Psychometric testing of a Swedish version of the Apathy Evaluation Scale

Background: Apathy, a prevalent and clinically relevant symptom in neurodegenerative disease, is often evaluated by the instrument Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES). However, this instrument has not been translated into Swedish, halting clinical and research efforts. Furthermore, previous studies lack analyses of some basic properties, such as the legitimacy of a total score, or have analysed dimensionality by questionable methods.

Aim: To translate and psychometrically evaluate a Swedish version of the AES.

Method: The AES was translated, and its psychometric properties were tested in the Swedish BioFINDER study, including cognitively well elderly, and subjects with mild cognitive or parkinsonian symptoms. Psychometric analyses were conducted according to classical test theory (CTT) and aimed to resemble those performed in the English original study by Marin et al. in 1991. Dimensionality was additionally analysed on a matrix of polychoric correlations and parallel analyses.

Results: Data indicate that the Swedish AES performs satisfactorily regarding data completeness, scaling assumptions, targeting, and reliability. Principal component analyses (with parallel analysis) of polychoric correlation matrices identified a single component. Convergent and discriminative validity correlations accorded with a priori expectations.

Conclusions: The study provides initial support that this Swedish AES performs similarly to the English original, and exhibits acceptable psychometric properties according to CTT, including supported unidimensionality, and may be adopted for use in clinical and research settings.     

Psychometric properties of a Chinese asthma quality of life questionnaire

Purpose: To assess the acceptability, reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the Chinese Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (C-AQLQ) in a sample of Chinese asthma patients. Methods: The C-AQLQ and Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) scales were administered to patients at baseline and 3 months later. Asthma severity condition and lung function were evaluated. Necessary data were gathered to assess the psychometric properties such as the feasibility, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, structural validity, discriminant validity, convergent validity, and responsiveness of the C-AQLQ. Results: One hundred and thirty-seven patients completed the investigation. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the total scale was 0.96. Factor analysis yielded five factors that generally corresponded to the five proposed subscales. Patients with mild asthma reported higher scores than patients with moderate/severe asthma on all subscales other than environmental stimuli. Lung function measurement and the asthma severity score correlated significantly with domains of the C-AQOL but with fewer domains of the SF-36. The questionnaire detected within-subject changes in patients' asthma status during follow-up. Conclusions: Results indicated preliminary support that the C-AQLQ is a reliable, valid, discriminating, and responsive measure of quality of life in Chinese asthma patients. It is more sensitive than the generic SF-36 in detecting differences in asthma severity.     

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women's experience when interacting with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale: a brief note

Background: The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is one of the most widely used screening instruments for maternal perinatal anxiety and depression. It has maintained its robust performance when translated into multiple languages, when used prenatally and when used with perinatal fathers; thus the tool is also known as the Edinburgh Depression Scale (EDS). However, there have been no published psychometric data on versions of the EPDS adapted for screening Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. We describe the development of ‘translations’ of the EPDS and report their basic psychometric properties. Method: During the Queensland arm of the beyondblue National Postnatal Depression Program (2001–2005), partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women were forged. At TAIHS’ stand alone “Mums and Babies” unit 181 women of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent were recruited into the study through their antenatal and postnatal visits and 25 were recruited at Mt Isa. Participants completed either the translation or the standard version of the EPDS both antenatally and postnatally. Results: The ‘translations’ of the EPDS demonstrated a high level of reliability. The was a strong correlation between the ‘translations’ and the EPDS. The ‘translations’ and the standard EPDS both identified high rates of women at risk of depression although the ‘translations’ identified higher rates. Conclusion: We argue that the ‘translation’ may have been a more accurate predictor of perinatal women at risk for depression, but acknowledge that a lack of validity evidence weakens this conclusion.     

Brief assessment of adult cancer patients' perceived needs: development and validation of the 34-item Supportive Care Needs Survey (SCNS-SF34)

Objective  This study aimed to develop and validate a short version of the Supportive Care Needs Survey (SCNS) that would reduce respondent burden and could be used in routine cancer care, without compromising the psychometric properties of the original instrument.
Methods  Secondary analyses of the data from two studies ( n  = 888 and 250) were undertaken. All 59 items of the original SCNS were assessed using psychometric analyses and evaluated for clinical utility. The 34 items retained were examined for internal consistency, ceiling and floor effects, known groups validity, convergent validity, sensitivity and readability.
Results  The 34-item instrument has five factors (psychological, health system and information, physical and daily living, patient care and support, and sexuality needs) identical to the original instrument, explaining 73% of the variance. Internal consistency was high with Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the five factors ranging from 0.86 to 0.96. Correlations of the 34-item short-form SCNS (SCNS-SF34) with three other measures of psychosocial well-being demonstrated convergent validity ( r  = 0.48–0.56). Kappa coefficients of at least 0.83 for each domain indicated almost perfect agreement between the 34-item and 59-item surveys to identify patients needing help. The 34-item SCNS maintained the psychometric properties of the original instrument and could be readily comprehended by people with seventh to eighth grade education.
Conclusions  The SCNS-SF34 is a valid instrument for measuring cancer patients' perceived needs across a range of domains, and could be utilized as part of routine cancer care.     

Comparing the psychometric properties of multiple teacher report instruments as predictors of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents.

The psychometric properties of four teacher report measures and their utility for accurate diagnosis of pediatric bipolar spectrum disorders (BPSDs) were examined. Participants were 191 youth (65% male; 62% African-American; 23% diagnosed with a BPSD), age 5-18 (M=10.16, SD=3.27) years, 70% recruited from a community mental health center and 30% recruited from a mood disorders clinic. Teachers "who knew the child best" were asked to complete the Achenbach Teacher Report Form (TRF) as well as teacher versions of the General Behavior Inventory (T-GBI), the Child Mania Rating Scale (CMRS-T), and the Young Mania Rating Scale (T-YMRS). Teacher response rates and missing data varied significantly depending on the age of the child. Exploratory factor analysis identified stable and interpretable factors; however, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and logistic regression analyses showed that teacher report measures were not able to discriminate BPSD cases from non-BPSD cases, or from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) cases. Teacher report appears to be insufficiently specific or sensitive to BPSD for clinical diagnostic use, although teacher scales might have research utility.