Construct-related validity of the Toglia Category Assessment and the Deductive Reasoning test with children who are typically developing.

OBJECTIVE: Both classification and deductive reasoning are essential cognitive components underlying any learning process and, therefore, are important to assess in children with developmental or learning disabilities. The aim of this study was to establish construct-related validity of the Toglia Category Assessment (TCA) and the Deductive Reasoning test, which were originally developed to evaluate adults with brain injury. This study represents the first step in validating and adapting the two tests for children who are typically developing. METHOD: The study population consisted of 235 children without disabilities in 6 different age groups (from 5-11 years of age). Both the TCA and the Deductive Reasoning test were administered to all participants. RESULTS: The results of the study indicate significant differences in the average performance of children in several age groups on both the TCA and the Deductive Reasoning test, but they do not show differences among all the groups. Children could not predict their ability in either test, but most were able to estimate their ability after actual performance of the TCA. A significant correlation was found only for the 5-year-olds and 7-year-olds between the Deductive Reasoning test final score and the children's estimation of their performance. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study support the suitability of the TCA and the Deductive Reasoning test for use with children who are typically developing. We recommend that both tools be studied further to amplify their validity.     

中文版儿童戒断症状评估量表在危重患儿中的信效度分析

目的 翻译中文版儿童戒断症状评估量表并进行信效度检验。 方法 应用 Brislin 双人翻译及回译法对量表进行文化调适,形成中文版儿童戒断症状评估量表。对 56 例患儿的 582 次测量结果进行分析,评价其信度与效度。结果 中文版 WAT鄄1 共有 11 个条目,因子分析提取 4 个公因子,累积贡献率为 57.54% 。 该量表 Cronbach ’ s α 系数为0.812 ,各因子 Cronbach ’ s α 系数为 0.701~0.942 ,组内相关系数（ intraclass correlation coefficient , ICC ）为 0.930 。 中文版WAT鄄1 量表的内容效度为 0.910 ,各维度间的相关系数为 0.292~0.530 ,各维度与量表总分间的相关系数为 0.344~0.638 ,均具有统计学意义（ P<0.01 ）。 ROC 曲线显示,以 WAT鄄1 总分 ≥3 分为判定戒断症状发生的临界值,特异度为 76.18% 、敏感度为 83.36% 。 结论 中文版 WAT鄄1 量表具有较好的信度和效度,且以总分 ≥3 分作为临界值,判定是否发生戒断症状,可以应用于儿童镇痛镇静药物戒断症状的评估。     

Reliability and validity of the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index in Turkey

The purpose of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI). Data were obtained from a cross-sectional survey of 101 older adults living at a residential home in the Izmir municipality of Turkey. The Turkish version of the GOHAI showed acceptable reliability and validity. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.75, and item-scale (Pearson's) correlations varied between 0.30 and 0.67. Low GOHAI scores were associated with perceived poor oral health (p < 0.01) and dissatisfaction with oral health status (p < 0.05). Factor analyses of the index indicated a two-factor solution. It was concluded that the Turkish version of the GOHAI is a reliable and valid measure for use with Turkish adults age 65 and older.     

Reliability and validity of the Tinetti Mobility Test for individuals with Parkinson disease

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study examined the interrater and intrarater reliability, concurrent validity, and criterion validity of the Tinetti Mobility Test (TMT) as a fall risk screening tool in individuals with Parkinson disease (PD). SUBJECTS: Thirty individuals with PD voluntarily participated in the study, and data from a retrospective review of 126 patient records were included. METHODS: Physical therapists and physical therapist students rated live and videotaped performances of the TMT. Tinetti Mobility Test scores were correlated with Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) motor scores and comfortable gait speed. The ability of the TMT to accurately assess fall risk was determined. RESULTS: Interrater and intrarater reliability was good to excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient of >.80). Tinetti Mobility Test scores correlated with UPDRS motor scores (r(s)=-.45) and gait speed (r(s)=.53). The sensitivity and specificity of the TMT to identify fallers were 76% and 66%, respectively. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The TMT is a reliable and valid tool for assessing the mobility status of and fall risk for individuals with PD.     

Reliability and validity of the Japanese Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) Questionnaire

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to assess the test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and validity of a Japanese translation of the Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) Questionnaire in a sample of Japanese patients with headache. BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated that the English-language version of the MIDAS Questionnaire is a reliable and valid instrument for the assessment of migraine-related disability. Any translations of the MIDAS Questionnaire must also be assessed for reliability and validity. METHODS: Study participants were recruited from the patient population attending either the Neurology Department of Kitasato University or an affiliated clinic. Participants were eligible for study entry if they had 6 or more primary headaches per year. For reliability testing, participants completed the MIDAS Questionnaire on 2 occasions, exactly 2 weeks apart. To assess validity, patients were also invited to participate in a 90-day daily diary study. Composite measures from the 90-day diaries were compared to equivalent MIDAS measures (ie, 5 questions on headache-related disability and 1 question each on average pain intensity and headache frequency in the last 3 months) and to the total MIDAS score obtained from a third MIDAS Questionnaire completed at the end of this 90-day period. RESULTS: One hundred one patients between the ages of 21 and 77 years were recruited (81 women and 20 men). Ninety-nine patients (80 women and 19 men) participated in the diary study. At baseline, 46.5% of patients were MIDAS grade I or II (minimal, mild, or infrequent disability), 22.2% were MIDAS grade III (moderate disability), and 31.3% were MIDAS grade IV (severe disability). Test-retest Spearman correlations for the 5 disability questions and the questions on average pain intensity and headache frequency ranged from 0.59 to 0.80 (P<.0001). The test-retest Spearman correlation coefficient for the total MIDAS score was 0.83 (P<.0001). The degree to which individual MIDAS questions correlated with the diary-based measures ranged from 0.36 to 0.88. The correlation between the total MIDAS score and the equivalent diary-based measure was 0.66. In general, the mean and median values for the MIDAS items and total MIDAS score were similar to the means and medians for the diary-based measures. However, the mean MIDAS scores for the number of days on which headache was experienced and the number of missed workdays were significantly different compared to the diary-based estimates for these items (P<.05). In addition, the mean MIDAS score for the number of days of missed housework was significantly higher than the corresponding diary-based estimate (P<.01). CONCLUSIONS: The results from this study show that the Japanese translation of the MIDAS Questionnaire is comparable with the English-language version in terms of reliability and validity.     

Reliability and validity of the self-assessment of occupational functioning.

OBJECTIVE: Two studies examined the reliability and validity of the Self-Assessment of Occupational Functioning (SAOF), a 23-item self-assessment of perceptions of strengths, and weaknesses relative to occupational functioning, grounded in the Model of Human Occupation. METHOD: The first study examined the test-retest reliability of the SAOF, and involved 37 college students without disabilities who completed the SAOF twice. The second study, which involved 39 young persons hospitalized with psychiatric disorders, examined internal consistency reliability of the SAOF, and examined correlations between SAOF scores and composite scores on the Self-Perception Profile, a widely used measure of perceived competence. In addition, data from both studies were combined to examine the ability of the SAOF to discriminate between the college students without disabilities and the young persons with psychiatric disorders. RESULTS: Kappa and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to examine test-retest reliability and Cronbach's alpha was used to examine internal consistency. Acceptable levels of test-retest (ICCs) and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) reliability were found for the subscale and total scores of the SAOF. However, test-retest reliability (kappa) was lower than desirable for many of the individual SAOF items. The young persons with psychiatric disorders had lower item, subscale, and total scores on the SAOF than did the college students without disabilities. In addition, a discriminant analysis predicting group membership (college students without disability vs. young persons with psychiatric disorder) correctly classified 76.6% of the participants based on the four subscale scores of the SAOF. CONCLUSION: The SAOF has the potential to be a reliable and valid clinical assessment; however, additional research is needed.     

直肠癌前切除综合征评分量表的汉化及信效度评价

目的 引进和翻译前切除综合征评分量表,为建立直肠癌前切除患者术后排便功能评估提供研究基础;对翻译后的前切除综合征评分量表的信度、效度进行评价,探索其在国内的适用性.方法 首先对前切除综合征评分量表进行翻译、回译及文化调适,确定前切除综合征评分量表的中文版,对天津某三甲医院普外科40例直肠癌患者进行排便功能评估,验证其信度和效度.结果 中文版前切除综合征评分量表具有良好的重测信度,ICC=0.9615 (95％CI 0.9272～0.9796);量表具有良好的评定者间信度,ICC=0.9394 (95％CI 0.8854～0.9680);量表具有良好的内容效度,内容效度比(CVR)为0.90;量表具有良好的结构效度,因子分析共提取了2个公因子,能解释总方差的60.659％,且各项目在相应因子上有较满意的因子载荷量(＞0.4).结论 中文版前切除综合征评分量表简洁易懂,使用方便;测试结果显示量表具有良好的信效度.建议前切除综合征评分量表可用于评估住院直肠癌患者术后是否有前切除综合征的初步筛查工具,作为临床判断的辅助工具.     

Reliability and validity of the Safety Assessment Scale for people with dementia living at home

BACKGROUND: With the recent funding changes in health care services, more seniors with dementia are cared for in their homes and the nature of their condition puts them at higher risk for accidents and injuries. PURPOSE: The Safety Assessment Scale (SAS) was developed for use by community healthcare providers to evaluate and lower the risk of accidents, provide recommendations to family caregivers and enhance case management. Method. The scale was assessed in terms of the reliability as well as content, criterion and construct validity with 176 community-residing people with dementia in Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia. The Safety Assessment Scale was validated in French and English. RESULTS: The SAS demonstrated an excellent test-retest (ICC=.91) and inter-rater (ICC=.88) reliability. Results for validity were also extremely good. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The scale is available in French and English. The short version of the SAS is a screening tool and the longer version provides an in-depth evaluation of safety and intervention planning. The SAS can be used by a variety of health care professionals who work with individuals who have dementia.     

Reliability and validity of three-dimensional fetal brain volumes.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the intraobserver and interobserver variability in calculating three-dimensional fetal brain volumes and to examine the relationship between these volumes and biparietal diameter and head circumference measurements and estimated gestational age. METHODS: Eighty-five subjects between 16 and 40 completed weeks' gestation participated in the Institutional Review Board-approved study. Fetal head images were obtained axially and stored on a magnetic optical disk. The fetal brain volumes were calculated in triplicate by each of 2 observers using 8 to 10 coronal cuts. The coefficient of variation was determined for both physicians. Pearson correlations and linear regression were used to evaluate the relationship between three-dimensional head volume and standard biparietal diameter and head circumference measurements and estimated gestational age. RESULTS: The coefficients of variation were low for both investigators, at 2.04% and 2.44%. The correlations between fetal brain volumes and biparietal diameter, head circumference, and estimated gestational age were all highly significant (P < .001). The linear regression of brain volumes with estimated gestational age was also highly significant (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Three-dimensional fetal brain volume measurements had excellent intraobserver and interobserver reliability. The volumes correlated very well with standard biparietal diameter and head circumference measurements. These volumes can also be used to determine estimated gestational age.     

Reliability and validity of the Test of In-Hand Manipulation in children ages 5 to 6 years

The Test of In-Hand Manipulation (TIHM; Case-Smith, 2000) is a five-task test that uses a 9-hole pegboard to examine 2 key components of in-hand manipulation: rotation and translation with stabilization. The authors used Rasch modeling to examine the TIHM's construct validity, interrater reliability, and test-retest reliability in 45 typically developing children ages 5.5 years to 6.5 years. A version of the test, revised using Rasch modeling, was found to have evidence for adequate construct validity and excellent interrater reliability. However, test-retest reliability over a 2-week retest period was not supported. The TIHM demonstrates potential as a clinically useful assessment of in-hand manipulation. The test does not examine all aspects of in-hand manipulation, however, and it may have limited sensitivity to the performance of finger-to-palm and palm-to-finger translation. Further validation of the test is needed before the TIHM can confidently be used in occupational therapy practice.     

Reliability and validity of the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale in clinical outpatients with depressive disorders

Rationale, aims and objectives The Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF) is widely used to assess psychological, social and occupational functioning. The validity and reliability of the GAF in clinical practice have only scarcely been studied in naturalistic samples. Methods A total of 432 outpatients with a current major depressive disorder (MDD) were evaluated with routine outcome monitoring (ROM). At baseline the GAF score was assessed by the treating clinician and at ROM baseline and follow‐up sessions also by a trained test nurse. Sociodemographic data, the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview Plus and scores on the Montgomery‐Äsberg Depression Rating Scale, Beck Depression Inventory‐revised, Brief Symptom Inventory and Short Form‐36 were assessed. Results At baseline, the mean GAF score by the clinician was 54.8 (range 35–85), and this was systematically lower than the mean GAF score by the test nurse of 57.5 (range 31–88). GAF scores by the clinician and test nurse correlated weakly (r = 0.26). The GAF scores of the clinicians correlated strongly with disease severity, and social and physical functioning. Conclusion The GAF showed rather poor inter‐rater reliability as well as poor discriminant validity with disease severity and physical limitations in a large naturalistic sample of outpatients with MDD.     

Reliability and validity of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Palliative care (FACIT-Pal) scale

The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT) system provides a general, multidimensional measure of health-related quality of life (FACT-G) that can be augmented with disease or symptom-specific subscales. The 19-item palliative care subscale of the FACIT system has undergone little psychometric evaluation to date. The aim of this paper is to report the internal consistency, factor structure, and construct validity of the instrument using the palliative care subscale (FACIT-Pal). Two hundred fifty-six persons with advanced cancer in a randomized trial testing a palliative care psychoeducational intervention completed the 46-item FACIT-Pal at baseline. Internal consistency was greater than 0.74 for all subscales and the total score. Seventeen of the 19 palliative care subscale items loaded onto the four-factor solution of the established core measure (FACT-G). As hypothesized, total scores were correlated with measures of symptom intensity (r=-0.73, P<0.001) and depression (r=-0.75, P<0.001). The FACIT-Pal was able to discriminate between participants who died within three months of completing the baseline and participants who lived for at least one year after completing the baseline assessment (t=-4.05, P<0.001). The functional well-being subscale discriminated between participants who had a Karnofsky performance score of 70 and below and participants with a Karnofsky performance score of 80 and above (t=3.40, P<0.001). The findings support the internal consistency reliability and validity of the FACIT-Pal as a measure of health-related quality of life for persons with advanced cancer.     

Reliability and validity in research

This article examines reliability and validity as ways to demonstrate the rigour and trustworthiness of quantitative and qualitative research. The authors discuss the basic principles of reliability and validity for readers who are new to research.     

Reliability and validity of the sexual pressure scale

The purpose of this study was to develop the Sexual Pressure Scale (SPS) as a valid and reliable measure of gender stereotypical expectations to engage in sexual behavior. Data were collected using audio computer-assisted self-interview in 306 urban women, aged 18 to 29. Exploratory principal components analysis with varimax rotation yielded 19 items consisting of five factors: Condom Fear, Sexual Coercion, Women's Sex Role, Men Expect Sex, and Show Trust, accounting for 62% of the variance. Divergent and convergent validity were supported, respectively, by negative relationships of SPS factors with dyadic trust and positive relationships with sexual victimization and sexual risk behavior. Alpha reliability was .81; factor reliabilities ranged from .63 to .82. A valid assessment of sexual pressure can suggest the extent to which stereotypical gender expectations structure women's freedom to explore partner and condom use choices.     

Reliability and validity of the Overeating Tension Scale

This study presents the development and testing of the Overeating Tension Scale. Overeating tension was defined operationally as the total discrepancy score resulting from differences between subjects' ratings of actual and desired feelings before overeating. The 32-item Overeating Tension Scale, derived from Apter's Reversal Theory, measures reported overall tension and motivation-specific tension. The scale initially included 48 items, six items for each of eight motivational states. After two instrument development studies (N = 373, N = 208), items were refined and reduced to a total of 32, or four for each of eight motivational states. The final version of the instrument was tested in two additional studies (N = 330, N = 130) that provided evidence to support the internal consistency reliability of the Overeating Tension Scale. There was support for construct validity using contrasted groups (overweight and normal weight subjects), convergent validity, and factor analysis.     

Reliability and validity of the Norwegian WHOQOL-OLD module

The aim of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of the Norwegian WHOQOL-OLD six-facet, 24-item module designed for assessing generic quality of life cross-culturally among the elderly. Using quota-stratified sampling defined on the basis of sex, age and geographical representation, 401 respondents were drawn from Statistics Norway and completed postal surveys. An additional 89 elderly completed personal interviews. Correlation and multivariate analyses partly confirmed the relevance of individual items and facets in both groups. All items correlated significantly higher with their original facets, although almost half of these items correlated with other facets in both groups. Multiple regression analysis of the module and two overall questions (dependent variables) showed that three facets made significant contributions to overall health, with Social Participation (B = 0.09) contributing most strongly in the postal-group. In the interview-group, only Social Participation (B = 0.20) was found to make a significant contribution, and this was in relation to overall health satisfaction. When the WHOQOL-BREF total score was considered as the dependent variable, different facets contributed significantly in both groups. Exploratory factor analysis of the WHOQOL-OLD in the combined group of both postal and interview samples, resulted in a five-factor solution (eigenvalues >1) explaining 65% of the cumulative variance in five of the six originally operationalized facets. The most conceptually clear facets were Death and Dying and Sensory Abilities. Further, confirmatory factor analyses in the combined group demonstrated a model with good fit, but with high covariance between the factors. Acceptable internal consistency was shown except for the Past, Present and Future Activities in both groups. Since construct validity was only partially confirmed, exploration of the scale's conceptual validity needs further testing in Norwegian and international samples.     

Assessment of fatigue in patients with fibromyalgia and chronic widespread pain. Reliability and validity of the Swedish version of the MFI-20

Objectives. Fibromyalgia (FM) and Chronic Widespread Pain (CWP) are common diseases in primary care and, in addition to the pain they cause, fatigue is a major problem. Fatigue is regarded as a multidimensional concept and instruments assessing fatigue should therefore cover several different dimensions. The Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20) measures five different dimensions of fatigue. The aim of the study was to investigate the test-retest reliability and convergent construct validity of the Swedish version of the MFI-20 in female patients with FM or CWP.

Methods. To investigate the convergent construct validity, 166 female patients with FM or CWP completed the Swedish version of the MFI-20 and a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) measuring global fatigue. Thirty-six of the 166 patients completed the Swedish version of the MFI-20 on two occasions, one day apart to evaluate the test-retest reliability.

Results. Spearman's correlation coefficient revealed a significant association between each of the five subscales of the MFI-20 and the VAS for global fatigue. General Fatigue had the highest correlation with the VAS (rs = 0.62, p<0.001), while Reduced Motivation had the lowest (rs = 0.32, p<0.001). The intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) were satisfactory for all the five subscales of the MFI-20.

Conclusion. The results of this study indicate that the Swedish version of the MFI-20 is a reliable tool for assessing the degree of fatigue in patients with FM or CWP. This study also supports the theory that fatigue is a multidimensional concept and different aspects of fatigue should be measured separately.