Book reviews

Health Matters A. PETERSEN & C. WADDELL, EDITORS Buckingham, Open University Press, 1998, IBSN 0 335 20261 6 (hbk), 0 335 20260 8 (pbk)

Madness in its Place: Narratives of Severalls Hospital, 1913–1997 DIANA GITTINS London, Routledge, ISBN 0 415 183888-X

Introduction to Social Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches KEITH PUNCH London, Sage, 1998, 319 pp., price not stated, ISBN 0 7619 5812 6 (hbk), 0 7619 5813 4 (pbk)     

A Family Study of Autism: Cognitive Patterns and Levels in Parents and Siblings

First-degree relatives of 99 autism probands and of 36 Down's syndrome controls were assessed with standardised tests of intellectual functioning, reading, and spelling. Higher mean verbal IQ scores, and discrepancies in favour of verbal scores, were characteristic of autism relatives. No consistent differences were found on performance scales, reading, and spelling tests. Among autism relatives, siblings affected with the broad phenotype of autism had significantly lower IQ scores and poorer reading and spelling performances than unaffected siblings. However, the small size of the cognitive difference and the lack of a distinctive cognitive profile indicates that standardised cognitive measures used in this study are unlikely to improve the operationalised definition of the broad phenotype of autism. The slightly superior verbal performance of relatives in the autism group might represent some form of heterozygote advantage.     

The psychometric properties of the Evaluation of Daily Activity Questionnaire in seven musculoskeletal conditions

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to psychometrically test the Evaluation of Daily Activity Questionnaire in seven musculoskeletal conditions.

Materials and methods: One thousand and two hundred people with ankylosing spondylitis; osteoarthritis; systemic lupus erythematosus; systemic sclerosis; chronic pain; chronic upper limb disorders; or Primary Sjögren’s syndrome completed the Evaluation of Daily Activity Questionnaire, Health Assessment Questionnaire and Short-Form Health Survey v2. We examined internal construct validity using Rasch analysis, internal consistency, concurrent validity with the Health Assessment Questionnaire and Short-Form Health Survey v2. Participants repeated the Evaluation of Daily Activity Questionnaire to assess test–retest reliability.

Results: The 12 domains satisfied Rasch model expectations for fit, local dependency, unidimensionality and invariance by age and gender, in each musculoskeletal condition. Internal consistency was consistent with individual use (Cronbach’s α?>?0.90); concurrent validity was strong (Health Assessment Questionnaire:?r_s?=?0.60–0.92; Short-Form Health Survey v2 Physical Function:?r_s?=??0.61 to ?0.91) and test–retest reliability excellent (Intra-Class Correlation Coefficient(2,1)?=?0.77–0.96).

Conclusion: The Evaluation of Daily Activity Questionnaire satisfied Rasch model requirements for construct validity and has good reliability and validity in each MSC. The Evaluation of Daily Activity Questionnaire can be used as a measure of everyday activity in practice and research with people with musculoskeletal conditions.

• Implications for rehabilitation

• The Evaluation of Daily Activity Questionnaire evaluates users’ ability to perform common daily activities (in 12 domains) that were identified as problematic by people with seven musculoskeletal conditions (i.e., osteoarthritis, systemic lupus, ankylosing spondylitis, chronic pain, chronic upper limb conditions, systemic sclerosis, Sjogren’s syndrome).

• Most patients considered the Evaluation of Daily Activity Questionnaire was the right length and would be helpful for discussing everyday problems with an occupational therapist.

• The 12 domains have good reliability and validity and can be combined into two components: Self-Care and Mobility.

• The Evaluation of Daily Activity Questionnaire is suitable for use both in clinical practice and research and a User Manual is available for therapists and researchers.