What is the core of workaholism? A data-driven approach to unify workaholism scales

Apathy in Dementia: An Examination of the Psychometric Properties of the Apathy Evaluation Scale

Existing international data has shown that glioma patients suffer from poorer health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) brain cancer-specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-BN20) was developed to be together with EORTC Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30) for cancer patients, highlighting issues particularly relevant to brain tumor patients. It has since been translated and validated across numerous cohorts. However, its psychometric properties have yet to be examined in Singapore. This study aimed to validate the use of QLQ-BN20 in a nationally representative sample of glioma patients in Singapore. Eighty-seven patients who had undergone neurosurgery for glioma from six hospitals in Singapore completed three self-reported measures of HRQoL (the EuroQol EQ-5D-5L, EORTC QLQ-C30, and EORTC QLQ-BN20). Descriptive statistics summarized their characteristics and scores on the questionnaires. Psychometric properties of QLQ-BN20 examined included convergent and discriminant validity, internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha), and construct validity (Spearman's correlation). Clinical validity of QLQ-BN20 was determined based on whether QLQ-BN20 scores could differentiate patients with good and poor functional status as measured by Karnofsky Performance Scale and Barthel's Index. The QLQ-BN20 was demonstrated to have good convergent validity (item-own scale correlation >0.70) and discriminant validity (item-own scale correlation higher than item-other scale correlation). There is high internal consistency, both overall (α=0.88) and within multi-item subscales (α=0.74-0.88). Conceptually similar subscales between different tools were more strongly correlated. For instance, the QLQ-C30 physical functioning subscale and the QLQ-BN20 motor dysfunction subscale (r=-0.65, P<0.001), and the QLQ-C30 cognitive functioning subscale and the QLQ-BN20 cognitive deficits subscale (r=-0.51, P<0.001). QLQ-BN20 was also able to distinguish between functional statuses of patients (P<0.05). This study supports the validity and reliability of the EORTC QLQ-BN20 among patients with glioma in Singapore. There is good convergent and discriminant validity, internal consistency, construct validity, and clinical validity. The QLQ-BN20 is a valuable supplement to the QLQ-C30. Hence, we recommend expanding its use for all glioma patients and possibly brain cancer patients in Singapore.

Multiple clinician-reported outcome measures exist for atopic dermatitis (AD) severity. However, there is no gold standard for use in clinical practice. To determine the measurement properties of the product of validated Investigator's Global Assessment for AD (vIGA) and body surface area (BSA) overall or divided into six categories (cBSA: 0%/0.1, <10%/10, <30%/30, <50%/50, <70%/70 and <90%/90-100%) and compare with other clinician-reported and patient-reported outcomes in adults and children with AD. We performed a prospective dermatology practice-based study using questionnaires and evaluation by a dermatologist (n=653). vIGA*BSA and vIGA*cBSA had good convergent validity with BSA (Spearman's ρ=0.97 and 0.93), eczema area and severity index (ρ=0.94 and 0.92), and objective SCORAD (ρ=0.88 and 0.89); and weak-to-good convergent validity with Numeric Rating Scale average itch (ρ=0.22 and 0.22) and worst itch (ρ=0.27 and 0.28), Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (ρ=0.44 and 0.43), Dermatology Life Quality Index (ρ=0.48 and 0.49), ItchyQOL (ρ=0.45 and 0.46), PROMIS Sleep Disturbance (ρ=0.46 and 0.37) and sleep-related impairment (ρ=0.31 and 0.31) in adults and/or children; very good discriminant validity for physician-reported global AD severity; good responsiveness to change of severity of AD and itch; and good reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient [95% confidence interval]: 0.72 [0.60-0.81] and 0.74 [0.62-0.82]) with no floor or ceiling effects. Thresholds for interpretability bands and clinically important difference were established. vIGA*BSA and vIGA*cBSA scores showed good convergent and discriminant validity, reliability, responsiveness and interpretability in adults and children with AD, and were feasible for use in clinical practice. vIGA*BSA and vIGA*cBSA had slightly lower convergent validity than EASI or objective SCORAD, but might be more efficient to collect and score.

Eating in response to negative emotions is associated with binge or loss of control (LOC) eating in adults. Although children report engaging in LOC eating, data on emotional eating among youth are limited. We adapted the adult Emotional Eating Scale (Arnow et al., Int J Eat Disord, 18, 79-90, 1995) to be used with children and adolescents (EES-C). Fifty-nine overweight (BMI > or = 95th percentile for age and sex) and 100 non-overweight (BMI 5th-94th percentile) participants (mean age +/- SD 14.3 +/- 2.4 years) completed the EES-C, and measures of recent LOC eating and general psychopathology. Test-retest reliability was assessed in 64 children over a 3.4 +/- 2.6 month interval. A factor analysis generated three subscales: eating in response to anxiety, anger, and frustration (EES-C-AAF), depressive symptoms (EES-C-DEP), and feeling unsettled (EES-C-UNS). Internal consistency for the subscales was established; Cronbach's alphas for the EES-C-AAF, EES-C-DEP, and EES-C-UNS were 0.95, 0.92, and 0.83, respectively. The EES-C had good convergent validity: children reporting recent LOC eating episodes scored higher on all subscales (p's < 0.05). The EES-C-AAF and EES-C-UNS subscales demonstrated good discriminant validity and the EES-C-DEP revealed adequate discriminant validity. Intra-class correlation coefficients revealed good temporal stability for each subscale (EES-C-AAF = 0.59, EES-C-DEP = 0.74, EES-C-UNS = 0.66; p's < 0.001). The EES-C has good convergent and discriminant validity, and test-retest reliability for assessing emotional eating in children. Further investigation is required to clarify the role emotional eating may play in children's energy intake and body weight.

This study examined the reliability and convergent, discriminant, and predictive validity of the Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC) version of the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale. The MIRECC GAF measures occupational functioning, social functioning, and symptom severity on three subscales. MIRECC GAF ratings were obtained for 398 individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who were receiving treatment at three Veterans Affairs mental health clinics. Assessments were completed by using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and the Quality of Life Interview at baseline and nine months later. All three MIRECC GAF subscales exhibited very high levels of reliability. The occupational and symptom subscales showed good convergent and discriminant validity. The social subscale was related to measures of social functioning and, to a greater degree, symptom severity. The occupational and social subscales significantly predicted their respective domains at the nine-month follow-up. The symptom subscale predicted negative symptoms at follow-up; however, it did not predict positive symptoms or cognitive disorientation. Instead, the social subscale was predictive of cognitive disorientation at follow-up. When the standard GAF was routinely administered by clinicians, scores demonstrated little validity. The three MIRECC GAF subscales can be scored reliably, and they have good concurrent and predictive validity. Further work is needed on brief measures of patient functioning, especially measures of social functioning.

Requirements to include professionalism in residency curricula have generated a substantial body of literature concerning the environments that fail to nurture professionalism. Local and national surveys provide evidence that a high prevalence of depersonalization and emotional exhaustion exists among residents and that clinical practice is impaired as a result of these factors. A group of 34 residents from ten residency programmes participated in the psychometric testing of a resident wellness assessment instrument that can be rapidly administered, scored, and interpreted. The Brief Resident Wellness Profile is composed of a Mood faces graphical rating item and a six-question subscale. The six-item subscale had good reliability (alpha = 0.83; r = 0.84), convergent validity (r = 0.63), discriminant validity (r = −0.37), and concurrent validity ( p = 0.007). The Mood faces item had good convergent validity (r = 0.66), discriminant validity (r = −0.71), and concurrent validity ( p = 0.008). The Brief Resident Wellness Profile appears to be a reliable and valid instrument that measures residents’ sense of professional accomplishment and mood and can be rapidly administered, scored, and interpreted.

The aim of this study was to create a questionnaire that will enable the quantification of procedures, attitudes and knowledge of healthcare professionals on breastfeeding. The research was conducted on 370 healthcare workers (37 male and 333 female) who, in the period from 15/12/2020 until 15/03/2021, completed the online working version of the questionnaire. Statistical procedures of particle reduction and extraction of the main factors and calculation of construct validity (indicate the degree to which an instru- ment measures the trait or theoretical construct that it is intended to measure) resulted in a questionnaire on behavior, attitudes and knowledge of health workers about breastfeeding (BBAKQ prof ). The questionnaire consists of a scale of behavior (9 items), attitudes (19 items) and knowledge (20 items). The behavior scale shows satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach’s Alpha = 0.70), and the factorial solution with three factors (Breastfeeding Support, Breastfeeding Cessation, and Wrong advice) explains 67.16% of the vari- ance (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin test = 0.69, Bartlett’s test &lt; 0.000). The extracted values of the average variance extracted for each latent variable are greater than 0.5 (0.55/0.63/0.72) which indicates good convergent validity. Heterotrait-monotrait (HTMT) ratio correla- tions (0.11/0.19/0.56) confirm good discriminant validity. The attitude scale has a high Cronbach’s Alpha (0.94), and the factorial solution with two factors (Positive attitudes on breastfeeding, Negative attitudes on breastfeeding) explains 61.65% of the variance (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin test = 0.93, Bartlett’s test &lt; 0.000). The average variance extracted values for each latent variable are greater than 0.5 (0.53/0.67), and the HTMT correlation ratio is 0.63, indicating good convergent and discriminant validity. The internal consistency of knowledge scale items on the BBAKQ prof. questionnaire is very good (KR20 = 0.81). The questionnaire could be used as an aid in research of contribution of healthcare workers to successful breastfeeding, it is free and available at the link provided in the text.

Research on the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R) has revealed two factors: Fearless Dominance, and Self-Centered Impulsivity. This study examined the validity of these PPI-R factors in a community sample (N = 675). First, confirmatory factor analyses did not support the two-factor structure. Second, the PPI-R factors showed good convergent and discriminant validity with two other self-report measures of psychopathy, that is, the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory and Levenson's Self-Report of Psychopathy. Third, PPI-R factors exhibited good external validity in relation to various theoretically relevant correlates. The results indicate that the PPI-R factors have good convergent, discriminant, and external validity, but confirmatory factor analysis raises concerns about the robustness of the two-factor structure.

BackgroundNarcolepsy is a lifelong sleep disorder with a prevalence of between 0.03% and 0.06% and onset at around puberty. It is associated with psychiatric comorbidities and cognitive difficulties. No valid and reliable condition-specific health-related quality-of-life (HrQoL) instrument has been developed for this population.MethodsA questionnaire based on four mixed-gender age-defined focus group discussions and a patient panel analysis was administered to young people with narcolepsy and a control group. External reliability was measured by a test-retest procedure and internal reliability was measured using Cronbach’s alpha. Convergent validity with the KIDSCREEN-10 index was assessed using with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Factor analysis techniques were used to identify suitable items and confirm the factor structure. Baseline values were assessed for convergent validity, ceiling effects, agreement and sensitivity. Comparison with KIDSCREEN-10 was made on the basis of area under the curve (AUC).ResultsOne hundred young people with narcolepsy and 95 control subjects returned questionnaires. The factor structure revealed two main factors with five domains and 21 questions, which was confirmed with confirmatory factor analysis. The domains of the NARQoL-21 showed good independence while the floor and ceiling effects were acceptable. The external reliability (0.928), convergent validity (rs = 0.769) and internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.886) were excellent. A Bland–Altman plot revealed some proportional bias. Good discriminant validity was detected for control/patient (Cohen’s d = 2.114). ROC analysis showed significantly better AUC for NARQoL-21 (0.939) than KIDSCREEN (0.877). A cut-off score equivalent to KIDSCREEN-10 for suboptimal HrQoL which maximized sensitivity (84%) and specificity (92%) was found at NARQoL-21 score below 42.ConclusionsEstablishing the validity of a disease-specific HrQoL instrument in a population of people with a rare condition poses significant challenges. The mixed-methods approach adopted here has resulted in a questionnaire of 21 items with good discrimination and convergent validity, and excellent internal and external reliability, allowing precise and stable measurements. The cut-off score can be useful to identify patients with very poor HrQoL and thus improve the design of treatment options. Further testing in a longitudinal cohort is recommended in order to establish responsiveness.

Development and Validation of the Second-Modified Nutrition Risk Screening 2002 for Burn Patients

Introduction: Frailty assessment has become increasingly common in those with heart failure. The most frequently used frailty instrument is the Frailty Phenotype (FP). The validity of this instrument in those with heart failure is yet to be determined. Aim: To examine the convergent and discriminant validity of four frailty instruments: i) the FP ii) a Questionnaire-only version of FP [q-FP]; iii) St. Vincent’s Frailty [SVF]; and iv) the Frailty Instrument for Primary Care of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe [SHARE-FI] for assessing the frailty status of adults with heart failure. Methods: Using a cross-sectional survey design, individuals aged ≥ 18 years, diagnosed with heart failure were recruited from the inpatient cardiology ward and outpatient heart failure clinic of a metropolitan academic hospital. In addition to assessing all items of the frailty instruments, other data collected included: a) NYHA classification; b) quality of life and health status using the EQ-5D-5L; c) physical status using the Australian-modified Karnofsky Performance Scale (AKPS); and d) 10-item Depression in Medically Ill (DMI) measure. Results: A total of 131 participants were recruited and included in the analyses, there were wide variations in frailty status across the four frailty instruments (Figure 1). Inter-correlations were highest between SVF and SHARE-FI instruments ( r = 0.62). The NYHA classification were correlated with SVF ( r = 0.46) and SHARE-FI ( r = 0.42). Similarly, all EQ-5D-5L dimensions were correlated with both SVF and SHARE-FI but not with FP or q-FP. The SVF differentiated between high and low AKPS scores (χ 2 = 11.70, df : 2, p = 0.003) and DMI scores (χ 2 = 7.28, df : 2, p = 0.026). Similarly, the SHARE-FI also had good discriminant validity using AKPS scores (χ 2 = 9.25, df : 2, p = 0.010) and DMI scores (χ 2 = 14.32, df : 2, p = 0.001). Conclusions: The SVF and SHARE-FI demonstrated good convergent and discriminant validity. Both instruments provide a valid alternative to the FP for the assessment of frailty in those with heart failure. Figure 1: Classification of frailty categories: FP, Questionnaire-only FP, SVF and SHARE-FI

The Medication-Related Burden Quality of Life (MRB-QoL) is a patient-reported measure of medicines burden on functioning and well-being in people with long-term conditions (LTCs). The Arabic version has demonstrated good content validity; however, no data is available on its other psychometric properties. To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Arabic MRB-QoL tool. Four hundred patients (≥18 years) with LTCs were recruited from a tertiary hospital in the United Arab Emirates. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed using Principal Axis Factoring for extraction and Oblimin rotation. Cronbach's alpha, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and minimum detectable change (MDC) assessed internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and measurement error, respectively. Structural, Known-group, convergent, and discriminant validity were evaluated using EFA, Mann Whitney U test, and Spearman's rank correlations tests, respectively. Convergent validity (r>0.3, moderate to high correlations) and discriminant validity (r<0.3, weak correlations) were examined through correlation with the Medication Regimen Complexity Index (MRCI), Drug Burden Index (DBI), and 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) measures. Known-group validity was assessed by comparing MRB-QoL scores across clinically diverse groups. EFA revealed a 31-item, four-factor structure accounting for 78.5% of the variance. Reliability results showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α=0.973) and test-retest reliability (ICC=0.994). The MDC for the total MRB-QoL was 3.89, indicating that a change of more than 4 points between 2 measurements reflects a true difference with 95% confidence. There were weak correlations between domains of MRB-QoL and MRCI (r 0.120 to 0.152) indicating discriminant validity. Correlations between the mental component summary of the SF-12 and MRB-QoL (r=-0.387) and its domains (r -0.357 to -0.374) suggested convergent validity. Patients with polypharmacy and multimorbidity had higher median MRB-QoL scores, showing known-group validity. This study demonstrated that the Arabic MRB-QoL is a valid and reliable medication-related burden (MRB) measure with good construct validity, including structural, known-group, convergent, and discriminant validity. It also shows excellent reliability, with high internal consistency, low measurement error, and good test-retest reliability. These findings support its use as a psychometrically robust measure for assessing MRB and facilitating person-centred medicines optimisation services in Arabic-speaking populations.

Prior research has identified two resting EEG biomarkers with potential for predicting functional outcomes in depression: theta current density in frontal brain regions (especially rostral anterior cingulate cortex) and alpha power over posterior scalp regions. As little is known about the discriminant and convergent validity of these putative biomarkers, a thorough evaluation of these psychometric properties was conducted toward the goal of improving clinical utility of these markers. Resting 71-channel EEG recorded from 35 healthy adults at two sessions (1-week retest) were used to systematically compare different quantification techniques for theta and alpha sources at scalp (surface Laplacian or current source density [CSD]) and brain (distributed inverse; exact low resolution electromagnetic tomography [eLORETA]) level. Signal quality was evaluated with signal-to-noise ratio, participant-level spectra, and frequency PCA covariance decomposition. Convergent and discriminant validity were assessed within a multitrait-multimethod framework. Posterior alpha was reliably identified as two spectral components, each with unique spatial patterns and condition effects (eyes open/closed), high signal quality, and good convergent and discriminant validity. In contrast, frontal theta was characterized by one low-variance component, low signal quality, lack of a distinct spectral peak, and mixed validity. Correlations between candidate biomarkers suggest that posterior alpha components constitute reliable, convergent, and discriminant biometrics in healthy adults. Component-based identification of spectral activity (CSD/eLORETA-fPCA) was superior to fixed, a priori frequency bands. Improved quantification and conceptualization of frontal theta is necessary to determine clinical utility.

Physical activity is critical to functional rehabilitation for youth with chronic pain, which may be especially true for those with co-occurring obesity. To facilitate the development of physical activity interventions for youth with chronic pain, the newly developed “Rating of Perceived Exertion—Pediatric” scale was modeled after the widely used pain numeric rating scale-11. This study is an initial evaluation of the scale in a sample of adolescents (n = 157, 13–17 years, 51% female) with four subgroups: (1) healthy controls (healthy weight/no pain); (2) chronic pain/healthy weight; (3) obese (no pain); (4) chronic pain/obese. Participants rated perceived exertion using the new scale and the Borg 6–20 Scale of Perceived Exertion while holding a three-minute yoga pose (Warrior II). In the whole sample, the Perceived Exertion—Pediatric scale showed good concurrent (p < 0.001), convergent (all ps < 0.05), discriminant (p = 0.431), and known-groups validity (all ps < 0.05). The chronic pain subgroup also showed good concurrent (p < 0.001), mixed convergent (ps < 0.001 to 0.315), and good discriminant validity (p = 0.607). Limitations include the restricted age range, lack of diversity, and lack of test-retest reliability. The RPE-P shows promise as an assessment tool for perceived exertion in adolescents with and without chronic pain.

Development and validation of the Infertility Self-Efficacy scale