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Validity Tests (validity + test)
Selected AbstractsA preference-based index for the SF-12HEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 6 2006D. Stratmann-Schoene Abstract Background: The SF-12 is a widely used generic measure of subjective health. As the scoring algorithms of the SF-12 do not include preference values, different approaches to assign a preference-based index are available that should be tested regarding their feasibility and validity. Objectives: To develop a concept for a preference-based index for the SF-12 on the basis of multi-attribute decision analysis and to perform initial tests of its feasibility and validity in an empirical study. Methods: A multi-attribute preference function for the SF-12 was developed, estimated and tested for validity. Two mail surveys (n = 100, 200) and an interview (n = 72) were conducted with women who had an operation for breast cancer. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and standard gamble (SG) measures elicited preference-based valuations. Results: Eight attributes were identified in the SF-12. Validity tests showed an average difference of 8 VAS score points between directly measured and predicted values for given health states. Conclusion: The initial results show that this approach might allow the direct assignment of a preference-based valuation to the SF-12. The quality of the psychometric features of the multi-attribute value function is encouraging. Future studies should test this concept more extensively, especially by determining parameters for a representative sample of the general population and by comparing performance with other approaches to value the SF-12. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A Methodology for Assessing Organizational Core Values*JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES, Issue 2 2006Johan Van Rekom abstract The goal of this study is to offer a methodology for empirically assessing the core values of an organization. It uses means,end analysis in order to determine those values that organization members manifest in their daily behaviour, and which are not just espoused ,truisms'. The method is based on the sense members of an organization make of what they do. Sensemaking follows a means,end pattern, through which individual actions converge into central values. The values most central in this means,end structure are the core values that effectively motivate organization members in their job. Our method works in two steps: first, exploratory interviews using the laddering-technique establish the values potentially most central to the organization; then, a follow-up survey assesses the complete pattern of means,end relations among the potential values. Validity tests show that the most central values derived from this survey data are the most important to organization members. These values are also the most stable over time. We make a comparison of this method with traditional value surveys and we discuss its implications for the study of organizational behaviour. [source] The changing world demography of type 2 diabetesDIABETES/METABOLISM: RESEARCH AND REVIEWS, Issue 1 2003Anders Green Abstract In recent years it has been estimated that the current global prevalence of type 2 diabetes amounts to about 150 million patients. Projections suggest that by the year 2025 the number of prevalent patients in the world will reach approximately 300 million. It is assumed that the increase in the number of patients will be most pronounced in nations currently undergoing socio-economic development including increasing urbanization. The technique used to provide these estimates is based on results from available, contemporary survey results, combined with expected future trends in demographic indicators. We suggest that the currently available methods for the estimation of the future global burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus yield underestimates. Further modifications and validity tests of the modelling techniques are necessary in order to develop a reliable instrument to globally monitor the effects of the struggle against the diabetes problem. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Comparing welfare estimates from payment card contingent valuation and discrete choice experimentsHEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 4 2009Mandy Ryan Abstract This study presents the first comparison of willingness to pay estimates derived from the payment card (PC) contingent valuation and discrete choice experiment (DCE) methods. A within-sample experiment was used to elicit women's preferences for Chlamydia screening. The willingness to pay estimate derived from the DCE was larger than that derived from the PC. To investigate why the willingness to pay estimates were different, a range of validity tests were conducted. Both methods produced theoretically valid results, and there was no difference in the reported difficulty of completing the tasks. Evidence of a prominence effect was found in the PC responses. Responses to the DCE satisfied tests of non-satiation. Responses to both methods were compared with revealed preference data. There were significant differences between stated screening intention in both methods and actual screening uptake. Future work should address the external validity of stated preference methods. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Workplace performance: a comparison of subjective and objective measures in the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations SurveyINDUSTRIAL RELATIONS JOURNAL, Issue 2 2008John Forth ABSTRACT Understanding what determines workplace performance is important for a variety of reasons. In the first place, it can inform the debate about the UK's low productivity growth. It also enables researchers to determine the efficacy of different organisational practices, policies and payment systems. In this article, we examine not the determinants of performance but how it is measured. Specifically, we assess the alternative measures of productivity and profitability that are available in the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey (WERS). Previous WERS have been an important source of data in research into workplace performance. However, the subjective nature of the performance measures available in WERS prior to 2004 has attracted criticism. In the 2004 WERS, data were again collected on the subjective measure but, in addition, objective data on profitability and productivity were also collected. This allows a comparison to be made between the two types of measures. A number of validity tests are undertaken and the main conclusion is that subjective and objective measures of performance are weakly equivalent but that differences are also evident. Our findings suggest that it would be prudent to give most weight to results supported by both types of measure. [source] Audit Programs and Audit Risk: A Study of Japanese PracticeINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AUDITING, Issue 1 2006Hironori Fukukawa The current paradigm in audit practice for evidential planning is the Audit Risk Model. However, the notion of relevant risks has broadened with the adoption in recent years of holistic audit approaches encompassing business and process risks and an increased focus on fraud risks. This study examines whether audit planning is ,risk adjusted' using archival data from 235 clients from a well-established audit firm in Japan. We address all four aspects of audit planning (nature, extent, timing and staffing) and examine a wider variety of client risks than prior archival studies in order to reflect the current holistic audit approaches of global auditing firms. The main results indicate that although audit planning is based on the level of and change in assessments of many audit risk variables, the associations between client risks and audit plans are rather modest. In this respect, our findings are consistent with those from prior research. We also find that client risks that comprise business risk and fraud risk affect audit planning to some extent. Finally, we report exploratory results suggesting a substitution effect between audit planning judgments in response to higher client risks such as increasing the extent of validity tests while decreasing the extent of confirmations. [source] The perceived credibility of quality labels: a scale validation with refinementINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 5 2008Salim Moussa Abstract In this paper, we present quality labels as signals that reduce problems that arise under asymmetric information. We propose to closely scrutinize the concept of signal credibility, which is a key determinant of signalling effectiveness. In order to assess the perceived credibility of a quality label, we offer a revisited version of a scale originally proposed by Larceneux. The data used in this paper involve three different labels and were collected using self-report surveys administered to 602 respondents. Based on findings from a variety of reliability and validity tests, the scale demonstrates good psychometric properties. Both theoretical and managerial implications are discussed, along with limitations and future research directions. [source] Valuing the Multiple Impacts of Pesticide Use in the UK: A Contingent Ranking ApproachJOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 1 2000Vivien Foster The contingent ranking method was used to estimate the value of the human health and biodiversity impacts associated with pesticide applications, using a "green" consumer product as a payment vehicle. Specification testing showed that the standard conditional logit model provides a representation of these data preferable to the rank-ordered logit variant. The resulting estimates - which perform well in terms of standard validity tests - show that, on average, consumers are only willing to tolerate between six and eight cases of human illness to save an entire species of farmland birds. [source] Indices for studying urinary incontinence and levator ani function in primiparous womenJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 4 2003Cathy L. Antonakos PhD Summary ,,Urinary incontinence (UI) is a complex phenomenon that is prevalent in pregnant and parous women and requires the use of sophisticated measures to adequately reflect functioning of the continence system. ,,The purpose of this study was to develop reliable and valid measures of UI and levator ani function for use in research and clinical settings. ,,A Leakage Index (LI) and a Levator Ani Function Index (LAFI) were developed using data from a longitudinal study of primiparous women. Reliability and validity tests were conducted to: (i) estimate the internal consistency reliability of each index, (ii) determine whether the indices captured change in continence status and pelvic floor function during pregnancy through 1 year postpartum, and (iii) estimate association between the indices as a test of predictive validity. ,,Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.72 to 0.84 for the LI and from 0.53 to 0.79 for the LAFI across the six data collection time points of the study. Average LI scores increased late in pregnancy and decreased postpartum, though not significantly. Average LAFI scores decreased significantly at 35 weeks gestation (t = 4.84, P = 0.000) and increased significantly at 12 months postpartum (t = ,3.51, P = 0.002) relative to baseline. The LI and LAFI were significantly associated at 20 weeks gestation (Pearson r = ,0.40, P = 0.007) and at 6 weeks postpartum (Pearson r = ,0.33, P = 0.029). ,,The findings suggest the LI and LAFI are reliable and valid measures of UI and levator ani function in primiparous women, which can be used with confidence in clinical and research settings. [source] Coronary heart disease knowledge tool for womenJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS, Issue 2 2010ACNP-BC, ANP-BC, Coordinator of Adult Nurse Practitioner Program), DCC (Associate Professor, Joanne L. Thanavaro DNP Purpose: To develop a tool that measures coronary heart disease (CHD) knowledge specifically for women. Data sources: The new CHD knowledge tool, based on previous surveys of women's CHD knowledge, has 25 multiple-choice questions. An expert panel evaluated content and face validity. The tool was pilot tested in women without CHD, who were admitted to a Chest Pain Center. The tool was subsequently administered to laywomen and female cardiovascular nurses to evaluate its validity and reliability. The sample included 49 women as the control group (Group 1), 23 cardiovascular nurses as a known group (Group 2), and 22 women with an educational program as the treatment group (Group 3). Knowledge of women in Group 1 was compared with Groups 2 and 3 in known group and predictive validity tests. Conclusion: The new tool demonstrates good validity and reliability to measure CHD knowledge in women. Implications for practice: Women continue to have low CHD knowledge, and nurse practitioners should provide education to improve women's CHD knowledge as a strategy to promote healthy lifestyle practices and CHD risk prevention. The new tool can be utilized in future research to measure women's CHD knowledge. [source] Beliefs of and attitudes toward political advertising: An exploratory investigationPSYCHOLOGY & MARKETING, Issue 6 2009Hyun Seung Jin The major goals of this study were to identify voters' belief structures about political advertising, develop a scale to measure beliefs, and examine how the identified beliefs are related to overall attitudes toward political advertising. The reliabilities, factor structure, and validity tests indicate that five belief dimensions,information, veracity, cynicism, money politics, and entertainment,have sound and stable properties. The scale demonstrates that voters assess political advertising at the instrumental level (e.g., information, veracity, and entertainment) as well as the institutional level (e.g., cynicism and money politics). The results showed that not all beliefs predicted overall attitudes. Furthermore, the results indicated that political involvement was a significant factor in influencing both beliefs and attitudes. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Self-perceived health and burden of diabetes in teenagers with type 1 diabetes: psychometric properties of the Swedish measure ,Check your health'ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 3 2010G Viklund Abstract The aim of this study was to test the psychometric properties of the instrument ,Check your health' in teenagers with type 1 diabetes. The instrument measures ,self-reported health' and ,burden of diabetes'. A convenience sample of 199 teenagers, 12,17 years of age, completed the questionnaires ,Check your health' and DisabKids when visiting the diabetes clinic. Forty-seven patients completed the questionnaires at home a second time. In the reliability test, the correlation between test and retest was found to be satisfactory, (0.94,0.62, except for social burden, 0.41). Convergent validity was moderate (0.62,0.38), while the instrument showed good discriminant validity. Self-reported health and burden of diabetes were different in boys and girls, in patients with good or poor metabolic control or who reported high and low disease severity. The domain burden of diabetes turned out to be very sensitive. Conclusion:, The instrument ,Check your health' showed clinical utility in teenagers with diabetes. Reliability and validity tests of the measure showed promising results in Swedish teenagers, and it can probably be used in clinical settings. To further strengthen the convergent validity, it should be compared with other QoL instruments, and to obtain normative values, it has to be used in a larger context. [source] |