Validity and reliability of the Japanese version of the family needs survey

Early intervention and disability services in Japan historically have focused on supporting the individual with a disability, with only secondary attention to family needs and priorities. Since the Basic Law for Persons with Disabilities was codified in 2011, the Japanese government has been responsible for supporting families with members who have disabilities. To assess the needs of these families, we evaluated the reliability and validity of the Family Needs Survey (FNS), initially developed in 1988 (Bailey & Simeonsson), to determine its usefulness for programs providing services for Japanese families who have a child with a disability. The FNS is a practical tool to assess family needs and is already used across many different cultures and populations. To evaluate the reliability and validity of the FNS, we conducted an anonymous survey with a self-administered questionnaire at 6 treatment and education institutions, 3 medical institutions mainly for children with disabilities, and 39 special needs schools in the Osaka area. We analyzed 1171 parents’ survey responses: 452 fathers and 719 mothers of children with disabilities aged 0–15 years old who answered all items on the Japanese version of the FNS. Another survey was administered to 130 specialists who work with children with disabilities to assess the content validity of the Japanese version of the FNS. We verified the factor structure, content validity, and reliability of the Japanese version of the FNS as an assessment tool with 34 items among four factors that were based on the same items in the original FNS. The assessment could be used for families with school-age children as well as younger children, in contrast to the original version, which is not appropriate for school-age children. We also confirmed that it could be used without regard to type or degree of disability.     

Validity and reliability of the Japanese version of the Temperament and Character Inventory: a study of university and college students

Objective

The Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) is a widely used self-report measure of adult personality.

Method

We studied 586 Japanese university and college students with the 125-item version of the Japanese TCI.

Results

The factor structure of the TCI scales was similar to that reported in other languages. Depression was positively correlated with Novelty Seeking and Harm Avoidance but inversely correlated with Persistence, Self-Directedness, and Cooperativeness. Good Self-Image in the framework of adult attachment was correlated positively with Self-Directedness but inversely with Harm Avoidance and Reward Dependence. Good Other-Image in the framework of adult attachment was positively correlated with Reward Dependence and Cooperativeness. The scores of the TCI scales were stable over a time span of 1.5 to 2 months.

Conclusion

The Japanese version of the TCI may be a valid and reliable measure of temperament and character, at least among the adolescent and young adult population.     

Validity and reliability of the Japanese version of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Caregiver Distress Scale (NPI D) and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Brief Questionnaire Form (NPI-Q)]

OBJECTIVE: Neuropsychiatric disturbances are common and burdensome symptoms of dementia. Assessment and measurement of neuropsychiatric disturbances are indispensable to the management of patients with dementia. Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) is a comprehensive assessment tool that evaluates psychiatric symptoms in dementia. We translated the NPI-Caregiver Distress Scale part of NPI (NPI-D) and NPI-Brief Questionnaire Form (NPI-Q) into Japanese and examined their validity and reliability. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The subjects were 152 demented patients and the caregivers who lived with them. These patients consisted of 76 women and 76 men; their mean age was 73.9 +/- 7.8 (S.D.; range: 49 to 93) years. Their caregivers consisted of 46 men and 106 women; their mean age was 65.0 +/- 11.4 (S.D.; range: 35 to 90) years. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was conducted with all patients and NPI-Q, NPI, NPI-D, and the Zarit caregiver burden interview (ZBI) were conducted with all caregivers. We examined validity of NPI-D by comparing its score with the MMSE and ZBI scores, and the validity of NPI-Q by comparing its score with the NPI and NPI-D scores. In order to evaluate test-retest reliability, NPI-D was re-adopted to 30 randomly selected caregivers by a different examiner one month later and NPI-Q was re-executed by 27 randomly selected caregivers one day later. RESULTS: Total NPI-D score was significantly correlated with ZBI (rs = 0.59, p < 0.01). Test-retest reliability of NPI-D was adequate (ri = 0.47, p < 0.01). Total NPI-Q severity score and distress score were strongly correlated with NPI (r = 0.77, p < 0.01) and NPI-D (r = 0.80, p < 0.01) scores, respectively. Test-retest reliability of the scores of NPI-Q was acceptably high (the severity score; ri = 0.81, p < 0.01, the distress score; ri = 0.80, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The Japanese version of NPI-D and NPI-Q demonstrated sufficient validity and reliability as well as the original version of them. These are useful tools for evaluating psychiatric symptoms in demented patients and their caregivers' distress attributable to these symptoms.     

Validity and reliability of the Italian version of the Quality-of-Life in Epilepsy Inventory (QOLIE-31).

PURPOSE: To develop an Italian adaptation of the shortened version of the Quality-of-Life in Epilepsy Inventory (QOLIE-31). METHODS: The study population comprised 503 consecutive ambulatory patients with epilepsy from 44 centers. Internal validity was tested by factor analysis, to detect similarities to and differences from the original version, and by multitrait/multi-item analysis, to assess item convergent and discriminant validity. External validity testing included correlation to the SF-36 Inventory, to check the properties of the epilepsy-specific dimensions. Validity testing was completed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) of QOLIE-31 dimension scores against demographic and clinical variables, including age, sex, seizure frequency and number of drugs. RESULTS: The domains showing the highest internal consistency and the best discriminant validity were Medication effect, and Seizure worry. Social functioning had the lower discriminant validity. With reference to the SF-36 scores, the study patients were slightly but constantly below the population values, mostly for General health and Role physical domains. All QOLIE-31 dimensions were sensitive to almost any demographic and clinical variable, except for Medication effects (sensitive to number of drugs) and Energy-fatigue (sensitive to age). CONCLUSIONS: Except for Social functioning, the psychometric properties of the Italian adaptation of the QOLIE-31 Inventory are fairly good and similar to the American version and the Spanish translation. Social functioning scale suffers shortcomings because of life constraints caused by epilepsy (with missing values for regular job and driving license).     

Reliability of the Japanese version of the Inventory to Diagnose Depression

Abstract The reliability of the Japanese version of the Inventory to Diagnose Depression (IDD) which is a self-report to diagnose major depressive disorders (MDD) of DSM-III-R, was investigated in 30 cases with MDD and 30 control subjects. On test-retest reliability, the agreement of diagnostic performance was substantial ( K = 0.64, P < 0.001) for 60 subjects, and scores of total and individual items correlated significantly ( P < 0.001) between test and retest except for decreased energy, decreased interest, and decreased concentration. The average score of the total IDD severity at test (38.4) was significantly higher than that at retest (28.0; P < 0.01). However, excluding the recovered 10 cases, there was no significant difference seen on the average total score between test and retest (38.8, 30.1, respectively). Internal consistency (Cronbach's a = 0.80) and split-half reliability (0.79) were sufficient, and item-total correlations of the IDD were significant ( P < 0.01) except for weight gain. The IDD might be useful as a screening tool and for clinical evaluation of subjects in Japan; however, it is necessary to examine the validity of this instrument.     

中文版心境障碍问卷的效度与信度

目的 评估中文版心境障碍问卷(MDQ)在双相障碍(BP)患者中的信度和效度以及与重性抑郁障碍(单相抑郁障碍,UP)患者区分的最佳划界分及相应的敏感性和特异性等结果.方法 对根据美国精神障碍诊断与统计手册第4版为诊断标准确诊的284例双相障碍患者(BP组)和134例单相抑郁障碍患者(UP组),使用中文版MDQ进行测评,其中147例双相障碍患者(51.8%)在8～14 d重测.结果 中文版MDQ对BP组评定结果的因子分析显示,选取2因子的方法最佳(因子Ⅰ、因子Ⅱ的特征根值分别为2.98、2.14),2个因子对总方差的累积贡献率为39.4%;中文版MDQ内部因子一致性分析克隆巴赫系数(Cronbach's alpha)为0.77,MDQ重测相关系数为0.63(P＜0.01);13项条目的 阳性回答率为32.4%～78.2%;经ROC曲线法评价,MDQ区分BP组与UP组的最佳划界分为7分,相应敏感性、特异性为0.64、0.80.结论 中文版MDQ的信效度指标满足心理测量学要求,并且对于临床上的心境障碍患者,可以选择7分作为区分BP与UP的最佳划界分.     

Sequential Mediating Effect of Proactive Coping and Perceived Stress in the Relationships between Self-Esteem Stability and Life Satisfaction

While the effect of self-esteem stability on life satisfaction is widely verified, it is not very known how coping strategies explain this relationship. The present study focused on proactive coping, a preliminary step to minimize the impact of expected stressors, and a process of recognizing stressful events as challenges and actively managing them. Specifically, this study (N = 280) examined whether proactive coping and perceived stress mediated the relationship between self-esteem stability and life satisfaction in a sequential manner. The results indicate that proactive coping and perceived stress sequentially mediated the relationship between self-esteem stability and life satisfaction, respectively. This demonstrates that proactive coping and perceived stress are factors that link self-esteem and life satisfaction. However, there was no direct effect between self-esteem and life satisfaction. These findings suggest the need to consider combining proactive coping interventions to increase the effectiveness of a self-esteem stability promotion program. The practical implications and suggestions for future research are also discussed.     

Japanese version of the Quality of Relationship Inventory: its reliability and validity among women with recurrent spontaneous abortion

Until now most of the research on social support has concentrated on general support in relationship to the whole group of people around each individual. In contrast, only a few studies have dealt with individual-specific support (i.e. social support from a particular individual relationship). The Quality of Relationship Inventory (QRI) is a recently developed questionnaire to measure individual-specific social support. We developed the Japanese version by means of back translation and ascertained its reliability and validity among the Japanese women who had had two recurrent spontaneous abortions without known organic etiologies. Factor analysis revealed that the Japanese QRI had a two-factor structure, representing supportive and conflictual aspects of a particular relationship (named Factor-S and Factor-C, respectively). Each factor showed satisfactory reliability with Cronbach's alphas of 0.95 and 0.89. When the QRI scores were compared with the scales from the Social Support Questionnaire, a measure of general social support, the Factor-C of the former with respect to the mother correlated negatively with the Social Support Satisfaction of the latter (r = - 0.40; 95% confidence interval (CI) - 0.64 to - 0.09). Childhood experiences with parents also showed expected correlations with the QRI: care received from the parent before age 16 years strongly predicted Factor-S with that parent (r = 0.50, 95% CI 0.21-0.71 in the case of the mother; r = 0.54, 95% CI 0.27-0.73 in the case of the father). Although we still need to examine the Japanese QRI with different populations, it appears to be a promising measure of individual-specific relationship for the Japanese population.     

Validity and reliability of the Dutch version of the displaced aggression questionnaire

BACKGROUNDDisplaced aggression occurs when a person encounters a provoking situation, is unable or unwilling to retaliate against the original provocateur, and subsequently aggresses against a target that is not the source of the initial provocation. The displaced aggression questionnaire (DAQ) was developed to measure individual differences in the tendency to displace aggression. AIMTo develop a Dutch version of the DAQ and examine relationships between the DAQ and novel individual differences. METHODSThe Dutch version of the DAQ was created using a back-translation procedure. Undergraduate students (n = 413) participated in the current study. The questionnaires were administered online. RESULTSThe results confirmed the original three-factor structure and showed good reliability and validity. We also found differential relationships between trait displaced aggression, social anxiety and cognitive distortions. CONCLUSIONThe results may indicate that distinct patterns exist in the development of the different dimensions of trait displaced aggression. This study adds to the growing cross-cultural literature showing the robustness of trait displaced aggression in several different cultures.     

Validity and reliability of the Korean version of the Mood Disorder Questionnaire

Backgrounds

This study aimed to elucidate the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (K-MDQ), which is a screening instrument developed for bipolar disorders.

Methods

This study translated the MDQ into Korean to produce the K-MDQ. The K-MDQ was applied to 126 outpatients with bipolar disorder clinically diagnosed by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition and 112 controls without a psychiatric history. The long-term test-retest reliability with a 10-month interval was investigated in 30 bipolar outpatients.

Results

The internal consistency (Cronbach α) of the K-MDQ was .88. The correlations between each item and the total score ranged from 0.43 to 0.76 and were all statistically significant (P < .001). Factor analysis revealed 3 factors that explained 59.5% of the total variance. The mean total score was higher in patients (8.48) than in controls (4.51) (P < .001). A total K-MDQ score of at least 7 was chosen as the optimal cutoff, with the 2 parts of the questionnaire on symptoms clustering and functional problems being excluded, since this provided good sensitivity (0.75) and specificity (0.69). The Pearson correlation coefficient for the total test-retest score was 0.63 (P < .001), and the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.77 (P < .001; 95% confidence interval, 0.52-0.89).

Conclusions

These findings demonstrated the adequate validity and reliability of the K-MDQ, suggesting that this instrument is useful for screening bipolar disorders in Korea. However, we recommend that the original criteria be modified to improve the sensitivity.     

阴性症状自评量表中文版的效度和信度检验

目的 考察阴性症状自评量表（SNS）中文版的效度和信度,为精神分裂症患者阴性症状 的评定提供有效和实用的新工具。方法 选取符合美国精神障碍诊断与统计手册第4 版（DSM- Ⅳ）诊断 标准的住院精神分裂症患者120 例,进行认知功能成套测验（MCCB）的评定,选取认知功能保存相对完 好（总分≥ 40 分）的患者79 例,进行SNS、简明阴性症状量表（BNSS）、阳性与阴性症状评估量表（PANSS） 及卡尔加里抑郁量表（CDSS）评定,来评估量表的结构效度、关联效度和内部一致性信度;2 周后,随机 选取其中30 例患者进行重测。结果 探索性因子分析抽取主观体验缺损和情感表达缺损2 个因子,共 解释总方差的72.56%。效度分析表明,SNS 总分与BNSS 总分、PANSS 阴性症状分、PANSS 总分正相关 （r=0.36、0.26、0.30,P＜ 0.05）,各维度分与BNSS总分正相关（r=0.25～0.37,均P＜ 0.05）。量表内部一致 性系数为0.88,各维度内部一致性系数介于0.58～0.76;量表重测信度（ICC）为0.79,各维度的ICC分别 为0.42、0.82、0.41、0.81、0.34（P＜ 0.01）。结论 阴性症状自评量表中文版具备较好的心理计量学特征, 可以用于临床量化评估具备一定认知功能的精神分裂症患者的阴性症状。     

Validity and reliability of an Arabic version of the Sleep Hygiene Index

Aimthis study aims to assess the reliability and validity of an Arabic version of the Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI).MethodsA methodological study was carried out in four stages: initial translation by 2 professional translators, evaluation and synthesis of the initial translation by project managers, back-translation and validation. The Arabic (SHI-AR) and English (SHI-ENG) versions of the SHI were administered across Lebanon as an anonymous online survey in April 2020. Internal consistency of the SHI-AR and inter-rater reliability were assessed by calculating Cronbach alpha (α) and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) respectively. Inter-rater agreement for each item of the SHI was measured using Cohen's Kappa coefficient. Construct validity was investigated by exploratory factor analysis (EFA).Results363 participants were enrolled in the study (129 men, 234 women, mean age 30 ± 11 years). There was no statistically significant difference between mean overall scores on the 2 versions of the SHI with mean scores of 19.16 ± 7.4 and 19.25 ± 7.6 on SHI-AR and SHI-ENG respectively (p = 0.265). Internal consistency was satisfactory (α = 0.749), and the inter-rater agreement for the total scores of the 2 versions of the SHI was excellent (ICC = 0.980). All items of the SHI showed substantial to high level of agreement between the 2 versions. EFA established four factors underlying the questionnaire.ConclusionThe Arabic version of the SHI is a valid tool to assess sleep hygiene in Arabic speaking populations.     

Validity and reliability of the Turkish version of Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children

ObjectThis study examines the validity and reliability of the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC) in the Turkish language.MethodThis scale was translated into the Turkish language by applying the translation-back translation method and content validity analysis. A total of 1903 participants aged 5–15 years were included in the study. A sociodemographic data form, SDSC, and the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) were filled by the parents. Internal consistency analysis, correlation analysis, test-retest analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis were applied to evaluate the reliability and validity of the applied scale.ResultsThe internal consistency of the scale was high (Cronbach α = 0.84). Test-retest reliability was found to be high as well. According to the confirmatory factor analysis, the Turkish version of the scale was compatible with the model of the original scale. According to the T-score evaluation, the frequency of sleep disorders was determined to be 4.15%, and the most common sleep disorder was sleep hyperhidrosis. Correlations between the scores of the SDSC and CSHQ were at a satisfactory level.ConclusionsThese results revealed that the SDSC is a valid and reliable scale that can be used in children aged 5–14 years in Turkey to question sleep disorder symptoms.     

Validity and reliability of the Intelligibility in Context Scale: European Portuguese version

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the validity, reliability, sensitivity and specificity of the European-Portuguese version of the Intelligibility in Context Scale (ICS-EP).

Seventy-six children (age: M = 60.6, SD = 8.1 months), 25 having a parent or teacher concern about how they talked and 51 with no concern, were assessed with the phonetic-phonological test (TFF-ALPE) to calculate the following severity measures: percentage of phonemes correct (PPC), percentage of consonants correct (PCC), and percentage of vowels correct (PVC). Parents also filled out a questionnaire about their child’s development (e.g. concern about how the child talks). The ICS was then completed by parents to estimate their children’s intelligibility with different communicative partners.

The results showed that item-level scores were different according to communicative partners. The mean ICS score for the whole sample was 4.5 (SD = 0.6), showing that children were “usually” to “always” intelligible. The ICS had excellent internal consistency (α = 0.96). Children with parental concern about their speech presented significantly lower mean scores (M = 3.91, SD = 0.59) than children without parental concerns (M = 4.78, SD = 0.36). There was a positive correlation between the ICS scores and PPC (r = .655), PCC (r = .654), and PVC (r = .588). A simple linear model was also obtained between the ICS mean score and the severity measures analyzed. High values were obtained for sensitivity (0.80) and specificity (0.84), using a cut-off point of 4.36.

We conclude that the ICS-EP has good psychometric properties, suggesting it to be a valid tool for estimating children’s intelligibility when talking with different communicative partners. Therefore, this version of the ICS can be used as a screening measure for children’s speech intelligibility.     

Korean version of the diagnostic interview for genetic studies: Validity and reliability

The Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies (DIGS), developed in 1994 by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), was translated into Korean and tested for reliability and diagnostic validity. Concurrent validity was tested using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) and clinical diagnoses in 53 patients, most of whom had either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Inter-rater reliability was tested in 24 patients. Test-retest reliability was also tested in 17 patients. Overall and specific diagnostic validity for the Korean version of DIGS (DIGS-K) was excellent for most diagnoses. Inter-rater and test-retest reliability for overall and specific diagnoses also ranged from fair to excellent. For schizoaffective disorder, the test-retest reliability of DIGS-K was in a fair range, although the level was lower than that of other diagnoses. However, its diagnostic validity and inter-rater reliability was below fair range. In conclusion, DIGS-K appears to be a reliable interview for major psychiatric disorders.     

The reliability and validity of the Norwegian version of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory, nursing home version (NPI-NH)

BACKGROUND: Psychiatric symptoms and behavioral disturbances are highly prevalent in the residents of nursing homes. The Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) is a commonly used scale for the assessment of such symptoms in diverse settings. We have conducted a study of the reliability and the validity of the Norwegian version of the NPI nursing home version (NPI-NH).METHODS: The reliability study comprised 41 patients. We established inter-rater reliability between raters with various levels of health education using kappa statistics. Fifty patients were included in the validity study. The patients were examined by a physician, who also rated the patient's behavior using "behavioral pathology in Alzheimer's disease" (BEHAVE-AD). Subsequently, a research nurse performed a standardized interview using the NPI and the Cornell scale. Concurrent validity of the NPI and the BEHAVE-AD was analyzed.RESULTS: Internal consistency, as measured by Cronbach's alpha was above 0.8. Inter-rater reliability was, except for one item, between 0.85 and 1.0 across assessors with different levels of health education. All correlations between the NPI and the BEHAVE-AD were significant, ranging from 0.38 to 0.72. The weakest correlations were between items assessing affective and anxiety symptoms.CONCLUSION: The Norwegian version of the NPI-NH is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing psychiatric symptoms and behavioral disturbances in the residents of nursing homes. The investigation of depressive symptoms merits particular attention.