Assessment and Early Diagnosis of Dysphagia

Health care providers who are knowledgeable in assessing and diagnosing individuals with or at risk for dysphagia in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team can ameliorate the complications of dysphagia and optimize outcomes through focused interventions. Health care costs may be reduced through decreased need for hospitalization, length of stay when hospitalized, and overall health care expenditures.     

Psychometric properties of the Parental Feeding Behaviours Questionnaire for Indonesian parents of young children

Purpose

The objective of this study was to test the psychometric properties of the Parental Feeding Behaviours Questionnaire (PFBQ) to measure feeding behaviours of Indonesian parents of toddlers (young children).

Methods

A total of 696 parents of toddlers were obtained by convenience sampling during September 2013 to April 2014. To validate the PFBQ, confirmatory factor analysis and the contrasted group technique were conducted. Reliability of this instrument was examined by construct reliability and test‐retest reliability.

Results

Results showed that the regression coefficients of all 56 indicators were statistically significant (P < 0.001). The contrasted group technique showed significantly different parental feeding behaviours between parents of well‐nourished and malnourished toddlers (P = 0.047). The test‐retest reliability of the PFBQ was acceptable (Pearson correlation = 0.644), and the construct reliability ranged from 0.88 to 0.96.

Conclusions

The PFBQ is a valid and reliable instrument; however, more studies are required to identify acceptable tools to measure more culturally diverse range of parental feeding behaviours.     

The Experience of Self‐Management in Adolescent Women with Spina Bifida

It is essential for youth with chronic health conditions like spina bifida (SB) to develop self‐management skills to combat vulnerability, achieve self‐sufficiency, and transition to adulthood. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the experience of self‐management in 31 adolescent women with SB. Three themes emerged from this study: (1) opportunities to engage in self‐management activities—knowledge, skills, and aspirations; (2) dance of individuation—parental impact on self‐management; and (3) advocacy within self‐management—confronting discrimination and stigma. The findings indicate that assessment and interventions to enhance self‐management in adolescent women with SB are critical for supporting the range of condition‐related and life skills needed for a transition to adulthood and independent living.