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Validity Study (validity + study)
Selected AbstractsValidity Study of Kessler's Psychological Distress Scales Conducted Among Patients Admitted to French Emergency Department for Alcohol Consumption,Related DisordersALCOHOLISM, Issue 7 2010Benjamin Arnaud Background:, Alcohol-related disorders (ARD) encountered in emergency departments (ED) have a high prevalence and are underestimated. It is necessary to provide professionals with a tool to identify patients in whom there is a risk that alcohol-related and mental health problems may be associated. Kessler's K6/10 psychological distress scales are fast, easy-to-use, and have been shown to achieve a good performance in the identification of psychological distress associated with ARD. Aim:, The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Kessler scales, version 6 and 10, with a sample of patients admitted to EDs for alcohol consumption. Methods:, On the day after their admission, with a zero "blood" alcohol concentration, 71 patients were randomly assigned to be assessed using 6 or 10 items version. The internal consistency and factor structure of the K6/10 versions were examined. Convergent validity was measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). Results:, The prevalence of psychological distress in our sample was approximately 60%. The selected threshold scores were 10 for K6 (Sensitivity: 0.92; Specificity: 0.62) and 14 for K10 (Sensitivity: 0.95; Specificity: 0.54). The Cronbach coefficients for K6 and K10 were 0.76 and 0.84, respectively. The factor analyses indicated the multidimensional nature of K6/10. The 2 versions, containing 6 and 10 items respectively, correlated better with the HADS (0.83 and 0.70, respectively) than with the HDRS (0.51 and 0.49, respectively). The areas under the ROC Curve indicated a high level of accuracy for both the K6 (0.87) and the K10 (0.77). The difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions:, This study confirms the good psychometric characteristics of Kessler's psychological distress scale. Even though similar performances were observed for K6/10, the brevity of the K6 makes it more suitable for use in EDs. [source] Reliability and validity of the Norwegian version of the Severe Impairment Battery (SIB)INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 9 2008Sverre Bergh Abstract Objective The Severe Impairment Battery (SIB) is developed to test cognitive function in patients with dementia of moderate to severe degree. We have conducted a study to assess the inter-rater reliability and the validity of the Norwegian version of SIB. Methods The reliability study comprised 30 patients, and the validity study 59 patients in nursing homes. We assessed Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the scale and the inter-rater reliability for the total SIB score and its nine sub scores between two testers by means of the Spearman's correlation coefficients. In the validity study we compared the SIB scores with the scores on the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale. Results The mean SIB score was 72.10 (SD 25.37). The Cronbach's alpha was 0.97, and the inter-rater reliability of total SIB score was Spearman's rho 0.85, and ranged from 0.46 to 0.76 for the nine sub-scores. The mean SIB score for patients with a CDR score,<,2 was 84.2(13.4), whereas total scores for patients with CDR 2 and 3 were 74 (18.9) and 48.4 (33.3), respectively. A cut-off point of 80.5 points gave the highest accuracy in discriminating between patients with CDR 2 and CDR 3, while a cut-off point of 87.5 best discriminated between CDR,<,2 and CDR 3. Conclusion The study indicates that the Norwegian version of SIB is a reliable and valid test with which to evaluate the cognition in patients with dementia of moderate to severe degree. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Apathy Inventory: assessment of apathy and awareness in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and mild cognitive impairmentINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 12 2002P. H. Robert Abstract Objective This study was designed to establish the validity and reliability of the apathy inventory (IA), a rating scale for global assessment of apathy and separate assessment of emotional blunting, lack of initiative, and lack of interest. Method Information for the IA can be obtained from the patient or from a caregiver. We evaluated 115 subjects using the IA, consisting of 19 healthy elderly subjects, 24 patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), 12 subjects with Parkinson's disease (PD) and 60 subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Results Internal consistency, item reliability, and between,rater reliability were high. A test,retest reliability study demonstrated that caregiver responses to IA questions were stable over short intervals. A concurrent validity study showed that the IA assesses apathy as effectively as the Neuro Psychiatric Inventory apathy domain. In the caregiver-based evaluation, AD subjects had significantly higher scores than controls, both for global apathy score and for the lack of interest dimension. When the AD patients were subdivided according to diagnostic criteria for apathy, apathetic patients had significantly higher scores than non apathetic patients. With the patient-based evaluations, no differences were found among the AD, MCI and control groups. The scores in the patient-based evaluations were only higher for the PD group versus the control subjects. The results also indicated that AD patients had poor awareness of their emotional blunting and lack of initiative. Conclusions The IA is a reliable method for assessing in demented and non-demented elderly subjects several dimensions of the apathetic syndrome, and also the subject's awareness of these symptoms. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Reliability and Validity of Birth CertificatesJOURNAL OF OBSTETRIC, GYNECOLOGIC & NEONATAL NURSING, Issue 1 2006Sally Northam Objectives:, To summarize the reliability and validity of birth certificate variables and encourage nurses to spearhead data improvement. Data sources:, A Medline key word search of reliability and validity of birth certificate, and a reference review of more than 60 articles were done. Study selection:, Twenty-four primary research studies of U.S. birth certificates that involved validity or reliability assessment. Data extraction:, Studies were reviewed, critiqued, and organized as either a reliability or a validity study and then grouped by birth certificate variable. Data synthesis:, The reliability and validity of birth certificate data vary considerably by item. Insurance, birthweight, Apgar score, and delivery method are more reliable than prenatal visits, care, and maternal complications. Tobacco and alcohol use, obstetric procedures, and delivery events are unreliable. Birth certificates are not valid sources of information on tobacco and alcohol use, prenatal care, maternal risk, pregnancy complications, labor, and delivery. Conclusions:, Birth certificates are a key data source for identifying causes of increasing U.S. infant mortality but have serious reliability and validity problems. Nurses are with mothers and infants at birth, so they are in a unique position to improve data quality and spread the word about the importance of reliable and valid data. Recommendations to improve data are presented. JOGNN, 35, 3-12; 2006. DOI: 10.1111/J.1552-6909.2006.00016.x [source] A cross-national validity study of the Severity Indices of Personality Problems (SIPP-118)PERSONALITY AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 1 2009Espen Arnevik Objective,The objective in this study was to test the validity of a new dimensional measure of maladaptive core pathology for personality disorders (PDs), the Severity Indices of Personality Problems (SIPP-118), by comparing a Norwegian sample of 114 patients with PDs with two Dutch samples. In addition, Avoidant PD and Borderline PD were compared, and the relationship between scores on the SIPP-118 and commonly used clinical measures were investigated. Results,The results showed good psychometric properties of the SIPP-118 at the facet level. The Norwegian PD sample had scores equal to the Dutch PD sample and significantly below the general population sample. Correlation with other clinical measures was in the low to moderate range. Conclusion,The cross-national validity of the SIPP-118 was good, and the instrument seems promising as a dimensional instrument for measuring personality pathology. Further research should be undertaken to establish the structure of higher-order domains, its use as a measure of therapeutic change, and its capacity to distinguish Axis II from Axis I pathology. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Reliability and concurrent validity of the Expanded Timed Up-and-Go test in older people with impaired mobilityPHYSIOTHERAPY RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2008Pernille Botolfsen Abstract Background and Purpose.,,Expanded Timed Up-and-Go' (ETUG) was developed to assess each of the subtasks of the ,Timed Up-and-Go' (TUG). The aim of the study was to test the intrarater, interrater, test,retest reliability and internal consistency of the ETUG, and the concurrent validity with the TUG.,Methods.,The present study is a reliability and a validity study. Twenty-eight subjects (80 ± 4.1 years) with balance and gait problems were included. Three raters timed the ETUG subtasks from a video, using a computer-based scoring programme, and the total ETUG time was calculated. TUG was registered by a regular stopwatch.,Results.,The intrarater and interrater reliability (intraclass correlation [ICC][1,1]) ranged from 0.55 to 0.97. The test,retest reliability (ICC[1,1]) ranged from 0.54 to 0.85. The absolute measurement error of the total time (1.96 Sw) was 2.8 seconds. The internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) was 0.74. The correlation (Pearson's r) between ETUG total time and TUG after correcting for attenuation caused by restricted reliability in each of the measures was 0.85.,Conclusion.,The ETUG scored from a video shows a good reliability for experienced raters and acceptable internal consistency. The ETUG showed a higher reliability than TUG when tested on the same sample of older subjects with impaired mobility, and the high concurrent validity between ETUG and TUG suggests that the two tests may have similar properties. Since ETUG also adds new information compared with TUG, we suggest that ETUG is an interesting alternative to existing clinical tests of mobility. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Comparison of self-assessment of solvent exposure with measurement and professional assessment for female petrochemical workers in China,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 6 2002Ye A. Hu DSc Abstract Objective The primary objective of this paper is to examine the validity of self-assessment of solvent exposure by comparing it with professional assessment and actual measurements. Methods Self-assessment of exposures to benzene, toluene, styrene, and xylene was obtained from 132 female workers. The exposures were also estimated by an occupational hygienist and by actual measurement. Self-assessment, professional assessment, and measurement were then compared with each other. Results Fair to good agreement was found between self-assessment, professional assessment, and measurement for benzene, styrene, and xylene. The agreement between self-assessment and measurement was poor for toluene, whereas the agreement between self-assessment and professional assessment was good. The latter was caused by a biased professional assessment. Conclusions Workers' self-assessment and professional assessment provided useful information for benzene, styrene, and xylene exposure, but not for toluene exposure. False agreement can be obtained when professional assessment was used as reference in validity study. Am. J. Ind. Med. 41:483,489, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] A construct validity study of clinical competence: A multitrait multimethod matrix approachTHE JOURNAL OF CONTINUING EDUCATION IN THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS, Issue 1 2010Lubna Baig MBBS, PhD Managing Director, Professor of Community Medicine Abstract Introduction: The purpose of the study was to adduce evidence for estimating the construct validity of clinical competence measured through assessment instruments used for high-stakes examinations. Methods: Thirty-nine international physicians (mean age = 41 + 6.5 y) participated in high-stakes examination and 3-month supervised clinical practice to determine the practice readiness of physicians. Three traits,doctor,patient relationship, clinical competence, and communication skills,were assessed with objective structured clinical examinations, in-training evaluation reports, and clinical assessments. These traits were intercorrelated in a multitrait multimethod matrix (MTMM). Results: The reliability of assessments ranged from moderate to high (Cronbach's ,: 0.58,0.98; Ep2 = 0.79). There is evidence for both convergent and divergent validity for clinical competence, followed by doctor,patient relationships, and communications (validity coefficients = 0.12,0.85). The correlations between the same methods but different traits indicate that there is substantial method specificity in the assessment accounting for nearly one-quarter of the variance (23.7%). Discussion: There is evidence for the construct validity of all 3 traits across 3 methods. The MTMM approach, currently underutilized, could be used to estimate the degree of evidence for validating complex constructs, such as clinical competence. [source] | ||||||||||