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Questionnaire Consisting (questionnaire + consisting)
Selected AbstractsAnimated instructional software for mechanics of materials: Implementation and assessmentCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION, Issue 1 2006Timothy A. Philpot Abstract During the past 3 years, the Basic Engineering Department at the University of Missouri, Rolla has been developing a second-generation suite of instructional software called MecMovies for the Mechanics of Materials course. The MecMovies suite consists of over 110 animated example problems, drill-and-practice games, and interactive exercises. Students generally respond favorably to software of this type; however, much of the data that has been gathered to assess the effectiveness of similar software has been anecdotal. The method by which instructional software is incorporated into the engineering class is partly responsible for this lack of systematic evaluation. Often, software packages have been implemented in the classroom as supplemental material,recommended but not required. In the Fall 2003 semester, MecMovies was integrated thoroughly into the course assignments for one of the six UMR Mechanics of Materials sections. Four professors were involved in the study, and student performance in the experimental MecMovies section was compared to performance in the five control sections through a common final exam. At the end of the semester, students who used the MecMovies software also completed a survey questionnaire consisting of a number of subjective rating items. This paper presents a comparison of student performance in the experimental and control sections along with discussion of student qualitative ratings and comments. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 14: 31,43, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.20065 [source] Career choice and attitudes towards dental education amongst dental students in Japan and SwedenEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DENTAL EDUCATION, Issue 2 2009H. Karibe Abstract The purpose of this study was to identify and compare the perspectives of dental students towards their career choice and dental education in Japan and Sweden. One hundred and fourteen dental students from the Nippon Dental University, Japan and 43 dental students from the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden participated in this study. Information was derived from a self-answered questionnaire consisting of five items for career choice and six items for dental education. Chi-square test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used for comparison. Significant differences were detected for 10 questionnaire items between the two countries. Regarding motivation towards the career choice, 44% of Swedish students indicated interpersonal motives related to helping other people, whereas 32% of Japanese students indicated expectations of their family in the dental profession. As future career options, 64% of Japanese and 47% of Swedish students planned to work as general dentists. More Swedish students (37%) preferred specialisation than Japanese students (17%). Nearly three-quarters of the Swedish students were satisfied with the teaching faculty of their school, whilst only 32% of the Japanese students indicated content. The perspectives of dental students were different in Japan and Sweden. This study provides a description of the perspectives of Japanese and Swedish dental students and enables better understanding of career decision and dental curriculum issues. [source] Selection Criteria for Emergency Medicine Residency ApplicantsACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 1 2000Joseph T. Crane MD Abstract: Objectives: To determine the criteria used by emergency medicine (EM) residency selection committees to select their residents, to determine whether there is a consensus among residency programs, to inform programs of areas of possible inconsistency, and to better educate applicants pursuing careers in EM. Methods: A questionnaire consisting of 20 items based on the current Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) guidelines was mailed to the program directors of all 118 EM residencies in existence in February 1998. The program directors were instructed to rank each item on a five-point scale (5 = most important, 1 = least important) as to its importance in the selection of residents. Followup was done in the form of e-mail and facsimile. Results: The overall response rate was 79.7%, with 94 of 118 programs responding. Items ranking as most important (4.0-5.0) in the selection process included: EM rotation grade (mean ± SD = 4.79 ± 0.50), interview (4.62 ± 0.63), clinical grades (4.36 ± 0.70), and recommendations (4.11 ± 0.85). Moderate emphasis (3.0-4.0) was placed on: elective done at program director's institution (3.75 ± 1.25), U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) step II (3.34 ± 0.93), interest expressed in program director's institution (3.30 ± 1.19), USMLE step I (3.28 ± 0.86), and awards/achievements (3.16 ± 0.88). Less emphasis (<3.0) was placed on Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society (AOA) status (3.01 ± 1.09), medical school attended (3.00 ± 0.85), extracurricular activities (2.99 ± 0.87), basic science grades (2.88 ± 0.93), publications (2.87 ± 0.99), and personal statement (2.75 ± 0.96). Items most agreed upon by respondents (lowest standard deviation, SD) included EM rotation grade (SD 0.50), interview (SD 0.63), and clinical grades (SD 0.70). Of the 94 respondents, 37 (39.4%) replied they had minimum requirements for USMLE step I (195.11 ± 13.10), while 30 (31.9%) replied they had minimum requirements for USMLE step II (194.27 ± 14.96). Open-ended responses to "other" were related to personal characteristics, career/goals, and medical school performance. Conclusions: The selection criteria with the highest mean values as reported by the program directors were EM rotation grade, interview, clinical grades, and recommendations. Criteria showing the most consistency (lowest SD) included EM rotation grade, interview, and clinical grades. Results are compared with those from previous multispecialty studies. [source] The attitudes to ageing questionnaire (AAQ): development and psychometric propertiesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 4 2007K. Laidlaw Abstract Objective This paper describes the development of the Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire (AAQ) which is a self-report measure with which older people themselves can express their attitudes to the process of ageing. Method The development of the AAQ followed a coherent, logical and empirical process taking full account of relevant gerontological knowledge and modern and classical psychometric analytical methods. Pilot testing with 1,356 participants from 15 centres worldwide refined the scale and provided the basis for a field test. A total of 5,566 participants from 20 centres worldwide contributed to the further development of this new scale with the derivation involving both classical and modern psychometric methods. Results The result is a 24-item cross-cultural attitudes to ageing questionnaire consisting of a three-factor model encompassing psychological growth, psychosocial loss, and physical change. The three-factor model suggests a way of conceptualizing and measuring successful ageing in individuals. Conclusions The AAQ provides researchers, clinicians and policy makers with a unique scale to measure the impact of successful ageing interventions. It also provides a vehicle for the measurement of how individuals age across cultures and under different economic, political and social circumstances. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Breast cancer risk factors in Korean women: a literature reviewINTERNATIONAL NURSING REVIEW, Issue 3 2008S.-M. Lee rn Aim:, To compile a complete list of risk factors from the Korean breast cancer studies to obtain relevant predictor information essential in developing a predictive model for breast cancer. Background:, Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed female cancer in Korea. However, the breast cancer-screening rate in Korea is relatively low compared with that in other countries. In order to promote early health screening, there is a need to identify those individuals who are most likely to develop breast cancer by using an accurate predictive model. Methods:, Thirty-four breast cancer studies were selected from MEDLINE and two Korean literature databases. Two researchers summarized the risk factors and their effects in each article using a checklist. Findings:, Most of the studies were case,control studies conducted after 2000. In 34 articles, a total of 84 risk factors for breast cancer in Korean women were identified; of these, 58 factors were determined as statistically significant factors. The factors identified most often were body mass index, menarche, menopause, family history, pregnancy and delivery, breastfeeding, alcohol use, smoking habits, diet, education and use of oral contraceptives. None of 34 studies looked at stress as a risk factor of which influence on cancer has been reported in other populations. Conclusion:, The next steps will be to construct a questionnaire consisting of relevant variables based on these study results and to develop a predictive model. This would be used to encourage those Koreans who are more likely to develop breast cancer to have early check-ups. [source] Nursing students' perceptions of the importance of caring behaviorsJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 4 2008Zahra Khademian Abstract Title.,Nursing students' perceptions of the importance of caring behaviours Aim., This paper is a report of a study to determine the nursing students' perceptions of the importance of caring behaviours. Background., Caring has been considered as the essence of nursing. It is believed that caring enhances patients' health and well-being and facilitates health promotion. Nursing education has an important role in educating the nurses with adequate caring abilities. Method., Ninety nursing students (response rate 75%) responded to a questionnaire consisting of 55 caring behaviours adapted from items on Caring Assessment Questionnaire (Care-Q). Behaviours were ranked on a 5-point Likert-type scale. The caring behaviours were categorized in seven subscales: ,accessibles', ,monitors and follows through', ,explains and facilitates', ,comforts', ,anticipates', ,trusting relationship' and ,spiritual care'. Data were collected in Iran in 2003. Findings., The students perceived ,monitors and follows through' (mean = 4·33, SD = 0·60) as the most and ,trusting relationship' (mean = 3·70, SD = 0·62) as the least important subscales. ,To give patient's treatments and medications on time' and ,to do voluntarily little things,' were the most and least important caring behaviours, respectively. ,Explains and facilitates' statistically and significantly correlated with age (r = 0·31, P = 0·003) and programme year (r = 0·28, P = 0·025). Gender had no statistically significant influence on students' perceptions of caring behaviours. Conclusion., Further research is needed, using longitudinal designs, to explore nursing students' perceptions of caring behaviours in different cultures, as well as evaluation studies of innovations in curriculum and teaching methods to improve learning in relation to cultural competence and caring concepts. [source] Perceived adverse patient outcomes correlated to nurses' workload in medical and surgical wards of selected hospitals in KuwaitJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 4 2009Fatimah Al-Kandari Aim., This study was carried out to identify the perceived adverse patient outcomes as related to nurses' workload. It also assessed nurses' perception of variables contributing to the workload and adverse patient outcomes. Background., Several studies have been published on adverse patient outcomes in which a correlation was found between nurses' workload and some adverse patient outcomes. Design., A cross-sectional survey was conducted between registered nurses (n = 780) working in medical and surgical wards of five general governmental hospitals in Kuwait. Data collection instruments., Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire consisting of three sections to elicit information about the sample characteristics, perception of workload and perceived adverse patient outcomes during the last shift and last working week. Results., The three major perceived adverse outcomes reported by the nurses while on duty during their last shift were: complaints from patients and families (2%), patients received a late dose or missed a dose of medication (1·8%) and occurrences of pressure ulcer (1·5%). Similarly, the reported adverse outcomes over the past week were complaints from patients and families (5%), patients received a late dose or missed a dose of medication (5·3%) and discovery of a urinary tract infection (3·7%). Increases in nurse-patient load, bed occupancy rate, unstable patients' condition, extra ordinary life support efforts and non-nursing tasks; all correlated positively with perceived adverse patient outcomes. Conclusion., This study sheds light on an important issue affecting patient safety and quality of care as perceived by the nurses themselves as caregivers. Relevance to clinical practice., Nurses' perception of variables contributing to adverse patient outcomes and their workload could significantly affect the provided nursing care and nursing care recipients. The findings could help in policy formulation and planning strategies to decrease adverse patient outcomes in many countries with a health care structure similar to that of Kuwait. [source] Does teacher thinking match teaching practice?MEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 2 2008A study of basic science teachers Objective, To obtain an understanding of basic science medical teachers' conceptions of learning and their ideas for facilitation of learning. Methods, Teaching staff at a biomedical centre (n = 62) were asked to describe their definitions of learning, their suggestions for how to solve an applied educational problem and their intended activities when teaching students. The research was carried out using a questionnaire consisting of open-ended and fixed-choice questions. Results, Although 1 in 4 teachers endorsed constructivist conceptions of learning, only 1 in 8 actually reported using activating teaching strategies. Conceptions of learning did not co-vary with teaching practice. Conclusions, The assumption that conceptions of learning and teaching practice are aligned was challenged. The current questionnaire could be used as an intervention tool for educational development to map whether or not there is a match between teachers' conceptions and their practice. [source] Suicide attempt and self-mutilation among Turkish high school students in relation with abuse, neglect and dissociationPSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCES, Issue 1 2003Suleyman Salih Zoroglu MD Abstract A questionnaire consisting of items about abuse, neglect, self-mutilation and suicide attempt and the Turkish Version of the Dissociative Experiences Scale were given to 862 high school students. The rates of suicide attempt and self-mutilative behaviors were 10.1% and 21.4%, respectively. Abused or neglected groups (34.3%) had 7.6-fold higher suicide attempts and 2.7-fold higher self-mutilation behaviours. The logistic regression model showed that each type of trauma and dissociation contributed to suicide attempts and self-mutilation, but dissociation was the most powerful. Suicidal and self-destructive adolescents should precisely be evaluated for abuse, neglect and dissociation in clinical practice. [source] Ego Boundaries, Shamanic-Like Techniques, and Subjective Experience: An Experimental StudyANTHROPOLOGY OF CONSCIOUSNESS, Issue 1 2008ADAM J. ROCK ABSTRACT The subjective effects and therapeutic potential of the shamanic practice of journeying is well known. However, previous research has neglected to provide a comprehensive assessment of the subjective effects of shamanic-like journeying techniques on non-shamans. Shamanic-like techniques are those that demonstrate some similarity to shamanic practices and yet deviate from what may genuinely be considered shamanism. Furthermore, the personality traits that influence individual susceptibility to shamanic-like techniques are unclear. The aim of the present study was, thus, to investigate experimentally the effect of shamanic-like techniques and a personality trait referred to as "ego boundaries" on subjective experience including mood disturbance. Forty-three non-shamans were administered a composite questionnaire consisting of demographic items and a measure of ego boundaries (i.e., the Short Boundary Questionnaire; BQ-Sh). Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: listening to monotonous drumming for 15 minutes coupled with one of two sets of journeying instructions; or sitting quietly with eyes closed for 15 minutes. Participants' subjective experience and mood disturbance were retrospectively assessed using the Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory (PCI) and the Profile of Mood States-Short Form, respectively. The results indicated that there was a statistically significant difference between conditions with regard to the PCI major dimensions of visual imagery, attention and rationality, and minor dimensions of imagery amount and absorption. However, the shamanic-like conditions were not associated with a major reorganization of the pattern of subjective experience compared to the sitting quietly condition, suggesting that what is typically referred to as an altered state of consciousness effect was not evident. One shamanic-like condition and the BQ-Sh subscales need for order, childlikeness, and sensitivity were statistically significant predictors of total mood disturbance. Implications of the findings for the anthropology of consciousness are also considered. [source] A qualitative study to assess the effectiveness of laser epilation using a quality-of-life scoring systemCLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2006F. J. Conroy Summary Background., Facial hirsutism has a negative effect on the quality of life (QOL) of female patients. Aim., To assess the efficacy of laser epilation on the quality of life in hirsute women. Methods., Over a 6-month period, we recruited 38 patients with severe pathological facial hirsutism. Each patient completed a pretreatment questionnaire consisting of a modified Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), a visual analogue scoring system, and an ,out-of-10' scoring system. The patients were also scored independently by a doctor and a nurse. Each patient received a laser-epilation treatment programme and was reassessed in an identical fashion. Results., Following laser epilation, the mean patient DLQI score fell by 5 points. All three scoring groups scored lower across all scoring methods following laser treatment. There was also correlation in scoring between disciplines. Conclusion., DLQI provides a valid scoring system to assess the efficacy of laser epilation. The interdisciplinary scores in this study indicate that an objective grading system for facial hirsutism could be developed in the future., [source] Prevalence of nonspecific low back pain in schoolchildren aged between 13 and 15 yearsACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 2 2008Stefano Masiero Abstract Aim: To investigate the annual (2005) prevalence of nonspecific low back pain (LBP), defined as lumbago not attributed to recognizable, known specific pathology, in a population of adolescents. Methods: We investigated 7542 school teenagers with a structured questionnaire consisting of demographic and anthropometric items, psychosocial factors and life style, presence and intensity of LBP, family history of LBP, and questions about whether the teenager had been referred to a physician for this problem. Univariate (t -test, Mann,Whitney U-test and chi-square test) and multivariate analyses (logistic regression) were performed. Results: A total of 1180 (20.5%) teenagers reported one or more episodes of LBP, of whom 900 (76.3%) had consulted a health provider. A significantly greater percentage of LBP was found in the students who practised aerobics and swimming compared to the other sports. The search for risk factors in the whole population revealed no associations between LBP and the investigated anthropometrics or lifestyle items, whereas a significant association was found for gender (to be female), positive family history of LBP and absence of sports activity. Conclusions: Our study shows that nonspecific LBP is a frequent event in teenagers, particularly in females, sedentary children and those with a family history of LBP. [source] Symptom experience after lung transplantation: impact on quality of life and adherenceCLINICAL TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 5 2007Christiane Kugler Abstract:, Background:, Patients' perceptions of immunosuppression- related symptom experience may impact on quality of life (QoL) and medication adherence. Methods:, A total of 308 lung transplant recipients were screened for study inclusion. Two hundred eighty-seven patients (response rate 93%) completed a 91-item questionnaire consisting of subscales focusing on symptom experiences (frequency and distress), and adherence. QoL was assessed by a 40-item standardized instrument. Impact of symptom experiences on QoL and adherence were assessed. Potential determinants of immunosuppression induced symptom experiences were evaluated. Results:, The most frequent reported symptoms were tremor (70%) and hirsutism (68.1%), whereas Cushingoid appearance (38.6%) and muscle weakness (31.9%) appeared to be the most distressing symptoms. Women (p < 0.001) and younger patients (<40 yr; p < 0.0001) reported a significantly higher level of symptom experience compared with their counterparts respectively. Symptom experiences negatively influenced QoL in all dimensions (p < 0.006). Those who described experiencing adverse effects reported significantly more "drug holidays" (p , 0.004) compared with those reporting minor frequent adverse effects. Patients' self-reported strategies to reduce adverse effects were to postpone medication intake (30%), to drop doses (8%), or to reduce doses (9%). Conclusions:, This study establishes a relationship between patients' perceptions of immunosuppression-related symptom experiences and the impact on QoL and adherence. Immunosuppression is accompanied by significant adverse effects in both symptom frequency and distress. Most frequently experienced symptoms do not necessarily have the greatest impact on perceived distress, and vice versa. High levels of adverse effects tend to negatively influence patients' QoL and adherence. Future research is required to understand the relationship of these complex variables. [source] Health related quality of life in Crohn's proctocolitis does not differ from a general population when in remissionCOLORECTAL DISEASE, Issue 1 2003P. Andersson Abstract Objective All treatment in Crohn's disease, although palliative, aims at restoring full health. The objective of this study was to compare health-related quality of life and psychosocial conditions in patients with Crohn's proctocolitis with a general population. Patients and methods One hundred and twenty-seven patients with Crohn's proctocolitis (median age 44 years, 44.1% men) were compared with 266 controls (median age 45 years, 50.7% men). A questionnaire consisting of the Short Form-36 (SF-36), the Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWB) and a visual analogue scale (VAS) evaluating general health as well as questions regarding psychosocial conditions was used. Disease activity was evaluated by Best's modification of the classical Crohn's Disease Activity Index. Results Patients in remission had a health related quality of life similar to controls according to the SF-36 apart from general health where scores were lower (P < 0.01). Patients with active disease scored lower in all aspects of the SF-36 (P < 0.001 or P <,0.0001) as well as the PGWB (P < 0.0001). In a model for multiple regression including age, gender, concomitant small bowel disease, permanent stoma, previous colonic surgery, disease activity, duration, and aggressiveness, disease activity was the only variable negatively predicting all 8 domains of the SF-36 in the patient group (P < 0.001). The mean annual sick-leave for patients and controls were 33.9 and 9.5 days (P < 0.0001), respectively. Sixty-eight percent of the patients and 78.4% of the controls (P = 0.04) were married or cohabited, 67.7% and 78.0% (P = 0.04), respectively, had children. Conclusion The health related quality of life for patients with Crohn's proctocolitis in remission does not differ from the general population. The disease has, however, a negative impact on parenthood, family life and professional performance. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||