English as a Foreign Language--Teachers' Perspectives on Implementing Online Instruction in the Iranian EFL Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dashtestani, Reza

2014-01-01

This study set out to explore Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers' perceptions on the implementation of online EFL instruction. A mixed-methods design, including semi-structured interviews and questionnaires, was employed for the specific purposes of this study. A total of 242 EFL teachers participated in the questionnaire phase…

Importance and Satisfaction of Preventive Health Strategies in Institutions for People with Intellectual Disabilities: A Perspective of Institutional Directors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, J. D.; Yen, C. F.; Wu, J. L.

2005-01-01

Aim: To explore the perceptions of institutional directors on the preventive health strategies for people with intellectual disabilities in institutions. Methods: A structured questionnaire was conducted by a cross-sectional postal survey in all registered institutions in Taiwan in 2002. A total of 157 questionnaires were mailed, of which 121…

Development of a theory-based questionnaire to assess structure and control in parent feeding (SCPF).

PubMed

Savage, Jennifer S; Rollins, Brandi Y; Kugler, Kari C; Birch, Leann L; Marini, Michele E

2017-01-26

Parents shape children's eating environments and act as powerful socialization agents, impacting young children's behavioral controls of food intake. Most feeding measures assess parents' use of control to manage children's intake of energy dense foods. The Structure and Control in Parent Feeding (SCPF) questionnaire was developed to assess more positive aspects of feeding practices with their young children -setting limits, providing routines-that promote self-regulation, as well as controlling feeding practices. A mixed method approach was used to develop the SCPF. In 2013, cognitive interviews informed the modification, deletion and/or replacement of items. In 2014, the survey was distributed statewide to mothers of toddlers aged 12 to 36 months participating in the Women, Infants, and Children program. In 2016, exploratory factor analyses was conducted to test our theoretical parenting model and content validity and criterion validity were assessed (n = 334). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and second-order EFA revealed a 2-factor, 22-item Structure model and a 2-factor, 12-item Control model. Internal consistencies for all factors exceeded 0.70. As predicted, the Structure superfactor was positivity associated with responsiveness, whereas the Control superfactor was positively associated with demandingness on the Caregiver's Feeding Styles Questionnaire. The Structure subscales were also positively associated with mealtime behaviors and Control subscales were positively associated with control-oriented feeding measures from the Control in Parent Feeding Practices questionnaire. The SCPF questionnaire is a reliable tool that can be used to assess aspects of structure- and control-based feeding practices to better understand how parents feed their toddlers.

Examining Factor Structure and Validating the Persian Version of the Pregnancy’s Worries and Stress Questionnaire for Pregnant Iranian Women

PubMed Central

Navidpour, Fariba; Dolatian, Mahrokh; Yaghmaei, Farideh; Majd, Hamid Alavi; Hashemi, Seyed Saeed

2015-01-01

Background and Objectives: Pregnant women tend to experience anxiety and stress when faced with the changes to their biology, environment and personal relationships. The identification of these factors and the prevention of their side effects are vital for both mother and fetus. The present study was conducted to validate and to examine the factor structure of the Persian version of the Pregnancy’s Worries and Stress Questionnaire. Materials and Methods: The 25-item PWSQ was first translated by specialists into Persian. The questionnaire’s validity was determined using face, content, criterion and construct validity and reliability of questionnaire was examined using Cronbach’s alpha. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed in AMOS and SPSS 21. Participants included healthy Iranian pregnant women (8-39 weeks) who refer to selected hospitals for prenatal care. Hospitals included private, social security and university hospitals and selected through the random cluster sampling method. Findings: The results of validity and reliability assessments of the questionnaire were acceptable. Cronbach’s alpha calculated showed a high internal consistency of 0.89. The confirmatory factor analysis using the χ2, CMIN/DF, IFI, CFI, NFI and NNFI indexes showed the 6-factor model to be the best fitted model for explaining the data. Conclusion: The questionnaire was translated into Persian to examine stress and worry specific to Iranian pregnant women. The psychometric results showed that the questionnaire is suitable for identifying Iranian pregnant women with pregnancy-related stress. PMID:26153186

A proposed method to investigate reliability throughout a questionnaire

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Questionnaires are used extensively in medical and health care research and depend on validity and reliability. However, participants may differ in interest and awareness throughout long questionnaires, which can affect reliability of their answers. A method is proposed for "screening" of systematic change in random error, which could assess changed reliability of answers. Methods A simulation study was conducted to explore whether systematic change in reliability, expressed as changed random error, could be assessed using unsupervised classification of subjects by cluster analysis (CA) and estimation of intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The method was also applied on a clinical dataset from 753 cardiac patients using the Jalowiec Coping Scale. Results The simulation study showed a relationship between the systematic change in random error throughout a questionnaire and the slope between the estimated ICC for subjects classified by CA and successive items in a questionnaire. This slope was proposed as an awareness measure - to assessing if respondents provide only a random answer or one based on a substantial cognitive effort. Scales from different factor structures of Jalowiec Coping Scale had different effect on this awareness measure. Conclusions Even though assumptions in the simulation study might be limited compared to real datasets, the approach is promising for assessing systematic change in reliability throughout long questionnaires. Results from a clinical dataset indicated that the awareness measure differed between scales. PMID:21974842

African Primary Care Research: Performing surveys using questionnaires

PubMed Central

Mabuza, Langalibalele H.; Ogunbanjo, Gboyega A.; Mash, Bob

2014-01-01

The aim of this article is to provide practical guidance on conducting surveys and the use of questionnaires for postgraduate students at a Masters level who are undertaking primary care research. The article is intended to assist with writing the methods section of the research proposal and thinking through the relevant issues that apply to sample size calculation, sampling strategy, design of a questionnaire and administration of a questionnaire. The article is part of a larger series on primary care research, with other articles in the series focusing on the structure of the research proposal and the literature review, as well as quantitative data analysis. PMID:26245434

African primary care research: performing surveys using questionnaires.

PubMed

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

2014-04-25

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

How Do African American Young Adult Females (AAYAF) over 16 Years of Age Make Career Decisions?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grayson, Nancy Mathea

2010-01-01

Scope and Method of Study: The overall purpose of the study was to describe the perceptions regarding how AAYAF over 16 years of age plan and make career decisions. The study participants included ten AAYAF over 16 years of age. The young women were interviewed fact-to-face using a semi-structured open-ended questionnaire. The questionnaire was…

An evaluation of patients' experienced usability of a diabetes mHealth system using a multi-method approach.

PubMed

Georgsson, Mattias; Staggers, Nancy

2016-02-01

mHealth systems are becoming more common to aid patients in their diabetes self-management, but recent studies indicate a need for thorough evaluation of patients' experienced usability. Current evaluations lack a multi-method design for data collection and structured methods for data analyses. The purpose of this study was to provide a feasibility test of a multi-method approach for both data collection and data analyses for patients' experienced usability of a mHealth system for diabetes type 2 self-management. A random sample of 10 users was selected from a larger clinical trial. Data collection methods included user testing with eight representative tasks and Think Aloud protocol, a semi-structured interview and a questionnaire on patients' experiences using the system. The Framework Analysis (FA) method and Usability Problem Taxonomy (UPT) were used to structure, code and analyze the results. A usability severity rating was assigned after classification. The combined methods resulted in a total of 117 problems condensed into 19 usability issues with an average severity rating of 2.47 or serious. The usability test detected 50% of the initial usability problems, followed by the post-interview at 29%. The usability test found 18 of 19 consolidated usability problems while the questionnaire uncovered one unique issue. Patients experienced most usability problems (8) in the Glucose Readings View when performing complex tasks such as adding, deleting, and exporting glucose measurements. The severity ratings were the highest for the Glucose Diary View, Glucose Readings View, and Blood Pressure View with an average severity rating of 3 (serious). Most of the issues were classified under the artifact component of the UPT and primary categories of Visualness (7) and Manipulation (6). In the UPT task component, most issues were in the primary category Task-mapping (12). Multiple data collection methods yielded a more comprehensive set of usability issues. Usability testing uncovered the largest volume of usability issues, followed by interviewing and then the questionnaire. The interview did not surface any unique consolidated usability issues while the questionnaire surfaced one. The FA and UPT were valuable in structuring and classifying problems. The resulting descriptions serve as a communication tool in problem solving and programming. We recommend the usage of multiple methods in data collection and employing the FA and UPT in data analyses for future usability testing. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A proposed method to investigate reliability throughout a questionnaire.

PubMed

Wentzel-Larsen, Tore; Norekvål, Tone M; Ulvik, Bjørg; Nygård, Ottar; Pripp, Are H

2011-10-05

Questionnaires are used extensively in medical and health care research and depend on validity and reliability. However, participants may differ in interest and awareness throughout long questionnaires, which can affect reliability of their answers. A method is proposed for "screening" of systematic change in random error, which could assess changed reliability of answers. A simulation study was conducted to explore whether systematic change in reliability, expressed as changed random error, could be assessed using unsupervised classification of subjects by cluster analysis (CA) and estimation of intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The method was also applied on a clinical dataset from 753 cardiac patients using the Jalowiec Coping Scale. The simulation study showed a relationship between the systematic change in random error throughout a questionnaire and the slope between the estimated ICC for subjects classified by CA and successive items in a questionnaire. This slope was proposed as an awareness measure--to assessing if respondents provide only a random answer or one based on a substantial cognitive effort. Scales from different factor structures of Jalowiec Coping Scale had different effect on this awareness measure. Even though assumptions in the simulation study might be limited compared to real datasets, the approach is promising for assessing systematic change in reliability throughout long questionnaires. Results from a clinical dataset indicated that the awareness measure differed between scales.

The transferability of Western concepts to other cultures: validation of the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire in a Saudi Arabic context.

PubMed

Mahmood, Syed Imran; Daim, Syed Abdul; Borleffs, Jan C C; Heijne-Penninga, Marjolein; Schönrock-Adema, Johanna

2015-04-01

The importance of medical education research in Saudi Arabia has been acknowledged increasingly and a lot of concepts used have been derived from the Western world. The question arises, however, whether Western concepts and questionnaires are transferable to societies with different cultures. The aim of this study was to investigate the instrument structure and the reliability of the Arabic version of the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire-medium (ZKPQ-m). Three statistical methods with decreased amount of strictness were used to analyse our data: Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Procrustes rotation and Principal Component Analysis. Our outcomes did not confirm the original instrument structure. Instead, we found four interpretable components: Emotional Instability, Impulse-seeking, Activeness and Self-Control. However, the amount of explained variance was not very high and the internal consistencies ranged from unsatisfactory to only moderate. The data showed a high percentage of respondents agreeing with more than three items of the Infrequency scale, which may be attributable to the collectivistic culture in Saudi Arabia. We did not succeed in replicating the ZKPQ structure in the Arabic context. Social desirability, a common characteristic in collectivistic cultures, may have reduced the replicability of the internal structure of the ZKPQ-m. Different methods to measure concepts in collectivistic cultures may help to get round social desirability.

The feeding practices and structure questionnaire: construction and initial validation in a sample of Australian first-time mothers and their 2-year olds

PubMed Central

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 (<3 years). Methods Data were from 462 mothers and children (age 21–27 months) from the NOURISH trial. Items from five questionnaires and two study-specific items were submitted to a priori item selection, allocation and verification, before theoretically-derived factors were tested using Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Construct validity of the new factors was examined by correlating these with child eating behaviours and weight. Results Following expert review 10 factors were specified. Of these, 9 factors (40 items) showed acceptable model fit and internal reliability (Cronbach’s α: 0.61-0.89). Four factors reflected non-responsive feeding practices: ‘Distrust in Appetite’, ‘Reward for Behaviour’, ‘Reward for Eating’, and ‘Persuasive Feeding’. Five factors reflected structure of the meal environment and limits: ‘Structured Meal Setting’, ‘Structured Meal Timing’, ‘Family Meal Setting’, ‘Overt Restriction’ and ‘Covert Restriction’. Feeding practices generally showed the expected pattern of associations with child eating behaviours but none with weight. Conclusion The Feeding Practices and Structure Questionnaire (FPSQ) provides a new reliable and valid measure of parental feeding practices, specifically maternal responsiveness to children’s hunger/satiety signals facilitated by routine and structure in feeding. Further validation in more diverse samples is required. PMID:24898364

Mixed-method research protocol: defining and operationalizing patient-related complexity of nursing care in acute care hospitals.

PubMed

Huber, Evelyn; Kleinknecht-Dolf, Michael; Müller, Marianne; Kugler, Christiane; Spirig, Rebecca

2017-06-01

To define the concept of patient-related complexity of nursing care in acute care hospitals and to operationalize it in a questionnaire. The concept of patient-related complexity of nursing care in acute care hospitals has not been conclusively defined in the literature. The operationalization in a corresponding questionnaire is necessary, given the increased significance of the topic, due to shortened lengths of stay and increased patient morbidity. Hybrid model of concept development and embedded mixed-methods design. The theoretical phase of the hybrid model involved a literature review and the development of a working definition. In the fieldwork phase of 2015 and 2016, an embedded mixed-methods design was applied with complexity assessments of all patients at five Swiss hospitals using our newly operationalized questionnaire 'Complexity of Nursing Care' over 1 month. These data will be analysed with structural equation modelling. Twelve qualitative case studies will be embedded. They will be analysed using a structured process of constructing case studies and content analysis. In the final analytic phase, the quantitative and qualitative data will be merged and added to the results of the theoretical phase for a common interpretation. Cantonal Ethics Committee Zurich judged the research programme as unproblematic in December 2014 and May 2015. Following the phases of the hybrid model and using an embedded mixed-methods design can reach an in-depth understanding of patient-related complexity of nursing care in acute care hospitals, a final version of the questionnaire and an acknowledged definition of the concept. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Correlates of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale Method Effects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quilty, Lena C.; Oakman, Jonathan M.; Risko, Evan

2006-01-01

Investigators of personality assessment are becoming aware that using positively and negatively worded items in questionnaires to prevent acquiescence may negatively impact construct validity. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) has demonstrated a bifactorial structure typically proposed to result from these method effects. Recent work suggests…

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

PubMed

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.

Factorial Temperament Structure in Stuttering, Voice-Disordered, and Typically Developing Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eggers, Kurt; De Nil, Luc F.; Van den Bergh, Bea R. H.

2009-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the underlying temperamental structure of the Dutch Children's Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ; B. Van den Bergh & M. Ackx, 2003) was identical for children who stutter (CWS), typically developing children (TDC), and children with vocal nodules (CWVN). Method: A principal axis factor…

Development of a brief questionnaire to assess contraceptive intent.

PubMed

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.

Examining Factor Structure and Validating the Persian Version of the Pregnancy's Worries and Stress Questionnaire for Pregnant Iranian Women.

PubMed

Navidpour, Fariba; Dolatian, Mahrokh; Yaghmaei, Farideh; Majd, Hamid Alavi; Hashemi, Seyed Saeed

2015-04-23

Pregnant women tend to experience anxiety and stress when faced with the changes to their biology, environment and personal relationships. The identification of these factors and the prevention of their side effects are vital for both mother and fetus. The present study was conducted to validate and to examine the factor structure of the Persian version of the Pregnancy's Worries and Stress Questionnaire. The 25-item PWSQ was first translated by specialists into Persian. The questionnaire's validity was determined using face, content, criterion and construct validity and reliability of questionnaire was examined using Cronbach's alpha. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed in AMOS and SPSS 21. Participants included healthy Iranian pregnant women (8-39 weeks) who refer to selected hospitals for prenatal care. Hospitals included private, social security and university hospitals and selected through the random cluster sampling method. The results of validity and reliability assessments of the questionnaire were acceptable. Cronbach's alpha calculated showed a high internal consistency of 0.89. The confirmatory factor analysis using the c2, CMIN/DF, IFI, CFI, NFI and NNFI indexes showed the 6-factor model to be the best fitted model for explaining the data. The questionnaire was translated into Persian to examine stress and worry specific to Iranian pregnant women. The psychometric results showed that the questionnaire is suitable for identifying Iranian pregnant women with pregnancy-related stress.

Image and Imaging an Emergency Department: Expense and Benefit of Different Quality Assessment Methods

PubMed Central

Pfortmueller, Carmen Andrea; Keller, Michael; Mueller, Urs; Zimmermann, Heinz; Exadaktylos, Aristomenis Konstantinos

2013-01-01

Introduction. In this era of high-tech medicine, it is becoming increasingly important to assess patient satisfaction. There are several methods to do so, but these differ greatly in terms of cost, time, and labour and external validity. The aim of this study is to describe and compare the structure and implementation of different methods to assess the satisfaction of patients in an emergency department. Methods. The structure and implementation of the different methods to assess patient satisfaction were evaluated on the basis of a 90-minute standardised interview. Results. We identified a total of six different methods in six different hospitals. The average number of patients assessed was 5012, with a range from 230 (M5) to 20 000 patients (M2). In four methods (M1, M3, M5, and M6), the questionnaire was composed by a specialised external institute. In two methods, the questionnaire was created by the hospital itself (M2, M4).The median response rate was 58.4% (range 9–97.8%). With a reminder, the response rate increased by 60% (M3). Conclusion. The ideal method to assess patient satisfaction in the emergency department setting is to use a patient-based, in-emergency department-based assessment of patient satisfaction, planned and guided by expert personnel. PMID:23984073

The Integral Theory System Questionnaire: an anatomically directed questionnaire to determine pelvic floor dysfunctions in women.

PubMed

Wagenlehner, Florian Martin Erich; Fröhlich, Oliver; Bschleipfer, Thomas; Weidner, Wolfgang; Perletti, Gianpaolo

2014-06-01

Anatomical damage to pelvic floor structures may cause multiple symptoms. The Integral Theory System Questionnaire (ITSQ) is a holistic questionnaire that uses symptoms to help locate damage in specific connective tissue structures as a guide to reconstructive surgery. It is based on the integral theory, which states that pelvic floor symptoms and prolapse are both caused by lax suspensory ligaments. The aim of the present study was to psychometrically validate the ITSQ. Established psychometric properties including validity, reliability, and responsiveness were considered for evaluation. Criterion validity was assessed in a cohort of 110 women with pelvic floor dysfunctions by analyzing the correlation of questionnaire responses with objective clinical data. Test-retest was performed with questionnaires from 47 patients. Cronbach's alpha and "split-half" reliability coefficients were calculated for inner consistency analysis. Psychometric properties of ITSQ were comparable to the ones of previously validated Pelvic Floor Questionnaires. Face validity and content validity were approved by an expert group of the International Collaboration of Pelvic Floor surgeons. Convergent validity assessed using Bayesian method was at least as accurate as the expert assessment of anatomical defects. Objective data measurement in patients demonstrated significant correlations with ITSQ domains fulfilling criterion validity. Internal consistency values ranked from 0.85 to 0.89 in different scenarios. The ITSQ proofed accurate and is able to serve as a holistic Pelvic Floor Questionnaire directing symptoms to site-specific pelvic floor reconstructive surgery.

Hypersensitivity to sound in tinnitus patients: an analysis of a construct based on questionnaire and audiological data.

PubMed

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.

Usefulness of Self-Report Instruments in Assessing Men Accused of Domestic Violence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helfritz, Laura E.; Stanford, Matthew S.; Conklin, Sarah M.; Greve, Kevin W.; Villemarette-Pittman, Nicole R.; Houston, Rebecca J.

2006-01-01

Clinical assessment of domestic violence has traditionally relied on self-report methods of data collection, using structured interviews and lengthy questionnaires such as the MMPI-2. However, in certain situations such as court-ordered domestic violence evaluations, information obtained through self-report methods may be tainted because of…

Assessing motivation for work environment improvements: internal consistency, reliability and factorial structure.

PubMed

Hedlund, Ann; Ateg, Mattias; Andersson, Ing-Marie; Rosén, Gunnar

2010-04-01

Workers' motivation to actively take part in improvements to the work environment is assumed to be important for the efficiency of investments for that purpose. That gives rise to the need for a tool to measure this motivation. A questionnaire to measure motivation for improvements to the work environment has been designed. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the domains of the questionnaire have been measured, and the factorial structure has been explored, from the answers of 113 employees. The internal consistency is high (0.94), as well as the correlation for the total score (0.84). Three factors are identified accounting for 61.6% of the total variance. The questionnaire can be a useful tool in improving intervention methods. The expectation is that the tool can be useful, particularly with the aim of improving efficiency of companies' investments for work environment improvements. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structural and Contextual Dimensions of Iranian Primary Health Care System at Local Level

PubMed Central

Zanganeh Baygi, Mehdi; Seyedin, Hesam; Salehi, Masoud; Jafari Sirizi, Mehdi

2014-01-01

Background: In recent years, family physician plan was established as the main strategy of health system in Iran, while organizational structure of the primary health care system has remained the same as thirty years ago. Objectives: This study was performed to illustrate structural and contextual dimensions of organizational structure and relationship between them in Iranian primary health care system at local level. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted from January to June 2013, during which 121 questionnaires were distributed among senior and junior managers of city health centers at Medical Sciences universities in Iran. Validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by experts (CVI = 0.089 and CVR more than 0.85) and Cronbach α was utilized for reliability (α = 0.904). We used multistage sampling method in this study and analysis of the data was performed by SPSS software using different tests. Results: Local level of primary health care system in Iran had mechanical structure, but in contextual dimensions the results showed different types. There was a significant relationship between structural and contextual dimensions (r = 0.642, P value < 0.001). Goals and culture dimensions had strongest effects on structural dimensions. Conclusions: Because of the changes in goals and strategies of Iranian health system in recent years, it is urgently recommended to reform the current structure to increase efficiency and effectiveness of the system. PMID:25763257

Development and initial validation of the Parental PELICAN Questionnaire (PaPEQu)--an instrument to assess parental experiences and needs during their child's end-of-life care.

PubMed

Zimmermann, Karin; Cignacco, Eva; Eskola, Katri; Engberg, Sandra; Ramelet, Anne-Sylvie; Von der Weid, Nicolas; Bergstraesser, Eva

2015-12-01

To develop and test the Parental PELICAN Questionnaire, an instrument to retrospectively assess parental experiences and needs during their child's end-of-life care. To offer appropriate care for dying children, healthcare professionals need to understand the illness experience from the family perspective. A questionnaire specific to the end-of-life experiences and needs of parents losing a child is needed to evaluate the perceived quality of paediatric end-of-life care. This is an instrument development study applying mixed methods based on recommendations for questionnaire design and validation. The Parental PELICAN Questionnaire was developed in four phases between August 2012-March 2014: phase 1: item generation; phase 2: validity testing; phase 3: translation; phase 4: pilot testing. Psychometric properties were assessed after applying the Parental PELICAN Questionnaire in a sample of 224 bereaved parents in April 2014. Validity testing covered the evidence based on tests of content, internal structure and relations to other variables. The Parental PELICAN Questionnaire consists of approximately 90 items in four slightly different versions accounting for particularities of the four diagnostic groups. The questionnaire's items were structured according to six quality domains described in the literature. Evidence of initial validity and reliability could be demonstrated with the involvement of healthcare professionals and bereaved parents. The Parental PELICAN Questionnaire holds promise as a measure to assess parental experiences and needs and is applicable to a broad range of paediatric specialties and settings. Future validation is needed to evaluate its suitability in different cultures. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effect of inapplicable items in the factor structure of the Spanish version of the Ways of Coping Questionnaire.

PubMed

de Minzi, M C; Sacchi, C

2001-02-01

The aim of this work was to examine how the presence of inapplicable items might change the factor structure of the 1984 Ways of Coping Questionnaire by Lazarus and Folkman. The Spanish version of the Ways of Coping Questionnaire was administered to 156 subjects with university degrees. The 95 women and 61 men whose ages were from 18 and 45 years (M = 27.8, SD = 12.1) were of middle socioeconomic status. All were residents of Buenos Aires. To study whether relevant items modify the factor structure of the Ways of Coping Questionnaire, two factor analyses were carried out, one with items rated as not relevant (Item Mean) and the other with the same items rated as not chosen. In both factor analyses, principal axes method and oblimin rotation were performed, and five factors were considered. Congruence indexes were performed. Analysis showed that not choosing an item because it does not coincide with one's behavior or ideas is not the same as not selecting that item because it does not apply to the current threatening situation. Lack of discrimination between situations when analyzing data leads to a distorted interpretation of the way in which the subject actually behaves or copes with the situation.

Assessment of change in knowledge about research methods among delegates attending research methodology workshop.

PubMed

Shrivastava, Manisha; Shah, Nehal; Navaid, Seema

2018-01-01

In an era of evidence based medicine research is an essential part of medical profession whether clinical or academic. A research methodology workshop intends to help participants, those who are newer to research field or those who are already doing empirical research. The present study was conducted to assess the changes in knowledge of the participants of a research methodology workshop through a structured questionnaire. With administrative and ethical approval, a four day research methodology workshop was planned. The participants were subjected to a structured questionnaire (pre-test) containing 20 multiple choice questions (Q1-Q 20) related to the topics to be covered in research methodology workshop before the commencement of the workshop and then subjected to similar posttest questionnaire after the completion of workshop. The mean values of pre and post-test scores were calculated and the results were analyzed and compared. Out of the total 153 delegates, 45(29 %) were males and 108 were (71 %) females. 92 (60%) participants consented to fill the pre-test questionnaire and 68 (44%) filled the post-test questionnaire. The mean Pre-test and post-test scores at 95% Confidence Interval were 07.62 (SD ±3.220) and 09.66 (SD ±2.477) respectively. The differences were found to be significant using Paired Sample T test ( P <0.003). There was increase in knowledge of the delegates after attending research methodology workshops. Participatory research methodology workshops are good methods of imparting knowledge, also the long term effects needs to be evaluated.

Living with Autistic Spectrum Disorder: Parental Experiences of Raising a Child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glazzard, Jonathan; Overall, Katy

2012-01-01

The focus of the study was to explore parental experiences of raising a child with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). A mixed-method approach consisting of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews was used in order to elicit parental perspectives of raising a child with ASD. Two semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents of…

Development and psychometric evaluation of a women shift workers' reproductive health questionnaire: study protocol for a sequential exploratory mixed-method study.

PubMed

Nikpour, Maryam; Tirgar, Aram; Ebadi, Abbas; Ghaffari, Fatemeh; Firouzbakht, Mojgan; Hajiahmadi, Mahmod

2018-02-06

Although shift works is a certain treat for female reproductive health, but currently, there is no standardized instrument for measuring reproductive health among female shift workers. This study aims to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a Women Shift Workers' Reproductive Health Questionnaire (WSW-RHQ). This is a sequential exploratory mixed-method study with a qualitative and a quantitative phase. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews will be held with female shift workers who live in Mazandaran Province, Iran, additionally, the literature review will be performed by searching electronic databases. Sampling will be done in different workplaces and with maximum variation respecting female shift workers' age and job and educational and different economic situation. Interview data will be analyzed using conventional content analysis and then, the primary item pool for the questionnaire will be developed. In the quantitative phase, we will evaluate the psychometric properties of the questionnaire, i.e. its face, content, construct as well as reliability via the internal consistency, stability. Finally, a scoring system will be developed for the questionnaire. The development of WSW-RHQ will facilitate the promotion and implementation of reproductive health interventions and assessment of their effectiveness. Other scholars can cross-culturally adapt and use the questionnaire according to their immediate contexts.

Needs of the Learning Effect on Instructional Website for Vocational High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lo, Hung-Jen; Fu, Gwo-Liang; Chuang, Kuei-Chih

2013-01-01

The purpose of study was to understand the correlation between the needs of the learning effect on instructional website for the vocational high school students. Our research applied the statistic methods of product-moment correlation, stepwise regression, and structural equation method to analyze the questionnaire with the sample size of 377…

Design of psychosocial factors questionnaires: a systematic measurement approach

PubMed Central

Vargas, Angélica; Felknor, Sarah A

2012-01-01

Background Evaluation of psychosocial factors requires instruments that measure dynamic complexities. This study explains the design of a set of questionnaires to evaluate work and non-work psychosocial risk factors for stress-related illnesses. Methods The measurement model was based on a review of literature. Content validity was performed by experts and cognitive interviews. Pilot testing was carried out with a convenience sample of 132 workers. Cronbach’s alpha evaluated internal consistency and concurrent validity was estimated by Spearman correlation coefficients. Results Three questionnaires were constructed to evaluate exposure to work and non-work risk factors. Content validity improved the questionnaires coherence with the measurement model. Internal consistency was adequate (α=0.85–0.95). Concurrent validity resulted in moderate correlations of psychosocial factors with stress symptoms. Conclusions Questionnaires´ content reflected a wide spectrum of psychosocial factors sources. Cognitive interviews improved understanding of questions and dimensions. The structure of the measurement model was confirmed. PMID:22628068

[Design of a questionnaire on the knowledge and attitudes of the population of Madrid (Spain) facing the end-of-life].

PubMed

Ortiz-Gonçalves, Belén; Santiago-Sáez, Andrés; Albarrán Juan, Elena; Labajo González, Elena; Perea-Pérez, Bernardo

2017-12-05

To create and validate a questionnaire about knowledge and attitudes of the general population in Madrid (Spain) about life's end stage. A descriptive study designed as a structured self-administered questionnaire, validated by seven Madrid Health Service professional experts and assessed through a pilot study. The questionnaire consisted of 42 questions, divided into six modules: 1) decisions and psychological-physical care at life's end; 2) palliative care; 3) euthanasia and assisted suicide; 4) advance directives document; 5) spiritual factors; and 6) socio-demographic data. The questionnaire was a useful, indirect method to ascertain the opinion of life's end in the Autonomous Region of Madrid. If it were applied in primary health care and hospital care, comparisons could be made among users in different autonomous regions of Spain. Copyright © 2017 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Construction and Validation of Attitudes Toward Plagiarism Questionnaire

PubMed Central

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

2010-01-01

Aim To develop and test the psychometric characteristics of a questionnaire measuring attitudes toward plagiarism. Methods Participants were 227 undergraduates and graduate students 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. Results 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 α was calculated to confirm the reliability of the scale: factor I – α = 0.83; factor II – α = 0.79; and factor III – α = 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. Conclusion 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. PMID:20564761

Measurement invariance study of the training satisfaction questionnaire (TSQ).

PubMed

Sanduvete-Chaves, Susana; Holgado-Tello, F Pablo; Chacón-Moscoso, Salvador; Barbero-García, M Isabel

2013-01-01

This article presents an empirical measurement invariance study in the substantive area of satisfaction evaluation in training programs. Specifically, it (I) provides an empirical solution to the lack of explicit measurement models of satisfaction scales, offering a way of analyzing and operationalizing the substantive theoretical dimensions; (II) outlines and discusses the analytical consequences of considering the effects of categorizing supposedly continuous variables, which are not usually taken into account; (III) presents empirical results from a measurement invariance study based on 5,272 participants' responses to a training satisfaction questionnaire in three different organizations and in two different training methods, taking into account the factor structure of the measured construct and the ordinal nature of the recorded data; and (IV) describes the substantive implications in the area of training satisfaction evaluation, such as the usefulness of the training satisfaction questionnaire to measure satisfaction in different organizations and different training methods. It also discusses further research based on these findings.

Creation of the TXP parenting questionnaire and study of its psychometric properties.

PubMed

Benito, Ana; Calvo, Gema; Real-López, Matías; Gallego, María José; Francés, Sonia; Turbi, Ángel; Haro, Gonzalo

2018-01-15

Parenting is linked to conduct disorders (CD) and substance related disorders (SRD) in adolescents, but with differences according to cultural context. A questionnaire with two versions (parenting questionnaire TXP-A for adolescents and TXP-C  for primary caregivers) was designed using the Delphi method to evaluate parenting practices related to CD and SRD in a Spanish population. It was validated in a community sample of 631 adolescents aged between 14 and 16 and their caregivers. Results suggest a 29-item TXP-A questionnaire with bifactorial structure: affection-communication and control-structure, with high internal (Cronbach’s alpha=0.89) and test-retest (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.94) reliabilities. Both factors are related to SRD (r=0.273, p<0.001) and with most of the psychopathological dimensions studied. The total score and affection-communication are related to dissocial disorder (t=3.259, p=0.001) and its severity (r=-0,119; p=0.003). Inter-observer reliability between adolescents and caregivers is low, in part because the 16-item TXP-C has a different bifactorial structure: affection-communication and prosocial values. TXP-C’s internal (Cronbach’s alpha=0.87) and test-retest (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.94) reliabilities are high. The total score and affection-communication were related to dissocial disorder (t=2.586; p=0.010) but TXP-C did not discriminate according to SRD. In conclusion, the TXP-A questionnaire for adolescents seems to be a reliable, valid and unbiased instrument that evaluates the perception of parenting practices, relating higher affection-communication and control-structure to less psychopathology and alcohol and drug use. TXP-C also seems to be reliable and unbiased, but shows less evidence of validity regarding substance use and psychopathology. .

Assessment of structured physical examination skills training using a retro-pre-questionnaire.

PubMed

Piryani, Rano Mal; Shankar, P Ravi; Piryani, Suneel; Thapa, Trilok Pati; Karki, Balmansingh; Khakurel, Mahesh Prasad; Bhandary, Shital

2013-01-01

The effectiveness of physical examination skills (PES) training is very rarely assessed using the "post-then-pre" approach. In this study, a retro-pre-questionnaire was used to study the effect of structured physical examination skills training (SPEST) imparted to second-year undergraduate medical students. KIST Medical College (KISTMC) affiliated to Tribhuvan University Nepal admitted its first batch of MBBS students in November 2008. The university curriculum recommends the involvement of Medicine and Surgery Departments in PES training, but the methods for teaching and assessment are not well defined. KISTMC has made training more structured and involved the Medicine, Surgery, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Orthopaedics, ENT, Ophthalmology, Paediatrics, and Family Medicine Departments. SPEST includes the teaching/learning of basic PES for 210 minutes once a week for 28 weeks. Self-assessment is done by using a retro-pre-questionnaire at the end of the last session of training, and these data are analysed using SPSS. Out of 100 students, 98 participated in the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE); 82 completed the retro-pre-questionnaire. Forty-six skills representing various systems were selected for inclusion in the retro-pre-questionnaire from among the many skills taught in different departments. The average perceived skills score (maximum score, 46×4=184) before training was 15.9 and increased to 116.5 after training. The increase was statistically significant upon the application of a paired t-test. The students perceived that their level of skills improved after the training. The retro-pre- instrument seems to be useful for assessing the learners' self-reported changes in PES after training if a large number of skills need to be assessed. However, it should be noted that although a retro-pre-questionnaire may reveal valuable information, it is not a substitute for an objective measure or gold standard.

Medico-legal and ethical aspects in the management of wandering patients following brain injury: questionnaire survey.

PubMed

Gaber, Tarek A-Z K

2006-11-30

Different methods are often used to deter head injury patients, who have a tendency to wander, from leaving the rehabilitation wards. The extent to which these patients could be restrained is controversial. Despite the fact that the majority of these patients lack mental capacity, Mental Health Act sections are rarely invoked. Under common law, informal patients should have the right to refuse treatment and to leave the hospital whenever they like. To examine the current practice in the management of wandering patients following brain injury in rehabilitation units in the UK and to formulate practical guidelines based on this common practice. A postal survey in the form of a structured questionnaire was sent to 58 consultants in Rehabilitation Medicine and Neuropsychologists based at different neurological rehabilitation units in the UK. A total of 30 clinicians (52%) completed the questionnaire. One-to-one supervision was the method most commonly used to manage wandering patients (83%) followed by implementation of a structured daily routine (73%) and the use of different medications (70%). Only 17% would lock the door without giving the patient lock combination/key and another 17% would physically restrain the patient without invoking mental health act (MHA) section; 60% would consider MHA section with great variability in the mental health team response time and the place where patient is managed once under MHA section. The questionnaire showed great variations in the methods and the medico-legal framework used in the management of wandering patients. There was, however, a tendency to avoid physical restraint which may reflect the recognition of the unlawfulness of detaining informal patients.

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

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Background 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. Objectives To propose an exhaustive taxonomy of work environment characteristics involved in psychosocial risks and to apply this taxonomy to questionnaires on workplace psychosocial factors. Methods 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. Results 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. Conclusions There are major content differences among analyzed questionnaires. This study offers a means for selecting a scale on the basis of content. PMID:27367232

Validation of the French version of the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture questionnaire.

PubMed

Occelli, P; Quenon, J-L; Kret, M; Domecq, S; Delaperche, F; Claverie, O; Castets-Fontaine, B; Amalberti, R; Auroy, Y; Parneix, P; Michel, P

2013-09-01

To assess the psychometric properties of the French version of the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture questionnaire (HSOPSC) and study the hierarchical structure of the measured dimensions. Cross-sectional survey of the safety culture. 18 acute care units of seven hospitals in South-western France. Full- and part-time healthcare providers who worked in the units. None. Item responses measured with 5-point agreement or frequency scales. Data analyses A principal component analysis was used to identify the emerging components. Two structural equation modeling methods [LInear Structural RELations (LISREL) and Partial Least Square (PLS)] were used to verify the model and to study the relative importance of the dimensions. Internal consistency of the retained dimensions was studied. A test-retest was performed to assess reproducibility of the items. Overall response rate was 77% (n = 401). A structure in 40 items grouped in 10 dimensions was proposed. The LISREL approach showed acceptable data fit of the proposed structure. The PLS approach indicated that three dimensions had the most impact on the safety culture: 'Supervisor/manager expectations & actions promoting safety' 'Organizational learning-continuous improvement' and 'Overall perceptions of safety'. Internal consistency was above 0.70 for six dimensions. Reproducibility was considered good for four items. The French HSOPSC questionnaire showed acceptable psychometric properties. Classification of the dimensions should guide future development of safety culture improving action plans.

Temperament and the structure of personality disorder symptoms.

PubMed

Mulder, R T; Joyce, P R

1997-01-01

This paper attempts to construct a simplified system for the classification of personality disorders, and relates this system to normally distributed human personality characteristics. One hundred and forty-eight subjects with a variety of psychiatric diagnoses were evaluated using the SCID-II structured clinical interview for personality disorders. A four-factor solution of personality disorder symptoms was obtained and we labelled these factors 'the four As': antisocial, asocial, asthenic and anankastic. The factors related to the four temperament dimensions of the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ), but less closely to Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) dimensions. The four factors were similar to those identified in a number of studies using a variety of assessment methods and this lends some credibility to our findings. It suggests that a more parsimonious set of trait descriptors could be used to provide simpler, less overlapping categories that retain links with current clinical practice. In addition, these factors can be seen as extremes of normally distributed behaviours obtained using the TPQ questionnaire.

The Alcohol Relapse Situation Appraisal Questionnaire: Development and Validation

PubMed Central

Martin, Rosemarie A.; MacKinnon, Selene M.; Johnson, Jennifer E.; Myers, Mark G.; Cook, Travis A. R.; Rohsenow, Damaris J.

2011-01-01

Background The role of cognitive appraisal of the threat of alcohol relapse has received little attention. A previous instrument, the Relapse Situation Appraisal Questionnaire (RSAQ), was developed to assess cocaine users’ primary appraisal of the threat of situations posing a high risk for cocaine relapse. The purpose of the present study was to modify the RSAQ in order to measure primary appraisal in situations involving a high risk for alcohol relapse. Methods The development and psychometric properties of this instrument, the Alcohol Relapse Situation Appraisal Questionnaire (A-RSAQ), were examined with two samples of abstinent adults with alcohol abuse or dependence. Factor structure and validity were examined in Study 1 (N=104). Confirmation of the factor structure and predictive validity were assessed in Study 2 (N=161). Results Results demonstrated construct, discriminant and predictive validity and reliability of the A-RSAQ. Discussion Results support the important role of primary appraisal of degree of risk in alcohol relapse situations. PMID:21237586

Depression screening: utility of the patient health questionnaire in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

PubMed

McGuire, Anthony W; Eastwood, Jo-Ann; Macabasco-O'Connell, Aurelia; Hays, Ron D; Doering, Lynn V

2013-01-01

Depression screening in cardiac patients has been recommended by the American Heart Association, but the best approach remains unclear. To evaluate nurse-administered versions of the Patient Health Questionnaire for depression screening in patients hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome. Staff nurses in an urban cardiac care unit administered versions 2, 9, and 10 of the questionnaire to 100 patients with acute coronary syndrome. The Depression Interview and Structured Hamilton was administered by advanced practice nurses blinded to the results of the Patient Health Questionnaire. With the results of the Depression Interview and Structured Hamilton as a criterion, receiver operating characteristic analyses were done for each version of the Patient Health Questionnaire. The Delong method was used for pairwise comparisons. Cutoff scores balancing false-negatives and false-positives were determined by using the Youden Index. Each version of the questionnaire had excellent area-under- the-curve statistics: 91.2%, 92.6%, and 93.4% for versions 2, 9, and 10, respectively. Differences among the 3 versions were not significant. Each version yielded higher symptom scores in depressed patients than in nondepressed patients: version 2 scores, 3.4 vs 0.6, P = .001; version 9 scores, 13 vs 3.4, P < .001; and version 10 scores, 14.5 vs 3.6, P < .001. For depression screening in hospitalized patients with acute coronary syndrome, the Patient Health Questionnaire 2 is as accurate as longer versions when administered by nurses. Further study is needed to determine if screening with this tool changes clinical decision making or improves outcomes in these patients.

Understanding what matters most to people with multiple myeloma: a qualitative study of views on quality of life

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Multiple myeloma is an incurable haematological cancer that affects physical, psychological and social domains of quality of life (QOL). Treatment decisions are increasingly guided by QOL issues, creating a need to monitor QOL within clinical practice. The development of myeloma-specific QOL questionnaires has been limited by a paucity of research to fully characterise QOL in this group. Aims of the present study are to (1) explore the issues important to QOL from the perspective of people with multiple myeloma, and (2) explore the views of patients and clinical staff on existing QOL questionnaires and their use in clinical practice. Methods The ‘Issues Interviews’ were semi-structured qualitative interviews to explore the issues important to QOL in a purposive sample of myeloma patients (n = 20). The ‘Questionnaire Interviews’ were semi-structured qualitative interviews in a separate purposive sample of myeloma patients (n = 20) to explore views on existing QOL questionnaires and their clinical use. Two patient focus groups (n = 7, n = 4) and a focus group of clinical staff (n = 6) complemented the semi-structured interviews. Thematic content analysis resulted in the development of a theoretical model of QOL in myeloma. Results Main themes important to QOL were Biological Status, Treatment Factors, Symptoms Status, Activity & Participation, Emotional Status, Support Factors, Expectations, Adaptation & Coping and Spirituality. Symptoms had an indirect effect on QOL, only affecting overall QOL if they impacted upon Activity & Participation, Emotional Status or Support Factors. This indirect relationship has implications for the design of QOL questionnaires, which often focus on symptom status. Health-service factors emerged as important but are often absent from QOL questionnaires. Sexual function was important to patients and difficult for clinicians to discuss, so inclusion in clinical QOL tools may flag hidden problems and facilitate better care. Patients and staff expressed preferences for questionnaires to be no more than 2 pages long and to include a mixture of structured and open questions to focus the goals of care on what is most important to patients. Conclusion Existing QOL questionnaires developed and validated for use in myeloma do not capture all that is important to patients and may not be well suited to clinical use. PMID:25005145

Factor structure and measurement invariance of the Health Education Impact Questionnaire: Does the subjectivity of the response perspective threaten the contextual validity of inferences?

PubMed Central

Elsworth, Gerald R; Nolte, Sandra

2015-01-01

Objective: On-going evidence is required to support the validity of inferences about change and group differences in the evaluation of health programs, particularly when self-report scales requiring substantial subjectivity in response generation are used as outcome measures. Following this reasoning, the aim of this study was to replicate the factor structure and investigate the measurement invariance of the latest version of the Health Education Impact Questionnaire, a widely used health program evaluation measure. Methods: An archived dataset of responses to the most recent version of the English-language Health Education Impact Questionnaire that uses four rather than six response options (N = 3221) was analysed using exploratory structural equation modelling and confirmatory factor analysis appropriate for ordered categorical data. Metric and scalar invariance were studied following recent recommendations in the literature to apply fully invariant unconditional models with minimum constraints necessary for model identification. Results: The original eight-factor structure was replicated and all but one of the scales (Self Monitoring and Insight) was found to consist of unifactorial items with reliability of ⩾0.8 and satisfactory discriminant validity. Configural, metric and scalar invariance were established across pre-test to post-test and population sub-groups (sex, age, education, ethnic background). Conclusion: The results support the high level of interest in the Health Education Impact Questionnaire, particularly for use as a pre-test/post-test measure in experimental studies, other pre–post evaluation designs and system-level monitoring and evaluation. PMID:26770785

The effects of two secondary science teacher education program structures on teachers' habits of mind and action

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergman, Daniel Jay

2007-12-01

This study investigated the effects of the Iowa State University Secondary Science Teacher Education Program (ISU SSTEP) on the educational goals and habits of mind exhibited by its graduates. Ten teachers from ISU SSTEP participated in the study---five from the former program featuring one semester of science teaching methods, five from the current program featuring three semesters of science teaching methods (four for the graduate certification consortium). A naturalistic inquiry research approach included the following methods used with each teacher: three classroom observations, classroom artifact analysis, teacher questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, and questionnaires for students about perceived emphasis of educational goals. Evidence exists that graduates from the current ISU SSTEP format exhibited a closer match to the educational goals promoted, modeled, and advocated by the science teaching methods faculty. Graduates from the current ISU SSTEP also exhibited a closer match to the habits of mind---understanding, action, reflection, action plan for improvement---promoted and modeled by the program. This study has implications for other secondary science teacher education programs, particularly increasing the number of science teaching methods courses; teaching meaningful content of both concepts and skills through a research-based framework; modeling the appropriate teacher behaviors, strategies, habits, and goal promotion by methods instructors; and addressing issues of institutional constraints experienced by future teachers.

Consumer Feedback to Steer the Future of Assistive Technology Research and Development: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Kelleher, Annmarie; Dicianno, Brad E.; Eckstein, Stacy; Schein, Richard; Pearlman, Jonathan

2017-01-01

Objective: The overall objective of this project was to identify consumers' opinions of their needs and wants related to assistive technology (AT) in a systematic and quantitative manner via a questionnaire that can be used to validate existing and establish new research priorities. Methods: This pilot study describes questionnaire development, online implementation, and revisions considered to the questionnaire in preparation for conducting a nationwide survey. Data from a sample (N = 112) are presented. The pilot study was critical to refine the questions and ensure that meaningful information was being collected. Results: It was identified that revisions were warranted to provide more structure and allow for consumers to prioritize AT research efforts. Conclusion: The questionnaire results, although positively in favor of many of the technologies presented, are inconclusive to identify generalizable research priorities, thus expansion to a nationwide population is warranted. PMID:29339885

Formative assessment: a student perspective.

PubMed

Hill, D A; Guinea, A I; McCarthy, W H

1994-09-01

An educator's view would be that formative assessment has an important role in the learning process. This study was carried out to obtain a student perspective of the place of formative assessment in the curriculum. Final-year medical students at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital took part in four teaching sessions, each structured to integrate teaching with assessment. Three assessment methods were used; the group objective structured clinical examination (G-OSCE), structured short answer (SSA) questions and a pre/post-test multiple choice questionnaire (MCQ). Teaching sessions were conducted on the subject areas of traumatology, the 'acute abdomen', arterial disorders and cancer. Fifty-five students, representing 83% of those who took part in the programme, responded to a questionnaire where they were asked to rate (on a 5-point Likert scale) their response to general questions about formative assessment and 13 specific questions concerning the comparative value of the three assessment modalities. Eighty-nine per cent of respondents felt that formative assessment should be incorporated into the teaching process. The SSA assessment was regarded as the preferred modality to reinforce previous teaching and test problem-solving skills. The MCQ was the least favoured assessment method. The effect size variable between the total scores for the SSA and MCQ was 0.64. The variable between G-OSCE and SSA/MCQ was 0.26 and 0.33 respectively. Formative assessment is a potentially powerful method to direct learning behaviour. Students should have input into the methods used.

Sources of Writing Anxiety: A Study on French Language Teaching Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aslim Yetis, Veda

2017-01-01

Conducted on French Language Teaching students, this research aims to determine the causes of writing anxiety. Designed in accordance with the mixed method, a writing anxiety inventory, a language proficiency exam, a retrospective composing-process questionnaire, a writing attitude scale and semi-structured interviews were used. After identifying…

Is the Restructured Initial Professional Training in Educational Psychology Fit for Purpose?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, Sarah Pearl; Grahamslaw, Laura; Henson, Lisa; Prince, Emily

2012-01-01

Following changes to educational psychology training, the research aimed to examine whether the new training is considered "fit for purpose", using a mixed-methods design. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected via semi-structured online questionnaires completed by recently qualified educational psychologists (RQEPs) who…

Factor Structure of the Chinese Virtues Questionnaire

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duan, Wenjie; Ho, Samuel M. Y.; Yu, Bai; Tang, Xiaoqing; Zhang, Yonghong; Li, Tingting; Yuen, Tom

2012-01-01

Objectives: The present study examined the factorial invariance and functional equivalence of the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) among the Chinese. Methods: A total of 839 undergraduate students completed the 240-item Simplified Chinese version of the VIA-IS online. Another 40 students participated in qualitative interviews to…

General Practitioners' Management of Psychostimulant Drug Misuse: Implications for Education and Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alkhamis, Ahmed; Matheson, Catriona; Bond, Christine

2009-01-01

Aims: To provide baseline data regarding GPs' knowledge, experience, and attitudes toward the management of PsychoStimulant Drug Misuse (PSDM) patients to inform future education and training initiatives. Methods: A structured cross-sectional postal questionnaire was developed following initial content setting interviews, piloted then sent to a…

Study of relationship between the organizational structure and market orientation from the viewpoint of nurse managers

PubMed Central

Bahadori, Mohammadkarim; Yaghoubi, Maryam; Javadi, Marzieh; Rahimi, Zahreh Agha

2015-01-01

Background: Considering globalization of health care and quality improvement trend to respond to competition and customer orientation, attention to organizational structure and its relationship with market orientation is essential. Therefore, this study reviews the relationship between organizational structure and market orientation in selected hospitals of Isfahan (Iran). Materials and Methods: This study was a descriptive survey. The study population comprised nurse managers from selected hospitals (n = 80). Data collection tools were two questionnaires (market orientation questionnaire and organizational structure) that the validity and reliability were confirmed (r = 0.83 for market orientation questionnaire and r = 0.87 for organizational structure). SPSS (Ver. 16) software was used for the analyses. Results: The mean score of organizational structure was 65.4 (11.2) and total mean of market orientation was 51.14 (17.6). All aspects of the organizational structure (Organization Centralization, Formalization in Organization, and Organization Complication) and market orientation (responding to competition, accountability, customer satisfaction, intelligent organization)—except by responding to clients with Formalization in Organization—as well as all aspects of the Systemic attitude (the system of internal coordination and communication systems_ and market orientation (responding to competition, accountability, customer satisfaction, intelligent organization), there was a meaningful relationship (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Market orientation and its dimensions have a significant relationship with organizational structure and can lead managers’ view to the analysis and recognizing elements of success and achievement to goals. With increasing competition in markets, globalization of health services, and presence in international markets and more attention to patients’ satisfaction, hospitals need to understand and use of market orientation in order to promote quality and services in the health care system. PMID:25861660

Assessment of state-of-the-art of in-service inspection methods for graphite epoxy composite structures on commercial transport aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phelps, M. L.

1979-01-01

A survey was conducted to determine current in-service inspection practices for all types of aircraft structure and particularly for advanced composite structures. The survey consisted of written questionnaires to commercial airlines, visits to airlines, aircraft manufacturers, and government agencies, and a literature search. Details of the survey including visits, questions asked, a bibliography of reviewed literature and details of the results are reported. From the results, a current in-service inspection baseline and a preliminary inspection program for advanced composite structures is documented as appendices to the report.

Associations between Parental Concerns about Preschoolers’ Weight and Eating and Parental Feeding Practices: Results from Analyses of the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire, the Child Feeding Questionnaire, and the Lifestyle Behavior Checklist

PubMed Central

Ek, Anna; Sorjonen, Kimmo; Eli, Karin; Lindberg, Louise; Nyman, Jonna; Marcus, Claude; Nowicka, Paulina

2016-01-01

Introduction Insight into parents’ perceptions of their children’s eating behaviors is crucial for the development of successful childhood obesity programs. However, links between children’s eating behaviors and parental feeding practices and concerns have yet to be established. This study aims to examine associations between parental perceptions of preschoolers’ eating behaviors and parental feeding practices. First, it tests the original 8-factor structure of the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ). Second, it examines the associations with parental feeding practices, measured with the Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ). Materials and Methods Questionnaires were sent to parents from 25 schools/preschools in Stockholm, Sweden and to parents starting a childhood obesity intervention. The CEBQ factor structure was tested with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Associations between CEBQ subscales Food approach and Food avoidance and CFQ factors Restriction, Pressure to eat and Monitoring were examined with structural equation modelling (SEM), adjusting for child and parental characteristics, and parental confidence, measured with the Lifestyle Behavior Checklist (LBC). CFQ Concern for child weight and Perceived responsibility for child eating were used as mediators. Results 478 parents completed the questionnaires (children: 52% girls, mean age 5.5 years, 20% overweight/obese). A modified 8-factor structure showed an acceptable fit (TLI = 0.91, CFI = 0.92, RMSEA = 0.05 and SRMR = 0.06) after dropping one item and allowing three pairs of error terms to correlate. The SEM model demonstrated that Food approach had a weak direct effect on Restriction, but a moderate (β = 0.30) indirect effect via Concern, resulting in a substantial total effect (β = 0.37). Food avoidance had a strong positive effect on Pressure to eat (β = 0.71). Discussion The CEBQ is a valid instrument for assessing parental perceptions of preschoolers’ eating behaviors. Parental pressure to eat was strongly associated with children’s food avoidance. Parental restriction, however, was more strongly associated with parents’ concerns about their children’s weights than with children’s food approach. This suggests that childhood obesity interventions should address parents’ perceptions of healthy weight alongside perceptions of healthy eating. PMID:26799397

Measuring risky adolescent cycling behaviour.

PubMed

Feenstra, Hans; Ruiter, Robert A C; Schepers, Jan; Peters, Gjalt-Jorn; Kok, Gerjo

2011-09-01

Adolescents are at a greater risk of being involved in traffic accidents than most other age groups, even before they start driving cars. This article aims to determine the factor structure of a self-report questionnaire measuring adolescent risky cycling behaviour, the ACBQ (Adolescent Cycling Behaviour Questionnaire). The questionnaire's structure was based on the widely used Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ). A sample of secondary school students (N = 1749; age range: 13-18 years) filled out the questionnaire. Factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure underlying the questionnaire, which was confirmed on two equally large portions of the entire sample. These three underlying factors were identified as errors, common violations and exceptional violations. The ACBQ is a useful instrument for measuring adolescents' risky cycling behaviour.

Psychological Assessment via the Internet: A Reliability and Validity Study of Online (vs Paper-and-Pencil) Versions of the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) and the Symptoms Check-List-90-Revised (SCL-90-R)

PubMed Central

Jordán, Carlos M; Díaz, Marta I; Comeche, María I; Ortega, José

2007-01-01

Background Internet psychology services are rapidly increasing and that implies online assessment. To guarantee the results of these new online evaluation procedures, it is necessary to have reliable and valid assessment tools. Objective In this work we analyzed the online versions of two popular psychopathology screening questionnaires: the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) and the Symptoms Check-List-90-Revised (SCL-90-R). Methods A total of 185 psychology students were recruited from two universities in Madrid, Spain. All of them had Internet access at home. A test-retest situation and factorial analysis were used to generate reliability and validity data. Both paper-and-pencil questionnaires (test) and their online versions (retest) were completed by 100 participants (median gap = 17 days). Results Results suggest that both online questionnaires were fairly equivalent to their paper-and-pencil versions, with higher reliability values for the SCL-90-R. Factorial analysis tended to reproduce the structure shown in former investigations of both questionnaires, replicating the four-factor structure of the GHQ-28 but failing to do so with the nine-factor structure of the SCL-90-R. Instead, a large unrotated factor appeared. Conclusions Further research should be carried out to confirm these data, but our work supports the online use of both assessment tools. The psychometric properties of the online version of GHQ-28 is similar to the paper-and-pencil and we can recommend its utilization in a Web environment. In contrast, SCL-90-R can only be recommended as a global index for psychological distress, using the Global Severity Index (GSI), not necessarily its subscales; and it should be considered that the online scores were lower than the ones with the paper-and-pencil version. PMID:17478411

Development, factor structure and application of the Dog Obesity Risk and Appetite (DORA) questionnaire

PubMed Central

Smith, Stephen P.; O’Rahilly, Stephen; Wardle, Jane

2015-01-01

Background. Dogs are compelling models in which to study obesity since the condition shares many characteristics between humans and dogs. Differences in eating behaviour are recognised to contribute to obesity susceptibility in other species but this has not been systematically studied in dogs. Aim. To develop and validate an owner-reported measure of canine eating behaviour and owner or dog related factors which can alter the development of obesity. Further, to then test variation in food-motivation in dogs and its association with obesity and owner management. Methods. Owner interviews, a literature review and existing human appetite scales were used to identify relevant topics and generate items for the questionnaire. Following a pilot phase, a 75 item online questionnaire was distributed via social media. Responses from 302 dog/owner dyads were analysed and factor structure and descriptive statistics calculated. Results were compared with descriptions of dog behaviour and management from a subset of respondents during semi-structured interviews. The optimum questions were disseminated as a 34 item final questionnaire completed by 213 owners, with a subset of respondents repeating the questionnaire 3 weeks later to assess test–retest reliability. Results. Analysis of responses to the final questionnaire relating to 213 dog/owner dyads showed a coherent factor structure and good test–retest reliability. There were three dog factors (food responsiveness and satiety, lack of selectivity, Interest in food), four owner factors (owner motivation to control dog weight, owner intervention to control dog weight, restriction of human food, exercise taken) and two dog health factors (signs of gastrointestinal disease, current poor health). Eating behaviour differed between individuals and between breed groups. High scores on dog factors (high food-motivation) and low scores on owner factors (less rigorous control of diet/exercise) were associated with obesity. Owners of more highly food-motivated dogs exerted more control over their dogs’ food intake than those of less food-motivated dogs. Conclusions. The DORA questionnaire is a reliable and informative owner-reported measure of canine eating behaviour and health and management factors which can be associated with obesity development. The tool will be applicable to study of the canine obesity model and to clinical veterinarians. Results revealed eating behaviour to be similarly associated with obesity as exercise and owners giving titbits. PMID:26468435

Development, factor structure and application of the Dog Obesity Risk and Appetite (DORA) questionnaire.

PubMed

Raffan, Eleanor; Smith, Stephen P; O'Rahilly, Stephen; Wardle, Jane

2015-01-01

Background. Dogs are compelling models in which to study obesity since the condition shares many characteristics between humans and dogs. Differences in eating behaviour are recognised to contribute to obesity susceptibility in other species but this has not been systematically studied in dogs. Aim. To develop and validate an owner-reported measure of canine eating behaviour and owner or dog related factors which can alter the development of obesity. Further, to then test variation in food-motivation in dogs and its association with obesity and owner management. Methods. Owner interviews, a literature review and existing human appetite scales were used to identify relevant topics and generate items for the questionnaire. Following a pilot phase, a 75 item online questionnaire was distributed via social media. Responses from 302 dog/owner dyads were analysed and factor structure and descriptive statistics calculated. Results were compared with descriptions of dog behaviour and management from a subset of respondents during semi-structured interviews. The optimum questions were disseminated as a 34 item final questionnaire completed by 213 owners, with a subset of respondents repeating the questionnaire 3 weeks later to assess test-retest reliability. Results. Analysis of responses to the final questionnaire relating to 213 dog/owner dyads showed a coherent factor structure and good test-retest reliability. There were three dog factors (food responsiveness and satiety, lack of selectivity, Interest in food), four owner factors (owner motivation to control dog weight, owner intervention to control dog weight, restriction of human food, exercise taken) and two dog health factors (signs of gastrointestinal disease, current poor health). Eating behaviour differed between individuals and between breed groups. High scores on dog factors (high food-motivation) and low scores on owner factors (less rigorous control of diet/exercise) were associated with obesity. Owners of more highly food-motivated dogs exerted more control over their dogs' food intake than those of less food-motivated dogs. Conclusions. The DORA questionnaire is a reliable and informative owner-reported measure of canine eating behaviour and health and management factors which can be associated with obesity development. The tool will be applicable to study of the canine obesity model and to clinical veterinarians. Results revealed eating behaviour to be similarly associated with obesity as exercise and owners giving titbits.

Examination of the Work Organization Assessment Questionnaire in public sector workers.

PubMed

Wynne-Jones, Gwenllian; Varnava, Alice; Buck, Rhiannon; Karanika-Murray, Maria; Griffiths, Amanda; Phillips, Ceri; Cox, Tom; Kahn, Sayeed; Main, Chris J

2009-05-01

To investigate the utility of the Work and Organization Assessment Questionnaire (WOAQ) for public sector data. A cross-sectional survey was performed in public sector organizations measuring demographics, work characteristics, work perceptions (WOAQ), sickness absence, and work performance. Confirmatory factor analysis of the WOAQ showed that factor structure derived for the manufacturing sector, for which the questionnaire was developed, could be replicated moderately well with public sector data. The study then considered whether a better more specific fit for public sector data was possible. Principal components analysis of the public sector data identified a two-factor structure linked to four of the five scales of the WOAQ assessing Management and Work Design, and Work Culture. These two factors may offer a context-sensitive scoring method for the WOAQ in public sector populations. These two factors were found to have good internal consistency, and correlated with the full WOAQ scales and the measures of performance and absence. The WOAQ is a useful and potentially transferable tool. The modified scoring may be used to assess work and organizational factors in the public sector.

The heritability of cluster A personality disorders assessed by both personal interview and questionnaire.

PubMed

Kendler, Kenneth S; Myers, John; Torgersen, Svenn; Neale, Michael C; Reichborn-Kjennerud, Ted

2007-05-01

Personality disorders (PDs) as assessed by questionnaires and personal interviews are heritable. However, we know neither how much unreliability of measurement impacts on heritability estimates nor whether the genetic and environmental risk factors assessed by these two methods are the same. We wish to know whether the same set of PD vulnerability factors are assessed by these two methods. A total of 3334 young adult twin pairs from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health Twin Panel (NIPHTP) completed a questionnaire containing 91 PD items. One to 6 years later, 1386 of these pairs were interviewed with the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality (SIDP-IV). Self-report items predicting interview results were selected by regression. Measurement models were fitted using Mx. In the best-fit models, the latent liabilities to paranoid personality disorder (PPD), schizoid personality disorder (SPD) and schizotypal personality disorder (STPD) were all highly heritable with no evidence of shared environmental effects. For PPD and STPD, only unique environmental effects were specific to the interview measure whereas both environmental and genetic effects were found to be specific to the questionnaire assessment. For SPD, the best-fit model contained genetic and environmental effects specific to both forms of assessment. The latent liabilities to the cluster A PDs are highly heritable but are assessed by current methods with only moderate reliability. The personal interviews assessed the genetic risk for the latent trait with excellent specificity for PPD and STPD and good specificity for SPD. However, for all three PDs, the questionnaires were less specific, also indexing an independent set of genetic risk factors.

Deriving a preference-based utility measure for cancer patients from the European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer’s Quality of Life Questionnaire C30: a confirmatory versus exploratory approach

PubMed Central

Costa, Daniel SJ; Aaronson, Neil K; Fayers, Peter M; Grimison, Peter S; Janda, Monika; Pallant, Julie F; Rowen, Donna; Velikova, Galina; Viney, Rosalie; Young, Tracey A; King, Madeleine T

2014-01-01

Background Multi attribute utility instruments (MAUIs) are preference-based measures that comprise a health state classification system (HSCS) and a scoring algorithm that assigns a utility value to each health state in the HSCS. When developing a MAUI from a health-related quality of life (HRQOL) questionnaire, first a HSCS must be derived. This typically involves selecting a subset of domains and items because HRQOL questionnaires typically have too many items to be amendable to the valuation task required to develop the scoring algorithm for a MAUI. Currently, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) followed by Rasch analysis is recommended for deriving a MAUI from a HRQOL measure. Aim To determine whether confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is more appropriate and efficient than EFA to derive a HSCS from the European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer’s core HRQOL questionnaire, Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30), given its well-established domain structure. Methods QLQ-C30 (Version 3) data were collected from 356 patients receiving palliative radiotherapy for recurrent/metastatic cancer (various primary sites). The dimensional structure of the QLQ-C30 was tested with EFA and CFA, the latter informed by the established QLQ-C30 structure and views of both patients and clinicians on which are the most relevant items. Dimensions determined by EFA or CFA were then subjected to Rasch analysis. Results CFA results generally supported the proposed QLQ-C30 structure (comparative fit index =0.99, Tucker–Lewis index =0.99, root mean square error of approximation =0.04). EFA revealed fewer factors and some items cross-loaded on multiple factors. Further assessment of dimensionality with Rasch analysis allowed better alignment of the EFA dimensions with those detected by CFA. Conclusion CFA was more appropriate and efficient than EFA in producing clinically interpretable results for the HSCS for a proposed new cancer-specific MAUI. Our findings suggest that CFA should be recommended generally when deriving a preference-based measure from a HRQOL measure that has an established domain structure. PMID:25395875

Cross-cultural adaptation of the instrument 'Family Needs Questionnaire'.

PubMed

Hora, Edilene Curvelo; de Sousa, Regina Márcia Cardoso

2009-01-01

This is a quantitative methodological development study on the cross-cultural adaptation of the 'Family Needs Questionnaire' (FNQ), which is a structured instrument developed in the United States to measure the perceived needs of family members after the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) of a relative. This instrument aims to identify important needs presented by family members, whether met or not. The FNQ translation and adaptation followed a particular method, which permitted to achieve semantic, idiomatic, cultural and conceptual equivalence of the instrument version labeled in Portuguese as 'Questionário de Necessidades da Família'. The results of the questionnaire application to 161 family members showed that the instrument content is valid to measure the needs of families of patients with TBI in the Brazilian context.

Group discussions with structured reminiscence and a problem-based method as an intervention to prevent depressive symptoms in older people.

PubMed

Djukanović, Ingrid; Carlsson, Jörg; Peterson, Ulla

2016-04-01

To evaluate the effect of group discussions, in which structured reminiscence and a problem-based method were used, on depressive symptoms, quality of life and self-rated health among older people. Depressive symptoms in older people have a considerable impact on self-rated health and quality of life, with a high rate of co-morbidity and mortality. As the ageing population is growing, late-life depression is becoming an important public health problem and there is a need to find preventive interventions to avert unnecessary suffering. The study was quasi-experimental, with a one-group pretest-post-test design and follow-up after one year. Initially, a questionnaire was sent to the total population of 55-80-year-old retirees in a community in the northeast of Sweden, (n = 679). The questionnaire concerned demographics and covered areas such as health, depression and quality of life. The intervention consisted of group discussions where structured reminiscence and a problem-based method were used. The participants (n = 18) met 10 times under the guidance of a group-leader, a registered nurse educated in the method. Each session had different themes with a focus on positive memories but also on the present situation and the future. Parametric, nonparametric tests and content analysis were used. Participants evaluated the intervention positively, showed a decrease in depressive symptoms, an increase in self-rated health and experienced an increased autonomy. No long- lasting effect was seen. Group discussions where structured reminiscence and a problem-based method are used might be an option to prevent depressive symptoms in older people. This method might provide an opportunity for older people with depressive symptoms to improve their quality of life, however, to maintain the positive outcome the intervention should probably be continuous. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Filipino women's diet and health study (FiLWHEL): design and methods

PubMed Central

Abris, Grace P.; Hong, Sangmo; Provido, Sherlyn Mae P.

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND Immigration to South Korea from neighboring Asian countries has risen dramatically, primarily due to marriage between Korean men and foreign women. Although Filipino women rank fourth among married immigrant women, little is known about the health condition of this population. This manuscript focuses on the design and methods of Filipino women's diet and health study (FiLWHEL). SUBJECTS/METHODS FiLWHEL is a cohort of Filipino women married to Korean men, aged 19 years old or over. The data collection comprised three parts: questionnaire, physical examination, and biospecimen collection. Questionnaires focused on demographic factors, diet, other health-related behaviors, acculturation and immigration-related factors, medical history, quality of life, and children's health information. Participants visited the recruitment site and answered the structured questionnaires through a face-to-face interview. We also measured their anthropometric features and collected fasting blood samples, toenails, and DNA samples. Recruitment started in 2014. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS Collection of data is ongoing, and we plan to prospectively follow our cohort participants. We expect that our study, which is focused on married Filipino women immigrants, can elucidate nutritional/health status and the effects of transitional experiences from several lifestyle factors. PMID:28194268

Spanish version of the Thought-Action Fusion Questionnaire and its application in eating disorders

PubMed Central

Jáuregui-Lobera, I; Santed-Germán, Ma; Bolaños-Ríos, P; Garrido-Casals, O

2013-01-01

Purpose The aims of the study were to analyze the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Thought-Action Fusion Questionnaire (TAF-SP), as well as to determine its validity by evaluating the relationship of the TAF-SP to different instruments. Patients and methods Two groups were studied: one comprising 146 patients with eating disorders; and another a group of 200 students. Results Three factors were obtained: TAF–Moral; TAF–Likelihood-others; and TAF–Likelihood-oneself. The internal consistency of the TAF-SP was determined by means of Cronbach’s α coefficient, with values ranging between 0.84–0.95. The correlations with other instruments refected adequate validity. The three-factor structure was tested by means of a linear structural equation model, and the structure fit satisfactorily. Differences in TAF-SP scores between the diagnostic subgroups were also analyzed. Conclusion The TAF-SP meets the psychometric requirements for measuring thought-action fusion and shows adequate internal consistency and validity. PMID:24043960

OOSTT: a Resource for Analyzing the Organizational Structures of Trauma Centers and Trauma Systems

PubMed Central

Utecht, Joseph; Judkins, John; Otte, J. Neil; Colvin, Terra; Rogers, Nicholas; Rose, Robert; Alvi, Maria; Hicks, Amanda; Ball, Jane; Bowman, Stephen M.; Maxson, Robert T.; Nabaweesi, Rosemary; Pradhan, Rohit; Sanddal, Nels D.; Tudoreanu, M. Eduard; Winchell, Robert J.; Brochhausen, Mathias

2017-01-01

Organizational structures of healthcare organizations has increasingly become a focus of medical research. In the CAFÉ project we aim to provide a web-service enabling ontology-driven comparison of the organizational characteristics of trauma centers and trauma systems. Trauma remains one of the biggest challenges to healthcare systems worldwide. Research has demonstrated that coordinated efforts like trauma systems and trauma centers are key components of addressing this challenge. Evaluation and comparison of these organizations is essential. However, this research challenge is frequently compounded by the lack of a shared terminology and the lack of effective information technology solutions for assessing and comparing these organizations. In this paper we present the Ontology of Organizational Structures of Trauma systems and Trauma centers (OOSTT) that provides the ontological foundation to CAFÉ's web-based questionnaire infrastructure. We present the usage of the ontology in relation to the questionnaire and provide the methods that were used to create the ontology. PMID:28217041

Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Career Decision-Making Difficulties Questionnaire

PubMed Central

Farrokhi, Farahman; Mahdavi, Ali; Moradi, Samad

2012-01-01

Objective The present study aimed at validating the structure of Career Decision-making Difficulties Questionnaire (CDDQ). Methods Five hundred and eleven undergraduate students took part in this research; from these participants, 63 males and 200 females took part in the first study, and 63 males and 185 females completed the survey for the second study. Results The results of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) indicated strong support for the three-factor structure, consisting of lack of information about the self, inconsistent information, lack of information and lack of readiness factors. A confirmatory factor analysis was run with the second sample using structural equation modeling. As expected, the three-factor solution provided a better fit to the data than the alternative models. Conclusion CDDQ was recommended to be used for college students in this study due to the fact that this instrument measures all three aspects of the model. Future research is needed to learn whether this model would fit other different samples. PMID:22952549

A Case Study of Knowledge Management in the "Back Office" of Two English Football Clubs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doloriert, Clair; Whitworth, Kieran

2011-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to explore knowledge management (KM) practice in the "back office" of two English football clubs. Design/methodology/approach: The paper takes the form of a comparative case study of two medium-sized businesses using multi-method data including unstructured interviews, structured questionnaires and document…

Examining Work and Family Conflict among Female Bankers in Accra Metropolis, Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kissi-Abrokwah, Bernard; Andoh-Robertson, Theophilus; Tutu-Danquah, Cecilia; Agbesi, Catherine Selorm

2015-01-01

This study investigated the effects and solutions of work and family conflict among female bankers in Accra Metropolis. Using triangulatory mixed method design, a structured questionnaire was randomly administered to 300 female bankers and 15 female Bankers who were interviewed were also sampled by using convenient sampling technique. The…

An Investigation of Middle School Students' Attitudes and Awareness of Water Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aydogdu, Bülent; Çakir, Aysun

2016-01-01

The purpose of this mixed method study is to investigate middle school students' attitudes and awareness of water use. The quantitative data were collected through the administration of "Water Usage Questionnaire (WUQ)". The qualitative data were collected through semi structured interviews. In the study the stratified sampling method…

Developing Turkish Preservice Preschool Teachers' Attitudes and Understanding about Teaching Science through Play

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bulunuz, Mizrap

2012-01-01

This research studied the development of preservice teachers' understandings and attitudes about teaching science through playful experiences. Subjects were 94 senior preservice teachers in two sections of a science methods class on teaching preschool children. Data sources were semi-structured interviews and open-ended questionnaire at the…

Measuring Parenting Practices among Parents of Elementary School-Age Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Randolph, Karen A.; Radey, Melissa

2011-01-01

Objectives: The objective of this study is to establish the factor structure of the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ), an instrument designed to measure parenting practices among parents of elementary school children. Methods: Exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analytic (CFA) procedures are used to validate the APQ with 790 parents of…

Cloud Applications in Language Teaching: Examining Pre-Service Teachers' Expertise, Perceptions and Integration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aburezeq, Ibtehal Mahmoud; Dweikat, Fawzi Fayez Ishtaiwa

2017-01-01

This study examined pre-service teachers' expertise, perceptions and integration of cloud applications in teaching of Arabic and English. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used as data collection methods. The findings of the study specified that pre-service teachers did not own sufficient expertise for effective integration of…

Adult Adjustment of Survivors of Institutional Child Abuse in Ireland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carr, Alan; Dooley, Barbara; Fitzpatrick, Mark; Flanagan, Edel; Flanagan-Howard, Roisin; Tierney, Kevin; White, Megan; Daly, Margaret; Egan, Jonathan

2010-01-01

Objective: To document the adult adjustment of survivors of childhood institutional abuse. Method: Two hundred and forty-seven adult survivors of institutional abuse with a mean age of 60 were interviewed with a protocol that included the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, modules from the Structured Clinical Interview for Axis I Disorders of DSM IV…

Communicative Development in Bilingually Exposed Chinese Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reetzke, Rachel; Zou, Xiaobing; Sheng, Li; Katsos, Napoleon

2015-01-01

Purpose: We examined the association of bilingual exposure with structural and pragmatic language development in Chinese children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Method: The parents of 54 children with ASD exposed to 1 (n = 31) or 2 (n = 23) Chinese languages completed (a) a questionnaire to evaluate their child's competence in structural…

Improving Survey Methods with Cognitive Interviews in Small- and Medium-Scale Evaluations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ryan, Katherine; Gannon-Slater, Nora; Culbertson, Michael J.

2012-01-01

Findings derived from self-reported, structured survey questionnaires are commonly used in evaluation and applied research to inform policy-making and program decisions. Although there are a variety of issues related to the quality of survey evidence (e.g., sampling precision), the validity of response processes--how respondents process thoughts…

A Psychometric Properties of the Malay-version Police Stress Questionnaire

PubMed Central

IRNIZA, Rasdi; EMILIA, Zainal Abidin; MUHAMMAD SALILUDDIN, Suhainizam; NIZAM ISHA, Ahmad Shahrul

2014-01-01

Background: Police Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) was developed to measure police-specific stressors. The present study was the first to have translated the PSQ to Malay. This study aims to test the reliability, construct validity, and component structure of the Malay-version PSQ. Methods: A set of survey consisted of the Malay-version PSQ, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), Global Stress Questionnaire (GSQ) and General Self-rated Health (GSRH) were distributed to 300 traffic police officers in Kuala Lumpur and all traffic police officers in a few districts of Pahang and Negeri Sembilan. Results: The response rate was 65.5% (N = 262). The reported Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.93 for Operational PSQ (PSQ-Op) and 0.94 for Organisational PSQ (PSQ-Org). Findings indicated that the PSQ had positive construct validity with the GSRH, GSQ, and GHQ. After excluding four factors related to lifestyles, all police-specific stressors were highly loaded (0.50) in one component. Conclusion: It is confirmed that the Malay-version PSQ, excluding the four factors related to lifestyle, was uni-dimensional, reliable, and a valid questionnaire. This study proffers a potentially better instrument for assessing the stressors among Malaysian police. PMID:25977621

Development and content validation of the information assessment method for patients and consumers.

PubMed

Pluye, Pierre; Granikov, Vera; Bartlett, Gillian; Grad, Roland M; Tang, David L; Johnson-Lafleur, Janique; Shulha, Michael; Barbosa Galvão, Maria Cristiane; Ricarte, Ivan Lm; Stephenson, Randolph; Shohet, Linda; Hutsul, Jo-Anne; Repchinsky, Carol A; Rosenberg, Ellen; Burnand, Bernard; Légaré, France; Dunikowski, Lynn; Murray, Susan; Boruff, Jill; Frati, Francesca; Kloda, Lorie; Macaulay, Ann; Lagarde, François; Doray, Geneviève

2014-02-18

Online consumer health information addresses health problems, self-care, disease prevention, and health care services and is intended for the general public. Using this information, people can improve their knowledge, participation in health decision-making, and health. However, there are no comprehensive instruments to evaluate the value of health information from a consumer perspective. We collaborated with information providers to develop and validate the Information Assessment Method for all (IAM4all) that can be used to collect feedback from information consumers (including patients), and to enable a two-way knowledge translation between information providers and consumers. Content validation steps were followed to develop the IAM4all questionnaire. The first version was based on a theoretical framework from information science, a critical literature review and prior work. Then, 16 laypersons were interviewed on their experience with online health information and specifically their impression of the IAM4all questionnaire. Based on the summaries and interpretations of interviews, questionnaire items were revised, added, and excluded, thus creating the second version of the questionnaire. Subsequently, a panel of 12 information specialists and 8 health researchers participated in an online survey to rate each questionnaire item for relevance, clarity, representativeness, and specificity. The result of this expert panel contributed to the third, current, version of the questionnaire. The current version of the IAM4all questionnaire is structured by four levels of outcomes of information seeking/receiving: situational relevance, cognitive impact, information use, and health benefits. Following the interviews and the expert panel survey, 9 questionnaire items were confirmed as relevant, clear, representative, and specific. To improve readability and accessibility for users with a lower level of literacy, 19 items were reworded and all inconsistencies in using a passive or active voice have been solved. One item was removed due to redundancy. The current version of the IAM4all questionnaire contains 28 items. We developed and content validated the IAM4all in partnership with information providers, information specialists, researchers and representatives of information consumers. This questionnaire can be integrated within electronic knowledge resources to stimulate users' reflection (eg, their intention to use information). We claim that any organization (eg, publishers, community organizations, or patient associations), can evaluate and improve their online consumer health information from a consumers' perspective using this method.

Questionnaires for assessment of female sexual dysfunction: a review and proposal for a standardized screener.

PubMed

Giraldi, Annamaria; Rellini, Alessandra; Pfaus, James G; Bitzer, Johannes; Laan, Ellen; Jannini, Emmanuele A; Fugl-Meyer, Axel R

2011-10-01

There are many methods to evaluate female sexual function and dysfunction (FSD) in clinical and research settings, including questionnaires, structured interviews, and detailed case histories. Of these, questionnaires have become an easy first choice to screen individuals into different categories of FSD. The aim of this study was to review the strengths and weaknesses of different questionnaires currently available to assess different dimensions of women's sexual function and dysfunction, and to suggest a simple screener for FSD. A literature search of relevant databases, books, and articles in journals was used to identify questionnaires that have been used in basic or epidemiological research, clinical trials, or in clinical settings. Measures were grouped in four levels based on their purposes and degree of development, and were reviewed for their psychometric properties and utility in clinical or research settings. A Sexual Complaints Screener for Women (SCS-W) was then proposed based on epidemiological methods. Although many questionnaires are adequate for their own purposes, our review revealed a serious lack of standardized, internationally (culturally) acceptable questionnaires that are truly epidemiologically validated in general populations and that can be used to assess FSD in women with or without a partner and independent of the partner's gender. The SCS-W is proposed as a 10-item screener to aid clinicians in making a preliminary assessment of FSD. The definition of FSD continues to change and basic screening tools are essential to help advance clinical diagnosis and treatment, or to slate patients adequately into the right diagnostic categories for basic and epidemiological research or clinical trials. © 2011 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Perceived Parental Attitudes of Gender Expansiveness: Development and Preliminary Factor Structure of a Self-Report Youth Questionnaire

PubMed Central

Hidalgo, Marco A.; Chen, Diane; Garofalo, Robert; Forbes, Catherine

2017-01-01

Abstract Purpose: Parental acceptance of gender identity/expression in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) youth moderates the effects of minority stress on mental health outcomes. Given this association, mental health clinicians of gender-expansive adolescents often assess the degree to which these youth perceive their parents/primary caregivers as accepting or nonaffirming of their gender identity and expression. While existing measures may reliably assess youth's perceptions of general family support, no known tool aids in the assessment an adolescent's perceived parental support related to adolescent gender-expansive experiences. Methods: To provide both clinicians and researchers with an empirically derived tool, the current study used factor analysis to explore an underlying factor structure of a brief questionnaire developed by subject-matter experts and pertaining to multiple aspects of perceived parental support in gender-expansive adolescents and young adults. Respondents were gender-expansive adolescents and young adults seeking care in an interdisciplinary gender-health clinic within a pediatric academic medical center in the Midwestern United States. Results: Exploratory factor analysis resulted in a 14-item questionnaire comprised of two subscales assessing perceived parental nonaffirmation and perceived parental acceptance. Internal consistency and construct validity results provided support for this new questionnaire. Conclusion: This study provides preliminary evidence of the factor structure, reliability and validity of the Parental Attitudes of Gender Expansiveness Scale for Youth (PAGES-Y). These findings demonstrate both the clinical and research utility of the PAGES-Y, a tool that can yield a more nuanced understanding of family-related risk and protective factors in gender-expansive adolescents. PMID:29159312

Perceived Parental Attitudes of Gender Expansiveness: Development and Preliminary Factor Structure of a Self-Report Youth Questionnaire.

PubMed

Hidalgo, Marco A; Chen, Diane; Garofalo, Robert; Forbes, Catherine

2017-01-01

Purpose: Parental acceptance of gender identity/expression in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) youth moderates the effects of minority stress on mental health outcomes. Given this association, mental health clinicians of gender-expansive adolescents often assess the degree to which these youth perceive their parents/primary caregivers as accepting or nonaffirming of their gender identity and expression. While existing measures may reliably assess youth's perceptions of general family support, no known tool aids in the assessment an adolescent's perceived parental support related to adolescent gender-expansive experiences. Methods: To provide both clinicians and researchers with an empirically derived tool, the current study used factor analysis to explore an underlying factor structure of a brief questionnaire developed by subject-matter experts and pertaining to multiple aspects of perceived parental support in gender-expansive adolescents and young adults. Respondents were gender-expansive adolescents and young adults seeking care in an interdisciplinary gender-health clinic within a pediatric academic medical center in the Midwestern United States. Results: Exploratory factor analysis resulted in a 14-item questionnaire comprised of two subscales assessing perceived parental nonaffirmation and perceived parental acceptance. Internal consistency and construct validity results provided support for this new questionnaire. Conclusion: This study provides preliminary evidence of the factor structure, reliability and validity of the Parental Attitudes of Gender Expansiveness Scale for Youth (PAGES-Y). These findings demonstrate both the clinical and research utility of the PAGES-Y, a tool that can yield a more nuanced understanding of family-related risk and protective factors in gender-expansive adolescents.

Assessing the application of knowledge in clinical problem-solving: The structured professional reasoning exercise.

PubMed

Escudier, M P; Woolford, M J; Tricio, J A

2018-05-01

Clinical reasoning is a fundamental and core clinical competence of healthcare professionals. The study aimed to investigate the utility of the Structured Professional Reasoning Exercise (SPRE), a new competence assessment method designed to measure dental students' clinical reasoning in simulated scenarios, covering the clinical areas of Oral Disease, Primary Dental Care and Restorative Dentistry, Child Dental Health and Dental Practice and Clinical Governance. A total of 313 year-5 students sat for the assessment. Students spent 45 minutes assimilating the scenarios, before rotating through four pairs of 39 trained examiners who each independently assessed a single scenario over a ten-minute period, using a structured marking sheet. After the assessment, all students and examiners were invited to complete an anonymous perception questionnaire of the exercise. These questionnaires and the examination scores were statistically analysed. Oral Disease showed the lowest scores; Dental Practice and Governance the highest. The overall Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) was 0.770, whilst examiner training helped to increase the ICC from 0.716 in 2013 to 0.835 in 2014. Exploratory factor analysis revealed one major factor with an eigenvalue of 2.75 (68.8% of total variance). The Generalizability coefficient was consistent at 0.806. A total of 295 students and 32 examiners completed the perception questionnaire. Students' lowest examination perceptions were an "Unpleasant" and "Unenjoyable" experience, whilst the highest were "Interesting", "Valuable" and "Important". The majority of students and examiners reported the assessment as acceptable, fair and valid. The SPRE offers a reliable, valid and acceptable assessment method, provided it comprises at least four scenarios with two independently marking and trained assessors. 3. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Uterine Fibroid Symptom - Quality of Life questionnaire translation and validation into Brazilian Portuguese.

PubMed

Silva, Rita Oliveira da; Gomes, Mariano Tamura Vieira; Castro, Rodrigo de Aquino; Bonduki, Cláudio Emílio; Girão, Manoel João Batista Castello

2016-10-01

Purpose  To translate into Portuguese, culturally adapt and validate the Uterine Fibroid Symptom - Quality of Life (UFS-QoL) questionnaire for Brazilian women with uterine leiomyoma. Methods  Initially, the UFS-QoL questionnaire was translated into Brazilian Portuguese in accordance with international standards, with subsequent cultural, structural, conceptual and semantic adaptations, so that patients were able to properly answer the questionnaire. Fifty patients with uterine leiomyoma and 19 patients without the disease, confirmed by abdominal pelvic examination and/or transvaginal ultrasound, were selected at the outpatient clinics of the Department of Gynecology of the Universidade Federal de São Paulo (Unifesp). The UFS-QoL questionnaire was administered to all women twice on the same day, with two different interviewers, with an interval of 15 minutes between interviews. After 15 days, the questionnaire was re-administered by the first interviewer. Reliability (internal consistency and test-retest), construct and discriminative validity were tested to ratify the questionnaire. Results  The reliability of the instrument was assessed by Cronbach's α coefficient with an overall result of 0.97, indicating high reliability. The survey results showed a high correlation ( p  = 0.94; p  ≤ 0.001). Conclusion  The UFS-QoL questionnaire was successfully adapted to the Brazilian Portuguese language and Brazilian culture, showing reliability and validity. Thieme Publicações Ltda Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Meta-Generalis: A Novel Method for Structuring Information from Radiology Reports

PubMed Central

Barbosa, Flavio; Traina, Agma Jucci

2016-01-01

Summary Background A structured report for imaging exams aims at increasing the precision in information retrieval and communication between physicians. However, it is more concise than free text and may limit specialists’ descriptions of important findings not covered by pre-defined structures. A computational ontological structure derived from free texts designed by specialists may be a solution for this problem. Therefore, the goal of our study was to develop a methodology for structuring information in radiology reports covering specifications required for the Brazilian Portuguese language, including the terminology to be used. Methods We gathered 1,701 radiological reports of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of the lumbosacral spine from three different institutions. Techniques of text mining and ontological conceptualization of lexical units extracted were used to structure information. Ten radiologists, specialists in lumbosacral MRI, evaluated the textual superstructure and terminology extracted using an electronic questionnaire. Results The established methodology consists of six steps: 1) collection of radiology reports of a specific MRI examination; 2) textual decomposition; 3) normalization of lexical units; 4) identification of textual superstructures; 5) conceptualization of candidate-terms; and 6) evaluation of superstructures and extracted terminology by experts using an electronic questionnaire. Three different textual superstructures were identified, with terminological variations in the names of their textual categories. The number of candidate-terms conceptualized was 4,183, yielding 727 concepts. There were a total of 13,963 relationships between candidate-terms and concepts and 789 relationships among concepts. Conclusions The proposed methodology allowed structuring information in a more intuitive and practical way. Indications of three textual superstructures, extraction of lexicon units and the normalization and ontologically conceptualization were achieved while maintaining references to their respective categories and free text radiology reports. PMID:27580980

Validation of the French Version of the DSM-5 Yale Food Addiction Scale in a Nonclinical Sample

PubMed Central

Courtois, Robert; Gearhardt, Ashley N.; Gaillard, Philippe; Journiac, Kevin; Cathelain, Sarah; Réveillère, Christian; Ballon, Nicolas

2016-01-01

Objective: The Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) is the only questionnaire that assesses food addiction (FA) based on substance dependence criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), Fourth Edition, Text Revision. Following recent updating of addiction criteria, a new DSM-5 version (YFAS 2.0) has been developed. Our study tested the psychometric properties of the French YFAS 2.0 in a nonclinical population. Method: We assessed 330 nonclinical participants for FA (French YFAS 2.0), eating behaviour, and eating disorder (Binge Eating Scale, Emotional Overeating Questionnaire, Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R18, Questionnaire on Eating and Weight Patterns-Revised, Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale). We tested the scale’s factor structure (confirmatory factor analysis based on 11 diagnostic criteria), internal consistency, and construct and incremental validity. Results: Prevalence of FA was 8.2%. Our results supported a 1-factor structure similar to the US version. In both its diagnostic and symptom count versions, the YFAS 2.0 had good internal consistency (Kuder-Richardson alpha was 0.83) and was associated with body mass index (BMI), binge eating, uncontrolled and emotional eating, binge eating disorder, and cognitive restraint. FA predicted BMI above and beyond binge eating frequency. Females had a higher prevalence of FA than males but not more FA symptoms. Conclusions: We validated a psychometrically sound French version of the YFAS 2.0 in a nonclinical population, in both its symptom count and diagnostic versions. Future studies should investigate psychometric properties of this questionnaire in clinical populations potentially at risk for FA (that is, patients with obesity, diabetes, hypertension, or other metabolic syndrome risk factors). PMID:28212499

The Construct Validity of the German Academic Self-regulation Questionnaire (SRQ-A) within Primary and Secondary School Children.

PubMed

Kröner, Julia; Goussios, Christina; Schaitz, Caroline; Streb, Judith; Sosic-Vasic, Zrinka

2017-01-01

The assessment of students' motivation can be a powerful tool in enhancing and understanding students' learning. One valid and often applied self-report measure is the Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ-A) which is grounded in the self-determination theory. However, to date, there is still no German equivalent to the English version of this questionnaire. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to adapt and validate the SRQ-A on a representative German student sample, consisting of 672 children (327 girls), ages 8-14 from one primary and two secondary German schools. First, the translation-back-translation method was used to ensure the linguistic equivalence of the German questionnaire. Second, item analysis of the generated scores of the German SRQ-A were conducted. Third, the multidimensional factorial structure of the original measure was tested with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using maximum likelihood estimation. Last, additional construct validity of the German SRQ-A was tested using correlational analyses with convergent and divergent measures. After conducting CFA, four items were excluded from the original questionnaire, due to loadings lower than 0.40, resulting in 28 items. The German SRQ-A showed good internal consistency for all subscales, with Chronbach's α ranging between 0.75 and 0.88. The simplex-structure of the original measurement could also be confirmed, however, the four-factorial model could not be replicated. The measurement showed good convergent and discriminant validity with other related questionnaires. In summary, the German SRQ-A is a reliable and valid self-report instrument for the assessment of self-determined motivational styles within the school context.

The Construct Validity of the German Academic Self-regulation Questionnaire (SRQ-A) within Primary and Secondary School Children

PubMed Central

Kröner, Julia; Goussios, Christina; Schaitz, Caroline; Streb, Judith; Sosic-Vasic, Zrinka

2017-01-01

The assessment of students' motivation can be a powerful tool in enhancing and understanding students' learning. One valid and often applied self-report measure is the Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ-A) which is grounded in the self-determination theory. However, to date, there is still no German equivalent to the English version of this questionnaire. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to adapt and validate the SRQ-A on a representative German student sample, consisting of 672 children (327 girls), ages 8–14 from one primary and two secondary German schools. First, the translation-back-translation method was used to ensure the linguistic equivalence of the German questionnaire. Second, item analysis of the generated scores of the German SRQ-A were conducted. Third, the multidimensional factorial structure of the original measure was tested with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using maximum likelihood estimation. Last, additional construct validity of the German SRQ-A was tested using correlational analyses with convergent and divergent measures. After conducting CFA, four items were excluded from the original questionnaire, due to loadings lower than 0.40, resulting in 28 items. The German SRQ-A showed good internal consistency for all subscales, with Chronbach's α ranging between 0.75 and 0.88. The simplex-structure of the original measurement could also be confirmed, however, the four-factorial model could not be replicated. The measurement showed good convergent and discriminant validity with other related questionnaires. In summary, the German SRQ-A is a reliable and valid self-report instrument for the assessment of self-determined motivational styles within the school context. PMID:28690567

Filipino women's diet and health study (FiLWHEL): design and methods.

PubMed

Abris, Grace P; Hong, Sangmo; Provido, Sherlyn Mae P; Lee, Jung Eun; Lee, Chang Beom

2017-02-01

Immigration to South Korea from neighboring Asian countries has risen dramatically, primarily due to marriage between Korean men and foreign women. Although Filipino women rank fourth among married immigrant women, little is known about the health condition of this population. This manuscript focuses on the design and methods of Filipino women's diet and health study (FiLWHEL). FiLWHEL is a cohort of Filipino women married to Korean men, aged 19 years old or over. The data collection comprised three parts: questionnaire, physical examination, and biospecimen collection. Questionnaires focused on demographic factors, diet, other health-related behaviors, acculturation and immigration-related factors, medical history, quality of life, and children's health information. Participants visited the recruitment site and answered the structured questionnaires through a face-to-face interview. We also measured their anthropometric features and collected fasting blood samples, toenails, and DNA samples. Recruitment started in 2014. Collection of data is ongoing, and we plan to prospectively follow our cohort participants. We expect that our study, which is focused on married Filipino women immigrants, can elucidate nutritional/health status and the effects of transitional experiences from several lifestyle factors.

The reliability and validity of the Caregiver Work Limitations Questionnaire.

PubMed

Lerner, Debra; Parsons, Susan K; Chang, Hong; Visco, Zachary L; Pawlecki, J Brent

2015-01-01

To test a new Caregiver Work Limitations Questionnaire (WLQ). On the basis of the original WLQ, this new survey instrument assesses the effect of caregiving for ill and/or disabled persons on the caregiver's work performance. A questionnaire was administered anonymously to employees of a large business services company. Scale reliability and validity were tested with psychometric methods. Of 4128 survey participants, 18.3% currently were caregivers, 10.2% were past caregivers, and 71.5% were not caregivers. Current caregivers were limited in their ability to perform basic job tasks between mean 10.3% and 16.8% of the time. Confirmatory factor analysis yielded a scale structure similar to the WLQ's. Scales reliabilities (the Cronbach's α) ranged from 0.91 to 0.95. The Caregiver WLQ is a new tool for understanding the workplace effect of caregiving.

The Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire: Mokken Scaling Analysis

PubMed Central

Shenkin, Susan D.; Watson, Roger; Laidlaw, Ken; Starr, John M.; Deary, Ian J.

2014-01-01

Background Hierarchical scales are useful in understanding the structure of underlying latent traits in many questionnaires. The Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire (AAQ) explored the attitudes to ageing of older people themselves, and originally described three distinct subscales: (1) Psychosocial Loss (2) Physical Change and (3) Psychological Growth. This study aimed to use Mokken analysis, a method of Item Response Theory, to test for hierarchies within the AAQ and to explore how these relate to underlying latent traits. Methods Participants in a longitudinal cohort study, the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936, completed a cross-sectional postal survey. Data from 802 participants were analysed using Mokken Scaling analysis. These results were compared with factor analysis using exploratory structural equation modelling. Results Participants were 51.6% male, mean age 74.0 years (SD 0.28). Three scales were identified from 18 of the 24 items: two weak Mokken scales and one moderate Mokken scale. (1) ‘Vitality’ contained a combination of items from all three previously determined factors of the AAQ, with a hierarchy from physical to psychosocial; (2) ‘Legacy’ contained items exclusively from the Psychological Growth scale, with a hierarchy from individual contributions to passing things on; (3) ‘Exclusion’ contained items from the Psychosocial Loss scale, with a hierarchy from general to specific instances. All of the scales were reliable and statistically significant with ‘Legacy’ showing invariant item ordering. The scales correlate as expected with personality, anxiety and depression. Exploratory SEM mostly confirmed the original factor structure. Conclusions The concurrent use of factor analysis and Mokken scaling provides additional information about the AAQ. The previously-described factor structure is mostly confirmed. Mokken scaling identifies a new factor relating to vitality, and a hierarchy of responses within three separate scales, referring to vitality, legacy and exclusion. This shows what older people themselves consider important regarding their own ageing. PMID:24892302

Representations of Canada's Role in the War on Terror: The Fantasized Nationalist Narrative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shazad, Farhat

2011-01-01

This multi-method study is based on data collected from 99 written narratives, four in-depth semi-structured interviews, and demographic questionnaires. It depicts a particular framework in which a diverse group of university students represent Canada's role in the War on Terror. The study reveals how these representations assist in the imagining…

How Iranian Instructors Teach L2 Pragmatics in Their Classroom Practices? A Mixed-Methods Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muthasamy, Paramasivam; Farashaiyan, Atieh

2016-01-01

This study examined the teaching approaches and techniques that Iranian instructors utilize for teaching L2 pragmatics in their classroom practices. 238 Iranian instructors participated in this study. The data for this study were accumulated through questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. In terms of the instructional approaches, both the…

Evaluation of MIMIC-Model Methods for DIF Testing with Comparison to Two-Group Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woods, Carol M.

2009-01-01

Differential item functioning (DIF) occurs when an item on a test or questionnaire has different measurement properties for 1 group of people versus another, irrespective of mean differences on the construct. This study focuses on the use of multiple-indicator multiple-cause (MIMIC) structural equation models for DIF testing, parameterized as item…

Assessing Traumatic Event Exposure: Comparing the Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire to the Structured Clinical Interview for "DSM-IV"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peirce, Jessica M.; Burke, Christopher K.; Stoller, Kenneth B.; Neufeld, Karin J.; Brooner, Robert K.

2009-01-01

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis requires first identifying a traumatic event, but very few studies have evaluated methods of potential traumatic event assessment and their impact on PTSD diagnosis. The authors compared a behaviorally specific comprehensive multiple-item traumatic event measure with a single-item measure to…

Interplay of School Welfare Provision and Teacher Performance: The Case of Ugandan Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naluwemba, Frances; Sekiwu, Denis; Okwenje, Vicent

2016-01-01

This is an account of a cross-sectional study of how school welfare provision influences teacher performance in six government aided secondary schools in Uganda. The study was largely a mixed method involving semi-structured questionnaires and interviews with a convenience sample of 221 participants in the categories of teachers, head teachers,…

Teacher Candidates' Attitudes to Using Oral History in History Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demircioglu, Ebru

2016-01-01

The aim of this research is to determine the views of history teacher candidates towards an oral history project carried out in the Special Teaching Method Course of the history pedagogy program of the Fatih Faculty of Education (FFE) at Karadeniz Technical University in Turkey. An open-ended questionnaire and semi-structured interview were the…

The Factor Structure of ADHD in a General Population of Primary School Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ullebo, Anne Karin; Breivik, Kyrre; Gillberg, Christopher; Lundervold, Astri J.; Posserud, Maj-Britt

2012-01-01

Objective: To examine whether a bifactor model with a general ADHD factor and domain specific factors of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity was supported in a large general population sample of children. We also explored the utility of forming subscales based on the domain-specific factors. Methods: Child mental health questionnaires were…

Student Perceptions of Effective Discussion in Online Forums: A Case Study of Pre-Service Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ebrahimi, Alice; Faghih, Esmail; Dabir-Moghaddam, Mohammad

2017-01-01

This study reports on a mixed methods study which explored 32 Iranian pre-service teachers' perceptions of attending online asynchronous discussion forums during two seven-week online introductory courses in corpus linguistics. Data were collected through a questionnaire, discussion forum entries and online text-based semi-structured interviews.…

Judgments of Successful Inclusion by Education Service Personnel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frederickson, Norah; Osborne, Lisa A.; Reed, Phil

2004-01-01

Three different methods were used to investigate the basis of judgments about the success of inclusion made by key staff in an education service in the UK. First, a structured questionnaire was used by staff to rate the pupil social and learning skills needed for success in mainstream classes. Second, an open-ended elicitation technique was used…

Use of non‐invasive ventilation in UK emergency departments

PubMed Central

Browning, J; Atwood, B; Gray, A

2006-01-01

Aim To describe the current use of non‐invasive ventilation in UK emergency departments. Methods A structured questionnaire was sent to all UK emergency departments assessing 25,000 new patients annually. Results 222 of 233 departments completed the questionnaire. 148 currently use non‐invasive ventilation (NIV). Most used NIV for either cardiogenic pulmonary oedema (n = 128) or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n = 115). Only 49 departments have protocols for NIV use and 23 audited practice. Conclusion NIV is commonly used in UK emergency departments. Practices vary significantly. One solution would be the development of guidelines on when and how to use NIV in emergency medicine practice. PMID:17130599

Structural and contextual dimensions of Iranian primary health care system at local level.

PubMed

Zanganeh Baygi, Mehdi; Seyedin, Hesam; Salehi, Masoud; Jafari Sirizi, Mehdi

2015-01-01

In recent years, family physician plan was established as the main strategy of health system in Iran, while organizational structure of the primary health care system has remained the same as thirty years ago. This study was performed to illustrate structural and contextual dimensions of organizational structure and relationship between them in Iranian primary health care system at local level. A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted from January to June 2013, during which 121 questionnaires were distributed among senior and junior managers of city health centers at Medical Sciences universities in Iran. Validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by experts (CVI = 0.089 and CVR more than 0.85) and Cronbach α was utilized for reliability (α = 0.904). We used multistage sampling method in this study and analysis of the data was performed by SPSS software using different tests. Local level of primary health care system in Iran had mechanical structure, but in contextual dimensions the results showed different types. There was a significant relationship between structural and contextual dimensions (r = 0.642, P value < 0.001). Goals and culture dimensions had strongest effects on structural dimensions. Because of the changes in goals and strategies of Iranian health system in recent years, it is urgently recommended to reform the current structure to increase efficiency and effectiveness of the system.

Measuring Integrated Socioemotional Guidance at School: Factor Structure and Reliability of the Socioemotional Guidance Questionnaire (SEG-Q)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobs, Karen; Struyf, Elke

2013-01-01

Socioemotional guidance of students has recently become an integral part of education, however no instrument exists to measure integrated socioemotional guidance. This study therefore examines the factor structure and reliability of the Socioemotional Guidance Questionnaire. Psychometric properties of the Socioemotional Guidance Questionnaire and…

Case-oriented selection of investigation methods in direct access: A comparison between physiotherapy trainees at professional colleges and in bachelor's study courses.

PubMed

Konrad, Ralf; Geraedts, Max

2018-01-01

Objective: Direct access to physiotherapy services is currently discussed in Germany. Its introduction would mean that initial diagnoses must be made in physiotherapy practices as well. However, it was not yet investigated whether the current training in physiotherapy is sufficient for this, and whether there are differences between the training systems. This study aims to answer the question of whether trainees at the end of Bachelor's studies (BS) are more reliably able to assess the case-related suitability of examination methods than professional college students (FS). Methodology: Questionnaires were developed to assess the suitability of examination methods for diagnostic inquiries. All professional colleges and bachelor's study courses listed with the German Physiotherapy Association were asked to present the questionnaires to their final classes. Results: In 216 addressed professional colleges and 24 bachelor's study courses, the return rate was 9.26% for professional colleges and 33.33% for study courses. One hundred thirty-eight questionnaires from students in 8 study courses and 368 questionnaires from students at 20 professional colleges were evaluated. The mean of correct decisions in total (of max. 54) was 19.01 (BS) or 15.73 (FS); in structure-related and function-related examination methods (of max. 42), it was 17.22 (BS) and 14.8 (FS); in activity-related methods (of max. 12), it was 1.97 (BS) and 0.89 (FS). Out of a max. of 49 examination methods, 23.45 (BS) and 26.72 (FS) were stated as unknown. Conclusion: The university students made correct decisions on the suitability of examination methods significantly more frequently than the professional college students. However, the determined group difference is low. Overall, the results do not appear sufficient for direct access. Training would have to be adapted for this purpose.

Psychometric properties of the French version of a scale measuring perceived emotional intelligence : the Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS)

PubMed Central

Bourdier, Léna; Duclos, Jeanne; Ringuenet, Damien; Berthoz, Sylvie

2016-01-01

Objective: The Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS), a 30-item self-assessment questionnaire, has been developed to measure perceived emotional intelligence (EI) level in 3 dimensions: Attention, Clarity and Repair. This study aimed to explore the psychometric properties of the French version of this instrument. Method: The instrument factor structure, normality, internal consistency, stability and concurrent validity were assessed in a sample of 824 young adults (456 female). Besides TMMS, participants completed self-assessment questionnaires for affectivity (Shortened Beck Depression Inventory, State and Trait Anxiety Inventory, Positive and Negative emotion scale), alexithymia (Bermond-Vorst Alexithymia Questionnaire-B) and interpersonal functioning (Empathy Quotient). Discriminant validity was tested in 64 female patients with anorexia nervosa, identified in literature as having difficulties with introspection, expression and emotional regulation. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis results replicate the 3-factor structure. Internal consistency and reliability indices are adequate. Direction and degree of correlation coefficients between TMMS dimensions and other questionnaires support the instrument concurrent validity. TMMS allows to highlight differences in perceived EI levels between men and women (Attention: p < 0.001 ; Clarity: p < 0.05) as well as between patients with anorexia nervosa and control subjects (p < 0.001 for all 3 dimensions). Conclusion: This first validation study shows satisfying psychometric properties for TMMS French version. PMID:27310229

Development and psychometric evaluation of the Premarital Sexual Behavior Assessment Scale for Young Women (PSAS-YW): an exploratory mixed method study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Premarital sexual behaviors are important issue for women’s health. The present study was designed to develop and examine the psychometric properties of a scale in order to identify young women who are at greater risk of premarital sexual behavior. Method This was an exploratory mixed method investigation. Indeed, the study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, qualitative methods (focus group discussion and individual interview) were applied to generate items and develop the questionnaire. In the second phase, psychometric properties (validity and reliability) of the questionnaire were assessed. Results In the first phase an item pool containing 53 statements related to premarital sexual behavior was generated. In the second phase item reduction was applied and the final version of the questionnaire containing 26 items was developed. The psychometric properties of this final version were assessed and the results showed that the instrument has a good structure, and reliability. The results from exploratory factory analysis indicated a 5-factor solution for the instrument that jointly accounted for the 57.4% of variance observed. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the instrument was found to be 0.87. Conclusion This study provided a valid and reliable scale to identify premarital sexual behavior in young women. Assessment of premarital sexual behavior might help to improve women’s sexual abstinence. PMID:24924696

Testing Structural Invariance of the Achievement Goal Questionnaire in American, Chinese, and Dutch College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Huaping; Hernandez, Diley

2012-01-01

This study investigates the structural invariance of the Achievement Goal Questionnaire (AGQ) in American, Chinese, and Dutch college students. Using confirmatory factor analyses (CFA), the authors found evidence for the four-factor structure of achievement goals in all three samples. Subsequent multigroup CFAs supported structural invariance of…

The development of 'Quality of Life Instrument for Indian Diabetes patients (QOLID): a validation and reliability study in middle and higher income groups.

PubMed

Nagpal, Jitender; Kumar, Arvind; Kakar, Sonia; Bhartia, Abhishek

2010-05-01

To develop a reliable and valid quality of life questionnaire for Indian patients with diabetes. A draft of 75 questions was prepared on the basis of expert opinion, focus group discussions, review of existing literature and detailed semi-structured interviews of patients with diabetes with the intention of including all aspects of diabetes-specific and quality of life considered relevant by patients and care providers to enable constrict validity. A Stage 2 questionnaire was then prepared with 13 domains and 54 items (questions) after expert panel review for obvious irrelevance and duplication of issues. It was administered to 150 participants visiting a diabetes center at New Delhi. Factor analysis was done using principal component method with varimax rotation. Reliability analysis was done by calculating Cronbach's Alpha. For evaluating concordant validity the questionnaire was co-administered with DQL-CTQ to 30 participants. The discriminant validity of the questionnaire was tested using 't' test for metabolic control, co-morbidities, insulin use and gender. Using principal component method 8 domains were identified on the basis of an apriori hypothesis and the scree plot. These 8 domains explained 49.9% of the total variation. 34 items (questions) were selected to represent these domains on the basis of extraction communality, factor loading, inter-item and item-total correlations. The final questionnaire has an Overall Cronbach's Alpha value of 0.894 (subscale- 0.55 to 0.85) showing high internal consistency. The questionnaire showed good concordance (product moment correlation 0.724; p = 0.001; subscale correlation - 0.457 to 0.779) with the DQL-CTQ. The overall standardized questionnaire score showed good responsiveness to metabolic control and co-morbidities establishing discriminant validity. The final version of questionnaire with 8 domains and 34 items is a reliable and valid tool for assessment of quality of life of Indian patients with diabetes.

The Selective Mutism Questionnaire: Measurement Structure and Validity

PubMed Central

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

Ownership strategies of multinational corporations: Towards designing effective global networks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Raghunathan, S.P.

1992-01-01

The thesis of this research is that MNCs, attempting to implement different international strategies in response to several environmental factors, let their global networks evolve. The ownership structure of the network is therefore a function of the international strategy and environment of a firm. A particular strategy (configuration/coordination), given a certain environment, may be effective if associated with the appropriate structure. This study is based on a survey of 318 US manufacturing-sector MNCs using a questionnaire. The ownership structure of an MNC network was identified by studying the nature of ownership - method and form - of overseas subsidiaries. Usingmore » network theoretic methods, ownership structure was empirically related to international environment, strategy, and performance. Results of this study throw light on the design of global networks and enable a general theory of the design of MNCs to be eventually developed.« less

Psychometrics of the chronic liver disease questionnaire for Southern Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection

PubMed Central

Lam, Elegance Ting Pui; Lam, Cindy Lo Kuen; Lai, Ching Lung; Yuen, Man Fung; Fong, Daniel Yee Tak

2009-01-01

AIM: To test the psychometric properties of a Chinese [(Hong Kong) HK] translation of the chronic liver disease questionnaire (CLDQ). METHODS: A Chinese (HK) translation of the CLDQ was developed by iterative translation and cognitive debriefing. It was then administered to 72 uncomplicated and 78 complicated chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients in Hong Kong together with a structured questionnaire on service utilization, and the Chinese (HK) SF-36 Health Survey Version 2 (SF-36v2). RESULTS: Scaling success was ≥ 80% for all but three items. A new factor assessing sleep was found and items of two (Fatigue and Systemic Symptoms) subscales tended to load on the same factor. Internal consistency and test-retest reliabilities ranged from 0.58-0.90 for different subscales. Construct validity was confirmed by the expected correlations between the SF-36v2 Health Survey and CLDQ scores. Mean scores of CLDQ were significantly lower in complicated compared with uncomplicated CHB, supporting sensitivity in detecting differences between groups. CONCLUSION: The Chinese (HK) CLDQ is valid, reliable and sensitive for patients with CHB. Some modifications to the scaling structure might further improve its psychometric properties. PMID:19598306

Factor structure of the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) from infertile women attending the Yazd Research and Clinical Center for Infertility.

PubMed

Shayan, Zahra; Pourmovahed, Zahra; Najafipour, Fatemeh; Abdoli, Ali Mohammad; Mohebpour, Fatemeh; Najafipour, Sedighe

2015-12-01

Nowadays, infertility problems have become a social concern, and are associated with multiple psychological and social problems. Also, it affects the interpersonal communication between the individual, familial, and social characteristics. Since women are exposed to stressors of physical, mental, social factors, and treatment of infertility, providing a psychometric screening tool is necessary for disorders of this group. The aim of this study was to determine the factor structure of the general health questionnaire-28 to discover mental disorders in infertile women. In this study, 220 infertile women undergoing treatment of infertility were selected from the Yazd Research and Clinical Center for Infertility with convenience sampling in 2011. After completing the general health questionnaire by the project manager, validity and, reliability of the questionnaire were calculated by confirmatory factor structure and Cronbach's alpha, respectively. Four factors, including anxiety and insomnia, social dysfunction, depression, and physical symptoms were extracted from the factor structure. 50.12% of the total variance was explained by four factors. The reliability coefficient of the questionnaire was obtained 0.90. Analysis of the factor structure and reliability of General Health Questionnaire-28 showed that it is suitable as a screening instrument for assessing general health of infertile women.

Parents' perspectives on centralized cleft services for children: the development of a DCE questionnaire.

PubMed

Ke, K M; Mackichan, F; Sandy, J R; Ness, A R; Hollingworth, W

2013-03-01

Incorporating user's perspectives in healthcare delivery is important. Simple questionnaires may not capture these as well as a discrete choice experiment (DCE) which enables the exploration of users' trade-offs between different service attributes. Qualitative methods are increasingly used to improve a DCE's face validity, but few studies adequately describe them. This paper describes the qualitative investigations in the development of a DCE questionnaire to elicit parents' perspectives on centralized services for children with cleft lip and palate. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 16 parents from across the UK, except Wales. Data analysis was carried out by the constant comparative method. Five attributes and their levels were inductively identified: usefulness and amount of information (four levels); staff attitude at cleft centres (two levels); continuity of care (two levels); personal costs of attending appointments (four levels); and cleft centres facilities (two levels). An unexpected finding was that parents' sense of responsibility towards their child made a 'willingness-to-travel' attribute unacceptable to them, but they were receptive to a 'willingness-to-pay' attribute. Using qualitative methods with service users in attribute development for a DCE helps to uncover issues that may not be apparent to researchers or health service staff. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties of the Young Schema Questionnaire (Short Form) in Chinese Undergraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cui, Lixia; Lin, Wenwen; Oei, Tian P. S.

2011-01-01

This study investigated cross-cultural differences in the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Young Schema Questionnaire (short form; YSQ-SF). The participants were 712 Chinese undergraduate students. The total sample was randomly divided into two sub-samples. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was conducted on questionnaire results…

Psychometric Evaluation of the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire for Bariatric Surgery Candidates

PubMed Central

Hrabosky, Joshua I.; White, Marney A.; Masheb, Robin M.; Rothschild, Bruce S.; Burke-Martindale, Carolyn H.; Grilo, Carlos M.

2013-01-01

Objective Despite increasing use of the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q) in bariatric surgery patients, little is known about the utility and psychometric performance of this self-report measure in this clinical group. The primary purpose of the current study was to evaluate the factor structure and construct validity of the EDE-Q in a large series of bariatric surgery candidates. Methods and Procedures Participants were 337 obese bariatric surgery candidates. Participants completed the EDE-Q and a battery of behavioral and psychological measures. Results Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) produced a 12-item, 4-factor structure of the EDE-Q. The four factors, interpreted as Dietary Restraint, Eating Disturbance, Appearance Concerns, and Shape/Weight Overvaluation, were found to be internally consistent and converged with other relevant measures of psychopathology. Discussion Factor analysis of the EDE-Q in bariatric surgery candidates did not replicate the original subscales but revealed an alternative factor structure. Future research must further evaluate the psychometric properties, including the factor structure, of the EDE-Q in this and other diverse populations and consider means of improving this measure's ability to best assess eating-related pathology in bariatric surgery patients. PMID:18379561

Development of a Comprehensive Heart Disease Knowledge Questionnaire

PubMed Central

Bergman, Hannah E.; Reeve, Bryce B.; Moser, Richard P.; Scholl, Sarah; Klein, William M. P.

2011-01-01

Background Heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women in the United States, yet a comprehensive and evidence-based heart disease knowledge assessment is currently not available. Purpose This paper describes the 2 phase development of a novel heart disease knowledge questionnaire. Methods After review and critique of the existing literature, a questionnaire addressing 5 central domains of heart disease knowledge was constructed. In Phase I, 606 undergraduates completed a 82-item questionnaire. In Phase II, 248 undergraduates completed a revised 74-item questionnaire. In both phases, item clarity and difficulty were evaluated, along with the overall factor structure of the scale. Results Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to reduce the scale to 30 items with fit statistics, CFI = .82, TLI = .88, and RMSEA = .03. Scores were correlated moderately positively with an existing scale and weakly positively with a measure of health literacy, thereby establishing both convergent and divergent validity. Discussion The finalized 30-item questionnaire is a concise, yet discriminating instrument that reliably measures participants' heart disease knowledge levels. Translation to Health Education Practice Health professionals can use this scale to assess their patients' heart disease knowledge so that they can create a tailored program to help their patients reduce their heart disease risk. PMID:21720571

Examining the ecological validity of the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire.

PubMed

Martindale, Russell J J; Collins, Dave; Douglas, Carl; Whike, Ally

2013-01-01

It is clear that high class expertise and effective practice exists within many talent development environments across the world. However, there is also a general consensus that widespread evidence-based policy and practice is lacking. As such, it is crucial to develop solutions which can facilitate effective dissemination of knowledge and promotion of evidence-based talent development systems. While the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire (Martindale et al., 2010 ) provides a method through which this could be facilitated, its ecological validity has remained untested. As such, this study aimed to investigate the real world applicability of the questionnaire through discriminant function analysis. Athletes across ten distinct regional squads and academies were identified and separated into two broad levels, 'higher quality' (n = 48) and 'lower quality' (n = 51) environments, based on their process quality and productivity. Results revealed that the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire was able to discriminate with 77.8% accuracy. Furthermore, in addition to the questionnaire as a whole, two individual features, 'quality preparation' (P < 0.01) and 'understanding the athlete' (P < 0.01), were found to be significant discriminators. In conclusion, the results indicate robust structural properties and sound ecological validity, allowing the questionnaire to be used with more confidence in applied and research settings.

A comparative trial of paper-and-pencil versus computer administration of the Quality of Life in Reflux and Dyspepsia (QOLRAD) questionnaire.

PubMed

Kleinman, L; Leidy, N K; Crawley, J; Bonomi, A; Schoenfeld, P

2001-02-01

Although most health-related quality of life questionnaires are self-administered by means of paper and pencil, new technologies for automated computer administration are becoming more readily available. Novel methods of instrument administration must be assessed for score equivalence in addition to consistency in reliability and validity. The present study compared the psychometric characteristics (score equivalence and structure, internal consistency, and reproducibility reliability and construct validity) of the Quality of Life in Reflux And Dyspepsia (QOLRAD) questionnaire when self-administered by means of paper and pencil versus touch-screen computer. The influence of age, education, and prior experience with computers on score equivalence was also examined. This crossover trial randomized 134 patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease to 1 of 2 groups: paper-and-pencil questionnaire administration followed by computer administration or computer administration followed by use of paper and pencil. To minimize learning effects and respondent fatigue, administrations were scheduled 3 days apart. A random sample of 32 patients participated in a 1-week reproducibility evaluation of the computer-administered QOLRAD. QOLRAD scores were equivalent across the 2 methods of administration regardless of subject age, education, and prior computer use. Internal consistency levels were very high (alpha = 0.93-0.99). Interscale correlations were strong and generally consistent across methods (r = 0.7-0.87). Correlations between the QOLRAD and Short Form 36 (SF-36) were high, with no significant differences by method. Test-retest reliability of the computer-administered QOLRAD was also very high (ICC = 0.93-0.96). Results of the present study suggest that the QOLRAD is reliable and valid when self-administered by means of computer touch-screen or paper and pencil.

Reassessment of the psychometric characteristics and factor structure of the 'Perceived Stress Questionnaire' (PSQ): analysis in a sample of dental students.

PubMed

Montero-Marin, Jesús; Piva Demarzo, Marcelo Marcos; Pereira, Joao Paulo; Olea, Marina; García-Campayo, Javier

2014-01-01

The training to become a dentist can create psychological distress. The present study evaluates the structure of the 'Perceived Stress Questionnaire' (PSQ), its internal consistency model and interrelatedness with burnout, anxiety, depression and resilience among dental students. The study employed a cross-sectional design. A sample of Spanish dental students (n = 314) completed the PSQ, the 'Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scale' (GADS), 'Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale' (10-item CD-RISC) and 'Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey' (MBI-SS). The structure was estimated using Parallel Analysis from polychoric correlations. Unweighted Least Squares was the method for factor extraction, using the Item Response Theory to evaluate the discriminative power of items. Internal consistency was assessed by squaring the correlation between the latent true variable and the observed variable. The relationships between the PSQ and the other constructs were analysed using Spearman's coefficient. The results showed a PSQ structure through two sub-factors ('frustration' and 'tenseness') with regard to one general factor ('perceived stress'). Items that did not satisfy discriminative capacity were rejected. The model fit were acceptable (GFI = 0.98; RSMR = 0.06; AGFI = 0.98; NFI = 0.98; RFI = 0.98). All the factors showed adequate internal consistency as measured by the congeneric model (≥0.91). High and significant associations were observed between perceived stress and burnout, anxiety, depression and resilience. The PSQ showed a hierarchical bi-factor structure among Spanish dental students. Using the questionnaire as a uni-dimensional scale may be useful in perceived stress level discrimination, while the sub-factors could help us to refine perceived stress analysis and improve therapeutic processes.

Quality of Life and Quality of Support for People with Severe Intellectual Disability and Complex Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beadle-Brown, J.; Leigh, J.; Whelton, B.; Richardson, L.; Beecham, J.; Baumker, T.; Bradshaw, J.

2016-01-01

Background: People with severe and profound intellectual disabilities often spend substantial time isolated and disengaged. The nature and quality of the support appears to be important in determining quality of life. Methods: Structured observations and staff questionnaires were used to explore the quality of life and quality of support for 110…

Validation of the Visitor and Resident Framework in an E-Book Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engelsmann, Hazel C.; Greifeneder, Elke; Lauridsen, Nikoline D.; Nielsen, Anja G.

2014-01-01

Introduction: By applying the visitor and resident framework on e-book usage, the article explores whether the concepts of a resident and a visitor can help to explain e-book use, and can help to gain a better insight into users' motivations for e-book use. Method: A questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were conducted with users of the…

Pre-Service Teachers' Comments toward Official Teacher Selection System (Civil Servant Selection Examination, KPSS) in Turkey: A Qualitative Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ugulu, Ilker; Yorek, Nurettin

2015-01-01

The purpose of this research is to investigate the opinions of the pre-service teachers toward teacher selection system and civil servant selection exam (KPSS). In this study, qualitative re-search methods and semi-structured interviews were used and researcher-made questionnaires containing open-ended questions were administered. The study group…

School District Leadership Styles and School Improvement: Evidence from Selected School Principals in the Eastern Cape Province

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moorosi, Pontso; Bantwini, Bongani D.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate how leadership styles in the Eastern Cape school districts support school improvement. Mixed methods research was employed and data was collected through the use of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with school principals in various districts. The study was guided by the following questions:…

Children-at-Risk for Poor Nutrition: Expanding the Approach of Future Professionals in Educational Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shor, Ron

2011-01-01

Objectives: To examine how the subject of nutrition is being addressed in the work with children at risk of poor nutrition in educational institutions and what the barriers are which may hinder inclusion of this subject. Methods: A structured questionnaire was constructed for the purpose of this study and was implemented with 111 students in…

Teacher Trainers' and Trainees' Perceptions, Practices, and Constraints to Active Learning Methods: The Case of English Department in Bahir Dar University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engidaw, Berhanu

2014-01-01

This study is on teacher trainers and teacher trainees' perceptions and practices of active learning and the constraints to implementing them in the English Department of Bahir Dar University. A mixed study approach that involves a quantitative self administered questionnaire, a semi-structured lesson observation guide, and qualitative in depth…

[The Polish adaptation of the public speaking anxiety questionnaire].

PubMed

Chodkiewicz, Jan; Miniszewska, Joanna

2015-01-01

The aim of the study was the Polish adaptation of the shortened Public Speaking Anxiety Questionnaire GFER by Spitznagel and co-workers. GFER is a self-assessment method which consists of 16 statements and is designed to assess emotions, physiological reactions, and thoughts that appear in a situation of public speaking. GFER was used to examine 320 students from Lodz's universities. The State/Trait Anxiety Inventory - STAI by Spielberger, The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale by Zigmunt and Snaith and TCI by Cloninger were also used. The Polish version of GFER is a reliable and valid tool. The factor structure is similar to the original structure. As a result of the conducted analyses, there was obtained the 9-item version of the tool, which has a 2-factor structure - factor I: emotional and physiological reactions, factor II: worrying. The results obtained with GFER present a statistically significant correlation with other measures of anxiety and with the dimension of temperament: harm avoidance. The obtained results indicate that GFER may be used in both scientific research and therapeutic practice.

Ideals of patient autonomy in clinical decision making: a study on the development of a scale to assess patients' and physicians' views

PubMed Central

Stiggelbout, A; Molewijk, A; Otten, W; Timmermans, D; van Bockel, J H; Kievit, J

2004-01-01

Objectives: Evidence based patient choice seems based on a strong liberal individualist interpretation of patient autonomy; however, not all patients are in favour of such an interpretation. The authors wished to assess whether ideals of autonomy in clinical practice are more in accordance with alternative concepts of autonomy from the ethics literature. This paper describes the development of a questionnaire to assess such concepts of autonomy. Methods: A questionnaire, based on six moral concepts from the ethics literature, was sent to aneurysm patients and their surgeons. The structure of the questionnaire was assessed by factor analysis, and item reduction was based on reliability. Results: Ninety six patients and 58 surgeons participated. The questionnaire consisted of four scales. Two of the scales reflected the paternalistic and consumerist poles of the liberal individualist model, one scale reflected concepts of Socratic autonomy and of procedural independence, and the fourth scale reflected ideals of risk disclosure. Discussion: The Ideal Patient Autonomy Scale is a 14 item normative instrument. It is clearly distinct from the generally used psychological preference questionnaires that assess preferences for physician-patient roles. PMID:15173361

Construct validation of SF-36 Malay version among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yap, Bee Wah; Jannoo, Zeinab; Razali, Nornadiah Mohd; Ghani, Nor Azura Md.; Lazim, Mohamad Alias

2015-02-01

The Short Form 36 (SF-36) is one of the most widely used generic health status measure. This study used the SF-36 Health Survey instrument to investigate the functional health and well-being of Malay Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients in Malaysia. The survey was carried out in three local hospitals in Selangor. The method of questionnaire administration was both self-administered and interviewer administered. A total of 354 questionnaires was returned, but only 295 questionnaires with no missing data were analyzed. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to confirm the first-order and third-order CFA models. The higher order analyses included a third-order CFA models with two second-order factors (physical and mental component) and three second-order factors (physical, general well-being and mental health) and both showed satisfactory model fit indices. This study confirmed the multidimensional factor structure of the SF-36.

Ukrainian-Speaking Migrants’ Concerning the Use of Interpreters in Healthcare Service: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Hadziabdic, Emina

2016-01-01

The aim of this pilot study was to investigate Ukrainian-speaking migrants’ attitudes to the use of interpreters in healthcare service in order to test a developed questionnaire and recruitment strategy. A descriptive survey using a 51-item structured self-administered questionnaire of 12 Ukrainian-speaking migrants’ and analyzed by the descriptive statistics. The findings were to have an interpreter as an objective communication and practical aid with personal qualities such as a good knowledge of languages and translation ability. In contrast, the clothes worn by the interpreter and the interpreter’s religion were not viewed as important aspects. The findings support the method of a developed questionnaire and recruitment strategy, which in turn can be used in a larger planned investigation of the same topic in order to arrange a good interpretation situation in accordance with persons’ desire irrespective of countries’ different rules in healthcare policies regarding interpretation. PMID:27014391

Factor Stability of Primary Scales of the General Organization Questionnaire

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-10-01

leadership , climate , and processes function optimally. The Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness Work Unit re- searches personal, small-group...the Litwin and Stringer (1968) Organizational Climate Questionnaire found a factor structure that was dif- ferent from the a priori structure...number) General Organization Questionnaire (GOQ) Organizational climate Organizational effectiveness 20. ATRACT (Cnm N eriwem7 d Iderntify by block numbst

Relative validity and reproducibility of a French dietary history questionnaire

PubMed Central

Van Liere, Marti J.; Lucas, François; Clavel, Françoise; Slimani, Nadia; Villeminot, Sylvie

1997-01-01

Background A self-administered dietary history questionnaire, especially developed for use in a large French prospective cohort study, was tested for accuracy of food intake measurement by comparing it to the average of 9–12 24-hour recalls. This questionnaire was structured according to the French meal pattern. An important feature of the questionnaire was the separation into a quantification part and qualification part. The first part quantifies consumption by frequency and portion sizes per food group or food item. The second part provides more detailed qualitative information on separate items within one food group. The total number of food items in the questionnaire was 238. Methods The questionnaire was administered twice to 119 study subjects, with an interval of approximately one year (1990–1991). During that year, 24-hour recalls were carried out monthly. Reproducibility and relative validity of the questionnaire were assessed. Results The correlation coefficients for reproducibility ranged from 0.40 to 0.74 for foods and from 0.54 to 0.75 for nutrients. The correlation coefficients for relative validity ranged from 0.10 to 0.71 for foods and from 0.29 to 0.81 for nutrients (adjustment for total energy and attenuation for nutrients). Percentage of subjects classified in the same or adjacent quintile by questionnaire as well as by 24-hour recall was on average 76% for foods and 72% for nutrients. Conclusions These data indicate that this questionnaire can be used to classify study subjects according to their food or nutrient intake over a one-year period, within a known degree of precision. PMID:9126541

Validation of the exercise and eating disorder questionnaire in males with and without eating disorders

PubMed Central

Bjørnelv, Sigrid; Bratberg, Grete Helen; Rø, Øyvind

2018-01-01

Abstract Objective The need to consider gender when studying exercise in eating disorder (ED) has been underscored. The study aimed to test the psychometric properties and factor structure of the exercise and eating disorder (EED) questionnaire for males with and without ED, to highlight gender differences, and to explore issues relevant for a male version of the EED questionnaire. Method This cross sectional study included 258 male participants: 55 ED patients (inpatients and outpatients) and 203 student controls. The patient group consisted of 54.5% (n = 30) with AN, 18.2% (n = 10) with BN, 27.2% (n = 15) with unspecified ED. The ED sample was treated as transdiagnostic in all analyses. t Tests, chi‐square test, correlations analyses, and a principal component analysis were conducted. Results The analyses confirmed that the EED questionnaire had adequate psychometric properties, and a four‐factor solution: (a) compulsive exercise, (b) positive and healthy exercise, (c) awareness of bodily signals, and (d) weight and shape exercise. The questionnaire discriminated significantly (p < .01– < .001) between patients and controls on the global score, subscales, and 16 out of 18 individual items. Convergent validity was demonstrated by high correlations between the EED questionnaire and the eating disorder examination questionnaire (r = .65). Discussion The results indicated that the EED questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool for males. It is a clinically derived, self‐report questionnaire to assess compulsive exercise among ED patients, regarding attitudes and thoughts toward compulsive exercise and identification of treatment targets and priorities PMID:29537659

Multidimensional structure of a questionnaire to assess barriers to and motivators of physical activity in recipients of solid organ transplantation.

PubMed

van Adrichem, Edwin J; Krijnen, Wim P; Dekker, Rienk; Ranchor, Adelita V; Dijkstra, Pieter U; van der Schans, Cees P

2017-11-01

To explore the underlying dimensions of the Barriers and Motivators Questionnaire that is used to assess barriers to and motivators of physical activity experienced by recipients of solid organ transplantation and thereby improve the application in research and clinical settings. A cross-sectional study was performed in recipients of solid organ transplantation (n = 591; median (IQR) age = 59 (49; 66); 56% male). The multidimensional structure of the questionnaire was analyzed by exploratory principal component analysis. Cronbach's α was calculated to determine internal consistency of the entire questionnaire and individual components. The barriers scale had a Cronbach's α of 0.86 and was subdivided into four components; α of the corresponding subscales varied between 0.80 and 0.66. The motivator scale had an α of 0.91 and was subdivided into four components with an α between 0.88 to 0.70. Nine of the original barrier items and two motivator items were not included in the component structure. A four-dimensional structure for both the barriers and motivators scale of the questionnaire is supported. The use of the indicated subscales increases the usability in research and clinical settings compared to the overall scores and provide opportunities to identify modifiable constructs to be targeted in interventions. Implications for rehabilitation Organ transplant recipients are less active than the general population despite established health benefits of physical activity. A multidimensional structure is shown in the Barriers and Motivators Questionnaire, the use of the identified subscales increases applicability in research and clinical settings. The use of the questionnaire with its component structure in the clinical practice of a rehabilitation physician could result in a faster assessment of problem areas in daily practice and result in a higher degree of clarity as opposed to the use of the individual items of the questionnaire.

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a patient-initiated botulinum toxin treatment model for blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm compared to standard care: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Wickwar, Sadie; McBain, Hayley; Newman, Stanton P; Hirani, Shashivadan P; Hurt, Catherine; Dunlop, Nicola; Flood, Chris; Ezra, Daniel G

2016-03-09

Blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm are debilitating conditions that significantly impact on patient quality of life. Cyclical treatment with botulinum toxin injections offers temporary relief, but the duration of treatment efficacy is variable. The standard model of patient care defines routine fixed-time based scheduled treatment cycles which may lead to unnecessarily frequent treatment for some patients and experience of distressing symptoms in others, if symptoms return before the scheduled follow-up period. A randomised controlled trial will compare a patient-initiated model of care, where patients determine botulinum toxin treatment timing, to the standard model of care in which care is scheduled by the clinical team. A sample of 266 patients with blepharospasm or hemifacial spasm will be recruited from Moorfields Eye Hospital (MEH), London. The trial will be accompanied by a mixed-methods evaluation of acceptability of the new service. Patients who meet eligibility criteria will be assessed at baseline and those in the intervention group will be provided with instructions on how to book their own treatment appointments. Patients in both groups will be followed up 3 and 9 months into the trial and all patients will be returned to usual care after 9 months to meet safety protocols. Primary outcome measures include disease severity (questionnaire), functional disability (questionnaire) and patient satisfaction with care (questionnaire). Secondary outcomes include disease-specific quality of life (questionnaire), mood (questionnaire), illness and treatment perceptions (questionnaire and semi-structured interviews), economic impact (questionnaire) and acceptability (questionnaire and semi-structured interviews). This trial will assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a patient-led care model for botulinum toxin therapy. If the new model is shown to be effective in reducing distress and disability in these populations and is found to be acceptable to patients, whilst being cost-effective, this will have significant implications for service organisation across the NHS. UK Clinical Research Network (UKCRN) Portfolio 18660. Clinicaltrials.gov ID NCT102577224 (registered 29 October 2015).

Active Mobility and Environment: A Pilot Qualitative Study for the Design of a New Questionnaire

PubMed Central

Salze, Paul; Weber, Christiane; Feuillet, Thierry; Charreire, Hélène; Menai, Mehdi; Perchoux, Camille; Nazare, Julie-Anne; Simon, Chantal; Oppert, Jean-Michel

2017-01-01

It is generally accepted that active mobility, mainly walking and cycling, contributes to people’s physical and mental health. One of the current challenges is to improve our understanding of this type of behaviour. This study aims to identify factors from the daily-life environment that may be related to active mobility behaviours, in order to design a new questionnaire for a quantitative study of a large adult population. The new questionnaire obtained through this pilot study combines information from interviews with existing questionnaires materials in order to introduce new factors while retaining the factors already assessed. This approach comprises three stages. The first was a content analysis (Reinert method) of interviews with a sample of participants about daily living activities as well as mobility. This stage led to a typology of factors suggested by interviews. The second was a scoping review of the literature in order to identify the active mobility questionnaires currently used in international literature. The last stage was a cross-tabulation of the factors resulting from the written interviews and the questionnaires. A table of the inter-relationships between the interview-based typology and the questionnaires shows discrepancies between factors considered by the existing questionnaires, and factors coming from individual interviews. Independent factors which were ignored in or absent from the questionnaires are the housing situation within the urban structure, overall consideration of the activity space beyond the limits of the residential neighbourhood, the perception of all the transportation modes, and the time scheduling impacting the modes actually used. Our new questionnaire integrates both the usual factors and the new factors that may be related to active mobility behaviours. PMID:28052086

Active Mobility and Environment: A Pilot Qualitative Study for the Design of a New Questionnaire.

PubMed

Hess, Franck; Salze, Paul; Weber, Christiane; Feuillet, Thierry; Charreire, Hélène; Menai, Mehdi; Perchoux, Camille; Nazare, Julie-Anne; Simon, Chantal; Oppert, Jean-Michel; Enaux, Christophe

2017-01-01

It is generally accepted that active mobility, mainly walking and cycling, contributes to people's physical and mental health. One of the current challenges is to improve our understanding of this type of behaviour. This study aims to identify factors from the daily-life environment that may be related to active mobility behaviours, in order to design a new questionnaire for a quantitative study of a large adult population. The new questionnaire obtained through this pilot study combines information from interviews with existing questionnaires materials in order to introduce new factors while retaining the factors already assessed. This approach comprises three stages. The first was a content analysis (Reinert method) of interviews with a sample of participants about daily living activities as well as mobility. This stage led to a typology of factors suggested by interviews. The second was a scoping review of the literature in order to identify the active mobility questionnaires currently used in international literature. The last stage was a cross-tabulation of the factors resulting from the written interviews and the questionnaires. A table of the inter-relationships between the interview-based typology and the questionnaires shows discrepancies between factors considered by the existing questionnaires, and factors coming from individual interviews. Independent factors which were ignored in or absent from the questionnaires are the housing situation within the urban structure, overall consideration of the activity space beyond the limits of the residential neighbourhood, the perception of all the transportation modes, and the time scheduling impacting the modes actually used. Our new questionnaire integrates both the usual factors and the new factors that may be related to active mobility behaviours.

A survey validation and analysis of undergraduate medical biochemistry practical curriculum in maharashtra, India.

PubMed

Dandekar, Sucheta P; Maksane, Shalini N; McKinley, Danette

2012-01-01

In order to review the strengths and weaknesses of medical biochemistry practical curriculum for undergraduates and to generate ideas to improve it, a questionnaire was sent to 50 biochemistry faculty members selected (through simple random sampling method) from 42 medical colleges of Maharashtra, India. 39 responded to the questionnaire, representing a 78% response rate. The internal consistency of the questionnaire sections was found to be satisfactory (>0.7). The respondents did not agree that the ongoing curriculum was in alignment with learning outcomes (8%), that it encouraged active learning (28%), helped to apply knowledge to clinical situations (18%) and promoted critical thinking and problem solving skills (28%). There were a number of qualitative experiments that were rated 'irrelevant'. Qualitative and quantitative experiments related to recent advances were suggested to be introduced by the respondents. Checklists for the practicals and new curriculum objectives provided in the questionnaire were also approved. The results of the curriculum evaluation suggest a need for re-structuring of practical biochemistry curriculum and introduction of a modified curriculum with more clinical relevance.

Looking Through the Patients’ Eyes

PubMed Central

Bond, Trevor G; Cappiello, Giuseppe; Fantini, Maria Pia

2017-01-01

Objective: Patient satisfaction is a personal evaluation of health-care services that is often used as an indicator of quality of care. The aim of this study was to identify aspects of hospital care that affect patient satisfaction by examining the structural and convergent validity of an in-house questionnaire. Methods: The sample consisted of 3320 patients discharged from an Italian public hospital. The questionnaire included items exploring communication with nurses and physicians, pain management, quality of accommodation, and discharge information. Data were analyzed using the Rasch model. Results: From the patients’ perspective, the number of response options was excessive and the questionnaire proved to have both medical and accommodation dimensions. Patients, on average, gave higher satisfaction scores to the medical dimension over the accommodation dimension. Higher satisfaction was associated with kindness and courtesy of the nursing staff, doctors’ courtesy, and the quality of bed linen. Conclusion: The results support the administration of the questionnaire but suggest change in the hospital’s analytical procedures in order to match the drivers of satisfaction as seen by the patients. PMID:28959717

Psychiatric Morbidity, Perceived Stress and Ways of Coping Among Parents of Children With Intellectual Disability in Lahore, Pakistan

PubMed Central

Ashraf, Sania; Imran, Nazish; Hussain, Sadia; Azeem, Muhammad W

2018-01-01

Background This study assessed anxiety and depression levels among parents of children with intellectual disability (ID) and analyzed their coping strategies. Methods One hundred parents of children with ID were recruited through child psychiatry outpatient services in a tertiary care setting in Lahore, Pakistan. A structured questionnaire including sociodemographic details, the Agha Khan University Anxiety Depression Scale, the Family Stress and Coping Questionnaire, Brief COPE questionnaire, and Support questionnaire were used for data collection. Results The mean age of parents was 35 years, and the majority of parents (86%) in the study were females. Seventy percent of the parents had significant levels of anxiety and depression. Parents mostly used emotion-based coping to deal with their anxiety and depression; self-distraction, behavioral disengagement, and venting were the main coping strategies used. Conclusions The study showed family stressors, various coping strategies, and support sources in depressed parents who are taking care of their intellectually disabled children. Based on these results, effective culturally sensitive intervention programs can be designed to educate parents and help them effectively cope with stress. PMID:29666778

Psychiatric Morbidity, Perceived Stress and Ways of Coping Among Parents of Children With Intellectual Disability in Lahore, Pakistan.

PubMed

Sheikh, Muhammad H; Ashraf, Sania; Imran, Nazish; Hussain, Sadia; Azeem, Muhammad W

2018-02-16

Background This study assessed anxiety and depression levels among parents of children with intellectual disability (ID) and analyzed their coping strategies. Methods One hundred parents of children with ID were recruited through child psychiatry outpatient services in a tertiary care setting in Lahore, Pakistan. A structured questionnaire including sociodemographic details, the Agha Khan University Anxiety Depression Scale, the Family Stress and Coping Questionnaire, Brief COPE questionnaire, and Support questionnaire were used for data collection. Results The mean age of parents was 35 years, and the majority of parents (86%) in the study were females. Seventy percent of the parents had significant levels of anxiety and depression. Parents mostly used emotion-based coping to deal with their anxiety and depression; self-distraction, behavioral disengagement, and venting were the main coping strategies used. Conclusions The study showed family stressors, various coping strategies, and support sources in depressed parents who are taking care of their intellectually disabled children. Based on these results, effective culturally sensitive intervention programs can be designed to educate parents and help them effectively cope with stress.

Testing two methods to create comparable scale scores between the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) and JCQ-like questionnaires in the European JACE Study.

PubMed

Karasek, Robert; Choi, BongKyoo; Ostergren, Per-Olof; Ferrario, Marco; De Smet, Patrick

2007-01-01

Scale comparative properties of "JCQ-like" questionnaires with respect to the JCQ have been little known. Assessing validity and reliability of two methods for generating comparable scale scores between the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) and JCQ-like questionnaires in sub-populations of the large Job Stress, Absenteeism and Coronary Heart Disease European Cooperative (JACE) study: the Swedish version of Demand-Control Questionnaire (DCQ) and a transformed Multinational Monitoring of Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease Project (MONICA) questionnaire. A random population sample of all Malmo males and females aged 52-58 (n = 682) years was given a new test questionnaire with both instruments (the JCQ and the DCQ). Comparability-facilitating algorithms were created (Method I). For the transformed Milan MONICA questionnaire, a simple weighting system was used (Method II). The converted scale scores from the JCQ-like questionnaires were found to be reliable and highly correlated to those of the original JCQ. However, agreements for the high job strain group between the JCQ and the DCQ, and between the JCQ and the DCQ (Method I applied) were only moderate (Kappa). Use of a multiple level job strain scale generated higher levels of job strain agreement, as did a new job strain definition that excludes the intermediate levels of the job strain distribution. The two methods were valid and generally reliable.

Measurement versus prediction in the construction of patient-reported outcome questionnaires: can we have our cake and eat it?

PubMed

Smits, Niels; van der Ark, L Andries; Conijn, Judith M

2017-11-02

Two important goals when using questionnaires are (a) measurement: the questionnaire is constructed to assign numerical values that accurately represent the test taker's attribute, and (b) prediction: the questionnaire is constructed to give an accurate forecast of an external criterion. Construction methods aimed at measurement prescribe that items should be reliable. In practice, this leads to questionnaires with high inter-item correlations. By contrast, construction methods aimed at prediction typically prescribe that items have a high correlation with the criterion and low inter-item correlations. The latter approach has often been said to produce a paradox concerning the relation between reliability and validity [1-3], because it is often assumed that good measurement is a prerequisite of good prediction. To answer four questions: (1) Why are measurement-based methods suboptimal for questionnaires that are used for prediction? (2) How should one construct a questionnaire that is used for prediction? (3) Do questionnaire-construction methods that optimize measurement and prediction lead to the selection of different items in the questionnaire? (4) Is it possible to construct a questionnaire that can be used for both measurement and prediction? An empirical data set consisting of scores of 242 respondents on questionnaire items measuring mental health is used to select items by means of two methods: a method that optimizes the predictive value of the scale (i.e., forecast a clinical diagnosis), and a method that optimizes the reliability of the scale. We show that for the two scales different sets of items are selected and that a scale constructed to meet the one goal does not show optimal performance with reference to the other goal. The answers are as follows: (1) Because measurement-based methods tend to maximize inter-item correlations by which predictive validity reduces. (2) Through selecting items that correlate highly with the criterion and lowly with the remaining items. (3) Yes, these methods may lead to different item selections. (4) For a single questionnaire: Yes, but it is problematic because reliability cannot be estimated accurately. For a test battery: Yes, but it is very costly. Implications for the construction of patient-reported outcome questionnaires are discussed.

[Interparental conflict and mental health in children and adolescents: the mediating effect of self-concept].

PubMed

Gao, Meng; Li, Yu-Chen; Zhang, Wei

2017-04-01

To examine the mediating effect of self-concept between interparental conflict and mental health in children and adolescents. A total of 689 students (10-18 years) were surveyed using the convenient sampling method, and their mental health, self-concept, and interparental conflict were examined by the general status questionnaire, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, Self-Description Questionnaire, and Children's Perception of Interparental Conflict Scale. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and simultaneous analysis of several groups were used to construct the mediator model and analyze the data, respectively. The Bootstrap method was used to assess the significance of the mediating effects. Interparental conflict was positively correlated with mental health of children and adolescents (P<0.05), but was negatively correlated with self-concept (P<0.01). Self-concept was negatively correlated with mental health (P<0.01). Self-concept had a partial (60%) mediating effect between interparental conflict and mental health. Academic stage, but not gender, had a regulatory role on interparental conflict, mental health, and self-concept. Self-concept plays an important role between interparental conflict and mental health. It is necessary to improve self-concept level in children and adolescents exposed to interparental conflict.

Confirmatory factor analysis of the Child Health Questionnaire-Parent Form 50 in a predominantly minority sample.

PubMed

Hepner, Kimberly A; Sechrest, Lee

2002-12-01

The Child Health Questionnaire-Parent Form 50 (CHQ-PF50; Landgraf JM et al., The CHQ User's Manual. Boston, MA: The Health Institute, New England Medical Centre, 1996) appears to be a useful method of assessing children's health. The CHQ-PF50 is designed to measure general functional status and well-being and is available in several versions to suit the needs of the health researcher. Several publications have reported favorably on the psychometric properties of the CHQ. Landgraf et al. reported the results of an exploratory factor analysis at the scale level that provided evidence for a two-factor structure representing physical and psychosocial dimensions of health. In order to cross-validate and extend these results, a confirmatory factor analysis was conducted with an independent sample of generally healthy, predominantly minority children. Results of the analysis indicate that a two-factor model provides a good fit to the data, confirming previous exploratory analyses with this questionnaire. One additional method factor seems likely because of the substantial similarity of three of the scales, but that does not affect the substantive two-factor interpretation overall.

The Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire: Internal Structure, Convergent, Criterion, and Incremental Validity in an Italian Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrei, Federica; Smith, Martin M.; Surcinelli, Paola; Baldaro, Bruno; Saklofske, Donald H.

2016-01-01

This study investigated the structure and validity of the Italian translation of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire. Data were self-reported from 227 participants. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the four-factor structure of the scale. Hierarchical regressions also demonstrated its incremental validity beyond demographics, the…

Superwoman Schema: Using Structural Equation Modeling to Investigate Measurement Invariance in a Questionnaire

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steed, Teneka C.

2013-01-01

Evaluating the psychometric properties of a newly developed instrument is critical to understanding how well an instrument measures what it intends to measure, and ensuring proposed use and interpretation of questionnaire scores are valid. The current study uses Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) techniques to examine the factorial structure and…

Drug allergy in hospitalized perioperative patients: the contribution of a structured questionnaire for accurate diagnosis.

PubMed

Klieman, Polina; Fredman, Brian; Goldberg, Arnon; Confino-Cohen, Ronit

2013-08-01

History of drug allergy is a major cause for deviation from standard of care, as well as prescribing expensive medications. We aimed to evaluate drug allergy-related history taking by surgery interns and compare it with history taking by an allergist and an anesthetist using a simple, structured questionnaire. Patients with a declared drug allergy were prospectively recruited from surgical wards. The interns' drug allergy diagnosis was compared with that of the allergy specialist and anesthetist that used a structured questionnaire. A total of 195 patients with 305 reports of drug allergy were included; 52% of the reactions labeled by the surgical interns as allergic were tagged as not allergic by the anesthetist assisted by the questionnaire. The allergist found that 51% of these reactions represented either side effects or were nonrelated to the culprit drug. Inconsistency between drug allergy diagnosis of surgery interns and anesthetists and allergists are common. The use of a simple structured questionnaire by the ward physicians may be accessible and beneficial for more precise diagnosis of drug allergies.

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

PubMed

Zangger, Graziella; Zwisler, Ann-Dorthe; Kikkenborg Berg, Selina; Kristensen, Marie S; Grønset, Charlotte N; Uddin, Jamal; Pedersen, Susanne S; Oldridge, Neil B; Thygesen, Lau C

2018-01-01

Background Patient-reported health-related quality of life is increasingly used as an outcome measure in clinical trials and as a performance measure to evaluate quality of care. The objective of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Danish HeartQoL questionnaire, a core heart disease-specific health-related quality of life questionnaire, in implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients. Design This study involved cross-sectional and test-retest study designs. Method Implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients in the cross-sectional study completed the HeartQoL, the Short-Form 36 Health Survey, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The HeartQoL structure, construct-related validity (convergent and discriminative) and reliability (internal consistency) were assessed. HeartQoL reproducibility (test-retest) was assessed in an independent sample of implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients. Results Mokken scale analysis supported the bi-dimensional structure of HeartQoL among 358 implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients. Convergent ( r > 0.72) and discriminative validity were confirmed. The HeartQoL scales demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha > 0.90). Test-retest reliability (two weeks interval) was assessed in 89 implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients and found to be acceptable for each scale (intra-class correlation > 0.90). Conclusion The Danish HeartQoL questionnaire demonstrated satisfactory key psychometric attributes of validity and reliability in this implantable cardioverter defibrillator population. This study adds support for the HeartQoL as a core heart-specific health-related quality of life questionnaire in a broad group of patients with heart disease including implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients.

Children Exposed to Child Maltreatment and Intimate Partner Violence: A Study of Co-Occurrence among Hong Kong Chinese Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Ko Ling

2011-01-01

Objective: This study assessed the co-occurrence of child maltreatment and intimate partner violence (IPV) and examined the association between them. Method: The cross-sectional study recruited a population-based sample of 1,094 children aged 12-17 years in Hong Kong. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from the children. The…

Gender Matters: Male and Female ECEC Practitioners' Perceptions and Practices Regarding Children's Rough-and-Tumble Play (R&T)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Storli, Rune; Hansen Sandseter, Ellen Beate

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore Norwegian early childhood education and care (ECEC) practitioners' perceptions and practices regarding children's indoor and outdoor rough-and-tumble play (R&T) from a gender perspective. A questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were used together in a mixed method design to provide quantitative data…

Brazilian cross-cultural adaptation of “Return-to-work self-efficacy” questionnaire

PubMed Central

Silva, João Silvestre; Griep, Rosane Härter; Lagerveld, Suzanne E; Fischer, Frida Marina

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To describe the translation and early stages of cross-cultural adaptation of the questionnaire Verwachtingen over werken (or “Return-to-work self-efficacy”) for workers in sick leave due to mental disorders, from the original in Dutch to the Brazilian Portuguese language. METHODS A panel gathering experts was formed to determine the questionnaire conceptual and item equivalence. For semantic equivalence, the Dutch-Portuguese Brazilian translations were consolidated and consensus meetings were held to structure versions of the instrument. Each version was back-translated from Brazilian Portuguese to Dutch and evaluated by one of the authors of the original version. The final version was submitted to two pre-tests for operational equivalence. RESULTS The original questionnaire in Dutch was translated twice to Brazilian Portuguese. During the process, four consensus meetings of the experts’ panel were performed to create the versions. Each version was back-translated to Dutch. One of the authors of the original questionnaire performed an evaluation on the first three versions until the definition of the final one, which was titled Expectativas sobre o trabalho (Expectations about work). Pre-tests’ participants did not reported problems to fill the questionnaire. CONCLUSIONS Results indicate that the Brazilian Portuguese cross-culturally adapted version maintains the original meaning of the questionnaire, while including characteristics peculiar to the Brazilian reality. Measurement and functional equivalence of this version must still be evaluated before its application can be recommended for workers who have been absent from work due to mental disorders. PMID:28273232

Qualitative Analysis of Cognitive Interviews With School Children: A Web-Based Food Intake Questionnaire

PubMed Central

Kupek, Emil

2016-01-01

Background The use of computers to administer dietary assessment questionnaires has shown potential, particularly due to the variety of interactive features that can attract and sustain children’s attention. Cognitive interviews can help researchers to gain insights into how children understand and elaborate their response processes in this type of questionnaire. Objective To present the cognitive interview results of children who answered the WebCAAFE, a Web-based questionnaire, to obtain an in-depth understanding of children’s response processes. Methods Cognitive interviews were conducted with children (using a pretested interview script). Analyses were carried out using thematic analysis within a grounded theory framework of inductive coding. Results A total of 40 children participated in the study, and 4 themes were identified: (1) the meaning of words, (2) understanding instructions, (3) ways to resolve possible problems, and (4) suggestions for improving the questionnaire. Most children understood questions that assessed nutritional intake over the past 24 hours, although the structure of the questionnaire designed to facilitate recall of dietary intake was not always fully understood. Younger children (7 and 8 years old) had more difficulty relating the food images to mixed dishes and foods eaten with bread (eg, jam, cheese). Children were able to provide suggestions for improving future versions of the questionnaire. Conclusions More attention should be paid to children aged 8 years or below, as they had the greatest difficulty completing the WebCAAFE. PMID:27895005

Scale for positive aspects of caregiving experience: development, reliability, and factor structure.

PubMed

Kate, N; Grover, S; Kulhara, P; Nehra, R

2012-06-01

OBJECTIVE. To develop an instrument (Scale for Positive Aspects of Caregiving Experience [SPACE]) that evaluates positive caregiving experience and assess its psychometric properties. METHODS. Available scales which assess some aspects of positive caregiving experience were reviewed and a 50-item questionnaire with a 5-point rating was constructed. In all, 203 primary caregivers of patients with severe mental disorders were asked to complete the questionnaire. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, cross-language reliability, split-half reliability, and face validity were evaluated. Principal component factor analysis was run to assess the factorial validity of the scale. RESULTS. The scale developed as part of the study was found to have good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, cross-language reliability, split-half reliability, and face validity. Principal component factor analysis yielded a 4-factor structure, which also had good test-retest reliability and cross-language reliability. There was a strong correlation between the 4 factors obtained. CONCLUSION. The SPACE developed as part of this study has good psychometric properties.

Development and psychometric evaluation of the Premarital Sexual Behavior Assessment Scale for Young Women (PSAS-YW): an exploratory mixed method study.

PubMed

Rahmani, Azam; Merghati-Khoei, Effat; Moghadam-Banaem, Lida; Hajizadeh, Ebrahim; Hamdieh, Mostafa; Montazeri, Ali

2014-06-13

Premarital sexual behaviors are important issue for women's health. The present study was designed to develop and examine the psychometric properties of a scale in order to identify young women who are at greater risk of premarital sexual behavior. This was an exploratory mixed method investigation. Indeed, the study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, qualitative methods (focus group discussion and individual interview) were applied to generate items and develop the questionnaire. In the second phase, psychometric properties (validity and reliability) of the questionnaire were assessed. In the first phase an item pool containing 53 statements related to premarital sexual behavior was generated. In the second phase item reduction was applied and the final version of the questionnaire containing 26 items was developed. The psychometric properties of this final version were assessed and the results showed that the instrument has a good structure, and reliability. The results from exploratory factory analysis indicated a 5-factor solution for the instrument that jointly accounted for the 57.4% of variance observed. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the instrument was found to be 0.87. This study provided a valid and reliable scale to identify premarital sexual behavior in young women. Assessment of premarital sexual behavior might help to improve women's sexual abstinence.

A measurement error model for physical activity level as measured by a questionnaire with application to the 1999-2006 NHANES questionnaire.

PubMed

Tooze, Janet A; Troiano, Richard P; Carroll, Raymond J; Moshfegh, Alanna J; Freedman, Laurence S

2013-06-01

Systematic investigations into the structure of measurement error of physical activity questionnaires are lacking. We propose a measurement error model for a physical activity questionnaire that uses physical activity level (the ratio of total energy expenditure to basal energy expenditure) to relate questionnaire-based reports of physical activity level to true physical activity levels. The 1999-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey physical activity questionnaire was administered to 433 participants aged 40-69 years in the Observing Protein and Energy Nutrition (OPEN) Study (Maryland, 1999-2000). Valid estimates of participants' total energy expenditure were also available from doubly labeled water, and basal energy expenditure was estimated from an equation; the ratio of those measures estimated true physical activity level ("truth"). We present a measurement error model that accommodates the mixture of errors that arise from assuming a classical measurement error model for doubly labeled water and a Berkson error model for the equation used to estimate basal energy expenditure. The method was then applied to the OPEN Study. Correlations between the questionnaire-based physical activity level and truth were modest (r = 0.32-0.41); attenuation factors (0.43-0.73) indicate that the use of questionnaire-based physical activity level would lead to attenuated estimates of effect size. Results suggest that sample sizes for estimating relationships between physical activity level and disease should be inflated, and that regression calibration can be used to provide measurement error-adjusted estimates of relationships between physical activity and disease.

Flipping social determinants on its head: Medical student perspectives on the flipped classroom and simulated patients to teach social determinants of health.

PubMed

Gostelow, N; Barber, J; Gishen, F; Berlin, A

2018-02-19

Inequalities in healthcare are increasing. Engaging medical students to tackle this urgent challenge alongside clinical sciences can be demanding. This study examines medical student perceptions of a flipped approach to health inequalities co-designed by faculty and sixth-year students. A flipped learning session was piloted for year 4 medical students combining an online lesson followed by a tutorial with a simulated patient. A mixed-methods approach collected questionnaire data using 4-point Likert scales and free text answers. A semi-structured group interview was conducted with six voluntary participants. Two hundred and eighty-nine students completed questionnaires. 85% (n = 246) completed the online lesson. Students agreed the session helped their understanding of key concepts (mean 3.2), was improved by having an actor (mean = 3.6), and was enjoyable (mean = 3.2). Thematic analysis of qualitative questionnaire and interview data revealed three themes: engagement; structure; and attitudes towards social determinants of health. The simulation increased clinical relevance and students gained understanding of the impact of health inequalities upon individuals. This paper indicates flipped learning can increase clinical relevance and engagement in population health and person-centered care. Further work could assess changes in practice and attitudes of future doctors in tackling such global health challenges.

MBBS Student Perceptions about Physiology Subject Teaching and Objective Structured Practical Examination Based Formative Assessment for Improving Competencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lakshmipathy, K.

2015-01-01

The objectives of the present study were to 1) assess student attitudes to physiology, 2) evaluate student opinions about the influence of an objective structured practical examination (OSPE) on competence, and 3) assess the validity and reliability of an indigenously designed feedback questionnaire. A structured questionnaire containing 16 item…

Methodological Issues in Questionnaire Design.

PubMed

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.

Divergent personality structures of brown (Sapajus apella) and white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus).

PubMed

Robinson, Lauren M; Morton, F Blake; Gartner, Marieke C; Widness, Jane; Paukner, Annika; Essler, Jennifer L; Brosnan, Sarah F; Weiss, Alexander

2016-11-01

One way to gain insights into personality evolution is by comparing the personality structures of related species. We compared the personality structure of 240 wild white-faced capuchin monkeys to the personality structure of 100 captive brown capuchin monkeys. An ancillary goal was to test the degree to which different personality questionnaires yielded similar personality dimensions. Both species were rated on a common set of 26 antonym pairs. The brown capuchin monkeys were also rated on the 54-item Hominoid Personality Questionnaire. Our cross-species comparisons revealed 3 personality dimensions-Assertiveness, Openness, and Neuroticism-shared by brown and white-faced capuchins, suggesting that these dimensions were present in the common ancestor of these species. Our comparison of the dimensions derived from the antonym pairs and the Hominoid Personality Questionnaire revealed that three common dimensions were identified by both questionnaires. In addition, the dimension Attentiveness was only identified using the Hominoid Personality Questionnaire. These results indicate that major features of capuchin personality are conserved and that the structure of some traits, such as those related to focus, persistence, and attention, diverged. Further work is needed to identify the evolutionary bases that led to the conservation of some dimensions but not others. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Development and Validation of a New Questionnaire Assessing Quality of Life in Adults with Hypopituitarism: Adult Hypopituitarism Questionnaire (AHQ)

PubMed Central

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

2012-01-01

Objective To develop and validate the Adult Hypopituitarism Questionnaire (AHQ) as a disease-specific, self-administered questionnaire for evaluation of quality of life (QOL) in adult patients with hypopituitarism. Methods We developed and validated this new questionnaire, using a standardized procedure which included item development, pilot-testing and psychometric validation. Of the patients who participated in psychometric validation, those whose clinical conditions were judged to be stable were asked to answer the survey questionnaire twice, in order to assess test-retest reliability. Results Content validity of the initial questionnaire was evaluated via two pilot tests. After these tests, we made minor revisions and finalized the initial version of the questionnaire. The questionnaire was constructed with two domains, one psycho-social and the other physical. For psychometric assessment, analyses were performed on the responses of 192 adult patients with various types of hypopituitarism. The intraclass correlations of the respective domains were 0.91 and 0.95, and the Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were 0.96 and 0.95, indicating adequate test-retest reliability and internal consistency for each domain. For known-group validity, patients with hypopituitarism due to hypothalamic disorder showed significantly lower scores in 11 out of 13 sub-domains compared to those who had hypopituitarism due to pituitary disorder. Regarding construct validity, the domain structure was found to be almost the same as that initially hypothesized. Exploratory factor analysis (n = 228) demonstrated that each domain consisted of six and seven sub-domains. Conclusion The AHQ showed good reliability and validity for evaluating QOL in adult patients with hypopituitarism. PMID:22984490

Enhanced skills in periodontology: evaluation of a pilot scheme for general dental practitioners and dental care professionals in London.

PubMed

Ghotane, S G; Harrison, V; Radcliffe, E; Jones, E; Gallagher, J E

2017-05-12

Background The need for periodontal management is great and increasing; thus, the oral and dental workforce should be suitably equipped to deliver contemporary care. Health Education London developed a training scheme to extend the skills of dentists and dental care professionals (DCPs).Aim To examine the feasibility of assessing a skill-mix initiative established to enhance skills in clinical periodontology involving the views of patients, clinicians and key stakeholders, together with clinical and patient outcomes in London.Methods This mixed methods feasibility and pilot study involved four parallel elements: a postal questionnaire survey of patients; analysis of clinical logbooks; self-completion questionnaire survey of clinicians; and semi-structured interviews of key stakeholders, including clinicians.Results Twelve of the 19 clinicians participated in the evaluation, returning completed questionnaires (63%) and providing access to log diaries and patients. Periodontal data from 42 log-diary cases (1,103 teeth) revealed significant improvement in clinical outcomes (P = 0.001 for all). Eighty-four percent (N = 99) of the 142 patients returning a questionnaire reported improved dental health; however, responses from hospital patients greatly exceeded those from dental practice. Interviews (N = 22) provided evidence that the programme contributed to professional healthcare across four key domains: 'service', 'quality care', 'professional' and 'educational'. Clinicians, while supportive of the concept, raised concerns regarding the mismatch of their expectations and its educational and service outcomes.Discussion The findings suggest that it is feasible to deliver and evaluate inter-professional extended skills training for dentists and dental care professionals, and this may be evaluated using mixed methods to examine outcomes including clinical log diaries, patient questionnaires and stakeholder interviews. This inter-professional course represents a positive development for patient care using the expertise of different members of the dental team; however, its formal integration to the health and educational sectors require further consideration.

[Acceptance and understandability of various methods of health valuations for the chronically ill: willingness to pay, visual analogue scale and rating scale].

PubMed

Meder, M; Farin, E

2009-11-01

Health valuations are one way of measuring patient preferences with respect to the results of their treatment. The study examines three different methods of health valuations--willingness to pay (WTP), visual analogue scale (VAS), and a rating question for evaluating the subjective significance. The goal is to test the understandability and acceptance of these methods for implementation in questionnaires. In various rehabilitation centres, a total of six focus groups were conducted with 5-9 patients each with a mean age of 57.1 years. The illnesses considered were chronic-ischaemic heart disease, chronic back pain, and breast cancer. Patients filled out a questionnaire that was then discussed in the group. In addition to the quantitative evaluation of the data in the questionnaire, a qualitative analysis of the contents of the group discussion protocols was made. We have results from a total of 42 patients. 14.6% of the patients had "great difficulties" understanding the WTP or rated it as "completely incomprehensible"; this value was 7.3% for VAS and 0% for the rating scale. With respect to acceptance, 31.0% of the patients indicated that they were "not really" or "not at all" willing to answer such a WTP question in a questionnaire; this was 6.6% for the VAS, and again 0% for the rating scale. The qualitative analysis provided an indication as to why some patients view the WTP question in particular in a negative light. Many difficulties in understanding it were related to the formulation of the question and the structure of the questionnaire. However, the patients' statements also made it apparent that the hypothetical nature of the WTP questionnaire was not always recognised. The most frequent reason for the lack of acceptance of the WTP was the patients' fear of negative financial consequences of their responses. With respect to understandability and acceptance, VAS questions appear to be better suited for reflecting patient preferences than WTP questions. The rating scale for assessing the personally estimated importance was understandable, but had poor distribution properties and was considered by patients to be superfluous.

Intimate partner violence in Europe: design and methods of a multinational study.

PubMed

Costa, Diogo; Soares, Joaquim J F; Lindert, Jutta; Hatzidimitriadou, Eleni; Karlsso, Andreas; Sundin, Örjan; Toth, Olga; Ioannidi-Kapolou, Ellisabeth; Degomme, Olivier; Cervilla, Jorge; Barros, Henrique

2013-01-01

To describe the design, methods, procedures and characteristics of the population involved in a study designed to compare Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in eight European countries. Women and men aged 18-65, living in Ghent-Belgium (n = 245), Stuttgart-Germany (n = 546), Athens-Greece (n = 548), Budapest-Hungary (n = 604), Porto-Portugal (n = 635), Granada-Spain (n = 138), Östersund-Sweden (n = 592), London-United Kingdom (n = 571), were sampled and administered a common questionnaire. Chi-square goodness of fit and five-age strata population fractions ratios for sex and education were computed to evaluate samples' representativeness. Differences in the age distributions were found among women from Sweden and Portugal and among men from Belgium, Hungary, Portugal and Sweden. Over-recruitment of more educated respondents was noted in all sites. The use of a common research protocol with the same structured questionnaire is likely to provide accurate estimates of the general population IPV frequency, despite limitations in probabilistic sampling and restrictions in methods of administration. Copyright © 2012 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Structural diversity: a multi-dimensional approach to assess recreational services in urban parks.

PubMed

Voigt, Annette; Kabisch, Nadja; Wurster, Daniel; Haase, Dagmar; Breuste, Jürgen

2014-05-01

Urban green spaces provide important recreational services for urban residents. In general, when park visitors enjoy "the green," they are in actuality appreciating a mix of biotic, abiotic, and man-made park infrastructure elements and qualities. We argue that these three dimensions of structural diversity have an influence on how people use and value urban parks. We present a straightforward approach for assessing urban parks that combines multi-dimensional landscape mapping and questionnaire surveys. We discuss the method as well the results from its application to differently sized parks in Berlin and Salzburg.

Quality of survey reporting in nephrology journals: a methodologic review.

PubMed

Li, Alvin Ho-Ting; Thomas, Sonia M; Farag, Alexandra; Duffett, Mark; Garg, Amit X; Naylor, Kyla L

2014-12-05

Survey research is an important research method used to determine individuals' attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors; however, as with other research methods, inadequate reporting threatens the validity of results. This study aimed to describe the quality of reporting of surveys published between 2001 and 2011 in the field of nephrology. The top nephrology journals were systematically reviewed (2001-2011: American Journal of Kidney Diseases, Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, and Kidney International; 2006-2011: Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology) for studies whose primary objective was to collect and report survey results. Included were nephrology journals with a heavy focus on clinical research and high impact factors. All titles and abstracts were screened in duplicate. Surveys were excluded if they were part of a multimethod study, evaluated only psychometric characteristics, or used semi-structured interviews. Information was collected on survey and respondent characteristics, questionnaire development (e.g., pilot testing), psychometric characteristics (e.g., validity and reliability), survey methods used to optimize response rate (e.g., system of multiple contacts), and response rate. After a screening of 19,970 citations, 216 full-text articles were reviewed and 102 surveys were included. Approximately 85% of studies reported a response rate. Almost half of studies (46%) discussed how they developed their questionnaire and only a quarter of studies (28%) mentioned the validity or reliability of the questionnaire. The only characteristic that improved over the years was the proportion of articles reporting missing data (2001-2004: 46.4%; 2005-2008: 61.9%; and 2009-2011: 84.8%; respectively) (P<0.01). The quality of survey reporting in nephrology journals remains suboptimal. In particular, reporting of the validity and reliability of the questionnaire must be improved. Guidelines to improve survey reporting and increase transparency are clearly needed. Copyright © 2014 by the American Society of Nephrology.

Examining the Structural Validity of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in a U.S. Sample of Custodial Grandmothers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palmieri, Patrick A.; Smith, Gregory C.

2007-01-01

The authors examined the structural validity of the parent informant version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) with a sample of 733 custodial grandparents. Three models of the SDQ's factor structure were evaluated with confirmatory factor analysis based on the item covariance matrix. Although indices of fit were good across all…

A Long-Term Retention Advantage for Spatial Information Learned Naturally and in the Laboratory

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-06-09

study. Memory & Cognition, 10, 324-332. Tulving, E. (1972). Episodic and semantic memory . In E. Tulving & W. Donaldson (Eds.), Organization of memory ...the cognitive research literature. Some of the better known divisions include the distinction between semantic , episodic and procedural knowledge...the probe method by being more structured and more focused on specific memory episodes . In general, questionnaire studies simply involve formulating

The Human Terrain System: Achieving a Competitive Advantage Through Enhanced Population-Centric Knowledge Flows

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-01

of behavior ( Fetterman , 1998, p. 35). Moreover, the goal of the participating observer is to internalize fundamental “beliefs, fears, hopes and...expectations of the people under study” ( Fetterman , 1998, p. 35). Additionally, HTT members frequently conduct informal interviews (open ended casual...techniques, and questionnaires ( Fetterman , 1998, p. 35). The third principle method HTT members use to learn the population is the semi- structured

The Relationship between Metacognition and Obsessive Beliefs, and Procrastination in Students of Tabriz and Mohaghegh Ardabili Universities, Iran

PubMed Central

Sadeghi, Hasan; Hajloo, Nader; Babayi, Karim; Shahri, Maryam

2014-01-01

Objective: The aim of the current study is to investigate the relationship between metacognition and obsessive beliefs, and procrastination. Methods: 285 students of Tabriz and Mohaghegh Ardabili Universities, Iran, were selected by random sampling, and completed the metacognition (MCQ-30) questionnaire, obsessive beliefs questionnaire (OBQ-44), and General Procrastination Scale. The research method was descriptive. Data was implemented by structural equation modeling, using Amos software (version 19) and Anderson and Greenberg’s (1988) two-step approach was followed. First, the model measurement, and then the structural model were examined. Results: Results showed that obsessive beliefs and metacognitive beliefs, directly and indirectly, predict the behavior of procrastination. Cognitive confidence, need for control of thoughts, and positive beliefs about worry from metacognitive beliefs were positively and significantly correlated with procrastination. In addition, cognitive self-consciousness was inversely correlated with procrastination. Perfectionism/certainty from obsessive beliefs was inversely correlated with procrastination. Moreover, the relationship between obsessive beliefs and metacognitive beliefs were positive and significant. Conclusion: Our findings show a significant relationship between obsessive and metacognitive beliefs and procrastination. To reduce behaviors of procrastination, control of obsessive beliefs and metacognition seems to be necessary. Moreover, controlling and shaping metacognitive beliefs can be effective in reducing compulsive behavior. Declaration of interest: None. PMID:24995029

The effect of user fees on the utilization of family planning services. A clinical study.

PubMed

Bailey, W; Wynter, H H; Lee, A; Oliver, P; Jackson, J

1994-06-01

A new fee structure was introduced to the Advanced Training and Research in Fertility Management Unit in 1992. The study looked at the effect of the new fees on attendance and the choice of contraceptive methods through an examination of clinical records and a questionnaire survey. There was a decline in attendance of roughly 28 per cent between 1992 and 1993. The decline affected mainly new clients and those who accepted injectables. A reduction in the price of injectables is suggested since the fee for this short-term method is more in line with those charged for long-term and permanent methods.

Spanish validation of Bad Sobernheim Stress Questionnaire (BSSQ (brace).es) for adolescents with braces

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background As a result of scientific and medical professionals gaining interest in Stress and Health Related Quality of Life (HRQL), the aim of our research is, thus, to validate into Spanish the German questionnaire Bad Sobernheim Stress Questionnaire (BSSQ) (mit Korsett), for adolescents wearing braces. Methods The methodology used adheres to literature on trans-cultural adaptation by doing a translation and a back translation; it involved 35 adolescents, ages ranging between 10 and 16, with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) and wearing the same kind of brace (Rigo System Chêneau Brace). The materials used were a socio-demographics data questionnaire, the SRS-22 and the Spanish version of BSSQ(brace).es. The statistical analysis calculated the reliability (test-retest reliability and internal consistency) and the validity (convergent and construct validity) of the BSSQ (brace).es. Results BSSQ(brace).es is reliable because of its satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.809, p < 0.001) and temporal stability (test-retest method with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.902 (p < 0.01)). It demonstrated convergent validity with SRS-22 since the Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.656 (p < 0.01). By undertaking an Exploratory Principal Components Analysis, a latent structure was found based on two Components which explicate the variance at 60.8%. Conclusions BSSQ (brace).es is reliable and valid and can be used with Spanish adolescents to assess the stress level caused by the brace. PMID:20633253

[Brief Scale of Vocational Stress (BSVS)].

PubMed

Dudek, Bohdan; Hauk, Mateusz

2010-01-01

Stress at work is one of the basic notions in applied psychology. There are many approaches to vocational stress presented in the scientific literature and in a number of articles. There is also a variety of methods dedicated to stress assessment. One of the interesting examples is "The Stress in General Scale" developed by Stanton and his coworkers. This questionnaire consists of two subscales named: Pressure and Threat. The operationalisation of the stress at work phenomenon proposed by the authors seems to be very interesting (it allows for quick and easy diagnosis of the problem). That is why, we have decided to prepare the Polish adaptation of this questionnaire. The paper presents individual stages of the adaptation study, which has resulted in the construction of a 26-item questionnaire of the five-factor structure (factor I--Pressure, factor II--Attractiveness, factor III--Risk, factor IV--Liking, factor V--Calm), and the preliminary psychometric properties seem to be satisfactory (e.g. Cronbach alpha = 0.86).

Positive and negative aspects of colostomy irrigation: a patient and WOC nurse perspective.

PubMed

Carlsson, Eva; Gylin, Meta; Nilsson, Laila; Svensson, Katarina; Alverslid, Ingrid; Persson, Eva

2010-01-01

Colostomy irrigation (CI) is an effective method to achieve fecal continence in selected persons with a colostomy. The primary aims of the study were to find out to what extent the WOC nurses used CI in their practice and what kind of information the WOC nurses gave patients if they provided explanations and potential solutions when irrigation was not successful in preserving continence. A further aim was to find out, from a patients' perspective, the positive and negative aspects of practicing CI and how they perform CI. The study employed a mixed quantitative and qualitative approach. Data from WOC nurses were obtained by means of a structured questionnaire and by means of structured telephone interviews with patients who performed CI. Questionnaires were sent out to 89 WOC nurses in Sweden, and 61 (69%) questionnaires were returned. Thirty-nine patients, median age 67 years, from 5 hospitals participated in the interview study. Sixty-four percent of the WOC nurse respondent always informed patients about CI. Forty-four percent of patients did not remember all the information they had been given by the WOC nurse regarding CI before starting with the procedure. Eighty-seven percent reported changing routines from how they initially performed CI over the years. Almost all (97%) of the respondents described positive aspects of CI. The 2 primary positive aspects described by participants were (1) feeling secure and (2) having an empty pouch. Persons living with a colostomy who regularly performed CI reported positive benefits associated with the procedure including a feeling of security and having an empty pouch. Despite these potential benefits, not all patients with a colostomy who are appropriate candidates for CI are offered information about the method from the WOC nurses.

German Translation and Validation of the Cognitive Style Questionnaire Short Form (CSQ-SF-D)

PubMed Central

Huys, Quentin J. M.; Renz, Daniel; Petzschner, Frederike; Berwian, Isabel; Stoppel, Christian; Haker, Helene

2016-01-01

Background 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. Methods 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. Results 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. Conclusions 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. PMID:26934499

Measuring illness insight in patients with alcohol-related cognitive dysfunction using the Q8 questionnaire: a validation study

PubMed Central

Walvoort, Serge JW; van der Heijden, Paul T; Kessels, Roy PC; Egger, Jos IM

2016-01-01

Aim Impaired illness insight may hamper treatment outcome in patients with alcohol-related cognitive deficits. In this study, a short questionnaire for the assessment of illness insight (eg, the Q8) was investigated in patients with Korsakoff’s syndrome (KS) and in alcohol use disorder (AUD) patients with mild neurocognitive deficits. Methods First, reliability coefficients were computed and internal structure was investigated. Then, comparisons were made between patients with KS and patients with AUD. Furthermore, correlations with the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX) were investigated. Finally, Q8 total scores were correlated with neuropsychological tests for processing speed, memory, and executive function. Results Internal consistency of the Q8 was acceptable (ie, Cronbach’s α =0.73). The Q8 items represent one factor, and scores differ significantly between AUD and KS patients. The Q8 total score, related to the DEX discrepancy score and scores on neuropsychological tests as was hypothesized, indicates that a higher degree of illness insight is associated with a higher level of cognitive functioning. Conclusion The Q8 is a short, valid, and easy-to-administer questionnaire to reliably assess illness insight in patients with moderate-to-severe alcohol-related cognitive dysfunction. PMID:27445476

A structured review of health utility measures and elicitation in advanced/metastatic breast cancer

PubMed Central

Hao, Yanni; Wolfram, Verena; Cook, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Background Health utilities are increasingly incorporated in health economic evaluations. Different elicitation methods, direct and indirect, have been established in the past. This study examined the evidence on health utility elicitation previously reported in advanced/metastatic breast cancer and aimed to link these results to requirements of reimbursement bodies. Methods Searches were conducted using a detailed search strategy across several electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and EconLit databases), online sources (Cost-effectiveness Analysis Registry and the Health Economics Research Center), and web sites of health technology assessment (HTA) bodies. Publications were selected based on the search strategy and the overall study objectives. Results A total of 768 publications were identified in the searches, and 26 publications, comprising 18 journal articles and eight submissions to HTA bodies, were included in the evidence review. Most journal articles derived utilities from the European Quality of Life Five-Dimensions questionnaire (EQ-5D). Other utility measures, such as the direct methods standard gamble (SG), time trade-off (TTO), and visual analog scale (VAS), were less frequently used. Several studies described mapping algorithms to generate utilities from disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) instruments such as European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire – Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30), European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire – Breast Cancer 23 (EORTC QLQ-BR23), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – General questionnaire (FACT-G), and Utility-Based Questionnaire-Cancer (UBQ-C); most used EQ-5D as the reference. Sociodemographic factors that affect health utilities, such as age, sex, income, and education, as well as disease progression, choice of utility elicitation method, and country settings, were identified within the journal articles. Most submissions to HTA bodies obtained utility values from the literature rather than exploring the HRQOL data obtained during clinical development. This was critiqued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). Furthermore, the impact of age on utilities was highlighted by NICE and it was suggested that an age match of the study population should be attempted. Conclusion Health utilities are recorded across the globe to varying extents and using differing elicitation methods. Manufacturers seeking reimbursement need to be aware of the country-specific requirements for elicitation of health utilities. PMID:27382319

[Factors associated with compliance to the semi-recumbent position in the patient on mechanical ventilation: CAPCRI-Q questionnaire].

PubMed

Llauradó-Serra, M; Güell-Baró, R; Lobo-Cívico, A; Castanera-Duro, A; Pi-Guerrero, M; Piñol-Tena, A; Paños-Espinosa, C; Calpe-Damians, N; Olona, M; Sandiumenge, A; Jiménez-Herrera, M F

2015-01-01

To create a questionnaire (CAPCRI-Q) to determine the factors associated with the compliance of the semi-recumbent position in patients under mechanical ventilation. A closed questionnaire was created using a literature review and clinical practice. The initial version consisted of 61 items placed into 5 categories: patient factors, team and professionals factors, activity, educational and training factors, and equipment and resources. A Delphi method was used to prepare the questionnaire. Comprehension, relevance and importance of each item were evaluated, as well as the recommendations of experts. A qualitative pilot test with 9 healthcare professionals was performed, followed by a quantitative pilot test with 67 nurses from 6 intensive care units to test the internal consistency of the instrument. Three rounds with 15 experts were required to reach a consensus. The final version of the questionnaire consisted of 36 items enclosed in the same categories as the initial version. The internal consistency analysis showed values greater than 0.800 for each independent item, each category, and for the global questionnaire (0.873; 95%CI: 0.825-0.913). The analysis of the nurses' responses emphasised the importance of the patient factors, as well as organisational and infra-structural factors, for the compliance of the recommendation. The questionnaire created is reliable and appears to have content validity. The most influential factors for compliance are those related to the patient and the internal organisation. The results of the questionnaire can be used to evaluate the factors influencing the compliance and to establish improvement strategies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y SEEIUC. All rights reserved.

Development and Preliminary Validation of Chinese Preschoolers’ Eating Behavior Questionnaire

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yuhai; Wang, Baoxi; Sun, Lijun; Shang, Lei

2014-01-01

Background The objective of this study was to develop a questionnaire for caregivers to assess the eating behavior of Chinese preschoolers. Methods To assess children’s eating behaviors, 152 items were derived from a broad review of the literature related to epidemiology surveys and the assessment of children’s eating behaviors. All of these items were reviewed by 50 caregivers of preschoolers and 10 experienced pediatricians. Seventy-seven items were selected for use in a primary questionnaire. After conducting an exploratory factor analysis and a variability analysis on the data from 313 preschoolers used to evaluate this primary questionnaire, we deleted 39 of these 77 items. A Chinese Preschoolers’ Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CPEBQ) was finally established from the remaining 38 items. The structure of this questionnaire was explored by factor analysis, and its reliability, validity and discriminative ability were evaluated with data collected from caregivers of 603 preschoolers. Results The CPEBQ consisted of 7 dimensions and 38 items. The 7 dimensions were food fussiness, food responsiveness, eating habit, satiety responsiveness, exogenous eating, emotional eating and initiative eating. The Cronbach’s α coefficient for the questionnaire was 0.92, and the test-retest reliability was 0.72. There were significant differences between the scores of normal-weight, overweight and obese preschoolers when it was referred to food fussiness, food responsiveness, eating habits, satiety responsiveness and emotional eating (p<0.05). Differences in caregiver’s education levels also had significant effects on scores for food fussiness, eating habits and exogenous eating (p<0.05). Conclusions The CPEBQ satisfies the conditions of reliability and validity, in accordance with psychometric demands. The questionnaire can be employed to evaluate the characteristics of Chinese preschoolers’ eating behaviors; therefore, it can be used in child health care practice and research. PMID:24520359

High rate of unintended pregnancy among pregnant women in a maternity hospital in Córdoba, Argentina: a pilot study

PubMed Central

Palena, Celina; Bahamondes, M Valeria; Schenk, Verónica; Bahamondes, Luis; Fernandez-Funes, Julio

2009-01-01

Background Although Argentina has a new law on Reproductive Health, many barriers continue to exist regarding provision of contraceptive methods at public healthcare facilities. Methods We asked 212 pregnant women selected at random at the Maternity and Neonatal Hospital, Córdoba, Argentina, to participate in our descriptive study. Women were asked to complete a structured questionnaire. The objectives were to determine the rate of unintended pregnancies, reasons for not using contraception, past history of contraceptive use, and intended future use. Results Two hundred women responded to the questionnaire. Forty percent of the women stated that they had never used contraception and pregnancy was declared unintended by 65%. In the unintended pregnancy group, almost 50% of women said that they had not been using a contraceptive method because they were "unaware about contraception", and 25% stated that their contraceptive method had failed. Almost 85% of women stated that they intended to use contraception after delivery. Conclusion Approximately two-thirds of all pregnancies in this sample were unintended. Although the data is limited by the small sample size, our findings suggest that our government needs to invest in counseling and in improving the availability and access to contraceptive methods. PMID:19619304

Enhanced knowledge of spontaneous reporting with structured educational programs in Korean community pharmacists: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Yu, Yun Mi; Lee, Euni

2017-05-30

While spontaneous reporting (SR) is one of the important public health activities for community pharmacists to guard patients' safety, very few studies examined educational activities and its effects on knowledge about the SR system in Korea. This study described the association between knowledge of SR and educational activities targeting community pharmacists in Korea. Self-administered questionnaires were collected between September 1, 2014 and November 25, 2014. The questionnaires addressed sources of SR knowledge (structured educational programs, personal access to educational resources, and information by social network services) and knowledge about the Regional Pharmacovigilance Center designated for community pharmacists, the legal responsibility clause on the serious event reporting, and the reportable items. The association between the knowledge of SR and the educational activities was evaluated using analysis of variance or chi-squared tests. Overall, 766 questionnaires demonstrated that mean age and length of career in community pharmacies was 45.7 years and 15.9 years, respectively. A structured educational program was used in 63.1% of the participants followed by a personal access to educational resources (56.3%). An educational program offered by the Korean Pharmaceutical Association was the most frequently mentioned program (56.8%), and no regional disparity in the program between the metropolitan and rural areas was observed. Pharmacists who had personal access to educational resources identified SR knowledge contents less correctly than those who used a structured educational program or both (p < 0.01). In general, pharmacists' knowledge on reportable items was significantly lower with non-prescription drugs, nutritional supplements, and personal hygiene products as compared to their knowledge on prescription drugs, regardless of the type of education (p < 0.01). Knowledge regarding SR was more likely to increase when a structured educational program was used alone or in combination with other educational methods. Knowledge on reportable items should be reinforced during the continuing education process.

Gathering opinion leader data for a tailored implementation intervention in secondary healthcare: a randomised trial.

PubMed

Farley, Katherine; Hanbury, Andria; Thompson, Carl

2014-03-10

Health professionals' behaviour is a key component in compliance with evidence-based recommendations. Opinion leaders are an oft-used method of influencing such behaviours in implementation studies, but reliably and cost effectively identifying them is not straightforward. Survey and questionnaire based data collection methods have potential and carefully chosen items can - in theory - both aid identification of opinion leaders and help in the design of an implementation strategy itself. This study compares two methods of identifying opinion leaders for behaviour-change interventions. Healthcare professionals working in a single UK mental health NHS Foundation Trust were randomly allocated to one of two questionnaires. The first, slightly longer questionnaire, asked for multiple nominations of opinion leaders, with specific information about the nature of the relationship with each nominee. The second, shorter version, asked simply for a list of named "champions" but no more additional information. We compared, using Chi Square statistics, both the questionnaire response rates and the number of health professionals likely to be influenced by the opinion leaders (i.e. the "coverage" rates) for both questionnaire conditions. Both questionnaire versions had low response rates: only 15% of health professionals named colleagues in the longer questionnaire and 13% in the shorter version. The opinion leaders identified by both methods had a low number of contacts (range of coverage, 2-6 each). There were no significant differences in response rates or coverage between the two identification methods. The low response and population coverage rates for both questionnaire versions suggest that alternative methods of identifying opinion leaders for implementation studies may be more effective. Future research should seek to identify and evaluate alternative, non-questionnaire based, methods of identifying opinion leaders in order to maximise their potential in organisational behaviour change interventions.

The Structure and Validity of the Multidimensional Social Support Questionnaire

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardesty, Patrick H.; Richardson, George B.

2012-01-01

The factor structure and concurrent validity of the Multidimensional Social Support Questionnaire, a brief measure of perceived social support for use with adolescents, was examined. Findings suggest that four dimensions of perceived social support may yield more information than assessments of the unitary construct of support. (Contains 8 tables…

Factorial Structure of the Anxiety Control Questionnaire in Chinese Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shujuan, Wang; Meihua, Qian; Jianxin, Zhang

2009-01-01

This article examines the psychometric structure of the Anxiety Control Questionnaire (ACQ) in Chinese adolescents. With the data collected from 212 senior high school students (94 females, 110 males, 8 unknown), seven models are tested using confirmatory factor analyses in the framework of the multitrait-multimethod strategy. Results indicate…

Factor structure of the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire short form for restaurant employees.

PubMed

Hancer, Mura; George, R Thomas

2004-02-01

The factor structure of the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire short form for nonsupervisory restaurant employees was explored in questions among 2000 employees of three full-service restaurant chains operating in midwestern United States. A total of 2000 surveys were distributed to hourly employees of the three chains. From the mailing, 924 surveys were returned and found useable, a 46.2% response rate. Principal factors analysis identified a four-factor structure for the employees, in contrast to the original two-factor structure, but as in other studies the structure was multifactorial.

Creation of the SAQ-COPD Questionnaire to Determine Physical Activity in COPD Patients in Clinical Practice.

PubMed

Soler-Cataluña, Juan José; Puente Maestu, Luis; Román-Rodríguez, Miguel; Esteban, Cristóbal; Gea, Joaquín; Bernabeu Mora, Roberto; Pleguezuelos Cobo, Eulogio; Ancochea, Julio; Monteagudo Ruiz, Gema; Garcia Rio, Francisco

2018-03-13

Physical activity (PA) is a significant clinical dimension in COPD, but no useful tools are available to determine this variable in routine clinical practice. To create a simple, easy-to-use, specific questionnaire to detect PA deficits. A multidisciplinary panel of COPD experts was formed to review PA, its determinants, and measuring methods. The methodology for selecting specific dimensions and items was agreed in rounds, and the aspects to be included in the preliminary version were determined. The questionnaire structure was defined according to applicability of these aspects in clinical practice. Agreements were reached by consensus of the members. A total of 148 items were reviewed, of which only 3 were directly selected. It was decided that the questionnaire should evaluate the intensity (low, moderate, or intense), amount, and frequency of PA, and inactivity or sedentary lifestyles. It also gathers information on the profile of inactive patients, and includes a measure of impact, defined as the patient's perception of their expectations regarding activity, their personal experience, characteristics of their environment, and their personality. The questionnaire is divided into 2blocks, one aimed at quantifying PA, and the other at collecting data for defining the profile and impact in patients with low PA only. The SAQ-COPD is a simple, short, specific questionnaire, designed to evaluate PA in COPD patients in clinical practice. Copyright © 2018 SEPAR. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Sociocultural Meanings of Nanotechnology: Research Methodologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bainbridge, William Sims

2004-06-01

This article identifies six social-science research methodologies that will be useful for charting the sociocultural meaning of nanotechnology: web-based questionnaires, vignette experiments, analysis of web linkages, recommender systems, quantitative content analysis, and qualitative textual analysis. Data from a range of sources are used to illustrate how the methods can delineate the intellectual content and institutional structure of the emerging nanotechnology culture. Such methods will make it possible in future to test hypotheses such as that there are two competing definitions of nanotechnology - the technical-scientific and the science-fiction - that are influencing public perceptions by different routes and in different directions.

Safety assessment for the postictal confusional phase following complex partial seizure.

PubMed

Tucker, C

1985-06-01

Misunderstanding of the postictal confusional state that follows the complex partial seizure has caused emotional and physical harm to patients. Concern about this phenomenon and its effects upon the patient prompted this study to explore, describe, and document one method of intervention to lessen these harmful effects. An evaluative descriptive research design was employed to assess patient safety during and after the postictal confusional phase following a complex partial seizure. A closed-structured questionnaire and participant observation were the methods used to collect data for this study. A Level of Safety Tool was specifically designed for this study.

Rapid Health and Needs assessments after disasters: a systematic review

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Publichealth care providers, stakeholders and policy makers request a rapid insight into health status and needs of the affected population after disasters. To our knowledge, there is no standardized rapid assessment tool for European countries. The aim of this article is to describe existing tools used internationally and analyze them for the development of a workable rapid assessment. Methods A review was conducted, including original studies concerning a rapid health and/or needs assessment. The studies used were published between 1980 and 2009. The electronic databasesof Medline, Embase, SciSearch and Psychinfo were used. Results Thirty-three studies were included for this review. The majority of the studies was of US origin and in most cases related to natural disasters, especially concerning the weather. In eighteen studies an assessment was conducted using a structured questionnaire, eleven studies used registries and four used both methods. Questionnaires were primarily used to asses the health needs, while data records were used to assess the health status of disaster victims. Conclusions Methods most commonly used were face to face interviews and data extracted from existing registries. Ideally, a rapid assessment tool is needed which does not add to the burden of disaster victims. In this perspective, the use of existing medical registries in combination with a brief questionnaire in the aftermath of disasters is the most promising. Since there is an increasing need for such a tool this approach needs further examination. PMID:20515478

A Confirmatory Approach to Examining the Factor Structure of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ): A Large Scale Cohort Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Niclasen, Janni; Skovgaard, Anne Mette; Andersen, Anne-Marie Nybo; Somhovd, Mikael Julius; Obel, Carsten

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine the factor structure of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) using a Structural Confirmatory Factor Analytic approach. The Danish translation of the SDQ was distributed to 71,840 parents and teachers of 5-7 and 10-12-year-old boys and girls from four large scale cohorts. Three theoretical models…

Patient satisfaction with doctor-patient interactions: a mixed methods study among diabetes mellitus patients in Pakistan.

PubMed

Jalil, Aisha; Zakar, Rubeena; Zakar, Muhammad Zakria; Fischer, Florian

2017-02-21

Patient satisfaction with doctor-patient interactions is an indicator of physicians' competence. The satisfaction of diabetes patients is rarely studied in public diabetes clinics of Pakistan. Thus, this study aims to analyse the association between patient satisfaction and five dimensions of medical interaction: technical expertise, interpersonal aspects, communication, consultation time, and access/availability. A cross-sectional mixed methods study was conducted during July and August 2015 in the largest public diabetes outpatient clinic in Punjab province. We used the criterion sampling method to identify 1164 patients who: (i) were adult (18 years and above), (ii) had diabetes mellitus, (iii) had made at least three previous visits to the same clinic. The data was collected through face-to-face interviews. The structured part of the questionnaire was based on demographic characteristics and the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ-III). We translated the questionnaire into Urdu and pretested it with 25 patients in a similar context. Data storage and analysis were carried out using SPSS (version 22.0). Bivariate analyses and multinomial logistic regression model were used to generate the quantitative findings. Out of the 1164 eligible patients approached for interviews, 1095 patients completed the structured questionnaire and 186 respondents provided qualitative information in comments section. We conducted a thematic content analysis of qualitative responses in order to explain the quantitative findings. Demographic characteristics such as gender, education and occupation were significantly associated with the levels of patient satisfaction. The dimensions of doctor-patient interaction were significantly associated with patient satisfaction: technical expertise (OR = .87; 95% CI = .84-.91), interpersonal aspects (OR = .82; 95% CI = .77-.87), communication (OR = .83; 95% CI = .78-.89), time dimension (OR = .90; 95% CI = .81-.99) and access/availability (OR = .78; 95% CI = .72-.84). Several factors involving doctors' incompetence, such as inappropriate handling of critical cases, inaccurate diagnose, excessive reliance on medical tests, absence of physical examination, non-availability of specialist doctors, and experimentation by trainee doctors were related to patient dissatisfaction. The findings of this study highlight a need to develop the interpersonal and clinical skills of doctors in order to improve the quality of doctor-patient interactions in public clinics for diabetes in Pakistan. Prospective researches should explore context-specific factors that form patient satisfaction.

Exploration of dietary patterns and alcohol consumption in pregnant women in the UK: A mixed methods study.

PubMed

Coathup, Victoria; Smith, Lesley; Boulton, Mary

2017-08-01

fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders is a term used to describe a range of physical, cognitive and behavioural deficits in the offspring of women who drank alcohol during pregnancy. A growing body of evidence suggests alcohol consumption in the presence of poor maternal nutrition may increase the risk of harm to the developing fetus. to investigate relationships between maternal dietary patterns and alcohol consumption, and explore which factors influence women's decisions about what to eat and drink during pregnancy. a mixed methods study comprising a questionnaire (paper-based and online) and semi-structured, in-depth interviews with a sub-sample of women who completed the questionnaire. women were eligible for inclusion if they were ≥16 years of age, pregnant and living in the UK and were recruited through antenatal clinics, specialist substance misuse antenatal clinics or via social media platforms; 350 women completed a questionnaire and a sub-sample of 6 women participated in an interview. the questionnaire comprised the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test Consumption to measure alcohol consumption patterns and a Food Frequency Questionnaire to measure dietary intake. Dietary pattern analysis was conducted using Principle Components Analysis and linear regression models were used to explore relationships between dietary pattern scores and alcohol consumption. Analyses were adjusted for socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted face-to-face and analysed thematically. two key dietary patterns were derived. Women who reported frequent alcohol consumption before and during pregnancy were more likely to adhere to the 'Prudent' dietary pattern compared to those who abstained. No relationships were observed between alcohol consumption and adherence to the 'Cafeteria' dietary pattern. Six key themes were identified through the qualitative analysis: (1) pregnancy as a time to review behaviour; (2) listen to your body - it will tell you what you need; (3) treats are still important - on special occasions; (4) social and cultural expectations constrain behaviour; (5) inconsistent or ambiguous information creates uncertainty; and 6) confidence increases following a successful pregnancy. those who drink low levels of alcohol during pregnancy may have better quality diets compared to women who report no alcohol consumption. The reasons for this are complex and influenced by social context and previous pregnancy experience, which should be considered when healthcare professionals provide advice during this period. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

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

PubMed

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 mainly due to the use of portion sizes, leading to an underestimation of most of nutrients, except free sugars which were overestimated. The "structural validation" by simulating answers to a FFQ based on a reference dietary survey is innovative and pragmatic and allows quantifying the error induced by the simplification of the method of collection.

Experiences of Sex Education and Sexual Awareness in Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

PubMed

Hannah, Laura A; Stagg, Steven D

2016-12-01

The research investigated feelings towards sex education and sexual awareness in young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Data were generated from the sexual knowledge, experiences, feelings and needs questionnaire (McCabe et al. 1999), the sexual awareness questionnaire (Snell et al. 1991) and semi-structured interviews. Twenty typically developing and 20 ASD individuals participated. Feelings toward sex education did not differ between the groups, but the groups differed significantly on measures of sexual awareness. Negative experiences of sex education and issues of vulnerability, social anxiety, and confused sexuality were prominent features of the qualitative interviews. This report suggest that mainstream sex and relationship education is not sufficient for people with ASD, specific methods and curricular are necessary to match their needs.

Developing an instrument to measure effective factors on Clinical Learning

PubMed Central

DADGARAN, IDEH; SHIRAZI, MANDANA; MOHAMMADI, AEEN; RAVARI, ALI

2016-01-01

Introduction Although nursing students spend a large part of their learning period in the clinical environment, clinical learning has not been perceived by its nature yet. To develop an instrument to measure effective factors on clinical learning in nursing students. Methods This is a mixed methods study performed in 2 steps. First, the researchers defined “clinical learning” in nursing students through qualitative content analysis and designed items of the questionnaire based on semi-structured individual interviews with nursing students. Then, as the second step, psychometric properties of the questionnaire were evaluated using the face validity, content validity, construct validity, and internal consistency evaluated on 227 students from fourth or higher semesters. All the interviews were recorded and transcribed, and then, they were analyzed using Max Qualitative Data Analysis and all of qualitative data were analyzed using SPSS 14. Results To do the study, we constructed the preliminary questionnaire containing 102 expressions. After determination of face and content validities by qualitative and quantitative approaches, the expressions of the questionnaire were reduced to 45. To determine the construct validity, exploratory factor analysis was applied. The results indicated that the maximum variance percentage (40.55%) was defined by the first 3 factors while the rest of the total variance percentage (59.45%) was determined by the other 42 factors. Results of exploratory factor analysis of this questionnaire indicated the presence of 3 instructor-staff, students, and educational related factors. Finally, 41 expressions were kept in 3 factor groups. The α-Cronbach coefficient (0.93) confirmed the high internal consistency of the questionnaire. Conclusion Results indicated that the prepared questionnaire was an efficient instrument in the study of the effective factors on clinical learning as viewed by nursing students since it involves 41 expressions and properties such as instrument design based on perception and experiences of the nursing students about effective factors on clinical learning, definition of facilitator and preventive factors of the clinical learning, simple scoring, suitable validity and reliability, and applicability in different occasions. PMID:27382579

Factor structure of the Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire (PDSQ), a screening questionnaire for DSM-IV axis I disorders.

PubMed

Sheeran, T; Zimmerman, M

2004-03-01

We examined the factor structure of the Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire (PDSQ), a 125-item self-report scale that screens for 15 of the most common Axis I psychiatric disorders for which patients seek treatment in outpatient settings. The sample consisted of 2440 psychiatric outpatients. Thirteen factors were extracted. Ten mapped directly onto the DSM-IV diagnosis for which they were designed and one represented suicidal ideation. The remaining two factors reflected closely related disorders: Panic Disorder/Agoraphobia, and Somatization/Hypochondriasis. A psychosis factor was not extracted. Overall, the factor structure of the PDSQ was consistent with the DSM-IV nosology upon which it was developed.

Transcultural adaptation and validation of the Celiac Dietary Adherence Test. A simple questionnaire to measure adherence to a gluten-free diet.

PubMed

Fueyo-Díaz, Ricardo; Gascón-Santos, Santiago; Asensio-Martínez, Ángela; Sánchez-Calavera, María Antonia; Magallón-Botaya, Rosa

2016-03-01

A gluten-free diet is to date the only treatment available to celiac disease sufferers. However, systematic reviews indicate that, depending on the method of evaluation used, only 42% to 91% of patients adhere to the diet strictly. Transculturally adapted tools that evaluate adherence beyond simple self-informed questions or invasive analyses are, therefore, of importance. The aim is to obtain a Spanish transcultural adaption and validation of Leffler's Celiac Dietary Adherence Test. A two-stage observational transversal study: translation and back translation by four qualified translators followed by a validation stage in which the questionnaire was administered to 306 celiac disease patients aged between 12 and 72 years and resident in Aragon. Factorial structure, criteria validity and internal consistency were evaluated. The Spanish version maintained the 7 items in a 3-factor structure. Reliability was very high in all the questions answered and the floor and ceiling effects were very low (4.3% and 1%, respectively). The Spearman correlation with the self-efficacy and life quality scales and the self-informed question were statistically significant (p < 0.01). According to the questionnaire criteria, adherence was 72.3%. The Spanish version of the Celiac Dietary Adherence Test shows appropriate psychometric properties and is, therefore, suitable for studying adherence to a gluten-free diet in clinical and research environments.

Measuring psychological flexibility in medical students and residents: a psychometric analysis

PubMed Central

Palladino, Christie L.; Ange, Brittany; Richardson, Deborah S.; Casillas, Rhonda; Decker, Matt; Gillies, Ralph A.; House, Amy; Rollock, Michael; Salazar, William H.; Waller, Jennifer L.; Zeidan, Ronnie; Stepleman, Lara

2013-01-01

Purpose Psychological flexibility involves mindful awareness of our thoughts and feelings without allowing them to prohibit acting consistently with our values and may have important implications for patient-centered clinical care. Although psychological flexibility appears quite relevant to the training and development of health care providers, prior research has not evaluated measures of psychological flexibility in medical learners. Therefore, we investigated the validity of our learners’ responses to three measures related to psychological flexibility. Methods Fourth-year medical students and residents (n=275) completed three measures of overlapping aspects of psychological flexibility: (1) Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II); (2) Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire (CFQ); and (3) Mindful Attention and Awareness Questionnaire (MAAS). We evaluated five aspects of construct validity: content, response process, internal structure, relationship with other variables, and consequences. Results We found good internal consistency for responses on the AAQ (α=0.93), MAAS (α=0.92), and CFQ (α=0.95). Factor analyses demonstrated a reasonable fit to previously published factor structures. As expected, scores on all three measures were moderately correlated with one another and with a measure of life satisfaction (p<0.01). Conclusion Our findings provide preliminary evidence supporting validity of the psychological flexibility construct in a medical education sample. As psychological flexibility is a central concept underlying self-awareness, this work may have important implications for clinical training and practice. PMID:23948496

The feeding practices and structure questionnaire: construction and initial validation in a sample of Australian first-time mothers and their 2-year olds.

PubMed

Jansen, Elena; Mallan, Kimberley M; Nicholson, Jan M; Daniels, Lynne A

2014-06-04

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 (<3 years). Data were from 462 mothers and children (age 21-27 months) from the NOURISH trial. Items from five questionnaires and two study-specific items were submitted to a priori item selection, allocation and verification, before theoretically-derived factors were tested using Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Construct validity of the new factors was examined by correlating these with child eating behaviours and weight. Following expert review 10 factors were specified. Of these, 9 factors (40 items) showed acceptable model fit and internal reliability (Cronbach's α: 0.61-0.89). Four factors reflected non-responsive feeding practices: 'Distrust in Appetite', 'Reward for Behaviour', 'Reward for Eating', and 'Persuasive Feeding'. Five factors reflected structure of the meal environment and limits: 'Structured Meal Setting', 'Structured Meal Timing', 'Family Meal Setting', 'Overt Restriction' and 'Covert Restriction'. Feeding practices generally showed the expected pattern of associations with child eating behaviours but none with weight. The Feeding Practices and Structure Questionnaire (FPSQ) provides a new reliable and valid measure of parental feeding practices, specifically maternal responsiveness to children's hunger/satiety signals facilitated by routine and structure in feeding. Further validation in more diverse samples is required.

[Has the translation process impact on the psychometric structure of a questionnaire?].

PubMed

Pook, Martin; Tuschen-Caffier, Brunna; Kaufmann, Ulrike

2006-01-01

Little is known about the impact of item translation on the psychometric structure of questionnaires. The analysis of different translation versions within the same language provides an opportunity to address this question. Therefore, in the present study, two of the six available German translations of Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) were compared with respect to their psychometric structure. A total of 449 female students completed the short forms of the EDI (consisting of the subscales drive for thinness, bulimia and body dissatisfaction). Structural equation modeling revealed that the item contents in both translations had been interpreted equivalently by the participants. In addition, the structural relations among the factors were equivalent across both versions. Whereas invariance of item-pair reliability was not tenable, the distribution of raw scores of the scales was similar. All in all, the findings suggest a very large degree of similarity in the psychometric structure of the alternative translations of the EDI versions. The results are discussed with respect to the lack of standards for the translation of questionnaires.

[Questionnaire to assess advertising campaigns impact about HIV/AIDS prevention].

PubMed

Bretón-López, Juana; Buela-Casal, Gualberto

2006-08-01

Present work is concerned with a questionnaire aimed to the impact evaluation of a selection of Spanish advertising campaigns about HIV/AIDS prevention. The work objective is to determine reliability and factorial structure of the instrument. It is described the designed questionnaire and its three scales (affective impact scale, cognitive impact scale and behavioural intention impact scale). The sample was composed by 405 high school teenagers to who were projected the advertising campaigns. So, teenagers filled the designed questionnaire. From a theoretical and psychometric point of view, data show the instrument is appropriate about internal consistency and factorial structure. The final goal of the questionnaire is to become useful tool to assess the persuasive effectiveness of the advertising campaigns within the HIV/AIDS network, as an intervention of primary prevention to reduce the expansion of epidemic.

Identifying determinants of care for tailoring implementation in chronic diseases: an evaluation of different methods.

PubMed

Krause, Jane; Van Lieshout, Jan; Klomp, Rien; Huntink, Elke; Aakhus, Eivind; Flottorp, Signe; Jaeger, Cornelia; Steinhaeuser, Jost; Godycki-Cwirko, Maciek; Kowalczyk, Anna; Agarwal, Shona; Wensing, Michel; Baker, Richard

2014-08-12

The tailoring of implementation interventions includes the identification of the determinants of, or barriers to, healthcare practice. Different methods for identifying determinants have been used in implementation projects, but which methods are most appropriate to use is unknown. The study was undertaken in five European countries, recommendations for a different chronic condition being addressed in each country: Germany (polypharmacy in multimorbid patients); the Netherlands (cardiovascular risk management); Norway (depression in the elderly); Poland (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease--COPD); and the United Kingdom (UK) (obesity). Using samples of professionals and patients in each country, three methods were compared directly: brainstorming amongst health professionals, interviews of health professionals, and interviews of patients. The additional value of discussion structured through reference to a checklist of determinants in addition to brainstorming, and determinants identified by open questions in a questionnaire survey, were investigated separately. The questionnaire, which included closed questions derived from a checklist of determinants, was administered to samples of health professionals in each country. Determinants were classified according to whether it was likely that they would inform the design of an implementation intervention (defined as plausibly important determinants). A total of 601 determinants judged to be plausibly important were identified. An additional 609 determinants were judged to be unlikely to inform an implementation intervention, and were classified as not plausibly important. Brainstorming identified 194 of the plausibly important determinants, health professional interviews 152, patient interviews 63, and open questions 48. Structured group discussion identified 144 plausibly important determinants in addition to those already identified by brainstorming. Systematic methods can lead to the identification of large numbers of determinants. Tailoring will usually include a process to decide, from all the determinants that are identified, those to be addressed by implementation interventions. There is no best buy of methods to identify determinants, and a combination should be used, depending on the topic and setting. Brainstorming is a simple, low cost method that could be relevant to many tailored implementation projects.

How Do the Teachers Define Social Studies Course?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Topçu, Ersin

2017-01-01

In this research, the aim is to determine what the social studies teachers think about the interdisciplinary structure of the social studies course and the educational situation. Likert type questionnaire and semi-structured interview form were used as data collection tools. The questionnaire was applied to 150 teachers working in 58 secondary…

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ): The Factor Structure and Scale Validation in U.S. Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

He, Jian-Ping; Burstein, Marcy; Schmitz, Anja; Merikangas, Kathleen R.

2013-01-01

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is one of the most commonly used instruments for screening psychopathology in children and adolescents. This study evaluated the hypothesized five-factor structure of the SDQ and examined its convergent validity against comprehensive clinical diagnostic assessments. Data were derived from the…

Revisiting the Factor Structure of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: United States, 2001.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickey, Wayne C.; Blumberg, Stephen J.

2004-01-01

Objective: The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire is a 25-item instrument developed to assess emotional and behavioral problems. The current study attempted to replicate previous European structural analyses and to describe the latent dimensions that underlie responses to the parent-reported version of the Strengths and Difficulties…

Factor Structure of the Children's Behavior Questionnaire in Children with Williams Syndrome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leyfer, Ovsanna; John, Angela E.; Woodruff-Borden, Janet; Mervis, Carolyn B.

2012-01-01

To examine the factor structure of temperament in 5-10-year-olds with Williams syndrome, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted on the responses of parents of 192 children on the children's behavior questionnaire. Four factors were identified. Two corresponded to factors reported for typically developing children: effortful control and…

Structural and Convergent Validity of the Homework Performance Questionnaire

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pendergast, Laura L.; Watkins, Marley W.; Canivez, Gary L.

2014-01-01

Homework is a requirement for most school-age children, but research on the benefits and drawbacks of homework is limited by lack of psychometrically sound measurement of homework performance. This study examined the structural and convergent validity of scores from the newly developed Homework Performance Questionnaire -- Teacher Scale (HPQ-T).…

The Bilevel Structure of the Outcome Questionnaire-45

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bludworth, Jamie L.; Tracey, Terence J. G.; Glidden-Tracey, Cynthia

2010-01-01

The structure of the Outcome Questionnaire-45 (Lambert et al., 2001) was examined in a sample of 1,100 university counseling center clients using confirmatory factor analysis. Specifically, the relative fit of 1-factor, 3-factor orthogonal, 3-factor oblique, 4-factor hierarchical, and 4-factor bilevel models were examined. Although the 3-factor…

Leadership: validation of a self-report scale.

PubMed

Dussault, Marc; Frenette, Eric; Fernet, Claude

2013-04-01

The aim of this paper was to propose and test the factor structure of a new self-report questionnaire on leadership. A sample of 373 school principals in the Province of Quebec, Canada completed the initial 46-item version of the questionnaire. In order to obtain a questionnaire of minimal length, a four-step procedure was retained. First, items analysis was performed using Classical Test Theory. Second, Rasch analysis was used to identify non-fitting or overlapping items. Third, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using structural equation modelling was performed on the 21 remaining items to verify the factor structure of the scale. Results show that the model with a single third-order dimension (leadership), two second-order dimensions (transactional and transformational leadership), and one first-order dimension (laissez-faire leadership) provides a good fit to the data. Finally, invariance of factor structure was assessed with a second sample of 222 vice-principals in the Province of Quebec, Canada. This model is in agreement with the theoretical model developed by Bass (1985), upon which the questionnaire is based.

Customer Loyalty in Virtual Environments: An Empirical Study in e-Bank

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chao, Yu; Lee, Gin-Yuan; Ho, Yung-Ching

2009-08-01

The advent of e-commerce has increased the importance of consumer financing operations. Internet banking helps banks to develop relationship marketing, thus improve customer loyalty. This study proposes a research framework to examine the relationships among e-service quality, customer satisfaction, customer trust and e-loyalty in e-bank in Taiwan. Data are collected through a survey using a structured questionnaire. The 442 valid respondents who have experience with e-bank are analyzed by partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method. The managerial implication is e-bank must focus on e-service quality to increase customer satisfaction and trust for obtaining the e-loyalty.

Temperament Factor Structure in Fragile X Syndrome: The Children's Behavior Questionnaire

PubMed Central

Roberts, Jane E.; Tonnsen, Bridgette L.; Robinson, Marissa; McQuillin, Samuel D.; Hatton, Deborah D.

2014-01-01

Early patterns of temperament lay the foundation for a variety of developmental constructs such as self-regulation, psychopathology, and resilience. Children with fragile X syndrome (FXS) display unique patterns of temperament compared to age-matched clinical and non-clinical samples, and early patterns of temperament have been associated with later anxiety in this population. Despite these unique patterns in FXS and recent reports of atypical factor structure of temperament questionnaires in Williams Syndrome (Leyfer, John, Woodruff-Borden, & Mervis, 2012), no studies have examined the latent factor structure of temperament scales in FXS to ensure measurement validity in this sample. The present study used confirmatory factor analysis to examine the factor structure of a well-validated parent-reported temperament questionnaire, the Children's Behavior Questionnaire (Rothbart, Ahadi, Hershey, & Fisher, 2001), in a sample of 90 males with FXS ages 3-9 years. Our data produced a similar, but not identical, three-factor model that retained the original CBQ factors of negative affectivity, effortful control, and extraversion/surgency. In particular, our FXS sample demonstrated stronger factor loadings for fear and shyness than previously reported loadings in non-clinical samples, consistent with reports of poor social approach and elevated anxiety in this population. Although the original factor structure of the Children's Behavior Questionnaire is largely retained in children with FXS, differences in factor loading magnitudes may reflect phenotypic characteristics of the syndrome. These findings may inform future developmental and translational research efforts. PMID:24380785

The Brazilian version of the effort-reward imbalance questionnaire to assess job stress.

PubMed

Chor, Dóra; Werneck, Guilherme Loureiro; Faerstein, Eduardo; Alves, Márcia Guimarães de Mello; Rotenberg, Lúcia

2008-01-01

The effort-reward imbalance (ERI) model has been used to assess the health impact of job stress. We aimed at describing the cross-cultural adaptation of the ERI questionnaire into Portuguese and some psychometric properties, in particular internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and factorial structure. We developed a Brazilian version of the ERI using a back-translation method and tested its reliability. The test-retest reliability study was conducted with 111 health workers and University staff. The current analyses are based on 89 participants, after exclusion of those with missing data. Reproducibility (interclass correlation coefficients) for the "effort", "'reward", and "'overcommitment"' dimensions of the scale was estimated at 0.76, 0.86, and 0.78, respectively. Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) estimates for these same dimensions were 0.68, 0.78, and 0.78, respectively. The exploratory factorial structure was fairly consistent with the model's theoretical components. We conclude that the results of this study represent the first evidence in favor of the application of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the ERI scale in health research in populations with similar socioeconomic characteristics.

Factor structure of the Spanish version of the Object-Spatial Imagery and Verbal Questionnaire.

PubMed

Campos, Alfredo; Pérez-Fabello, María José

2011-04-01

The reliability and factor structure of the Spanish version of the Object-Spatial Imagery and Verbal Questionnaire (OSIVQ) were assessed in a sample of 213 Spanish university graduates. The questionnaire measures three types of processing preferences (verbal, object imagery, and spatial imagery). Principal components analysis with varimax rotation identified three factors, corresponding to the three scales proposed in the original version, explaining 33.1% of the overall variance. Cronbach's alphas were .72, .77, and .81 for the verbal, object imagery, and spatial imagery scales, respectively.

Assessing Management Support for Worksite Health Promotion: Psychometric Analysis of the Leading by Example (LBE) Instrument

PubMed Central

Della, Lindsay J.; DeJoy, David M.; Goetzel, Ron Z.; Ozminkowski, Ronald J.; Wilson, Mark G.

2009-01-01

Objective This paper describes the development of the Leading by Example (LBE) instrument. Methods Exploratory factor analysis was used to obtain an initial factor structure. Factor validity was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis methods. Cronbach’s alpha and item-total correlations provided information on the reliability of the factor subscales. Results Four subscales were identified: business alignment with health promotion objectives; awareness of the health-productivity link; worksite support for health promotion; leadership support for health promotion. Factor by group comparisons revealed that the initial factor structure is effective in detecting differences in organizational support for health promotion across different employee groups Conclusions Management support for health promotion can be assessed using the LBE, a brief, self-report questionnaire. Researchers can use the LBE to diagnose, track, and evaluate worksite health promotion programs. PMID:18517097

Validation of a structured questionnaire for COPD and prevalence of COPD in rural area of Mysore: A pilot study.

PubMed

Mahesh, P A; Jayaraj, B S; Prahlad, S T; Chaya, S K; Prabhakar, A K; Agarwal, A N; Jindal, S K

2009-07-01

The prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is increasing in India and there is a need to study the prevalence of COPD, particularly in the rural areas, which may be most affected due to their lifestyle. FIRST STAGE: Validation of the questionnaire-105 consecutive patients underwent administration of the structured questionnaire and spirometry was used as a gold standard for the diagnosis of COPD. Second stage: Adults above 40 years (n = 900) in two villages of Mysore district were administered with the validated questionnaire, Knowledge and Attitude questionnaire and Fagerstorm questionnaire, to assess nicotine dependency. The questionnaire was found to have a sensitivity of 62.5% and specificity of 87.6% to diagnose COPD. Of the total 900 adults surveyed (Males: 453, Females: 447), the total prevalence of COPD was 7.1%. Males had a higher prevalence (11.1%) compared to females (4.5%). The prevalence of smoking was very high among men at 71.9% and all the women were nonsmokers. The prevalence of COPD was 14.7% in smokers, 19.3% had mild to moderate nicotine dependency and 12.8% were highly dependent. Of the women exposed to regular biomass fuels, the prevalence of COPD was 3.9%, which increased to 4.8% on addition of regular passive smoking. In smoking, male gender and age were significantly associated with COPD (P < 0.05). The structured questionnaire is a useful tool for the screening of COPD in field studies. Smoking and biomass fuel exposure are important risk factors for COPD.

Feasibility study of structured diagnosis methods for functional dyspepsia in Korean medicine clinics.

PubMed

Park, Jeong Hwan; Kim, Soyoung; Park, Jae-Woo; Ko, Seok-Jae; Lee, Sanghun

2017-12-01

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is the seventh most common disease encountered in Korean medicine (KM) clinics. Despite the large number of FD patients visiting KM clinics, the accumulated medical records have no utility in evidence development, due to being unstructured. This study aimed to construct a standard operating procedure (SOP) with appropriate structured diagnostic methods for FD, and assess the feasibility for use in KM clinics. Two rounds of professional surveys were conducted by 10 Korean internal medicine professors to select the representative diagnostic methods. A feasibility study was conducted to evaluate compliance and time required for using the structured diagnostic methods by three specialists in two hospitals. As per the results of the professional survey, five questionnaires and one basic diagnostic method were selected. An SOP was constructed based on the survey results, and a feasibility study showed that the SOP compliance score (out of 5) was 3.45 among the subjects, and 3.25 among the practitioners. The SOP was acceptable and was not deemed difficult to execute. The total execution time was 136.5 minutes, out of which the gastric emptying test time was 129 minutes. This feasibility study of the SOP with structured diagnostic methods for FD confirmed it was adequate for use in KM clinics. It is expected that these study findings will be helpful to clinicians who wish to conduct observational studies as well as to generate quantitative medical records to facilitate Big Data research.

Social support and substitute voice acquisition on psychological adjustment among patients after laryngectomy.

PubMed

Kotake, Kumiko; Suzukamo, Yoshimi; Kai, Ichiro; Iwanaga, Kazuyo; Takahashi, Aya

2017-03-01

The objective is to clarify whether social support and acquisition of alternative voice enhance the psychological adjustment of laryngectomized patients and which part of the psychological adjustment structure would be influenced by social support. We contacted 1445 patients enrolled in a patient association using mail surveys and 679 patients agreed to participate in the study. The survey items included age, sex, occupation, post-surgery duration, communication method, psychological adjustment (by the Nottingham Adjustment Scale Japanese Laryngectomy Version: NAS-J-L), and the formal support (by Hospital Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire-25: HPSQ-25). Social support and communication methods were added to the three-tier structural model of psychological adjustment shown in our previous study, and a covariance structure analysis was conducted. Formal/informal supports and acquisition of alternative voice influence only the "recognition of oneself as voluntary agent", the first tier of the three-tier structure of psychological adjustment. The results suggest that social support and acquisition of alternative voice may enhance the recognition of oneself as voluntary agent and promote the psychological adjustment.

The Work Role Functioning Questionnaire v2.0 Showed Consistent Factor Structure Across Six Working Samples.

PubMed

Abma, Femke I; Bültmann, Ute; Amick Iii, Benjamin C; Arends, Iris; Dorland, Heleen F; Flach, Peter A; van der Klink, Jac J L; van de Ven, Hardy A; Bjørner, Jakob Bue

2017-09-09

Objective The Work Role Functioning Questionnaire v2.0 (WRFQ) is an outcome measure linking a persons' health to the ability to meet work demands in the twenty-first century. We aimed to examine the construct validity of the WRFQ in a heterogeneous set of working samples in the Netherlands with mixed clinical conditions and job types to evaluate the comparability of the scale structure. Methods Confirmatory factor and multi-group analyses were conducted in six cross-sectional working samples (total N = 2433) to evaluate and compare a five-factor model structure of the WRFQ (work scheduling demands, output demands, physical demands, mental and social demands, and flexibility demands). Model fit indices were calculated based on RMSEA ≤ 0.08 and CFI ≥ 0.95. After fitting the five-factor model, the multidimensional structure of the instrument was evaluated across samples using a second order factor model. Results The factor structure was robust across samples and a multi-group model had adequate fit (RMSEA = 0.63, CFI = 0.972). In sample specific analyses, minor modifications were necessary in three samples (final RMSEA 0.055-0.080, final CFI between 0.955 and 0.989). Applying the previous first order specifications, a second order factor model had adequate fit in all samples. Conclusion A five-factor model of the WRFQ showed consistent structural validity across samples. A second order factor model showed adequate fit, but the second order factor loadings varied across samples. Therefore subscale scores are recommended to compare across different clinical and working samples.

Good Psychometric Properties of the Addiction Version of the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire for Health Care Professionals

PubMed Central

Dijkstra, Boukje; Golbach, Milou; De Jong, Cor; Schellekens, Arnt

2016-01-01

Background Addiction, or substance dependence, is nowadays considered a chronic relapsing condition. However, perceptions of addiction vary widely, also among healthcare professionals. Perceptions of addiction are thought to contribute to attitude and stigma towards patients with addiction. However, studies into perceptions of addiction among healthcare professionals are limited and instruments for reliable assessment of their perceptions are lacking. The Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ) is widely used to evaluate perceptions of illness. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the IPQ: factor structure, internal consistency, and discriminant validity, when applied to evaluate healthcare professionals’ perceptions of addiction. Methods Participants were 1072 healthcare professionals in training and master students from the Netherlands and Indonesia, recruited from various addiction-training programs. The revised version of the IPQ was adapted to measure perceptions of addiction (IPQ-A). Maximum likelihood method was used to explore the best-fit IPQ factor structure. Internal consistency was evaluated for the final factors. The final factor structure was used to assess discriminant validity of the IPQ, by comparing illness perceptions of addiction between 1) medical students from the Netherlands and Indonesia, 2) medical students psychology students and educational science students from the Netherlands, and 3) participants with different training levels: medical students versus medical doctors. Results Factor analysis revealed an eight-factor structure for the perception subscale (demoralization, timeline chronic, consequences, personal control, treatment control, illness coherence, timeline cyclical emotional representations) and a four-factor structure for the attribution subscale (psychological attributions, risk factors, smoking/alcohol, overwork). Internal reliability was acceptable to good. The IPQ-A was able to detect differences in perceptions between healthcare professionals from different cultural and educational background and level of training. Conclusions The IPQ-A is a valid and reliable instrument to assess healthcare professionals’ perceptions of addiction. PMID:27824872

Psychometric properties of the Sexual Adjustment Questionnaire (SAQ) in the Iranian population with spinal cord injury

PubMed Central

Merghati-Khoei, E; Maasoumi, R; Rahdari, F; Bayat, A; Hajmirzaei, S; Lotfi, S; Hajiaghababaei, M; Emami-Razavi, SH; Korte, JE; Atoof, F

2016-01-01

Study design This is a cross-sectional study Objectives The objective of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Sexual Adjustment Questionnaire (SAQ) for Iranian people with spinal cord injury Setting This study was conducted in the brain and Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Methods We assessed the psychometric properties of the SAQ, with 200 participants (men = 146, women = 54) completing the scale. An evaluation of its test–retest reliability was performed over a 2-weeks period, on a subsample of 30 patients recruited from the overall group. Cronbach’s α-coefficient was computed for assessment of internal consistency reliability. In addition, content and face validity were examined by an expert committee. Construct validity was assessed by examining convergent and discriminant validity. Finally, exploratory factor analysis was used to extract the factor structure of the questionnaire. Results The Cronbach’s α and intraclass correlation coefficient were 0.77 and 0.72 retrospectively. With regard to construct validity, there was a significant (P = 0.009) negative correlation (r = − 0.28) between the SAQ score and age. Those with lower levels of educations scored significantly lower on the SAQ (P = 0.04). The exploratory factor analysis indicated a four-factor structure for the questionnaire, accounting for 68.9% of the observed variance. The expert committee approved the face and content validity of the developed measure. Conclusion The SAQ is a valid measure for assessing sexual adjustment in people with spinal cord injury. The evaluation of sexual well-being may be useful in clinical trials and practical settings. PMID:25917953

Specialty Training’s Organizational Readiness for curriculum Change (STORC): validation of a questionnaire

PubMed Central

Jippes, Mariëlle; Leppink, Jimmie; Scherpbier, Albert JJA; den Rooyen, Corry; van Luijk, Scheltus J; Scheele, Fedde

2018-01-01

Background The field of postgraduate medical education (PGME) is continuously evolving as a result of social demands and advancing educational insights. Change experts contend that organizational readiness for change (ORC) is a critical precursor for successful implementation of change initiatives. However, in PGME, assessing change readiness is rarely considered while it could be of great value for managing educational change such as curriculum change. Therefore, in a previous Delphi study the authors developed an instrument for assessing ORC in PGME: Specialty Training’s Organizational Readiness for curriculum Change (STORC). In this study, the psychometric properties of this questionnaire were further explored. Methods In 2015, STORC was distributed among clinical teaching teams in the Netherlands. The authors conducted a confirmatory factor analysis on the internal factor structure of STORC. The reliability of the measurements was estimated by calculating Cronbach’s alpha for all sub-scales. Additionally, a behavioral support-for-change measure was distributed as well to assess correlations with change-related behavior. Results In total, the STORC questionnaire was completed by 856 clinical teaching team members from 39 specialties. Factor analysis led to the removal of 1 item but supported the expected factor structure with very good fit for the other 43 items. Supportive behavior was positively correlated to a higher level of ORC. Discussion In this study, additional steps to collect validity evidence for the STORC questionnaire were taken successfully. The final subscales of STORC represent the core components of ORC in the literature. By breaking down this concept into multiple measurable aspects, STORC could help to enable educational leaders to diagnose possible hurdles in implementation processes and to perform specifically targeted interventions when needed. PMID:29430202

Factor structure of the Singapore English version of the KINDL® children quality of life questionnaire

PubMed Central

Wee, Hwee-Lin; Ravens-Sieberer, Ulrike; Erhart, Michael; Li, Shu-Chuen

2007-01-01

Background Quality of life (QoL) outcomes are useful in the assessment of physical, mental and social well-being and for informed healthcare decision making. However, few studies have evaluated QoL issues among Asian children due largely to the lack of culturally valid and reliable QoL questionnaires. Hence, we aimed to report the psychometric properties, in particular factor structure, of KINDL (Singapore) questionnaires among school-going children. Methods Students aged 8–16 years from participating schools were selected by convenience sampling. Subjects self-completed KINDL-Kid (Singapore) and KINDL-Kiddo (Singapore) questionnaires, which were cross-culturally adapted from KINDL (Germany English) for use in Singapore. We evaluated floor and ceiling effects, internal consistency and performed factor analysis. Results A total of 328 respondents (mean (SD) age: 9.6 (1.31) years; 67% female; 75% Chinese, 16% Malays, 9% Indians and others) completed KINDL-Kid while 1,026 respondents (mean (SD) age: 14.0 (1.00) years; 82% female; 82% Chinese, 12% Malays; 6% Indians and others) completed KINDL-Kiddo. Mean (SD) TOTAL QoL score was 65.5 (12.76) and 56.6 (11.92) for KINDL-Kid and KINDL-Kiddo, respectively. Floor and ceiling effects were important in five of six KINDL-Kid and two of six KINDL-Kiddo subscales. Reliability coefficients ranged from 0.40 to 0.71 (KINDL-Kid) and 0.44 to 0.84 (KINDL-Kiddo). Factor analysis generated eight and seven factors in KINDL-Kid and KINDL-Kiddo, respectively. Conclusion KINDL-Kiddo exhibited good psychometric properties and may be used to assess QoL in this multi-ethnic English-speaking Asian population. However, psychometric properties of KINDL-Kid may need to be improved either by developing new items or modifying existing items. PMID:17239229

Gastroenterology training in a resource-limited setting: Zambia, Southern Africa

PubMed Central

Asombang, Akwi W; Turner-Moss, Eleanor; Seetharam, Anil; Kelly, Paul

2013-01-01

AIM: To evaluate need for and efficacy of a structured gastroenterology didactic session in expanding awareness and understanding of digestive disorders. METHODS: A four-day symposium was developed with didactic sessions (days 1, 2) and practical endoscopy (days 3, 4). Didactic sessions included case presentations highlighting pathophysiology and management. One nurse and four practicing gastroenterologists from the United Kingdom led lectures and supervised workshops with audience participation. Practical endoscopy focused on diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and their application to diagnosis and treatment of ailments of the gastrointestinal tract. Pre- and post-workshop questionnaires were distributed to participants during didactic sessions. A pre-workshop questionnaire gauged expectations and identified objectives to be met at the symposium. Post-workshop questionnaires were administered to assess efficacy of each session. Participants graded sessions from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) on quality of case presentations, knowledge, clarity and mode of presentation. We assessed if time allotted to each topic was sufficient, value of sessions, impact on practice and interest in future symposiums. RESULTS: There were 46 attendees on day 1: 41% undergraduates, 41% residents, 11% consultants and 4% unspecified. Day 2 (a Saturday) had 24 participants: 17% undergraduates, 71% residents, 9% consultants, 4% unspecified. Primary pre-workshop symposium expectation was to gain knowledge in: general gastroenterology (55.5%), practical endoscopy (13.8%), pediatric gastroenterology (5%), epidemiology of gastrointestinal disorders specific to Zambia (6%), and interaction with international speakers (6%). The post-symposium questionnaire was answered by 19 participants, of whom 95% felt specific aims were met; all would attend future conferences and recommend to others. CONCLUSION: The beneficial effect of a structured symposium in developing countries warrants further attention as a mechanism to improve disease awareness in areas where resources are limited. PMID:23840144

Short assessment of the Big Five: robust across survey methods except telephone interviewing.

PubMed

Lang, Frieder R; John, Dennis; Lüdtke, Oliver; Schupp, Jürgen; Wagner, Gert G

2011-06-01

We examined measurement invariance and age-related robustness of a short 15-item Big Five Inventory (BFI-S) of personality dimensions, which is well suited for applications in large-scale multidisciplinary surveys. The BFI-S was assessed in three different interviewing conditions: computer-assisted or paper-assisted face-to-face interviewing, computer-assisted telephone interviewing, and a self-administered questionnaire. Randomized probability samples from a large-scale German panel survey and a related probability telephone study were used in order to test method effects on self-report measures of personality characteristics across early, middle, and late adulthood. Exploratory structural equation modeling was used in order to test for measurement invariance of the five-factor model of personality trait domains across different assessment methods. For the short inventory, findings suggest strong robustness of self-report measures of personality dimensions among young and middle-aged adults. In old age, telephone interviewing was associated with greater distortions in reliable personality assessment. It is concluded that the greater mental workload of telephone interviewing limits the reliability of self-report personality assessment. Face-to-face surveys and self-administrated questionnaire completion are clearly better suited than phone surveys when personality traits in age-heterogeneous samples are assessed.

Questionnaire Construction Manual. Annex: Literature Survey and Bibliography.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dyer, Robert; And Others

A literature review and bibliography on questionnaire construction are presented. The broad definition of questionnaire includes scales, structured interview forms, survey forms, and similar paper and pencil instruments used to elicit responses and collect information. A comprehensive literature search of journal articles, books, and reports in…

Effects of Job Burnout and Emotional Labor on Objective Structured Clinical Examination Performance Among Interns and Residents in Taiwan.

PubMed

Wang, Chen-Yu; Chen, Jen-De; Wang, Chih-Hung; Wang, Jong-Yi; Tai, Chih-Jaan; Hsieh, Tsu-Yi; Chen, Der-Yuan

2017-01-01

Medical education faces challenges concerning job burnout and emotional labor among junior physicians, which poses a potential threat to the quality of medical care. Although studies have investigated job burnout and emotional labor among physicians, empirical research on the association between job burnout, emotional labor, and clinical performance is lacking. This study investigated the effects of job burnout and emotional labor on clinical performance by using the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) scores of interns and residents. Specifically, this cross-sectional study utilized the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Emotional Labor Questionnaire as measurement instruments. A total of 225 interns and residents in central Taiwan answered structured questionnaires before beginning their OSCE. The major statistical analysis method employed was logistic regression. After adjustment for covariates, first-year residents were less likely than other residents to obtain high OSCE scores. The odds of high OSCE performance among interns and residents with high interaction component scores in emotional labor were significantly higher than those with low interaction scores. A high score in the interaction dimension of emotional labor was associated with strong clinical performance. The findings suggest that interventions which motivate positive attitudes and increase interpersonal interaction skills among physicians should receive higher priority.

Investigating the relationship between two home numeracy measures: A questionnaire and observations during Lego building and book reading.

PubMed

Mutaf Yildiz, Belde; Sasanguie, Delphine; De Smedt, Bert; Reynvoet, Bert

2018-06-01

Home numeracy has been defined as the parent-child interactions that include experiences with numerical content in daily-life settings. Previous studies have commonly operationalized home numeracy either via questionnaires or via observational methods. These studies have shown that both types of measures are positively related to variability in children's mathematical skills. This study investigated whether these distinctive data collection methods index the same aspect of home numeracy. The frequencies of home numeracy activities and parents' opinions about their children's mathematics education were assessed via a questionnaire. The amount of home numeracy talk was observed via two semi-structured videotaped parent-child activity sessions (Lego building and book reading). Children's mathematical skills were examined with two calculation subtests. We observed that parents' reports and number of observed numeracy interactions were not related to each other. Interestingly, parents' reports of numeracy activities were positively related to children's calculation abilities, whereas the observed home numeracy talk was negatively related to children's calculation abilities. These results indicate that these two methods tap on different aspects of home numeracy. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Home numeracy, that is, parent-child interactions that include experiences with numerical content, is supposed to have a positive impact on calculation or mathematical ability in general. Despite many positive results, some studies have failed to find such an association. Home numeracy has been assessed with questionnaires on the frequency of numerical experiences and observations of parent-child interactions; however, those two measures of home numeracy have never been compared directly. What does this study add? This study assessed home numeracy through questionnaires and observations in the 44 parent-child dyads and showed that home numeracy measures derived from questionnaires and observations are not related. Moreover, the relation between the reported frequency of home numeracy activities and calculation on the one hand, and parent-child number talk (derived from observations) and calculation on the other hand is in opposite directions; the frequency of activities is positively related to calculation performance; and the amount of number talk is negatively related to calculation. This study shows that both measures tap into different aspects of home numeracy and can be an important factor explaining inconsistencies in literature. © 2018 The British Psychological Society.

Dimensionality of the Latent Structure and Item Selection via Latent Class Multidimensional IRT Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartolucci, F.; Montanari, G. E.; Pandolfi, S.

2012-01-01

With reference to a questionnaire aimed at assessing the performance of Italian nursing homes on the basis of the health conditions of their patients, we investigate two relevant issues: dimensionality of the latent structure and discriminating power of the items composing the questionnaire. The approach is based on a multidimensional item…

Factor Structure and Reliability of the Parent-Informant Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in a Scottish Preschool Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McAloney-Kocaman, Kareena; McPherson, Kerri

2017-01-01

Research Findings: Despite it being a widely accepted measure of social, emotional, and behavioral problems among children and young people, the factor structure underlying the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is contested. Recent research has suggested a need to consider methodological bias in the SDQ, associated with the positive…

The Factor Structure and Dimensional Scoring of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire for "DSM-IV"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodebaugh, Thomas L.; Holaway, Robert M.; Heimberg, Richard G.

2008-01-01

Despite favorable psychometric properties, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire for the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" (4th ed.) (GAD-Q-IV) does not have a known factor structure, which calls into question use of its original weighted scoring system (usually referred to as the dimensional score).…

[Social values and addiction: applicability and psychometric properties of VAL-89 questionnaire].

PubMed

Pedrero Perez, Eduardo Jose; Rojo Mota, Gloria; Olivar Arroyo, Alvaro

2008-01-01

To study the psychometric properties of the VAL-89 questionnaire and its possible use in addict individuals who ask for treatment. Analysis of the psychometric properties of the questionnaire and its factorial structure, applying it to 792 individuals. 365 of them were substance users seeking treatment and 427 were general population. Reliability of the questionnaire is confirmed, although its factorial structure appears to be different from the original. In our study appear 12 factors, instead of the original 10. These factors are named: Power, Stimulation, Submission, Tradition, Spirituality, Self-Sufficience, Hedonism, Sociability, Universality, Convencionalism, Idealism and Self-Realization. These factors are distributed through several dimensions represented by four axis: individual-social, dominance-equality, tradition-pleasure and great values-anomie. The VAL-89 questionnaire seems to be a useful tool to explore which are the more appreciated social values, being of special interest to know which are specially selected by addict individuals.

The Leadership Formula: P*M*D

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-08-01

group. 3. Non-calculative MTL – those graded high in this factor evinced a strong link to cultural values. Collectivist values were found to be in...the baby’s needs for both dependence and autonomy molds an unconscious psychological structure in the baby – an internal working model - which, in...questionnaires that included a personality questionnaire, a cultural value questionnaire, and a leadership self efficacy questionnaire. In addition

Influence of structural integration and fascial fitness on body image and the perception of back pain.

PubMed

Baur, Heidi; Gatterer, Hannes; Hotter, Barbara; Kopp, Martin

2017-06-01

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to examine the influence of Structural Integration and Fascial Fitness, a new form of physical exercise, on body image and the perception of back pain. [Subjects and Methods] In total, 33 participants with non-specific back pain were split into two groups and performed three sessions of Structural Integration or Fascial Fitness within a 3-week period. Before and after the interventions, perception of back pain and body image were evaluated using standardized questionnaires. [Results] Structural Integration significantly decreased non-specified back pain and improved both "negative body image" and "vital body dynamics". Fascial Fitness led to a significant improvement on the "negative body image" subscale. Benefits of Structural Integration did not significantly vary in magnitude from those for fascial fitness. [Conclusion] Both Structural Integration and Fascial Fitness can lead to a more positive body image after only three sessions. Moreover, the therapeutic technique of Structural Integration can reduce back pain.

Rough Evaluation Structure: Application of Rough Set Theory to Generate Simple Rules for Inconsistent Preference Relation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gehrmann, Andreas; Nagai, Yoshimitsu; Yoshida, Osamu; Ishizu, Syohei

Since management decision-making becomes complex and preferences of the decision-maker frequently becomes inconsistent, multi-attribute decision-making problems were studied. To represent inconsistent preference relation, the concept of evaluation structure was introduced. We can generate simple rules to represent inconsistent preference relation by the evaluation structures. Further rough set theory for the preference relation was studied and the concept of approximation was introduced. One of our main aims of this paper is to introduce a concept of rough evaluation structure for representing inconsistent preference relation. We apply rough set theory to the evaluation structure, and develop a method for generating simple rules for inconsistent preference relations. In this paper, we introduce concepts of totally ordered information system, similarity class of preference relation, upper and lower approximation of preference relations. We also show the properties of rough evaluation structure and provide a simple example. As an application of rough evaluation structure, we analyze questionnaire survey of customer preferences about audio players.

Drug allergy in hospitalized patients: the contribution of allergy consultation and a structured questionnaire.

PubMed

Confino-Cohen, Ronit; Leader, Avi; Klein, Noa; Pereg, David; Khoury, Shafik; Perl, Leor; Goldberg, Arnon

2012-01-01

Hospitalized patients with an alleged history of drug allergy pose medical and economic concerns when selecting medications for treatment, possibly leading to deviations from standards of care and the use of expensive agents. Accurate history taking and clear documentation of drug allergy are essential for preventing subsequent administration of the offending drug and overdiagnosis of drug allergy. We aimed to evaluate drug allergy-related history taking by internists compared to allergists and to prospectively assess the effect of a simple, structured questionnaire on the accuracy of drug allergy diagnosis. Consenting patients with an alleged drug allergy who were able to give a coherent history were recruited from two internal medicine wards. In both wards, the internists' drug allergy diagnosis was initially compared to that of the allergists. In the second part, in the intervention ward, after the same procedure, the internists completed the structured questionnaire. Their diagnostic conclusions with and without the questionnaire were compared. 202 patients labeled with a medication allergy were enrolled. In the control and intervention wards, 54 and 58% of the patients, respectively, labeled by the internists as allergic, were found not to be allergic by the allergist. In the intervention ward, after using the questionnaire, the percentage of patients tagged by the internists as allergic dropped initially by 31% and finally by 59%. Discrepancies between drug allergy diagnosis of internists and allergists are common. Allergist consultation or use of a simple structured questionnaire may be beneficial for accurate diagnosis of drug allergies. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Metrically adjusted questionnaires can provide more information for scientists- an example from the tourism.

PubMed

Sindik, Joško; Miljanović, Maja

2017-03-01

The article deals with the issue of research methodology, illustrating the use of known research methods for new purposes. Questionnaires that originally do not have metric characteristics can be called »handy questionnaires«. In this article, the author is trying to consider the possibilities of their improved scientific usability, which can be primarily ensured by improving their metric characteristics, consequently using multivariate instead of univariate statistical methods. In order to establish the base for the application of multivariate statistical procedures, the main idea is to develop strategies to design measurement instruments from parts of the handy questionnaires. This can be accomplished in two ways: before deciding upon the methods for data collection (redesigning the handy questionnaires) and before the collection of the data (a priori) or after the data has been collected, without modifying the questionnaire (a posteriori). The basic principles of applying these two strategies of the metrical adaptation of handy questionnaires are described.

Pathology of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences based on Weisbord six box model and its relation with mental health

PubMed Central

Karimian, Jahangir; Taheri, Behjat; Sadeghpour, Masoumeh; Sadeghpour, Akram

2015-01-01

Background: The aim of this research was to study the pathology of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences based on Weisbord six box model and to find its relation with mental health. Materials and Methods: The research method followed was a descriptive survey. The statistical society consisted of all staffs of the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences consisting of professors in the year 2012 (personnel of deputy of treatment, deputy of training, cultural-student deputy, supporting deputy, deputy of food and drugs, health deputy, and deputy of research). The number of subjects in the mentioned society was 1647, sample size was 332 Based on Cochrane's formula. They were selected by random sampling method in proportion with the statistical society. The measurement instruments included organizational pathology questionnaire (ODQ) with 35 questions and the questionnaire of mental health standard [General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)] with 28 questions. The validity of the questionnaires obtained from reviews by faculties and experts, and the reliability of the questionnaire assessed through Cronbach's coefficient were 0.86, 0.85, and 0.76, respectively. To analyze data, the statistical methods such as single-variance t-test, regression analysis, correlation coefficient, Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, and Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) were used. Findings: The findings of research demonstrated that the organizational damage based on six box model was seen only in the reward component at the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. Mental health of persons in the sample group of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences was in the suitable status. There was a meaningful and positive interrelation between mental health and attitude toward the organizational damages in the dimensions of communications, useful merchandises, and attitude to change. However, no meaningful interrelation was seen between aims, structure, leadership, and reward and mental health. There was no meaningful difference between the averages of staffs’ attitude about their mental health per the demographic properties. Conclusions: The results show that there was a meaningful and positive interrelation between mental health and attitude toward the organizational damages in the dimensions of communications, useful merchandises, and attitude to change. Therefore, managers should focus on all parts of the organization and the pathology strengths and weaknesses in these areas. PMID:27462622

A structured review of health utility measures and elicitation in advanced/metastatic breast cancer.

PubMed

Hao, Yanni; Wolfram, Verena; Cook, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Health utilities are increasingly incorporated in health economic evaluations. Different elicitation methods, direct and indirect, have been established in the past. This study examined the evidence on health utility elicitation previously reported in advanced/metastatic breast cancer and aimed to link these results to requirements of reimbursement bodies. Searches were conducted using a detailed search strategy across several electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and EconLit databases), online sources (Cost-effectiveness Analysis Registry and the Health Economics Research Center), and web sites of health technology assessment (HTA) bodies. Publications were selected based on the search strategy and the overall study objectives. A total of 768 publications were identified in the searches, and 26 publications, comprising 18 journal articles and eight submissions to HTA bodies, were included in the evidence review. Most journal articles derived utilities from the European Quality of Life Five-Dimensions questionnaire (EQ-5D). Other utility measures, such as the direct methods standard gamble (SG), time trade-off (TTO), and visual analog scale (VAS), were less frequently used. Several studies described mapping algorithms to generate utilities from disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) instruments such as European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire - Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30), European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire - Breast Cancer 23 (EORTC QLQ-BR23), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - General questionnaire (FACT-G), and Utility-Based Questionnaire-Cancer (UBQ-C); most used EQ-5D as the reference. Sociodemographic factors that affect health utilities, such as age, sex, income, and education, as well as disease progression, choice of utility elicitation method, and country settings, were identified within the journal articles. Most submissions to HTA bodies obtained utility values from the literature rather than exploring the HRQOL data obtained during clinical development. This was critiqued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). Furthermore, the impact of age on utilities was highlighted by NICE and it was suggested that an age match of the study population should be attempted. Health utilities are recorded across the globe to varying extents and using differing elicitation methods. Manufacturers seeking reimbursement need to be aware of the country-specific requirements for elicitation of health utilities.

Factor Analysis of the Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Posserud, Britt; Lundervold, Astri J.; Steijnen, Maaike C.; Verhoeven, Sophie; Stormark, Kjell Morten; Gillberg, Christopher

2008-01-01

The present study investigated the factor structure of parent and teacher Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) in a population of 7-9 years old children. For validation purposes, factors derived were correlated with results on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). A three-factor solution was identified on both parent and…

Developing and Validating a Metacognitive Writing Questionnaire for EFL Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farahian, Majid

2017-01-01

In an attempt to develop a metacognitive writing questionnaire, Farahian (2015) conducted a study which was based on the results obtained from a semi-structured interview (Maftoon, Birjandi & Farahian, 2014). After running various exploratory factor analyses (EFA) to validate the questionnaire two general scales of knowledge and regulation of…

Beliefs and Attitudes of Primary School Teachers in Mumbai, India towards Children Who Stutter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pachigar, Vinati; Stansfield, Jois; Goldbart, Juliet

2011-01-01

Beliefs and attitudes of teachers in Mumbai, India, towards children who stutter were investigated using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Questionnaires were completed by 58 teachers, four of whom were subsequently interviewed. Results from the questionnaires showed that teachers believed that a child's environment influenced…

Development and Preliminary Psychometrics of the Exercise Therapy Burden Questionnaire for Patients With Chronic Conditions.

PubMed

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.

Reliability and Validity of the Turkish Adaptation of VITACORA-19 in Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis

PubMed Central

ULUS, Yasemin; TERZİ, Yüksel; ZAHİROĞLU, Yeliz; KESMEN, Hakan; FARİSOĞULLARI, Bayram; AKYOL, Yeşim; BİLGİCİ, Ayhan; KURU, Ömer

2016-01-01

Objectives This study aims to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Turkish language version of VITACORA-19 (psoriatic arthritis quality of life questionnaire) in patients with psoriatic arthritis. Patients and methods The Turkish version of VITACORA-19 questionnaire was obtained after a translation and back translation process. The study sample included 61 PsA patients (22 males, 39 females; mean age 46.5±12.2 years; range 19 to 71 years). To assess the test-retest reliability of the Turkish VITACORA-19, the questionnaire was reapplied 10 to 15 days after the first interview (interclass correlation coefficient). Cronbach’s alpha (a) was used to evaluate the internal consistency. VITACORA-19 was compared with visual analog scale for physician and patient global assessments, the Health Assessment Questionnaire, and Nottingham Health Profile for construct validity. The internal structure of VITACORA-19 was examined by factor analysis. Results The individual item intraclass correlation coefficient ranged from 0.77 to 0.98 and Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.77 to 0.98. The Cronbach's alpha value for whole scale was determined as 0.96. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy was 0.90, and Bartlett's test of sphericity had a p<0.001. Turkish VITACORA-19 total scores were correlated negatively with Health Assessment Questionnaire, visual analog scale for pain, and Nottingham Health Profile subgroups, and positively with physician and patient global assessments (p<0.01). Conclusion Turkish version of VITACORA-19 questionnaire is a reliable and valid measure for health-related quality of life in Turkish patients with psoriatic arthritis. PMID:29900999

Meta-generalis: A novel method for structuring information from radiology reports.

PubMed

Barbosa, Flavio; Traina, Agma Jucci; Muglia, Valdair Francisco

2016-08-24

A structured report for imaging exams aims at increasing the precision in information retrieval and communication between physicians. However, it is more concise than free text and may limit specialists' descriptions of important findings not covered by pre-defined structures. A computational ontological structure derived from free texts designed by specialists may be a solution for this problem. Therefore, the goal of our study was to develop a methodology for structuring information in radiology reports covering specifications required for the Brazilian Portuguese language, including the terminology to be used. We gathered 1,701 radiological reports of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of the lumbosacral spine from three different institutions. Techniques of text mining and ontological conceptualization of lexical units extracted were used to structure information. Ten radiologists, specialists in lumbosacral MRI, evaluated the textual superstructure and terminology extracted using an electronic questionnaire. The established methodology consists of six steps: 1) collection of radiology reports of a specific MRI examination; 2) textual decomposition; 3) normalization of lexical units; 4) identification of textual superstructures; 5) conceptualization of candidate-terms; and 6) evaluation of superstructures and extracted terminology by experts using an electronic questionnaire. Three different textual superstructures were identified, with terminological variations in the names of their textual categories. The number of candidate-terms conceptualized was 4,183, yielding 727 concepts. There were a total of 13,963 relationships between candidate-terms and concepts and 789 relationships among concepts. The proposed methodology allowed structuring information in a more intuitive and practical way. Indications of three textual superstructures, extraction of lexicon units and the normalization and ontologically conceptualization were achieved while maintaining references to their respective categories and free text radiology reports.

Final year MBBS students' perception for observed structured clinical examination.

PubMed

Siddiqui, Faisal Ghani

2013-01-01

To determine perceptions of final year students about observed structured clinical examination (OSCE) and to determine its acceptance among these students. Sequential mixed method design using survey questionnair and in-depth interviews. The study constituted a one-time survey and in-depth interviews conducted over a period of three consecutive days during final year MBBS annual examination at OSCE centre, from April 04, 2010 to April 06, 2010. Three hundred and fifty final year MBBS students, selected through non-probability convenience sampling, were asked to fill the 12-item questionnaire. Three hundred and thirty one students returned the forms. In-depth, structured interviews with 22 students, selected by non-probability purposive sampling, were conducted. The interviews were tape recorded for subsequent transcription. The statistical analysis was done using SPSS 17. The qualitative data was analyzed through content analysis techniques. Three hundred and thirty one final year MBBS students (50.6% females) filled the questionnaire (response rate 94.6%). Fifty three percent respondents agreed that the OSCE tasks were taught during clinical rotations. The experience was stressful for 67.9% respondents. Inadequate prior guidelines, inadequate time for stations, newness of the assessment format and vague instructions were the main causes for stress. Over 70% of the students felt that OSCE helped them identify areas of weakness in their practical and clinical skills; 56.5% felt that the stations dealt with practical skills. Seventy nine percent students were happy with the attitude of the examiners while 19% students felt that the facilitators were uncooperative; failure of the examiners to observe the students during performance of the tasks was the major cause for dissatisfaction. Nearly thirty percent (29.9%) respondent felt that the stations were difficult to understand. Over forty nine percent (49.7%) complained that adequate guidelines were not given prior to the examination. Overall, 67% students were satisfied with this new method of assessment. The overall acceptance of the students for OSCE was low. Reforms such as redesigning of curriculum and learning objectives, training the faculty in conduct of OSCE, involving more external examiners and establishment of a skill's lab would help improve this assessment tool.

Factors affecting retention of allied health professionals working with people with disability in rural New South Wales, Australia: discrete choice experiment questionnaire development.

PubMed

Gallego, Gisselle; Dew, Angela; Bulkeley, Kim; Veitch, Craig; Lincoln, Michelle; Bundy, Anita; Brentnall, Jennie

2015-04-21

This paper describes the development of a discrete choice experiment (DCE) questionnaire to identify the factors (attributes) that allied health professionals (AHPs) working with people with disability identify as important to encouraging them to remain practising in rural areas. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 97 purposively selected service providers working with people with disability in rural New South Wales, Australia. Focus groups and interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and analysed using a modified grounded theory approach involving thematic analysis and constant comparison. Six attributes that may influence AHPs working with people with disability in rural areas to continue to do so were inductively identified: travel arrangements, work flexibility, professional support, professional development, remuneration, and autonomy of practice. The qualitative research information was combined with a policy review to define these retention factors and ensure that they are amenable to policy changes. The use of various qualitative research methods allowed the development of a policy-relevant DCE questionnaire that was grounded in the experience of the target population (AHPs).

Development and testing of the questionnaire CEC-61: Knowledge about cervical cancer in Chilean adolescents.

PubMed

Urrutia, María Teresa; Gajardo, Macarena; Padilla, Oslando

2017-05-22

Despite a clear association between human papillomavirus and cervical cancer, knowledge in adolescent populations regarding the disease and methods for its detection and prevention is deficient. The aim of this study was to develop and test a new questionnaire concerning knowledge on cervical cancer. An instrument was developed and validated to measure knowledge in 226 Chilean adolescents between April and June 2011. Content validity, construct validity, and reliability analysis of the instrument were performed. The new, validated instrument, called CEC-61 (Conocimientos en Cancer Cérvicouterino-61 items/Knowledge in Cervical Cancer-61 items), contains nine factors and 61 items. The new questionnaire explained 81% of the variance with a reliability of 0.96. The assessment of knowledge with a valid and reliable instrument is the first step in creating interventions for a population and to encourage appropriate preventive behavior. CEC-61 is highly reliable and has a clear factorial structure to evaluate knowledge in nine domains related to cervical cancer disease, cervical cancer risk, papilloma virus infection, the Papanicolaou test, and the papilloma virus vaccine.

Validation of the revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire in experimental sessions with psilocybin.

PubMed

Barrett, Frederick S; Johnson, Matthew W; Griffiths, Roland R

2015-11-01

The 30-item revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ30) was previously developed within an online survey of mystical-type experiences occasioned by psilocybin-containing mushrooms. The rated experiences occurred on average eight years before completion of the questionnaire. The current paper validates the MEQ30 using data from experimental studies with controlled doses of psilocybin. Data were pooled and analyzed from five laboratory experiments in which participants (n=184) received a moderate to high oral dose of psilocybin (at least 20 mg/70 kg). Results of confirmatory factor analysis demonstrate the reliability and internal validity of the MEQ30. Structural equation models demonstrate the external and convergent validity of the MEQ30 by showing that latent variable scores on the MEQ30 positively predict persisting change in attitudes, behavior, and well-being attributed to experiences with psilocybin while controlling for the contribution of the participant-rated intensity of drug effects. These findings support the use of the MEQ30 as an efficient measure of individual mystical experiences. A method to score a "complete mystical experience" that was used in previous versions of the mystical experience questionnaire is validated in the MEQ30, and a stand-alone version of the MEQ30 is provided for use in future research. © The Author(s) 2015.

Validation of the revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire in experimental sessions with psilocybin

PubMed Central

Barrett, Frederick S; Johnson, Matthew W; Griffiths, Roland R

2016-01-01

The 30-item revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ30) was previously developed within an online survey of mystical-type experiences occasioned by psilocybin-containing mushrooms. The rated experiences occurred on average eight years before completion of the questionnaire. The current paper validates the MEQ30 using data from experimental studies with controlled doses of psilocybin. Data were pooled and analyzed from five laboratory experiments in which participants (n=184) received a moderate to high oral dose of psilocybin (at least 20 mg/70 kg). Results of confirmatory factor analysis demonstrate the reliability and internal validity of the MEQ30. Structural equation models demonstrate the external and convergent validity of the MEQ30 by showing that latent variable scores on the MEQ30 positively predict persisting change in attitudes, behavior, and well-being attributed to experiences with psilocybin while controlling for the contribution of the participant-rated intensity of drug effects. These findings support the use of the MEQ30 as an efficient measure of individual mystical experiences. A method to score a “complete mystical experience” that was used in previous versions of the mystical experience questionnaire is validated in the MEQ30, and a stand-alone version of the MEQ30 is provided for use in future research. PMID:26442957

[Factor structure of symptoms in the Kraków Depression inventory (KID) IO "C1"].

PubMed

Modrzejewska, Renata; Bomba, Jacek; Beauvale, Andrzej

2010-01-01

The aim of this article is partial empirical verification of the depression image theoretical concept underlying the KID IO"C1" construction, and also, a check of the questionnaire's factor relevancy. KID results of a study of an untreated population sample of 17-year-olds were analysed statistically. Out of 1823 questionnaires, 1349 were included in the analysis (560 filled in by boys and 789 girls by girls). Of these, 499 respondents received a screening diagnosis of depression. 474 sheets were rejected at random to standardise the distribution of the overall scale results. In search of the presence of a general factor and to verify the legitimacy of the division of depressive symptoms according to the clinical criterion, factor analyses were conducted using the principal components method with oblimin, quatrimax and varimax rotations separately and jointly for both sexes. The following new factors were identified: I--pessimism, II--mood instability, III--difficulty in learning, IV--self-destruction, V--fear of the future, VI--eating problems. The analyses conducted only partially confirm the validity ofa clinical-picture based questionnaire. A non-compliance of a number of factors with the assumed questionnaire scales emerges. A non-uniform symptomatic depression image in late adolescence phase is confirmed. Two factors stand out decidedly: self-destructive behaviours and eating problems.

Application of the Smokeless Tobacco Expectancies Questionnaire to Snus

PubMed Central

Adkison, Sarah E.; Bansal-Travers, Maansi; Rees, Vaughan W.; Hatuskami, Dorothy K.; Cummings, K. Michael; O'Connor, Richard J.

2016-01-01

Objective Measures of consumer perceptions of emerging tobacco products are needed for understanding the potential for product adoption and use. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the applicability of the Smokeless Tobacco Expectancies questionnaire to snus, and examine its association with interest in using snus. Methods A web-based recruited 116 adolescents (14-17 years of age), 463 young adults (18-34 years of age), and 596 older adults (35-65 years of age) from a web-based opt-in panel. Participants completed a 10-item Snus Expectancies Questionnaire and questions about their interest in trying snus in the next month. Results Confirmatory factor analysis supported a latent factor structure representing Positive Reinforcement (PR) and Negative Health Consequences (NHC) within each age group. The scales differentiate smokers and smokeless tobacco users and nonusers. Each scale was associated with interest in purchasing snus for younger (PR: OR 1.90; NHC: OR 0.66) and older (PR: OR 1.36; NHC: OR 0.69) adults controlling for tobacco use status. Conclusions The modified Smokeless Tobacco Expectancies Questionnaire is a valid measure of snus-related outcome expectancies, which are in turn associated with self-reported tobacco use, and may help to identify groups who are susceptible to snus initiation and use. PMID:27561868

Development and psychometric evaluation of a new instrument to assess nutritional perceptions and behaviors of diabetic men.

PubMed

Zamani-Alavijeh, Fereshteh; Araban, Marzieh; Mohammadi, Vida; Goodarzi, Fataneh

2017-12-01

It is obvious that unhealthy nutritional behaviors have caused the increasing incidence of diabetes. This study aimed to design the Measure of Nutritional Perceptions and Behaviors in diabetic men and to evaluate its psychometric properties. A questionnaire was developed within 7 factors. Three methods of face validity, content validity, and construct validity were employed to ensure the validity of the scale. 206 men with diabetes completed the questionnaires. Internal was used to evaluate the reliability of the scale. The mean age of men was 58.26 (9.74) years. Results showed that each item in the final questionnaire was highly correlated with the total score of each dimension P<0.05. Moreover, factor analysis led to the extraction of 36 items with acceptable factor loadings in the range of 0.41 to 0.84, which could account for 51% of the total variance. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient equal to 0.83 was obtained for the whole scale. The reliability and validity of diabetic men's beliefs about healthy nutritional behaviors were desired and the overall structure of the questions was confirmed. This questionnaire can be used to identify individuals at risk for unhealthy nutritional behaviors and also to conduct and evaluate the impact of educational interventions. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Development and Validation of a Questionnaire on Breastfeeding Intentions, Attitudes and Knowledge of a Sample of Croatian Secondary-School Students

PubMed Central

Marković, Martina; Grgurić, Josip

2018-01-01

Background: Validating a questionnaire/instrument before proceeding to the field for data collection is important. Methods: 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). Results: 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. Conclusions: 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. PMID:29702616

The heritability of avoidant and dependent personality disorder assessed by personal interview and questionnaire.

PubMed

Gjerde, L C; Czajkowski, N; Røysamb, E; Orstavik, R E; Knudsen, G P; Ostby, K; Torgersen, S; Myers, J; Kendler, K S; Reichborn-Kjennerud, T

2012-12-01

Personality disorders (PDs) have been shown to be modestly heritable. Accurate heritability estimates are, however, dependent on reliable measurement methods, as measurement error deflates heritability. The aim of this study was to estimate the heritability of DSM-IV avoidant and dependent personality disorder, by including two measures of the PDs at two time points. Data were obtained from a population-based cohort of young adult Norwegian twins, of whom 8045 had completed a self-report questionnaire assessing PD traits. 2794 of these twins subsequently underwent a structured diagnostic interview for DSM-IV PDs. Questionnaire items predicting interview results were selected by multiple regression, and measurement models of the PDs were fitted in Mx. The heritabilities of the PD factors were 0.64 for avoidant PD and 0.66 for dependent PD. No evidence of common environment, that is, environmental factors that are shared between twins and make them similar, was found. Genetic and environmental contributions to avoidant and dependent PD seemed to be the same across sexes. The combination of both a questionnaire- and an interview assessment of avoidant and dependent PD results in substantially higher heritabilities than previously found using single-occasion interviews only. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Development and Validation Study of the Internet Overuse Screening Questionnaire

PubMed Central

Lee, Han-Kyeong; Lee, Hae-Woo; Han, Joo Hyun; Park, Subin; Ju, Seok-Jin; Choi, Kwanwoo; Lee, Ji Hyeon; Jeon, Hong Jin

2018-01-01

Objective Concerns over behavioral and emotional problems caused by excessive internet usage have been developed. This study intended to develop and a standardize questionnaire that can efficiently identify at-risk internet users through their internet usage habits. Methods Participants (n=158) were recruited at six I-will-centers located in Seoul, South Korea. From the initial 36 questionnaire item pool, 28 preliminary items were selected through expert evaluation and panel discussions. The construct validity, internal consistency, and concurrent validity were examined. We also conducted Receiver Operating Curve (ROC) analysis to assess diagnostic ability of the Internet Overuse Screening-Questionnaire (IOS-Q). Results The exploratory factor analysis yielded a five factor structure. Four factors with 17 items remained after items that had unclear factor loading were removed. The Cronbach’s alpha for the IOS-Q total score was 0.91, and test-retest reliability was 0.72. The correlation between Young’s internet addiction scale and K-scale supported concurrent validity. ROC analysis showed that the IOS-Q has superior diagnostic ability with the Area Under the Curve of 0.87. At the cut-off point of 25.5, the sensitivity was 0.93 and specificity was 0.86. Conclusion Overall, this study supports the use of IOS-Q for internet addiction research and for screening high-risk individuals. PMID:29669406

Multiple imputation to account for measurement error in marginal structural models

PubMed Central

Edwards, Jessie K.; Cole, Stephen R.; Westreich, Daniel; Crane, Heidi; Eron, Joseph J.; Mathews, W. Christopher; Moore, Richard; Boswell, Stephen L.; Lesko, Catherine R.; Mugavero, Michael J.

2015-01-01

Background Marginal structural models are an important tool for observational studies. These models typically assume that variables are measured without error. We describe a method to account for differential and non-differential measurement error in a marginal structural model. Methods We illustrate the method estimating the joint effects of antiretroviral therapy initiation and current smoking on all-cause mortality in a United States cohort of 12,290 patients with HIV followed for up to 5 years between 1998 and 2011. Smoking status was likely measured with error, but a subset of 3686 patients who reported smoking status on separate questionnaires composed an internal validation subgroup. We compared a standard joint marginal structural model fit using inverse probability weights to a model that also accounted for misclassification of smoking status using multiple imputation. Results In the standard analysis, current smoking was not associated with increased risk of mortality. After accounting for misclassification, current smoking without therapy was associated with increased mortality [hazard ratio (HR): 1.2 (95% CI: 0.6, 2.3)]. The HR for current smoking and therapy (0.4 (95% CI: 0.2, 0.7)) was similar to the HR for no smoking and therapy (0.4; 95% CI: 0.2, 0.6). Conclusions Multiple imputation can be used to account for measurement error in concert with methods for causal inference to strengthen results from observational studies. PMID:26214338

A systematic review and appraisal of methods of developing and validating lifestyle cardiovascular disease risk factors questionnaires.

PubMed

Nse, Odunaiya; Quinette, Louw; Okechukwu, Ogah

2015-09-01

Well developed and validated lifestyle cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors questionnaires is the key to obtaining accurate information to enable planning of CVD prevention program which is a necessity in developing countries. We conducted this review to assess methods and processes used for development and content validation of lifestyle CVD risk factors questionnaires and possibly develop an evidence based guideline for development and content validation of lifestyle CVD risk factors questionnaires. Relevant databases at the Stellenbosch University library were searched for studies conducted between 2008 and 2012, in English language and among humans. Using the following databases; pubmed, cinahl, psyc info and proquest. Search terms used were CVD risk factors, questionnaires, smoking, alcohol, physical activity and diet. Methods identified for development of lifestyle CVD risk factors were; review of literature either systematic or traditional, involvement of expert and /or target population using focus group discussion/interview, clinical experience of authors and deductive reasoning of authors. For validation, methods used were; the involvement of expert panel, the use of target population and factor analysis. Combination of methods produces questionnaires with good content validity and other psychometric properties which we consider good.

Self-Management and Transition Readiness Assessment: Development, Reliability, and Factor Structure of the STARx Questionnaire.

PubMed

Ferris, M; Cohen, S; Haberman, C; Javalkar, K; Massengill, S; Mahan, J D; Kim, S; Bickford, K; Cantu, G; Medeiros, M; Phillips, A; Ferris, M T; Hooper, S R

2015-01-01

The Self-Management and Transition to Adulthood with Rx=Treatment (STARx) Questionnaire was developed to collect information on self-management and health care transition (HCT) skills, via self-report, in a broad population of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with chronic conditions. Over several iterations, the STARx questionnaire was created with AYA, family, and health provider input. The development and pilot testing of the STARx Questionnaire took place with the assistance of 1219 AYAs with different chronic health conditions, in multiple institutions and settings over three phases: item development, pilot testing, reliability and factor structuring. The three development phases resulted in a final version of the STARx Questionnaire. The exploratory factor analysis of the third version of the 18-item STARx identified six factors that accounted for about 65% of the variance: Medication management, Provider communication, Engagement during appointments, Disease knowledge, Adult health responsibilities, and Resource utilization. Reliability estimates revealed good internal consistency and temporal stability, with the alpha coefficient for the overall scale being .80. The STARx was developmentally sensitive, with older patients scoring significantly higher on nearly every factor than younger patients. The STARx Questionnaire is a reliable, self-report tool with adequate internal consistency, temporal stability, and a strong, multidimensional factor structure. It provides another assessment strategy to measure self-management and transition skills in AYAs with chronic conditions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Internet-based and paper-based questionnaires in Taiwan using multisample invariance approach.

PubMed

Yu, Sen-Chi; Yu, Min-Ning

2007-08-01

This study examines whether the Internet-based questionnaire is psychometrically equivalent to the paper-based questionnaire. A random sample of 2,400 teachers in Taiwan was divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group was invited to complete the electronic form of the Chinese version of Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) placed on the Internet, whereas the control group was invited to complete the paper-based CES-D, which they received by mail. The multisample invariance approach, derived from structural equation modeling (SEM), was applied to analyze the collected data. The analytical results show that the two groups have equivalent factor structures in the CES-D. That is, the items in CES-D function equivalently in the two groups. Then the equality of latent mean test was performed. The latent means of "depressed mood," "positive affect," and "interpersonal problems" in CES-D are not significantly different between these two groups. However, the difference in the "somatic symptoms" latent means between these two groups is statistically significant at alpha = 0.01. But the Cohen's d statistics indicates that such differences in latent means do not apparently lead to a meaningful effect size in practice. Both CES-D questionnaires exhibit equal validity, reliability, and factor structures and exhibit a little difference in latent means. Therefore, the Internet-based questionnaire represents a promising alternative to the paper-based questionnaire.

Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance of the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire across the Adult Life Span

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rast, Philippe; Zimprich, Daniel; Van Boxtel, Martin; Jolles, Jellemer

2009-01-01

The Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ) is designed to assess a person's proneness to committing cognitive slips and errors in the completion of everyday tasks. Although the CFQ is a widely used instrument, its factor structure remains an issue of scientific debate. The present study used data of a representative sample (N = 1,303, 24-83 years…

A Validation Study of the Dutch Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form: Factor Structure, Reliability, and Known-Groups Validity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thombs, Brett D.; Bernstein, David P.; Lobbestael, Jill; Arntz, Arnoud

2009-01-01

Objective: The 28-item Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF) has been translated into at least 10 different languages. The validity of translated versions of the CTQ-SF, however, has generally not been examined. The objective of this study was to investigate the factor structure, internal consistency reliability, and known-groups…

The Circumplex Model of the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction among Hong Kong Students: A Multidimensional Scaling Solution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sivan, Atara; Cohen, Arie; Chan, Dennis W.; Kwan, Yee Wan

2017-01-01

The Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) is a teacher--student relationship measure whose underlying two-dimensional structure is represented in a circumplex model with eight sectors. Using Smallest Space Analysis (SSA), this study examined the circumplex structure of the Chinese version of the QTI among a convenience sample of 731…

The Construct Validity of Scores on the Ways of Coping Questionnaire: Confirmatory Analysis of Alternative Factor Structures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Jeffrey R.; O'Neill, Regina M.

1998-01-01

Confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate alternative factor structures, based on previous exploratory factor analyses and coping dimensions derived from the theory of R. Lazarus, for the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (S. Folkman and R. Lazarus, 1988). Results from responses of 654 college graduates provide little support for the factor…

Validation of the Finnish Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) for Clinical Settings and Total Population Screening

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mattila, Marja-Leena; Jussila, Katja; Linna, Sirkka-Liisa; Kielinen, Marko; Bloigu, Risto; Kuusikko-Gauffin, Sanna; Joskitt, Leena; Ebeling, Hanna; Hurtig, Tuula; Moilanen, Irma

2012-01-01

We assessed the validity and determined cut-off scores for the Finnish Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ). A population sample of 8-year-old children (n = 4,408) was rated via the ASSQ by parents and/or teachers, and a subgroup of 104 children was examined via structured interview, semi-structured observation, IQ measurement, school…

[Identification of community leaders].

PubMed

Chevalier, S; Dedobbeleer, N; Tremblay, M

1995-01-01

Although many methods of measuring leadership have been developed in sociological studies, there are few articles on the feasibility of these methods. The goal of this study was to verify the feasibility of the "modified positional-reputational approach" developed by Nix. The study was conducted in a small community located north of Montreal. Nix's questionnaire was translated, adapted and administered to 49 key informants. Two hundred and fourteen leaders were selected. Three types of leaders were identified: the legitimizers, the effectors and the activists. Through a sociometric analysis, we established links between the different leaders and we described the power structure of the community. Despite a few shortcomings, Nix's approach was found extremely useful.

Quality of life and late-effects among childhood brain tumor survivors: a mixed method analysis.

PubMed

Gunn, Mirja Erika; Mört, Susanna; Arola, Mikko; Taskinen, Mervi; Riikonen, Pekka; Möttönen, Merja; Lähteenmäki, Päivi Maria

2016-06-01

Reports on the quality of life (QOL) of childhood brain tumor (BT) survivors have been inconsistent. As cognitive limitations may restrict their participation in questionnaire-based studies, our aim was to evaluate in depth the QOL with a mixed-method analysis. The 5-year survivors of childhood BTs born in 1975-2000 and alive in 2010 were identified via the Finnish Cancer Registry and treating clinics. Twenty-one survivors (32%) participated in a mixed-method analysis including 15D (a general health-related QOL questionnaire), the Beck Depression Inventory, and a qualitative semi-structured interview. Based on the 15D-questionnaire, the BT survivors had an impaired health-related QOL in several dimensions such as speech and usual activities. On the other hand, no difference was found in other dimensions such as distress or vitality. A majority (95%) of the survivors showed no increased risk for depression. The qualitative interview revealed that the most important aspects affecting the QOL of the survivors were positive mental growth, negative conceptions concerning illness, living one day at a time, age at diagnosis, time since diagnosis, social relationships, learning disabilities and limitations in vocational opportunities, limitations in independent life, and changed understanding of the term 'health'. Childhood BT survivors have heterogeneous attitudes on QOL. The survivors assess social aspects to be more important than functionality for their QOL. Social concerns should actively be brought up to offer support for those with significant social difficulties. Interventions for social difficulties should be more actively developed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Behaviors of providers of traditional korean medicine therapy and complementary and alternative medicine therapy for the treatment of cancer patients.

PubMed

Yu, Jun-Sang; Kim, Chun-Bae; Kim, Ki-Kyong; Lee, Ji-Eun; Kim, Min-Young

2015-03-01

In Korea, cancer is one of the most important causes of death. Cancer patients have sought alternative methods, like complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) together with Western medicine, to treat cancer. Also, there are many kinds of providers of CAM therapy, including providers of Korean oriental medicine therapy. The purpose of this study is to identify the behaviors of Korean oriental medicine therapy and CAM therapy providers who treat cancer patients and to provide background knowledge for establishing a new policy with the management and quality control of CAM. Structured and well organized questionnaires were made, and 350 persons were surveyed concerning the providers of CAM or Korean oriental medicine. The questionnaires were collected and analyzed. The questionnaires (182) were collected. The questionnaires identified a total of 73 known providers, such as medicinal professionals or other providers of CAM suppliers, 35.6% of whom had had experience with treating cancer patients (52.6% vs. 29.6%). The treatment methods were a little different: alternative therapy and nutritional therapy being preferred by medicinal professionals and mind body modulation therapy and alternative therapy being preferred by other CAM providers. Four patients (7.4%) experienced side effects, and 6 patients (12.5%) experienced legal problems. As the method for managing the therapy, CAM providers, medicinal professionals, and other CAM providers had different viewpoints. For example, some CAM providers stated that both legislation and an official education on CAM or a national examination were needed as a first step to establish the provider's qualifications and that as a second step, a license test was needed for quality control. To the contrary, medicinal professionals stated that a license test was needed before legislation. Adequate management and quality control of CAM providers is thought to involve both education and legislation.

Validity and Reliability of the Turkish Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire

PubMed Central

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

2018-01-01

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 of chronic pain. PMID:29843496

An Investigation of Joint Service Acquisition Logistics Issues/Problems and Automated Joint Program Support.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-09-01

Management Information System (ALMIS) to address them. Literature was surveyed and problems were summarized and developed into a questionnaire. Structured interviews were then conducted with over 100 different Air Force and civilian upper and middle JSAP managers. Many general and specific problems and issues were identified and validated using statistical and qualitative methods. General use of ALMIS to address certain joint service problem areas was confirmed. Potential use and desirable capabilities for ALMIS were also determined. Recommendations for ALMIS

Does alcohol contribute to accident and emergency department attendance in elderly people?

PubMed Central

van der Pol, V; Rodgers, H; Aitken, P; James, O; Curless, R

1996-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the possible contribution of alcohol to presentation of elderly subjects at a hospital accident and emergency (A&E) department. METHODS: 105 patients aged 70 years and over who attended the department were interviewed by a single observer using a structured questionnaire based on previously validated general population surveys. Details of alcohol consumption within the previous 24 hours were recorded. Usual consumption of alcohol in the preceding 12 months was estimated by the quantity frequency method. Alcohol dependence was screened for by the CAGE questionnaire. An assessment of disability was made using the Barthel index. Breath alcohol was measured. RESULTS: In only 2% of attenders was alcohol thought to be a contributory factor. Breath alcohol measurements were technically unsatisfactory in this age group. Regular drinkers were functionally and socially more independent than non-regular drinkers. Drinking patterns in this age group may partly be determined by the physical ability to obtain alcohol. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol was not found to be a major factor in A&E attendance in elderly people. PMID:8832344

Integration of relational and textual biomedical sources. A pilot experiment using a semi-automated method for logical schema acquisition.

PubMed

García-Remesal, M; Maojo, V; Billhardt, H; Crespo, J

2010-01-01

Bringing together structured and text-based sources is an exciting challenge for biomedical informaticians, since most relevant biomedical sources belong to one of these categories. In this paper we evaluate the feasibility of integrating relational and text-based biomedical sources using: i) an original logical schema acquisition method for textual databases developed by the authors, and ii) OntoFusion, a system originally designed by the authors for the integration of relational sources. We conducted an integration experiment involving a test set of seven differently structured sources covering the domain of genetic diseases. We used our logical schema acquisition method to generate schemas for all textual sources. The sources were integrated using the methods and tools provided by OntoFusion. The integration was validated using a test set of 500 queries. A panel of experts answered a questionnaire to evaluate i) the quality of the extracted schemas, ii) the query processing performance of the integrated set of sources, and iii) the relevance of the retrieved results. The results of the survey show that our method extracts coherent and representative logical schemas. Experts' feedback on the performance of the integrated system and the relevance of the retrieved results was also positive. Regarding the validation of the integration, the system successfully provided correct results for all queries in the test set. The results of the experiment suggest that text-based sources including a logical schema can be regarded as equivalent to structured databases. Using our method, previous research and existing tools designed for the integration of structured databases can be reused - possibly subject to minor modifications - to integrate differently structured sources.

Exploratory Item Classification Via Spectral Graph Clustering

PubMed Central

Chen, Yunxiao; Li, Xiaoou; Liu, Jingchen; Xu, Gongjun; Ying, Zhiliang

2017-01-01

Large-scale assessments are supported by a large item pool. An important task in test development is to assign items into scales that measure different characteristics of individuals, and a popular approach is cluster analysis of items. Classical methods in cluster analysis, such as the hierarchical clustering, K-means method, and latent-class analysis, often induce a high computational overhead and have difficulty handling missing data, especially in the presence of high-dimensional responses. In this article, the authors propose a spectral clustering algorithm for exploratory item cluster analysis. The method is computationally efficient, effective for data with missing or incomplete responses, easy to implement, and often outperforms traditional clustering algorithms in the context of high dimensionality. The spectral clustering algorithm is based on graph theory, a branch of mathematics that studies the properties of graphs. The algorithm first constructs a graph of items, characterizing the similarity structure among items. It then extracts item clusters based on the graphical structure, grouping similar items together. The proposed method is evaluated through simulations and an application to the revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. PMID:29033476

Convergence of Scores on the Interview and Questionnaire Versions of the Eating Disorder Examination: A Meta-Analytic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berg, Kelly C.; Peterson, Carol B.; Frazier, Patricia; Crow, Scott J.

2011-01-01

Significant discrepancies have been found between interview- and questionnaire-based assessments of psychopathology; however, these studies have typically compared instruments with unmatched item content. The Eating Disorder Examination (EDE), a structured interview, and the questionnaire version of the EDE (EDE-Q) are considered the preeminent…

Validation of the Repetitive Behaviour Questionnaire for Use with Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Honey, Emma; McConachie, Helen; Turner, Michelle; Rodgers, Jacqui

2012-01-01

The repetitive behaviour questionnaire (RBQ) (Turner, 1995) is one of the three most commonly used interview/questionnaire measures of repetitive behaviour (Honey et al., in preparation). Despite this there is a scarcity of information concerning its structure, reliability and validity. The psychometric properties of the RBQ were examined when…

Development and validation of a nutrition knowledge questionnaire for a Canadian population.

PubMed

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

2017-05-01

The present study aimed to develop and validate a nutrition knowledge questionnaire in a sample of French Canadians from the province of Quebec, taking into account dietary guidelines. A thirty-eight-item questionnaire was developed by the research team and evaluated for content validity by an expert panel, and then administered to respondents. Face validity and construct validity were measured in a pre-test. Exploratory factor analysis and covariance structure analysis were performed to verify the structure of the questionnaire and identify problematic items. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were evaluated through a validation study. Online survey. Six nutrition and psychology experts, fifteen registered dietitians (RD) and 180 lay people participated. Content validity evaluation resulted in the removal of two items and reformulation of one item. Following face validity, one item was reformulated. Construct validity was found to be adequate, with higher scores for RD v. non-RD (21·5 (sd 2·1) v. 15·7 (sd 3·0) out of 24, P<0·001). Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the questionnaire contained only one factor. Covariance structure analysis led to removal of sixteen items. Internal consistency for the overall questionnaire was adequate (Cronbach's α=0·73). Assessment of test-retest reliability resulted in significant associations for the total knowledge score (r=0·59, P<0·001). This nutrition knowledge questionnaire was found to be a suitable instrument which can be used to measure levels of nutrition knowledge in a Canadian population. It could also serve as a model for the development of similar instruments in other populations.

[A cross-sectional survey on personality disorder in mental disorder outpatients in Shanghai].

PubMed

Zhang, Tian-Hong; Xiao, Ze-Ping; Wang, Lan-Lan; Dai, Yun-Fei; Zhang, Hai-Yin; Qiu, Jian-Yin; Tao, Ming-Yi; Wang, Zhen; Wang, Xiao; Yu, Jun-Han; Wu, Yan-Ru; Jiang, Wen-Hui

2010-08-01

To study the prevalence and risk factors for personality disorder (PD) outpatients attending in for psychiatric and psychological counseling in Shanghai. 3075 subjects were sampled by systematic sampling method from outpatients in psycho-counseling clinics and psychiatric clinics in Shanghai Mental Health Center. Based on DSM-IV criteria, personality disorders were assessed by both questionnaires (personality diagnostic questionnaire, PDQ-4+) and interviews (structured clinical interview for DSM-IV Axis II, SCID-II). Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the significant independent contributor to PD. 71.3% of the outpatients were found having pathological personality by using questionnaire of self rating PD scale. 982 outpatients (31.9%) met criteria for at least one personality disorder by using structured clinical interview. Younger age (OR = 1.8, 95%CI: 1.5 - 2.1), single or divorced (OR = 1.6, 95%CI: 1.4 - 1.9), psychological counseling outpatients (OR = 1.2, 95%CI: 1.1 - 1.3), mood and outpatients with neurosis disorders (OR = 1.7, 95%CI: 1.4 - 2.0) were more frequently assigned as personality disorders. Data from logistic regression analysis showed that patients of tender age, not nurtured and raised by their parents, with introvert characters were related risk factors of PD. High prevalence rate of PD was found in this sample of Chinese outpatients, especially in those psychological counseling outpatients with mood or neurosis disorders. More attention should be paid to the recognition and intervention of PD in outpatients with mental disorders.

[Development, factor-analytical control and psychometric evaluation of a questionnaire on specialty choices among medical students].

PubMed

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.

Using the Evaluative Linguistic Framework for Questionnaires to Assess Comprehensibility of Self-Report Health Questionnaires.

PubMed

Clerehan, Rosemary; Guillemin, Francis; Epstein, Jonathan; Buchbinder, Rachelle

2016-06-01

The Evaluative Linguistic Framework (ELF) was developed to judge the quality of health care texts for patients, based on systemic functional linguistic theory. This approach considers key variables such as context and structure, known to be important for communication. Our objective was to adapt the ELF to evaluate the quality of self-report questionnaires. We reviewed the Health Literacy Questionnaire using the ELF. On the basis of these data, we drafted the preliminary version of the Evaluative Linguistic Framework for Questionnaires (ELF-Q) and applied it to English- and French-language versions of two arthritis self-report questionnaires and to Spanish, Dutch, and Turkish versions of an arthritis questionnaire. The developed ELF-Q was found to be effective for evaluating questionnaires in English and in four other languages. It contains nine items with new descriptions and assessment probes. These include overall organizational or generic structure of the questionnaire, metadiscourse (or text about the text), headings, rhetorical elements (function of each "move" or stage of the text in relation to the reader), the writer-reader relationship, technicality of vocabulary, lexical density (proportion of content words in the text), format, and overall judgment. We added assessment responses on a two- or three-point Likert scale to complement the assessment probes and make the intent and meaning of the probes fully explicit for the questionnaire developer or assessor. The ELF-Q is a framework practical to use for the development or assessment of any type of self-report questionnaire. Its application can identify features of a self-report questionnaire that could be improved to optimize its comprehensibility. Copyright © 2016 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Institutional authorisation and accreditation of Transfusion Services and Blood Donation Sites: results of a national survey

PubMed Central

Liumbruno, Giancarlo Maria; Panetta, Valentina; Bonini, Rosaria; Chianese, Rosa; Fiorin, Francesco; Lupi, Maria Antonietta; Tomasini, Ivana; Grazzini, Giuliano

2011-01-01

Introduction The aim of the survey described in this article was to determine decisional and strategic factors useful for redefining minimum structural, technological and organisational requisites for transfusion structures, as well as for the production of guidelines for accreditation of transfusion structures by the National Blood Centre. Materials and methods A structured questionnaire containing 65 questions was sent to all Transfusion Services in Italy. The questions covered: management of the quality system, accreditation, conformity with professional standards, structural and technological requisites, as well as potential to supply transfusion medicine-related health care services. All the questionnaires returned underwent statistical analysis. Results Replies were received from 64.7% of the Transfusion Services. Thirty-nine percent of these had an ISO 9001 certificate, with marked differences according to geographical location; location-related differences were also present for responses to other questions and were confirmed by multivariate statistical analysis. Over half of the Transfusion Services (53.6%) had blood donation sites run by donor associations. The statistical analysis revealed only one statistically significant difference between these donation sites: those connected to certified Transfusion Services were more likely themselves to have ISO 9001 certification than those connected to services who did not have such certification. Conclusions The data collected in this survey are representative of the Italian national transfusion system. A re-definition of the authorisation and accreditation requisites for transfusion activities must take into account European and national legislation when determining these requisites in order to facilitate their effective applicability, promote their efficient fulfilment and enhance the development of homogeneous and transparent quality systems. PMID:21839026

The psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II.

PubMed

Sun, Ning; Li, Qiu-Jie; Lv, Dong-Mei; Lu, Gui-Zhi; Lin, Ping; An, Xue-Mei

2014-10-01

The present study was conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of a newly adapted Chinese version of an instrument designed to measure structural empowerment among staff nurses. Structural empowerment has been shown to be important to nurses in Western cultures, but its importance in China is unknown. A convenience sample of 650 staff nurses was selected from six hospitals in Harbin, China. After linguistic adaptation using the forward-backward translation method, the 19-item Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II (CWEQ-II-CV) was answered by participants. Content validity, Cronbach's alpha, item-to-total correlation and exploratory factor analysis were used to assess the reliability and validity of the translated instrument. In the factor analysis, a six-factor solution was found to be reasonable with the sub-dimensions of structural empowerment that included support (three items), resources (three items), information (three items), opportunity (three items), formal power (three items) and informal power (four items). Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the total instrument was 0.92 and ranged from 0.68 to 0.86 in the six subscales. The item-to-total correlation coefficients ranged from 0.48 to 0.80. The findings also gave support for content validity. Evidence was found to support the reliability and validity of the CWEQ-II-CV scale that measures the quality of the work environment for nurses from a structural empowerment perspective. The translated version of CWEQ-II-CV can provide an effective evaluation tool for structural empowerment in the Chinese nursing workplace. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Structure of Conscious Bodily Self-Perception during Full-Body Illusions

PubMed Central

Dobricki, Martin; de la Rosa, Stephan

2013-01-01

Previous research suggests that bodily self-identification, bodily self-localization, agency, and the sense of being present in space are critical aspects of conscious full-body self-perception. However, none of the existing studies have investigated the relationship of these aspects to each other, i.e., whether they can be identified to be distinguishable components of the structure of conscious full-body self-perception. Therefore, the objective of the present investigation is to elucidate the structure of conscious full-body self-perception. We performed two studies in which we stroked the back of healthy individuals for three minutes while they watched the back of a distant virtual body being synchronously stroked with a virtual stick. After visuo-tactile stimulation, participants assessed changes in their bodily self-perception with a custom made self-report questionnaire. In the first study, we investigated the structure of conscious full-body self-perception by analyzing the responses to the questionnaire by means of multidimensional scaling combined with cluster analysis. In the second study, we then extended the questionnaire and validated the stability of the structure of conscious full-body self-perception found in the first study within a larger sample of individuals by performing a principle components analysis of the questionnaire responses. The results of the two studies converge in suggesting that the structure of conscious full-body self-perception consists of the following three distinct components: bodily self-identification, space-related self-perception (spatial presence), and agency. PMID:24376765

The structure of conscious bodily self-perception during full-body illusions.

PubMed

Dobricki, Martin; de la Rosa, Stephan

2013-01-01

Previous research suggests that bodily self-identification, bodily self-localization, agency, and the sense of being present in space are critical aspects of conscious full-body self-perception. However, none of the existing studies have investigated the relationship of these aspects to each other, i.e., whether they can be identified to be distinguishable components of the structure of conscious full-body self-perception. Therefore, the objective of the present investigation is to elucidate the structure of conscious full-body self-perception. We performed two studies in which we stroked the back of healthy individuals for three minutes while they watched the back of a distant virtual body being synchronously stroked with a virtual stick. After visuo-tactile stimulation, participants assessed changes in their bodily self-perception with a custom made self-report questionnaire. In the first study, we investigated the structure of conscious full-body self-perception by analyzing the responses to the questionnaire by means of multidimensional scaling combined with cluster analysis. In the second study, we then extended the questionnaire and validated the stability of the structure of conscious full-body self-perception found in the first study within a larger sample of individuals by performing a principle components analysis of the questionnaire responses. The results of the two studies converge in suggesting that the structure of conscious full-body self-perception consists of the following three distinct components: bodily self-identification, space-related self-perception (spatial presence), and agency.

Evaluation of a validated food frequency questionnaire for self-defined vegans in the United States.

PubMed

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 < 0.001) for all analyzed nutrients except calcium. Estimates, ranks, trends and higher-level participant percentile placements for Vitamin B12 were similar with both methods. Questionnaire intakes were higher than recalls for most other nutrients. Both methods demonstrated similar trends in DRI adequacy assessment (e.g., significantly inadequate vitamin D intake among vegans). This vegan-specific questionnaire can be a useful assessment tool for health screening initiatives in U.S. vegan communities.

An evaluation system for financial compensation in traditional Chinese medicine services.

PubMed

Dou, Lei; Yin, Ai-Tian; Hao, Mo; Lu, Jun

2015-10-01

To describe the major factors influencing financial compensation in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and prioritize what TCM services should be compensated for. Two structured questionnaires-a TCM service baseline questionnaire and a service cost questionnaire-were used to collect information from TCM public hospitals on TCM services provided in certain situations and service cost accounting. The cross-sectional study examined 110 TCM services provided in four county TCM public hospitals in Shandong province. From the questionnaire data, a screening index system was established via expert consultation and brainstorming. Comprehensive evaluation of TCM services was performed using the analytic hierarchy process method. Weighted coefficients were used to measure the importance of each criterion, after which comprehensive evaluation scores for each service were ranked to indicate what services should receive priority for financial compensation. Economy value, social value, and efficacy value were the three main criteria for screening for what TCM services should be compensated for. The economy value local weight had the highest value (0.588), of which the profit sub-criterion (0.278) was the most important for TCM financial compensation. Moxibustion was tied for the highest comprehensive evaluation scores, at 0.65 while Acupuncture and Massage Therapy were tied for the second and third highest, with 0.63 and 0.58, respectively. Government and policymakers should consider offer financial compensation to Moxibustion, Acupuncture, Massage Therapy, and TCM Orthopedics as priority services. In the meanwhile, it is essential to correct the unreasonable pricing, explore compensation methods, objects and payment, and revise and improve the accounting system for the costs of TCM services. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of national evidence-based medicine competition in Taiwan

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Competition and education are intimately related and can be combined in many ways. The role of competition in medical education of evidence-based medicine (EBM) has not been investigated. In order to enhance the dissemination and implementation of EBM in Taiwan, EBM competitions have been established among healthcare professionals. This study was to evaluate the impact of competition in EBM learning. Methods The EBM competition used PICO (patient, intervention, comparison, and outcome) queries to examine participants’ skills in framing an answerable question, literature search, critical appraisal and clinical application among interdisciplinary teams. A structured questionnaire survey was conducted to investigate EBM among participants in the years of 2009 and 2011. Participants completed a baseline questionnaire survey at three months prior to the competition and finished the same questionnaire right after the competition. Results Valid questionnaires were collected from 358 participants, included 162 physicians, 71 nurses, 101 pharmacists, and 24 other allied healthcare professionals. There were significant increases in participants’ knowledge of and skills in EBM (p < 0.001). Their barriers to literature searching and forming answerable questions significantly decreased (p < 0.01). Furthermore, there were significant increases in their access to the evidence-based retrieval databases, including the Cochrane Library (p < 0.001), MD Consult (p < 0.001), ProQuest (p < 0.001), UpToDate (p = 0.001), CINAHL (p = 0.001), and MicroMedex (p = 0.024). Conclusions The current study demonstrates a method that successfully enhanced the knowledge of, skills in, and behavior of EBM. The data suggest competition using PICO queries may serve as an effective way to facilitate the learning of EBM. PMID:23651869

The Structure of Self-Serving Cognitive Distortions: A Validation of the "How I Think" Questionnaire in a Sample of Italian Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bacchini, Dario; De Angelis, Grazia; Affuso, Gaetana; Brugman, Daniel

2016-01-01

This study aims to investigate the structure of self-serving cognitive distortions (CD), evaluating the psychometric properties of the How I Think Questionnaire in a sample of Italian adolescents. A confirmatory factor analysis supported the distinction between four categories of CD and the use of a single second-order dimension of CD. Reliability…

Questionnaire design and the recall of pharmacological treatments: a systematic review.

PubMed

Gama, Helena; Correia, Sofia; Lunet, Nuno

2009-03-01

We aimed to review systematically the published evidence regarding the effect of questionnaire design on the recall of pharmacological treatments. The electronic databases Pubmed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were searched from inception to October 2007, using the following search terms: drug utilization, pharmaceutical preparations, pharmacoepidemiology, validation studies, methods, epidemiologic methods, interviews, data collection, and questionnaires. Drug utilization studies comparing different types of questionnaire or methods of questionnaire administration were included. Backward and forward citation tracking were also conducted. Eight studies were included in the systematic review, comparing questions asking for specific drugs or indications with open-ended questions (n = 5), evaluating the use of memory aids (n = 1), or studying the influence of response order on recall (n = 2). The studies were heterogeneous, namely regarding the populations evaluated (e.g., pregnant women, hypertensive patients, general population), mode of questionnaire administration (e.g., personal or telephone interview, self-administered), recall period (e.g., current use, 1 week, previous episode of a disease), or drugs evaluated (e.g., analgesics, antimalarials, all medicines). Despite the lack of standardization in presentation of results, the prevalence of drug use may vary between 5 and 40% when drug names and indications or pictures are used as memory aids, or as a result of primacy effects in self-administered questionnaires. The yielding of the questionnaires depended on the pharmacological groups evaluated. Scientific work regarding methods for drug utilization data collection is scarce. The available evidence highlights the importance of knowing the questionnaire characteristics for a proper interpretation of results from drug utilization studies. (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Development of the talent development environment questionnaire for sport.

PubMed

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.

Measuring Client Experiences in Maternity Care under Change: Development of a Questionnaire Based on the WHO Responsiveness Model

PubMed Central

Scheerhagen, Marisja; van Stel, Henk F.; Birnie, Erwin; Franx, Arie; Bonsel, Gouke J.

2015-01-01

Background Maternity care is an integrated care process, which consists of different services, involves different professionals and covers different time windows. To measure performance of maternity care based on clients' experiences, we developed and validated a questionnaire. Methods and Findings We used the 8-domain WHO Responsiveness model, and previous materials to develop a self-report questionnaire. A dual study design was used for development and validation. Content validity of the ReproQ-version-0 was determined through structured interviews with 11 pregnant women (≥28 weeks), 10 women who recently had given birth (≤12 weeks), and 19 maternity care professionals. Structured interviews established the domain relevance to the women; all items were separately commented on. All Responsiveness domains were judged relevant, with Dignity and Communication ranking highest. Main missing topic was the assigned expertise of the health professional. After first adaptation, construct validity of the ReproQ-version-1 was determined through a web-based survey. Respondents were approached by maternity care organizations with different levels of integration of services of midwives and obstetricians. We sent questionnaires to 605 third trimester pregnant women (response 65%), and 810 women 6 weeks after delivery (response 55%). Construct validity was based on: response patterns; exploratory factor analysis; association of the overall score with a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), known group comparisons. Median overall ReproQ score was 3.70 (range 1–4) showing good responsiveness. The exploratory factor analysis supported the assumed domain structure and suggested several adaptations. Correlation of the VAS rating and overall ReproQ score (antepartum, postpartum) supported validity (r = 0.56; 0.59, p<0.001 Spearman's correlation coefficient). Pre-stated group comparisons confirmed the expected difference following a good vs. adverse birth outcome. Fully integrated organizations performed slightly better (median = 3.78) than less integrated organizations (median = 3.63; p<0.001). Participation rate of women with a low educational level and/or a non-western origin was low. Conclusions The ReproQ appears suitable for assessing quality of maternity care from the clients' perspective. Recruitment of disadvantaged groups requires additional non-digital approaches. PMID:25671310

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

PubMed

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

2000-01-01

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

[Measuring client satisfaction in youth mental health care: qualitative methods and satisfaction questionnaires].

PubMed

Vanderfaeillie, J; Stroobants, T; van West, D; Andries, C

2015-01-01

Quality youth care and decisions about youth care should ideally be based on a combination of empirical data, the clinical judgment of health professionals and the views and preferences of clients. Additionally, the treatment provided needs to fit in with the client's social and cultural background. Clients' views about their treatment are often collected via satisfaction measurements and particularly via satisfaction questionnaires. To make a critical analysis of the factors that determine both client satisfaction and the content of the satisfaction questionnaires used as a measurement method in youth care. We made a selective study of the relevant literature. Our results show that client satisfaction is not an indicator of the effectiveness of treatment and that the degree of client satisfaction varies according to the client's outlook and perspective. Apparently, there are many disadvantages of using questionnaires as a measurement method. For the collection of a young person's views, qualitative methods seem to be more effective than questionnaires.

Exploring the roles of interaction and flow in explaining nurses' e-learning acceptance.

PubMed

Cheng, Yung-Ming

2013-01-01

To provide safe and competent patient care, it is very important that medical institutions should provide nurses with continuing education by using appropriate learning methods. As compared to traditional learning, electronic learning (e-learning) is a more flexible method for nurses' in-service learning. Hence, e-learning is expected to play a pivotal role in providing continuing education for nurses. This study's purpose was to explore the role and relevance of interaction factors, intrinsic motivator (i.e., flow), and extrinsic motivators (i.e., perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU)) in explaining nurses' intention to use the e-learning system. Based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) with the flow theory, this study's research model presents three types of interaction factors, learner-system interaction, instructor-learner interaction, and learner-learner interaction to construct an extended TAM to explore nurses' intention to use the e-learning system. Sample data were gathered from nurses at two regional hospitals in Taiwan. A total of 320 questionnaires were distributed, 254 (79.375%) questionnaires were returned. Consequently, 218 usable questionnaires were analyzed in this study, with a usable response rate of 68.125%. First, confirmatory factor analysis was used to develop the measurement model. Second, to explore the causal relationships among all constructs, the structural model for the research model was tested by using structural equation modeling. First, learner-system interaction, instructor-learner interaction, and learner-learner interaction respectively had significant effects on PU, PEOU, and flow. Next, flow had significant effects on PU and PEOU, and PEOU had a significant effect on PU. Finally, the effects of flow, PU, and PEOU on intention to use were significant. Synthetically speaking, learner-system interaction, instructor-learner interaction, and learner-learner interaction can indirectly make significant impacts on nurses' usage intention of the e-learning system via their extrinsic motivators (i.e., PU and PEOU) and intrinsic motivator (i.e., flow). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Smartphone Versus Pen-and-Paper Data Collection of Infant Feeding Practices in Rural China

PubMed Central

Zhang, Shuyi; Wu, Qiong; van Velthoven, Michelle HMMT; Chen, Li; Car, Josip; Rudan, Igor; Li, Ye; Scherpbier, Robert W

2012-01-01

Background Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) household survey data are collected mainly with pen-and-paper. Smartphone data collection may have advantages over pen-and-paper, but little evidence exists on how they compare. Objective To compare smartphone data collection versus the use of pen-and-paper for infant feeding practices of the MNCH household survey. We compared the two data collection methods for differences in data quality (data recording, data entry, open-ended answers, and interrater reliability), time consumption, costs, interviewers’ perceptions, and problems encountered. Methods We recruited mothers of infants aged 0 to 23 months in four village clinics in Zhaozhou Township, Zhao County, Hebei Province, China. We randomly assigned mothers to a smartphone or a pen-and-paper questionnaire group. A pair of interviewers simultaneously questioned mothers on infant feeding practices, each using the same method (either smartphone or pen-and-paper). Results We enrolled 120 mothers, and all completed the study. Data recording errors were prevented in the smartphone questionnaire. In the 120 pen-and-paper questionnaires (60 mothers), we found 192 data recording errors in 55 questionnaires. There was no significant difference in recording variation between the groups for the questionnaire pairs (P = .32) or variables (P = .45). The smartphone questionnaires were automatically uploaded and no data entry errors occurred. We found that even after double data entry of the pen-and-paper questionnaires, 65.0% (78/120) of the questionnaires did not match and needed to be checked. The mean duration of an interview was 10.22 (SD 2.17) minutes for the smartphone method and 10.83 (SD 2.94) minutes for the pen-and-paper method, which was not significantly different between the methods (P = .19). The mean costs per questionnaire were higher for the smartphone questionnaire (¥143, equal to US $23 at the exchange rate on April 24, 2012) than for the pen-and-paper questionnaire (¥83, equal to US $13). The smartphone method was acceptable to interviewers, and after a pilot test we encountered only minor problems (eg, the system halted for a few seconds or it shut off), which did not result in data loss. Conclusions This is the first study showing that smartphones can be successfully used for household data collection on infant feeding in rural China. Using smartphones for data collection, compared with pen-and-paper, eliminated data recording and entry errors, had similar interrater reliability, and took an equal amount of time per interview. While the costs for the smartphone method were higher than the pen-and-paper method in our small-scale survey, the costs for both methods would be similar for a large-scale survey. Smartphone data collection should be further evaluated for other surveys and on a larger scale to deliver maximum benefits in China and elsewhere. PMID:22989894

How does severe brachycephaly affect dog's lives? Results of a structured preoperative owner questionnaire.

PubMed

Roedler, Frauke S; Pohl, Sabine; Oechtering, Gerhard U

2013-12-01

Brachycephalic syndrome (BS) is a complex canine disease, which is characterized by diverse clinical signs primarily involving the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. Through a structured owner questionnaire, the present study investigated how owners perceived the frequency and severity of a broad spectrum of welfare-relevant impairments caused by this hereditary disease. One hundred owners of brachycephalic dogs (Pugs and French bulldogs) referred for surgical treatment of BS completed the questionnaire. As a basis for comparison, 20 owners of mesocephalic dogs also completed part of the questionnaire. Questionnaire responses revealed that in addition to the well-known respiratory signs, brachycephalic dogs experienced severe exercise intolerance and prolonged recovery time after physical exercise (88%), significant heat sensitivity (more severe signs at temperatures above 19°C; 50%) and a variety of sleep problems (56%). To our knowledge, this is the first study using a structured owner questionnaire specifically to investigate a broad range of problems caused by selective breeding for brachycephaly. In particular, decreased exercise tolerance, increased recovery time due to heat intolerance and the extent of sleep problems have either been underestimated in the past, or have severely worsened over recent generations of dogs. The extent and severity of clinical signs and their impact on quality of life greatly exceeded our expectations. This study emphasizes the major impact that selective breeding for extreme brachycephalic features has on animal welfare. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Culture and affect: the factor structure of the affective style questionnaire and its relation with depression and anxiety among Japanese.

PubMed

Ito, Masaya; Hofmann, Stefan G

2014-09-02

Affective styles are assumed to be one of the underlying processes of depression and anxiety maintenance. However, little is known about the effect of depression and anxiety and the cultural influence of the factor structure. Here, we examined the cross-cultural validity of the Affective Style Questionnaire and its incremental validity for the influence on depression and anxiety. Affective Style Questionnaire was translated into Japanese using standard back-translation procedure. Japanese university students (N = 1,041) served as participants. Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Rumination and Reflection Questionnaire, Brief COPE, Self-Construal Scale, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were administered. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed that the Affective Style Questionnaire comprised four factors: Concealing, Adjusting, Holding and Tolerating (CFI = .92, TLI = .90, RMSEA = .07). The measure's convergent and discriminant validity was substantiated by its association with various emotion regulation measures. Regression analyses showed that negative influence of Adjusting, Holding, Reappraisal (β = -.17, -.19, -.30) and positive influence of Suppression (β = .23) were observed on depression. For anxiety, Adjusting and Reappraisal was negatively influenced (β = -.29, and -.18). Reliability and validity of the Affective Style Questionnaire was partly confirmed. Further study is needed to clarify the culturally dependent aspects of affective styles.

Model construction for the intention to use telecare in patients with chronic diseases.

PubMed

Huang, Jui-Chen; Lee, Yii-Ching

2013-01-01

Objective. This study chose patients with chronic diseases as study subjects to investigate their intention to use telecare. Methods. A large medical institute in Taiwan was used as the sample unit. Patients older than 20 years, who had chronic diseases, were sampled by convenience sampling and surveyed with a structural questionnaire, and a total of 500 valid questionnaires were collected. Model construction was based on the Health Belief Model. The reliability and validity of the measurement model were tested using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and the causal model was explained by structural equation modeling (SEM). Results. The priority should be on promoting the perceived benefits of telecare, with a secondary focus on the external cues to action, such as promoting the influences of important people on the patients. Conclusion. The findings demonstrated that patients with chronic diseases use telecare differently from the general public. To promote the use and acceptance of telecare in patients with chronic diseases, technology developers should prioritize the promotion of the usefulness of telecare. In addition, policy makers can strengthen the marketing from media and medical personnel, in order to increase the acceptance of telecare by patients with chronic diseases.

Industry structures in private dental markets in Finland.

PubMed

Widström, E; Mikkola, H

2012-12-01

To use industrial organisation and organisational ecology research methods to survey industry structures and performance in the markets for private dental services and the effect of competition. Data on practice characteristics, performance, and perceived competition were collected from full-time private dentists (n = 1,121) using a questionnaire. The response rate was 59.6%. Cluster analysis was used to identify practice type based on service differentiation and process integration variables formulated from the questionnaire. Four strategic groups were identified in the Finnish markets: Solo practices formed one distinct group and group practices were classified into three clusters Integrated practices, Small practices, and Loosely integrated practices. Statistically significant differences were found in performance and perceived competitiveness between the groups. Integrated practices with the highest level of process integration and service differentiation performed better than solo and small practices. Moreover, loosely integrated and small practices outperformed solo practises. Competitive intensity was highest among small practices which had a low level of service differentiation and was above average among solo practises. Private dental care providers that had differentiated their services from public services and that had a high number of integrated service production processes enjoyed higher performance and less competitive pressures than those who had not.

Analysis of the semi-permanent house in Merauke city in terms of aesthetic value in architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Topan, Anton; Octavia, Sari; Soleman, Henry

2018-05-01

Semi permanent houses are also used called “Rumah Kancingan” is the houses that generally exist in the Merauke city. Called semi permanent because the main structure use is woods even if the walls uses bricks. This research tries to analyze more about Semi permanent house in terms of aesthethics value. This research is a qualitative research with data collection techniques using questionnaire method and direct observation field and study of literature. The result of questionnaire data collection then processed using SPSS to get the influence of independent variable against the dependent variable and found that color, ornament, shape of the door-window and shape of roof (independent) gives 97,1% influence to the aesthetics of the Semi permanent house and based on the output coefficient SPSS obtained that the dependent variable has p-value < 0.05 which means independent variables have an effect on significant to aesthetic variable. For variables of semi permanent and wooden structure gives an effect of 98,6% to aesthetics and based on the result of SPSS coefficient it is found that free variable has p-value < 0.05 which means independent variables have an effect on significant to aesthetic variable.

Tablet computers in assessing performance in a high stakes exam: opinion matters.

PubMed

Currie, G P; Sinha, S; Thomson, F; Cleland, J; Denison, A R

2017-06-01

Background Tablet computers have emerged as a tool to capture, process and store data in examinations, yet evidence relating to their acceptability and usefulness in assessment is limited. Methods We performed an observational study to explore opinions and attitudes relating to tablet computer use in recording performance in a final year objective structured clinical examination at a single UK medical school. Examiners completed a short questionnaire encompassing background, forced-choice and open questions. Forced choice questions were analysed using descriptive statistics and open questions by framework analysis. Results Ninety-two (97% response rate) examiners completed the questionnaire of whom 85% had previous use of tablet computers. Ninety per cent felt checklist mark allocation was 'very/quite easy', while approximately half considered recording 'free-type' comments was 'easy/very easy'. Greater overall efficiency of marking and resource savings were considered the main advantages of tablet computers, while concerns relating to technological failure and ability to record free type comments were raised. Discussion In a context where examiners were familiar with tablet computers, they were preferred to paper checklists, although concerns were raised. This study adds to the limited literature underpinning the use of electronic devices as acceptable tools in objective structured clinical examinations.

Measuring Adaptive Coping of Hospitalized Patients With a Severe Medical Condition: The Sickness Insight in Coping Questionnaire.

PubMed

Boezeman, Edwin J; Hofhuis, José G M; Hovingh, Aly; Cox, Christopher E; de Vries, Reinout E; Spronk, Peter E

2016-09-01

Adaptive coping strategies are associated with less psychological distress. However, there is no brief, specific, and validated instrument for assessing adaptive coping among seriously ill patients. Our objective was to examine the validity and patient-proxy agreement of a novel instrument, the Sickness Insight in Coping Questionnaire. A cross-sectional design which included two related studies. A single university-affiliated Dutch hospital. Hospitalized patients (study 1) and ICU-patients and proxies (study 2). None. Study 1 (n = 103 hospitalized patients) addressed the Sickness Insight in Coping Questionnaire's performance relative to questionnaires addressing similar content areas. Coping subscales of the BRIEF COPE, Illness Cognition Questionnaire, and Utrecht Coping List were used as comparator measures in testing the construct validity of the Sickness Insight in Coping Questionnaire-subscales (fighting spirit, toughness, redefinition, positivism, and non-acceptance). The Sickness Insight in Coping Questionnaire had good internal consistency (0.64 ≤ α ≤ 0.79), a clear initial factor structure, and fair convergent (0.24 ≤ r ≤ 0.50) and divergent (r, ≤ 0.12) construct validity. Study 2 examined the performance of the Sickness Insight in Coping Questionnaire among 100 ICU patients and their close family members. This study showed that the Sickness Insight in Coping Questionnaire has good structural validity (confirmatory factor analyses with Comparative Fit Index > 0.90 and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation < 0.08) and moderate (r, 0.37; non-acceptance) to strong (r, > 0.50; fighting spirit, toughness, redefinition, and positivism) patient-close proxy agreement. Overall, the Sickness Insight in Coping Questionnaire has good psychometric properties. ICU clinicians can use the Sickness Insight in Coping Questionnaire to gain insight in adaptive coping style of patients through ratings of patients or their close family members.

Ethnic Differences and Motivation Based on Maslow’s Theory on Iranian Employees

PubMed Central

MOUSAVI, Seyed Hadi; DARGAHI, Hossein

2013-01-01

Background The aim of this study was to assess the levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory had been fulfilled and to compare the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs among Iranian different ethnic groups at Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS). Methods: This research was a descriptive-analytical study which conducted among administrative employees of Tehran University of Medical Sciences; Tehran, Iran. The structured questionnaire consisted of 20 questions and demographic details. Each question had 4 parts to measure Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The questionnaire was distributed randomly among 133 employees to fill-up the demographic details and the other questions. Data was collected and analyzed by SPSS software, and One Way ANOVA, T-test, Spearman and Mann Whitney statistical methods. Results: TUMS ethnic groups of the employees placed most importance on Basic, Self-esteem and Self-actualization. In addition, we found that Persians, Mazandaranians, and Turks ethnic groups, scored the most mean for Maslow’s hierarchical needs compared to the other ethnic groups. Conclusion: Basic needs and safety needs is available amongst the different ethnic groups in Iran. As though, self-actualization needs are ultimate human goal, Iranian employees’ ethnic groups pay emphasis on these needs. We believe that new structures and work practices such as prevailing cultural values and beliefs of the society or the organizations must be explored if Iranian-based organizations want to remain responsive to the needs of the workplace. PMID:23802110

A Psychometric Evaluation of the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire among Students from Poland and Chile.

PubMed

Wnuk, Marcin

2017-01-01

This study verifies the psychometric properties of the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire (SCSORFQ). This measure consists of 10 items regarding strength of religious faith, regardless of religious denomination or affiliation. Participants were 177 students from Chile and 393 students from Poland. The SCSORFQ method is a reliable measure with good internal consistency evaluated by the α-Cronbach coefficient. Factor analysis statistically confirmed the unidimensional structure of the SCSORFQ. The strength of religious faith in both student groups was moderate to strong correlated with public or private aspects of religiousness and strong correlated with spiritual experiences. It was weakly correlated with the cognitive indicator of well-being as satisfaction with life as well as with existential variables like hope and meaning of life. The results confirm that the SCSORFQ is psychometrically sound and is therefore recommended for use by researchers studying the construct of religiousness.

Limitations of the Patient Health Questionnaire in Identifying Anxiety and Depression: Many Cases Are Undetected

PubMed Central

Eack, Shaun M.; Greeno, Catherine G.; Lee, Bong-Jae

2013-01-01

Objective To determine the concordance between the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) in diagnosing anxiety and depressive disorders. Method Fifty women seeking psychiatric services for their children at two mental health centers in Western Pennsylvania were assessed for anxiety and depressive disorders using the SCID and the PHQ. Results Twenty-five women met SCID criteria for at least one anxiety disorder, 11 (44%) of whom the PHQ failed to identify. The PHQ was particularly limited in identifying individuals with anxiety disorders other than panic disorder. Seventeen women met SCID criteria for at least one major depressive disorder, 6 (35%) of whom the PHQ failed to identify. The PHQ was particularly limited in identifying depressed individuals with dysthymia. Conclusions Caution should be used when screening for anxiety and depression with the PHQ. Implications for improving diagnostic accuracy in social work practice are discussed. PMID:24465121

Colorado Learning Difficulties Questionnaire:Validation of a parent-report screening measure

PubMed Central

Willcutt, Erik G.; Boada, Richard; Riddle, Margaret W.; Chhabildas, Nomita; DeFries, John C.; Pennington, Bruce F.

2011-01-01

This study evaluated the internal structure and convergent and discriminant evidence for the Colorado Learning Difficulties Questionnaire (CLDQ), a 20-item parent-report rating scale that was developed to provide a brief screening measure for learning difficulties. CLDQ ratings were obtained from parents of children in two large community samples and two samples from clinics that specialize in the assessment of learning disabilities and related disorders (total N = 8,004). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed five correlated but separable dimensions that were labeled reading, math, social cognition, social anxiety, and spatial difficulties. Results revealed strong convergent and discriminant evidence for the CLDQ Reading scale, suggesting that this scale may provide a useful method to screen for reading difficulties in both research studies and clinical settings. Results are also promising for the other four CLDQ scales, but additional research is needed to refine each of these measures. PMID:21574721

[Physical activity, obesity and self-esteem in chilean schoolchildren].

PubMed

Zurita-Ortega, Félix; Castro-Sánchez, Manuel; Rodríguez-Fernández, Sonia; Cofré-Boladós, Cristian; Chacón-Cuberos, Ramón; Martínez-Martínez, Asunción; Muros-Molina, José Joaquín

2017-03-01

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic disease and a problem for the Chilean society. To analyze the relationship between physical condition, body mass index (BMI), level of physical activity and self-esteem. Material ad Methods: Questionnaires to assess self-esteem (Rosemberg scale) and levels of physical activity (Physical Activity Questionnaire for older Children, PAQ-C) were answered by 515 children aged 10.5 ± 0.5 years from 27 schools of Santiago de Chile. BMI was calculated. Course-Navette test was carried out, vertical jump and hand dynamometry were measured. For statistical analysis, structural equations were used. An acceptable goodness of fit for the models was found. There was a positive relationship between BMI and hand dynamometry, as well as a negative relationship between BMI and maximal oxygen consumption, jumping ability, physical activity and self-esteem. Finally, self-esteem was positively related to physical activity engagement. In these children, self-esteem was related to physical activity variables.

Towards socially inclusive research: an evaluation of telephone questionnaire administration in a multilingual population.

PubMed

Dormandy, Elizabeth; Brown, Katrina; Reid, Erin P; Marteau, Theresa M

2008-01-31

Missing data may bias the results of clinical trials and other studies. This study describes the response rate, questionnaire responses and financial costs associated with offering participants from a multilingual population the option to complete questionnaires over the telephone. Before and after study of two methods of questionnaire completion. Seven hundred and sixty five pregnant women from 25 general practices in two UK inner city Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) taking part in a cluster randomised controlled trial of offering antenatal sickle cell and thalassaemia screening in primary care. Two hundred and four participants did not speak English. Sixty one women were offered postal questionnaire completion only and 714 women were offered a choice of telephone or postal questionnaire completion. (i) Proportion of completed questionnaires, (ii) attitude and knowledge responses obtained from a questionnaire assessing informed choice. The response rate from women offered postal completion was 26% compared with 67% for women offered a choice of telephone or postal completion (41% difference 95% CI Diff 30 to 52). For non-English speakers offered a choice of completion methods the response rate was 56% compared with 71% for English speakers (95% CI Diff 7 to 23). No difference was found for knowledge by completion method, but telephone completion was associated with more positive attitude classifications than postal completion (87 vs 96%, 95% CI diff 0.006 to 15). Compared with postal administration the additional costs associated with telephone administration were pound3.90 per questionnaire for English speakers and pound71.60 per questionnaire for non English speakers. Studies requiring data to be collected by questionnaire may obtain higher response rates from both English and non-English speakers when a choice of telephone or postal administration (and where necessary, an interpreter)is offered compared to offering postal administration only. This approach will, however, incur additional research costs and uncertainty remains about the equivalence of responses obtained from the two methods.

Is It All in the Telling?: A Study of the Role of Text Schemas and Schematic Text Structures in the Recall and Comprehension of Printed News Stories.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Durham, Meenakshi Gigi

This study hypothesized that altering a news story to conform to a more familiar structure might increase comprehension and recall. Subjects, 104 undergraduate students, completed a Media Use Survey, a questionnaire for collecting demographic information, the WIRE test, a strength of text schema measure, and a comprehension questionnaire. Students…

The Peer Interaction in Primary School Questionnaire: Testing for Measurement Equivalence and Latent Mean Differences in Bullying between Gender in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the USA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hussein, Mohamed Habashy

2010-01-01

The Peer Interaction in Primary School Questionnaire (PIPSQ) was developed to assess individuals' levels of bullying and victimization. This study used the approach of latent means analysis (LMA) within the framework of structural equation modeling (SEM) to explore the factor structure and gender differences associated with the PIPSQ in a sample…

Factor Structure of the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire in Turkish Children and Gender, Grade-Level, and Socioeconomic Status Differences in Reactive and Proactive Aggression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uz Bas, Asli; Yurdabakan, Irfan

2012-01-01

The present study aimed to evaluate the factor structure of the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ) with Turkish children, and to investigate gender, grade-level, and socioeconomic status (SES) differences in reactive and proactive aggression. Participants consisted of 1,081 Turkish children (544 boys and 537 girls) aged 9 to 14…

Comparative Performance of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale for Screening Antepartum Depression

PubMed Central

Zhong, Qiuyue; Gelaye, Bizu; Rondon, Marta; Sánchez, Sixto E; García, Pedro J; Sánchez, Elena; Barrios, Yasmin V; Simon, Gregory E.; Henderson, David C.; Cripe, Swee May; Williams, Michelle A

2014-01-01

Objective We sought to evaluate the psychometric properties of two widely used screening scales: the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) among pregnant Peruvian women. Methods This cross-sectional study included 1,517 women receiving prenatal care from February 2012 to March 2013. A structured interview was used to collect data using PHQ-9 and EPDS. We examined reliability, construct and concurrent validity between two scales using internal consistency indices, factor structures, correlations, and Cohen’s kappa. Results Both scales had good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha > 0.8). Correlation between PHQ-9 and EPDS scores was fair (rho=0.52). Based on exploratory factor analysis (EFA), both scales yielded a two-factor structure. EFA including all items from PHQ-9 and EPDS yielded four factors, namely, “somatization”, “depression and suicidal ideation”, “anxiety and depression”, and “anhedonia”. The agreement between the two scales was generally fair at different cutoff scores with the highest Cohen’s kappa being 0.46. Conclusions Both the PHQ-9 and EPDS are reliable and valid scales for antepartum depression assessment. The PHQ-9 captures somatic symptoms, while EPDS detects depressive symptoms comorbid with anxiety during early pregnancy. Our findings suggest simultaneous administration of both scales may improve identification of antepartum depressive disorders in clinical settings. PMID:24766996

Development and validation of makeup and sexualized clothing questionnaires.

PubMed

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.

[Does the GHQ-12 scoring system affect its factor structure? An exploratory study of Ibero American students].

PubMed

Urzúa, Alfonso; Caqueo-Urízar, Alejandra; Bargsted, Mariana; Irarrázaval, Matías

2015-06-01

This study aimed to evaluate whether the scoring system of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) alters the instrument's factor structure. The method considered 1,972 university students from nine Ibero American countries. Modeling was performed with structural equations for 1, 2, and 3 latent factors. The mechanism for scoring the questions was analyzed within each type of structure. The results indicate that models with 2 and 3 factors show better goodness-of-fit. In relation to scoring mechanisms, procedure 0-1-1-1 for models with 2 and 3 factors showed the best fit. In conclusion, there appears to be a relationship between the response format and the number of factors identified in the instrument's structure. The model with the best fit was 3-factor 0-1-1-1-formatted, but 0-1-2-3 has acceptable and more stable indicators and provides a better format for two- and three-dimensional models.

Differences in the Perception of Social Support Among Rural Area Seniors-A Cross-Sectional Survey of Polish Population.

PubMed

Chruściel, Paweł; Kulik, Teresa; Jakubowska, Klaudia; Nalepa, Dorota

2018-06-19

Introduction and objective : Social support constitutes an important determinant of an elderly person’s health and of functioning in his or her living environment. It depends on available support networks and the type of help received. Measurement of social support should encompass both its structure and the functions it fulfills, which enables detailed assessment of the phenomenon. The aim of the study was to compare the perception of social support among rural area seniors provided with institutional care with those living in a home setting. Material and method : Using the diagnostic survey method and the technique of the distribution of a direct questionnaire, 364 respondents from rural areas were examined: those living in an institutional environment ( n = 190) and those living in their home (natural) environment ( n = 174). The respondents were selected on the basis of a combined sampling method: proportionate, stratified, and systematic. Variables were measured with the following questionnaires: Courage Social Network Index (CSNI) and Social Support Scale (SSS). Results : The living environment has been proved to differentiate average values of support both in the structural and functional dimensions in a statistically significant way ( p < 0.001). An untypical phenomenon was higher average values pertaining to emotional bonds, frequency of direct contacts, and help received in the group of respondents living in an institutional environment. Conclusions : The living environment and demographic variables affect the perception of social support among elderly people. Full-time institutional care of a senior citizen leads to the deterioration of social support; therefore, keeping an elderly person in a home environment should be one of the primary goals of the senior policy.

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

PubMed Central

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

2016-01-01

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

Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties of the Revised Home Situations Questionnaire for Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Home Situations Questionnaire-Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chowdhury, Monali; Aman, Michael G.; Lecavalier, Luc; Smith, Tristram; Johnson, Cynthia; Swiezy, Naomi; McCracken, James T.; King, Bryan; McDougle, Christopher J.; Bearss, Karen; Deng, Yanhong; Scahill, Lawrence

2016-01-01

Previously, we adapted the Home Situations Questionnaire to measure behavioral non-compliance in everyday settings in children with pervasive developmental disorders. In this study, we further revised this instrument for use in autism spectrum disorder and examined its psychometric properties (referred to as the Home Situations…

The Involvement of Hong Kong Parents in the Education of Their Children: A Validation of the Parents' Attributions and Perception Questionnaire

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillipson, Sivanes; Phillipson, Shane N.

2010-01-01

This study describes the validation and interpretation of the Parents' Attributions and Perception Questionnaire (PAPQ) using confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch modelling to report both the construct validity and category structure of the scales in the questionnaire. The PAPQ was developed to reflect the proposal that parents mediate the…

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the "World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire--Brief Version" for Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Susan M.; Chan, Fong; Ferrin, James M.; Lin, Chen-Ping; Chan, Jacob Y. C.

2008-01-01

This study examined the factorial structure of the "World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire--Brief Version" in a community sample of Canadians with spinal cord injuries. A confirmatory factor analysis provides evidence that the instrument is a multidimensional measure of quality of life. Additionally, the questionnaire is…

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

PubMed Central

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 borderline significant. Parents with a high level of education were less likely to use overly forms of controlling parenting (i.e., coercive control and overprotection) and more likely to have children with lower BMI. Based on several author review meetings and cognitive interviews the questionnaire was further modified to an 85-item questionnaire. Conclusions The GCPQ may facilitate research exploring how parenting influences children’s weight-related behaviors. The contextual influence of general parenting is likely to be more profound than its direct relationship with weight status. PMID:24512450

Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire - A validation study using the Job Demand-Resources model

PubMed Central

Hakanen, Jari J.; Westerlund, Hugo

2018-01-01

Aim This study aims at investigating the nomological validity of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ II) by using an extension of the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model with aspects of work ability as outcome. Material and methods The study design is cross-sectional. All staff working at public dental organizations in four regions of Sweden were invited to complete an electronic questionnaire (75% response rate, n = 1345). The questionnaire was based on COPSOQ II scales, the Utrecht Work Engagement scale, and the one-item Work Ability Score in combination with a proprietary item. The data was analysed by Structural Equation Modelling. Results This study contributed to the literature by showing that: A) The scale characteristics were satisfactory and the construct validity of COPSOQ instrument could be integrated in the JD-R framework; B) Job resources arising from leadership may be a driver of the two processes included in the JD-R model; and C) Both the health impairment and motivational processes were associated with WA, and the results suggested that leadership may impact WA, in particularly by securing task resources. Conclusion In conclusion, the nomological validity of COPSOQ was supported as the JD-R model-can be operationalized by the instrument. This may be helpful for transferral of complex survey results and work life theories to practitioners in the field. PMID:29708998

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

PubMed

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.

Psychometrics of a Child Report Measure of Maternal Support Following Disclosure of Sexual Abuse

PubMed Central

Smith, Daniel W.; Sawyer, Genelle K.; Heck, Nicholas C.; Zajac, Kristyn; Solomon, David; Self-Brown, Shannon; Danielson, Carla K.; Ralston, M. Elizabeth

2018-01-01

Objective The purpose of this study was to develop a psychometrically sound child-report measure of maternal support following disclosure of child sexual abuse. Maternal support following disclosure of child sexual abuse is an important predictor of child adjustment; however, this construct is not well defined, and a psychometrically sound method to assess maternal support from a child’s perspective does not exist. Methods Demographic and abuse-specific information was collected via structured interview from 146 mother-child dyads presenting for an initial forensic evaluation at a child advocacy center. Mothers completed the Maternal Self-report Support Questionnaire, and children completed the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children and 32 items considered for inclusion in a new measure known as the Maternal Support Questionnaire – Child Report (MSQ-CR). Results Exploratory factor analysis of the MSQ-CR resulted in a three factor solution: Emotional Support (9 items), Skeptical Preoccupation (5 items), and Protection/Retaliation (6 items). Each factor demonstrated adequate internal consistency reliability. Analyses with the Maternal Self-report Support Questionnaire and the Trauma Symptom Checklist supported the construct and concurrent validity of the new measure. Conclusions The MSQ-CR demonstrated sound psychometric properties. Future research is needed to determine whether the MSQ-CR provides a more sensitive approximation of maternal support following disclosure of sexual abuse, relative to measures of global parent-child relations. Additional research is needed to contextualize discrepancies between mother and child ratings of maternal support. Important limitations of the investigation are reviewed. PMID:28471341

[Training programs for staff at local Infectious Disease Surveillance Centers: the needs and usefulness].

PubMed

Suzuki, Tomoyuki; Kamiya, Nobuyuki; Yahata, Yuichiro; Ozeki, Yukie; Kishimoto, Tsuyoshi; Nadaoka, Yoko; Nakanishi, Yoshiko; Yoshimura, Takesumi; Shimada, Tomoe; Tada, Yuki; Shirabe, Komei; Kozawa, Kunihisa

2013-03-01

The objective of this study was to assess the need for and usefulness of training programs for Local Infectious Disease Surveillance Center (LIDSC) staff. A structured questionnaire survey was conducted to assess the needs and usefulness of training programs. The subjects of the survey were participants of a workshop held after an annual conference for the LIDSC staff. Data on demographic information, the necessity of training programs for LIDSC staff, the themes and contents of the training program, self-assessment of knowledge on epidemiology and statistics were covered by the questionnaire. A total of 55 local government officials responded to the questionnaire (response rate: 100%). Among these, 95% of participants believed that the training program for the LIDSC staff was necessary. Basic statistical analysis (85%), descriptive epidemiology (65%), outline of epidemiology (60%), interpretation of surveillance data (65%), background and objectives of national infectious disease surveillance in Japan (60%), methods of field epidemiology (60%), and methods of analysis data (51%) were selected by over half of the respondents as suitable themes for training programs. A total of 34 LIDSC staff answered the self-assessment question on knowledge of epidemiology. A majority of respondents selected "a little" or "none" for all questions about knowledge. Only a few respondents had received education in epidemiology. The results of this study indicate that LIDSC staff have basic demands for fundamental and specialized education to improve their work. Considering the current situation regarding the capacity of LIDSC staff, these training programs should be started immediately.

The Meal Pattern Questionnaire: A psychometric evaluation using the Eating Disorder Examination.

PubMed

Alfonsson, S; Sewall, A; Lidholm, H; Hursti, T

2016-04-01

Meal pattern is an important variable in both obesity treatment and treatment for eating disorders. Momentary assessment and eating diaries are highly valid measurement methods but often cumbersome and not always feasible to use in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to design and evaluate a self-report instrument for measuring meal patterns. The Pattern of eating item from the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) interview was adapted to self-report format to follow the same overall structure as the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire. The new instrument was named the Meal Patterns Questionnaire (MPQ) and was compared with the EDE in a student sample (n=105) and an obese sample (n=111). The individual items of the MPQ and the EDE showed moderate to high correlations (rho=.63-89) in the two samples. Significant differences between the MPQ and EDE were only found for two items in the obese sample. The total scores correlated to a high degree (rho=.87/.74) in both samples and no significant differences were found in this variable. The MPQ can provide an overall picture of a person's eating patterns and is a valid way to collect data regarding meal patterns. The MPQ may be a useable tool in clinical practice and research studies when more extensive instruments cannot be used. Future studies should evaluate the MPQ in diverse cultural populations and with more ecological assessment methods. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A PRECEDE-PROCEED based educational intervention in quality of life of women-headed households in Iran.

PubMed

Solhi, Mahnaz; Shabani Hamedan, Marziyeh; Salehi, Masoud

2016-01-01

Background: Women-headed households are more exposed to social damages than other women. Such condition remarkably influences the women's health-related life quality. The present study is aimed to investigate the effect of an educational intervention in quality of life of women-headed households under protection of Tehran Welfare Organization, in 2015. Methods: In this quasi-experimental study with control group, 180 women-headed households participated. Sampling method was random allocation. Data collection tools were Life Quality standard questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF) and a researcher-made questionnaire about structures of ecological and educational diagnosis phase of PRECEDE-PROCEED model. Validity and reliability of the questionnaire approved in a primary study. Based on the results obtained from the primary study, the intervention was performed in the case group only. Participants were followed one and three months after intervention. Data were analyzed through SPSS v. 15 software using descriptive and analytical tests. Results: Before intervention no significant difference was observed among the mean scores of life quality, behavioral factors, and knowledge, enabling, and reinforcing factors in the two groups. But, one month and three months after intervention a significant difference was observed between the mean scores of these variables (in five instances p<0.001). Conclusion: Intervention through the PRECEDE-PROCEED model improved the women-headed households' quality of life. The innovation of this study is using such intervention on quality of life in women-headed households for the first time.

Psychometric properties of the Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI): Assessment in a UK research volunteer population

PubMed Central

Fackrell, Kathryn; Hall, Deborah A.; Barry, Johanna G.; Hoare, Derek J.

2017-01-01

Objectives Questionnaires are essential for measuring tinnitus severity and intervention-related change but there is no standard instrument used routinely in research settings. Most tinnitus questionnaires are optimised for measuring severity but not change. However, the Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) claims to be optimised for both. It has not however been fully validated for research purposes. Here we evaluate the relevant psychometric properties of the TFI, specifically the questionnaire factor structure, reproducibility, validity and responsiveness guided by quality criteria for the measurement properties of health-related questionnaires. Methods The study involved a retrospective analysis of data collected for 294 members of the general public who participated in a randomised controlled trial of a novel tinnitus device (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01541969). Participants completed up to eight commonly used assessment questionnaires including the TFI, Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaire (THQ), a Visual Analogue Scale of loudness (VAS-Loudness), Percentage Annoyance question, the Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck's Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and the World Health Organisation Quality of Life-Bref (WHOQOL-BREF). A series of analyses assessed the study objectives. Forty four participants completed the TFI at a second visit (within 7–21 days and before receiving any intervention) providing data for reproducibility assessments. Results The 8-factor structure was not fully confirmed for this general (non-clinical) population. Whilst it was acceptable standalone subscale, the ‘auditory’ factor showed poor loading with the higher order factor ‘functional impact of tinnitus’. Reproducibility assessments for the overall TFI indicate high internal consistency (α = 0.80) and extremely high reliability (ICC: 0.91), whilst agreement was borderline acceptable (93%). Construct validity was demonstrated by high correlations between scores on the TFI and THI (r = 0.82) and THQ (r = 0.82), moderate correlations with VAS-L (r = 0.46), PR-A (r = 0.58), BDI (r = 0.57), BAI (r = 0.39) and WHOQOL (r = −0.48). Floor effects were observed for more than 50% of the items. A smallest detectable change score of 22.4 is proposed for the TFI global score. Conclusion Even though the proposed 8-factor structure was not fully confirmed for this population, the TFI appears to cover multiple symptom domains, and to measure the construct of tinnitus with an excellent reliability in distinguishing between patients. While the TFI may discriminate those whose tinnitus is not a problem, floor effects in many items means it is less appropriate as a measure of change in this subgroup. Further investigation is needed to determine whether these effects are relevant in other populations. PMID:26415998

Using longitudinal mixed methods to study the development of professional behaviours during pharmacy work-based training.

PubMed

Jee, Samuel D; Schafheutle, Ellen I; Noyce, Peter R

2017-05-01

Recent longitudinal investigations of professional socialisation and development of professional behaviours during work-based training are lacking. Using longitudinal mixed methods, this study aimed to explore the development of professional behaviours during a year of intensive work-based (pre-registration) training in pharmacy. Twenty trainee pharmacists and their tutors completed semi-structured interview and professional behaviour questionnaires at four time points during 2011/2012: months 1, 4 and 9 during training and 4 months after registration; tutors participated in months 1 and 9. Interviews were analysed thematically using template analysis, and questionnaires were analysed using ANOVA and t-tests. Self-assessed (trainee) and tutor ratings of all elements of professional behaviours measured in questionnaires (appearance, interpersonal/social skills, responsibility, communication skills) increased significantly from the start of pre-registration training to post-registration. Some elements, for example, communication skills, showed more change over time compared with others, such as appearance, and continued to improve post-registration. Qualitative findings highlighted the changing roles of trainees and learning experiences that appeared to facilitate the development of professional behaviours. Trainees' colleagues, and particularly tutors, played an essential part in trainees' development through offering support and role modelling. Trainees noted that they would have benefited from more responsibilities during training to ease the transition into practising as a responsible pharmacist. Longitudinal mixed methods can unpack the way in which professional behaviours develop during work-based training and allow researchers to examine changes in the demonstration of professional behaviours and how they occur. Identifying areas less prone to change allows for more focus to be given to supporting trainees in areas where there is a development need, such as communication skills and holding increasing responsibility. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Use of the consultation satisfaction questionnaire to examine patients' satisfaction with general practitioners and community nurses: reliability, replicability and discriminant validity.

PubMed Central

Poulton, B C

1996-01-01

BACKGROUND: Primary health care services are the most frequently used in the health care system. Consumer feedback on these services is important. Research in this area relates mainly to doctor-patient relationships which fails to reflect the multidisciplinary nature of primary health care. AIM: A pilot study aimed to examine the feasibility of using a patient satisfaction questionnaire designed for use with general practitioner consultations as an instrument for measuring patient satisfaction with community nurses. METHOD: The questionnaire measuring patient satisfaction with general practitioner consultations was adapted for measuring satisfaction with contacts with a nurse practitioner, district nurses, practice nurses and health visitors. A total of 1575 patients in three practices consulting general practitioners or community nurses were invited to complete a questionnaire. Data were subjected to principal components analysis and the dimensions identified were tested for internal reliability and replicability. To establish discriminant validity, patients' mean satisfaction scores for consultations with general practitioners, the nurse practitioner, health visitors and nurses (district and practice nurses) were compared. RESULTS: Questionnaires were returned relating to 400 general practitioner, 54 nurse practitioner, 191 district/practice nurse and 83 health visitor consultations (overall response rate 46%). Principal components analysis demonstrated a factor structure similar to that found in an earlier study of the consultation satisfaction questionnaire. Three dimensions of patient satisfaction were identified: professional care, depth of relationship and perceived time spent with the health professional. The dimensions were found to have acceptable levels of reliability. Factor structures obtained from data relating to general practitioner and community nurse consultations were found to correlate significantly. Comparison between health professionals showed that patients rated satisfaction with professional care significantly more highly for nurses than for general practitioners and health visitors. Patients' rating of satisfaction with the depth of relationships with health visitors was significantly lower than their ratings of this relationship with the other groups of health professionals. There were so significant differences between health professional groups regarding patients' ratings of satisfaction with the perceived amount of time spent with health professionals. CONCLUSION: The pilot study showed that it is possible to use the consultation satisfaction questionnaire for both general practitioners and community nurses. Comparison between health professional groups should be undertaken with caution as data were available for only a small number of consultations with some of the groups of health professionals studied. PMID:8745848

[Multifactor Organizational Stress Risk Questionnaire--MOSRQ: a preliminary study of dimensions and structure].

PubMed

Zuffo, Riccardo Giorgio; Ferretti, Maria Santa

2012-01-01

INTRODUCTION. The aim of the present study is to demonstrate the validity of the MOSRQ, a questionnaire for the assessment of work related stress risk. This questionnaire has 38 items: 19 related to organizational stressors and 19 to strains. Firstly, it was performed a critical analysis of instruments reported in scientific literature; then relevant items about sources and consequences of work related stress were selected in order to obtain the questionnaire. Finally MOSRQ was administered to a sample of 2314 subjects mainly employed in private firms belonging to industry and service sectors. MOSRQ obtains a good index of reliability (alpha = .89 for organizational stressor/antecedents and alpha = .92 for strain/outcome). Factor analysis presents a structure with 3 factors both for the antecedents and for the outcomes of work related stress. In conclusion, it is claimed that MOSRQ has the necessary psychometric characteristics for use in research as well as in organizational contexts.

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

PubMed

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.

Pictorial Personality Traits Questionnaire for Children (PPTQ-C)-A New Measure of Children's Personality Traits.

PubMed

Maćkiewicz, Marta; Cieciuch, Jan

2016-01-01

In order to adjust personality measurements to children's developmental level, we constructed the Pictorial Personality Traits Questionnaire for Children (PPTQ-C). To validate the measure, we conducted a study with a total group of 1028 children aged between 7 and 13 years old. Structural validity was established through Exploratory Structural Equation Model (ESEM). Criterion validity was confirmed with a multitrait-multimethod analysis for which we introduced the children's self-assessment scores from the Big Five Questionnaire for Children. Despite some problems with reliability, one can conclude that the PPTQ-C can be a valid instrument for measuring personality traits, particularly in a group of young children (aged ~7-10 years).

Organizational Factors that Affect the Implementation of Information Technology: Perspectives of Middle Managers in Iran

PubMed Central

Barzekar, Hosein; Karami, Mahtab

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: to examine the organizational factors affecting the application of information technology in hospitals. Since the organizational factors are one of the most important determinants of successful projects, by understanding their impact and identifying them it can help planning a systematic IT implementation. Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study 110 middle managers were chosen from teaching hospitals. Structured questionnaire was used for the data collection. Results: There was a significant relationship between organization resource, organizational knowledge, process, management structure and values and goals with implementation of information technology. Conclusion: Findings showed that organizational factors had a considerable impact on implementation of information technology. Top managers must consider the important aspects of effective organizational factors. PMID:25568582

Self-administered versus interview-based questionnaires among patients with intermittent claudication: Do they give different results? A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Lozano, Francisco; Lobos, José María; March, José Ramón; Carrasco, Eduardo; Barros, Marcello Barbosa; González-Porras, José Ramón

2016-01-01

Many clinical investigations use generic and/or specific questionnaires to obtain information about participants and patients. There is disagreement about whether the administration method can affect the results. The aim here was to determine whether, among patients with intermittent claudication (IC), there are differences in the Walking Impairment Questionnaire (WIQ) and European Quality of Life-5 Dimension (EQ-5D) scores with regard to: 1) the questionnaire administration method (self-administration versus face-to-face interview); and 2) the type of interviewer (vascular surgeon, VS, versus general practitioner, GP). Cross-sectional observational multicenter epidemiological study carried out within the Spanish National Health Service. 1,641 evaluable patients with IC firstly completed the WIQ and EQ-5D questionnaires and then were interviewed by their doctor on the same day. Pearson correlations and Chi-square tests were used. There was a strong correlation (r > 0.800; P < 0.001) between the two methods of administering the WIQ and EQ-5D questionnaires, and between the VS and GP groups. Likewise, there was a high level of concordance (P > 0.05) between the different dimensions of the WIQ-distance and EQ-5D (self-administration versus face-to-face) in the VS and GP groups. There was no difference between the different methods of administering the WIQ and EQ-5D questionnaires, among the patients with IC. Similarly, the two types of interviewers (VS or GP) were equally valid. Therefore, it seems unnecessary to expend effort to administer these questionnaires by interview, in studies on IC.

Parent-Collected Behavioral Observations: An Empirical Comparison of Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nadler, Cy B.; Roberts, Mark W.

2013-01-01

Treatments for disruptive behaviors are often guided by parent reports on questionnaires, rather than by multiple methods of assessment. Professional observations and clinic analogs exist to complement questionnaires, but parents can also collect useful behavioral observations to inform and guide treatment. Two parent observation methods of child…

Screening the use of informed consent forms prior to procedures involving operative dentistry: ethical aspects

PubMed Central

Graziele Rodrigues, Livia; De Souza, João Batista; De Torres, Erica Miranda; Ferreira Silva, Rhonan

2017-01-01

Background. The present study aimed to screen the knowledge and attitudes of dentists toward the use of informed consent forms prior to procedures involving operative dentistry. Methods. A research tool containing questions (questionnaire) regarding the use of informed consent forms was developed. The questionnaire consisted of seven questions structured to screen the current practice in operative dentistry towards the use of informed consent forms. Results. The questionnaires were distributed among 731 dentists, of which 179 returned them with answers. Sixty-seven dentists reported not using informed consent forms. The main reasons for not using informed consent forms were: having a complete dental record signed by the patient (67.2%) and having a good relation with patients (43.6%). The dentists who reported using informed consent forms revealed that they obtained them from other dentists and made their own modifications (35.9%). Few dentists revealed contacting lawyers (1.7%) and experts in legal dentistry (0.9%) for the development of their informed consent forms. Conclusion. A high number of dentists working in the field of operative dentistry behave according to the ethical standards in the clinical practice, becoming unprotected against ethical and legal actions. PMID:28413600

Measuring the subjective: revisiting the psychometric properties of three rating scales that assess the acute effects of hallucinogens.

PubMed

Bouso, José Carlos; Pedrero-Pérez, Eduardo José; Gandy, Sam; Alcázar-Córcoles, Miguel Ángel

2016-09-01

In the present study we explored the psychometric properties of three widely used questionnaires to assess the subjective effects of hallucinogens: the Hallucinogen Rating Scale (HRS), the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ), and the Addiction Research Center Inventory (ARCI). These three questionnaires were administered to a sample of 158 subjects (100 men) after taking ayahuasca, a hallucinogen whose main active component is N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT). A confirmatory factorial study was conducted to check the adjustment of previous data obtained via theoretical proposals. When this was not possible, we used an exploratory factor analysis without restrictions, based on tetrachoric and polychoric matrices and correlations. Our results sparsely match the theoretical proposals of the authors, perhaps because previous studies have not always employed psychometric methods appropriate to the data obtained. However, these data should be considered preliminary, pending larger samples to confirm or reject the proposed structures obtained. It is crucial that instruments of sufficiently precise measurement are utilized to make sense of the information obtained in the study of the subjective effects of psychedelic drugs. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Score reliability and factor similarity of the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-3 (SATAQ-3) among four ethnic groups

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background This study evaluated the score reliability and equivalence of factor structure of the Sociocultural Attitudes towards Appearance Questionnaire-3 (SATAQ-3) [1] in a sample of female college students from the four largest ethnic groups in the USA. Methods Participants were 1245 women who self-identified as European American/White (n = 543), African American/Black (n = 137), Asian American (n = 317), or Latina/Hispanic (n = 248). All completed the SATAQ-3 and a demographic questionnaire. To test the factor similarity and score reliability across groups, we used exploratory factor analysis and calculated Cronbach’s alphas (respectively). Results Score reliability was high for all groups. Tests of factor equivalence suggested that the four pre-established factors of the SATAQ-3 (i.e., knowledge, perceived pressure, thin-ideal internalization, athletic-ideal internalization) were similar for women of all ethnic groups. Only two items (20 and 27) did not consistently load on the previously identified scale across all four groups. When scored, African Americans reported significantly less perceived pressure and internalization than all other groups. Conclusions Results support the use of the SATAQ-3 in female college students of these four ethnicities. PMID:24999395

Donor retention in health care in Iran: a factor analysis

PubMed Central

Aghababa, Sara; Nasiripour, Amir Ashkan; Maleki, Mohammadreza; Gohari, Mahmoodreza

2017-01-01

Background: Long-term financial support is essential for the survival of a charitable organization. Health charities need to identify the effective factors influencing donor retention. Methods: In the present study, the items of a questionnaire were derived from both literature review and semi-structured interviews related to donor retention. Using a purposive sampling, 300 academic and executive practitioners were selected. After the follow- up, a total of 243 usable questionnaires were prepared for factor analysis. The questionnaire was validated based on the face and content validity and reliability through Cronbach’s α-coefficient. Results: The results of exploratory factor analysis extracted 2 factors for retention: donor factor (variance = 33.841%; Cronbach’s α-coefficient = 90.2) and charity factor (variance = 29.038%; Cronbach’s α-coefficient = 82.8), respectively. Subsequently, confirmatory factor analysis was applied to support the overall reasonable fit. Conclusions: In this study, it was found that repeated monetary donations are supplied to the charitable organizations when both aspects of donor factor (retention factor and charity factor) for retention are taken into consideration. This model could provide a perspective for making sustainable donations and charitable giving PMID:28955663

Validation of the Spanish Short Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SSSRQ) through Rasch Analysis.

PubMed

Garzón Umerenkova, Angélica; de la Fuente Arias, Jesús; Martínez-Vicente, José Manuel; Zapata Sevillano, Lucía; Pichardo, Mari Carmen; García-Berbén, Ana Belén

2017-01-01

Background: The aim of the study was to psychometrically characterize the Spanish Short Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SSSRQ) through Rasch analysis. Materials and Methods: 831 Spaniard university students (262 men), between 17 and 39 years of age and ranging from the first to the 5th year of studies, completed the SSSRQ questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was carried out in order to establish structural adequacy. Afterward, by means of the Rasch model, a study of each sub scale was conducted to test for dimensionality, fit of the sample questions, functionality of the response categories, reliability and estimation of Differential Item Functioning by gender and course. Results: The four sub-scales comply with the unidimensionality criteria, the questions are in line with the model, the response categories operate properly and the reliability of the sample is acceptable. Nonetheless, the test could benefit from the inclusion of additional items of both high and low difficulty in order to increase construct validity, discrimination and reliability for the respondents. Several items with differences in gender and course were also identified. Discussion: The results evidence the need and adequacy of this complementary psychometric analysis strategy, in relation to the CFA to enhance the instrument.

Effective factors in expansion of medical tourism in Iran.

PubMed

Rezaee, Reza; Mohammadzadeh, Mehdi

2016-01-01

Medical tourism (MT) refers to circumstances in which people travel for medical treatments. The present study focuses on determining factors affecting MT in Iran. The study uses a mixed method approach. Initially, through a qualitative study, 12 experts were interviewed deeply; then, 22 participants in three equal focus groups expressed their ideas about growth and development of MT in Iran. Based on the expressed ideas, 120 factors were identified and accordingly a structured questionnaire was developed. Some members from the focus groups confirmed the questionnaire's face and content validity. The reliability of pertinent items was confirmed using Cronbach's alpha=0.8. Afterwards, 61 eligible subjects filled out this questionnaire. The findings showed that "healthcare quality" and "high level of expertise" are two most attractive factors in MT. However, other factors such as "healthcare costs", and "visa facilities" are among key factors as well. Also, the role of "the healthcare providers" was found to be more prominent than the roles of "the government" and "the general tourist services". Although some attractive MT factors are present currently, MT expansion to a desirable level in Iran requires a comprehensive plan of which its factors were discussed in this paper.

Validation of the Spanish Short Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SSSRQ) through Rasch Analysis

PubMed Central

Garzón Umerenkova, Angélica; de la Fuente Arias, Jesús; Martínez-Vicente, José Manuel; Zapata Sevillano, Lucía; Pichardo, Mari Carmen; García-Berbén, Ana Belén

2017-01-01

Background: The aim of the study was to psychometrically characterize the Spanish Short Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SSSRQ) through Rasch analysis. Materials and Methods: 831 Spaniard university students (262 men), between 17 and 39 years of age and ranging from the first to the 5th year of studies, completed the SSSRQ questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was carried out in order to establish structural adequacy. Afterward, by means of the Rasch model, a study of each sub scale was conducted to test for dimensionality, fit of the sample questions, functionality of the response categories, reliability and estimation of Differential Item Functioning by gender and course. Results: The four sub-scales comply with the unidimensionality criteria, the questions are in line with the model, the response categories operate properly and the reliability of the sample is acceptable. Nonetheless, the test could benefit from the inclusion of additional items of both high and low difficulty in order to increase construct validity, discrimination and reliability for the respondents. Several items with differences in gender and course were also identified. Discussion: The results evidence the need and adequacy of this complementary psychometric analysis strategy, in relation to the CFA to enhance the instrument. PMID:28298898

Radiology curriculum topics for medical students: students' perspectives.

PubMed

Subramaniam, Rathan M; Beckley, Vaughan; Chan, Michael; Chou, Tina; Scally, Peter

2006-07-01

We sought to establish medical students' perspectives of a set of curriculum topics for radiology teaching. A multicenter study was conducted in New Zealand. A modified Delphi method was adopted. Students enrolled in two New Zealand Universities received a questionnaire. Each learning topic was graded on a scale of 1 (very strongly disagree) to 6 (very strongly agree). Students could also put forward and grade suggestions that were not on the questionnaire. Of 200 questionnaires, 107 were returned. Fifty male and 57 female students participated, with an average age of 23.7 years. The five highest ranking curriculum topics in order of importance were developing a system for viewing chest radiographs (5.77, SD 0.7), developing a system for viewing abdominal radiographs (5.66, SD 0.8), developing a system for viewing bone and joint radiographs (5.56, SD 0.8), distinguishing normal structures from abnormal in chest and abdominal radiographs (5.38, SD 0.9), and identifying gross bone or joint abnormalities in skeletal radiographs (5.29, SD 0.9). Medical students want to know how to look at radiographs, how to distinguish normal from abnormal, and how to identify gross abnormalities.

Measurement of Stigmatization towards Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

PubMed Central

Fuermaier, Anselm B. M.; Tucha, Lara; Koerts, Janneke; Mueller, Anna K.; Lange, Klaus W.; Tucha, Oliver

2012-01-01

Objectives In general, assessment tools for stigma in mental disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are lacking. Moreover, misbeliefs and misconceptions about ADHD are common, in particular with regard to the adult form of ADHD. The aim of the present study was to develop a questionnaire measuring stigma in adults with ADHD and to demonstrate its sensitivity. Methods A questionnaire initially containing 64 items associated with stigma in adults with ADHD was developed. A total number of 1261 respondents were included in the analyses. The psychometric properties were investigated on a sample of 1033 participants. The sensitivity of the questionnaire was explored on 228 participants consisting of teachers, physicians and control participants. Results Thirty-seven items were extracted due to exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and the internal consistency of items. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed good psychometric properties of a 6-factor structure. Teachers and physicians differed significantly in their stigmatizing attitudes from control participants. Conclusions The present data shed light on various dimensions of stigma in adult ADHD. Reliability and Social Functioning, Malingering and Misuse of Medication, Ability to Take Responsibility, Norm-violating and Externalizing Behavior, Consequences of Diagnostic Disclosure and Etiology represent critical aspects associated with stigmatization. PMID:23284760

Construct Validity and Reliability of a New Spanish Empathy Questionnaire for Children and Early Adolescents

PubMed Central

Richaud, Maria C.; Lemos, Viviana N.; Mesurado, Belen; Oros, Laura

2017-01-01

Empathy is a basic socio-emotional process of human development that involves the ability to perceive, share, and understand the emotional states of others. This process is essential to successful social functioning. However, despite its significance, empathy has been difficult to define and measure, particularly when incorporating both its emotional and cognitive aspects. The purpose of this study was to develop an Empathy Questionnaire for children aged 9–12 years based on a model of social cognitive neuroscience and to analyze its construct validity and reliability. This questionnaire aimed to integrate the following aspects: emotional contagion, self-other awareness, perspective-taking, emotional regulation, and empathic action. Three studies were conducted. Study 1 evaluated the discriminative power of the items and studied the underlying structure of the instrument using exploratory factor analysis. In Study 2, confirmatory factor analysis was performed to test the model obtained. Finally, the goal of Study 3 was to analyze the convergent and discriminant validity of the questionnaire and the internal consistency of its dimensions. The final version of the instrument contained 15 items that operationalized the previously listed dimensions. The results of the 3 studies indicated that the questionnaire had good validity and reliability. This study has important implications for research and clinical practice. Given its simplicity and brevity, this new self-report scale may work well as a screening method to evaluate the key psychological issues underlying numerous child behaviors that predict the success or failure of social relationships, individual quality of life, and mental well-being. PMID:28659848

Construct Validity and Reliability of a New Spanish Empathy Questionnaire for Children and Early Adolescents.

PubMed

Richaud, Maria C; Lemos, Viviana N; Mesurado, Belen; Oros, Laura

2017-01-01

Empathy is a basic socio-emotional process of human development that involves the ability to perceive, share, and understand the emotional states of others. This process is essential to successful social functioning. However, despite its significance, empathy has been difficult to define and measure, particularly when incorporating both its emotional and cognitive aspects. The purpose of this study was to develop an Empathy Questionnaire for children aged 9-12 years based on a model of social cognitive neuroscience and to analyze its construct validity and reliability. This questionnaire aimed to integrate the following aspects: emotional contagion, self-other awareness, perspective-taking, emotional regulation , and empathic action. Three studies were conducted. Study 1 evaluated the discriminative power of the items and studied the underlying structure of the instrument using exploratory factor analysis. In Study 2, confirmatory factor analysis was performed to test the model obtained. Finally, the goal of Study 3 was to analyze the convergent and discriminant validity of the questionnaire and the internal consistency of its dimensions. The final version of the instrument contained 15 items that operationalized the previously listed dimensions. The results of the 3 studies indicated that the questionnaire had good validity and reliability. This study has important implications for research and clinical practice. Given its simplicity and brevity, this new self-report scale may work well as a screening method to evaluate the key psychological issues underlying numerous child behaviors that predict the success or failure of social relationships, individual quality of life, and mental well-being.

Systematic review of measurement properties of questionnaires measuring somatization in primary care patients.

PubMed

Sitnikova, Kate; Dijkstra-Kersten, Sandra M A; Mokkink, Lidwine B; Terluin, Berend; van Marwijk, Harm W J; Leone, Stephanie S; van der Horst, Henriëtte E; van der Wouden, Johannes C

2017-12-01

The aim of this review is to critically appraise the evidence on measurement properties of self-report questionnaires measuring somatization in adult primary care patients and to provide recommendations about which questionnaires are most useful for this purpose. We assessed the methodological quality of included studies using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist. To draw overall conclusions about the quality of the questionnaires, we conducted an evidence synthesis using predefined criteria for judging the measurement properties. We found 24 articles on 9 questionnaires. Studies on the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15) and the Four-Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire (4DSQ) somatization subscale prevailed and covered the broadest range of measurement properties. These questionnaires had the best internal consistency, test-retest reliability, structural validity, and construct validity. The PHQ-15 also had good criterion validity, whereas the 4DSQ somatization subscale was validated in several languages. The Bodily Distress Syndrome (BDS) checklist had good internal consistency and structural validity. Some evidence was found for good construct validity and criterion validity of the Physical Symptom Checklist (PSC-51) and good construct validity of the Symptom Check-List (SCL-90-R) somatization subscale. However, these three questionnaires were only studied in a small number of primary care studies. Based on our findings, we recommend the use of either the PHQ-15 or 4DSQ somatization subscale for somatization in primary care. Other questionnaires, such as the BDS checklist, PSC-51 and the SCL-90-R somatization subscale show promising results but have not been studied extensively in primary care. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Use of a safety climate questionnaire in UK health care: factor structure, reliability and usability.

PubMed

Hutchinson, A; Cooper, K L; Dean, J E; McIntosh, A; Patterson, M; Stride, C B; Laurence, B E; Smith, C M

2006-10-01

To explore the factor structure, reliability, and potential usefulness of a patient safety climate questionnaire in UK health care. Four acute hospital trusts and nine primary care trusts in England. The questionnaire used was the 27 item Teamwork and Safety Climate Survey. Thirty three healthcare staff commented on the wording and relevance. The questionnaire was then sent to 3650 staff within the 13 NHS trusts, seeking to achieve at least 600 responses as the basis for the factor analysis. 1307 questionnaires were returned (36% response). Factor analyses and reliability analyses were carried out on 897 responses from staff involved in direct patient care, to explore how consistently the questions measured the underlying constructs of safety climate and teamwork. Some questionnaire items related to multiple factors or did not relate strongly to any factor. Five items were discarded. Two teamwork factors were derived from the remaining 11 teamwork items and three safety climate factors were derived from the remaining 11 safety items. Internal consistency reliabilities were satisfactory to good (Cronbach's alpha > or =0.69 for all five factors). This is one of the few studies to undertake a detailed evaluation of a patient safety climate questionnaire in UK health care and possibly the first to do so in primary as well as secondary care. The results indicate that a 22 item version of this safety climate questionnaire is useable as a research instrument in both settings, but also demonstrates a more general need for thorough validation of safety climate questionnaires before widespread usage.

Developing an instrument to measure effective factors on Clinical Learning.

PubMed

Dadgaran, Ideh; Shirazi, Mandana; Mohammadi, Aeen; Ravari, Ali

2016-07-01

Although nursing students spend a large part of their learning period in the clinical environment, clinical learning has not been perceived by its nature yet. To develop an instrument to measure effective factors on clinical learning in nursing students. This is a mixed methods study performed in 2 steps. First, the researchers defined "clinical learning" in nursing students through qualitative content analysis and designed items of the questionnaire based on semi-structured individual interviews with nursing students. Then, as the second step, psychometric properties of the questionnaire were evaluated using the face validity, content validity, construct validity, and internal consistency evaluated on 227 students from fourth or higher semesters. All the interviews were recorded and transcribed, and then, they were analyzed using Max Qualitative Data Analysis and all of qualitative data were analyzed using SPSS 14. To do the study, we constructed the preliminary questionnaire containing 102 expressions. After determination of face and content validities by qualitative and quantitative approaches, the expressions of the questionnaire were reduced to 45. To determine the construct validity, exploratory factor analysis was applied. The results indicated that the maximum variance percentage (40.55%) was defined by the first 3 factors while the rest of the total variance percentage (59.45%) was determined by the other 42 factors. Results of exploratory factor analysis of this questionnaire indicated the presence of 3 instructor-staff, students, and educational related factors. Finally, 41 expressions were kept in 3 factor groups. The α-Cronbach coefficient (0.93) confirmed the high internal consistency of the questionnaire. Results indicated that the prepared questionnaire was an efficient instrument in the study of the effective factors on clinical learning as viewed by nursing students since it involves 41 expressions and properties such as instrument design based on perception and experiences of the nursing students about effective factors on clinical learning, definition of facilitator and preventive factors of the clinical learning, simple scoring, suitable validity and reliability, and applicability in different occasions.

Promoting and inhibiting factors for the use of validated dietary assessment questionnaires in health check-up counseling: from occupational health nurses and dietitians' perspective.

PubMed

Katagiri, Ryoko; Muto, Go; Sasaki, Satoshi

2018-06-01

A validated questionnaire is not typically used for dietary assessment in health check-up counseling provided by occupational health nurses in Japan. We conducted a qualitative study to investigate the barriers and promoting factors affecting the use of validated questionnaires. Ten occupational health nurses and three registered dietitians, working at a health insurance society, were recruited for this study using an open-ended, free description questionnaire. Inhibiting factors, such as "Feeling of satisfaction with the current method," "Recognition of importance," and "Sense of burden from the questionnaire", and as promoting factors, "Feeling the current method is insufficient", "Recognition of importance," "Reduction in the feeling of burden after the answer," "Expectation of and reaction to the result," and "Expectation for the effect of the counseling" were noted. Since a standardized dietary assessment method in health counseling might be desirable for the harmonization of work with diseases prevention in an occupational field, findings in this study could propose appropriate targets to reduce confusion in health professionals' concerning the use of validated questionnaires.

78 FR 23743 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Generic Clearance for Questionnaire Pretesting...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-22

...; Generic Clearance for Questionnaire Pretesting Research AGENCY: Census Bureau, Commerce. ACTION: Notice.... This research program will be used by the Census Bureau and survey sponsors to improve questionnaires... involve one of the following methods of identifying measurement problems with the questionnaire or survey...

The Development and Preliminary Validation of a Brief Questionnaire of Psychopathic Personality Traits

PubMed Central

Etzler, Sonja; Rohrmann, Sonja

2017-01-01

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. PMID:28928687

Chinese translation and validation of a parental feeding style questionnaire for parents of Hong Kong preschoolers.

PubMed

Tam, Wilson; Keung, Vera; Lee, Albert; Lo, Kenneth; Cheung, Calvin

2014-11-21

Childhood obesity is a major public health issue in many countries, including China. The importance of parenting relative to the healthy development of children requires the development of instruments for assessing parental influence on child dietary pattern. This study aimed to confirm the internal reliability and validity of a self-report measure on parental feeding styles, including emotional feeding, instrumental feeding, prompting or encouragement to eat, and control over eating. A 27-item parental feeding style questionnaire (PFSQ) was translated into Chinese and then translated back into English to verify consistency. The questionnaire was then used to conduct a cross-sectional survey on the parents of Hong Kong preschoolers. The internal reliability and validity of the questionnaire were examined by Cronbach's alpha and exploratory factor analysis, respectively. 4,553 completed questionnaires were received. Cronbach's alpha of subscales ranged from 0.63 to 0.81, and the overall reliability was good (alpha = 0.75). The factor structure of this questionnaire was similar to that of the original and Turkish versions. One-factor structure was identified for emotional feeding, instrumental feeding (four items), and prompting or encouragement to eat, whereas a two-factor structure was revealed for control over eating. The Chinese version of the PFSQ has good reliability and validity in assessing parental feeding styles in Hong Kong. Researchers can use this instrument to improve their understanding on how parental feeding styles may affect the dietary patterns and ultimately the weight statuses of children among Chinese-speaking populations across different countries.

Quality planning in Construction Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Othman, I.; Shafiq, Nasir; Nuruddin, M. F.

2017-12-01

The purpose of this paper is to investigate deeper on the factors that contribute to the effectiveness of quality planning, identifying the common problems encountered in quality planning, practices and ways for improvements in quality planning for construction projects. This paper involves data collected from construction company representatives across Malaysia that are obtained through semi-structured interviews as well as questionnaire distributions. Results shows that design of experiments (average index: 4.61), inspection (average index: 4.45) and quality audit as well as other methods (average index: 4.26) rank first, second and third most important factors respectively.

The reliability and validity study of the Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire in individuals with Multiple Sclerosis

PubMed Central

Tabrizi, Yousef Moghadas; Zangiabadi, Nasser; Mazhari, Shahrzad; Zolala, Farzaneh

2013-01-01

Objective Motor imagery (MI) has been recently considered as an adjunct to physical rehabilitation in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). It is necessary to assess MI abilities and benefits in patients with MS by using a reliable tool. The Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire (KVIQ) was recently developed to assess MI ability in patients with stroke and other disabilities. Considering the different underlying pathologies, the present study aimed to examine the validity and reliability of the KVIQ in MS patients. Method Fifteen MS patients were assessed using the KVIQ in 2 sessions (5-14days apart) by the same examiner. In the second session, the participants also completed a revised MI questionnaire (MIQ-R) as the gold standard. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) were measured to determine test-retest reliability. Spearman's correlation analysis was performed to assess concurrent validity with the MIQ-R. Furthermore, the internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and factorial structure of the KVIQ were studied. Results The test-retest reliability for the KVIQ was good (ICCs: total KVIQ=0.89, visual KVIQ=0.85, and kinesthetic KVIQ=0.93), and the concurrent validity between the KVIQ and MIQ-R was good (r=0.79). The KVIQ had good internal consistency, with high Cronbach's alpha (alpha=0.84). Factorial analysis showed the bi-factorial structure of the KVIQ, which was explained by visual=57.6% and kinesthetic=32.4%. Conclusions The results of the present study revealed that the KVIQ is a valid and reliable tool for assessing MI in MS patients. PMID:24271091

Men, hearts and minds: developing and piloting culturally specific psychometric tools assessing psychosocial stress and depression in central Australian Aboriginal men.

PubMed

Brown, Alex; Mentha, Ricky; Howard, Michael; Rowley, Kevin; Reilly, Rachel; Paquet, Catherine; O'Dea, Kerin

2016-02-01

The health inequalities experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians are well documented but there are few empirical data outlining the burden, consequences, experience and expression of depressive illness. This paper seeks to address the lack of accessible, culturally specific measures of psychosocial stress, depression or quality of life developed for, and validated within, this population. Building on an extensive qualitative phase of research, a psychosocial questionnaire comprising novel and adapted scales was developed and piloted with 189 Aboriginal men across urban and remote settings in central Australia. With a view to refining this tool for future use, its underlying structure was assessed using exploratory factor analysis, and the predictive ability of the emergent psychosocial constructs assessed with respect to depressive symptomatology. The latent structure of the psychosocial questionnaire was conceptually aligned with the components of the a priori model on which the questionnaire was based. Regression modelling indicated that depressive symptoms were driven by a sense of injury and chronic stress and had a non-linear association with socioeconomic position. This represents the first community-based survey of psychosocial stress and depression in Aboriginal men. It provides both knowledge of, and an appropriate process for, the further development of psychometric tools, including quality of life, in this population. Further research with larger and more diverse samples of Aboriginal people is required to refine the measurement of key constructs such as chronic stress, socioeconomic position, social support and connectedness. The further refinement, validation against criterion-based methods and incorporation within primary care services is essential.

Developing the Stroke Exercise Preference Inventory (SEPI)

PubMed Central

Bonner, Nicholas S.; O’Halloran, Paul D.; Bernhardt, Julie; Cumming, Toby B.

2016-01-01

Background Physical inactivity is highly prevalent after stroke, increasing the risk of poor health outcomes including recurrent stroke. Tailoring of exercise programs to individual preferences can improve adherence, but no tools exist for this purpose in stroke. Methods We identified potential questionnaire items for establishing exercise preferences via: (i) our preliminary Exercise Preference Questionnaire in stroke, (ii) similar tools used in other conditions, and (iii) expert panel consultations. The resulting 35-item questionnaire (SEPI-35) was administered to stroke survivors, along with measures of disability, depression, anxiety, fatigue and self-reported physical activity. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify a factor structure in exercise preferences, providing a framework for item reduction. Associations between exercise preferences and personal characteristics were analysed using multivariable regression. Results A group of 134 community-dwelling stroke survivors (mean age 64.0, SD 13.3) participated. Analysis of the SEPI-35 identified 7 exercise preference factors (Supervision-support, Confidence-challenge, Health-wellbeing, Exercise context, Home-alone, Similar others, Music-TV). Item reduction processes yielded a 13-item version (SEPI-13); in analysis of this version, the original factor structure was maintained. Lower scores on Confidence-challenge were significantly associated with disability (p = 0.002), depression (p = 0.001) and fatigue (p = 0.001). Self-reported barriers to exercise were particularly prevalent in those experiencing fatigue and anxiety. Conclusions The SEPI-13 is a brief instrument that allows assessment of exercise preferences and barriers in the stroke population. This new tool can be employed by health professionals to inform the development of individually tailored exercise interventions. PMID:27711242

Humor and College Adjustment: The Predictive Nature of Humor, Academic Achievement, Authoritative Parenting Styles on the Initial Adjustment of Male and Female First-Year College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hickman, Gregory P.; Andrews, David W.

2003-01-01

A self-report questionnaire on academic achievement, birth order, and family structure; the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire; the Parental Authority Questionnaire; and the Coping Humor Scale were administered to 257 first-year college students. Researchers examined the relationships among (a) authoritative parenting style, (b) family…

Development of the PMPQ: A Structural Job Analysis Questionnaire for the Study of Professional and Managerial Positions. PMPQ Report No. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Jimmy L.; McCormick, Ernest J.

The development and analysis of the Professional and Managerial Position Questionnaire (PMPQ) is reported. PMPQ is intended to serve as a job analysis instrument for higher level occupations than those assessed by the Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ). Four approaches to job analysis are described with different emphases on the requirements of…

The Use of the Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) for Establishing the Job Component Validity of Tests. Report No. 5. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCormick, Ernest J.; And Others

The Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ), a structured job analysis questionnaire that provides for the analysis of individual jobs in terms of each of 187 job elements, was used to establish the job component validity of certain commercially-available vocational aptitude tests. Prior to the general analyses reported here, a statistical analysis…

The Subthreshold Autism Trait Questionnaire (SATQ): Development of a Brief Self-Report Measure of Subthreshold Autism Traits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kanne, Stephen M.; Wang, Jennifer; Christ, Shawn E.

2012-01-01

The current study was motivated by a need for a self-report questionnaire that assesses a broad range of subthreshold autism traits, is brief and easily administered, and is relevant to the general population. An initial item pool was administered to 1,709 students. Structural validity analysis resulted in a 24-item questionnaire termed the…

A survey of Chinese nurses' guidance to parents in children's postoperative pain relief.

PubMed

He, Hong-Gu; Pölkki, Tarja; Pietilä, Anna-Maija; Vehviläinen-Julkunen, Katri

2005-10-01

The aim of the study was to describe parental guidance provided by Chinese nurses regarding non-pharmacological methods in children's surgical pain relief as well as factors related to this. Parental involvement in children's pain management has been acknowledged and encouraged in recent years. However, parents' lack of related information has been pointed out and little is known about how parents are guided to use non-pharmacological methods to relieve the pain. A previously validated European questionnaire survey was conducted in 2002. Structured questionnaires were distributed to all 187 nurses working at 12 surgical wards in five hospitals of Fujian Province, China. The average response rate was 98%. The results show that nurses informed parents of the majority of cognitive information. The most commonly guided non-pharmacological methods were distraction, positive reinforcement, comforting/reassurance, positioning and relaxation. Nurses' background factors, including age, education, nursing position, professional work experience, number of their own children and experiences of earlier hospitalizations of their children, were significantly related to their perceptions regarding parental guidance. Chinese nurses provided much guidance to parents on non-pharmacological methods. However, the results show that sensory information and physical methods were poorly conveyed to parents, which needs future attention to reinforce parents' active role in pain management. This study provides new information on Chinese nurses' guiding parents to use non-pharmacological methods in pain alleviation, thereby contributing to the body of knowledge on this subject. Furthermore, the study makes the respondents aware of the importance of involving parents in their child's pain management.

Development and psychometric properties of the Y-PASS questionnaire to assess correlates of lunchtime and after-school physical activity in children

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background To frame interventions, it is useful to understand context- and time-specific correlates of children’s physical activity. To do this, we need accurate assessment of these correlates. There are currently no measures that assess correlates at all levels of the social ecological model, contain items that are specifically worded for the lunchtime and/or after-school time periods, and assess correlates that have been conceptualised and defined by children. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of the lunchtime and after-school Youth Physical Activity Survey for Specific Settings (Y-PASS) questionnaires. Methods The Y-PASS questionnaire was administered to 264 South Australian children (146 boys, 118 girls; mean age = 11.7 ± 0.93 years). Factorial structure and internal consistency of the intrapersonal, sociocultural and physical environmental/policy lunchtime and after-school subscales were examined through an exploratory factor analysis. The test-retest reliability of the Y-PASS subscales was assessed over a one-week period on a subsample of children (lunchtime Y-PASS: n = 12 boys, 12 girls, mean age of 11.6 ± 0.8 years; after-school Y-PASS: n = 9 boys, 13 girls; mean age = 11.4 ± 0.9 years). Results For the lunchtime Y-PASS, three factors were identified under each of the intrapersonal, sociocultural and physical environmental/policy subscales. For the after-school Y-PASS, six factors were identified in the intrapersonal subscale, four factors in the sociocultural subscale and seven factors in the physical environmental/policy subscale. Following item reduction, all subscales demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach alpha = 0.78 – 0.85), except for the lunchtime sociocultural subscale (Cronbach alpha = 0.55). The factors and items demonstrated fair to very high test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.26 – 0.93). Conclusion The preliminary reliability and factorial structure evidence suggests the Y-PASS correlate questionnaires are robust tools for measuring correlates of context-specific physical activity in children. The multi-dimensional factor structure provides justification for exploring physical activity correlates from a social ecological perspective and demonstrates the importance of developing items that are context specific. Further development and refinement of the Y-PASS questionnaires is recommended, including a confirmatory factor analysis and exploring the inclusion of additional items. PMID:24885601

Development, Construction, and Content Validation of a Questionnaire to Test Mobile Shower Commode Usability

PubMed Central

Theodoros, Deborah G.; Russell, Trevor G.

2015-01-01

Background: Usability is an emerging domain of outcomes measurement in assistive technology provision. Currently, no questionnaires exist to test the usability of mobile shower commodes (MSCs) used by adults with spinal cord injury (SCI). Objective: To describe the development, construction, and initial content validation of an electronic questionnaire to test mobile shower commode usability for this population. Methods: The questionnaire was constructed using a mixed-methods approach in 5 phases: determining user preferences for the questionnaire’s format, developing an item bank of usability indicators from the literature and judgement of experts, constructing a preliminary questionnaire, assessing content validity with a panel of experts, and constructing the final questionnaire. Results: The electronic Mobile Shower Commode Assessment Tool Version 1.0 (eMAST 1.0) questionnaire tests MSC features and performance during activities identified using a mixed-methods approach and in consultation with users. It confirms that usability is complex and multidimensional. The final questionnaire contains 25 questions in 3 sections. The eMAST 1.0 demonstrates excellent content validity as determined by a small sample of expert clinicians. Conclusion: The eMAST 1.0 tests usability of MSCs from the perspective of adults with SCI and may be used to solicit feedback during MSC design, assessment, prescription, and ongoing use. Further studies assessing the eMAST’s psychometric properties, including studies with users of MSCs, are needed. PMID:25762862

Identifying Problematic Internet Users: Development and Validation of the Internet Motive Questionnaire for Adolescents (IMQ-A)

PubMed Central

Bischof-Kastner, Christina; Kuntsche, Emmanuel

2014-01-01

Background Internationally, up to 15.1% of intensive Internet use among adolescents is dysfunctional. To provide a basis for early intervention and preventive measures, understanding the motives behind intensive Internet use is important. Objective This study aims to develop a questionnaire, the Internet Motive Questionnaire for Adolescents (IMQ-A), as a theory-based measurement for identifying the underlying motives for high-risk Internet use. More precisely, the aim was to confirm the 4-factor structure (ie, social, enhancement, coping, and conformity motives) as well as its construct and concurrent validity. Another aim was to identify the motivational differences between high-risk and low-risk Internet users. Methods A sample of 101 German adolescents (female: 52.5%, 53/101; age: mean 15.9, SD 1.3 years) was recruited. High-risk users (n=47) and low-risk users (n=54) were identified based on a screening measure for online addiction behavior in children and adolescents (Online-Suchtverhalten-Skala, OSVK-S). Here, “high-risk” Internet use means use that exceeds the level of intensive Internet use (OSVK-S sum score ≥7). Results The confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the IMQ-A’s 4-factor structure. A reliability analysis revealed good internal consistencies of the subscales (.71 up to .86). Moreover, regression analyses confirmed that the enhancement and coping motive groups significantly predicted high-risk Internet consumption and the OSVK-S sum score. A mixed-model ANOVA confirmed that adolescents mainly access the Internet for social motives, followed by enhancement and coping motives, and that high-risk users access the Internet more frequently for coping and enhancement motives than low-risk users. Low-risk users were primarily motivated socially. Conclusions The IMQ-A enables the assessment of motives related to adolescent Internet use and thus the identification of populations at risk. The questionnaire enables the development of preventive measures or early intervention programs, especially dealing with internal motives of Internet consumption. PMID:25299174

Work design and management in the manufacturing sector: development and validation of the Work Organisation Assessment Questionnaire

PubMed Central

Griffiths, A; Cox, T; Karanika, M; Khan, S; Tomás, J‐M

2006-01-01

Objectives To examine the factor structure, reliability, and validity of a new context‐specific questionnaire for the assessment of work and organisational factors. The Work Organisation Assessment Questionnaire (WOAQ) was developed as part of a risk assessment and risk reduction methodology for hazards inherent in the design and management of work in the manufacturing sector. Method Two studies were conducted. Data were collected from 524 white‐ and blue‐collar employees from a range of manufacturing companies. Exploratory factor analysis was carried out on 28 items that described the most commonly reported failures of work design and management in companies in the manufacturing sector. Concurrent validity data were also collected. A reliability study was conducted with a further 156 employees. Results Principal component analysis, with varimax rotation, revealed a strong 28‐item, five factor structure. The factors were named: quality of relationships with management, reward and recognition, workload, quality of relationships with colleagues, and quality of physical environment. Analyses also revealed a more general summative factor. Results indicated that the questionnaire has good internal consistency and test‐retest reliability and validity. Being associated with poor employee health and changes in health related behaviour, the WOAQ factors are possible hazards. It is argued that the strength of those associations offers some estimation of risk. Feedback from the organisations involved indicated that the WOAQ was easy to use and meaningful for them as part of their risk assessment procedures. Conclusions The studies reported here describe a model of the hazards to employee health and health related behaviour inherent in the design and management of work in the manufacturing sector. It offers an instrument for their assessment. The scales derived which form the WOAQ were shown to be reliable, valid, and meaningful to the user population. PMID:16858081

Construction and validation of attitudes toward plagiarism questionnaire.

PubMed

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.

[Study on HIV prevention related knowledge-motivation-psychological model in men who have sex with men, based on a structural equation model].

PubMed

Jiang, Y; Dou, Y L; Cai, A J; Zhang, Z; Tian, T; Dai, J H; Huang, A L

2016-02-01

Knowledge-motivation-psychological model was set up and tested through structural equation model to provide evidence on HIV prevention related strategy in Men who have Sex with Men (MSM). Snowball sampling method was used to recruit a total of 550 MSM volunteers from two MSM Non-Governmental Organizations in Urumqi, Xinjiang province. HIV prevention related information on MSM was collected through a questionnaire survey. A total of 477 volunteers showed with complete information. HIV prevention related Knowledge-motivation-psychological model was built under related experience and literature. Relations between knowledge, motivation and psychological was studied, using a ' structural equation model' with data from the fitting questionnaires and modification of the model. Structural equation model presented good fitting results. After revising the fitting index: RMSEA was 0.035, NFI was 0.965 and RFI was 0.920. Thereafter the exogenous latent variables would include knowledge, motivation and psychological effects. The endogenous latent variable appeared as prevention related behaviors. The standardized total effects of motivation, knowledge, psychological on prevention behavior were 0.44, 0.41 and 0.17 respectively. Correlation coefficient of motivation and psychological effects was 0.16. Correlation coefficient on knowledge and psychological effects was -0.17 (P<0.05). Correlation coefficient of knowledge and motivation did not show statistical significance. Knowledge of HIV and motivation of HIV prevention did not show any accordance in MSM population. It was necessary to increase the awareness and to improve the motivation of HIV prevention in MSM population.

An analysis of structural relationship among achievement motive on social participation, purpose in life, and role expectations among community dwelling elderly attending day services

PubMed Central

Kyougoku, Makoto

2016-01-01

Background. Achievement motive is defined as the intention to achieve one’s goals. Achievement motive is assumed to promote clients to choices and actions toward their valuable goal, so it is an important consideration in rehabilitation. Purpose. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the structural relationship among achievement motive on purpose in life, social participation, and role expectation of community-dwelling elderly people. Methods. Participants were community-dwelling elderly people in day-service centers. A total of 281 participants (male: 127, female: 154) answered the self-administered questionnaire in cross-sectional research. The questionnaire was comprised of demographic data and scales that evaluated achievement motive, social participation, purpose in life, and role expectation. We studied the structural relationship established by our hypothesized model via a structural equation modeling approach. Results. We checked the standardized path coefficients and the modification indices; the modified model’s statistics were a good fit: CFI = 0.984, TLI = 0.983, RMSEA = 0.050, 90% CI [0.044–0.055]. Achievement motive had a significantly direct effect on purpose in life (direct effect = 0.445, p value < 0.001), a significantly indirect effect on purpose in life via social participation or role expectation (indirect effect = 0.170, p value < 0.001) and a total effect on purpose in life (total effect = 0.615). Discussion. This result suggests that enhancing the intention to achieve one’s goals enables participants to feel a spirit of challenge with a purpose and a sense of fulfillment in their daily lives. PMID:26835188

An analysis of structural relationship among achievement motive on social participation, purpose in life, and role expectations among community dwelling elderly attending day services.

PubMed

Sano, Nobuyuki; Kyougoku, Makoto

2016-01-01

Background. Achievement motive is defined as the intention to achieve one's goals. Achievement motive is assumed to promote clients to choices and actions toward their valuable goal, so it is an important consideration in rehabilitation. Purpose. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the structural relationship among achievement motive on purpose in life, social participation, and role expectation of community-dwelling elderly people. Methods. Participants were community-dwelling elderly people in day-service centers. A total of 281 participants (male: 127, female: 154) answered the self-administered questionnaire in cross-sectional research. The questionnaire was comprised of demographic data and scales that evaluated achievement motive, social participation, purpose in life, and role expectation. We studied the structural relationship established by our hypothesized model via a structural equation modeling approach. Results. We checked the standardized path coefficients and the modification indices; the modified model's statistics were a good fit: CFI = 0.984, TLI = 0.983, RMSEA = 0.050, 90% CI [0.044-0.055]. Achievement motive had a significantly direct effect on purpose in life (direct effect = 0.445, p value < 0.001), a significantly indirect effect on purpose in life via social participation or role expectation (indirect effect = 0.170, p value < 0.001) and a total effect on purpose in life (total effect = 0.615). Discussion. This result suggests that enhancing the intention to achieve one's goals enables participants to feel a spirit of challenge with a purpose and a sense of fulfillment in their daily lives.

Use of the Method of Triads in the Validation of Sodium and Potassium Intake in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil)

PubMed Central

Pereira, Taísa Sabrina Silva; Cade, Nágela Valadão; Mill, José Geraldo; Sichieri, Rosely; Molina, Maria del Carmen Bisi

2016-01-01

Introduction Biomarkers are a good choice to be used in the validation of food frequency questionnaire due to the independence of their random errors. Objective To assess the validity of the potassium and sodium intake estimated using the Food Frequency Questionnaire ELSA-Brasil. Subjects/Methods A subsample of participants in the ELSA-Brasil cohort was included in this study in 2009. Sodium and potassium intake were estimated using three methods: Semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire, 12-hour nocturnal urinary excretion and three 24-hour food records. Correlation coefficients were calculated between the methods, and the validity coefficient was calculated using the method of triads. The 95% confidence intervals for the validity coefficient were estimated using bootstrap sampling. Exact and adjacent agreement and disagreement of the estimated sodium and potassium intake quintiles were compared among three methods. Results The sample consisted of 246 participants, aged 53±8 years, 52% of women. Validity coefficient for sodium were considered weak (рfood frequency questionnaire actual intake = 0.37 and рbiomarker actual intake = 0.21) and moderate (рfood records actual intake 0.56). The validity coefficient were higher for potassium (рfood frequency questionnaire actual intake = 0.60; рbiomarker actual intake = 0.42; рfood records actual intake = 0.79). Conclusions: The Food Frequency Questionnaire ELSA-Brasil showed good validity in estimating potassium intake in epidemiological studies. For sodium validity was weak, likely due to the non-quantification of the added salt to prepared food. PMID:28030625

On the Effect of Introduction of Students' Evaluation for Teachers' Performanceon Graduation Thesis, Placement, and Postgraduate Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shinohara, Michimasa; Nakamura, Shozo

In fiscal 2004, Hiroshima Institute of Technology introduced the questionnaire for students to evaluate advice and guidance by professors on their graduation thesis, placement, and postgraduate studies. In this paper, questionnaire results for fiscal 2004 and 2005 are reported. The data shows the improvement of professors' teaching methods in fiscal 2005 compared to fiscal 2004. This questionnaire was performed from the standpoint of satisfaction of students, while professors endeavor to improve students' ability as well as their satisfaction. The questionnaire results will now be examined among all faculties, and the contents and method for the questionnaire should be improved aiming at higher quality education, based on the accumulated data from the continued observation.

Effective factors in expansion of medical tourism in Iran

PubMed Central

Rezaee, Reza; Mohammadzadeh, Mehdi

2016-01-01

Background: Medical tourism (MT) refers to circumstances in which people travel for medical treatments. The present study focuses on determining factors affecting MT in Iran. Methods: The study uses a mixed method approach. Initially, through a qualitative study, 12 experts were interviewed deeply; then, 22 participants in three equal focus groups expressed their ideas about growth and development of MT in Iran. Based on the expressed ideas, 120 factors were identified and accordingly a structured questionnaire was developed. Some members from the focus groups confirmed the questionnaire’s face and content validity. The reliability of pertinent items was confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha=0.8. Afterwards, 61 eligible subjects filled out this questionnaire. Results: The findings showed that "healthcare quality" and "high level of expertise" are two most attractive factors in MT. However, other factors such as "healthcare costs", and "visa facilities" are among key factors as well. Also, the role of "the healthcare providers" was found to be more prominent than the roles of "the government" and "the general tourist services". Conclusion: Although some attractive MT factors are present currently, MT expansion to a desirable level in Iran requires a comprehensive plan of which its factors were discussed in this paper. PMID:27683650

The Development of the Problematic Online Gaming Questionnaire (POGQ)

PubMed Central

Demetrovics, Zsolt; Urbán, Róbert; Nagygyörgy, Katalin; Farkas, Judit; Griffiths, Mark D.; Pápay, Orsolya; Kökönyei, Gyöngyi; Felvinczi, Katalin; Oláh, Attila

2012-01-01

Background Online gaming has become increasingly popular. However, this has led to concerns that these games might induce serious problems and/or lead to dependence for a minority of players. Aim: The aim of this study was to uncover and operationalize the components of problematic online gaming. Methods A total of 3415 gamers (90% males; mean age 21 years), were recruited through online gaming websites. A combined method of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was applied. Latent profile analysis was applied to identify persons at-risk. Results EFA revealed a six-factor structure in the background of problematic online gaming that was also confirmed by a CFA. For the assessment of the identified six dimensions – preoccupation, overuse, immersion, social isolation, interpersonal conflicts, and withdrawal – the 18-item Problematic Online Gaming Questionnaire (POGQ) proved to be exceedingly suitable. Based on the latent profile analysis, 3.4% of the gamer population was considered to be at high risk, while another 15.2% was moderately problematic. Conclusions The POGQ seems to be an adequate measurement tool for the differentiated assessment of gaming related problems on six subscales. PMID:22590541

Implementing music therapy on an adolescent inpatient unit: a mixed-methods evaluation of acceptability, experience of participation and perceived impact.

PubMed

Patterson, Sue; Duhig, Michael; Darbyshire, Chris; Counsel, Robin; Higgins, Niall; Williams, Ian

2015-10-01

We aimed to assess the feasibility of delivering a music therapy program on adolescent psychiatric wards. We undertook a mixed-methods evaluation of a pilot program. Various active and receptive techniques were employed in group music therapy sessions delivered as part of a structured clinical program. Data collected in interviews with participants and staff and feedback questionnaires were thematically and descriptively analysed and triangulated. Data from 62 questionnaires returned by 43 patients who took part in 16 music therapy sessions, and seven staff, evidenced strong support for music therapy. Patients typically reported experiencing sessions as relaxing, comforting, uplifting, and empowering; >90% would participate by choice and use music therapeutically in the future. Staff endorsed music therapy as valuable therapeutically, reporting that patients engaged enthusiastically and identified sessions as improving their own moods and ward milieu. Integration of music therapy in inpatient treatment of adolescents is feasible and acceptable, and is valued by staff and patients as a complement to 'talking therapies'. Participation is enjoyed and associated with outcomes including improvement in mood, expression of feelings and social engagement consistent with recovery. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2015.

A factor analysis of the SSQ (Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale).

PubMed

Akeroyd, Michael A; Guy, Fiona H; Harrison, Dawn L; Suller, Sharon L

2014-02-01

The speech, spatial, and qualities of hearing questionnaire (SSQ) is a self-report test of auditory disability. The 49 items ask how well a listener would do in many complex listening situations illustrative of real life. The scores on the items are often combined into the three main sections or into 10 pragmatic subscales. We report here a factor analysis of the SSQ that we conducted to further investigate its statistical properties and to determine its structure. Statistical factor analysis of questionnaire data, using parallel analysis to determine the number of factors to retain, oblique rotation of factors, and a bootstrap method to estimate the confidence intervals. 1220 people who have attended MRC IHR over the last decade. We found three clear factors, essentially corresponding to the three main sections of the SSQ. They are termed "speech understanding", "spatial perception", and "clarity, separation, and identification". Thirty-five of the SSQ questions were included in the three factors. There was partial evidence for a fourth factor, "effort and concentration", representing two more questions. These results aid in the interpretation and application of the SSQ and indicate potential methods for generating average scores.

Students’ Perception and Attitude on Methods of Anatomy Teaching in a Medical College of West Bengal, India

PubMed Central

Bandyopadhyay, Raktim

2017-01-01

Introduction Incorporating newer teaching aids over traditional one in Anatomy has been challenging both for the teachers and the learners. Different educational strategies are being used for teaching of Anatomy. Aim To elicit the perception and attitude toward teaching approaches in the Anatomy curriculum among first year medical students. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional, descriptive study was undertaken with the help of predesigned, pre-tested questionnaire to elicit knowledge in four domains of classroom teaching which were: a) gross anatomical structure; b) organ identification; c) topography; and d) radiological anatomy and self-assessment of acquired skills in respective fields among 114 first year students. Results A total of 57% of students opined good in gross structure of anatomy. A 60.5% of students preferred chalk and board method and 33.3% with LCD projector. Regarding acquiring knowledge, 72.8% of medical students gathered knowledge in gross anatomical structure domain whereas 58.8% in radiological anatomy. The overall mean score of attitude of the students regarding incorporating newer techniques in Anatomy teaching is 14.17±2.26. Conclusion The perception of Anatomy teaching and attitude among medicos have been studied and opinion from them had thrown light for incorporation of newer techniques in their teaching curriculum. PMID:29207689

Assessing Repetitive Negative Thinking Using Categorical and Transdiagnostic Approaches: A Comparison and Validation of Three Polish Language Adaptations of Self-Report Questionnaires.

PubMed

Kornacka, Monika; Buczny, Jacek; Layton, Rebekah L

2016-01-01

Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is a transdiagnostic process involved in the risk, maintenance, and relapse of serious conditions including mood disorders, anxiety, eating disorders, and addictions. Processing mode theory provides a theoretical model to assess, research, and treat RNT using a transdiagnostic approach. Clinical researchers also often employ categorical approaches to RNT, including a focus on depressive rumination or worry, for similar purposes. Three widely used self-report questionnaires have been developed to assess these related constructs: the Ruminative Response Scale (RRS), the Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire (PTQ), and the Mini-Cambridge Exeter Repetitive Thought Scale (Mini-CERTS). Yet these scales have not previously been used in conjunction, despite useful theoretical distinctions only available in Mini-CERTS. The present validation of the methods in a Polish speaking population provides psychometric parameters estimates that contribute to current efforts to increase reliable replication of theoretical outcomes. Moreover, the following study aims to present particular characteristics and a comparison of the three methods. Although there has been some exploration of a categorical approach, the comparison of transdiagnostic methods is still lacking. These methods are particularly relevant for developing and evaluating theoretically based interventions like concreteness training, an emerging field of increasing interest, which can be used to address the maladaptive processing mode in RNT that can lead to depression and other disorders. Furthermore, the translation of these measures enables the examination of possible cross-cultural structural differences that may lead to important theoretical progress in the measurement and classification of RNT. The results support the theoretical hypothesis. As expected, the dimensions of brooding, general repetitive negative thinking, as well as abstract analytical thinking, can all be classified as unconstructive repetitive thinking. The particular characteristics of each scale and potential practical applications in clinical and research are discussed.

Evaluation of a Validated Food Frequency Questionnaire for Self-Defined Vegans in the United States

PubMed Central

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 < 0.001) for all analyzed nutrients except calcium. Estimates, ranks, trends and higher-level participant percentile placements for Vitamin B12 were similar with both methods. Questionnaire intakes were higher than recalls for most other nutrients. Both methods demonstrated similar trends in DRI adequacy assessment (e.g., significantly inadequate vitamin D intake among vegans). This vegan-specific questionnaire can be a useful assessment tool for health screening initiatives in U.S. vegan communities. PMID:25006856

Impact of critical social empowerment on psychological empowerment and job satisfaction in nursing and midwifery settings.

PubMed

Casey, Marie; Saunders, Jean; O'Hara, Teresa

2010-01-01

To test an expanded model of empowerment which specifies the relationships between structural, psychological, critical social empowerment and job satisfaction. There is evidence that structural empowerment predicts psychological empowerment and these two dimensions of empowerment are independent predictors of job satisfaction. This study explored a third dimension of empowerment-- critical social empowerment--and its impact on psychological empowerment and job satisfaction. A predictive, non-experimental design in a sample of 306 nurses and midwives in Ireland using the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire, the Psychological Empowerment Questionnaire, a researcher developed tool to measure critical social empowerment and a job satisfaction questionnaire. While both structural and critical social empowerment were significant independent predictors of psychological empowerment and job satisfaction, critical social empowerment was the stronger predictor. The findings support the inclusion of the critical social dimension of empowerment in the understanding of empowerment. Managers at all levels must attend to critical social empowerment as well as structural empowerment in order to increase job satisfaction, retention and engagement of highly qualified committed nurses and midwives.

The Feeding Practices and Structure Questionnaire (FPSQ-28): A parsimonious version validated for longitudinal use from 2 to 5 years.

PubMed

Jansen, Elena; Williams, Kate E; Mallan, Kimberley M; Nicholson, Jan M; Daniels, Lynne A

2016-05-01

Prospective studies and intervention evaluations that examine change over time assume that measurement tools measure the same construct at each occasion. In the area of parent-child feeding practices, longitudinal measurement properties of the questionnaires used are rarely verified. To ascertain that measured change in feeding practices reflects true change rather than change in the assessment, structure, or conceptualisation of the constructs over time, this study examined longitudinal measurement invariance of the Feeding Practices and Structure Questionnaire (FPSQ) subscales (9 constructs; 40 items) across 3 time points. Mothers participating in the NOURISH trial reported their feeding practices when children were aged 2, 3.7, and 5 years (N = 404). Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) within a structural equation modelling framework was used. Comparisons of initial cross-sectional models followed by longitudinal modelling of subscales, resulted in the removal of 12 items, including two redundant or poorly performing subscales. The resulting 28-item FPSQ-28 comprised 7 multi-item subscales: Reward for Behaviour, Reward for Eating, Persuasive Feeding, Overt Restriction, Covert Restriction, Structured Meal Setting and Structured Meal Timing. All subscales showed good fit over 3 time points and each displayed at least partial scalar (thresholds equal) longitudinal measurement invariance. We recommend the use of a separate single item indicator to assess the family meal setting. This is the first study to examine longitudinal measurement invariance in a feeding practices questionnaire. Invariance was established, indicating that the subscales of the shortened FPSQ-28 can be used with mothers to validly assess change in 7 feeding constructs in samples of children aged 2-5 years of age. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

School health services in the City of Zagreb - do we meet adolescents' needs?

PubMed

Kuzman, Marina; Posavec, Marija; Marić, Ivana

2014-12-01

School health services (SHS) have in Croatia long tradition, established organizational structure, defined program and educated staff. The program is limited to the preventive activities. The aim of the study was to investigate the satisfaction of the children, school staff and parents with existing school health services in the City of Zagreb. The structured questionnaire was sent to the primary and secondary schools in the City of Zagreb, which were selected using random sample method. The questionnaires were anonymous and filled in supervised by class masters. In the secondary schools the structure of schooling was respected. Questionnaires were filled by 448 pupils from primary, 551 from secondary schools, by 596 parents and 595 teachers. In primary schools pupils rated SHS more available and accessible, staff complaisant and responsible, counselling being useful and justified, confidentiality respected higher than pupils from secondary schools (p<0.001). Teachers from primary and secondary schools perceived SHS as valuable school partners (88.9% and 82.3%). Teachers from primary and secondary schools (88.9% and 88.1%) and parents (78.3% and 67.5%) stated that SHS could not be replaced by GPs or paediatricians. Primary school pupils felt that most common problems were injuries and vocational counselling, secondary school pupils assessed behavioural and sexual related problems as mostly challenging. Satisfaction with the SHS response to the most challenging problems was rated higher by teachers from primary schools (p<0.001 for learning difficulties, chronic diseases, bullying and vocational counselling), by parents for learning difficulties and vocational counselling, but no significance was found for pupils' satisfactions. SHS in Zagreb are recognized as vital and necessary partners for schools, available and accessible for pupils, teachers and parents, especially for primary schools. Counselling is highly rated by all respondents, confidentiality considered as respected, and the problem of the most common challenges as successfully solved.

Do Parkinson's disease patients disclose their adverse events spontaneously?

PubMed

Perez-Lloret, Santiago; Rey, María Verónica; Fabre, Nelly; Ory, Fabienne; Spampinato, Umberto; Montastruc, Jean-Louis; Rascol, Olivier

2012-05-01

Underreporting of adverse drug reactions is common but has been rarely studied in Parkinson's disease (PD). To compare the prevalence of adverse events (AEs) in relation to antiparkinsonian drugs in PD patients using two different data collection methods: patient's spontaneous reporting versus a predefined investigator-driven structured interview. Secondary objectives were to assess factors related to spontaneous reporting and to compare the rate of AE reporting in PD patients with that of a group of non-parkinsonian post-stroke patients. Cross-sectional study. Ambulatory, cognitively intact PD or post-stroke outpatients. None. Patients were first asked by means of an an open question to disclose any unpleasant effects in connection with their current medications that had occurred during the previous week. Afterwards, a predefined questionnaire listing the most common AEs known to be related to antiparkinsonian drugs was used to question the same patients in a systematic manner about the presence of any AE during the same week. Chronological and semiological criteria were used to classify the reported AEs as "unrelated" or "possibly/plausibly related" to the antiparkinsonian treatment. A total of 203 PD and 52 post-stroke patients of comparable age and sex were recruited. Eighty-five PD and five post-stroke patients reported spontaneously at least one AE (42 vs. 10%, p < 0.01), while 203 PD and 47 post-stroke patients reported at least one AE following the structured questionnaire (100 vs. 90%, p < 0.001). In PD patients, there were a total of 112 spontaneously reported AEs as compared with 1,574 according to the structured questionnaire (7%). Spontaneous disclosure of AEs was associated with experiencing >2 AEs [OR = 1.2 (1.1-3.2)], logistic regression). Seventy-four percent of PD patients had ≥1 AE possibly/plausibly related to antiparkinsonian drugs. Results showed that only 7% of AEs were reported spontaneously by patients, thus underscoring the importance of systematically asking about AEs in PD patients.

Paper to Electronic Questionnaires: Effects on Structured Questionnaire Forms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trujillo, Anna C.

2009-01-01

With the use of computers, paper questionnaires are being replaced by electronic questionnaires. The formats of traditional paper questionnaires have been found to effect a subject's rating. Consequently, the transition from paper to electronic format can subtly change results. The research presented begins to determine how electronic questionnaire formats change subjective ratings. For formats where subjects used a flow chart to arrive at their rating, starting at the worst and middle ratings of the flow charts were the most accurate but subjects took slightly more time to arrive at their answers. Except for the electronic paper format, starting at the worst rating was the most preferred. The paper and electronic paper versions had the worst accuracy. Therefore, for flowchart type of questionnaires, flowcharts should start at the worst rating and work their way up to better ratings.

Implementing healthy lifestyle promotion in primary care: a quasi-experimental cross-sectional study evaluating a team initiative.

PubMed

Thomas, Kristin; Krevers, Barbro; Bendtsen, Preben

2015-01-22

Non-communicable diseases are a leading cause of death and can largely be prevented by healthy lifestyles. Health care organizations are encouraged to integrate healthy lifestyle promotion in routine care. This study evaluates the impact of a team initiative on healthy lifestyle promotion in primary care. A quasi-experimental, cross-sectional design compared three intervention centres that had implemented lifestyle teams with three control centres that used a traditional model of care. Outcomes were defined using the RE-AIM framework: reach, the proportion of patients receiving lifestyle promotion; effectiveness, self-reported attitudes and competency among staff; adoption, proportion of staff reporting regular practice of lifestyle promotion; implementation, fidelity to the original lifestyle team protocol. Data collection methods included a patient questionnaire (n = 888), a staff questionnaire (n = 120) and structured interviews with all practice managers and, where applicable, team managers (n = 8). The chi square test and problem-driven content analysis was used to analyse the questionnaire and interview data, respectively. Reach: patients at control centres (48%, n = 211) received lifestyle promotion significantly more often compared with patients at intervention centres (41%, n = 169). Effectiveness: intervention staff was significantly more positive towards the effectiveness of lifestyle promotion, shared competency and how lifestyle promotion was prioritized at their centre. Adoption: 47% of staff at intervention centres and 58% at control centres reported that they asked patients about their lifestyle on a daily basis. all intervention centres had implemented multi-professional teams and team managers and held regular meetings but struggled to implement in-house referral structures for lifestyle promotion, which was used consistently among staff. Intervention centres did not show higher rates than control centres on reach of patients or adoption among staff at this stage. All intervention centres struggled to implement working referral structures for lifestyle promotion. Intervention centres were more positive on effectiveness outcomes, attitudes and competency among staff, however. Thus, lifestyle teams may facilitate lifestyle promotion practice in terms of increased responsiveness among staff, illustrated by positive attitudes and perceptions of shared competency. More research is needed on lifestyle promotion referral structures in primary care regarding their configuration and implementation.

An exploration of the perceived factors that affect the learning and transfer of skills taught to student midwives.

PubMed

Longworth, Mary K

2013-08-01

the aim of this study was to examine the attitudes of student midwives towards skills training and practise. The objectives were to explore the factors in the skills laboratory environment and in clinical practice which affect how successfully student midwives transfer into clinical practice the various skills they have learnt in preparation for an Objective Structured Clinical Examination. a review of the background literature revealed that there were many variables related to successful transfer of skills in general but there appeared to be a gap around perceived factors affecting transfer of skills of student midwives. a mixed methods design was conducted using both questionnaires and semi-structured interviews between June and August 2010. questionnaires were administered to all midwifery students at one university in Wales. These were later followed by semi-structured interviews for 6 student midwives who were purposively selected from all year groups. the results from the questionnaires revealed that a majority of students had positive attitudes to educators and mentors and to their skills acquisition experience in the skills laboratory and to the available opportunities to practise in clinical practice. Although students believed in the transferability of skills from the laboratory setting to clinical practice, a majority thought that clinical practice provided them with a better opportunity to learn clinical skills. The semi-structured interviews demonstrated that facilitating factors in the skills laboratory included having adequate instruction as well as having a designated space. Hindering factors included unrealistic models and equipment. In clinical practice, facilitating factors included having the opportunities to practise skills and support and feedback from the mentor. Hindering factors included deficits in the student-mentor relationship. this study highlighted that midwifery students must be adequately prepared to carry out clinical skills competently and effectively. Educators and mentors must provide adequate support and feedback to promote transfer of knowledge and skills into the workplace to optimise high standards of care for women and their babies. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pictorial Personality Traits Questionnaire for Children (PPTQ-C)—A New Measure of Children's Personality Traits

PubMed Central

Maćkiewicz, Marta; Cieciuch, Jan

2016-01-01

In order to adjust personality measurements to children's developmental level, we constructed the Pictorial Personality Traits Questionnaire for Children (PPTQ-C). To validate the measure, we conducted a study with a total group of 1028 children aged between 7 and 13 years old. Structural validity was established through Exploratory Structural Equation Model (ESEM). Criterion validity was confirmed with a multitrait-multimethod analysis for which we introduced the children's self-assessment scores from the Big Five Questionnaire for Children. Despite some problems with reliability, one can conclude that the PPTQ-C can be a valid instrument for measuring personality traits, particularly in a group of young children (aged ~7–10 years). PMID:27252661

The Validity and Reliability Test of the Indonesian Version of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Quality of Life (GERD-QOL) Questionnaire.

PubMed

Siahaan, Laura A; Syam, Ari F; Simadibrata, Marcellus; Setiati, Siti

2017-01-01

to obtain a valid and reliable GERD-QOL questionnaire for Indonesian application. at the initial stage, the GERD-QOL questionnaire was first translated into Indonesian language and the translated questionnaire was subsequently translated back into the original language (back-to-back translation). The results were evaluated by the researcher team and therefore, an Indonesian version of GERD-QOL questionnaire was developed. Ninety-one patients who had been clinically diagnosed with GERD based on the Montreal criteria were interviewed using the Indonesian version of GERD-QOL questionnaire and the SF 36 questionnaire. The validity was evaluated using a method of construct validity and external validity, and reliability can be tested by the method of internal consistency and test retest. the Indonesian version of GERD-QOL questionnaire had a good internal consistency reliability with a Cronbach Alpha of 0.687-0.842 and a good test retest reliability with an intra-class correlation coefficient of 0.756-0.936; p<0.05). The questionnaire had also been demonstrated to have a good validity with a proven high correlation to each question of SF-36 (p<0.05). the Indonesian version of GERD-QOL questionnaire has been proven valid and reliable to evaluate the quality of life of GERD patients.

Revealing barriers and facilitators to use a new genetic test: comparison of three user involvement methods.

PubMed

Rhebergen, Martijn D F; Visser, Maaike J; Verberk, Maarten M; Lenderink, Annet F; van Dijk, Frank J H; Kezic, Sanja; Hulshof, Carel T J

2012-10-01

We compared three common user involvement methods in revealing barriers and facilitators from intended users that might influence their use of a new genetic test. The study was part of the development of a new genetic test on the susceptibility to hand eczema for nurses. Eighty student nurses participated in five focus groups (n = 33), 15 interviews (n = 15) or questionnaires (n = 32). For each method, data were collected until saturation. We compared the mean number of items and relevant remarks that could influence the use of the genetic test obtained per method, divided by the number of participants in that method. Thematic content analysis was performed using MAXQDA software. The focus groups revealed 30 unique items compared to 29 in the interviews and 21 in the questionnaires. The interviews produced more items and relevant remarks per participant (1.9 and 8.4 pp) than focus groups (0.9 and 4.8 pp) or questionnaires (0.7 and 2.3 pp). All three involvement methods revealed relevant barriers and facilitators to use a new genetic test. Focus groups and interviews revealed substantially more items than questionnaires. Furthermore, this study suggests a preference for the use of interviews because the number of items per participant was higher than for focus groups and questionnaires. This conclusion may be valid for other genetic tests as well.

Association between Family Structure and Physical Activity of Chinese Adolescents

PubMed Central

Wang, Lijuan; Qi, Jing

2016-01-01

Background. This study examines the association between family structure and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) of adolescents in China. Methods. The participants included 612 adolescents (317 boys and 295 girls) from Shanghai with ages ranging from 10 to 16 years. Accelerometers were used to measure the duration of MVPA of adolescents, and questionnaires on family structure were completed by the parents of these adolescents. Results. Findings suggested that family structure significantly increased the likelihood of adolescents engaging in physical activity (PA) and explained 6% of MPVA variance. Adolescents living in single-parent households and step families were more physically active than those living in two-parent homes and with biological parents, respectively. However, adolescents residing with grandparents were less active than those living with neither grandparent. No significant difference was found in MVPA time between adolescents living with one sibling and those without siblings. Conclusion. Family environment may be considered in the development of PA interventions and policies, and adolescents living with their grandparents may be targeted in PA promotion. PMID:27123446

Psychometric properties of the multidimensional perfectionism scale of Hewitt in a dutch-speaking sample: associations with the big five personality traits.

PubMed

De Cuyper, Kathleen; Claes, Laurence; Hermans, Dirk; Pieters, Guido; Smits, Dirk

2015-01-01

We administered the Dutch Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale of Hewitt and Flett (1991, 2004) in a large student sample (N = 959) and performed a confirmatory factor analysis to test the factorial structure proposed by the original authors. The existence of a method factor referring to the negatively keyed items in the questionnaire was investigated by including it in the tested models. Next, we investigated how the 3 perfectionism dimensions are associated with the Five-factor model (FFM) of personality. The 3-factor structure originally observed by the authors was confirmed, at least when a method factor that refers to the negatively keyed items was included in the model. Self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism were both distinguished by low extraversion and low emotional stability. Self-oriented perfectionism's positive relationship with both conscientiousness and openness to experience differentiated the 2 perfectionism dimensions from each other. Other-oriented perfectionism was not well-characterized by the Big Five personality traits.

Response Rates for Patient-Reported Outcomes Using Web-Based Versus Paper Questionnaires: Comparison of Two Invitational Methods in Older Colorectal Cancer Patients

PubMed Central

Vissers, Pauline AJ; Mols, Floortje; Thong, Melissa SY; van de Poll-Franse, Lonneke V

2015-01-01

Background Improving questionnaire response rates is an everlasting issue for research. Today, the Internet can easily be used to collect data quickly. However, collecting data on the Internet can lead to biased samples because not everyone is able to access or use the Internet. The older population, for example, is much less likely to use the Internet. The Patient-Reported Outcomes Following Initial Treatment and Long-Term Evaluation of Survivorship (PROFILES) registry offers a platform to collect Web-based and paper questionnaires and to try different measures to improve response rates. Objective In this study, our aim was to study the influence of two methods of invitation on the response rate. Our second aim was to examine the preference of questionnaire mode of administration (paper or Web-based) for the older patient in particular. Methods To test these two invitational methods, 3406 colorectal cancer patients between ages 18 and 85 years received an invitation containing an access code for the Web-based questionnaire. They could also request a paper questionnaire with an included reply card (paper-optional group). In contrast, 179 randomly selected colorectal cancer patients received a paper questionnaire with the invitation (paper-included group). They could also choose to fill out the Web-based questionnaire with the included access code. Results Response rates did not differ between the paper-optional and the paper-included groups (73.14%, 2491/3406 and 74.9%, 134/179, P=.57). In the paper-optional group, online response was significantly higher when compared to the paper-included group (41.23%, 1027/2491 vs 12.7%, 17/134, P<.001). The majority of online respondents responded after the first invitation (95.33%, 979/1027), which was significantly higher than the paper respondents (52.19%, 764/1464, P<.001). Respondents aged 70 years and older chose to fill out a paper questionnaire more often (71.0%, 677/954). In the oldest age group (≥80 years), 18.2% (61/336) of the respondents filled out a Web-based questionnaire. Conclusions The lack of difference in response rates between invitation modes implies that researchers can leave out a paper questionnaire at invitation without lowering response rates. It may be preferable not to include a paper questionnaire because more respondents then will fill out a Web-based questionnaire, which will lead to faster available data. However, due to respondent preference, it is not likely that paper questionnaires can be left out completely in the near future. PMID:25953059

The burden of headache disorders in Pakistan: methodology of a population-based nationwide study, and questionnaire validation

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Large geographical gaps in our knowledge of the prevalence and burden of headache disorders include Pakistan, a country with major problems of poverty, illiteracy and security. We report implementation in this country of standard methods developed by Lifting The Burden (LTB) for population-based burden-of-headache studies. Methods We surveyed six locations from the four provinces: Lahore and Multan (Punjab), Karachi and Sukkur (Sindh), Abbottabad (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Gwadar (Baluchistan). We randomly selected rural and urban households in each, which were visited by trained non-medical interviewers from the same locations. One randomly selected adult member (18–65 years) of each household was interviewed using LTB’s structured questionnaire translated into Urdu, the national language. Validation was performed among patients and accompanying attendants in three (urban and rural) medical facilities. After responding to the questionnaire, these participants were re-interviewed and diagnosed by a neurologist (gold standard). Results The survey was completed by 4,223 respondents (1,957 [46.3%] male, 2,266 [53.7%] female, 1,443 [34.2%] urban, 2,780 [65.8%] rural, mean age 34.4 ± 11.0 years). The participation rate was 89.5%. There were 180 participants (46.1% male, 53.9% female, 41.7% urban, 58.3% rural, mean age 39.4 ± 14.2 years) in the validation sample, of whom 147 (81.7%) reported headache in the last year. The questionnaire was 100% sensitive in screening for headache and for headache on ≥15 days/month, and showed good agreement with the gold-standard diagnoses (kappa = 0.77). It was relatively insensitive for TTH. The questionnaire’s default diagnosis of probable MOH when medication overuse accompanied headache on ≥15 days/month was not supported by evidence of causation in most cases seen by the neurologist. In public-health terms, precise diagnosis in these cases matters less than reliably detecting the coexistence of these disorders. Conclusion In conclusion, the methods developed by LTB were applied successfully in Pakistan, despite problems unique to this country. PMID:23967900

Blended e-learning and end of life care in nursing homes: a small-scale mixed-methods case study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background A ‘blended’ (e-learning and facilitated workshops) training course for Group C staff (i.e. staff with relatively infrequent contact with end of life care) has been delivered across several English counties with the aim of improving end of life care in nursing and residential care homes. This paper evaluates the impact of the course on participants’ understandings of and confidence in delivering end of life care in one nursing home, while also considering barriers to change in practice. Methods A mixed-methods case study approach, incorporating pre- and post-course questionnaires (SHA East of England End of Life Care Education Programme ‘ABC’ Project Work Force C or Non Nurse Workforce B Pre and Post Course Questionnaire; E-Learning in End of Life Care Study Pre and Post Course Questionnaire), documentary analysis, semi-structured interviews, and observation of course workshops. Participants were 20 members of staff at a nursing home in a city in the East of England, including 14 Health Care Assistants (carers) and 6 others (administrative, activities, hosting, and catering staff). The questionnaires and interviews assessed understandings of and confidence towards end of life care delivery. Results Improvements in participants’ confidence in delivering end of life care were observed, particularly in the core competency areas of symptom management, communication, and advance care planning. A shift towards more detailed and more holistic understandings of end of life care was in evidence; some participants also championed end of life care in the home as a result of the course. Several barriers to changes in practice were encountered, including uneven participation, the absence of mechanisms for disseminating new insights and knowledge within the home, and a widespread perception that nurses’ professional dominance in the home made sustainable change difficult to enact. Conclusions While blended e-learning courses have the potential to generate positive change in participants’ understandings of and confidence about End of Life Care, organizational and inter-professional obstacles must be overcome in order to translate these changes into improved end of life care delivery in nursing (and residential) homes. PMID:24994948

Validation of Standardized Questionnaires Evaluating Symptoms of Depression in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: Approaches to Screening for a Frequent Yet Underrated Challenge.

PubMed

Englbrecht, Matthias; Alten, Rieke; Aringer, Martin; Baerwald, Christoph G; Burkhardt, Harald; Eby, Nancy; Fliedner, Gerhard; Gauger, Bettina; Henkemeier, Ulf; Hofmann, Michael W; Kleinert, Stefan; Kneitz, Christian; Krueger, Klaus; Pohl, Christoph; Roske, Anne-Eve; Schett, Georg; Schmalzing, Marc; Tausche, Anne-Kathrin; Peter Tony, Hans; Wendler, Joerg

2017-01-01

To validate standard self-report questionnaires for depression screening in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and compare these measures to one another and to the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), a standardized structured interview. In 9 clinical centers across Germany, depressive symptomatology was assessed in 262 adult RA patients at baseline (T0) and at 12 ± 2 weeks followup (T1) using the World Health Organization 5-Item Well-Being Index (WHO-5), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II). The construct validity of these depression questionnaires (using convergent and discriminant validity) was evaluated using Spearman's correlations at both time points. The test-retest reliability of the questionnaires was evaluated in RA patients who had not undergone a psychotherapeutic intervention or received antidepressants between T0 and T1. The sensitivity and the specificity of the questionnaires were calculated using the results of the MADRS, a structured interview, as the gold standard. According to Spearman's correlation coefficients, all questionnaires met convergent validity criteria (ρ > |0.50|), with the BDI-II performing best, while correlations with age and disease activity for all questionnaires met the criteria for discriminant validity (ρ < |0.50|). The only questionnaire to meet the predefined retest reliability criterion (ρ ≥ 0.70) was the BDI-II (r s  = 0.77), which also achieved the best results for both sensitivity and specificity (>80%) when using the MADRS as the gold standard. The BDI-II best met the predefined criteria, and the PHQ-9 met most of the validity criteria, with lower sensitivity and specificity. © 2016, American College of Rheumatology.

Peer Evaluation Can Reliably Measure Local Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reyes-García, Victoria; Díaz-Reviriego, Isabel; Duda, Romain; Fernández-Llamazares, Álvaro; Gallois, Sandrine; Guèze, Maximilien; Napitupulu, Lucentezza; Pyhälä, Aili

2016-01-01

We assess the consistency of measures of individual local ecological knowledge obtained through peer evaluation against three standard measures: identification tasks, structured questionnaires, and self-reported skills questionnaires. We collected ethnographic information among the Baka (Congo), the Punan (Borneo), and the Tsimane' (Amazon) to…

Study of the questionnaire of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) teaching staff, using students opinion survey. Statistical treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez Gomez, Monica

Quality improvement of university institutions represents the most important challenge in the next years, and the potential tool to achieve it is based on the institutional evaluation in general, and specially the evaluation of the teaching performance. The opinion questionnaire from the students is the most generalised tool used to evaluate the teaching performance at Spanish universities. The general objective of this thesis is to develop a statistical methodology suitable to extract, analyse and interpret the information contained in the Questionnaire of Teaching Evaluation from Student Opinion (CEDA) of the UPV, aimed at optimising its practical use. The study is centred in the application of different multivariate techniques and has been structured in three parts: (1) Evaluation of the reliability, validity and dimensionality of the tool. The multivariate method used for this purpose is the Factorial Analysis. (2) Determination of the capacity of the questionnaire to identify different profiles of lecturers based on the quality perceived by students. This target is conducted with different multivariate classification techniques: hierarchical cluster analysis, non-hierarchical and two-stage analysis. Moreover, those items that best discriminate among the teaching typologies obtained are identified in the questionnaire. (3) Identification of the teaching typologies according to different descriptive characteristics referent to the subject and lecturer, with the use of decision trees. Once identified these typologies, a new discriminant analysis is conducted aimed at identifying those items that best characterise each typology. Finally, a study is carried out with the classification method SIMCA (Soft Independent Modelling of Class Analogy) in order to determine the discriminant loading of every item among the identified teaching typologies, allowing the identification of those that best distinguish the different classes obtained. With the combined use of the proposed techniques, it is expected to optimise the use of CEDA as a measuring tool and an indicator of the teaching quality at the university, that would allow the introduction of actions for the continuous improvement in the teaching processes of the UPV.

Association between social capital, health-related quality of life, and mental health: a structural-equation modeling approach

PubMed Central

Hassanzadeh, Jafar; Asadi-Lari, Mohsen; Baghbanian, Abdolvahab; Ghaem, Haleh; Kassani, Aziz; Rezaianzadeh, Abbas

2016-01-01

Aim To explore the association(s) between demographic factors, socioeconomic status (SES), social capital, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and mental health among residents of Tehran, Iran. Methods The pooled data (n = 31 519) were extracted from a population-based survey Urban Health Equity Assessment and Response Tool-2 (Urban HEART-2) conducted in Tehran in 2011. Mental health, social capital, and HRQoL were assessed using the 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), social capital questionnaire, and Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12), respectively. The study used a multistage sampling method. Social capital, HRQoL, and SES were considered as latent variables. The association between these latent variables, demographic factors, and mental health was determined by structural-equation modeling (SEM). Results The mean age and mental health score were 44.48 ± 15.87 years and 23.33 ± 11.10 (range, 0-84), respectively. The prevalence of mental disorders was 41.76% (95% confidence interval 41.21-42.30). The SEM model showed that age was directly associated with social capital (P = 0.016) and mental health (P = 0.001). Sex was indirectly related to mental health through social capital (P = 0.018). SES, HRQoL, and social capital were associated both directly and indirectly with mental health status. Conclusion This study suggests that changes in social capital and SES can lead to positive changes in mental health status and that individual and contextual determinants influence HRQoL and mental health. PMID:26935615

Working with Persistent Pain: An Exploration of Strategies Utilised to Stay Productive at Work.

PubMed

Oakman, Jodi; Kinsman, Natasha; Briggs, Andrew M

2017-03-01

Purpose Maintaining productive employment for people with persistent pain conditions is challenging. This study aims to explore supports-work and non-work- used by employees to assist them in maintaining productive employment. Methods An exploratory, mixed-methods study comprising a questionnaire battery followed by semi-structured interviews to collect in-depth qualitative data was undertaken. The questionnaires measured descriptive variables used to select participants for interviews based on maximum heterogeneity sampling. Thirty-five semi-structured interviews were undertaken (14 males; 21 females). The interview schedule covered: employment situation, workplace challenges, workplace supports, coping strategies, motivations, future employment options and any other resources utilised. Inductive content analysis was undertaken using a grounded theory approach to systematically explore the data. Results Three key themes were identified: barriers to working productively, enablers to working productively, disclosing my condition at work. A key determinant of maintaining productive employment was a supportive employer. In addition, flexibility in the work organisation was also pivotal in maintaining sustainable, productive employment. An important issue emerged with regard to disclosure of one's condition to an employer. For some, this was a significant barrier to employment. Conclusions To ensure sustainable employment is attainable for those with persistent pain conditions, a good match is required between an employee and their work. Workplace accommodations may assist with improving job fit but this requires disclosure of a condition to an employer. Weighing up the risks and benefits of disclosure is difficult, and may be assisted by knowledge of available supports to assist with maintaining ongoing employment.

Antibiotic treatment of urinary tract infection by community pharmacists: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Booth, Jill L; Mullen, Alexander B; Thomson, David AM; Johnstone, Christopher; Galbraith, Susan J; Bryson, Scott M; McGovern, Elizabeth M

2013-01-01

Background Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common conditions seen in female patients within primary care. Community pharmacists are familiar with symptomatic UTI management and supplying trimethoprim under patient group direction (PGD) for moderate-to-severe uncomplicated UTIs could improve patient access to treatment. Aim To compare the care pathway of patients with UTI symptoms attending GP services with those receiving management, including trimethoprim supply under PGD, via community pharmacies. Design and setting Prospective, cross-sectional, mixed methods approach in 10 community pharmacies within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Method Pharmacies invited a purposive sample of female patients to participate. Pharmacists had the option of supplying trimethoprim under PGD to patients with moderate-to-severe infection meeting the PGD inclusion criteria. Data from patient (questionnaires and semi-structured telephone interviews) and pharmacist (questionnaires and semi-structured, face-to-face interviews) were quantitatively and qualitatively analysed. Results Data were recorded on 153 patients, 97 presenting with GP prescriptions and 56 presenting directly in the pharmacy with symptoms suggestive of UTI, of whom 41 received trimethoprim via PGD and 15 received symptomatic management. Both GP adherence to local infection management guidelines and pharmacist application of PGD inclusion/exclusion criteria required improvement. There was demand and support, from patients and pharmacists, for access to antibiotic treatments for UTIs, without prescription, through community pharmacies. Conclusion Operating within PGD controls, antibiotic treatments for UTIs could be provided via community pharmacy to improve patient access to treatment which may also maintain antibiotic stewardship and reduce GP workload. PMID:23540480

An exploratory mixed-methods crossover study comparing DVD- vs. Web-based patient decision support in three conditions: The importance of patient perspectives.

PubMed

Halley, Meghan C; Rendle, Katharine A S; Gillespie, Katherine A; Stanley, Katherine M; Frosch, Dominick L

2015-12-01

The last 15 years have witnessed considerable progress in the development of decision support interventions (DESIs). However, fundamental questions about design and format of delivery remain. An exploratory, randomized mixed-method crossover study was conducted to compare a DVD- and Web-based DESI. Randomized participants used either the Web or the DVD first, followed by the alternative format. Participants completed a questionnaire to assess decision-specific knowledge at baseline and a questionnaire and structured qualitative interview after viewing each format. Tracking software was used to capture Web utilization. Transcripts were analyzed using integrated inductive and deductive approaches. Quantitative data were analyzed using exploratory bivariate and multivariate analyses. Exploratory knowledge analyses suggest that both formats increased knowledge, with limited evidence that the DVD increased knowledge more than the Web. Format preference varied across participants: 44% preferred the Web, 32% preferred the DVD and 24% preferred 'both'. Patient discussions of preferences for DESI information structure and the importance of a patients' stage of a given decision suggest these characteristics may be important factors underlying variation in utilization, format preferences and knowledge outcomes. Our results suggest that both DESI formats effectively increase knowledge. Patients' perceptions of these two formats further suggest that there may be no single 'best' format for all patients. These results have important implications for understanding why different DESI formats might be preferable to and more effective for different patients. Further research is needed to explore the relationship between these factors and DESI utilization outcomes across diverse patient populations. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Knowledge and Attitude among General Dental Practitioners towards Minimally Invasive Dentistry in Riyadh and AlKharj

PubMed Central

Sheddi, Faisal Mohammed; Alharqan, Mesfer Saad; Khawja, Shabnam Gulzar; Vohra, Fahim; Akram, Zohaib; Faden, Asmaa Ahmed; Khalil, Hesham Saleh

2016-01-01

Introduction Minimally Invasive Dentistry (MID) emphasizes conservative caries management strategies resulting in less destruction of tooth structure, a deviation of the traditional GV Black’s restorative principles. However, there seems to be either deficiency in knowledge or little intention by general dental practitioners to adopt these principles. Aim The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitude among general dental practitioners towards minimally invasive dentistry in Riyadh and AlKharj cities of Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods Self-administered structured questionnaires were handed to general dental practitioners (GDPs) in the cities of Riyadh and AlKharj in Saudi Arabia. Several questions, including Likert-type scale response categories (1–5), were used. The questions assessed the respondents’ levels of agreement regarding diagnostic, preventive and restorative techniques such as use of caries risk assessment, use of high fluoride tooth paste, Atraumatic Restorative Treatment and tunnel preparations. Results Out of 200 respondents, 161 GDPs with overall response rate of 80.5% completed the questionnaires. The GDPs showed significantly different approach with regards to the use of sharp explorer for caries detection (p = 0.014). Almost 60% of the participants had received no special education regarding minimally invasive procedures. Moreover, GDPs who had received MID training showed significantly better knowledge and attitude in adopting minimally invasive techniques for both diagnosis and treatment of dental caries. Conclusion Although GDPs possess knowledge about the benefits of MID; however, study showed deficiencies in their attitudes towards caries detection methods and application of minimally invasive dentistry procedures. PMID:27630962

Generalized questionnaire analysis program.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1973-01-01

It is apparent that a simple cookbook method for designing questionnaires of all types is not available. Researchers must realize that the questionnaire is an integral part of his research effort and as such it should be tailored to his particular ne...

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

PubMed

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.

Evaluation of the measurement model and clinically important differences for menopause-specific quality of life associated with bazedoxifene/conjugated estrogens.

PubMed

Bushmakin, Andrew G; Abraham, Lucy; Pinkerton, JoAnn V; Cappelleri, Joseph C; Mirkin, Sebastian

2014-08-01

This study aims to confirm the factor structure of the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life (MENQOL) questionnaire by using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and to determine whether improvements in menopause-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) observed with bazedoxifene (BZA)/conjugated estrogens (CE) relative to placebo are clinically meaningful. Postmenopausal women with seven or more moderate to severe hot flushes per day (or ≥50 per wk) received BZA 20 mg/CE 0.45 mg, BZA 20 mg/CE 0.625 mg, or placebo for 12 weeks. HRQOL and treatment satisfaction were evaluated using the MENQOL questionnaire and the Menopause Symptoms Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire, respectively. The structure of the MENQOL questionnaire was evaluated using CFA. To estimate clinically important differences (CIDs) in HRQOL, we used a repeated-measures model to estimate changes in MENQOL domain and total scores using Menopause Symptoms Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire items as anchors. The CFA model fits the MENQOL data (Bentler's comparative fit index >0.9). CID estimates ranged from 0.5 to 1.2 for the MENQOL domains and total score. Change from baseline in MENQOL vasomotor domain score for BZA 20 mg/CE 0.45 mg and BZA 20 mg/CE 0.625 mg compared with placebo was greater than the estimated CID, as were changes in MENQOL physical domain and total scores for BZA 20 mg/CE 0.625 mg compared with placebo. CFA confirms the factor structure of the MENQOL questionnaire. Treatment with BZA/CE provides clinically meaningful improvements in HRQOL in a population of postmenopausal women with bothersome vasomotor symptoms.

Three-factor structure for Epistemic Belief Inventory: A cross-validation study

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Research on epistemic beliefs has been hampered by lack of validated models and measurement instruments. The most widely used instrument is the Epistemological Questionnaire, which has been criticized for validity, and it has been proposed a new instrument based in the Epistemological Questionnaire: the Epistemic Belief Inventory. The Spanish-language version of Epistemic Belief Inventory was applied to 1,785 Chilean high school students. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses in independent subsamples were performed. A three factor structure emerged and was confirmed. Reliability was comparable to other studies, and the factor structure was invariant among randomized subsamples. The structure that was found does not replicate the one proposed originally, but results are interpreted in light of embedded systemic model of epistemological beliefs. PMID:28278258

Complementary medicine for alcohol dependence in Italian services: a mail questionnaire.

PubMed

Bardazzi, Gabriele; Merluzzi, Jo-Anne; Voller, Fabio; Fontana, Aldo; Abenavoli, Ludovico; Leggio, Lorenzo; Addolorato, Giovanni

2006-08-01

It is well known that Complementary Medicine (CM) is extensively used in western countries for the treatment of many afflictions. CM has been recently promoted in addiction treatment. To evaluate CM use in alcohol dependence we planned a mail questionnaire for Italian alcohol services. We sent out 612 questionnaires. Health services that were unable to respond to the questionnaire within a 20-day limit period were contacted by phone and if we obtained agreement to participate in the study the questionnaire was sent by fax. We obtained 312 (51.82%) completed questionnaires. Only 16.50% of Italian services use CM for alcohol dependence treatment and acupuncture is utilized more frequently than other methods (phytotherapy, homeopathy, etc.). In Italian alcohol services CM is identified as an instrument incorporated into traditional alcohol treatments (self-help groups, drug treatment, etc.) and not an alternative method. In fact, health services that use it as a principal method of treatment were a rare event in our study (1%). CM plays an integrated role with traditional forms of alcohol treatment in Italian alcohol services and this utilization could be useful to reduce drop-outs and improve alcohol treatment compliance.

Systematic Review of the Use of Online Questionnaires among the Geriatric Population

PubMed Central

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

2014-01-01

Background/Objectives The use of internet-based questionnaires to collect information from older adults is not well established. This systematic literature review of studies using online questionnaires in older adult populations aims to 1. describe methodologic approaches to population targeting and sampling and 2. summarize limitations of Internet-based questionnaires in geriatric populations. Design, Setting, Participants We identified English language articles using search terms for geriatric, age 65 and over, Internet survey, online survey, Internet questionnaire, and online questionnaire in PubMed and EBSCO host between 1984 and July 2012. Inclusion criteria were: study population mean age ≥65 years old and use of an online questionnaire for research. Review of 336 abstracts yielded 14 articles for full review by 2 investigators; 11 articles met inclusion criteria. Measurements Articles were extracted for study design and setting, patient characteristics, recruitment strategy, country, and study limitations. Results Eleven (11) articles were published after 2001. Studies had populations with a mean age of 65 to 78 years, included descriptive and analytical designs, and were conducted in the United States, Australia, and Japan. Recruiting methods varied widely from paper fliers and personal emails to use of consumer marketing panels. Investigator-reported study limitations included the use of small convenience samples and limited generalizability. Conclusion Online questionnaires are a feasible method of surveying older adults in some geographic regions and for some subsets of older adults, but limited Internet access constrains recruiting methods and often limits study generalizability. PMID:24635138

Development, Usability, and Efficacy of a Serious Game to Help Patients Learn About Pain Management After Surgery: An Evaluation Study

PubMed Central

Blondal, Katrin; Thue, David; Zoega, Sigridur; Thylen, Ingela; Jaarsma, Tiny

2017-01-01

Background Postoperative pain is a persistent problem after surgery and can delay recovery and develop into chronic pain. Better patient education has been proposed to improve pain management of patients. Serious games have not been previously developed to help patients to learn how to manage their postoperative pain. Objective The aim of this study was to describe the development of a computer-based game for surgical patients to learn about postoperative pain management and to evaluate the usability, user experience, and efficacy of the game. Methods A computer game was developed by an interdisciplinary team following a structured approach. The usability, user experience, and efficacy of the game were evaluated using self-reported questionnaires (AttrakDiff2, Postoperative Pain Management Game Survey, Patient Knowledge About Postoperative Pain Management questionnaire), semi-structured interviews, and direct observation in one session with 20 participants recruited from the general public via Facebook (mean age 48 [SD 14]; 11 women). Adjusted Barriers Questionnaire II and 3 questions on health literacy were used to collect background information. Results Theories of self-care and adult learning, evidence for the educational needs of patients about pain management, and principles of gamification were used to develop the computer game. Ease of use and usefulness received a median score between 2.00 (IQR 1.00) and 5.00 (IQR 2.00) (possible scores 0-5; IQR, interquartile range), and ease of use was further confirmed by observation. Participants expressed satisfaction with this novel method of learning, despite some technological challenges. The attributes of the game, measured with AttrakDiff2, received a median score above 0 in all dimensions; highest for attraction (median 1.43, IQR 0.93) followed by pragmatic quality (median 1.31, IQR 1.04), hedonic quality interaction (median 1.00, IQR 1.04), and hedonic quality stimulation (median 0.57, IQR 0.68). Knowledge of pain medication and pain management strategies improved after playing the game (P=.001). Conclusions A computer game can be an efficient method of learning about pain management; it has the potential to improve knowledge and is appreciated by users. To assess the game’s usability and efficacy in the context of preparation for surgery, an evaluation with a larger sample, including surgical patients and older people, is required. PMID:28490419

Traditional learning and problem-based learning: self-perception of preparedness for internship.

PubMed

Millan, Laís Pereira Bueno; Semer, Beatriz; Rodrigues, José Mauro da Silva; Gianini, Reinaldo José

2012-01-01

This study aims to evaluate Pontificia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP) medical students' perception of their preparedness to attend the internship course by comparing students who entered the internship in 2009, who were taught according to the traditional learning method, and those who entered the internship in 2010, who were taught according to the new method, i.e. problem-based learning (PBL). 50 traditional learning method students answered a standard Lickert scale questionnaire upon entering internship in 2009. In 2010, the process was repeated with PBL students. The questionnaire was based upon the Preparation for Hospital Practice Questionnaire. This questionnaire was evaluated by professors from three medical schools in Brazil regarding its applicability. The original questions were classified according to the importance these professors attributed to them, and less important questions were removed. Scores obtained from the Student's t-test were considered significant with p < 0.05. A significant statistical difference was observed in 16 questions, and the traditional learning method students reported higher average scores. When questions were divided into dimensions, a significant statistical difference appeared in the dimensions " social aspects of health", "medical skills", and "ethical concepts"; traditional learning method students again reported higher scores (p < 0.001 for all dimensions). Higher scores were also reported when the average of the answers to the whole questionnaire was calculated. Traditional learning method students consider themselves to be better prepared for internship activities than PBL students, according to the following three comparative means: by analyzing the answers to each question, by grouping these answers into dimensions, and by calculating the means of answers to the whole questionnaire.

A way forward for teaching and learning of Physiology: Students’ perception of the effectiveness of teaching methodologies

PubMed Central

Rehan, Rabiya; Ahmed, Khalid; Khan, Hira; Rehman, Rehana

2016-01-01

Objective: To compare the perception of medical students on the usefulness of the interactive lectures, case-based lectures, and structured interactive sessions (SIS) in teaching and learning of Physiology. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out from January to December 2012 at Bahria University Medical & Dental College, Karachi, which had qualitative and quantitative aspects, assessed by self- reported questionnaire and focused group discussion (FGD). The questionnaire was distributed to 100 medical students after completion of first year of teaching of MBBS Physiology. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 15. Differences were considered significant at p-values <0.05 after application of Friedman test. Responses of FGD were analyzed. Results: All the teaching methodologies helped in understanding of precise learning objectives. The comprehension of structure and functions with understanding of difficult concepts was made best possible by SIS (p=0.04, p<0.01). SIS enabled adult learning, self-directed learning, peer learning and critical reasoning more than the other teaching strategies (p< 0.01). Conclusion: SIS involved students who used reasoning skills and power of discussion in a group to comprehend difficult concepts for better understanding of Physiology as compared to interactive and case-based lectures. PMID:28083047

Professionals’ views on interprofessional stroke team functioning

PubMed Central

Cramm, Jane M; Nieboer, Anna P

2011-01-01

Introduction The quality of integrated stroke care depends on smooth team functioning but professionals may not always work well together. Professionals’ perspectives on the factors that influence stroke team functioning remain largely unexamined. Understanding their experiences is critical to indentifying measures to improve team functioning. The aim of this study was to identify the factors that contributed to the success of interprofessional stroke teams as perceived by team members. Methods We distributed questionnaires to professionals within 34 integrated stroke care teams at various health care facilities in 9 Dutch regions. 558 respondents (response rate: 39%) completed the questionnaire. To account for the hierarchical structure of the study design we fitted a hierarchical random-effects model. The hierarchical structure comprised 558 stroke team members (level 1) nested in 34 teams (level 2). Results Analyses showed that personal development, social well-being, interprofessional education, communication, and role understanding significantly contributed to stroke team functioning. Team-level constructs affecting interprofessional stroke team functioning were communication and role understanding. No significant relationships were found with individual-level personal autonomy and team-level cohesion. Discussion and conclusion Our findings suggest that interventions to improve team members’ social well-being, communication, and role understanding will improve teams’ performance. To further advance interprofessional team functioning, healthcare organizations should pay attention to developing professionals’ interpersonal skills and interprofessional education. PMID:23390409

The Relationship between Metacognition and Obsessive Beliefs, and Procrastination in Students of Tabriz and Mohaghegh Ardabili Universities, Iran.

PubMed

Sadeghi, Hasan; Hajloo, Nader; Babayi, Karim; Shahri, Maryam

2014-01-01

The aim of the current study is to investigate the relationship between metacognition and obsessive beliefs, and procrastination. 285 students of Tabriz and Mohaghegh Ardabili Universities, Iran, were selected by random sampling, and completed the metacognition (MCQ-30) questionnaire, obsessive beliefs questionnaire (OBQ-44), and General Procrastination Scale. The research method was descriptive. Data was implemented by structural equation modeling, using Amos software (version 19) and Anderson and Greenberg's (1988) two-step approach was followed. First, the model measurement, and then the structural model were examined. RESULTS showed that obsessive beliefs and metacognitive beliefs, directly and indirectly, predict the behavior of procrastination. Cognitive confidence, need for control of thoughts, and positive beliefs about worry from metacognitive beliefs were positively and significantly correlated with procrastination. In addition, cognitive self-consciousness was inversely correlated with procrastination. Perfectionism/certainty from obsessive beliefs was inversely correlated with procrastination. Moreover, the relationship between obsessive beliefs and metacognitive beliefs were positive and significant. Our findings show a significant relationship between obsessive and metacognitive beliefs and procrastination. To reduce behaviors of procrastination, control of obsessive beliefs and metacognition seems to be necessary. Moreover, controlling and shaping metacognitive beliefs can be effective in reducing compulsive behavior. None.

Development and Initial Psychometrics of Counseling Supervisor's Behavior Questionnaire

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Ahram; Park, Eun Hye; Byeon, Eunji; Lee, Sang Min

2016-01-01

This study describes the development and psychometric properties of the Counseling Supervisor's Behavior Questionnaire, designed to assess the specific behaviors of supervisors, which can be observed by supervisees during supervision sessions. Factor structure, construct and concurrent validity, and internal consistency reliability of the…

Questionnaire Construction Manual

DTIC Science & Technology

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

Questionnaire of core beliefs related to drug use and craving for assessment of relapse risk.

PubMed

Martínez-González, José Miguel; Vilar López, Raquel; Lozano-Rojas, Oscar; Verdejo-García, Antonio

2017-07-12

This study was aimed at designing a questionnaire for the assessment of addiction-related core beliefs and craving. The sample comprised 215 patients (85.8% males and 14.2% females) in treatment for dependence to alcohol (40%), cocaine (36.3%) and cannabis (23.7%). Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the sample. Variance, regression and factorial analyses were conducted to study the questionnaire structure and its relation with variables such as abstinence and craving. Items about drug-related beliefs yielded a four-factor structure: what patient think that they could not do without drug use, lack of withdrawal, conditions required to use drugs again, and use of drugs as the only way to feel good. Items related to craving yielded three factors: negative emotions as precipitants of drug use, positive emotions, and difficulties attributed to coping with craving. Furthermore, beliefs were more important to predict craving than abstinence time. The present questionnaire allows to assess a set of significant factors to design prevention relapse programs.

Validation of the burns itch questionnaire.

PubMed

Van Loey, N E; Hofland, H W; Hendrickx, H; Van de Steenoven, J; Boekelaar, A; Nieuwenhuis, M K

2016-05-01

Itch (pruritus) is a common multidimensional complaint after burn that can persist for months to years. A questionnaire able to investigate itch and its consequences is imperative for clinical and research purposes. The current study investigated the factor structure, internal consistency and construct validity of the Burns Itch Questionnaire (BIQ), a questionnaire particularly focusing on itch in the burns population. The BIQ was completed by 195 respondents at 3 months after burn. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed to investigate the factor structure. EFA showed the BIQ comprised three latent factors: itch severity, sleep interference and daily life interference. This was re-evaluated in a confirmatory factor analysis that yielded good fit indices after removing two items. The three subscales showed to have high internal consistency (.89) and were able to distinguish between patients with severe and less severe complaints. In conclusion, the BIQ showed to be useful in persons suffering from itch following burns. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Normative data and psychometric properties of the parent and teacher versions of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) in an Iranian community sample

PubMed Central

Shahrivar, Zahra; Tehrani-Doost, Mehdi; Pakbaz, Bahareh; Rezaie, Azita; Ahmadi, Fatemeh

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: Strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) is a widely used instrument for screening mental problems in children and adolescents. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and psychometric properties of this questionnaire in comparison with the children behavior checklist (CBCL) and psychiatric interview. METHODS: The study was done in two stages. At stage one, 600 children aged between 6 and 12 were evaluated using the parent and teacher versions of SDQ and CBCL. At stage two, 25 children with the scores above the cut point reported by the developer of SDQ and 27 children with the score below this point were selected to be interviewed by a child and adolescent psychiatrist according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) classification and by another clinician using the K-SADS-PL (Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children- Present and Lifetime Version) as a semi structured interview. RESULTS: The mean scores of SDQ subscales found in this study were comparable to what found in other studies in other countries. The cut-off points of SDQ were almost similar to that of other researches. The internal consistency and concurrent validity of this questionnaire was good. CONCLUSIONS: The current study showed that both parent and teacher versions of SDQ in Persian language can be used as a valid tool in screening the mental problems in children and adolescents. PMID:21772865

Validation of the exercise and eating disorders questionnaire

PubMed Central

Bjørnelv, Sigrid; Rø, Øyvind

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective Compulsive exercise is a well‐known feature in eating disorders. The Exercise and Eating Disorder (EED) self‐report questionnaire was developed to assess aspects of compulsive exercise not adequately captured by existing instruments. This study aimed to test psychometric properties and the factor structure of the EED among women with eating disorders and a control group. Method The study included 449 female participants, including 244 eating disorders patients and 205 healthy controls. The patient group consisted of 32.4% (n = 79) AN patients, 23.4% (n = 57) BN, 34.4% (n = 84) EDNOS and 9.8% (n = 24) with BED diagnosis. Results The analyses confirmed adequate psychometric properties of the EED, with a four‐factor solution: (1) compulsive exercise, (2) positive and healthy exercise, (3) awareness of bodily signals, and (4) weight and shape exercise. The EED discriminated significantly (p < .001) between patients and controls on the global score, subscales, and individual items. Test‐retest reliability was satisfactory (r = 0.86). Convergent validity was demonstrated by high correlations between the EED and the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE‐Q; r = 0.79). Discussion The EED is the first clinically derived, self‐report questionnaire to assess compulsive exercise among ED patients. The EED offers assessment that has broader clinical utility than existing instruments because it identifies treatment targets and treatment priorities. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2015; 48:983–993). PMID:25639668

[Translation and validation in French of the First-Time Father Questionnaire].

PubMed

Capponi, I; Carquillat, P; Premberg, Å; Vendittelli, F; Guittier, M-J

2016-09-01

For fathers, being present at a birth for the first time is not an insignificant event. Witnessing suffering can cause feelings of loneliness and powerlessness, which may be associated with postnatal problems such as depression. However, without a confirmed French-language tool concerning the experience of childbirth for fathers, we are limited in our ability to develop our understanding of their experiences and establish links between these experiences and their distress (anxiety, depression, etc.), or to develop appropriate methods of support. Our objective has been to translate and validate the Swedish "First-Time Father Questionnaire" with a French-speaking sample. The tool was translated using a translation/backtranslation process (using two independent agencies, with a pre-test on 30 new fathers as well as exchanges with the Swedish authors). The French version was then tested with 154 new fathers at 1 month post-partum. Factorial analysis followed by multi-trait analysis and variance analyses were conducted, with subgroups contrasted according to the mode of delivery. The factorial structure is satisfactory, retaining 19 items and reproducing 54.12% of variance. Professional support, worry, and prenatal preparation constitute the 3 dimensions of this. Internal consistency, homogeneity, and the discriminating capacity of the questionnaire are good. Validation of the questionnaire shows good metrological qualities. It can therefore be used in the perinatal field to evaluate the childbirth experience for first-time fathers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Assessment of readiness to change in patients with osteoarthritis. development and application of a new questionnaire.

PubMed

Heuts, Peter H T G; de Bie, Rob A; Dijkstra, Arie; Aretz, Karin; Vlaeyen, Johan W S; Schouten, Hubert J A; Hopman-Rock, Marijke; van Weel, Chris; van Schayck, Constant P

2005-05-01

To develop a self-report measure for assessment of the stage of change in patients with osteoarthritis, in order to identify patients who would benefit from a self-management programme. According to the 'stages of change' model a questionnaire was developed with three groups of items corresponding to the precontemplation stage (Pre), the contemplation (Cont) and the action (Act) stage. Internal consistency and factor structure of this questionnaire were investigated by assessing Cronbach's alphas and by performing factor analysis. The questionnaire was offered to 273 patients who entered a randomized clinical trial on self-management in a general health care setting. Factor analysis revealed that most items corresponded to the a priori described groups, while some items were not loading on the presumed factor. In each subgroup some items were deleted, resulting in a 15-item questionnaire. After this item reduction Cronbach's alphas were 0.72 (Pre), 0.76 (Cont) and 0.79 (Act) and all factor loadings were satisfactory (above 0.35). Classification revealed some differences between parts of the total group, for example in the proportion of patients in the preparation stage (recruited by general practitioner = 33.6%; advertisement = 49.2%). The Stages of Change Questionnaire in Osteoarthritis, a 15-item questionnaire to assess the 'stage of change' of a patient with osteoarthritis showed good internal consistency and adequate factor structure. These findings warrant further studies on validity and applicability in a clinical context.

Perceived Threat and Corroboration: Key Factors That Improve a Predictive Model of Trust in Internet-based Health Information and Advice

PubMed Central

Harris, Peter R; Briggs, Pam

2011-01-01

Background How do people decide which sites to use when seeking health advice online? We can assume, from related work in e-commerce, that general design factors known to affect trust in the site are important, but in this paper we also address the impact of factors specific to the health domain. Objective The current study aimed to (1) assess the factorial structure of a general measure of Web trust, (2) model how the resultant factors predicted trust in, and readiness to act on, the advice found on health-related websites, and (3) test whether adding variables from social cognition models to capture elements of the response to threatening, online health-risk information enhanced the prediction of these outcomes. Methods Participants were asked to recall a site they had used to search for health-related information and to think of that site when answering an online questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of a general Web trust questionnaire plus items assessing appraisals of the site, including threat appraisals, information checking, and corroboration. It was promoted on the hungersite.com website. The URL was distributed via Yahoo and local print media. We assessed the factorial structure of the measures using principal components analysis and modeled how well they predicted the outcome measures using structural equation modeling (SEM) with EQS software. Results We report an analysis of the responses of participants who searched for health advice for themselves (N = 561). Analysis of the general Web trust questionnaire revealed 4 factors: information quality, personalization, impartiality, and credible design. In the final SEM model, information quality and impartiality were direct predictors of trust. However, variables specific to eHealth (perceived threat, coping, and corroboration) added substantially to the ability of the model to predict variance in trust and readiness to act on advice on the site. The final model achieved a satisfactory fit: χ2 5 = 10.8 (P = .21), comparative fit index = .99, root mean square error of approximation = .052. The model accounted for 66% of the variance in trust and 49% of the variance in readiness to act on the advice. Conclusions Adding variables specific to eHealth enhanced the ability of a model of trust to predict trust and readiness to act on advice. PMID:21795237

The use of the nominal group technique as an evaluative tool in medical undergraduate education.

PubMed

Lloyd-Jones, G; Fowell, S; Bligh, J G

1999-01-01

In the present state of flux affecting UK medical undergraduate education, there is a pressing need for evaluative methods which will identify relevant outcomes both expected and unanticipated. The student perspective is now legitimately accepted to form part of any evaluative exercise but qualitative methods commonly used for this purpose are expensive in time and analytical skills. The nominal group technique (NGT) has been used for various purposes, including course evaluation, and appears well suited to this application. It combines qualitative and quantitative components in a structured interaction, which minimizes the influences of the researcher, and of group dynamics. The sequence and mechanics of the NGT process are described as applied to an end of first year evaluation in a novel undergraduate course. Doubts have been raised as to whether the results of NGT can be generalized to the larger group. In this paper, this problem is overcome by compiling a questionnaire based on the NGT items which was distributed throughout the class. Nominal group technique with questionnaire development. The medical school at The University of Liverpool. Medical students. Previous claims made on behalf of the NGT, such as the focus on the student voice, the minimizing of leadership influence and the richness of the data, are upheld in this report. Broad agreement was found with the NGT items but two items (10%) did not display any consensus. The questionnaire extension of the NGT provides back-up evidence of the reliability of the data derived from the technique and enables it to be applied to the larger groups typical of undergraduate medicine.

Development and validation of a questionnaire to measure moral distress in community pharmacists.

PubMed

Astbury, Jayne L; Gallagher, Cathal T

2017-02-01

Background Pharmacists work within a highly-regulated occupational sphere, and are bound by strict legal frameworks and codes of professional conduct. This regulatory environment creates the potential for moral distress to occur due to the limitations it places on acting in congruence with moral judgements. Very little research regarding this phenomenon has been undertaken in pharmacy: thus, prominent research gaps have arisen for the development of a robust tool to measure and quantify moral distress experienced in the profession. Objective The aim of this study was to develop an instrument to measure moral distress in community pharmacists. Setting Community pharmacies in the United Kingdom. Method This study adopted a three-phase exploratory sequential mixed-method design. Three semi-structured focus groups were then conducted to allow pharmacists to identify and explore scenarios that cause moral distress. Each of the identified scenarios were developed into a statement, which was paired with twin seven-point Likert scales to measure the frequency and intensity of the distress, respectively. Content validity, reliability, and construct validity were all tested, and the questionnaire was refined. Main outcome measure The successful development of the valid instrument for use in the United Kingdom. Results This research has led to the development of a valid and reliable instrument to measure moral distress in community pharmacists in the UK. The questionnaire has already been distributed to a large sample of community pharmacists. Conclusion Results from this distribution will be used to inform the formulation of coping strategies for dealing with moral distress.

Multilingual Validation of the Questionnaire for Verifying Stroke-Free Status in West Africa

PubMed Central

Sarfo, Fred; Gebregziabher, Mulugeta; Ovbiagele, Bruce; Akinyemi, Rufus; Owolabi, Lukman; Obiako, Reginald; Akpa, Onoja; Armstrong, Kevin; Akpalu, Albert; Adamu, Sheila; Obese, Vida; Boa-Antwi, Nana; Appiah, Lambert; Arulogun, Oyedunni; Mensah, Yaw; Adeoye, Abiodun; Tosin, Aridegbe; Adeleye, Osimhiarherhuo; Tabi-Ajayi, Eric; Phillip, Ibinaiye; Sani, Abubakar; Isah, Suleiman; Tabari, Nasir; Mande, Aliyu; Agunloye, Atinuke; Ogbole, Godwin; Akinyemi, Joshua; Laryea, Ruth; Melikam, Sylvia; Uvere, Ezinne; Adekunle, Gregory; Kehinde, Salaam; Azuh, Paschal; Dambatta, Abdul; Ishaq, Naser; Saulson, Raelle; Arnett, Donna; Tiwari, Hemnant; Jenkins, Carolyn; Lackland, Dan; Owolabi, Mayowa

2015-01-01

Background and Purpose The Questionnaire for Verifying Stroke-free Status (QVSFS), a method for verifying stroke-free status in participants of clinical, epidemiological and genetic studies, has not been validated in low-income settings where populations have limited knowledge of stroke symptoms. We aimed to validate QVSFS in 3 languages-Yoruba, Hausa and Akan- for ascertainment of stroke-free status of control subjects enrolled in an ongoing stroke epidemiological study in West Africa. Methods Data were collected using a cross-sectional study design where 384 participants were consecutively recruited from neurology and general medicine clinics of 5 tertiary referral hospitals in Nigeria and Ghana. Ascertainment of stroke status was by neurologists using structured neurological examination, review of case records and neuro-imaging (Gold standard). Relative performance of QVSFS without and with pictures of stroke symptoms (pictograms) was assessed using sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV). Results The overall median age of the study participants was 54 years and 48.4% were males. Of 165 stroke cases identified by Gold standard, 98% were determined to have had stroke while of 219 without stroke 87% were determined to be stroke-free by QVSFS. NPV of the QVSFS across the 3 languages was 0.97 (range, 0.93 – 1.00), sensitivity, specificity and PPV were 0.98, 0.82 and 0.80 respectively. Agreement between the questionnaire with and without the pictogram was excellent/strong with Cohen’s k=0.92. Conclusions QVSFS is a valid tool for verifying stroke-free status across culturally diverse populations in West Africa. PMID:26578660

Construct validity and factor structure of the pittsburgh sleep quality index and epworth sleepiness scale in a multi-national study of African, South East Asian and South American college students.

PubMed

Gelaye, Bizu; Lohsoonthorn, Vitool; Lertmeharit, Somrat; Pensuksan, Wipawan C; Sanchez, Sixto E; Lemma, Seblewengel; Berhane, Yemane; Zhu, Xiaotong; Vélez, Juan Carlos; Barbosa, Clarita; Anderade, Asterio; Tadesse, Mahlet G; Williams, Michelle A

2014-01-01

The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) are questionnaires used to assess sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness in clinical and population-based studies. The present study aimed to evaluate the construct validity and factor structure of the PSQI and ESS questionnaires among young adults in four countries (Chile, Ethiopia, Peru and Thailand). A cross-sectional study was conducted among 8,481 undergraduate students. Students were invited to complete a self-administered questionnaire that collected information about lifestyle, demographic, and sleep characteristics. In each country, the construct validity and factorial structures of PSQI and ESS questionnaires were tested through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA and CFA). The largest component-total correlation coefficient for sleep quality as assessed using PSQI was noted in Chile (r = 0.71) while the smallest component-total correlation coefficient was noted for sleep medication use in Peru (r = 0.28). The largest component-total correlation coefficient for excessive daytime sleepiness as assessed using ESS was found for item 1 (sitting/reading) in Chile (r = 0.65) while the lowest item-total correlation was observed for item 6 (sitting and talking to someone) in Thailand (r = 0.35). Using both EFA and CFA a two-factor model was found for PSQI questionnaire in Chile, Ethiopia and Thailand while a three-factor model was found for Peru. For the ESS questionnaire, we noted two factors for all four countries. Overall, we documented cross-cultural comparability of sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness measures using the PSQI and ESS questionnaires among Asian, South American and African young adults. Although both the PSQI and ESS were originally developed as single-factor questionnaires, the results of our EFA and CFA revealed the multi- dimensionality of the scales suggesting limited usefulness of the global PSQI and ESS scores to assess sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness.

“It Depends on What You Mean by ‘Disagree’”: Differences between Parent and Child Perceptions of Parent–Child Conflict

PubMed Central

Thomas, Sarah A.; Swan, Anna J.; Ehrlich, Katherine B.; Reynolds, Elizabeth K.; Suarez, Liza; Dougherty, Lea R.; MacPherson, Laura; Pabón, Shairy C.

2014-01-01

We examined a new structured interview of parent–child conflict that assesses parent and child perceptions of behavioral conflict about daily life topics (e.g., doing chores, homework), and whether discrepancies exist on beliefs about these topics. In a sample of 100 parents and children ages 10 to 17 years (M=13.5 years, 52 males, 57 % African-American), informants could reliably distinguish between perceived behavioral conflicts and perceived discrepant beliefs about topics. These scores were also significantly related to questionnaire reports of parent–child conflict. Parent and child questionnaire reports did not significantly differ, yet on the structured interview, parents reported significantly greater levels of perceived conflict and discrepant beliefs relative to child reports. Additionally, structured interview reports of conflict demonstrated incremental validity by relating to child self-reports of delinquent behaviors, when accounting for questionnaire conflict reports. The findings have implications for increasing understanding of the links between parent–child conflict and psychosocial outcomes. PMID:25210227

"It Depends on What You Mean by 'Disagree'": Differences between Parent and Child Perceptions of Parent-Child Conflict.

PubMed

De Los Reyes, Andres; Thomas, Sarah A; Swan, Anna J; Ehrlich, Katherine B; Reynolds, Elizabeth K; Suarez, Liza; Dougherty, Lea R; MacPherson, Laura; Pabón, Shairy C

2012-09-01

We examined a new structured interview of parent-child conflict that assesses parent and child perceptions of behavioral conflict about daily life topics (e.g., doing chores, homework), and whether discrepancies exist on beliefs about these topics. In a sample of 100 parents and children ages 10 to 17 years ( M =13.5 years, 52 males, 57 % African-American), informants could reliably distinguish between perceived behavioral conflicts and perceived discrepant beliefs about topics. These scores were also significantly related to questionnaire reports of parent-child conflict. Parent and child questionnaire reports did not significantly differ, yet on the structured interview, parents reported significantly greater levels of perceived conflict and discrepant beliefs relative to child reports. Additionally, structured interview reports of conflict demonstrated incremental validity by relating to child self-reports of delinquent behaviors, when accounting for questionnaire conflict reports. The findings have implications for increasing understanding of the links between parent-child conflict and psychosocial outcomes.

Evaluations of the psychometric properties of the Recovery-Stress Questionnaire for Athletes among a sample of young French table tennis players.

PubMed

Martinent, Guillaume; Decret, Jean-Claude; Isoard-Gautheur, Sandrine; Filaire, Edith; Ferrand, Claude

2014-04-01

This study used confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) among a sample of young French table tennis players to test: (a) original 19-factor structure, (b) 14-factor structure recently suggested in literature, and (c) hierarchical factor structure of the Recovery-Stress Questionnaire for Athletes (RESTQ-Sport). 148 table tennis players completed the RESTQ-Sport and other self-report questionnaires between one to five occasions with a delay of 1 mo. between each completion. Results of CFAs showed: (a) evidence for relative superiority of the original model in comparison to an alternative model recently proposed in literature, (b) a good fit of the data for the 67-item 17-factor model of the RESTQ-Sport, and (c) an acceptable fit of the data for the hierarchical model of the RESTQ-Sport. Correlations between RESTQ-Sport subscales and burnout and motivation subscales also provided evidence for criterion-related validity of the RESTQ-Sport. This study provided support for reliability and validity of the RESTQ-Sport.

Measuring the learning capacity of organisations: development and factor analysis of the Questionnaire for Learning Organizations.

PubMed

Oudejans, S C C; Schippers, G M; Schramade, M H; Koeter, M W J; van den Brink, W

2011-04-01

To investigate internal consistency and factor structure of a questionnaire measuring learning capacity based on Senge's theory of the five disciplines of a learning organisation: Personal Mastery, Mental Models, Shared Vision, Team Learning, and Systems Thinking. Cross-sectional study. Substance-abuse treatment centres (SATCs) in The Netherlands. A total of 293 SATC employees from outpatient and inpatient treatment departments, financial and human resources departments. Psychometric properties of the Questionnaire for Learning Organizations (QLO), including factor structure, internal consistency, and interscale correlations. A five-factor model representing the five disciplines of Senge showed good fit. The scales for Personal Mastery, Shared Vision and Team Learning had good internal consistency, but the scales for Systems Thinking and Mental Models had low internal consistency. The proposed five-factor structure was confirmed in the QLO, which makes it a promising instrument to assess learning capacity in teams. The Systems Thinking and the Mental Models scales have to be revised. Future research should be aimed at testing criterion and discriminatory validity.

Use of the Method of Triads in the Validation of Sodium and Potassium Intake in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil).

PubMed

Pereira, Taísa Sabrina Silva; Cade, Nágela Valadão; Mill, José Geraldo; Sichieri, Rosely; Molina, Maria Del Carmen Bisi

2016-01-01

Biomarkers are a good choice to be used in the validation of food frequency questionnaire due to the independence of their random errors. To assess the validity of the potassium and sodium intake estimated using the Food Frequency Questionnaire ELSA-Brasil. A subsample of participants in the ELSA-Brasil cohort was included in this study in 2009. Sodium and potassium intake were estimated using three methods: Semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire, 12-hour nocturnal urinary excretion and three 24-hour food records. Correlation coefficients were calculated between the methods, and the validity coefficient was calculated using the method of triads. The 95% confidence intervals for the validity coefficient were estimated using bootstrap sampling. Exact and adjacent agreement and disagreement of the estimated sodium and potassium intake quintiles were compared among three methods. The sample consisted of 246 participants, aged 53±8 years, 52% of women. Validity coefficient for sodium were considered weak (рfood frequency questionnaire actual intake = 0.37 and рbiomarker actual intake = 0.21) and moderate (рfood records actual intake 0.56). The validity coefficient were higher for potassium (рfood frequency questionnaire actual intake = 0.60; рbiomarker actual intake = 0.42; рfood records actual intake = 0.79). Conclusions: The Food Frequency Questionnaire ELSA-Brasil showed good validity in estimating potassium intake in epidemiological studies. For sodium validity was weak, likely due to the non-quantification of the added salt to prepared food.

Relationship between organizational structure and creativity in teaching hospitals

PubMed Central

REZAEE, RITA; MARHAMATI, SAADAT; NABEIEI, PARISA; MARHAMATI, RAHELEH

2014-01-01

Introduction: Organization structure and manpower constitute two basic components of anorganization and both are necessary for stablishing an organization. The aim of this survey was to investigate the type of the organization structure (mechanic and organic) from viewpoint of senior and junior managers in Shiraz teaching hospitals and creativity in each of these two structures. Methods: In this cross-sectional and descriptive-analytic study, organization structure and organizational creation questionnaires were filled out by hospital managers. According to the statistical consultation and due to limited target population, the entire study population was considered as sample. Thus, the sample size in this study was 84 (12 hospitals and every hospital, n = 7). For data analysis, SPSS 14 was used and Spearman correlation coefficient and t-test were used. Results: Results showed that there is a negative association between centralization and complexity with organizational creation and its dimensions. Also there was a negative association between formalization and 4 organizational creation dimensions: reception change, accepting ambiguity, abet new view and less control outside (p=0.001). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the creation in hospitals with organic structure is more than that in hospitals with mechanic structure. PMID:25512934

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

PubMed

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

2014-04-01

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

Health professionals identify components of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in questionnaires for the upper limb

PubMed Central

Philbois, Stella V.; Martins, Jaqueline; Souza, Cesário S.; Sampaio, Rosana F.; Oliveira, Anamaria S.

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Several Brazilian studies have addressed the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), but few have analyzed the knowledge of the health professionals with regards to the ICF. OBJECTIVE: To verify whether the classification of the items in the Brazilian-Portuguese versions of The Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) and The Disabilities Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaires, obtained from health professionals who worked with patients having upper limb injuries, could be related to ICF components as defined by others studies. METHOD: There were 4 participants for the group "professionals with high familiarity of the ICF (PHF)" and 19 for the group of "professionals with some or no familiarity of the ICF (PSNF)". The participants judged whether the items on the two questionnaires belonged to the ICF body function, body structure or activity-participation component, and marked a confidence level for each trial using a numerical scale ranging from zero to 10. The items were classified by the discriminant content validity method using the Student'st-test and the Hochberg correction. The ratings were compared to the literature by the percentage of agreement and Kappa coefficient. RESULTS: The percentage of agreement of the rating from the PSNF and the PHF groups with the literature was equal to or greater than 77%. For the DASH, the agreement of the PSNF and PHF groups with the literature were, respectively, moderate (Kappa=0.46 to 0.48) and substantial (Kappa=0.62 to 0.70). CONCLUSIONS: Health professionals were able to correlate the three components of the ICF for most items on the 2 questionnaires, demonstrating some ease of understanding the ICF components. However, the relation of concept of pain with body function component is not clear for professional and deserves a more attentive approach. PMID:26786076

Validity and Reliability of the Turkish Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire

PubMed

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.

Patient preference to use a questionnaire varies according to attributes.

PubMed

Kim, Na Yae; Richardson, Lyndsay; He, Weilin; Jones, Glenn

2011-08-01

Health care professionals may assume questionnaires are burdensome to patients, and this limits their use in clinical settings and promotes simplification. However, patient adherence may improve by optimizing questionnaire attributes and contexts. This cross-sectional survey used Contingent Valuation methods to directly elicit patient preference for conventional monitoring of symptoms, versus adding a tool to monitoring. Under explicit consideration was the 10-question Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS). In the questionnaire, attributes of ESAS were sequentially altered to try and force preference reversal. A separate group of participants completed both questionnaire and interviews to explore questionnaire reliability, and extend validity. Overall, 24 of 43 participants preferred using ESAS. Most important attributes to preference were frequency, specificity, and complexity. Where preference is initially against ESAS, it may reverse by simplifying the tool and its administrative processes. Interviews in 10 additional participants supported reproducibility and validity of the questionnaire method. Preference for using tools increases when tools are made relevant and used more appropriately. Questionnaires completed by patients as screening tools or aids to communication may be under-utilized. Optimization of ESAS and similar tools may be guided by empirical findings, including those obtained from Contingent Valuation methodologies. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rasch analysis and impact factor methods both yield valid and comparable measures of health status in interstitial lung disease.

PubMed

Patel, Amit S; Siegert, Richard J; Bajwah, Sabrina; Brignall, Kate; Gosker, Harry R; Moxham, John; Maher, Toby M; Renzoni, Elisabetta A; Wells, Athol U; Higginson, Irene J; Birring, Surinder S

2015-09-01

Rasch analysis has largely replaced impact factor methodology for developing health status measures. The aim of this study was to develop a health status questionnaire for patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) using impact factor methodology and to compare its validity with that of another version developed using Rasch analysis. A preliminary 71-item questionnaire was developed and evaluated in 173 patients with ILD. Items were reduced by the impact factor method (King's Brief ILD questionnaire, KBILD-I) and Rasch analysis (KBILD-R). Both questionnaires were validated by assessing their relationship with forced vital capacity (FVC) and St Georges Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and by evaluating internal reliability, repeatability, and longitudinal responsiveness. The KBILD-R and KBILD-I comprised 15 items each. The content of eight items differed between the KBILD-R and KBILD-I. Internal and test-retest reliability was good for total scores of both questionnaires. There was a good relationship with SGRQ and moderate relationship with FVC for both questionnaires. Effect sizes were comparable. Both questionnaires discriminated patients with differing disease severity. Despite considerable differences in the content of retained items, both KBILD-R and KBILD-I questionnaires demonstrated acceptable measurement properties and performed comparably in a clinical setting. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Factor structure and measurement invariance of the Health Education Impact Questionnaire: Does the subjectivity of the response perspective threaten the contextual validity of inferences?

PubMed

Elsworth, Gerald R; Nolte, Sandra; Osborne, Richard H

2015-01-01

On-going evidence is required to support the validity of inferences about change and group differences in the evaluation of health programs, particularly when self-report scales requiring substantial subjectivity in response generation are used as outcome measures. Following this reasoning, the aim of this study was to replicate the factor structure and investigate the measurement invariance of the latest version of the Health Education Impact Questionnaire, a widely used health program evaluation measure. An archived dataset of responses to the most recent version of the English-language Health Education Impact Questionnaire that uses four rather than six response options (N = 3221) was analysed using exploratory structural equation modelling and confirmatory factor analysis appropriate for ordered categorical data. Metric and scalar invariance were studied following recent recommendations in the literature to apply fully invariant unconditional models with minimum constraints necessary for model identification. The original eight-factor structure was replicated and all but one of the scales (Self Monitoring and Insight) was found to consist of unifactorial items with reliability of ⩾0.8 and satisfactory discriminant validity. Configural, metric and scalar invariance were established across pre-test to post-test and population sub-groups (sex, age, education, ethnic background). The results support the high level of interest in the Health Education Impact Questionnaire, particularly for use as a pre-test/post-test measure in experimental studies, other pre-post evaluation designs and system-level monitoring and evaluation.

Development and validation of a questionnaire on 'Satisfaction with dermatological treatment of hand eczema' (DermaSat)

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Objective To develop a self-administered short questionnaire to assess patient satisfaction with medical treatment for hand eczema (dermatitis) with good psychometric properties. Method The content of the questionnaire was determined on the basis of clinical consultation with groups of patients, from studying the existing instruments, and from discussions with a panel of seven experts. A first draft version containing 38 items organised in six dimensions was tested on a pilot sample of patients to assess its legibility. The extended version was then tested on a sample of 217 patients of both genders enrolled at 18 hospitals representative of the national distribution. The questionnaire was supplied together with the Morisky-Green compliance questionnaire, the health-related quality of life (HRQL) SF-12 questionnaire, and a visual analogue scale (VAS) of perceived health status to assess concurrent validity. The dimensionality was reduced by means of exploratory factor analysis, and reliability was evaluated on the basis of internal consistency and two halves reliability estimates. Item discriminant capability and questionnaire discriminant validity with respect to known groups of patients (by gender, principal diagnosis, age, disease severity and treatment) were also assessed. Results The reduction and validation sample was composed of 54% women and 46% men, of various educational levels with an average age of 43 years (SD = 13.7). Of those who responded, 26% were diagnosed with hyperkeratotic dermatitis of the palms and 27% of the fingertips, and 47% with recurring palmar dyshidrotic eczema. The questionnaire was shortened to a version containing 17 items grouped in six dimensions: effectiveness, convenience, impact on HRQL, medical follow-up, side effects, and general opinion. Cronbach's alpha coefficient reached a value of 0.9. The dimensions showed different degrees of correlation, and the scores had a normal distribution with an average of 58.4 points (SD = 18.01). Treatment satisfaction scores attained correlations between 0.003 and 0.222 with the HRQL measures, and showed higher correlations with the effectiveness (r = 0.41) and tolerability (0.22) measures, but very low correlation with compliance (r = 0.015). Significant differences were observed between some diagnoses and treatments. Conclusions The shortened questionnaire proved to have good psychometric properties, providing excellent reliability, satisfactorily reproducing the proposed structure and supplying evidence of validity. PMID:21054872

Developing a short measure of organizational justice: a multisample health professionals study.

PubMed

Elovainio, Marko; Heponiemi, Tarja; Kuusio, Hannamaria; Sinervo, Timo; Hintsa, Taina; Aalto, Anna-Mari

2010-11-01

To develop and test the validity of a short version of the original questionnaire measuring organizational justice. The study samples comprised working physicians (N = 2792) and registered nurses (n = 2137) from the Finnish Health Professionals study. Structural equation modelling was applied to test structural validity, using the justice scales. Furthermore, criterion validity was explored with well-being (sleeping problems) and health indicators (psychological distress/self-rated health). The short version of the organizational justice questionnaire (eight items) provides satisfactory psychometric properties (internal consistency, a good model fit of the data). All scales were associated with an increased risk of sleeping problems and psychological distress, indicating satisfactory criterion validity. This short version of the organizational justice questionnaire provides a useful tool for epidemiological studies focused on health-adverse effects of work environment.

School Motivation Questionnaire for the Portuguese population: structure and psychometric studies.

PubMed

Cordeiro, Pedro Miguel Gomes; Figueira, Ana Paula Couceiro; da Silva, José Tomás; Matos, Lennia

2012-11-01

It is presented the structure and psychometric studies of the "School Motivation Questionnaire". The SMQ is a self-report questionnaire with 101 items, organized in sixteen scales that measure the students' goal orientations, the perceived classroom goal structures, the perceived teacher's autonomy support and the use of learning strategies. Twelve scales are adapted from the "Learning Climate Questionnaire", "Perceptions of Instrumentality" and "Cuestionário a Estudiantes". Four scales and five additional items are created new. The psychometric studies rely on a convenience sample consisting of 9th and 12th grade students (N = 485) of Portuguese schools. The factorial and construct validity, verified through several exploratory factorial analyses to the data, presents a final solution of six factors, labelled Strategies (F1), Teacher Extrinsic Goals (F2), Student Extrinsic Goals, Externally Regulated (F3) Teacher Intrinsic Goals (F4), Student Extrinsic Goals, Internally Regulated (F5), and Student Intrinsic Goals (F6). The six-factor solution explains a significant variance of the scale results (53.95%). Good coefficients of internal consistency are obtained for all factors, never below (.858; F6). In sum there is strong evidence to support the multi-dimensionality of SMQ, upholding that the data obtained is exploratory and applies for future validation studies.

Psychometric properties of the Danish student well-being questionnaire assessed in >250,000 student responders.

PubMed

Niclasen, Janni; Keilow, Maria; Obel, Carsten

2018-05-01

Well-being is considered a prerequisite for learning. The Danish Ministry of Education initiated the development of a new 40-item student well-being questionnaire in 2014 to monitor well-being among all Danish public school students on a yearly basis. The aim of this study was to investigate the basic psychometric properties of this questionnaire. We used the data from the 2015 Danish student well-being survey for 268,357 students in grades 4-9 (about 85% of the study population). Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analyses, confirmatory factor analyses and Cronbach's α reliability measures were used in the analyses. The factor analyses did not unambiguously support one particular factor structure. However, based on the basic descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analyses, confirmatory factor analyses, the semantics of the individual items and Cronbach's α, we propose a four-factor structure including 27 of the 40 items originally proposed. The four scales measure school connectedness, learning self-efficacy, learning environment and classroom management. Two bullying items and two psychosomatic items should be considered separately, leaving 31 items in the questionnaire. The proposed four-factor structure addresses central aspects of well-being, which, if used constructively, may support public schools' work to increase levels of student well-being.

Selective Mutism Questionnaire: Measurement Structure and Validity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Letamendi, Andrea M.; Chavira, Denise A.; Hitchcock, Carla A.; Roesch, Scott C.; Shipon-Blum, Elisa; Stein, Murray B.

2008-01-01

The psychometric properties of the Selective Mutism Questionnaire (SMQ) are evaluated using a clinical sample of children with selective mutism (SM). The study shows that SMQ is useful in determining the severity of a child's nonspeaking behaviors, the scope of these behaviors and necessary follow up assessment.

Reliability of the Suicide Opinion Questionnaire.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, James R.; DeShon, Richard P.

The lack of systematic psychometric information on the Suicide Opinion Questionnaire (SOQ) was addressed by investigating the factor structure and reliability of the eight-factor clinical scale model (mental illness, cry for help, right to die, religion, impulsivity, normality, aggression, and moral evil), developed for interpreting responses to…

Analysis of Work Design in Rubber Processing Plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wahyuni, Dini; Nasution, Harmein; Budiman, Irwan; Wijaya, Khairini

2018-02-01

The work design illustrates how structured jobs, tasks, and roles are defined and modified and their impact on individuals, groups, and organizations. If the work is not designed well, the company must pay greater costs for workers' health, longer production processes or even penalties for not being able to meet the delivery schedule. This is visible to the condition in a rubber processing factory in North Sumatra. Work design aspects such as layouts, machinery and equipment, worker's physical working environment, work methods, and organizational policies have not been well-organized. Coagulum grinding machines into sheets are often damaged, resulting in 4 times the delay of product delivery in 2016, the presence of complaints of heat exposure submitted by workers, and workstation that has not been properly arranged is an indication of the need for work design. The research data will be collected through field observation, and distribution of questionnaires related aspects of work design. The result of the analysis depends on the respondent's answer from the distributed questionnaire regarding the 6 aspects studied.

[Managerial knowledge required of the nurse in the family health program].

PubMed

Benito, Gladys Amélia Vélez; Becker, Luciana Corrêa; Duarte, Jefferson; Leite, Daniela Stuarte

2005-01-01

This article is a part of a study entitled "Managerial skills required of the nurse in the Family Health Program" which sought to identify the managerial knowledge required of nurses, to run the nursing services in the Family Health Units in a city on the coast of Santa Catarina. Taking the perspective of professionals working in these units, the study used the descriptive-exploratory method, with a quantitative approach and a semi-structured questionnaire. The study sample consisted of 72 participants, who attributed a score of between 1 and 5 for each item on the questionnaire. The results indicated an emphasis on the mastery of a good knowledge of SUS (the national Brazilian healthcare system) policies, which would lead to the development of skills by the nurses, enabling them to achieve a good performance and consequently, ensuring quality care and the concrete resolution of multiple problems, guaranteeing satisfaction for the community, a decrease in levels of epidemiology and a better quality of life for the population.

Suicide risk factors for young adults: testing a model across ethnicities.

PubMed

Gutierrez, P M; Rodriguez, P J; Garcia, P

2001-06-01

A general path model based on existing suicide risk research was developed to test factors contributing to current suicidal ideation in young adults. A sample of 673 undergraduate students completed a packet of questionnaires containing the Beck Depression Inventory, Adult Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire, and Multi-Attitude Suicide Tendency Scale. They also provided information on history of suicidality and exposure to attempted and completed suicide in others. Structural equation modeling was used to test the fit of the data to the hypothesized model. Goodness-of-fit indices were adequate and supported the interactive effects of exposure, repulsion by life, depression, and history of self-harm on current ideation. Model fit for three subgroups based on race/ethnicity (i.e., White, Black, and Hispanic) determined that repulsion by life and depression function differently across groups. Implications of these findings for current methods of suicide risk assessment and future research are discussed in the context of the importance of culture.

Maintenance of antemortem dental records in private dental clinics: Knowledge, attitude, and practice among the practitioners of Mangalore and surrounding areas

PubMed Central

Wadhwani, Surbhi; Shetty, Pushparaja; Sreelatha, S. V.

2017-01-01

Introduction: With time, an increase in the number of crimes, mass disasters, and wars, has led to the identification of the deceased or assailant critical. In such circumstances, antemortem dental records play a crucial role. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey involved 95 dentists practicing in and around Mangalore. The structured questionnaire comprised 24 questions regarding the practice of maintenance of dental records. The questionnaire was given either personally or sent by post. The data obtained was subjected to descriptive analysis. Results: With 87% of the dentists maintaining records, only 31% of them recorded all the details required to be present in a dental record. Of these 18% of them maintained the records for >5 years. Conclusion: The results suggest that most of the practicing dentists in this area either do not maintain or maintain inadequate records, which is alarming. Thus, there is a need to set protocols to increase the awareness for maintaining good dental records. PMID:29263612

[A range of mobbing among female and male nurses employed in the Szczecin hospitals].

PubMed

Kunecka, Danuta; Kamińska, Magdalena; Karakiewicz, Beata

2008-01-01

Workplace mobbing, a particular type of conflict, has recently been recognized as one of the factors of occupational hazard, resulting from the social environment. Health service workers belong to occupational groups, which are particularly exposed to mobbing. Moreover, changes in the structure of medical labor market make that nurses often work under strong pressure and thus the phenomenon of mobbing becomes even more intensified. The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence of mobbing in the nursing stuff employed in the Szczecin hospitals. The method of diagnostic poll was based on a questionnaire, developed and distributed among 1578 respondents employed in hospitals in Szczecin. Of this number, 1261 correctly completed questionnaires were statistically analyzed. The results showed that the phenomenon of mobbing is actually common in the nursing occupational group (18.6%). The majority (40%) of respondents indicated a superior as a mobber (torturer). The high incidence of mobbing observed in the nursing occupational group may evidence that Human Resource Management (HRM) processes are not perfect.

Is gardening a stimulating activity for people with advanced Huntington's disease?

PubMed

Spring, Josephine A; Viera, Marc; Bowen, Ceri; Marsh, Nicola

2014-11-01

This study evaluated adapted gardening as an activity for people with advanced Huntington's disease (HD) and explored its therapeutic aspects. Visitors and staff completed a questionnaire and participated in structured interviews to capture further information, whereas a pictorial questionnaire was designed for residents with communication difficulties. Staff reported that gardening was a constructive, outdoor activity that promoted social interaction, physical activity including functional movement and posed cognitive challenges. Half the staff thought the activity was problem free and a third used the garden for therapy. Visitors used the garden to meet with residents socially. Despite their disabilities, HD clients enjoyed growing flourishing flowers and vegetables, labelling plants, being outside in the sun and the quiet of the garden. The garden is valued by all three groups. The study demonstrates the adapted method of gardening is a stimulating and enjoyable activity for people with advanced HD. © The Author(s) 2013 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Illness perceptions in adolescents with a psychiatric diagnosis in Pakistan.

PubMed

Imran, Nazish; Azeem, Muhammad Waqar; Chaudhry, Mansoor R; Butt, Zeeshan

2015-08-01

Aims and method To assess adolescents' perceptions of their psychiatric illness and the role of various demographic factors in a Pakistani setting. Adolescents with various psychiatric diagnoses were interviewed using a structured questionnaire including the Illness Perceptions Questionnaire-Revised (IPQ-R). Results Fifty-two adolescents with various psychiatric illnesses were interviewed; their mean age was 12.7 years and the majority (67%) were female. Males had significantly higher scores on timeline and emotional representation (P<0.05), suggesting strongly held beliefs about chronicity of their illness and anger and worry about their condition. Adolescents' own emotional state, stress, family problems and bad luck were endorsed by participants as some of the causal factors in their mental illness. Clinical implications Despite the importance of early intervention in psychiatric problems, engaging youth in the treatment process in Pakistan remains difficult. Better understanding of how adolescents perceive their psychiatric difficulties may play a significant role in developing culturally sensitive interventions and better utilisation of services.

Assessing the 16 hour intern shift limit: Results of a multi-center, mixed-methods study of residents and faculty in general surgery.

PubMed

Coverdill, James E; Alseidi, Adnan; Borgstrom, David C; Dent, Daniel L; Dumire, Russell; Fryer, Jonathan; Hartranft, Thomas H; Holsten, Steven B; Nelson, M Timothy; Shabahang, Mohsen M; Sherman, Stanley R; Termuhlen, Paula M; Woods, Randy J; Mellinger, John D

2018-02-01

The study explores how residents and faculty assess the ACGME's 16-h limit on intern shifts. Questionnaire response rates were 76% for residents (N = 291) and 71% for faculty (N = 279) in 13 general surgery residency programs. Results include means, percentage in agreement, and statistical tests for 15 questionnaire items. Semi-structured interviews conducted with 39 residents and 43 faculty were analyzed for main themes. Few view the intern shift limit as a positive change. Views differ (P < 0.01) for residents and faculty on 12 of 15 item means and across PGY levels on all 15 items. Interviews indicate concerns about losses with respect to education and professional development, difficulties when interns transition to their second year, and how intern shifts may be more fatiguing than expected. The 16-h limit on intern shifts has remained a source of concern and an educational challenge for residents and faculty. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Validation of a French adaptation of the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire among torture survivors from sub-Saharan African countries

PubMed Central

de Fouchier, Capucine; Blanchet, Alain; Hopkins, William; Bui, Eric; Ait-Aoudia, Malik; Jehel, Louis

2012-01-01

Background To date no validated instrument in the French language exists to screen for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in survivors of torture and organized violence. Objective The aim of this study is to adapt and validate the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ) to this population. Method The adapted version was administered to 52 French-speaking torture survivors, originally from sub-Saharan African countries, receiving psychological treatment in specialized treatment centers. A structured clinical interview for DSM was also conducted in order to assess if they met criteria for PTSD. Results Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the HTQ Part 4 was adequate (0.95). Criterion validity was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis that generated good classification accuracy for PTSD (0.83). At the original cut-off score of 2.5, the HTQ demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity (0.87 and 0.73, respectively). Conclusion Results support the reliability and validity of the French version of the HTQ. PMID:23233870

Evaluation of an educational program on cervical cancer for rural women in Mangalore, Southern India.

PubMed

Mary, Bright; D'Sa, Juliana Linnette

2014-01-01

Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer in women worldwide. One way by which the incidence of this malignant disease can be minimized is by imparting knowledge through health education. This study aimed at developing an educational package on cervical cancer (EPCC) and determining its effectiveness in terms of significant increase in knowledge of rural women regarding cervical cancer. A one group pre-test, post-test design was adopted. Thirty rural women were selected using a convenient sampling method. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and a structured knowledge questionnaire developed by the researchers. The EPCC was designed for a duration of one hour and 10 minutes. The structured knowledge questionnaire was first administered as the pre-test, following which knowledge on cervical cancer was imparted using the EPCC. On the 8th day, the post-test was administered. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The mean post-test knowledge score of the women regarding cervical cancer was significantly higher than that of their mean pre-test score, indicating that the EPCC was effective in improving the knowledge of rural women on cervical cancer. The association between pre-test knowledge scores and selected demo-graphic variables were computed using chi-square test showed that pre-test knowledge score of the women regarding cervical cancer was independent of all the socio-demographic variables. It was concluded that the EPCC is effective in improving the knowledge of women, regarding cervical cancer. Since the prevalence of cervical cancer is high, there is an immediate need to educate women on prevention of cervical cancer.

Validation and cultural adaptation of a German version of the Physicians' Reactions to Uncertainty scales

PubMed Central

Schneider, Antonius; Szecsenyi, Joachim; Barie, Stefan; Joest, Katharina; Rosemann, Thomas

2007-01-01

Background The aim of the study was to examine the validity of a translated and culturally adapted version of the Physicians' Reaction to Uncertainty scales (PRU) in primary care physicians. Methods In a structured process, the original questionnaire was translated, culturally adapted and assessed after administering it to 93 GPs. Test-retest reliability was tested by sending the questionnaire to the GPs again after two weeks. Results The principal factor analysis confirmed the postulated four-factor structure underlying the 15 items. In contrast to the original version, item 5 achieved a higher loading on the 'concern about bad outcomes' scale. Consequently, we rearranged the scales. Good item-scale correlations were obtained, with Pearson's correlation coefficient ranging from 0.56–0.84. As regards the item-discriminant validity between the scales 'anxiety due to uncertainty' and 'concern about bad outcomes', partially high correlations (Pearson's correlation coefficient 0.02–0.69; p < 0.001) were found, indicating an overlap between both constructs. The assessment of internal consistency revealed satisfactory values; Cronbach's alpha of the rearranged version was 0.86 or higher for all scales. Test-retest-reliability, assessed by means of the intraclass-correlation-coefficient (ICC), exceeded 0.84, except for the 'reluctance to disclose mistakes to physicians' scale (ICC = 0.66). In this scale, some substantial floor effects occurred, with 29.3% of answers showing the lowest possible value. Conclusion Dealing with uncertainty is an important issue in daily practice. The psychometric properties of the rearranged German version of the PRU are satisfying. The revealed floor effects do not limit the significance of the questionnaire. Thus, the German version of the PRU could contribute to the further evaluation of the impact of uncertainty in primary care physicians. PMID:17562018

Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the mindful attention awareness scale (MAAS) in patients with fibromyalgia

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Mindful-based interventions improve functioning and quality of life in fibromyalgia (FM) patients. The aim of the study is to perform a psychometric analysis of the Spanish version of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) in a sample of patients diagnosed with FM. Methods The following measures were administered to 251 Spanish patients with FM: the Spanish version of MAAS, the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire, the Pain Catastrophising Scale, the Injustice Experience Questionnaire, the Psychological Inflexibility in Pain Scale, the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire and the Euroqol. Factorial structure was analysed using Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA). Cronbach's α coefficient was calculated to examine internal consistency, and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated to assess the test-retest reliability of the measures. Pearson’s correlation tests were run to evaluate univariate relationships between scores on the MAAS and criterion variables. Results The MAAS scores in our sample were low (M = 56.7; SD = 17.5). CFA confirmed a two-factor structure, with the following fit indices [sbX2 = 172.34 (p < 0.001), CFI = 0.95, GFI = 0.90, SRMR = 0.05, RMSEA = 0.06. MAAS was found to have high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.90) and adequate test-retest reliability at a 1–2 week interval (ICC = 0.90). It showed significant and expected correlations with the criterion measures with the exception of the Euroqol (Pearson = 0.15). Conclusion Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the MAAS in patients with FM are adequate. The dimensionality of the MAAS found in this sample and directions for future research are discussed. PMID:23317306

Psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Time to Relapse Questionnaire (TRQ) in substance use disorder.

PubMed

Khazaee-Pool, Maryam; Moridi, Minoo; Ponnet, Koen; Turner, Nigel; Pashaei, Tahereh

2016-11-01

Predicting time to relapse provides an opportunity for the development of relapse prevention interventions in drug users. The aim of the present study was to describe the development of the Persian version of the 9-item Time to Relapse Questionnaire (TRQ) and to evaluate its psychometric properties in an Iranian sample of treatment-seeking individuals with substance dependence (n = 150). The forward-backward method was used to translate the TRQ scale from English into Persian. After linguistic validation and a pilot check, a cross-sectional study was performed, and psychometric properties of the Iranian version of the questionnaire were assessed. The reliability was evaluated by Cronbach's alpha and test-retest analyses. In addition, the factor structure of the scale was extracted by applying confirmatory factor analysis. The mean age of participants was 40.52 (SD = 11.30) years. The mean scores for the content validity index (CVI) and the content validity ratio (CVR) were 0.93 and 0.81, respectively. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) demonstrated that the three-factor model of the TRQ was a good fit for the data and thus replicated the factor structure of the original English language TRQ. Cronbach's alpha presented good internal consistency (alpha = 0.76), and test-retest reliability of the TRQ instrument with 2-week intervals was appropriate (ICC = 0.84). The findings demonstrate that the Persian version of the TRQ is a reliable and valid scale for measuring time to relapse in Iranian drug users. The TRQ can be applied at the start of treatment so that clinical interventions can be targeted toward the different relapse styles.

[Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome and Personality--Association of Somatic Symptoms and Psychic Structure].

PubMed

Albrecht, Rebecca; Löwe, Bernd; A Brünahl, Christian; Riegel, Björn

2015-11-01

Despite its high prevalence, little is known about the aetiology and maintenance of Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CPPS). CPPS is is considered to be a multi-causal syndrome with discomfort and pain in the pelvis. Recent literature suggests that psychosocial factors are important for understanding CPPS. For example, CPPS has been associated with deficits in mentalization and bonding experiences. Our study aims to characterize features of personality disorders according to DSM-IV and psychic structure according to OPD-2 in CPPS patients. Furthermore, we examine the association of personality aspects with urological symptoms (NIH Questionnaire) and pain perception (MPQ Questionnaire). Personality aspects were assessed in a total of 109 patients from our CPPS outpatient clinic using standardized questionnaires. To characterize CPPS patients, we compared the sample's scores with reference groups, mostly the general population. In addition, the associations between personality aspects and both the urologic symptoms and pain perception were assessed using correlations. Missing data were replaced using multiple imputation methods. Compared to reference values, we found 'experiencing emotions' and 'creating relationships' as specific deficits in CPPS patients. Furthermore, patients' self-image (more dominant, higher depressive mood) differs from the general population. A higher pain perception was correlated with deficits in most personality aspects we measured. However, this was not the case for the severity of urological symptoms. Compared to the reference values, only a few personality aspects differed in CPPS patients but there was a correlational association between different personality traits and pain perception. Despite the extend of symptoms, pain perception is associated with difficulty (emotional ability) in dealing with emotions, self-management and relationships. These personality aspects should be taken into account when planning therapy. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

The psychometric properties of an Iranian translation of the Work Ability Index (WAI) questionnaire.

PubMed

Abdolalizadeh, M; Arastoo, A A; Ghsemzadeh, R; Montazeri, A; Ahmadi, K; Azizi, A

2012-09-01

This study was carried out to evaluate the psychometric properties of an Iranian translation of the Work Ability Index (WAI) questionnaire. In this methodological study, nurses and healthcare workers aged 40 years and older who worked in educational hospitals in Ahvaz (236 workers) in 2010, completed the questionnaire and 60 of the workers filled out the WAI questionnaire for the second time to ensure test-retest reliability. Forward-backward method was applied to translate the questionnaire from English into Persian. The psychometric properties of the Iranian translation of the WAI were assessed using the fallowing tests: Internal consistency (to test reliability), test-retest analysis, exploratory factor analysis (construct validity), discriminate validity by comparing the mean WAI score in two groups of the employees that had different levels of sick leave, criterion validity by determining the correlation between the Persian version of short form health survey (SF-36) and WAI score. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was estimated to be 0.79 and it was concluded that the internal consistency was high enough. The intraclass correlation coefficient was recognized to be 0.92. Factor analysis indicated three factors in the structure of the work ability including self-perceived work ability (24.5% of the variance), mental resources (22.23% of the variance), and presence of disease and health related limitation (18.55% of the variance). Statistical tests showed that this questionnaire was capable of discriminating two groups of employees who had different levels of sick leave. Criterion validity analysis showed that this instrument and all dimensions of the Iranian version of SF-36 were correlated significantly. Item correlation corrective for overlap showed the items tests had a good correlation except for one. The finding of the study showed that the Iranian version of the WAI is a reliable and valid measure of work ability and can be used both in research and practical activities.

Developing an instrument for assessing students' concepts of the nature of technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liou, Pey-Yan

2015-05-01

Background:The nature of technology has been rarely discussed despite the fact that technology plays an essential role in modern society. It is important to discuss students' concepts of the nature of technology, and further to advance their technological literacy and adaptation to modern society. There is a need to assess high school students' concepts of the nature of technology. Purpose:This study aims to engage in discourse on students' concepts of the nature of technology based on a proposed theoretical framework. Moreover, another goal is to develop an instrument for measuring students' concepts of the nature of technology. Sample:Four hundred and fifty-five high school students' perceptions of technology were qualitatively analyzed. Furthermore, 530 students' responses to a newly developed questionnaire were quantitatively analyzed in the final test. Design and method:First, content analysis was utilized to discuss and categorize students' statements regarding technology and its related issues. The Student Concepts of the Nature of Technology Questionnaire was developed based on the proposed theoretical framework and was supported by the students' qualitative data. Finally, exploratory factor analysis and reliability analysis were applied to determine the structure of the items and the internal consistency of each scale. Results:Through a process of instrument development, the Student Concepts of the Nature of Technology Questionnaire was shown to be a valid and reliable tool for measuring students' concepts of the nature of technology. This newly developed questionnaire is composed of 29 items in six scales, namely 'technology as artifacts,' 'technology as an innovation change,' 'the current role of technology in society,' 'technology as a double-edged sword,' 'technology as a science-based form,' and 'history of technology.' Conclusions:The Student Concepts of the Nature of Technology Questionnaire has been confirmed as a reasonably valid and reliable instrument. This study provides a useful questionnaire for educational researchers and practitioners for measuring students' concepts of the nature of technology.

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

PubMed Central

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

2017-01-01

Purpose Lyme disease is spreading worldwide, with multiple Borrelia species causing a broad range of clinical symptoms that mimic other illnesses. A validated Lyme disease screening questionnaire would be clinically useful for both providers and patients. Three studies evaluated such a screening tool, namely the Horowitz Multiple Systemic Infectious Disease Syndrome (MSIDS) Questionnaire. The purpose was to see if the questionnaire could accurately distinguish between Lyme patients and healthy individuals. Methods Study 1 examined the construct validity of the scale examining its factor structure and reliability of the questionnaire among 537 individuals being treated for Lyme disease. Study 2 involved an online sample of 999 participants, who self-identified as either healthy (N=217) or suffering from Lyme now (N=782) who completed the Horowitz MSIDS Questionnaire (HMQ) along with an outdoor activity survey. We examined convergent validity among components of the scale and evaluated discriminant validity with the Big Five personality characteristics. The third study compared a sample of 236 patients with confirmed Lyme disease with an online sample of 568 healthy individuals. Results Factor analysis results identified six underlying latent dimensions; four of these overlapped with critical symptoms identified by Horowitz – neuropathy, cognitive dysfunction, musculoskeletal pain, and fatigue. The HMQ showed acceptable levels of internal reliability using Cronbach’s coefficient alpha and exhibited evidence of convergent and divergent validity. Components of the HMQ correlated more highly with each other than with unrelated traits. Discussion The results consistently demonstrated that the HMQ accurately differentiated those with Lyme disease from healthy individuals. Three migratory pain survey items (persistent muscular pain, arthritic pain, and nerve pain/paresthesias) robustly identified individuals with verified Lyme disease. The results support the use of the HMQ as a valid, efficient, and low-cost screening tool for medical practitioners to decide if additional testing is warranted to distinguish between Lyme disease and other illnesses. PMID:28919803

E-assessment and an e-training program among elderly care staff lacking formal competence: results of a mixed-methods intervention study.

PubMed

Nilsson, Annika; Engström, Maria

2015-05-06

Among staff working in elderly care, a considerable proportion lack formal competence for their work. Lack of formal competence, in turn, has been linked to higher staff ratings of stress symptoms, sleep disturbances and workload. 1) To describe the strengths and weaknesses of an e-assessment and subsequent e-training program used among elderly care staff who lack formal competence and 2) to study the effects of an e-training program on staff members' working life (quality of care and psychological and structural empowerment) and well-being (job satisfaction and psychosomatic health). The hypothesis was that staff who had completed the e-assessment and the e-training program would rate greater improvements in working life and well-being than would staff who had only participated in the e-assessments. An intervention study with a mixed-methods approach using quantitative (2010-2011) and qualitative data (2011) was conducted in Swedish elderly care. Participants included a total of 41 staff members. To describe the strengths and weaknesses of the e-assessment and the e-training program, qualitative data were gathered using semi-structured interviews together with a study-specific questionnaire. To study the effects of the intervention, quantitative data were collected using questionnaires on: job satisfaction, psychosomatic health, psychological empowerment, structural empowerment and quality of care in an intervention and a comparison group. Staff who completed the e-assessments and the e-training program primarily experienced strengths associated with this approach. The results were also in line with our hypotheses: Staff who completed the e-assessment and the e-training program rated improvements in their working life and well-being. Use of the e-assessments and e-training program employed in the present study could be one way to support elderly care staff who lack formal education by increasing their competence; increased competence, in turn, could improve their self-confidence, working life, and well-being.

Effect of horticultural therapy on wellbeing among dementia day care programme participants: A mixed-methods study (Innovative Practice).

PubMed

Hall, Jodi; Mitchell, Gary; Webber, Catherine; Johnson, Karen

2016-04-11

Fourteen people attending an adult day programme were recruited to a structured horticultural therapy programme which took place over 10 weeks. The effects were assessed using Dementia Care Mapping and questionnaires completed by family carers. High levels of wellbeing were observed while the participants were engaged in horticultural therapy, and these were sustained once the programme was completed. This study adds to the growing evidence on the benefits of horticultural therapy for people with dementia who have enjoyed gardening in the past. © The Author(s) 2016.

[Contemporary approach to evaluation of sensory disorders in polyneuropathy due to vibration].

PubMed

Nepershina, C P; Lagutina, G N; Kuzmina, L P; Skrypnik, O V; Ryabininal, S N; Lagutina, A P

2016-08-01

Recently, the studies search possibilities to visualize and objectify sensory disorders in polyneuropathy caused by vibration. Special attention is paid on studies of injuried structures responsible for temperature and pain sensitivity. Examination covered 92 patients with vibration disease, aged 34 to 73 years. Methods used are: pallesthesiometry, quantitative sensory tests, questionnaires and s 'cales of pain (visual analog scale (VAS) of pain, Pain-Detect, MPQ DN-, HADS). Correlation was found between.temperature, pain thresholds and VAS and pallesthesiometry parameters. The obtained results analysis indicates formation distal polyneuropathy syndrome of upper limbs with concomitant pain during vibration disease.

Impact of structural and psychological empowerment on job strain in nursing work settings: expanding Kanter's model.

PubMed

Laschinger, H K; Finegan, J; Shamian, J; Wilk, P

2001-05-01

In this study, we tested an expanded model of Kanter's structural empowerment, which specified the relationships among structural and psychological empowerment, job strain, and work satisfaction. Strategies proposed in Kanter's empowerment theory have the potential to reduce job strain and improve employee work satisfaction and performance in current restructured healthcare settings. The addition to the model of psychological empowerment as an outcome of structural empowerment provides an understanding of the intervening mechanisms between structural work conditions and important organizational outcomes. A predictive, nonexperimental design was used to test the model in a random sample of 404 Canadian staff nurses. The Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire, the Psychological Empowerment Questionnaire, the Job Content Questionnaire, and the Global Satisfaction Scale were used to measure the major study variables. Structural equation modelling analyses revealed a good fit of the hypothesized model to the data based on various fit indices (chi 2 = 1140, df = 545, chi 2/df ratio = 2.09, CFI = 0.986, RMSEA = 0.050). The amount of variance accounted for in the model was 58%. Staff nurses felt that structural empowerment in their workplace resulted in higher levels of psychological empowerment. These heightened feelings of psychological empowerment in turn strongly influenced job strain and work satisfaction. However, job strain did not have a direct effect on work satisfaction. These results provide initial support for an expanded model of organizational empowerment and offer a broader understanding of the empowerment process.

Knowledge about breast cancer and hereditary breast cancer among nurses in a public hospital 1

PubMed Central

Prolla, Carmen Maria Dornelles; da Silva, Patrícia Santos; Netto, Cristina Brinckmann Oliveira; Goldim, José Roberto; Ashton-Prolla, Patricia

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To assess the knowledge of nurses involved in the care of oncology patients in a public university hospital, regarding breast cancer and hereditary breast cancer, and to verify the use of such knowledge in their daily practice. METHODS: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. Data were obtained through a structured, self-administered questionnaire. Out of 154 nurses, 137 (88.9%) agreed to participate in the study. Two questionnaires were excluded such that 135 questionnaires were analyzed. RESULTS: The global percentage of correct answers was not associated with age (p=0.173) or degree/specialization (p=0.815). Questions were classified into categories. In categories involving knowledge of established breast cancer risk factors and indicators of hereditary breast cancer, the rate of correct answers was 65.8% and 66.4%, respectively. On the practice of genetic counseling, 40.7% of those interviewed were not sure about the definition of genetic counseling and 78.5% reported never having identified or referred a patient at genetic risk for specialized risk assessment. Practice of educational actions regarding this subject was reported by 48.5% of those interviewed. CONCLUSION: This study reinforces the need to develop qualifying actions for nurses, so that strategies to control breast cancer become effective in their health care practice. PMID:25806636

Reliability and Validity Study of a Tool to Measure Cancer Stigma: Patient Version

PubMed Central

Yılmaz, Medine; Dişsiz, Gülçin; Demir, Filiz; Irız, Sibel; Alacacioglu, Ahmet

2017-01-01

Objective: The aim of this methodological study is to establish the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of “A Questionnaire for Measuring Attitudes toward Cancer (Cancer Stigma) - Patient version.” Methods: The sample comprised oncology patients who had active cancer treatment. The construct validity was assessed using the confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis. Results: The mean age of the participants was 54.9±12.3 years. In the confirmatory factor analysis, fit values were determined as comparative fit index = 0.93, goodness of fit index = 0.91, normed-fit index=0.91, and root mean square error of approximation RMSEA = 0.09 (P <0.05) (Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin = 0.88, χ2 = 1084.41, Df = 66, and Barletta's test P <0.000). The first factor was “impossibility of recovery and experience of social discrimination” and the second factor was “stereotypes of cancer patients.” The two-factor structure accounted for 56.74% of the variance. The Cronbach's alpha value was determined as 0.88 for the two-factor scale. Conclusions: “A questionnaire for measuring attitudes toward cancer (cancer stigma) - Patient version” is a reliable and valid questionnaire to assess stigmatization of cancer in cancer patients. PMID:28503649

Does a social/behavioural gradient in dental health exist among adults? A cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Arrica, Mariantonietta; Carta, Giovanna; Cocco, Fabio; Grazia Cagetti, Maria; Sale, Silvana; Ierardo, Gaetano; Strohmenger, Laura; Ottolenghi, Livia

2017-01-01

Objective To explore the potential presence of a social/behavioural gradient in dental health among Italian adults using a cross-sectional study. Methods Caries indices were recorded among 480 subjects (52.9% men, 47.1% women) who also completed a structured self-administered social and behavioural questionnaire. A social/behavioural gradient was generated as the sum of the worst circumstances recorded on the questionnaire (cariogenic diet, smoking, lowest occupational profile, brushing teeth < twice daily, lowest educational level, uneven dental examination attendance). Results Caries figures (DMFT) and the number of filled sound teeth (FS-T) were statistically significantly linked to the social/behavioural gradient (DMFT: χ2(9) = 20.17 p = 0.02, Z = 0.02 p = 0.99; FS-T: χ2(9) = 25.68 p < 0.01, Z = −4.31 p < 0.01). DMFT was statistically significantly associated with gender and with social and behavioural variables. FS-T was higher in women (p = 0.03) and was linked to smoking (p < 0.01). Conclusions The proposed social/behavioural gradient demonstrated how subjects reporting the worst circumstances on the questionnaire exhibited the worst dental health. The use of the gradient demonstrates that health promotion and prevention cannot be compartmentalized. PMID:28345424

Does a social/behavioural gradient in dental health exist among adults? A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Arrica, Mariantonietta; Carta, Giovanna; Cocco, Fabio; Cagetti, Maria Grazia; Campus, Guglielmo; Ierardo, Gaetano; Ottolenghi, Livia; Sale, Silvana; Strohmenger, Laura

2017-04-01

Objective To explore the potential presence of a social/behavioural gradient in dental health among Italian adults using a cross-sectional study. Methods Caries indices were recorded among 480 subjects (52.9% men, 47.1% women) who also completed a structured self-administered social and behavioural questionnaire. A social/behavioural gradient was generated as the sum of the worst circumstances recorded on the questionnaire (cariogenic diet, smoking, lowest occupational profile, brushing teeth < twice daily, lowest educational level, uneven dental examination attendance). Results Caries figures (DMFT) and the number of filled sound teeth (FS-T) were statistically significantly linked to the social/behavioural gradient (DMFT: χ 2 (9)  = 20.17 p = 0.02, Z = 0.02 p = 0.99; FS-T: χ 2 (9)  = 25.68 p < 0.01, Z = -4.31 p < 0.01). DMFT was statistically significantly associated with gender and with social and behavioural variables. FS-T was higher in women (p = 0.03) and was linked to smoking ( p < 0.01). Conclusions The proposed social/behavioural gradient demonstrated how subjects reporting the worst circumstances on the questionnaire exhibited the worst dental health. The use of the gradient demonstrates that health promotion and prevention cannot be compartmentalized.

Negative Emotions in Migraineurs Dreams: The Increased Prevalence of Oneiric Fear and Anguish, Unrelated to Mood Disorders

PubMed Central

De Angeli, F.; Lovati, C.; Giani, L.; Mariotti D'Alessandro, C.; Raimondi, E.; Scaglione, V.; Castoldi, D.; Capiluppi, E.; Mariani, C.

2014-01-01

Background. Migraineurs brain has shown some functional peculiarities that reflect not only in phonophobia, and photophobia, but also in mood and sleep. Dreaming is a universal mental state characterized by hallucinatory features in which imagery, emotion, motor skills, and memory are created de novo. We evaluated dream contents and associated emotions in migraineurs. Materials and Methods. 412 subjects: 219 controls; and 148 migraineurs (66 with aura, MA; 82 without aura, MO), and 45 tension type headache patients (TTH). A semistructured retrospective self-reported questionnaire was used to evaluate dreams. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7), and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) were administered to evaluate anxiety and depression. Results. Migraineurs showed increased levels of anxiety (P = 0.0002 for MA versus controls, P = 0.004 for MO versus controls). Fear and anguish during dreaming were more frequently reported by migraine patients compared to controls, independently by anxiety and depression scores. Discussion. The brain of migraineurs seems to dream with some peculiar features, all with a negative connotation, as fear and anguish. It may be due to the recorded negative sensations induced by recurrent migraine pain, but it may just reflect a peculiar attitude of the mesolimbic structures of migraineurs brain, activated in both dreaming and migraine attacks. PMID:25049452

DRG coding practice: a nationwide hospital survey in Thailand

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) payment is preferred by healthcare reform in various countries but its implementation in resource-limited countries has not been fully explored. Objectives This study was aimed (1) to compare the characteristics of hospitals in Thailand that were audited with those that were not and (2) to develop a simplified scale to measure hospital coding practice. Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted of 920 hospitals in the Summary and Coding Audit Database (SCAD hospitals, all of which were audited in 2008 because of suspicious reports of possible DRG miscoding); the questionnaire also included 390 non-SCAD hospitals. The questionnaire asked about general demographics of the hospitals, hospital coding structure and process, and also included a set of 63 opinion-oriented items on the current hospital coding practice. Descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were used for data analysis. Results SCAD and Non-SCAD hospitals were different in many aspects, especially the number of medical statisticians, experience of medical statisticians and physicians, as well as number of certified coders. Factor analysis revealed a simplified 3-factor, 20-item model to assess hospital coding practice and classify hospital intention. Conclusion Hospital providers should not be assumed capable of producing high quality DRG codes, especially in resource-limited settings. PMID:22040256

75 FR 3737 - Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-22

... days of this notice. Proposed Project Questionnaire Design Research Laboratory (QDRL) 2010-2012, (OMB... of health services in the United States. The Questionnaire Design Research Laboratory (QDRL) conducts... and more basic research on response errors in surveys. The most common questionnaire evaluation method...

Collective phenomena in crowds—Where pedestrian dynamics need social psychology

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

This article is on collective phenomena in pedestrian dynamics during the assembling and dispersal of gatherings. To date pedestrian dynamics have been primarily studied in the natural and engineering sciences. Pedestrians are analyzed and modeled as driven particles revealing self-organizing phenomena and complex transport characteristics. However, pedestrians in crowds also behave as living beings according to stimulus-response mechanisms or act as human subjects on the basis of social norms, social identities or strategies. To show where pedestrian dynamics need social psychology in addition to the natural sciences we propose the application of three categories–phenomena, behavior and action. They permit a clear discrimination between situations in which minimal models from the natural sciences are appropriate and those in which sociological and psychological concepts are needed. To demonstrate the necessity of this framework, an experiment in which a large group of people (n = 270) enters a concert hall through two different spatial barrier structures is analyzed. These two structures correspond to everyday situations such as boarding trains and access to immigration desks. Methods from the natural and social sciences are applied. Firstly, physical measurements show the influence of the spatial structure on the dynamics of the entrance procedure. Density, waiting time and speed of progress show large variations. Secondly, a questionnaire study (n = 60) reveals how people perceive and evaluate these entrance situations. Markedly different expectations, social norms and strategies are associated with the two spatial structures. The results from the questionnaire study do not always conform to objective physical measures, indicating the limitations of models which are based on objective physical measures alone and which neglect subjective perspectives. PMID:28591142

Structural equation model of factors related to quality of life for community-dwelling schizophrenic patients in Japan

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background This study aimed to clarify how community mental healthcare systems can be improved. Methods We included 79 schizophrenic patients, aged 20 to 80 years, residing in the Tokyo metropolitan area who regularly visited rehabilitation facilities offering assistance to psychiatric patients and were receiving treatment on an outpatient basis. No subjects had severe cognitive disorders or were taking medication with side effects that could prevent the completion of questionnaires. Questionnaires included items related to quality of life, self-efficacy, self-esteem, psychosis based on the Behavior and Symptom Identification Scale, health locus of control, and socio-demographic factors. We performed multiple linear regression analysis with quality of life as the dependent variable and, based on covariance structural analysis, evaluated the goodness of fit of the resulting structural equations models. Results Self-efficacy, self-esteem, and degree of psychosis significantly impacted quality of life. Marital status, age, and types of medications also influenced quality of life. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed psychiatric symptoms (Behavior and Symptom Identification Scale-32 [daily living and role functioning] (Beta = −0.537, p < 0.001) and self-efficacy (Beta = 0.249, p < 0.05) to be predictors of total quality of life score. Based on covariance structural analysis, the resulting model was found to exhibit reasonable goodness of fit. Conclusions Self-efficacy had an especially strong and direct impact on QOL. Therefore, it is important to provide more positive feedback to patients, provide social skills training based on cognitive behavioral therapy, and engage patients in role playing to improve self-efficacy and self-concept. PMID:25101143

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

PubMed

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.

Collective phenomena in crowds-Where pedestrian dynamics need social psychology.

PubMed

Sieben, Anna; Schumann, Jette; Seyfried, Armin

2017-01-01

This article is on collective phenomena in pedestrian dynamics during the assembling and dispersal of gatherings. To date pedestrian dynamics have been primarily studied in the natural and engineering sciences. Pedestrians are analyzed and modeled as driven particles revealing self-organizing phenomena and complex transport characteristics. However, pedestrians in crowds also behave as living beings according to stimulus-response mechanisms or act as human subjects on the basis of social norms, social identities or strategies. To show where pedestrian dynamics need social psychology in addition to the natural sciences we propose the application of three categories-phenomena, behavior and action. They permit a clear discrimination between situations in which minimal models from the natural sciences are appropriate and those in which sociological and psychological concepts are needed. To demonstrate the necessity of this framework, an experiment in which a large group of people (n = 270) enters a concert hall through two different spatial barrier structures is analyzed. These two structures correspond to everyday situations such as boarding trains and access to immigration desks. Methods from the natural and social sciences are applied. Firstly, physical measurements show the influence of the spatial structure on the dynamics of the entrance procedure. Density, waiting time and speed of progress show large variations. Secondly, a questionnaire study (n = 60) reveals how people perceive and evaluate these entrance situations. Markedly different expectations, social norms and strategies are associated with the two spatial structures. The results from the questionnaire study do not always conform to objective physical measures, indicating the limitations of models which are based on objective physical measures alone and which neglect subjective perspectives.

Efficacy of Structured Yoga Intervention for Sleep, Gastrointestinal and Behaviour Problems of ASD Children: An Exploratory Study

PubMed Central

Pradhan, Balaram; Navaneetham, Janardhana

2017-01-01

Introduction Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neuro developmental disorder which appears at early childhood age between 18 and 36 months. Apart from behaviour problems ASD children also suffer from sleep and Gastrointestinal (GI) problems. Major behaviour problems of ASD children are lack of social communication and interaction, less attention span, repetitive and restrictive behaviour, lack of eye to eye contact, aggressive and self-injurious behaviours, sensory integration problems, motor problems, deficiency in academic activities, anxiety and depression etc. Our hypothesis is that structured yoga intervention will brings significant changes in the problems of ASD children. Aim The aim of this study was to find out efficacy of structured yoga intervention for sleep problems, gastrointestinal problems and behaviour problems of ASD children. Materials and Methods It was an exploratory study with pre-test and post-test control design. Three sets of questionnaires having 61 questions developed by researchers were used to collect data pre and post yoga intervention. Questionnaires were based on three problematic areas of ASD children as mentioned above and were administered to parents by teachers under the supervision of researcher and clinical psychologists. Experimental group was given yoga intervention for a period of 90 days and control group continued with school curriculum. Results Both children and parents participated in this intervention. Significant changes were seen post yoga intervention in three areas of problems as mentioned above. Statistical analysis also showed significance value of 0.001 in the result. Conclusion Structured yoga intervention can be conducted for a large group of ASD children with parent’s involvement. Yoga can be used as alternative therapy to reduce the severity of symptoms of ASD children. PMID:28511484

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

PubMed Central

Jamali, Jamshid; Ayatollahi, Seyyed Mohammad Taghi

2015-01-01

Background: Nurses constitute the most providers of health care systems. Their mental health can affect the quality of services and patients’ satisfaction. General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) is a general screening tool used to detect mental disorders. Scoring method and determining thresholds for this questionnaire are debatable and the cut-off points can vary from sample to sample. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of mental disorders among Iranian nurses using GHQ-12 and also compare Latent Class Analysis (LCA) and K-means clustering with traditional scoring method. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was carried out in Fars and Bushehr provinces of southern Iran in 2014. Participants were 771 Iranian nurses, who filled out the GHQ-12 questionnaire. Traditional scoring method, LCA and K-means were used to estimate the prevalence of mental disorder among Iranian nurses. Cohen’s kappa statistic was applied to assess the agreement between the LCA and K-means with traditional scoring method of GHQ-12. Results: The nurses with mental disorder by scoring method, LCA and K-mean were 36.3% (n=280), 32.2% (n=248), and 26.5% (n=204), respectively. LCA and logistic regression revealed that the prevalence of mental disorder in females was significantly higher than males. Conclusion: Mental disorder in nurses was in a medium level compared to other people living in Iran. There was a little difference between prevalence of mental disorder estimated by scoring method, K-means and LCA. According to the advantages of LCA than K-means and different results in scoring method, we suggest LCA for classification of Iranian nurses according to their mental health outcomes using GHQ-12 questionnaire PMID:26622202

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

PubMed

Jamali, Jamshid; Ayatollahi, Seyyed Mohammad Taghi

2015-10-01

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

Community factors to promote parents' quality of child-nurturing life.

PubMed

Aoyama, Megumi; Wei, Chang Nian; Chang-nian, Wei; Harada, Koichi; Ueda, Kimiyo; Takano, Miyuki; Ueda, Atsushi

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to clarify the role of community factors in parents' quality of child-nurturing life (QCNL). We developed a questionnaire to evaluate the degree of QCNL and determine the structural factors related to QCNL as community factors related to parents' QCNL derived from focus group interviews and the Delphi technique. The questionnaire also included the battery of the self-rating depression scale and Tsumori-Inage Infant's Developmental Test. Using the questionnaire, we then conducted a quantitative survey of parents whose children attended nursery schools in Kumamoto Prefecture. Factor analysis, calculation of the mean score and/or ratio to each item, Pearson's correlation coefficient, t test, multiple regression analysis, and covariance structure analysis were performed. The questionnaire we developed consisted of seven items with 75 elements, involving ten elements as community factors. Subjects included 699 parents (mean age 33.6 ± 5.4 years) and 965 children (age range 0-6 years). Factor analysis revealed that community factors consisted of five factors, such as "lifestyle rooted in the ground," "balance of housekeeping and work," "community network," "amenity," and "regeneration of life". These factors may be dominant in a rural area. Finally, we developed a structural model with "community factors," QCNL, QOL, and "child growth" by covariance structural analysis. The analysis revealed that community factors had a positive relation to parents' QCNL (r = 0.81, p < 0.001) and that parental SDS score had a negative relation to parents' QCNL (r = -0.59, p < 0.001). The analysis did show that community factors were positively related to the sound growth of children. The covariance structure analysis revealed that community factors were associated with parents' QCNL, SDS, and "child growth."

Development and validation of a screening instrument for bipolar spectrum disorder: the Mood Disorder Questionnaire.

PubMed

Hirschfeld, R M; Williams, J B; Spitzer, R L; Calabrese, J R; Flynn, L; Keck, P E; Lewis, L; McElroy, S L; Post, R M; Rapport, D J; Russell, J M; Sachs, G S; Zajecka, J

2000-11-01

Bipolar spectrum disorders, which include bipolar I, bipolar II, and bipolar disorder not otherwise specified, frequently go unrecognized, undiagnosed, and untreated. This report describes the validation of a new brief self-report screening instrument for bipolar spectrum disorders called the Mood Disorder Questionnaire. A total of 198 patients attending five outpatient clinics that primarily treat patients with mood disorders completed the Mood Disorder Questionnaire. A research professional, blind to the Mood Disorder Questionnaire results, conducted a telephone research diagnostic interview by means of the bipolar module of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. A Mood Disorder Questionnaire screening score of 7 or more items yielded good sensitivity (0.73) and very good specificity (0.90). The Mood Disorder Questionnaire is a useful screening instrument for bipolar spectrum disorder in a psychiatric outpatient population.

Measuring Resource Utilization: A Systematic Review of Validated Self-Reported Questionnaires.

PubMed

Leggett, Laura E; Khadaroo, Rachel G; Holroyd-Leduc, Jayna; Lorenzetti, Diane L; Hanson, Heather; Wagg, Adrian; Padwal, Raj; Clement, Fiona

2016-03-01

A variety of methods may be used to obtain costing data. Although administrative data are most commonly used, the data available in these datasets are often limited. An alternative method of obtaining costing is through self-reported questionnaires. Currently, there are no systematic reviews that summarize self-reported resource utilization instruments from the published literature.The aim of the study was to identify validated self-report healthcare resource use instruments and to map their attributes.A systematic review was conducted. The search identified articles using terms like "healthcare utilization" and "questionnaire." All abstracts and full texts were considered in duplicate. For inclusion, studies had to assess the validity of a self-reported resource use questionnaire, to report original data, include adult populations, and the questionnaire had to be publically available. Data such as type of resource utilization assessed by each questionnaire, and validation findings were extracted from each study.In all, 2343 unique citations were retrieved; 2297 were excluded during abstract review. Forty-six studies were reviewed in full text, and 15 studies were included in this systematic review. Six assessed resource utilization of patients with chronic conditions; 5 assessed mental health service utilization; 3 assessed resource utilization by a general population; and 1 assessed utilization in older populations. The most frequently measured resources included visits to general practitioners and inpatient stays; nonmedical resources were least frequently measured. Self-reported questionnaires on resource utilization had good agreement with administrative data, although, visits to general practitioners, outpatient days, and nurse visits had poorer agreement.Self-reported questionnaires are a valid method of collecting data on healthcare resource utilization.

A Learning Model to Guide Research and Practice for Teaching of Elder Clients.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Theis, Saundra L.; Merritt, Sharon L.

1994-01-01

In first study 40 adults over 65 completed the Mental Status Questionnaire; in a second, 134 elderly heart patients completed the Patient Learning Styles Questionnaire. Results showed use of crystallized intelligence enhanced learning. Older subjects preferred structure; authoritarian, expert teaching; and listening to presentations supplemented…

Further Evaluation of the Outcome Questionnaire-45.2

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rice, Kenneth G.; Suh, Hanna; Ege, Engin

2014-01-01

Data from clinical and nonclinical samples ("Ns" = 2,096, 618) were used to evaluate and replicate the measurement structure of the Outcome Questionnaire-45.2. Different measurement models and invariance tests were evaluated and the best psychometric support was found for a shortened measure of two factors: overall maladjustment and…