questionnaire

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vuković Mira H.

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The structure of healthcare professionals' economic reasoning (HPER is still unknown. The aim: The structural validity and the reliability of the HPER questionnaire were evaluated. Methods: The psychometric study about evaluation of the HPER factors was conducted. The healthcare professionals (physicians, dentists, pharmacists that are employed in healthcare state sector of Republic of Serbia were interviewed. The HPER Questionnaire contained 29 preliminary items. Its structure was evaluated by Principal Component Analysis for categorial and ordinal data. Results: The 9 items that defined seven HPER factors were extracted: (1 the negligence of the cost of quality by the administration and financier; (2 the consideration of the market price and healthcare benefit; (3 market orientation considering patient's requests; (4 the recognition of inadequate resource alocations by non-medical administrative authority; (5 the attitude about redirecting the profit from state to private healthcare sector; (6 the recognition of the unjustified spending by the healthcare professionals and (7 the relationship physician/patient. Conclusion: The HPER-9 Questionnaire has high structural validity and reliability in the HPER measurement.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2017-08-01

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

  1. Questionnaire on the measurement condition of distribution coefficient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takebe, Shinichi; Kimura, Hideo; Matsuzuru, Hideo

    2001-05-01

    The distribution coefficient is used for various transport models to evaluate the migration behavior of radionuclides in the environment and is very important parameter in environmental impact assessment of nuclear facility. The questionnaire was carried out for the purpose of utilizing for the proposal of the standard measuring method of distribution coefficient. This report is summarized the result of questionnairing on the sampling methods and storage condition, the pretreatment methods, the analysis items in the physical/chemical characteristics of the sample, and the distribution coefficient measuring method and the measurement conditions in the research institutes within country. (author)

  2. [Transcultural adaptation of scales for treatment adherence in hemodialysis: Renal Adherence Behaviour Questionnaire(RABQ) and Renal Adherence Attitudes Questionnaire(RAAQ)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Machado, Inês Maria de Jesus; Bandeira, Marina Bittencourt; Pinheiro, Hélady Sanders; Dutra, Nathália Dos Santos

    2015-10-01

    Treatment adherence in hemodialysis is important for guaranteeing better results for patients, but Brazil still lacks validated assessment tools for this purpose. The current study aimed to perform a cross-cultural adaptation of the Renal Adherence Behaviour Questionnaire (RABQ) and the Renal Adherence Attitudes Questionnaire (RAAQ). The two questionnaires were submitted to the following cross-cultural adaptation procedures: translation, back-translation, expert panel review, and pilot study. Changes were made in the items' wording and application, which requires a face-to-face interview. It was not necessary to change the choices of answers. The Brazilian versions of the RABQ and RAAQ showed semantic and cultural equivalence to the original versions and are easy for the target population to understand. The two scales still require validity and reliability studies before use in the field.

  3. [Development, factor-analytical control and psychometric evaluation of a questionnaire on specialty choices among medical students].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hermann, K; Buchholz, A; Loh, A; Kiolbassa, K; Miksch, A; Joos, S; Götz, K

    2012-07-01

    A questionnaire was developed and validated which assesses factors influencing career choices of medical students and their perception of possibilities in general practice. The first questionnaire version, which was developed based on a systematic literature review, was checked for comprehensibility and redundancy using concurrent think aloud. The revised version was filled out by a pilot sample of medical students and the factor structure was assessed using principal component analysis (PCA). The final version was filled out in an online survey by medical students of all 5 Medical Faculties in the federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. The factor structure was validated with a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Reliability was assessed as internal consistency using Cronbach's α. The questionnaire comprises 2 parts: ratings of (A) the individual importance and of (B) the possibilities in general practice on 5-point scales. The first version comprising 118 items was shortened to 63 items after conducting interviews using concurrent think aloud. A further 3 items giving no information were removed after piloting the questionnaire on 179 students. The 27 items of part A were structured in 7 factors (PCA): image, personal ambition, patient orientation, work-life balance, future perspectives, job-related ambition, and variety in job. This structure had a critical fit in the CFA applied to the final version filled out by 1 299 students. Internal consistency of the factors was satisfactory to very good (Cronbach's α=0.55-0.81). The questionnaire showed good psychometric properties. Further, not assessed factors influence career choice resulting in unexplained variance in our dataset and the critical fit of the model. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  4. The Development and Preliminary Validation of a Brief Questionnaire of Psychopathic Personality Traits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sonja Etzler

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The measurement of psychopathic personality traits via self-report has become an important tool in legal psychology. One prominent instrument is the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI; Lilienfeld and Andrews, 1996, a well-validated questionnaire that is widely applied in many countries. In Germany, it is the only questionnaire assessing psychopathic traits that is available from a publisher with a manual edited for easy administration. Nevertheless, the PPI shows certain shortcomings: the high number of 154 items makes it less economic, it was developed on a non-representative undergraduate sample, and studies revealed an inconsistent factor structure. To overcome these points, a new questionnaire, the Questionnaire of Psychopathic Personality Traits [German: Fragebogen Psychopathischer Persönlichkeitseigenschaften (FPP] was developed. The sample consists of n = 132 civilians (56% female and n = 173 inmates of German correctional facilities (30% female. The FPP comprises 30 items, whose wording was short and adequate for inmates. It shows satisfying psychometric properties regarding factorial structure, item properties, and reliability. Partial invariance regarding both subsamples allows for interpretation of latent means. Results supported validity such as associations with self-reported crime, and inmates’ misconduct. The factorial structure was cross-validated on a second sample of N = 517 participants (71% female from an online study. The FPP is useful in large-scale research studies as well as for clinical settings, e.g., for treatment planning in correctional facilities.

  5. German Translation and Validation of the Cognitive Style Questionnaire Short Form (CSQ-SF-D.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Quentin J M Huys

    Full Text Available The Cognitive Style Questionnaire is a valuable tool for the assessment of hopeless cognitive styles in depression research, with predictive power in longitudinal studies. However, it is very burdensome to administer. Even the short form is still long, and neither this nor the original version exist in validated German translations.The questionnaire was translated from English to German, back-translated and commented on by clinicians. The reliability, factor structure and external validity of an online form of the questionnaire were examined on 214 participants. External validity was measured on a subset of 90 subjects.The resulting CSQ-SF-D had good to excellent reliability, both across items and subscales, and similar external validity to the original English version. The internality subscale appeared less robust than other subscales. A detailed analysis of individual item performance suggests that stable results could be achieved with a very short form (CSQ-VSF-D including only 27 of the 72 items.The CSQ-SF-D is a validated and freely distributed translation of the CSQ-SF into German. This should make efficient assessment of cognitive style in German samples more accessible to researchers.

  6. A confirmative clinimetric analysis of the 36-item Family Assessment Device.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Timmerby, Nina; Cosci, Fiammetta; Watson, Maggie; Csillag, Claudio; Schmitt, Florence; Steck, Barbara; Bech, Per; Thastum, Mikael

    2018-02-07

    The Family Assessment Device (FAD) is a 60-item questionnaire widely used to evaluate self-reported family functioning. However, the factor structure as well as the number of items has been questioned. A shorter and more user-friendly version of the original FAD-scale, the 36-item FAD, has therefore previously been proposed, based on findings in a nonclinical population of adults. We aimed in this study to evaluate the brief 36-item version of the FAD in a clinical population. Data from a European multinational study, examining factors associated with levels of family functioning in adult cancer patients' families, were used. Both healthy and ill parents completed the 60-item version FAD. The psychometric analyses conducted were Principal Component Analysis and Mokken-analysis. A total of 564 participants were included. Based on the psychometric analysis we confirmed that the 36-item version of the FAD has robust psychometric properties and can be used in clinical populations. The present analysis confirmed that the 36-item version of the FAD (18 items assessing 'well-being' and 18 items assessing 'dysfunctional' family function) is a brief scale where the summed total score is a valid measure of the dimensions of family functioning. This shorter version of the FAD is, in accordance with the concept of 'measurement-based care', an easy to use scale that could be considered when the aim is to evaluate self-reported family functioning.

  7. A Novel Scheme to Relieve Parking Pressure at Tourist Attractions on Holidays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan Li

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Parking is a key component of urban transportation managements and has become a severe problem at many tourist attractions during holidays in China. This paper presents a novel scheme to relieve the holiday parking pressure. Based on the perspectives of the activity-based travel characteristics, we propose an effort to develop parking alternatives by utilizing existing traffic facilities. A conceptual model is employed to explore the influence of additional leisure activity of parking and various options of transportation modes. The results indicate that compared to commuters, the scenery is the major factor affecting tourists’ parking preference, besides parking time and cost. Based on the finding, a tourist-centered strategy is designed to satisfy the peak hours parking demands in order to relieve the parking pressure at tourist attractions during holidays.

  8. Hypersensitivity to sound in tinnitus patients: an analysis of a construct based on questionnaire and audiological data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bläsing, Lena; Goebel, Gerhard; Flötzinger, Uta; Berthold, Anke; Kröner-Herwig, Birgit

    2010-07-01

    The purpose of this study was to analyse the Questionnaire on Hypersensitivity to Sound (GUF; Nelting & Finlayson, 2004 ) and to improve its validity based on the analysis of intercorrelations (single item level) with other methods of assessing hyperacusis (uncomfortable loudness level, individual loudness function, self-rated severity of hyperacusis). Subjects consisted of 91 inpatients with tinnitus and hyperacusis. The GUF showed a good reliability (alpha = .92). The factorial structure of the questionnaire reported by Nelting et al (2002) was not completely supported by the evidence in this study. The total score and the single items showed small to moderate correlations with the other modes of measuring hyperacusis. Evidence for convergent and discriminant validity were found, but overall the results corroborate the conceptual heterogeneity of the construct hyperacusis and its dependency on the assessment method. Four items of the GUF with particularly low correlations were excluded from the questionnaire. The revised GUF total score showed slightly but not statistically significant higher convergent and discriminant validity.

  9. Questionnaire-based Prevalence of Food Insecurity in Iran: A Review Article.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daneshi-Maskooni, Milad; Shab-Bidar, Sakineh; Badri-Fariman, Mahtab; Aubi, Erfan; Mohammadi, Younes; Jafarnejad, Sadegh; Djafarian, Kurosh

    2017-11-01

    Data on the questionnaire-based prevalence of food insecurity are needed to develop food and nutrition security studies and policies. The present study aimed to assess the questionnaire-based prevalence of food insecurity in Iran. A systematic search of cross-sectional studies were conducted on databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Magiran, Iranmedex, SID and Medlib up to 29 Oct 2015. Estimation of food insecurity prevalence was according to the instruments including 9-items-HFIAS, 18 and 6-items USDA (US-HFSSM) and Radimer/Cernel food security questionnaires. Pooled effect was estimated using random-effect model and heterogeneity was assessed by Cochran's Q and I 2 tests. Thirteen articles included in the study based on screening and assessment of eligibility. The questionnaire-based prevalence of food insecurity was 49.2% (CI95%: 43.8-54.6). The according to sub-groups analysis, the food insecurity without and with hunger was 29.6% (CI95%: 25.7-33.6) and 19.2% (CI95%: 16-22.3), respectively. The about half of the population were food insecure. The food insecurity without hunger was more than the food insecurity with hunger. An ongoing food insecurity assessment system is needed to support evidence-informed policy and to plan interventions to increase the food security in different areas.

  10. Development of new physical activity and sedentary behavior change self-efficacy questionnaires using item response modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Theoretically, increased levels of physical activity self-efficacy (PASE) should lead to increased physical activity, but few studies have reported this effect among youth. This failure may be at least partially attributable to measurement limitations. In this study, Item Response Modeling (IRM) was...

  11. Development and validation of a new knowledge, attitude, belief and practice questionnaire on leptospirosis in Malaysia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zahiruddin, Wan Mohd; Arifin, Wan Nor; Mohd-Nazri, Shafei; Sukeri, Surianti; Zawaha, Idris; Bakar, Rahman Abu; Hamat, Rukman Awang; Malina, Osman; Jamaludin, Tengku Zetty Maztura Tengku; Pathman, Arumugam; Mas-Harithulfadhli-Agus, Ab Rahman; Norazlin, Idris; Suhailah, Binti Samsudin; Saudi, Siti Nor Sakinah; Abdullah, Nurul Munirah; Nozmi, Noramira; Zainuddin, Abdul Wahab; Aziah, Daud

    2018-03-07

    In Malaysia, leptospirosis is considered an endemic disease, with sporadic outbreaks following rainy or flood seasons. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a new knowledge, attitude, belief and practice (KABP) questionnaire on leptospirosis for use in urban and rural populations in Malaysia. The questionnaire comprised development and validation stages. The development phase encompassed a literature review, expert panel review, focus-group testing, and evaluation. The validation phase consisted of exploratory and confirmatory parts to verify the psychometric properties of the questionnaire. A total of 214 and 759 participants were recruited from two Malaysian states, Kelantan and Selangor respectively, for the validation phase. The participants comprised urban and rural communities with a high reported incidence of leptospirosis. The knowledge section of the validation phase utilized item response theory (IRT) analysis. The attitude and belief sections utilized exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The development phase resulted in a questionnaire that included four main sections: knowledge, attitude, belief, and practice. In the exploratory phase, as shown by the IRT analysis of knowledge about leptospirosis, the difficulty and discrimination values of the items were acceptable, with the exception of two items. Based on the EFA, the psychometric properties of the attitude, belief, and practice sections were poor. Thus, these sections were revised, and no further factor analysis of the practice section was conducted. In the confirmatory stage, the difficulty and discrimination values of the items in the knowledge section remained within the acceptable range. The CFA of the attitude section resulted in a good-fitting two-factor model. The CFA of the belief section retained low number of items, although the analysis resulted in a good fit in the final three-factor model. Based on the IRT analysis and factor

  12. Stress relieving procedure and facility by shot-peening the inside surface of NPP steam generators tubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Banica, I.; Maioru, H.

    1994-01-01

    Residual stress relieving of the transition zones between the deformed part and the non deformed part of the heat exchanger tubes expanded in tube sheets of the NPP equipment, is a technological problem attacked on international level as well as on national level through the continuing programme initiated by ICEMENERG. The most recent statistical data point out that over 75% of tube failures are taking place in the tube-to-tubesheet connection zone, a great number of them being produced in this area by intergranular attack and stress corrosion cracking. The increased occurrence of these incidents is explained first by the existence of residual stresses inside tube surfaces, induced by expanding the tubes. Relieving these residual stresses is the purpose of the outlined procedure and it is achieved by overlapping effects (compression stresses added over tensile stresses). In this paper aspects of the procedure are presented and also a facility is described for stress relieving by introducing compressive stresses from uniform and generalized collisions of the inside surface with micro balls of great kinetic energy carried by a pressurized gas. The stress relieving facility can be acted by remote control, the whole process being completely automatic. The procedure aims to the operation maintenance of the NPP steam generators. (Author)

  13. Development of a self-administrated quality of life questionnaire for sarcopenia in elderly subjects: the SarQoL.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beaudart, Charlotte; Biver, Emmanuel; Reginster, Jean-Yves; Rizzoli, René; Rolland, Yves; Bautmans, Ivan; Petermans, Jean; Gillain, Sophie; Buckinx, Fanny; Van Beveren, Julien; Jacquemain, Marc; Italiano, Patrick; Dardenne, Nadia; Bruyere, Olivier

    2015-11-01

    The impact of sarcopenia on quality of life is currently assessed by generic tools. However, these tools may not detect subtle effects of this specific condition on quality of life. The aim of this study was to develop a sarcopenia-specific quality of life questionnaire (SarQoL, Sarcopenia Quality of Life) designed for community-dwelling elderly subjects aged 65 years and older. Participants were recruited in an outpatient clinic in Liège, Belgium. Sarcopenic subjects aged 65 years or older. The study was articulated in the following four stages: (i) Item generation-based on literature review, sarcopenic subjects' opinion, experts' opinion, focus groups; (ii) Item reduction-based on sarcopenic subjects' and experts' preferences; (iii) Questionnaire generation-developed during an expert meeting; (iv) Pretest of the questionnaire-based on sarcopenic subjects' opinion. The final version of the questionnaire consists of 55 items translated into 22 questions rated on a 4-point Likert scale. These items are organised into seven domains of dysfunction: Physical and mental health, Locomotion, Body composition, Functionality, Activities of daily living, Leisure activities and Fears. In view of the pretest, the SarQoL is easy to complete, independently, in ∼10 min. The first version of the SarQoL, a specific quality of life questionnaire for sarcopenic subjects, has been developed and has been shown to be comprehensible by the target population. Investigations are now required to test the psychometric properties (internal consistency, test-retest reliability, divergent and convergent validity, discriminant validity, floor and ceiling effects) of this questionnaire. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society.

  14. Development and evaluation of oral Cancer quality-of-life questionnaire (QOL-OC).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nie, Min; Liu, Chang; Pan, Yi-Chen; Jiang, Chen-Xi; Li, Bao-Ru; Yu, Xi-Jie; Wu, Xin-Yu; Zheng, Shu-Ning

    2018-05-03

    In this study scales and items for the Oral Cancer Quality-of-life Questionnaire (QOL-OC) were designed and the instrument was evaluated. The QOL-OC was developed and modified using the international definition of quality of life (QOL) promulgated by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) and analysis of the precedent measuring instruments. The contents of each item were determined in the context of the specific characteristics of oral cancer. Two hundred thirteen oral cancer patients were asked to complete both the EORTC core quality of life questionnaire (EORTC QLC-C30) and the QOL-OC. Data collected was used to conduct factor analysis, test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and construct validity. Questionnaire compliance was relatively high. Fourteen of the 213 subjects accepted the same tests after 24 to 48 h demonstrating a high test-retest reliability for all five scales. Overall internal consistency surpasses 0.8. The outcome of the factor analysis coincides substantially with our theoretical conception. Each item shows a higher correlation coefficient within its own scale than the others which indicates high construct validity. QOL-OC demonstrates fairly good statistical reliability, validity, and feasibility. However, further tests and modification are needed to ensure its applicability to the quality-of-life assessment of Chinese oral cancer patients.

  15. Neutron irradiation damage of a stress relieved TZM alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abe, K.; Masuyama, T.; Satou, M.; Hamilton, M.L.

    1992-01-01

    The objective of this work is to study defect microstructures and irradiation hardening in a stress relieved TZM alloy after irradiation in the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) using the Materials Open Test Assembly (MOTA). Disk specimens of the molybdenum alloy TZM that had been stress relieved at 1199 K (929 C) for 0.9 ks (15 min.) were irradiated in the FFTF/MOTA 1F at 679, 793 and 873 K (406, 520, and 600 C) to a fast fluence of ∼9.6 x 10 22 n/cm 2 . Microstructures were observed in a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Dislocation structures consisted of isolated loops, aggregated loops (rafts) and elongated dislocations. The size of the loops increased with the irradiation temperature. Void swelling was about 1 and 2% at 793 and 873 K (520 and 600 C), respectively. A void lattice was developed in the body centered cubic (bcc) structure with a spacing of 26 - 28 nm. The fine grain size (0.5 - 2 μm) was retained following high temperature irradiation, indicating that the stress relief heat treatment may extend the material's resistance to radiation damage up to high fluence levels. Microhardness measurements indicated that irradiation hardening increased with irradiation temperature. The relationship between the microstructure and the observed hardening was determined

  16. The Selective Mutism Questionnaire: Measurement Structure and Validity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Letamendi, Andrea M.; Chavira, Denise A.; Hitchcock, Carla A.; Roesch, Scott C.; Shipon-Blum, Elisa; Stein, Murray B.; Roesch, Scott C.

    2010-01-01

    Objective To evaluate the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the 17-item Selective Mutism Questionnaire. Method Diagnostic interviews were administered via telephone to 102 parents of children identified with selective mutism (SM) and 43 parents of children without SM from varying U.S. geographic regions. Children were between the ages of 3 and 11 inclusive and comprised 58% girls and 42% boys. SM diagnoses were determined using the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for Children - Parent Version (ADIS-C/P); SM severity was assessed using the 17-item Selective Mutism Questionnaire (SMQ); and behavioral and affective symptoms were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to investigate the dimensionality of the SMQ and a modified parallel analysis procedure was used to confirm EFA results. Internal consistency, construct validity, and incremental validity were also examined. Results The EFA yielded a 13-item solution consisting of three factors: a) Social Situations Outside of School, b) School Situations, and c) Home and Family Situations. Internal consistency of SMQ factors and total scale ranged from moderate to high. Convergent and incremental validity were also well supported. Conclusions Measure structure findings are consistent with the 3-factor solution found in a previous psychometric evaluation of the SMQ. Results also suggest that the SMQ provides useful and unique information in the prediction of SM phenomenon beyond other child anxiety measures. PMID:18698268

  17. Validation of the Short Self-Regulation Questionnaire for Taiwanese College Students (TSSRQ)

    OpenAIRE

    Yang-Hsueh Chen; Yu-Ju Lin

    2018-01-01

    While self-regulation has long been recognized as an important characteristic of an individual, instruments assessing the general aptitude of self-regulation remain limited especially in Asian countries. This study re-validated Carey et al.'s (2004) Short Self-Regulation Questionnaire based on a national sample of Taiwanese college students (N = 1,988). Item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) yielded 22 items in five internally consistent factors. De...

  18. Absenteeism screening questionnaire (ASQ): a new tool for predicting long-term absenteeism among workers with low back pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Truchon, Manon; Schmouth, Marie-Ève; Côté, Denis; Fillion, Lise; Rossignol, Michel; Durand, Marie-José

    2012-03-01

    Over the last decades, psychosocial factors were identified by many studies as significant predictive variables in the development of disability related to common low back disorders, which thus contributed to the development of biopsychosocial prevention interventions. Biopsychosocial interventions were supposed to be more effective than usual interventions in improving different outcomes. Unfortunately, most of these interventions show inconclusive results. The use of screening questionnaires was proposed as a solution to improve their efficacy. The aim of this study was to validate a new screening questionnaire to identify workers at risk of being absent from work for more than 182 cumulative days and who are more susceptible to benefit from prevention interventions. Injured workers receiving income replacement benefits from the Quebec Compensation Board (n = 535) completed a 67-item questionnaire in the sub-acute stage of pain and provided information about work-related events 6 and 12 months later. Reliability and validity of the 67-item questionnaire were determined respectively by test-retest reliability and internal consistency analysis, as well as by construct validity analyses. The Cox regression model and the maximum likelihood method were used to fix a model allowing calculation of a probability of absence of more than 182 days. Criterion validity and discriminative capacity of this model were calculated. Sub-sections from the 67-item questionnaire were moderately to highly correlated 2 weeks later (r = 0.52-0.80) and showed moderate to good internal consistency (0.70-0.94). Among the 67-item questionnaire, six sub-sections and variables (22 items) were predictive of long-term absence from work: fear-avoidance beliefs related to work, return to work expectations, annual family income before-taxes, last level of education attained, work schedule and work concerns. The area under the ROC curve was 73%. The significant predictive variables of long

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2009-05-13

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

  20. 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.

  1. The Role of Item Models in Automatic Item Generation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gierl, Mark J.; Lai, Hollis

    2012-01-01

    Automatic item generation represents a relatively new but rapidly evolving research area where cognitive and psychometric theories are used to produce tests that include items generated using computer technology. Automatic item generation requires two steps. First, test development specialists create item models, which are comparable to templates…

  2. 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.

  3. [Academic and psycho-socio-familiar factors associated to anxiety and depression in university students. Reliability and validity of a questionnaire].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balanza Galindo, Serafín; Morales Moreno, Isabel; Guerrero Muñoz, Joaquín; Conesa Conesa, Ana

    2008-01-01

    The high frequency of anxiety and depression in university students is related to social, family factors and academic stress. The aim of this research is to determine the internal consistency and validity of a questionnaire on socio-familiar and academic situations which may be related to psychopathological situations in university students. The research was carried out at the Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia with 700 students, to whom a questionnaire made by the researchers was given. This questionnaire included items which evaluated academic and socio-familiar aspects. Variables regarding various stressful situations amongst students, and the Goldbergs level of anxiety and depression scale were used as independent facts of research in order to measure the validity of the questionnaire. The reliability of the questionnaire was shown after obtaining an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.819. The original questionnaire with 19 items was reduced to 15 items after the homogeneity analysis, obtaining a Cronbach alpha of 0.758. The validity of constructio was evaluated with the factor analysis of the questionnaire, with a result of two factors which represented academic aspects and socio-familiar aspects. Those students with a positive anxiety and depression test were the ones who obtained the higher score on the global questionnaire and in both factors, proving the validity of the criteria. The research questionnaire is an agile and easy to use tool for the assessment and early detection of anxiety and depression in university students.

  4. Nursing Care Interpersonal Relationship Questionnaire: elaboration and validation 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borges, José Wicto Pereira; Moreira, Thereza Maria Magalhães; de Andrade, Dalton Franscisco

    2018-01-01

    ABSTRACT Objective: to elaborate an instrument for the measurement of the interpersonal relationship in nursing care through the Item Response Theory, and the validation thereof. Method: methodological study, which followed the three poles of psychometry: theoretical, empirical and analytical. The Nursing Care Interpersonal Relationship Questionnaire was developed in light of the Imogene King’s Interpersonal Conceptual Model and the psychometric properties were studied through the Item Response Theory in a sample of 950 patients attended in Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Health Care. Results: the final instrument consisted of 31 items, with Cronbach’s alpha of 0.90 and McDonald’s Omega of 0.92. The parameters of the Item Response Theory demonstrated high discrimination in 28 items, being developed a five-level interpretive scale. At the first level, the communication process begins, gaining a wealth of interaction. Subsequent levels demonstrate qualitatively the points of effectiveness of the interpersonal relationship with the involvement of behaviors related to the concepts of transaction and interaction, followed by the concept of role. Conclusion: the instrument was created and proved to be consistent to measure interpersonal relationship in nursing care, as it presented adequate reliability and validity parameters. PMID:29319743

  5. Better assessment of physical function: item improvement is neglected but essential.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruce, Bonnie; Fries, James F; Ambrosini, Debbie; Lingala, Bharathi; Gandek, Barbara; Rose, Matthias; Ware, John E

    2009-01-01

    Physical function is a key component of patient-reported outcome (PRO) assessment in rheumatology. Modern psychometric methods, such as Item Response Theory (IRT) and Computerized Adaptive Testing, can materially improve measurement precision at the item level. We present the qualitative and quantitative item-evaluation process for developing the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Physical Function item bank. The process was stepwise: we searched extensively to identify extant Physical Function items and then classified and selectively reduced the item pool. We evaluated retained items for content, clarity, relevance and comprehension, reading level, and translation ease by experts and patient surveys, focus groups, and cognitive interviews. We then assessed items by using classic test theory and IRT, used confirmatory factor analyses to estimate item parameters, and graded response modeling for parameter estimation. We retained the 20 Legacy (original) Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) and the 10 SF-36's PF-10 items for comparison. Subjects were from rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and healthy aging cohorts (n = 1,100) and a national Internet sample of 21,133 subjects. We identified 1,860 items. After qualitative and quantitative evaluation, 124 newly developed PROMIS items composed the PROMIS item bank, which included revised Legacy items with good fit that met IRT model assumptions. Results showed that the clearest and best-understood items were simple, in the present tense, and straightforward. Basic tasks (like dressing) were more relevant and important versus complex ones (like dancing). Revised HAQ-DI and PF-10 items with five response options had higher item-information content than did comparable original Legacy items with fewer response options. IRT analyses showed that the Physical Function domain satisfied general criteria for unidimensionality with one-, two-, three-, and four-factor models

  6. Development and validation of the Children’s Center Adaptation Questionnaire (CAC

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan Manuel Fernández Millán

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The present study aims at the development and validation of the Center Adaptation Questionnaire (CAC by statistical homogeneity analysis, factor analysis and both internal and external validity. The questionnaire was admi- nistered to 318 children and adolescents aged between 4 and 17, from different child/youth care centers in Melilla (Spain. Statistical analyzes indicate that the questionnaire has a structure formed by two factors and 8 additional items with a Cronbach Alpha suitable for both the overall rate of the scale (0.790 and their different dimensions. These data and the correlation between total scores and external adaptation measure allow us to conclude that the Center Adaptation Questionnaire (CAC is a reliable and valid instrument.

  7. Assessing item fit for unidimensional item response theory models using residuals from estimated item response functions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haberman, Shelby J; Sinharay, Sandip; Chon, Kyong Hee

    2013-07-01

    Residual analysis (e.g. Hambleton & Swaminathan, Item response theory: principles and applications, Kluwer Academic, Boston, 1985; Hambleton, Swaminathan, & Rogers, Fundamentals of item response theory, Sage, Newbury Park, 1991) is a popular method to assess fit of item response theory (IRT) models. We suggest a form of residual analysis that may be applied to assess item fit for unidimensional IRT models. The residual analysis consists of a comparison of the maximum-likelihood estimate of the item characteristic curve with an alternative ratio estimate of the item characteristic curve. The large sample distribution of the residual is proved to be standardized normal when the IRT model fits the data. We compare the performance of our suggested residual to the standardized residual of Hambleton et al. (Fundamentals of item response theory, Sage, Newbury Park, 1991) in a detailed simulation study. We then calculate our suggested residuals using data from an operational test. The residuals appear to be useful in assessing the item fit for unidimensional IRT models.

  8. Problems with the factor analysis of items: Solutions based on item response theory and item parcelling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gideon P. De Bruin

    2004-10-01

    Full Text Available The factor analysis of items often produces spurious results in the sense that unidimensional scales appear multidimensional. This may be ascribed to failure in meeting the assumptions of linearity and normality on which factor analysis is based. Item response theory is explicitly designed for the modelling of the non-linear relations between ordinal variables and provides a strong alternative to the factor analysis of items. Items may also be combined in parcels that are more likely to satisfy the assumptions of factor analysis than do the items. The use of the Rasch rating scale model and the factor analysis of parcels is illustrated with data obtained with the Locus of Control Inventory. The results of these analyses are compared with the results obtained through the factor analysis of items. It is shown that the Rasch rating scale model and the factoring of parcels produce superior results to the factor analysis of items. Recommendations for the analysis of scales are made. Opsomming Die faktorontleding van items lewer dikwels misleidende resultate op, veral in die opsig dat eendimensionele skale as meerdimensioneel voorkom. Hierdie resultate kan dikwels daaraan toegeskryf word dat daar nie aan die aannames van lineariteit en normaliteit waarop faktorontleding berus, voldoen word nie. Itemresponsteorie, wat eksplisiet vir die modellering van die nie-liniêre verbande tussen ordinale items ontwerp is, bied ’n aantreklike alternatief vir die faktorontleding van items. Items kan ook in pakkies gegroepeer word wat meer waarskynlik aan die aannames van faktorontleding voldoen as individuele items. Die gebruik van die Rasch beoordelingskaalmodel en die faktorontleding van pakkies word aan die hand van data wat met die Lokus van Beheervraelys verkry is, gedemonstreer. Die resultate van hierdie ontledings word vergelyk met die resultate wat deur ‘n faktorontleding van die individuele items verkry is. Die resultate dui daarop dat die Rasch

  9. The child play behavior and activity questionnaire: a parent-report measure of childhood gender-related behavior in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Lu; Winter, Sam; Xie, Dong

    2010-06-01

    Boys and girls establish relatively stable gender stereotyped behavior patterns by middle childhood. Parent-report questionnaires measuring children's gender-related behavior enable researchers to conduct large-scale screenings of community samples of children. For school-aged children, two parent-report instruments, the Child Game Participation Questionnaire (CGPQ) and the Child Behavior and Attitude Questionnaire (CBAQ), have long been used for measuring children's sex-dimorphic behaviors in Western societies, but few studies have been conducted using these measures for Chinese populations. The current study aimed to empirically examine and modify the two instruments for their applications to Chinese society. Parents of 486 Chinese boys and 417 Chinese girls (6-12 years old) completed a questionnaire comprising items from the CGPQ and CBAQ, and an additional 14 items specifically related to Chinese gender-specific games. Items revealing gender differences in a Chinese sample were identified and used to construct a Child Play Behavior and Activity Questionnaire (CPBAQ). Four new scales were generated through factor analysis: a Gender Scale, a Girl Typicality Scale, a Boy Typicality Scale, and a Cross-Gender Scale (CGS). These scales had satisfactory internal reliabilities and large effect sizes for gender. The CPBAQ is believed to be a promising instrument for measuring children's gender-related behavior in China.

  10. 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.

  11. A parent-report gender identity questionnaire for children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Laurel L; Bradley, Susan J; Birkenfeld-Adams, Andrea S; Kuksis, Myra A Radzins; Maing, Dianne M; Mitchell, Janet N; Zucker, Kenneth J

    2004-04-01

    This paper reports on the psychometric properties of a 16-item parent-report Gender Identity Questionnaire, originally developed by P. H. Elizabeth and R. Green (1984), to aid in the assessment of children with potential problems in their gender identity development. The questionnaire, which covered aspects of the core phenomenology of gender identity disorder (GID), was completed by parents of gender-referred children (N = 325) and controls (siblings, clinic-referred, and nonreferred; N = 504), who ranged in age from 2.5-12 years (mean age, 7.6 years). Factor-analysis indicated that a one-factor solution, containing 14 of the 16 items with factor loadings > or =.30, best fit the data, accounting for 43.7% of the variance. The gender-referred children had a significantly more deviant total score than did the controls, with a large effect size of 3.70. The GIQ total score had negligible age effects, indicating that the questionnaire has utility for assessing change over time. The gender-referred children who met the complete DSM criteria for GID had a significantly more deviant total score than did the children who were subthreshold for GID, although the latter group had a mean score that was closer to the threshold cases than to the controls. With a specificity rate set at 95% for the controls, the sensitivity rate for the probands was 86.8%. It is concluded that this parent-report gender identity questionnaire has excellent psychometric properties and can serve as a useful screening device for front-line clinicians, for whom more extensive, expensive, and time-consuming assessment procedures may be precluded.

  12. Validation of a Self-Report Questionnaire Assessing the Bodily and Physiological Sensations of Orgasm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dubray, Samantha; Gérard, Marina; Beaulieu-Prévost, Dominic; Courtois, Frédérique

    2017-02-01

    Despite a plethora of research on sexual functioning during the past decades, the field is still lacking standardized measurements specifically characterizing orgasm. Although several validated tools are available to assess sexual function in healthy and clinical populations, items on orgasm are limited to frequency or dichotomous responses. A neurophysiologic model of orgasm developed from previous research in able-bodied and spinally injured populations offers a promising framework for the construction of a new questionnaire. To develop and validate a brief self-report measurement of orgasm by the assessment of bodily and physiologic sensations perceived during climax by able-bodied individuals. Although the currently available tool focuses on the phenomenological sensations associated with climax, the goal of this questionnaire was to capture the more specific genital and extragenital sensations associated with orgasm. The current Bodily Sensations of Orgasm questionnaire and the Orgasm Rating Scale. Data from previous research conducted on individuals with spinal cord injury and the available empirical literature provided a pool of 45 items organized into four categories, which were reviewed by an expert panel. Upon review, a 28-item questionnaire was created and administered to a community sample of 227 participants, including men and women, 18 to 73 years old. Exploratory factor analyses supported the four-factor model, in which orgasm is comprised of extragenital sensations, genital sensations and spasms, nociceptive sensations, and sweating responses. Overall, a high degree of internal consistency was found for the final 22-item questionnaire (Cronbach α = 0.87), with individual reliability coefficients showing moderate to high internal consistency (r = 0.65-0.79) for each dimension. Overall temporal stability of the measurement was acceptable (r = 0.74). Using the Orgasm Rating Scale, satisfying convergent validity was confirmed, thereby indicating

  13. Correlates of Abusing and Misusing Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers Among Adult Population of Wrocław (Poland).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wójta-Kempa, Monika; Krzyżanowski, Dominik M

    2016-01-01

    Almost 90% of households in Poland buy medicines on their own initiative. The most popular OTC medicines bought by Polish consumers are painkillers and non-steroid-anti-inflammatory drugs. The aim of this article was to recognize and describe the most important predictive factors of the abuse and misuse of over-the-counter pain relievers among adults in Wrocław (Poland). The groups of users were selected and described. Some examples of misuse were analyzed. Three hundred eighty six adult inhabitants of Wrocław took part in the survey. The quota sample was representative referring to the most important socio-demographic factors (sex and median age). Almost 91% of participants declare taking OTC pain relievers, and 1.3% of them are their daily users. Only 6.2% of adult inhabitants of Wrocław never take OTC pain relievers. The category of "heavy users" embraces 11% of participants. The most important risk factors of overusing OTC pain relievers are sex (female), age over 55 years and the low health status. Only half of participants read the box label regularly and 25% of users admit they have modified recommended doses. Over 60% shortened recommended intervals between doses and 16% took two or more different pain medications (containing different substances). The non-medical purposes of using OTC pain relievers were: tiredness (7%), stressful situations (5.4%), and discomfort (18.4%). Some users take pain medications to cure hangovers (26%), or instead of the appropriate medicine (7%). About 20% take pain medications without a doctor's advice for longer than the recommended 3 days, and 10% never consult taking such medications with doctors. Pain should be treated aggressively and successfully, especially among chronically ill patients. We should monitor the consumption of OTC pain relievers and limit their current excessively supply and high availability.

  14. [Development of a questionnaire for measuring effort-reward imbalance in household and family work].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sperlich, Stefanie; Arnhold-Kerri, Sonja; Engelke, Sonja; Noeres, Dorothee; Collatz, Jürgen; Geyer, Siegfried

    2009-05-01

    Siegrists concept of effort-reward imbalance (ERI) had been shown to be associated with a broad range of health impairments, in particular cardiovascular diseases and depression. The original questionnaire was designed to assess ERI in the field of occupational work. This paper reports on a newly developed questionnaire for the assessment of ERI in household and family work. Analogous to the original version, it is divided into two components: (i) dysbalance of effort and reward (extrinsic component), and (ii) over-commitment (intrinsic components). The questionnaire was tested with data drawn from a clinical sample of mothers (n = 567) in rehabilitation clinics. Factor analyses have reproduced the two main dimensions "effort" and "reward". Relevant aspects of reward at home were (i) meaningfulness, (ii) social gratification, (iii) appreciation from the spouse, and (iv) affection for the child. Finally a 19-item questionnaire for assessing ERI in household and family work (ERI-M) and a four-item measure for measuring parental over-commitment (Over-M) are available. The psychometric properties of both instruments are good to satisfactory.

  15. Development and validation of a novel patient-reported treatment satisfaction measure for hyperfunctional facial lines: facial line satisfaction questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pompilus, Farrah; Burgess, Somali; Hudgens, Stacie; Banderas, Benjamin; Daniels, Selena

    2015-12-01

    Facial lines or wrinkles are among the most visible signs of aging, and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures are becoming increasingly popular. The aim of this study was to develop and validate the Facial Line Satisfaction Questionnaire (FLSQ) for use in adults with upper facial lines (UFL). A literature review, concept elicitation interviews (n = 33), and cognitive debriefing interviews (n = 23) of adults with UFL were conducted to develop the FLSQ. The FLSQ comprises Baseline and Follow-up versions and was field-tested with 150 subjects in a US observational study designed to assess its psychometric performance. Analyses included acceptability (item and scale distribution [i.e. missingness, floor, and ceiling effects]), reliability, and validity (including concurrent validity). In total, 69 concepts were elicited during patient interviews. Following cognitive debriefing interviews, the FLSQ-Baseline version included 11 items and the Follow-up version included 13 items. Response rates for the FLSQ were 100% and 73% at baseline and follow-up, respectively; no items had excessive missing data. Questionnaire scale scores were normally distributed. Most domain scores demonstrated good internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α ≥ 0.70). Most items within their respective domains exhibited good convergent (item-scale correlations > 0.40) and discriminant (items had higher correlation with their hypothesized scales than other scales) validity. Concurrent validity correlation coefficients of the FLSQ domain scores with the associated concurrent measures were acceptable (range: r = 0.40-0.70). Six FLSQ items demonstrated reliability and validity as stand-alone items outside their domains. The FLSQ is a valid questionnaire for assessing treatment expectations, satisfaction, impact, and preference in adults with UFL. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. 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.

  17. Controlled trial of the effect of length, incentives, and follow-up techniques on response to a mailed questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffman, S C; Burke, A E; Helzlsouer, K J; Comstock, G W

    1998-11-15

    Mailed questionnaires are an economical method of data collection for epidemiologic studies, but response tends to be lower than for telephone or personal interviews. As part of a follow-up study of volunteers who provided a brief health history and blood sample for a blood specimen bank in 1989, the authors conducted a controlled trial of the effect of length, incentives, and follow-up techniques on response to a mailed questionnaire. Interventions tested included variations on length of the questionnaire, effect of a monetary incentive, and effect of a postcard reminder versus a letter accompanied by a second questionnaire. Response was similar for the short (16-item, 4-page) and long (76-item, 16-page) questionnaire groups. The non-monetary [corrected] incentive did not improve the frequency of response. The second mailing of a questionnaire was significantly better than a postcard reminder in improving responses (23% vs. 10%). It is important to systematically test marketing principles to determine which techniques are effective in increasing response to mailed questionnaires for epidemiologic studies.

  18. A Taiwanese food frequency questionnaire correlates with plasma docosahexaenoic acid but not with plasma eicosapentaenoic acid levels: questionnaires and plasma biomarkers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chien, Kuo-Liong; Lee, Meei-Shyuan; Tsai, Yi-Tsen; Chen, Pey-Rong; Lin, Hung-Ju; Hsu, Hsiu-Ching; Lee, Yuan-The; Chen, Ming-Fong

    2013-02-16

    Little evidence is available for the validity of dietary fish and polyunsaturated fatty acid intake derived from interviewer-administered questionnaires and plasma docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) concentration. We estimated the correlation of DHA and EPA intake from both questionnaires and biochemical measurements. Ethnic Chinese adults with a mean (± SD) age of 59.8 (±12.8) years (n = 297) (47% women) who completed a 38-item semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire and provided a plasma sample were enrolled. Plasma fatty acids were analyzed by capillary gas chromatography. The Spearmen rank correlation coefficients between the intake of various types of fish and marine n-3 fatty acids as well as plasma DHA were significant, ranging from 0.20 to 0.33 (P food frequency questionnaire, were correlated with the percentages of these fatty acids in plasma, and in particular with plasma DHA. Plasma DHA levels were correlated to dietary intake of long-chain n-3 fatty acids.

  19. Item information and discrimination functions for trinary PCM items

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Akkermans, Wies; Muraki, Eiji

    1997-01-01

    For trinary partial credit items the shape of the item information and the item discrimination function is examined in relation to the item parameters. In particular, it is shown that these functions are unimodal if δ2 – δ1 < 4 ln 2 and bimodal otherwise. The locations and values of the maxima are

  20. The Groningen Radiotherapy-Induced Xerostomia questionnaire: Development and validation of a new questionnaire

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beetz, Ivo; Burlage, Fred R.; Bijl, Henk P.; Hoegen-Chouvalova, Olga; Christianen, Miranda E.M.C.; Vissink, Arjan; Laan, Bernard F.A.M. van der; Bock, Geertruida H. de; Langendijk, Johannes A.

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire (Groningen Radiotherapy-Induced Xerostomia (GRIX) questionnaire) that has the ability to distinguish between patient-rated xerostomia during day and night and can be used to evaluate the impact of emerging radiation delivery techniques aiming at prevention of xerostomia in more detail. Materials and methods: All questions in the GRIX were generated from an exhaustive list of relevant questions according to xerostomia as reported in the literature and reported by patients and health care providers. Finally the GRIX was reduced from 56 questions to a 14-item questionnaire, with four subscales; xerostomia during day and night and sticky saliva during day and night. 315 patients filled out 2936 questionnaires and the GRIX was evaluated by calculating Crohnbach's α for all subscales. Criterion validity was evaluated to compare the GRIX with patient-rated xerostomia scored with the EORTC QLQ-HN35 and physician-rated xerostomia, test-retest analysis and responsiveness were also tested. Results: Crohnbach's α varied for all subscales between 0.88 and 0.94. The GRIX scored well for criterion-related validity on all subscales with high correlations with the EORTC QLQ-HN35 xerostomia and sticky saliva scale as well with physician-rated toxicity scoring. No significant differences were found between test and retest score and the GRIX showed good responsiveness with different time points for all subscales. Conclusion: The GRIX is a validated questionnaire which can be used in future research focusing on patient-rated xerostomia and sticky saliva during day and night in relation with the impact of emerging radiation delivery techniques aiming at reduction of xerostomia.

  1. 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.

  2. Implementing the PAIN RelieveIt Randomized Controlled Trial in Hospice Care: Mechanisms for Success and Meeting PCORI Methodology Standards.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ezenwa, Miriam O; Suarez, Marie L; Carrasco, Jesus D; Hipp, Theresa; Gill, Anayza; Miller, Jacob; Shea, Robert; Shuey, David; Zhao, Zhongsheng; Angulo, Veronica; McCurry, Timothy; Martin, Joanna; Yao, Yingwei; Molokie, Robert E; Wang, Zaijie Jim; Wilkie, Diana J

    2017-07-01

    This purpose of this article is to describe how we adhere to the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute's (PCORI) methodology standards relevant to the design and implementation of our PCORI-funded study, the PAIN RelieveIt Trial. We present details of the PAIN RelieveIt Trial organized by the PCORI methodology standards and components that are relevant to our study. The PAIN RelieveIt Trial adheres to four PCORI standards and 21 subsumed components. The four standards include standards for formulating research questions, standards associated with patient centeredness, standards for data integrity and rigorous analyses, and standards for preventing and handling missing data. In the past 24 months, we screened 2,837 cancer patients and their caregivers; 874 dyads were eligible; 223.5 dyads consented and provided baseline data. Only 55 patients were lost to follow-up-a 25% attrition rate. The design and implementation of the PAIN RelieveIt Trial adhered to PCORI's methodology standards for research rigor.

  3. Role of treatment for depressive symptoms in relieving the impact of fatigue in HIV-HCV co-infected patients: ANRS Co13 Hepavih, France, 2006-2008.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michel, L; Villes, V; Dabis, F; Spire, B; Winnock, M; Loko, M-A; Poizot-Martin, I; Valantin, M A; Bonnard, P; Salmon-Céron, D; Carrieri, M P

    2010-09-01

    Fatigue is a major component of quality of life (QOL) and is associated with depression in HIV-HCV co-infected individuals. We investigated whether treating depressive symptoms (DS) could mitigate the impact of fatigue on daily functioning in co-infected patients, even those at an advanced stage of disease. The analysis was conducted on enrollment data of 328 HIV-HCV co-infected patients recruited in the French nationwide ANRS CO 13 HEPAVIH cohort. Data collection was based on medical records and self-administered questionnaires which included items on socio-behavioural data, the fatigue impact scale (FIS) in three domains (cognitive, physical and social functioning), depressive symptoms (CES-D classification) and use of treatments for depressive symptoms (TDS). After multiple adjustment for gender and unemployment, CD4 cell count <200 per mm(3) was associated with a negative impact of fatigue on the physical functioning dimension (P = 0.002). A higher number of symptoms causing discomfort significantly predicted a higher impact of fatigue on all three dimensions (P < 0.001). This was also true for patients with DS receiving TDS when compared with those with no DS but receiving TDS. A significant decreasing linear trend (P < 0.001) of the impact of fatigue was found across the categories 'DS/TDS', 'DS/no TDS', 'no DS/TDS' and 'no DS/no TDS'. Despite limitations related to the cross-sectional nature of this study, our results suggest that routine screening and treatment for DS can reduce the impact of fatigue on the daily functioning of HIV-HCV co-infected patients and relieve the burden of their dual infection.

  4. Development and Validation of the Drinking Motive Questionnaire Revised Short Form (DMQ-R SF)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuntsche, Emmanuel; Kuntsche, Sandra

    2009-01-01

    A short form of the Drinking Motive Questionnaire Revised (DMQ-R; Cooper, 1994) was developed, using different item selection strategies based on a national representative sample of 5,617 12- to 18-year-old students in Switzerland. To confirm the concurrent validity of the short-form questionnaire, or DMQ-R SF, data from a second national sample…

  5. [Development and pilot study of a questionnaire to assess child and teenager satisfaction with their stay in hospital].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gómez de Terreros Guardiola, Montserrat; Lozano Oyola, José Francisco; Avilés Carvajal, Isabel; Martínez Cervantes, Rafael Jesús

    To develop an instrument to assess the satisfaction of children and teenagers with their stay in hospital. A qualitative analysis of hospitalisation satisfaction dimensions based on the feedback of hospitalised children and teenagers; a content validation study by a group of experts of the items generated for the different satisfaction dimensions; and a pilot study to assess the usefulness of the questionnaire with a sample of 84 children and teenagers hospitalised in Andalusia. After successive refinements, a short questionnaire was obtained which took between 5 and 15minutes to complete. All items presented positive item-total correlations (r>0.18). The questionnaire showed an internal consistency index of 0.779 (Cronbach's alpha) and significant rank differences (Mann-Whitney U test; p0.151) in three satisfaction dimensions compared between hospitals. A short, easy-to-answer questionnaire was developed that is reliable regarding its internal consistency and sensitive to differences in hospital satisfaction dimensions. Once validated, it will be used to assess the satisfaction of children and teenagers with their hospital stay, in addition to being a potential indicator of quality of care. Copyright © 2016 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  6. Development and Preliminary Psychometrics of the Exercise Therapy Burden Questionnaire for Patients With Chronic Conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, William; Palazzo, Clémence; Poiraudeau, Serge

    2017-11-01

    To develop and validate a self-reporting questionnaire assessing the burden of exercise therapy for patients with chronic conditions. Measurement properties of an instrument. Outpatient clinics and tertiary care hospital. Patients (N=201) with at least 1 chronic condition and performing exercise therapy. Not applicable. The dimensional structure of the questionnaire was assessed by principal component analysis. Construct validity of the instrument was assessed by exploring convergent validity with the Treatment Burden Questionnaire (TBQ) and divergent validity with pain, self-efficacy, treatment satisfaction, and health state. Reliability was assessed with the Cronbach α coefficient, a test-retest method using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and Bland-Altman plotting. A preliminary list of items was developed from semistructured interviews with 28 patients and reviewed by 2 expert physicians. Items obtained were reduced. Then a sample of 163 patients was used to measure the psychometrics of the Exercise Therapy Burden Questionnaire (ETBQ), consisting of 10 items. Principal component analysis extracted 1 dimension. The Cronbach α was .86 (.82-.89). Test-retest reliability (n=24 patients) was good with an ICC of .93 (.85-.97), and Bland-Altman analysis did not reveal a systematic trend. The ETBQ showed expected convergent validity with the TBQ (ρ=.52) and expected divergent validity with pain (ρ=.37), self-efficacy (ρ=-.34), treatment satisfaction (ρ=-.49), and perceived health state (ρ=-.28). The ETBQ is the first questionnaire assessing exercise therapy burden in patients with chronic conditions. Its psychometric properties are promising. Copyright © 2017 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Structural and construct validity of the Whiplash Disability Questionnaire in adults with acute whiplash-associated disorders

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stupar, Maja; Côté, Pierre; Beaton, Dorcas E

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Few instruments are available to measure disability associated with whiplash-associated disorders (WAD). The Whiplash Disability Questionnaire (WDQ) was developed to measure disability resulting from WAD, but its validity is unknown for acute WAD. PURPOSE: The aim...... included insurance claimants who were aged 18 years or older and diagnosed with acute WAD Grades I to III. All participants completed the WDQ, a 13-item questionnaire scored from 0 (no disability) to 130 (complete disability). We assessed the factor structure of the WDQ and tested its construct validity...... against self-perceived recovery, neck pain (Numerical Rating Scale [NRS]), neck disability (Neck Disability Index [NDI] and Neck Bournemouth Questionnaire), health-related quality of life (36-Item Short Form Health Survey [SF-36]), and depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale...

  8. Qualitative Development and Content Validation of the PROMIS Pediatric Sleep Health Items.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bevans, Katherine B; Meltzer, Lisa J; De La Motte, Anna; Kratchman, Amy; Viél, Dominique; Forrest, Christopher B

    2018-04-25

    To develop the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pediatric Sleep Health item pool and evaluate its content validity. Participants included 8 expert sleep clinician-researchers, 64 children ages 8-17 years, and 54 parents of children ages 5-17 years. We started with item concepts and expressions from the PROMIS Sleep Disturbance and Sleep Related Impairment adult measures. Additional pediatric sleep health concepts were generated by expert (n = 8), child (n = 28), and parent (n = 33) concept elicitation interviews and a systematic review of existing pediatric sleep health questionnaires. Content validity of the item pool was evaluated with item translatability review, readability analysis, and child (n = 36) and parent (n = 21) cognitive interviews. The final pediatric Sleep Health item pool includes 43 items that assess sleep disturbance (children's capacity to fall and stay asleep, sleep quality, dreams, and parasomnias) and sleep-related impairments (daytime sleepiness, low energy, difficulty waking up, and the impact of sleep and sleepiness on cognition, affect, behavior, and daily activities). Items are translatable and relevant and well understood by children ages 8-17 and parents of children ages 5-17. Rigorous qualitative procedures were used to develop and evaluate the content validity of the PROMIS Pediatric Sleep Health item pool. Once the item pool's psychometric properties are established, the scales will be useful for measuring children's subjective experiences of sleep.

  9. Phase 1-3 of the cross-cultural development of an EORTC questionnaire for the assessment of sexual health in cancer patients: the EORTC SHQ-22.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oberguggenberger, Anne Sophie; Nagele, Eva; Inwald, Elisabeth C; Tomaszewski, Krzysztof; Lanceley, Anne; Nordin, Andy; Creutzberg, Carien L; Kuljanic, Karin; Kardamakis, Dimitrios; Schmalz, Claudia; Arraras, Juan; Costantini, Anna; Almont, Thierry; Wei-Chu, Chie; Dehandschutter, Sara; Winters, Zoe; Greimel, Elfriede

    2018-03-01

    To develop and pretest an European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Sexual Health Questionnaire (EORTC SHQ-22) for the assessment of physical, psychological, and social aspects of sexual health (SH) in male and female cancer patients and survivors. Questionnaire construction started with creating a list of relevant SH issues based on a comprehensive literature review. Issues were subsequently evaluated for relevance and prioritization by 78 healthcare professionals (HCP) and 107 patients from 12 countries during in-depth interviews (phase 1). Extracted issues were operationalized into items (phase 2). Phase 3 focused on pretesting the preliminary questionnaire in a cross-cultural patient sample (n = 171) using debriefing interviews. Psychometric properties were preliminary determined using a principal component analysis and Cronbach's alpha. We derived 53 relevant SH issues from the literature. Based on HCP and patient interviews, 22 of these 53 issues were selected and operationalized into items. Testing the preliminary 22-item short questionnaire resulted in a change of wording in five items and two communication-related items; no items were removed. Preliminary psychometric analysis revealed a two-factor solution and 11 single items; both scales showed good reliability indicated by a Cronbach's alpha of 0.87 (sexual satisfaction) and 0.82 (sexual pain). Cross-cultural pretesting of the preliminary EORTC SH questionnaire has indicated excellent applicability, patient acceptance, and comprehensiveness as well as good psychometric properties. The final development phase, that is psychometric validation (phase four) including large-scale, cross-cultural field testing of the EORTC SHQ-22, has commenced. © 2018 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Factor Structure and Validation of the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Questionnaire (DAPQ

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dino Krupić

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The last decade was extremely dynamic in the field of personality disorder. The extensive research has resulted with significant changes in conceptualization and assessment of personality psychopathology. DSM 5 has introduced a hybrid diagnostic model of personality disorders, which leads toward implementing dimensional instead of categorical approach to personality disorders. There are many questionnaires aimed to measure dimensions of personality psychopathology. However, they contain a large number of items, which may present a methodological problem in conducting research on large samples. Hence, the aim of this study is to present development of a short questionnaire aimed to measure main dimensions of personality psychopathology. The questionnaire, named Dimensional Assessment of Personality Traits Questionnaire (DAPTQ, contains 62 items distributed into 5 main scales; Negative Emotionality, Detachment, Compulsivity, Psychoticism and Antagonism, and two additional scales Grandiosity and Attention Seeking. Study was conducted on the sample of 456 high school students from Osijek and Koprivnica. The DAPTQ, YPI, LEXI - 70 and Ryff Scales of Psychological Well-Being were administered. Results indicate good psychometric properties, namely content, construct and convergent validity and reliability, of all scales of the DAPTQ. This paper discusses some measurement issues concerning personality psychopathology in adolescents' population and the ways in which they could be overcome.

  11. The Dimensional Assessment of Personality Psychopathology Basic Questionnaire: shortened versions item analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aluja, Anton; Blanch, Àngel; Blanco, Eduardo; Martí-Guiu, Maite; Balada, Ferran

    2015-01-13

    This study has been designed to evaluate and replicate the psychometric properties of the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Psychopathology-Basic Questionnaire (DAPP-BQ) and the DAPP-BQ short form (DAPP-SF) in a large Spanish general population sample. Additionally, we have generated a reduced form called DAPP-90, using a strategy based on a structural equation modeling (SEM) methodology in two independent samples, a calibration and a validation sample. The DAPP-90 scales obtained a more satisfactory fit on SEM adjustment values (average: TLI > .97 and RMSEA assessment of patients in hospital consultation or in brief psychological assessments.

  12. Validity of the Danish Prostate Symptom Score questionnaire in stroke

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tibaek, S.; Dehlendorff, Christian

    2009-01-01

    Objective – To determine the content and face validity of the Danish Prostate Symptom Score (DAN-PSS-1) questionnaire in stroke patients. Materials and methods – Content validity was judged among an expert panel in neuro-urology. The judgement was measured by the content validity index (CVI). Face...... validity was indicated in a clinical sample of 482 stroke patients in a hospital-based, cross-sectional survey. Results – I-CVI was rated >0.78 (range 0.94–1.00) for 75% of symptom and bother items corresponding to adequate content validity. The expert panel rated the entire DAN-PSS-1 questionnaire highly...... questionnaire appears to be content and face valid for measuring lower urinary tract symptoms after stroke....

  13. Health technology assessment of magnet therapy for relieving pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arabloo, Jalal; Hamouzadeh, Pejman; Eftekharizadeh, Fereshteh; Mobinizadeh, Mohammadreza; Olyaeemanesh, Alireza; Nejati, Mina; Doaee, Shila

    2017-01-01

    Background: Magnet therapy has been used increasingly as a new method to alleviate pain. Magnetic products are marketed with claims of effectiveness for reducing pain of various origins. However, there are inconsistent results from a limited number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) testing the analgesic efficacy of magnet therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of magnet therapy on reliving various types of pain. Methods: A systematic search of two main medical databases (Cochrane Library and Ovid Medline) was conducted from 1946 to May 2014. Only English systematic reviews that compared magnet therapy with other conventional treatments in patients with local pain in terms of pain relieving measures were included. The results of the included studies were thematically synthesized. Results: Eight studies were included. Magnet therapy could be used to alleviate pain of various origins including pain in various organs, arthritis, myofascial muscle pain, lower limb muscle cramps, carpal tunnel syndrome and pelvic pain. Results showed that the effectiveness of magnetic therapy was only approved in muscle pains, but its effectiveness in other indications and its application as a complementary treatment have not been established. Conclusion: According to the results, it seems that magnet therapy could not be an effective treatment for relieving different types of pain. Our results highlighted the need for further investigations to be done in order to support any recommendations about this technology.

  14. Validity and Reliability of the Questionnaire for Assessing Women’s Reproductive History in Azar Cohort Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Zakaria Pezeshki

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available This study was done to evaluate the validity and reliability of women’s reproductive history questionnaire which will be used in Azar Cohort study; a cohort that is conducted by Tabriz University of Medical Science in Shabestar county for identifying risk factors of no communicable diseases. Content and face validity were evaluated by ten experts in the field and quantified as content validity index (CVI and content validity ratio (CVR. To assess the reliability, using test-retest approach, kappa statistic was calculated for categorical variables and intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC was used for the quantitative items. The calculated CVI and CVR were 0.91and 0.94, respectively. Reliability for all items was high. The ICC was 0.99 and kappa statistic was equal to 1. The final version of questionnaire was redesigned in 26 items with 7 subscales.

  15. Item level diagnostics and model - data fit in item response theory ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Item response theory (IRT) is a framework for modeling and analyzing item response data. Item-level modeling gives IRT advantages over classical test theory. The fit of an item score pattern to an item response theory (IRT) models is a necessary condition that must be assessed for further use of item and models that best fit ...

  16. Orthorexia nervosa: validation of a diagnosis questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donini, L M; Marsili, D; Graziani, M P; Imbriale, M; Cannella, C

    2005-06-01

    To validate a questionnaire for the diagnosis of orhorexia oervosa, an eating disorder defined as "maniacal obsession for healthy food". 525 subjects were enrolled. Then they were randomized into two samples (sample of 404 subjects for the construction of the test for the diagnosis of orthorexia ORTO-15; sample of 121 subjects for the validation of the test). The ORTO-15 questionnaire, validated for the diagnosis of orthorexia, is made-up of 15 multiple-choice items. The test we proposed for the diagnosis of orthorexia (ORTO 15) showed a good predictive capability at a threshold value of 40 (efficacy 73.8%, sensitivity 55.6% and specificity 75.8%) also on verification with a control sample. However, it has a limit in identifying the obsessive disorder. For this reason we maintain that further investigation is necessary and that new questions useful for the evaluation of the obsessive-compulsive behavior should be added to the ORTO-15 questionnaire.

  17. Dimensional structure of the demand control support questionnaire: a Brazilian context.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hökerberg, Yara Hahr Marques; Aguiar, Odaleia Barbosa; Reichenheim, Michael; Faerstein, Eduardo; Valente, Joaquim Gonçalves; Fonseca, Maria de Jesus; Passos, Sonia Regina Lambert

    2010-04-01

    According to Karasek, job strain results from an interaction between high demands and low decision latitude. To reassess the dimensional structure and evaluate the internal consistency of demand control support questionnaire (DCSQ), a shortened version of job content questionnaire that was not sufficiently evaluated in validation studies. The study investigated 825 workers who completed the DCSQ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; to 399 workers, the questionnaire was self-administered at a hospital (2004-2005), and 426 workers were interviewed at nine restaurants (2006-2007). Confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation models was used to test theoretical structure of dimensionality. Internal consistency was evaluated by composite reliability and convergent validity by average variance extracted. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the instrument in three dimensions: demands, skill discretion and decision authority. The best fit model was achieved by removing social support at work and the item repetitive work (skill discretion). A cross-loading from learning new things on demands and an error measurement correlation between work fast and work intense were confirmed. Composite reliability was acceptable for all dimensions, except for demands (0.58), which also showed inadequate average variance extracted (0.32). This final model was confirmed in separate analyses according to work setting, but the loadings of demands were lower for restaurant workers. Our results indicated that skill discretion and decision authority formed two distinct dimensions. Additionally, the item repetitive work should be removed, as well as one of the items work fast or work intense (demands). Future research is still required to confirm these findings.

  18. 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.

  19. Development of a Taiwan cancer-related fatigue cognition questionnaire: reliability and validity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Shih-Chiung; Lin, Wei-Chun; Chen, Chien-Hsin; Wu, Szu-Yuan

    2017-04-25

    We prospectively designed a Taiwan cancer-related fatigue cognition questionnaire, version 1.0 (TCRFCQ-V1.0), for Taiwanese patients with cancer and investigated the reliability and validity of this questionnaire. The completion rate of the TCRFCQ-V1.0 was high (97% of the patients completed all items), and the rate of missing data was low (0.2%-1.1% for each item). Moreover, the Cronbach alpha value was 0.889. We eliminated 5 items because their respective Cronbach alpha values were higher than the total mean value of Cronbach's alpha. Overall, the TCRFCQ-V1.0 had adequate Cronbach alpha coefficients (range, from 0.882 to 0.889). In addition, the results of Bartlett's test were significant (chi-squared, 2390.11; p Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin statistic of 0.868. Through exploratory factor analysis, we identified 6 factors with eigenvalues of > 1, and the scree plot indicated no flattening factors. Overall, 28 items achieved a factor loading of ≥ 0.55. We enrolled patients with cancer who were aged > 18 years, had received a pathological diagnosis of cancer, and had undergone cancer treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or concurrent chemoradiotherapy at a single institute in Taiwan. Of the identified 167 eligible patients, 161 (96.4%) were approached. Of these patients, 6 (7.2%) declined to participate and 155 (92.8%) were interviewed. The initial 43 items in the TCRFCQ-V1.0 were assessed for ceiling and floor effects. The TCRFCQ-V1.0 is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring CRF cognition in Taiwanese patients with cancer.

  20. Measuring Health-Related Quality of Life in Strabismus: A Modification of the Adult Strabismus-20 (AS-20 Questionnaire Using Rasch Analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vijaya K Gothwal

    Full Text Available To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Adult Strabismus-20 (AS-20- a health-related quality of life (HRQoL questionnaire in adults with strabismus, and if flawed, to revise the AS-20 and its subscales creating valid measurement scales.584 adults (meanage, 27.5 years with strabismus were recruited from an outpatient clinic at a South Indian tertiary eye care centre and were administered the AS-20 questionnaire.The AS-20 was translated and back translated into two Indian languages. The AS-20 and its two 10-item subscales - 'psychosocial' and 'function'were assessed separately for fit to the Rasch model, including an assessment of the rating scale, unidimensionality (by principal components analysis, measurement precision by person separation reliability, PSR, targeting, and differential item functioning (DIF; notable > 1.0 logits.Response categories were not used as intended, thereby, required re-organization and reducing their number from 5 to 3. The AS-20 had adequate measurement precision (PSR = 0.87 but lacked unidimensionality; however, deletion of the six multi-dimensionality causing items and an additional three misfitting items resulted in 11-item unidimensional questionnaire (AS-11. Two items failed to satisfy the model expectations in the 'psychosocial' subscale and were deleted - resulting in an 8-item unidimensional scale with adequate PSR (0.81 and targeting (0.23 logits. One item misfit in the 'function' subscale and was deleted-resulting in a 9 item Rasch-revised unidimensional subscale with acceptable PSR (0.80 and targeting (0.97 logits.None of the items displayed notable DIF by age, gender and level of education.The AS-11 and its two Rasch-revised subscales - 8-item psychosocial and 9-item function subscale may be more appropriate than the original AS-20 and its two 10-item subscales for use as unidimensional measures of HRQoL in adults with strabismus in India. Further work is required to establish the validity of the

  1. 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

  2. Development of the functional vision questionnaire for children and young people with visual impairment: the FVQ_CYP.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tadić, Valerija; Cooper, Andrew; Cumberland, Phillippa; Lewando-Hundt, Gillian; Rahi, Jugnoo S

    2013-12-01

    To develop a novel age-appropriate measure of functional vision (FV) for self-reporting by visually impaired (VI) children and young people. Questionnaire development. A representative patient sample of VI children and young people aged 10 to 15 years, visual acuity of the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) worse than 0.48, and a school-based (nonrandom) expert group sample of VI students aged 12 to 17 years. A total of 32 qualitative semistructured interviews supplemented by narrative feedback from 15 eligible VI children and young people were used to generate draft instrument items. Seventeen VI students were consulted individually on item relevance and comprehensibility, instrument instructions, format, and administration methods. The resulting draft instrument was piloted with 101 VI children and young people comprising a nationally representative sample, drawn from 21 hospitals in the United Kingdom. Initial item reduction was informed by presence of missing data and individual item response pattern. Exploratory factor analysis (FA) and parallel analysis (PA), and Rasch analysis (RA) were applied to test the instrument's psychometric properties. Psychometric indices and validity assessment of the Functional Vision Questionnaire for Children and Young People (FVQ_CYP). A total of 712 qualitative statements became a 56-item draft scale, capturing the level of difficulty in performing vision-dependent activities. After piloting, items were removed iteratively as follows: 11 for high percentage of missing data, 4 for skewness, and 1 for inadequate item infit and outfit values in RA, 3 having shown differential item functioning across age groups and 1 across gender in RA. The remaining 36 items showed item fit values within acceptable limits, good measurement precision and targeting, and ordered response categories. The reduced scale has a clear unidimensional structure, with all items having a high factor loading on the single factor in FA and

  3. Developing a quality-of-life questionnaire for patients with respiratory illness

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Maillé, A. R.; Kaptein, A. A.; Koning, C. J.; Zwinderman, A. H.

    1994-01-01

    In this short report, the construction of a disease-specific quality-of-life questionnaire for patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is described. Some psychometric aspects are also discussed. We listed 221 items relating to several domains of quality-of-life, and

  4. Development of the Barriers to Physical Activity Questionnaire for People with Mobility Impairments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasudevan, Vijay; Rimmer, James H; Kviz, Frederick

    2015-10-01

    Despite the widely known benefits of physical activity, people with disabilities are more likely to be inactive when compared to people without disabilities. Previous questionnaires that measure barriers physical activity for people with disabilities do not measure barriers from an ecological perspective. The purpose of this study was to develop the Barriers to Physical Activity Questionnaire for People with Mobility Impairments (BPAQ-MI) that measures barriers using an ecological framework. This study consisted of two phases. In Phase one, developed the content validity by (a) developing an item bank, (b) identifying missing items and combining items using a Delphi panel, and (c) refine item wording via cognitive interviews. In Phase two, people with mobility impairments took part in in-person interviews to establish test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and construct validity of the BPAQ-MI. Exploratory factor analysis revealed the BPAQ-MI was comprised of eight subscales or factors: health; beliefs and attitudes; family; friends; fitness center built environment; staff and policy; community built environment; and safety. The BPAQ-MI demonstrated very good test-retest reliability. Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.792 to 0.935. The BPAQ-MI showed significant negative correlations with exercise (minutes/week) and significant positive correlations between BPAQ-MI subscales and inactivity (hours/day). The BPAQ-MI is the first questionnaire that places greater equity at measuring barriers to physical activity across the intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, and community domains. The BPAQ-MI has the potential to assist researchers in understanding the complex relationship between barriers and ultimately develop physical activity interventions that address these barriers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. The feeding practices and structure questionnaire: construction and initial validation in a sample of Australian first-time mothers and their 2-year olds

    OpenAIRE

    Jansen, Elena; Mallan, Kimberley M; Nicholson, Jan M; Daniels, Lynne A

    2014-01-01

    Background Early feeding practices lay the foundation for children’s eating habits and weight gain. Questionnaires are available to assess parental feeding but overlapping and inconsistent items, subscales and terminology limit conceptual clarity and between study comparisons. Our aim was to consolidate a range of existing items into a parsimonious and conceptually robust questionnaire for assessing feeding practices with very young children (

  6. The construction of a questionnaire to measure social entrepreneurship in physical education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Capella Peris

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available This article aims to design and validate an instrument that measures the social entrepreneurship of a group of university students participating in service-learning programmes in the field of Physical Education. Firstly, a literature review was carried out to determine the characteristics that define the social entrepreneur, to latterly develop an initial questionnaire that assessed these traits. After that, a logical review was undertaken, submitting the aforesaid questionnaire to various experts. Following a thorough screening process, the pilot questionnaire on which the empirical review was carried was defined and the questionnaire was applied amongst a sample of 188 subjects. The results of the logical review highlighted the quality, relevance and understanding of the selected items, with only 2 of the 19 characteristics of social entrepreneurship proposed being eventually discarded. The results of the empirical review gave a positive record, highlighting a total average of 3.82 points out of a possible 5. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire was evident as it obtained a score of 0.809 on Cronbach’s alpha, which suggest the inner strength of the questionnaire. In regard to factor analysis, the items were grouped into three broad categories, an issue which despite not coinciding fully with the initial approach, did not vary greatly. Thus, we conclude that the elaborated tool fulfilled its initial objective, and was still valid to measure social entrepreneurship. Its usefulness is based on the importance of promoting this competency within any field, especially in the educational domain.

  7. Criticality accident in uranium fuel processing plant. Questionnaires from Research Committee of Nuclear Safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kataoka, Isao; Sekimoto, Hiroshi

    2000-01-01

    The Research Committee of Nuclear Safety carried out a research on criticality accident at the JCO plant according to statement of president of the Japan Atomic Energy Society on October 8, 1999, of which results are planned to be summarized by the constitutions shown as follows, for a report on the 'Questionnaires of criticality accident in the Uranium Fuel Processing Plant of the JCO, Inc.': general criticality safety, fuel cycle and the JCO, Inc.; elucidation on progress and fact of accident; cause analysis and problem picking-up; proposals on improvement; and duty of the Society. Among them, on last two items, because of a conclusion to be required for members of the Society at discussions of the Committee, some questionnaires were send to more than 1800 of them on April 5, 2000 with name of chairman of the Committee. As results of the questionnaires contained proposals and opinions on a great numbers of fields, some key-words like words were found on a shape of repeating in most questionnaires. As they were thought to be very important nuclei in these two items, they were further largely classified to use for summarizing proposals and opinions on the questionnaires. This questionnaire had a big characteristic on the duty of the Society in comparison with those in the other organizations. (G.K.)

  8. 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.

  9. Development of a questionnaire to measure consumers' perceptions of service quality in Australian community pharmacies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mirzaei, Ardalan; Carter, Stephen R; Chen, Jenny Yimin; Rittsteuer, Claudia; Schneider, Carl R

    2018-06-11

    Recent changes within community pharmacy have seen a shift towards some pharmacies providing "value-added" services. However, providing high levels of service is resource intensive yet revenues from dispensing are declining. Of significance therefore, is how consumers perceive service quality (SQ). However, at present there are no validated and reliable instruments to measure consumers' perceptions of SQ in Australian community pharmacies. The aim of this study was to build a theory-grounded model of service quality (SQ) in community pharmacies and to create a valid survey instrument to measure consumers' perceptions of service quality. Stage 1 dealt with item generation using theory, prior research and qualitative interviews with pharmacy consumers. Selected items were then subjected to content validity and face validity. Stages 2 and 3 included psychometric testing among English-speaking adult consumers of Australian pharmacies. Exploratory factor analysis was used for item reduction and to explain the domains of SQ. In stage 1, item generation for SQ initially generated 113 items which were then refined, through content and face validity, down to 61 items. In stage 2, after subjecting the questionnaire to psychometric testing on the data from the first pharmacy (n = 374), the use of the primary dimensions of SQ was abandoned leaving 32 items representing 5 domains of SQ. In stage 3, the questionnaire was subject to further testing and item reduction in 3 other pharmacies (n = 320). SQ was best described using 23 items representing 6 domains: 'health and medicines advice', 'relationship quality', 'technical quality', 'environmental quality', 'non-prescription service', and 'health outcomes'. This research presents a theoretically-grounded and robust measurement scale developed for consumer perceptions of SQ in a community pharmacy. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  10. Validation of the verbal and social interaction questionnaire: nurses' focus in the nurse-patient relationship in forensic nursing care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rask, M; Brunt, D; Fridlund, B

    2008-11-01

    There is a need to develop a questionnaire that measures nurses' verbal and social interactions (VSI) with their patients from the nurses' perspective as well as from the patients' perspective in the psychiatric and especially in the forensic psychiatric field. The major aim of the present study was to determine the construct validity and the internal consistency reliability of the VSI questionnaire. The study had a methodological and developmental design and was carried out in four steps: construction of the items, face validity, data collection and data analysis. The number of items was reduced from 50 to 21. The factor analysis of the final 21 items resulted in three quite distinct factors, namely, 'inviting the patient to establish a relationship', 'showing interest in the patients' feelings, experiences and behaviour' and 'helping the patients to establish structure and routines in their everyday life'. The results showed satisfactory psychometric properties in terms of content validity, construct validity and the internal consistency reliability of the questionnaire.

  11. Reliability and validity study of Persian modified version of MUSIC (musculoskeletal intervention center – Norrtalje questionnaire

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jensen Irene

    2007-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs are a major health problem in the world. Self-reported questionnaires are a known method for estimating the prevalence of MSDs among the population. One of the studies concerning MSDs and their relation to work-related physical and psychosocial factors, as well as non-work-related factors, is the MUSIC-Norrtalje study in Sweden. In this study, the research group developed a questionnaire, which has been validated during its development process and is now considered a well-known instrument. The aim of this study is to validate the Persian version of this questionnaire. Methods The first step was to establish two expert panel groups in Iran and Sweden. The Focus Group Discussion (FGD method was used to detect questionnaire face and content validity. To detect questionnaire reliability, we used the test-retest method. Results Except for two items, all other questions that respondents had problems with in the focus group (20 of 297, had unclear translations; the ambiguity was related to the stem of the questions and the predicted answers were clear for the participants. The concepts of 'household/spare time' and 'physical activity in the workplace' were not understood by the participants of FGD; this has been solved by adding further descriptions to these phrases in the translation. In the test-retest study, the reliability coefficient was relatively high in most items (only 5 items out of 297 had an ICC or kappa below 0.7. Conclusion The findings from the present study provide evidence that the Persian version of the MUSIC questionnaire is a reliable and valid instrument.

  12. Development and Validation of the Adolescent Psychological Need Support in Exercise Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emm-Collison, Lydia G; Standage, Martyn; Gillison, Fiona B

    2016-10-01

    Grounded within self-determination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 2000; Ryan & Deci, in press), three studies were conducted to develop and psychometrically test a measure of adolescents' perceptions of psychological need support for exercise (viz., for autonomy, competence, and relatedness): the Adolescent Psychological Need Support in Exercise Questionnaire (APNSEQ). In Study 1, 34 items were developed in collaboration with an expert panel. Through categorical confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory, responses from 433 adolescents were used to identify the best fitting and performing items in Study 2. Here, a three-factor nine-item measure showed good fit to the data. In Study 3, responses from an independent sample of 373 adolescents provided further evidence for the nine-item solution as well as for internal consistency, criterion validity, and invariance across gender and social agent (friends, family, and physical education teacher). The APNSEQ was supported as a measure of adolescents' perceptions of psychological need support within the context of exercise.

  13. 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

  14. Effects of Competing Narratives on Public Perceptions of Opioid Pain Reliever Addiction during Pregnancy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kennedy-Hendricks, Alene; McGinty, Emma E; Barry, Colleen L

    2016-10-01

    Opioid pain reliever addiction has increased among women of reproductive age over the last fifteen years. News media and public attention have focused on the implications of this trend for infants exposed to opioids prenatally, with state policy responses varying in the extent to which they are punitive or public health oriented. We fielded a six-group randomized experiment among a nationally representative sample of US adults to test the effects of narratives portraying a woman with opioid pain reliever addiction during pregnancy on beliefs about people addicted to opioid pain relievers, perceptions of treatment effectiveness, policy attitudes, and emotional responses. Portraying a high socioeconomic status (SES) woman in the narrative lowered perceptions of individual blame for addiction and reduced public support for punitive policies. Depicting the barriers to treatment faced by a low SES woman lowered support for punitive policies and increased support for expanded insurance coverage for treatment. The extent to which narratives portraying successfully treated addiction affected public attitudes depended on the SES of the woman portrayed. These findings can inform the development of communication strategies to reduce stigma toward this population, reduce support for punitive policies, and increase support for more public health-oriented approaches to addressing this problem. Copyright © 2016 by Duke University Press.

  15. Validation of a questionnaire on hand hygiene in the construction industry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Timmerman, Johan G; Zilaout, Hicham; Heederik, Dick; Spee, Ton; Smit, Lidwien A M

    2014-10-01

    Construction workers are at risk of developing occupational contact dermatitis. Gloves, when used properly, may protect against chemicals and coarse materials. We investigated the prevalence and determinants of contact dermatitis in a population of Dutch construction workers and aimed at validating questionnaire items on hand hygiene. A cross-sectional study was conducted at 13 construction sites, yielding data of 177 subjects (95% response rate). A questionnaire covering questions on hand hygiene and contact dermatitis symptoms was used. Agreement between workplace observations and a number of questionnaire items was assessed by calculating Cohen's kappa. Log-binomial regression analysis was used to assess the association between contact dermatitis and various hand hygiene-related determinants. The 1-year prevalence of self-reported contact dermatitis in our study sample was 46.9%. Multiple regression analysis showed a positive association with difficulties with hand cleaning (prevalence ratio [PR]: 1.26, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05-1.52), hand contamination at the end of the working day (PR: 2.30, 95% CI: 1.14-4.65), and intensive hand cream use (PR: 2.07, 95% CI: 1.42-3.01). Observations of hand contamination, glove use, and glove types were found to agree well with the self-reported data from the questionnaire (Cohen's kappa's 0.75, 0.97, and 0.88). Self-reported contact dermatitis prevalence in construction workers was high and related to hand hygiene. A strong agreement was found between workplace observations and self-reported questionnaire data. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

  16. Selection of useful items for fall risk screening for community dwelling Japanese elderly from the perspective of fall experience, physical function, and age level differences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demura, Shinichi; Yamada, Takayoshi; Uchiyama, Masanobu; Sugiura, Hiroki; Hamazaki, Hiroshi

    2011-01-01

    This study aimed to examine useful items for screening the fall risk of community dwelling elderly from various perspectives, including fall experience, physical function level, and age level difference. 968 independently living elderly persons over the age of 60 (age: 70.0 ± 7.0) responded to 80 fall risk items representing 7 factors (physical function, fall history, using devices, fear of falling and inactivity, dosing, disease and disability, and environment) and an ADL questionnaire. The high fall risk response rate was calculated for each item and tested for statistical significance among age groups and those with and without fall experience. Cramer's V was calculated to examine the relationship between each item and the ADL. In addition, we selected items with significant differences in the high fall risk response rates between the faller and the non-faller groups, a significant relationship with ADL, and a significant difference among age groups. A total of 40 useful items were selected from each fall risk factor (decrease in physical function: 21 items, fall history: 2 items, device usage: 3 items, fear of falling and inactivity: 5 items, dosing: 0 items, disease and disability: 8 items, and environment: 1 item). Selected items can comprehensively and properly assess the fall risk of the healthy elderly as compared with existing questionnaires. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Psychometric properties of the Slovenian adaptation of the Revised Generic Occupational Stress Index Questionnaire (RG-OSI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nataša Sedlar

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available The Revised Generic Occupational Stress Index questionnaire (RG-OSI employs the cognitive ergonomics approach that quantifies the burden of stressors on cognitive resources of the employee. The model is structured as a 2-dimensional matrix, where each element is scored from 0 to 2 (sometimes with intermediate values of 0.5, 1.5 or 1.75 as a combination of various items based on multiple criteria. Due to uncommon scoring system of the questionnaire, our study aimed to explore the appropriateness of the existing scoring system and to get some information on validity of the scale on a Slovenian sample. The questionnaire has been applied on 349 Slovenian employees from different occupational groups and the data were analysed by means of correspondence analysis, classical reliability and item analysis and item response theory analysis. The results of correspondence analysis demonstrate that the response categories on individual variables are not always ordered. Furthermore, we conducted reliability analysis for scales, developed short versions of the scales, and obtained some preliminary information on their validity. The current study provides evidence that the described original scoring system in psychological measures may not be appropriate from the psychometric viewpoint.

  18. Construction of a web-based questionnaire for longitudinal investigation of work exposure, musculoskeletal pain and performance impairments in high-performance marine craft populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2017-07-20

    High-performance marine craft personnel (HPMCP) are regularly exposed to vibration and repeated shock (VRS) levels exceeding maximum limitations stated by international legislation. Whereas such exposure reportedly is detrimental to health and performance, the epidemiological data necessary to link these adverse effects causally to VRS are not available in the scientific literature, and no suitable tools for acquiring such data exist. This study therefore constructed a questionnaire for longitudinal investigations in HPMCP. A consensus panel defined content domains, identified relevant items and outlined a questionnaire. The relevance and simplicity of the questionnaire's content were then systematically assessed by expert raters in three consecutive stages, each followed by revisions. An item-level content validity index (I-CVI) was computed as the proportion of experts rating an item as relevant and simple, and a scale-level content validity index (S-CVI/Ave) as the average I-CVI across items. The thresholds for acceptable content validity were 0.78 and 0.90, respectively. Finally, a dynamic web version of the questionnaire was constructed and pilot tested over a 1-month period during a marine exercise in a study population sample of eight subjects, while accelerometers simultaneously quantified VRS exposure. Content domains were defined as work exposure, musculoskeletal pain and human performance, and items were selected to reflect these constructs. Ratings from nine experts yielded S-CVI/Ave of 0.97 and 1.00 for relevance and simplicity, respectively, and the pilot test suggested that responses were sensitive to change in acceleration and that the questionnaire, following some adjustments, was feasible for its intended purpose. A dynamic web-based questionnaire for longitudinal survey of key variables in HPMCP was constructed. Expert ratings supported that the questionnaire content is relevant, simple and sufficiently comprehensive, and the pilot test suggested

  19. Validation of a maternal questionnaire on correlates of physical activity in preschool children

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    Inskip Hazel M

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Valid measures of physical activity correlates in preschool children are lacking. This study aimed to assess the validity, factor structure and internal consistency of a maternal questionnaire on potential correlates of four-year-old children's physical activity. Methods The questionnaire was designed to measure the following constructs: child personal factors; parental support and self-efficacy for providing support; parental rules and restrictions; maternal attitudes and perceptions; maternal behaviour; barriers to physical activity; and the home and local environments. Two separate studies were conducted. Study I included 24 mothers of four-year-old children who completed the questionnaire then participated in a telephone interview covering similar items to the questionnaire. To assess validity, the agreement between interview and questionnaire responses was assessed using Cohen's kappa and percentage agreement. Study II involved 398 mothers of four-year-old children participating in the Southampton Women's Survey. In this study, principal components analysis was used to explore the factor structure of the questionnaire to aid future analyses with these data. The internal consistency of the factors identified was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Results Kappa scores showed 30% of items to have moderate agreement or above, 23% to have fair agreement and 47% to have slight or poor agreement. However, 89% of items had fair agreement as assessed by percentage agreement (≥ 66%. Limited variation in responses to variables is likely to have contributed to some of the low kappa values. Six questions had a low kappa and low percentage agreement (defined as poor validity; these included questions from the child personal factors, maternal self-efficacy, rules and restrictions, and local environment domains. The principal components analysis identified eleven factors and found several variables to stand alone. Eight of the composite

  20. The Development and Psychometric Properties of the Selective Mutism Questionnaire

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bergman, R. Lindsey; Keller, Melody L.; Piacentini, John; Bergman, Andrea J.

    2008-01-01

    Research on selective mutism (SM) has been limited by the absence of standardized, psychometrically sound assessment measures. The purpose of our investigation was to present two studies that examined the factor structure and initial reliability and validity of the Selective Mutism Questionnaire (SMQ), a 17-item parent report measure of failure to…

  1. Prescription Pain Reliever Abuse and Dependence among Adolescents: A Nationally Representative Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Li-Tzy; Ringwalt, Christopher L.; Mannelli, Paolo; Patkar, Ashwin A.

    2008-01-01

    The study investigates the prevalence, patterns, and correlates of adolescents' abuse, sub-threshold dependence, and dependence on prescription pain relievers (PPRs) in a nationally representative sample. Results show dependence on PPRs can take place without abuse and that sub-threshold dependence could have implications for major diagnostic…

  2. Factor analysis and Mokken scaling of the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire in nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Yami, M; Galdas, P; Watson, R

    2018-03-22

    To generate an Arabic version of the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire that would be easily understood by Arabic speakers and would be sensitive to Arabic culture. The nursing workforce in Saudi Arabia is undergoing a process of Saudization but there is a need to understand the factors that will help to retain this workforce. No organizational commitment tools exist in Arabic that are specifically designed for health organizations. An Arabic version of the organizational commitment tool could aid Arabic speaking employers to understand their employees' perceptions of their organizations. Translation and back-translation followed by factor analysis (principal components analysis and confirmatory factor analysis) to test the factorial validity and item response theory (Mokken scaling). A two-factor structure was obtained for the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire comprising Factor 1: Value commitment; and Factor 2: Commitment to stay with acceptable reliability measured by internal consistency. A Mokken scale was obtained including items from both factors showing a hierarchy of items running from commitment to the organization and commitment to self. This study shows that the Arabic version of the OCQ retained the established two-factor structure of the original English-language version. Although the two factors - 'value commitment' and 'commitment to stay' - repudiate the original developers' single factor claim. A useful insight into the structure of the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire has been obtained with the novel addition of a hierarchical scale. The Organizational Commitment Questionnaire is now ready to be used with nurses in the Arab speaking world and could be used a tool to measure the contemporary commitment of nursing employees and in future interventions aimed at increasing commitment and retention of valuable nursing staff. © 2018 International Council of Nurses.

  3. The european emergency number 112 - the questionnaire

    OpenAIRE

    Goniewicz Krzysztof; Goniewicz Mariusz; Misztal Okońska Patrycja; Witold Pawłowski; Czerski Robert

    2017-01-01

    Goniewicz Krzysztof, Goniewicz Mariusz, Misztal Okońska Patrycja, Witold Pawłowski, Czerski Robert. The european emergency number 112 - the questionnaire. Journal of Education, Health and Sport. 2017;7(7):1165-1174. eISSN 2391-8306. DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1117736 http://ojs.ukw.edu.pl/index.php/johs/article/view/5134 The journal has had 7 points in Ministry of Science and Higher Education parametric evaluation. Part B item 1223 (26.01....

  4. Item response theory analysis to evaluate reliability and minimal clinically important change of the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire in patients with severe disability due to back pain from vertebral compression fractures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Minji K; Yost, Kathleen J; McDonald, Jennifer S; Dougherty, Ryne W; Vine, Roanna L; Kallmes, David F

    2017-06-01

    The majority of validation done on the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) has been in patients with mild or moderate disability. There is paucity of research focusing on the psychometric quality of the RMDQ in patients with severe disability. To evaluate the psychometric quality of the RMDQ in patients with severe disability. Observational clinical study. The sample consisted of 214 patients with painful vertebral compression fractures who underwent vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty. The 23-item version of the RMDQ was completed at two time points: baseline and 30-day postintervention follow-up. With the two-parameter logistic unidimensional item response theory (IRT) analyses, we derived the range of scores that produced reliable measurement and investigated the minimal clinically important difference (MCID). Scores for 214 (100%) patients at baseline and 108 (50%) patients at follow-up did not meet the reliability criterion of 0.90 or higher, with the majority of patients having disability due to back pain that was too severe to be reliably measured by the RMDQ. Depending on methodology, MCID estimates ranged from 2 to 8 points and the proportion of patients classified as having experienced meaningful improvement ranged from 26% to 68%. A greater change in score was needed at the extreme ends of the score scale to be classified as having achieved MCID using IRT methods. Replacing items measuring moderate disability with items measuring severe disability could yield a version of the RMDQ that better targets patients with severe disability due to back pain. Improved precision in measuring disability would be valuable to clinicians who treat patients with greater functional impairments. Caution is needed when choosing criteria for interpreting meaningful change using the RMDQ. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of the Mental Vulnerability Questionnaire in Undergraduate Students.

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    Sequeira, Carlos Alberto da Cruz; Barbosa, Elsa Natalina Mendes; Nogueira, Maria José Carvalho; Sampaio, Francisco Miguel Correia

    2017-10-01

    Translate, adapt the language, and assess the psychometric properties of the Mental Vulnerability Questionnaire (MVQ) in a Portuguese population sample of young adults. A psychometric validation study was performed. The sample comprised 166 undergraduate students. Factor analysis was applied to extract three indicators. The MVQ showed divergent validity with the Positive Mental Health Questionnaire (p Mental Health Inventory including five items (p mental vulnerability. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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

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    Maria Rosaria Gualano

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available

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

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

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

  7. A study on the development of an infographic designer questionnaire and designer opinions

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    Yıldırım Serkan

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Technological developments and changes in how learning is understood have not only changed learning environments, but also how educational materials are developed. Infographics, one of the materials that are becoming increasingly more popular in learning environments, have nowadays become quite commonplace. Demonstrating the understanding of those who design such instructional materials is important with respect to the organisation of learning processes. In this study, we devised a questionnaire that aims to demonstrate the understanding infographic designers have of infographic design. A total of 94 students from the Department of Computer and Instructional Technologies Education of the Kazım Karabekir Faculty of Education took part in this study conducted during the fall semester of the 2013–2014 academic year. The participants were given a questionnaire consisting of 41 items that enquired about the readers’ views regarding infographic design. The collected data were assessed using Principal Component Analysis. Based on the analysis results, a questionnaire form consisting of 27 items and 8 factors (Understanding of Design, Design Process, Copyrights, Introduction, Readability, Sharing, References, Development was developed.

  8. Validity and Reliability of Asbestos Knowledge and Awareness Questionnaire for Environmental Asbestos Exposure in Rural Areas

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    Selma Metintaş

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective: There is no treatment for asbestos–related diseases, but they can be prevented. One of the first interventions is to improve the knowledge level of people in order to protect people from asbestos and asbestos–related diseases. The present study was conducted to develop a questionnaire for measuring the knowledge and awareness level of asbestos and also assess its validity and reliability in a rural population that is exposed to asbestos environmentally. Methods: A questionnaire, interviewer–administered, that included 37 items was employed on a convenient sample consisting of adult persons who attended a tertiary teaching hospital in Eskişehir where asbestos exposure is widespread in its rural areas. After assessment of validity and reliability of the results, the questionnaire was refined to 19 items and one subscale. Results: A total of 760 participants were included in this study. The mean age of participants was 53.2±15.1 years and 51.6% of them were male. The discrimination and difficulty indices of the asbestos knowledge and awareness questionnaire ranged between 20.0–60.5% and 0.39–0.98, respectively. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.951 for overall items. The median (min–max and mean (SD score of the study population were 30 (19–56 and 33.9 (11.9, respectively. The score increased correspondingly with greater knowledge levels. Conclusion: This questionnaire is a practical and easy tool to apply with acceptable reliability and validity on high-risk adults in rural areas with environmental asbestos exposure.

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

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    Pai Jar-Yuan

    2009-05-01

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

  10. Application of summative content analysis to a postal questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griffiths, Thomas Howard

    2016-01-01

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

  11. ViDa1: The Development and Validation of a New Questionnaire for Measuring Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alvarado-Martel, Dácil; Ruiz Fernández, M. Angeles; Cuadrado Vigaray, Maribel; Carrillo, Armando; Boronat, Mauro; Expósito Montesdeoca, Ana; Nattero Chávez, Lía; Pozuelo Sánchez, Maite; López Quevedo, Pino; Santana Suárez, Ana D.; Hillman, Natalia; Subias, David; Martin Vaquero, Pilar; Sáez de Ibarra, Lourdes; Mauricio, Didac; de Pablos-Velasco, Pedro; Nóvoa, Francisco J.; Wägner, Ana M.

    2017-01-01

    This study describes the development of a new questionnaire to measure health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with type 1 diabetes (the ViDa1 questionnaire) and provides information on its psychometric properties. For its development, open interviews with patients took place and topics relevant to patients' HRQoL were identified and items were generated. Qualitative analysis of items, expert review, and refinement of the questionnaire followed. A pilot study (N = 150) was conducted to explore the underlying structure of the 40-item ViDa1 questionnaire. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was performed and six of the items that did not load on any of the factors were eliminated. The results supported a four-dimensional structure for ViDa1, the dimensions being Interference of diabetes in everyday life, Self-care, Well-being, and Worry about the disease. Subsequently, the PCA was repeated in a larger sample (N = 578) with the reduced 34-item version of the questionnaire, and a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed (N = 428). Overall fit indices obtained presented adequate values which supported the four-factor model initially proposed [(χ(df=554)2= 2601.93) (p diabetes and low correlations with other constructs such as self-efficacy, anxiety, and depression were presented. The ViDa1 also discriminated between different aspects of clinical interest such as type of insulin treatment, presence of chronic complications, and glycemic control, temporal stability, and sensitivity to change after an intervention. In conclusion, the ViDa1 questionnaire presents adequate psychometric properties and may represent a good alternative for the evaluation of HRQoL in type 1 diabetes. PMID:28620331

  12. Psychometric Properties of Social Support Questionnaire to Measure Empowerment in Elderly Patients with Cardiovascular Disease in Iran

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    Maryam Musavinasab

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: Chronic diseases and functional decline can affect empowerment among the elderly in the lifestyle management to benefit from social support. Aim: The aim of the present study was to determine the psychometric properties of Social Support Questionnaire to measure empowerment in elderly patients with cardiovascular disease in Iran. Method: This study was conducted on 250 elderly patients with cardiovascular disease referring to the medical centers of Bushehr city, Iran, using the convenience sampling method. Results: Content validity index and content validity ratio were calculated as 0.94 and 0.96 respectively. Based on the exploratory factor analysis, the number of the questionnaire items was reduced to 23 items. Empowerment was classified under seven factors. The internal and external reliabilities of the questionnaire were estimated as 0.85 and 0.83, respectively. Implications for Practice: The final questionnaire had appropriate psychometric properties and strength of factor structure. Therefore, this tool can be used by the healthcare providers in the health care systems of Iran.

  13. Brazilian cross-cultural translation and adaptation of the "Questionnaire of Life Quality Specific for Myasthenia Gravis - 15 items"

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    Aline Mansueto Mourao

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Objective To translate and to perform the cross-cultural adaptation of the “Questionnaire of Life Quality Specific for Myasthenia Gravis - 15 items” (MG-QOL15. Method The original English version of the questionnaire was translated into Portuguese. This version was revised and translated back into English. Later, both English versions were compared and the divergences were corrected in the Portuguese text. At a second stage, ten patients with MG followed at the Neuromuscular Diseases Clinic from the University Hospital, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais answered the questionnaire. The authors analyzed the difficulties and misunderstandings in the application of the questionnaire. Results The questions 8, 13 and 15 were considered difficult to understand and were modified in the final Portuguese version. Most patients (70% had a total score above 25, and the statements 3, 8 and 9 showed the highest scores. Conclusion The Brazilian version of the questionnaire MG-QOL15 seems to be a promising tool for the assessment of Brazilian patients with MG.

  14. The Army Learning Organisation Questionnaire: Developing a Valid and Reliable Measure of Learning Organisation Characteristics

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-07-01

    FIML Full Information Maximum Likelihood KMO Kaiser-Meyer-Oklin LEQ Learning Environment Questionnaire LO Learning Organisation LOS Learning...adequacy of the correlations’ magnitude was initially tested by using Kaiser-Meyer-Oklin ( KMO ) (Kaiser, 1974) and Bartlett’s test of sphericity (see...Table 4). Table 4: EFA assumption testing of ALOQ: Adequacy of correlation strength Assumption tests 44 item set* 21 item set KMO measure of

  15. Automatic stress-relieving music recommendation system based on photoplethysmography-derived heart rate variability analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Il-Hyung; Cha, Jaepyeong; Cheon, Gyeong Woo; Lee, Choonghee; Lee, Seung Yup; Yoon, Hyung-Jin; Kim, Hee Chan

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents an automatic stress-relieving music recommendation system (ASMRS) for individual music listeners. The ASMRS uses a portable, wireless photoplethysmography module with a finger-type sensor, and a program that translates heartbeat signals from the sensor to the stress index. The sympathovagal balance index (SVI) was calculated from heart rate variability to assess the user's stress levels while listening to music. Twenty-two healthy volunteers participated in the experiment. The results have shown that the participants' SVI values are highly correlated with their prespecified music preferences. The sensitivity and specificity of the favorable music classification also improved as the number of music repetitions increased to 20 times. Based on the SVI values, the system automatically recommends favorable music lists to relieve stress for individuals.

  16. Development and validation of a new questionnaire measuring treatment satisfaction in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation: SAFUCA®.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruiz, Miguel A; González-Porras, José Ramón; Aranguren, José Luis; Franco, Eduardo; Villasante, Fernando; Tuñón, José; González-López, Tomás José; de Salas-Cansado, Marina; Soto, Javier

    2017-03-01

    To develop a new questionnaire with good psychometric properties to measure satisfaction with medical care in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. The initial instrument was composed of 37 items, arranged in 6 dimensions: efficacy, ease and convenience, impact on daily activities, satisfaction with medical care, undesired effects of medication, and overall satisfaction. Items and dimensions were extracted from reviewing existing instruments, 3 focus groups with chronic patients, and a panel of 8 experts. Additionally, 3 visual analog scales measuring quality of life, effectiveness, and overall satisfaction were administered. A convenience sample of 119 patients was used for item reduction. Classic psychometric theory and item analysis techniques were used (exploratory factor and confirmatory factor analysis, test-retest, and correlation with visual scales). A validation sample of 230 patients was used to assess convergent validity, and an additional 220 patients sample was used to discriminate between treatment and compliance groups. The questionnaire was reduced in length to 25 items, but the impact dimension had split in treatment inconvenience and treatment control. Overall reliability was high (α = 0.861) with acceptable dimensional reliabilities (α = 0.764-0.908). Individual dimensions correlated to varying degrees. Test-retest correlations were high (r = 0.784-0.965), and correlations with visual and already validated scales were substantial. Differences were detected between antivitamin K and new-oral-anticoagulant treatments in several dimensions (p satisfaction was related with compliance. This new 25-item questionnaire has good psychometric properties for measuring satisfaction with medical care in patients with this condition. It is capable of detecting differences between different treatments.

  17. Precipitating and Relieving Factors of Migraine Headache in 200 Iraqi Kurdish Patients

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    Ehsan K. Al-Shimmery

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: To study the precipitating and relieving factors of migraine headache in a group of Iraqi Kurdish patients including the effect of fasting in Ramadan, and to estimate the percentage of family history of migraine. Methods: A series of 200 migraine cases from different parts of the Kurdistan region in the North of Iraq attending the out-patient Neurology clinic at Rizgary Teaching Hospital and a private Neurology clinic at Erbil City was carried out between October 2007 and May 2008 were reviewed. The precipitating factors and relieving factors for migraine headache were registered and tabulated to be compared with others. Case definition of migraine was based on the International Headache Society (IHS criteria.Results: 33% of the patients were aged between 30-39 years, while 40.5% of patients experienced their first attack aged between 20-29 years. Stress or psychological upset was the commonest triggering factor (80%, followed by increasing physical activity (68%, change in weather (65.5%, and in relation to fasting (65%. Fasting in Ramadan was a triggering factor for headaches in 65% of patients. However, there was no significant association between the triggering factors with regards to sex difference. Relief of migraine in the studied sample was achieved using NSAIDs in 50% of patients, and sleep (45.5%. Hence, 61% of the study population had positive family history of migraine, 32.5% of them reported maternal history of migraine. Conclusion: Psychological upset, stress and excessive physical activity were the commonest triggering factors of migraine headache, while NSAID was the commonest relieving factor of migraine in this population. Family history was present in 61% of migraine patients based mainly from maternal root.

  18. Development of the conceptual framework for the Eye-Drop Satisfaction Questionnaire (EDSQ© in glaucoma using a qualitative study

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    Trudeau Elyse

    2007-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Compliance is a major issue in glaucoma care. It is usually poor in glaucomatous patients, and may ultimately result in an acceleration of the disease progression and a risk of blindness. Reasons for this poor compliance are complex and multifactorial, amongst which patient satisfaction can be counted. The objective of this study was to develop a questionnaire to assess patient satisfaction and compliance with eye-drop treatment. Methods A qualitative study was carried out to develop the questionnaire. An interview guide was developed based on a literature review. Structured interviews of fifteen French and English patients with primary open-angle glaucoma or intraocular hypertension were conducted by trained interviewers of the native language of the interviewees. General concepts and subconcepts were identified from the transcripts. The questionnaire was developed using the patient verbatim, and submitted to six patients (French and English for cognitive debriefing. Following patients' comments, items were modified and restructured, and a pilot questionnaire was designed. Results Analysis of data from the interviews with patients and clinicians resulted in the elicitation of concepts related to patient satisfaction and compliance with glaucomatous treatment. These were further refined and used to generate a test questionnaire, which consisted of 46 items grouped into 6 domains: patient characteristics, treatment characteristics, patient-clinician relationship, patient experience with the disease and the treatment, interaction between the patient and the treatment, and patient knowledge of the disease and the treatment. Conclusion The Eye-Drop Satisfaction Questionnaire (EDSQ conceptual framework and items were developed simultaneously in French and in English. This questionnaire could be used to evaluate patient satisfaction and compliance with eye-drop treatment and would facilitate the identification of patients at risk

  19. Development of the conceptual framework for the Eye-Drop Satisfaction Questionnaire (EDSQ) in glaucoma using a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nordmann, Jean-Philippe; Denis, Philippe; Vigneux, Marc; Trudeau, Elyse; Guillemin, Isabelle; Berdeaux, Gilles

    2007-08-06

    Compliance is a major issue in glaucoma care. It is usually poor in glaucomatous patients, and may ultimately result in an acceleration of the disease progression and a risk of blindness. Reasons for this poor compliance are complex and multifactorial, amongst which patient satisfaction can be counted. The objective of this study was to develop a questionnaire to assess patient satisfaction and compliance with eye-drop treatment. A qualitative study was carried out to develop the questionnaire. An interview guide was developed based on a literature review. Structured interviews of fifteen French and English patients with primary open-angle glaucoma or intraocular hypertension were conducted by trained interviewers of the native language of the interviewees. General concepts and subconcepts were identified from the transcripts. The questionnaire was developed using the patient verbatim, and submitted to six patients (French and English) for cognitive debriefing. Following patients' comments, items were modified and restructured, and a pilot questionnaire was designed. Analysis of data from the interviews with patients and clinicians resulted in the elicitation of concepts related to patient satisfaction and compliance with glaucomatous treatment. These were further refined and used to generate a test questionnaire, which consisted of 46 items grouped into 6 domains: patient characteristics, treatment characteristics, patient-clinician relationship, patient experience with the disease and the treatment, interaction between the patient and the treatment, and patient knowledge of the disease and the treatment. The Eye-Drop Satisfaction Questionnaire (EDSQ) conceptual framework and items were developed simultaneously in French and in English. This questionnaire could be used to evaluate patient satisfaction and compliance with eye-drop treatment and would facilitate the identification of patients at risk of being non-compliant prior to clinical trials or innovative

  20. 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:…