Restrained eating: Measuring an elusive construct

As a measure of restrained eating, Herman's Restraint Scale (1978) reliably predicts laboratory food consumption in college students regardless of their weight. However, the generality and psychometric properties of the scale have not been established. In the present study, 136 male and female adults were cross-classified as obese and normal and as dieting or non-dieting. The subjects were administered a single questionaire containing items of the Lie, Social Desirability, and Restraint scales presented in randomized order. Unlike previous reports by Herman, the three adult groups differed significantly on the Restraint Scale in the following order: Obese dieters > Obese non-dieters > normals. Also, alpha reliability coefficients varied across groups and corrected item-total correlations also displayed considerable variability with no uniformity apparent for individual item correlations. The factor analysis identified three factors within the ten item scale, and for the obese dieters, the scale was not independent of social desirability. These results indicate that the Restraint Scale has limited usefulness beyond laboratory settings with college students.     

Clinical and research utility of Spanish Teen-Addiction Severity Index (T-ASI)

This paper aims to test the clinical and research utility of a Spanish version of the Teen-Addiction Severity Index (T-ASI) in adolescents with psychiatric disorders attending a treatment programme. Eighty adolescents, 12 to 17 years old (Mean=14.5; SD=1.48) were evaluated with a research battery including the T-ASI to obtain data on socio-demographics, psychopathology, drug use, family environment and school achievement. The Substance Use scale of the T-ASI correlated significantly (Rho=0.90, p相似文献   

新型毒品依赖患者社会适应评估量表的初步编制

目的:编制适用于新型毒品依赖患者的社会适应量表,并检验其信效度。方法:从个体、家庭、社会三个层面进行量表构念设计。以武汉市强制隔离戒毒机构中的新型毒品依赖患者作为量表施测对象,分别进行量表初测(n=82)和正式施测(n=288)。采用初测样本数据进行条目分析,采用正式施测样本数据进行探索性因子分析、验证性因子分析、相关分析和信度分析。结果:修订形成的新型毒品依赖患者社会适应评估量表共有17个条目,包括"个体心理适应"、"对家庭环境的适应"、"对社会环境的适应"3个因子,累计解释总方差的57.59%。量表的三因子结构模型拟合良好(χ^2/df=1.331,CFI=0.962,NNFI=0.952,SRMR=0.078,RMSEA=0.048)。量表及各因子得分与成功戒毒信心量表得分、心理韧性量表得分之间均呈正相关,相关系数均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。总量表的Cronbach α系数为0.848,重测信度系数为0.841;各因子的Cronbach α系数为0.644~0.856,重测信度系数为0.702~0.784。结论:新型毒品依赖患者社会适应评估量表具有良好的信效度,可用于测量新型毒品依赖患者的社会适应水平。     

Rasch model of the GAIN Substance Problem Scale among Canadian adults seeking residential and outpatient addiction treatment

Background

The GAIN Substance Problem Scale (SPS) measures alcohol and drug problem severity within a DSM-IV-TR framework. This study builds on prior psychometric evaluation of the SPS by using Rasch analysis to assess scale unidimensionality, item severity, and differential item functioning (DIF).

Methods

Participants were attending residential or outpatient treatment in Alberta and Ontario, Canada, respectively (n = 372). Rasch analyses modeled a latent problem severity continuum using SPS scores at treatment admission and 6-week follow-up. We examined DIF by gender, treatment modality (outpatient vs. residential), and assessment timing (baseline vs. follow-up).

Results

Model fit was good overall, supporting unidimensionality and a single underlying continuum of substance problem severity. Relative to person severity, however, the range of item severities was narrow. Items were too severe for many clients to endorse, particularly at follow-up. Overall, the rank order of item severities was stable across gender, treatment modality, and time point. Although traditional Rasch criteria indicated a number of statistically significant and substantive DIF estimates across modality and time points, effect size indices did not suggest a net effect on total scale scores.

Conclusions

The analysis broadly supports use of the SPS as an additive measure of global substance severity in men and women and both residential and outpatient settings. Although DIF was not a major concern, there was evidence of item redundancy and suboptimal matching between items and persons. Findings highlight potential opportunities for further improving this scale in future research and clinical applications of the GAIN.     

Psychometric Properties of the Alcohol Expectancy Scale in Argentinean Adolescents Applying the Rating Scale Analysis

The goal of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Alcohol Expectancy Scale (AES-AA) applying item response theory. Data were obtained from 592 adolescents enrolled in private and public schools of the city of Córdoba (Argentina). This psychometric study was carried out with the Rating Scale Model (RSM), a polytomous Rasch model. Out of the 45 items that make up the scale, 42 items had adequate fit indexes, explaining 91.3% of the adolescents’ response patterns. The estimation error of the parameters was low, indicating adequate precision of the items. In general, the participants’ scores fell within the range of the continuum where the test is most precise. Adolescents’ least frequent expectancies about alcohol consumption were related to sexual behavior (positive expectancies), whereas their most frequent expectancies corresponded both with the Sociability Scale (positive expectancies) and to the Cognitive and Behavioral Impairment Scale (negative expectancies). Implications for preventive programs are discussed.     

Reliability and Validity of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children in Adolescent Substance Abusers:

The reliability and validity of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC) was studied with 443 adolescents with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and adolescents with anxiety disorder. A confirmatory factor analysis showed that a three-factor model fit the data better than a two-factor model. The STAIC had a desirable level of reliability when administered to adolescents with SUD. According to item response theory, all the items of the STAIC were highly discriminating. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis, item response theory, and reliability indicated that the STAIC was applicable to adolescents.     

Psychometric validation of the depression and family functioning scale

Objective A new patient-reported outcome (PRO) measure developed to assess the impact of major depressive disorder (MDD) on partner and family interactions and quality of relationships, the Depression and Family Functioning Scale (DFFS), was analyzed to establish its reliability, validity, and responsiveness.

Methods Data from a multi-center, prospective, 2-year observational study were analyzed to assess the psychometric properties of the DFFS in patients with MDD (n_Baseline?=?478; n_Month2?=?433). Measures administered to assess validity included the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS), Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX) and Short Form Health Survey–12 (SF-12). Reliability (Cronbach’s alphas and intra-class correlations), construct validity (factor analysis and correlations), discriminating ability (analyses of variance), and responsiveness (standardized effect size estimates) were evaluated.

Results Principal components analyses indicated a single underlying dimension, confirmed by highly satisfactory Cronbach’s alphas (α_Baseline?=?0.85, α_Month2?=?0.89). The DFFS demonstrated satisfactory test–re-test reliability in patients with the same SDS family life/home responsibilities ratings at baseline and month 2 (intraclass correlation?=?0.75). Correlations with other measures showed convergent and divergent validity; e.g., the DFFS correlated better with SF-12 mental component scores (r_Baseline?=??0.35, r_Month2?=??0.49) than with SF-12 physical component scores (r_Baseline?=??0.05, r_Month2?=??0.31). Hypothesis tests were generally as predicted; many were statistically significant, substantiating DFFS discriminating ability. Standardized effect size estimates of responsiveness ranged from 0.44–0.84, demonstrating that the items were capable of detecting change.

Conclusions The psychometric analyses support the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the DFFS and its usefulness for assessing the impact of depression on family functioning. The DFFS can potentially provide important information not captured in clinical practice and facilitate more comprehensive evaluation of MDD treatments.     

Multidimensional assessment of nicotine dependence in adolescents

Despite the critical importance of adolescent smoking, the assessment of nicotine dependence during this developmental period has been the subject of relatively little research. In this study, 301 adolescents (ages 12 through 18 years) reporting daily smoking were recruited for a project on alcohol use disorders (AUDs). The sample included 140 females and 161 males, 251 subjects from clinical and 50 from community sources, and 176 subjects with AUDs at the baseline assessment. Subjects were evaluated with the Nicotine Dependence Syndrome Scale (NDSS), the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) and a determination of average number of cigarettes per day (cigarettes/day). A varimax factor analysis of 27 NDSS items revealed four factors: (1) Drive/Tolerance (13 items; Cronbach alpha = 0.91); (2) Continuity (five items; Cronbach alpha = 0.67); (3) Priority (three items; Cronbach alpha = 0.64); (4) Stereotypy (five items; Cronbach alpha = 0.66). The NDSS total score, refined by the removal of four items, was also examined (23 items; Cronbach alpha = 0.90). Predicting cigarettes/day at follow-up, initial smoking rate was the best predictor, with the FTND and NDSS Total score showing significant and similar predictive validity. The NDSS Total showed incremental validity in the prediction of smoking progression in a model including demographic characteristics, initial smoking rate and FTND. The findings suggest that the NDSS has acceptable psychometric properties when applied to adolescents, complementing smoking rate and FTND in a multidimensional smoking assessment.     

Development and validation of the satisfaction with pharmacist scale

To assess patients' satisfaction with pharmacists, seven questions were developed with semistructured input from 5 pharmacy practice faculty members and 11 patients with cancer. The study identified 1617 English- and Spanish-speaking patients with cancer or human immunodeficiency virus infection or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome who participated in a multisite validation of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Scale. Of these, 1124 had seen a pharmacist in the past 7 days and therefore were eligible; 608 spoke English and 516 Spanish. The seven items on the Satisfaction with Pharmacist (SWiP) scale were rated on a five-point Likert scale (0 = not at all to 4 = very much). The reliability of the English and Spanish versions was evaluated by Cronbach's alpha coefficients. The unidimensionality and construct validity were analyzed with the Rasch rating scale model. The alpha coefficients for the English and Spanish versions were 0.90 and 0.92, respectively. Rasch analyses of item responses showed that none of the items in either language was a misfit, which supported their ability to measure a unidimensional construct. Item difficulty plots revealed that no item exhibited differential functioning, indicating that the items performed the same in both languages. The SWiP scale has reliable and valid psychometric properties in English and Spanish and can be used to document the value of the pharmacist-patient relationship. It is easy to administer and is ready for further use and evaluation to determine and document outcomes of pharmaceutical care.     

Psychometric validation of a growth Mindset and Team Communication Tool to measure self-views of growth mindset and team communication skills

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to develop and conduct psychometric validation of a tool to assess self-views of a growth mindset and team communication skills among pharmacists.DesignThe Mindset and Team Communication Tool was developed to assess self-views of growth mindset and team communication. The survey consisted of 2 parts: (1) 14 items on growth mindset and (2) 13 items on team communication; a 4-point Likert scale of agreement was used as an option to answer all items.Setting and participantsThe survey was administered to first-year student pharmacists from 2017 to 2019. The participants completed a presurvey at the beginning of the semester and a postsurvey at the end of the semester (3-month follow-up period).Outcome measuresPsychometric validation was performed by assessing the following properties: face and content validity, internal consistency reliability, construct validity, test-retest reliability, responsiveness validity, and convergent validity.ResultsA total of 174 participants completed both the pre- and postsurvey (response rate = 92.7%). Internal consistency reliability demonstrated a Cronbach alpha coefficient of 0.827. Construct validity showed that all measures, except for 6 items, loaded highly onto 2 components. Test-retest reliability revealed a statistically significantly positive relationship between the pre- and postsurvey scores. Responsiveness validity demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in the score when an intervention was provided. Convergent validity showed no correlation between the tool score and course grades.ConclusionThe Mindset and Team Communication Tool demonstrated validity and reliability across a robust set of psychometric values and provides a foundation to describe pharmacists’ self-views and explore associations of these views with behavior in teamwork-based environments.     

A modified Drug Attitude Inventory used in long-term patients in sheltered housing

The self-report Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI), in 30- and 10-item versions, provides unique information of clinical relevance for monitoring treatment adherence among people diagnosed with schizophrenia. The primary purpose of this paper was to evaluate the 10-item version among patients living in sheltered housing. Data were collected among 68 persons living in sheltered housing, most of them (82%) diagnosed with schizophrenia, 6% with non-organic psychoses, and 12% with other diagnoses. The dichotomic response format of the original DAI-10 was replaced by a 4-point Likert scale, in order to improve the resolution of the scale. Over 90% of the participants produced meaningful scores. A factor analysis suggested a 2-factor orthogonal structure: one highly homogenous factor (5 items) reflected wanted effects of the drug and displayed a bimodal distribution; one factor (3 items) reflected side effects. One item concerned the perceived control over one's drug treatment, which is a key clinical issue. One item was conceptually ambiguous and displayed no correlations with the other items. On the basis of the results we suggest cut-off scores which indicate the need for three kinds of adherence-improving interventions. Summing up, by dropping one item and using a Likert scale response format, the resulting instrument, DAI-9, appears to be an easy-to-use self-report instrument for monitoring drug attitudes and to identify needs for treatment adherence interventions among seriously ill patients.     

Reliability and Validity of a Treatment Barriers Scale for Individuals With Alcohol Use Disorder

Background: Few studies have measured addiction-specific barriers to treatment. A measurement of barriers with psychometric support that has been tested in diverse samples and that assesses multiple components of addiction treatment barriers is needed to inform providers and treatment programs. Objectives: This paper aims to provide an initial psychometric investigation of a measure of barriers to seeking addictions treatment. Methods: Data were collected from 196 Veterans Affairs primary care patients with Alcohol Use Disorder that participated in a randomized clinical trial. Results: A Principal Components Analysis revealed that the 32-item Treatment Barriers Scale (TBS) can be reduced to 14 items, measuring 4 factors: stigma, dislike of the treatment process, alcohol problem identification, and logistical concerns. Acceptable internal consistent reliability (α = .64–.76) and excellent precision of alpha (α = 0.001–0.009) was found for each subscale. Support for the measure's concurrent validity was found, for example, participants who reported more motivation to reduce their drinking perceived significantly fewer barriers to care. Support for the measure's predictive validity was also found, including that more barriers were related to future drinking among all participants and less mental health and addictions treatment visits among participants in one treatment condition. Conclusions/ Importance: Our results provide initial support for the utility of the TBS-14 among primary care patients with Alcohol Use Disorder. Use of the TBS-14 could enable healthcare providers to better understand patient-specific treatment barriers, provide corrective information on treatment misconceptions, and inform individualized treatment plans that increase patient engagement in addiction services.     

Psychometric Properties of the Turkish Versions of the Cannabis Use Problems Identification Test (CUPIT) and the Adult Cannabis Problems Questionnaire (CPQ)

Cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids are widely used illicit substances in Turkey. The Cannabis Use Problems Identification Test (CUPIT) is a brief self-report screening instrument for detection of problematic cannabis use, whereas the Cannabis Problems Questionnaire (CPQ) is a measure for cannabis treatment outcome. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the CUPIT and CPQ among Turkish male outpatients with cannabis (n = 52) and synthetic cannabinoid (n = 45) use disorder. Participants were evaluated with the CUPIT, the CPQ, and the Cannabis Withdrawal Scale (CWS). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) supported two-factor construct validity for CUPIT. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.84 for CUPIT-A factor, 0.83 for CUPIT-B factor, and 0.89 for CUPIT, when considered as a unidimensional scale. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.82 for CPQ-A factor, 0.73 for CPQ-B factor, 0.30 for CPQ-C, and 0.87 for CPQ, when considered as a unidimensional scale. The CUPIT and the CPQ were moderately correlated with the CWS (r = 0.63 and r = 0.74, respectively), whereas the CUPIT and the CPQ were strongly correlated with each other (r = 0.76). The Turkish version of the CUPIT and the CPQ can effectively identify substance use problems and treatment outcome, respectively, among outpatients with cannabis or synthetic cannabinoid use disorder.     

The development of the Self-Medicating Scale (SMS): a scale to measure people’s beliefs about self-medication

OBJECTIVE: We describe the development of a reliable and valid measure of people's beliefs about self-medication. To achieve this, student self-medication beliefs and behaviours in response to acute pain were investigated. Specific objectives were to establish the internal reliability plus content and construct validity of this scale. METHOD: The nine item 'Self-Medicating Scale (SMS)' was developed following one to one interviews conducted with a purposive sample of 10 lay people in 2001 to explore their self-medicating beliefs and behaviour. The SMS was completed by 304 undergraduate pharmacy students in March 2006, along with measures of self-reported over the counter (OTC) analgesic use, pain severity and other non-pharmacological methods of pain relief, using a cross-sectional design. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted on SMS items using Maximum Likelihood extraction and Varimax rotation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Factor structure of the SMS and relationships between SMS scales and medication-taking behaviour. RESULTS: Factor analysis of the SMS revealed three factor structures which were named 'Reluctance', 'Don't think twice' and 'Run its course' (each three item scales with good Cronbach's alpha 0.82, 0.77 and 0.75 respectively). Of the 304 respondents, 93% reported having experienced pain over the past month and nearly three quarters of these indicated that they had self-medicated with OTC analgesics (mean 10.8 doses). Statistically significant differences or associations were found in all three SMS scores and each of the main outcome variables i.e. whether or not analgesics were taken, number of doses of OTC analgesics taken and number of non-pharmacological remedies tried. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that the SMS possesses good internal reliability, plus good content and construct validity indicating that it is a useful measure of self-medication beliefs. More work is needed to extend these findings to the wider general public and with other OTC medications.     

Problems assessment for substance using psychiatric patients: development and initial psychometric evaluation

BACKGROUND: Persons with co-occurring Axis I mental disorders and substance use disorders often experience multiple negative consequences as a result of their substance use. Because no existing measure adequately assesses these population-specific problems, we developed the Problems Assessment for Substance Using Psychiatric Patients (PASUPP). This paper describes the scale development and factor structure, and provides initial reliability and validity evidence for the PASUPP. METHODS: An initial pool of 54 items was assembled by reviewing existing measures for relevant items and generating new items. Then, 239 patients (90% male, 61% White) with documented Axis I psychiatric and current substance use disorders rated the lifetime and last 3-month occurrence of each problem, and completed additional measures of substance use and related functioning. RESULTS: Lifetime endorsements ranged from 31 to 95%, whereas 3-month endorsements ranged from 24 to 78%. Item analyses reduced the set to 50 items. The PASUPP is internally consistent (alpha = 0.97) and unidimensional. Scale validity was suggested by moderate correlation with other measures of substance problem severity. CONCLUSIONS: Promising psychometric properties are reported for a population-specific measure of substance use problems. Such a measure could be useful for initial assessments and outcome evaluations with substance using psychiatric patients.     

Liverpool University Neuroleptic Side-Effect Rating Scale (LUNSERS) as a subjective measure of drug-induced parkinsonism and akathisia

The Liverpool University Neuroleptic Side-Effect Rating Scale (LUNSERS) was examined for its usefulness as a subjective measure of drug-induced parkinsonism and akathisia. Eighty-three subjects were assessed using the LUNSERS, the Simpson-Angus Scale (SAS) and the Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale (BARS), before and after a 6-week treatment with olanzapine. Significant correlations were found between the changes in scores of parkinsonism items of LUNSERS and SAS. The changes in scores of akathisia item (restlessness), extrapyramidal side effects (EPS) subscale and psychic side-effects subscale of LUNSERS were significantly correlated with those of the BARS. 'Shakiness', one item of the EPS subscale of LUNSERS, correctly classified between parkinsonism and non-parkinsonism groups with 81.0% accuracy. A combination of four items included in EPS and psychic side-effect subscales of LUNSERS identified akathisia and non-akathisia groups with 76.2% accuracy. These results suggest that the EPS and psychic side-effect subscales of LUNSERS may be useful in screening for drug-induced parkinsonism and akathisia.     

Relationships among self-report assessments of craving in binge-drinking university students

To assess the relationships among self-report craving questionnaires, and between craving and alcohol consumption, we administered four previously published measures of craving (Alcohol Urge Questionnaire, Obsessive-Compulsive Drinking Scale, Penn Alcohol Craving Scale, Temptation-Restraint Inventory), five single-item Visual Analog Scales (need, urge, craving, desire, compulsion), and measures of alcohol consumption and drinking consequences to 112 university students attending a large, public state university who reported at least two binge-drinking episodes (5+ drinks in a row by men; 4+ drinks in a row by women) in the previous 30 days. The associations among the multi-item self-report measures of craving were often larger for men than women, but the coefficients were typically statistically significant and meaningful regardless of gender, indicating good convergent validity despite differences in phrasing of items, response formats, and time periods over which craving was assessed. Generally smaller correlations among the VAS items indicated that these five terms were not inter-changeable among themselves (nor were they inter-changeable with scores on the multi-item questionnaires). Similarly to investigations using clinical samples, regression analyses revealed that recent drinking by binge-drinking students was associated with certain measures of self-reported craving.     

The Italian version of the Obsessive-Compulsive Drinking Scale: validation, comparison with the other versions, and difference between type 1- and type 2-like alcoholics

The Obsessive-Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS) is a quick and reliable self-rating instrument for alcohol craving. Translated and validated versions are available and all of them have confirmed the utility of the scale in clinical situations. The purpose of this study was to translate and validate the Italian version of the OCDS, to assess its psychometric properties, to compare it with the other versions, and to search for possible differences between subgroups distinguished according to socio-demographic and clinical variables. The OCDS and a visual analogue scale (VAS) for alcohol craving were given to 103 Italian-speaking alcohol-dependent patients, who were assessed for their typology of alcoholism according to Cloninger's criteria. The reliability, the correlations between the variables and the influence of other factors were measured. Principal component analysis was performed to detect underlying dimensionality of the scale. The construct validity of the total scale and the subscales, as tested with Cronbach alpha analysis, was good. The r-values between total (TOT) and obsessive (OB) and compulsive (CP) subscales were comparable with those obtained in the other European studies. None of the socio-demographic parameters, nor the majority of the clinical factors significantly influenced the OCDS scores; however, there was a significant difference in total and subscale scores between Cloninger's "type 1-like" and "type 2-like" alcoholics, with the former having lower scores than the latter ones, whereas the VAS was not able to discriminate them. Principal component analysis of the 14 OCDS items showed that the scale is better described by a three-factor solution. The Italian version of the OCDS exhibited good reliability and construct validity, confirmed its psychometric properties, showed higher scores than in other studies, showed CP consistently higher than OB score, confirmed the validity of the French method for score calculation and was able to discriminate Cloninger's "type 1-like" and "type 2-like" alcoholics.