Validation of a measurement instrument for parental child feeding in a low and middle-income country

Background

Parental child feeding practices (PCFP) are a key factor influencing children’s dietary intake, especially in the preschool years when eating behavior is being established. Instruments to measure PCFP have been developed and validated in high-income countries with a high prevalence of childhood obesity. The aim of this study was to test the appropriateness, content, and construct validity of selected measures of PCFP in a low and middle-income country (LMIC) in which there is both undernutrition and obesity in children.

Methods

An expert panel selected subscales and items from measures of PCFP that have been well-tested in high-income countries to measure both “coercive” and “structural” behaviors. Two sequential cross-sectional studies (Study 1, n =?154; Study 2, n =?238) were conducted in two provinces in Indonesia. Findings of the first study were used to refine subscales used in Study 2. An additional qualitative study tested content validity from the perspective of mothers (the intended respondents). Factorial validation and reliability were also tested. Convergent validity was tested with child nutritional status.

Results

In Study 1, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) model with 11 factors provided good fit (RMSEA?=?0.045; CFI?=?0.95 and TLI?=?0.95) after two subscales were removed. Reliability was good among seven of the subscales. Following a decision to take out an additional subscale, the instrument was tested for factorial validity (Study 2). A CFA model with 10 subscales provided good fit (RMSEA?=?0.03; CFI?=?0.92 and TLI?=?0.90). The reliability of subscales was lower than in Study 1. Convergent validity with nutrition status was found with two subscales.

Conclusions

The two studies provide evidence of acceptable psychometric properties for 10 subscales from tested instruments to measure PCFP in Indonesia. This provides the first evidence of the validity of these measures in a LMIC setting. Some shortcomings, such in the reliability of some subscales and further tests of predictive validity, require further investigation.

     

The Role of the Epinephrine Test in the Diagnosis and Management of Children Suspected of Having Congenital Long QT Syndrome

The epinephrine test has been shown to be a powerful tool to predict the genotype of congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS). The aim of this study was to evaluate its role in the diagnosis and management of LQTS in children. The test (using the Shimizu protocol) was conducted in patients with some evidence of LQTS but in whom clinical and management decisions were challenging (n = 41, age 9.6 ± 3.9 years, 19 female). LQT1, LQT2, and negative responses to epinephrine were obtained in 16, 5, and 20 subjects, respectively. LQTS gene positivity was obtained in two subjects. Beta-blocker therapy was started in all subjects with a positive epinephrine response (n = 21) and in some negative responders because of their strong LQTS phenotype (n = 10). No therapy was given to the subset with less convincing features of LQTS who had also responded negatively to epinephrine (n = 10). Follow-up for 3.0 ± 2 years was uneventful in both management groups. Due to the discordance with genotyping, the epinephrine test cannot be used to diagnose genotype-positive LQTS but when used in combination with phenotype assessment and genetic screening, it could enable better management decisions.     

Genetic analysis of a family with hereditary glomuvenous malformations

Glomuvenous malformations (MIM 138000) are rare vascular malformations consisting of glomus cells, and in affected individuals, lesions may appear in any number anywhere on the body. We analysed the DNA of one family with hereditary glomuvenous malformations and identified the mutation causing the disease in the glomulin gene on chromosome 1 p22. The deletion started at base pair 157: 157delAAGAA, which is a deletion of five base pairs. This mutation has been found in Europe, the USA and Australia, suggesting a founder effect with common ancestry. Thus far, no second-hit mutation for the 157delAAGAA mutation has been identified.     

The role of school-based dental programme on dental caries experience in Yogyakarta Province, Indonesia

International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 2012; 22: 203–210 Objectives. To assess the effectiveness of a school‐based dental programme (SBDP) in controlling caries by measuring the relationship between the SBDP performance and caries experience in children aged 12 in Yogyakarta Province, Indonesia, by taking into account influencing factors. Methods. A cross‐sectional survey was undertaken of 1906 children participating in SBDPs. Four SBDPs were chosen by good and poor performances in urban and rural areas. Caries was assessed using WHO criteria whereas behaviour and socio‐demographic factors were collected using a questionnaire administered to the children. Results. The decayed, missed, and filled teeth (DMFT) of children in good SBDPs (2.8 ± 2.4) was lower than that of the counterparts (3.8 ± 3.4). From path analysis using a structural equation model (SEM), place of residence (OR = 4.0) was shown to have a strongest direct relationship to caries experience, whereas SBDP performance showed no direct relationship. At the same time, SBDP performance was significantly related to frequencies of dental visits (OR = 0.3), sugar consumption (OR = 0.8), and tooth brushing (OR = 3.2), which in turn are interrelated with place of residence, gender, and mother’s education. Conclusions. The study suggests that the differences in DMFT of children in good and poor performance SBDPs were caused by relation to social factors rather than by relation to oral health service activities.     

The yin and the yang of keratin amino acid substitutions and epidermolysis bullosa simplex

Mutations that change the same amino acid can result in different clinical phenotypes. Through in silico modeling and keratin filament assessment of genetically engineered HaCaT cells, Natsuga et al., as reported in this issue, have demonstrated how changes in charge and structure of a replacement amino acid in keratin 14 can cause disease (KRT14pA413P, EB simplex) or no clinical effect (KRT14pA413T, polymorphism).     

Effectiveness of multimedia presentations in improving understanding of technical terminologies and concepts: a pilot study

In legal cases, ensuring that members of the judiciary and juries have an appropriate understanding of the evidence being presented is integral to the delivery of justice. This pilot study uses a questionnaire-type survey, in Indonesia and Taiwan (Republic of China) to determine the utility of multimedia presentations as a training tool for educating Judiciary and Linguistic (representing educated laypersons) groups. Participants’ understanding of three digital forensic terms was compared; before and after watching videos on the corresponding topics. The findings suggested that 80% of the participants experienced improved comprehension of specific technical terms after watching the multimedia videos. However, improvement in comprehension from viewing the videos reduces with age (ρ = –0.189 with a P value of 0.033 at 95% level of confidence). The study also found that the features of the video (e.g. analogy) affect participant’s understanding. The findings suggested that multimedia presentations are an effective means of improving understanding of technical terminologies and concepts.