Reliability and clinical usefulness of psychometric measures in a self-referred population of odontophobics

Questionnaire responses of 155 self-referred subjects with extreme dental fear were used to evaluate the reliability and clinical usefulness of some psychometric tests used in diagnosis and treatment. The Corah Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and a general Geer Fear Scale (GFS) were filled out by all subjects, while 80 patients with highest dental fear scores were also tested before and after dental fear treatment with the following scales; a Getz Dental Belief Survey (DBS), Dental Fear Survey (DFS), and a Mood Adjective Checklist (MACL). Cronbach's alpha measured internal consistency reliability. SPSS data analyses calculated item-remainder and test-retest correlations. Clinical usefulness of scales was judged by Spearman correlations of initial scores and test score changes after dental fear treatment. All total test scores showed high internal consistency and test-retest reliability. DFS was judged the preferred clinical measure of threatening perceptions of pain or unpleasantness specific to dental procedures. DBS and STAI-State measured confidence in relating with the dentist and situational fear associated with that relationship. GFS, STAI-Trait, and MACL discriminated levels of general fearfulness, anxiety and mood fluctuations that can impact on dental fear.     

Development of an instrument to measure strategic and clinical quality indicators in postoperative pain management

AIM OF THE STUDY: To develop and evaluate psychometric properties, that is reliability and validity, of an instrument to measure strategic and clinical quality indicators in postoperative pain management. BACKGROUND: Strategic and clinical quality indicators in postoperative pain management were previously developed from a tentative model of important aspects of surgical nursing care and assessed to have content validity, that is to be essential for the quality of care, realistic to carry out and possible for nurses to use to influence management. METHODS: The quality indicators were converted to items suitable for a patient questionnaire and were scored on a 5-point scale, with higher scores indicating higher quality of care. Inpatients from five surgical wards took part in this study on their second postoperative day. The response rate was 96% and the average ages of the female (n=120) and the male (n=78) respondents were 62 and 63 years, respectively. RESULTS: Items in the total scale had an average inter-item correlation >0.20 and an item-total correlation >0.30. Cronbach's coefficient alpha was 0.84 for the total scale. Four factors entitled 'communication', 'action', 'trust' and 'environment' emerged from an orthogonal factor analysis, with a cumulative variance of 61.4%. Patients who received epidural analgesia had higher scores on the total scale compared with those who did not receive epidural analgesia. Patients who reported more pain than expected had lower scores on the total scale compared with those who did not report more pain than expected. Correlation between the total scale and an overall pain relief satisfaction question was 0.53. CONCLUSION: The results suggest initial support for the new instrument as a measure of strategic and clinical quality indicators in postoperative pain management, but it must be further refined, tested and evaluated.     

Development and factor analysis of an index of post-polio sequelae

Purpose. This present study describes the development, factor structure and initial validation of the Index of Post-Polio Sequelae (IPPS).

Method. The IPPS was tested on a sample of 849 community-dwelling polio survivors between the ages of 40 and 93 years old who participated in a large, national study of menopause and aging in late polio. Items from the IPPS were submitted to a factor analysis using principal components extraction and rotated to oblique simple structure using promax rotation. Convergent validity was assessed using bivariate correlation.

Results. Three factors were extracted that accounted for approximately 53% of the variance in the original IPPS items. Factor 1 (Pain) was loaded most heavily by two items referring to muscle and joint pain. Factor 2 (Atrophy) was loaded by items referring to muscle atrophy, involved muscle weakness, and fatigue. Factor 3 (Bulbar) was comprised of two items referring to breathing and swallowing problems. Bivariate correlations between health and psychosocial variables and each of the factors all were significant and in expected directions.

Conclusions. This first validation of a standardized scale to assess the severity of post-polio sequelae in polio survivors suggests a psychometrically sound instrument whose factor structure represents commonly reported problems in the extant post-polio literature.     

Performance of the CORE‐10 and YP‐CORE measures in a sample of youth engaging with a community mental health service

This article assesses the performance and psychometric properties of two versions of the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (CORE) measures that assess psychological distress: the Young Person's CORE (YP‐CORE) for 11–16 year olds and the CORE‐10 for those 17 or older. The sample comprised 1592 young people aged 12–25 who completed the YP‐CORE and CORE‐10 during their initial engagement with an early intervention service. Total and average scores were examined for both measures. Gender and age differences were evaluated using t‐tests and analysis of variance. The factor structures were assessed with principal axis and confirmatory factor analyses. Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses were then employed to evaluate measurement invariance across age and gender. Analyses were supportive of the CORE measures as reliable instruments to assess distress in 12–25 year olds. Based upon eigenvalues in combination with the comparative fit index, the Tucker–Lewis Index, and the root‐mean‐square error of approximation, both measures were unidimensional. Analysis indicated the factor structure, loadings, item thresholds, and residuals were invariant across age and gender, although partial support for strict invariance was found for gender among 12–16 year olds. Results are compared to previous studies and discussed in the context of program planning, service delivery, and evaluation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tracking online poker problem gamblers with player account‐based gambling data only

The aim was to develop and validate an instrument to track online problem poker gamblers with player account‐based gambling data (PABGD). We emailed an invitation to all active poker gamblers on the online gambling service provider Winamax. The 14,261 participants completed the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). PGSI served as a gold standard to track problem gamblers (i.e., PGSI ≥ 5). We used a stepwise logistic regression to build a predictive model of problem gambling with PABGD, and validated it. Of the sample 18% was composed of online poker problem gamblers. The risk factors of problem gambling included in the predictive model were being male, compulsive, younger than 28 years, making a total deposit > 0 euros, having a mean loss per gambling session > 1.7 euros, losing a total of > 45 euros in the last 30 days, having a total stake > 298 euros, having > 60 gambling sessions in the last 30 days, and multi‐tabling. The tracking instrument had a sensitivity of 80%, and a specificity of 50%. The quality of the instrument was good. This study illustrates the feasibility of a method to develop and validate instruments to track online problem gamblers with PABGD only. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Psychometric characteristics of the breastfeeding self-efficacy scale: data from an Australian sample

Many new mothers discontinue breastfeeding prematurely because of difficulties encountered rather than maternal choice. Research has shown that a significant predictor of breastfeeding duration is a mother's confidence in her ability to breastfeed. To measure breastfeeding confidence, the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale (BSES) was developed and psychometrically tested at 1 week postpartum. The purpose of this methodological study was to psychometrically test the BSES antenatally and at 1 week and 4 months postpartum in a sample of Australian women and to determine predictive validity. The psychometric assessment of the original BSES study was replicated, including internal consistency, principal components factor analysis, comparison of contrasted groups, and correlations with a similar construct. Support for predictive validity was demonstrated through positive correlations and significant mean differences between antenatal BSES scores and infant-feeding method at 1 week and 4 months postpartum. The BSES is now considered ready for both research and clinical use (a) to identify new mothers with low breastfeeding confidence who require additional assistance, (b) to assess breastfeeding behaviors and cognitions in order to have individualized confidence-building strategies, and (c) to assist in the evaluation of various nursing interventions.     

Psychometric validation of the Stoma-QOL questionnaire in a Canadian cross-sectional sample of colostomy and ileostomy patients

Objectives: The Stoma-QOL questionnaire is a patient-reported outcome (PRO) used to measure quality of life in patients with ileostomy or colostomy. This study assesses the Stoma-QOL’s overall and item-level psychometric characteristics in patients with temporary stomas, and whether stoma-related quality of life differs by demographic characteristics.

Materials and methods: Analysis of cross-sectional observational PRO data from hospitals in Vancouver, Canada. Patients registered for elective ileostomy or colostomy closure, over the age of 18, and able to read English were eligible for participation. Emergent and cancer-related cases were excluded. One-way analysis of variance was used to test for demographic differences in Stoma-QOL scores. Cronbach’s alpha was used for reliability, and Rasch item-response theory was used to assess overall and item characteristics.

Results: 120 patients were included. No statistically significant difference in Stoma-QOL scores was found by age, sex, or socioeconomic status. Reliability was 0.93. Mean item responses ranged from 1.77 to 3.55 and item-total correlation ranged from 0.51 to 0.77. The Rasch item-response theory model demonstrated significant misfit, likely due to the misfit of item 9, which asks about sexuality, and high residual correlations between item pairs 6 and 8 about fatigue, and items 16 and 17 about social relationships.

Conclusions: The Stoma-QOL questionnaire is a well-designed PRO for measuring stoma-related quality of life. Demographic variables do not appear to have a strong influence on Stoma-QOL scores. Item 9 demonstrated misfit but removal likely does not improve the instrument. Future research should focus on revising items 6, 8, 16, and 17.