Acceptable Psychometric Properties Research Articles

Measuring Digital Health Literacy in Europe – Scope, determinants and consequences

Abstract Background Increasing access to health-related digital information/resources of varied quality warrants sufficient Digital Health Literacy (DHL) in the population. Public health researchers, practitioners, and policy makers need to consider DHL for improving people's ability to use digital resources. The M-POHL HLS19 study objectives were to construct and validate a DHL measure, and identify its determinants and consequences. Methods A scale was constructed with 8 items on dealing with digital health resources. Two additional items examined interactive use of resources. The scale was applied among a sample of 29,060 respondents in 13 countries using CAPI, CATI, CAWI, PAPI and mixed methods. A standardized score was calculated for DHL, range: 0-100. Results Appraising the reliability of digital resources was perceived particularly difficult. The scale showed acceptable reliability (Cronbach's α 0.7-0.87/country). A confirmatory factor model loading onto a single latent variable indicated an acceptable fit for all countries. The DHL scale was sufficiently unidimensional based on principal component analysis of Rasch model residuals combined with dependent t-tests. Linear regression models with 5 DHL predictors showed a social gradient with explained variance of 6% (2-23%/country). The highest predictor was financial deprivation: ß=−0.15 (0.08--0.27), then age: ß=−0.13 (0.15--0.26); self-assessed social status: ß=0.08 (0.05-0.13). General health literacy was a strong predictor: ß=0.51 (0.43-0.67). In linear regressions to explain variance in self-assessed health, the DHL coefficient was significantly different from zero in 9 countries (ß=−0.05-0.10). Conclusions The new DHL scale had acceptable psychometric properties. The relevance of DHL is reflected in the high proportions with lower DHL, a social gradient, and health consequences in most countries. The study offers an evidence base for tailoring DHL intervention strategies and organizational health literacy policy. Key messages • Digital Health Literacy of populations in Europe was estimated through a validated measure with associations that predict public health and healthcare consequences in most countries. • Public health practitioners and policy makers should be aware of populations with lower Digital Health Literacy (DHL), and both promote DHL while also adjusting interventions/services to DHL needs.

Translation and validation of the Chinese version of the stroke knowledge test for the hypertension patient

The measurement of hypertensive patients’ stroke knowledge is an important stroke prevention indicator of health care service quality. The aim of this study was to develop a Chinese version of the Stroke Knowledge Test and examine its psychometric properties, reliability, and validity for hypertensive patients. A sample of 200 hypertensive patients completed the Chinese version of the Stroke Knowledge Test, and 30 of the participants were retested after 2 weeks. The final Chinese version of the Stroke Knowledge Test included 20 items with acceptable content validity (I-CVI = 0.88 ~ 1.00, S-CVI/Ave = 0.97). These items showed satisfactory internal reliability consistency (Kuder Richardson-20 = 0.62) and test–retest reliability was 0.77. The 40% of the difficulty index was in the acceptable range, and 25% was in the difficult range, as well as the 90% items overall values for discrimination were ranged from 0.2 to > 0.4. Known-group validity testing was performed based on the education level, and the result exhibited significant difference (F = 21.21, p < 0.001). The Chinese version of the Stroke Knowledge Test demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties, thus providing a new tool for the future care of hypertensive patients in Taiwan. It also could be as a reference for healthcare providers to educate hypertensive patients on stroke prevention.

Psychometric evaluation of the Pain Vigilance and Awareness Questionnaire (PVAQ) in fibromyalgia: Confirmatory factor analysis and the development of a Swedish 8-item version.

Excessive attention to pain, or hypervigilance, is associated with negative outcomes in chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia. The Pain Vigilance and Awareness Questionnaire (PVAQ) is a self-report questionnaire to measure attention to pain. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of a Swedish version of the PVAQ. Psychometric evaluation on cross-sectional data derived from a clinical trial for fibromyalgia (N = 274). We evaluated item characteristics, factor structure in a confirmatory factor analytic framework, internal consistency, and construct validity in terms of correlations with other clinical variables. Though confirmatory factor analysis did not result in a satisfactory solution for the full 16-item scale, acceptable two-factor solutions could be based on either nine or eight items (the PVAQ-9 and PVAQ-8). Internal consistency for both the PVAQ-9 and PVAQ-8 were good to excellent, and associations with pain catastrophizing, anxiety, depression, disability, and overall fibromyalgia impact were largely supportive of construct validity. An unexpected result was that, contrary to previous findings, no version of the PVAQ correlated consistently with pain intensity. The Swedish PVAQ-9 and PVAQ-8 appear to have acceptable psychometric properties when administered online to individuals with fibromyalgia. The PVAQ-8 may be preferable due to being shorter and including an equal number of items per factor. Replication is warranted. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of a Swedish translation of the PVAQ in individuals with fibromyalgia. No convincing factor structure was found for the 16-item version. We could, however, confirm the factor structure of an established 9-item version (the PVAQ-9), and recommend further use of a new 8-item version (the PVAQ-8). In summary, the PVAQ exhibited more convincing psychometric properties when the number of items was roughly cut in half.

Measuring dysfunctional interpersonal beliefs: validation of the Interpersonal Cognitive Distortions Scale among a heterogeneous German-speaking sample

BackroundDysfunctional interpersonal beliefs (DIBs) are a key symptom domain in numerous mental disorders. Because DIBs exert a strong influence on social experience and behavior, they play an important role in a mental disorder's development and progression. To date, only the Interpersonal Cognitive Distortions Scale (ICDS) captures DIBs independently of specific disorders, populations, or contexts. The present study's aim was to psychometrically evaluate and validate a German translation of the ICDS.MethodsThe ICDS was administered along with indicators of convergent (rejection sensitivity, depressive expectations, interpersonal trust, interpersonal problems, perceived social support), discriminant (self-efficacy, perseverative negative thinking, optimism), and clinical validity (psychopathology, perceived stress, well-being) to a pooled sample incorporating non-clinical (N = 114) and clinical (N = 94) participants.ResultsAn exploratory factor analysis (EFA) suggested a five-factor solution (factor loadings: .44 to .85). Correlational analyses demonstrated acceptable convergent (ρ = -.29 to -.35, ρ = .27 to .59), suboptimal discriminant (ρ = -.27 to -.38, ρ = .52), and acceptable clinical validity (ρ = -.21, ρ = .36 to .44) at the total-scale level. However, results at the subscale level were mixed and required nuanced interpretation. Likewise, internal consistency was acceptable at the total-scale level (α = .76), but ranged from good to poor at the subscale level (α = .61 to .80). DIBs mediated the negative relationship between mental disorder onset and psychopathology levels.DiscussionOur results imply DIBs' relevance to mental health and related outcomes. When working with the ICDS’s German version, we recommend employing only the “insecurity” subscale, as this was the only scale revealing acceptable psychometric properties. Future studies should improve the construct validity of the ICDS (and its subscales), e.g., by adding more items to the respective subscales and further classes of DIBs.

Psychometric Comparison of EQ-5D-Y, CHU-9D, and PedsQL 4.0 in Chinese Children and Adolescents With Functional Dyspepsia: A Multicenter Study

ObjectivesThis study aimed to assess and compare psychometric properties of the 3 health-related quality of life (HRQOL) instruments EQ-5D Youth version (EQ-5D-Y), Child Health Utility 9D (CHU-9D), and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 (PedsQL 4.0) in children and adolescents with functional dyspepsia (FD) in China. MethodsA consecutive sample of FD outpatients were recruited from 6 tertiary medical centers in Hangzhou. The patients self-completed the 3 instruments in random order. Their feasibility, acceptability, construct validity (convergent, divergent, and known-group validity), and sensitivity were assessed. Multiple linear regression was used for identifying HRQOL-associated factors. ResultsA total of 1100 patients (mean age, 9.2 years; girl, 56.8%) completed the survey with no missing responses. Ceiling effect was quite higher in EQ-5D-Y (60.9%) than CHU-9D (33.8%) and PedsQL 4.0 (1.0%). The EQ-5D-Y and CHU-9D utility scores and PedsQL 4.0 total score were highly correlated (|r| = 0.593-0.661), except for the EuroQol visual analog scale score (EQ-VAS). The intraclass correlation coefficient between the 2 utility scores was fair (0.542). Most conceptually similar dimensions among the 3 instruments showed moderate to high correlations (|r| > 0.3) as hypothesized. The difference was statistically significant for the 2 utility scores and PedsQL 4.0 total score in varied severity groups (P < .001), and PedsQL 4.0 total score had higher relative efficiency and effect size values. The child’s age, severity of FD symptoms, and their guardian’s education had significant impact on HRQOL (P < .001). ConclusionsEQ-5D-Y, CHU-9D, and PedsQL 4.0 demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties in Chinese children with FD. PedsQL 4.0 showed superior sensitivity and is recommended. EQ-5D-Y and CHU-9D utility scores were not interchangeable. The measurement properties of EQ-VAS need to be further explored.

Validity and reliability of the Arabic Fear of COVID-19 Scale in Lebanese people during the pandemic

ABSTRACT While global attention is drawn to the somatic consequences of COVID-19, its psychological impact including fear and worry should be considered. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Lebanon, to cross-culturally adapt and validate the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) into the Arabic language among the Lebanese population. The study encompassed 712 Lebanese participants. Results showed that the A-FCV-19S has high internal consistency (α = .849). The exploratory factor analysis extracted a two-factor model explaining 68.428% of the total variance. As for the convergent validity, the A-FCV-19S total score significantly correlated with the HSCL-anxiety and HSCL-depression (r = .550 and .452, p-value < .0001 respectively). Thus, the findings indicate that the A-FCV-19S has acceptable psychometric properties and, therefore, it is a valid and reliable measure that can be used to evaluate and monitor the fear of COVID-19 among the general Lebanese population.

Validation of Self-Administered Visual and Verbal Episodic Memory Tasks in Healthy Controls and a Clinical Sample.

This study evaluated the performance characteristics, construct validity, and reliability of two computerized, self-administered verbal and visual recognition memory tests based on the Remember-Know paradigm. Around 250 healthy control participants and 440 patients referred for neuropsychological assessment used an iPad to complete the Words and Faces recognition memory tests before or after concurrent neuropsychological testing. Performance accuracy was high but without ceiling effects. Education, but not age, was related to overall performance for both samples while the influence of gender and race differed across samples. In the clinical sample, overall performance was worse in those patients demonstrating memory impairment on clinical assessment. Words and Faces subtests demonstrated the strongest correlations with neuropsychological measures of verbal and nonverbal memory, respectively. Both showed moderate correlations with processing speed while Faces was also correlated with visuospatial skills. The memory tests showed good test-retest reliability over two testing sessions. These findings demonstrate acceptable psychometric properties in clinical and community samples and suggest that this computerized format is feasible for memory assessment in clinical contexts.

A multi-site German validation of the Interoceptive Accuracy Scale and its relation to psychopathological symptom burden

Altered interoception is thought to be implicated in the development of psychopathology. Recent proposals highlight the need to differentiate between dimensions of interoception to better understand its relation to mental health. Here, we validated a German version of the Interoceptive Accuracy Scale (IAS) and investigated the relationship between IAS scores and clinical outcomes, across seven samples from four research centers (N = 3462). The German IAS version was best explained by a one-factor structure that showed acceptable psychometric properties. We replicated previous findings showing a negative association between IAS scores and measures of alexithymia. IAS scores were negatively related to measures of clinical symptomatology (e.g., anxiety, depressive, and somatoform symptoms) and neurotic traits. These findings suggest that the German IAS is a reliable and valid instrument for subjective interoceptive accuracy. Results emphasize the importance of distinguishing between dimensions of interoception to understand its potential modulatory and protective role in psychopathology.

Exploring the structure of the university-students obsessive–compulsive tendency scale in Iranian university students: a network analysis study

IntroductionA risk factor for developing obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) in non-clinical samples is obsessive–compulsive tendencies (OCT). An OCT scale has recently been developed for university students (UOC) and showed promising psychometric properties. However, no validated Persian language scale evaluates OCT in non-clinical samples. Accordingly, this study aimed to validate the Persian version of the UOC in Iranian university students.MethodsThree hundred sixty-eight university students (54.6% females, mean ages: 22.4 ± 4.51) entered the study. The Persian version of UOC was evaluated concerning the structure of Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and Exploratory graph analysis (EGA). Regarding the construct validity, the concurrent validity was assessed between the UOC and The Obsessive–Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R), Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), and Yale-Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). We calculated Cronbach’s alpha to evaluate the reliability of the UOC. All statistical calculations were done in R programming language (in R-Studio Desktop version 4.2.1).ResultsThe Persian version of UOC showed a convenient internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the total scale 0.88. UOC scores were significantly correlated with OCI-R, K-10, and YBOCS. The EFA and EGA showed four and three-factor solutions with 25 and 28 items, respectively. Also, CFA showed that these two solutions were reliable, and the three-factors solution showed higher fit indexes. Finally, the results showed that item-27 was the most central item in the UOC network structure.ConclusionThe findings from the present study indicated that the Persian version of UOC has acceptable psychometric properties. So, this scale can be used for examining obsessive–compulsive tendencies in Iranian university students.

Validity and Reliability of a Thai Behavioral and Emotional Screening Tool for Children with Enuresis (TBEST-E)

Objective: Psychological comorbidity in children with enuresis is common and its screening is recommended. A brief validated screening instrument is needed for a busy medical practice. This study focused on the development of the Thai Behavioral and Emotional Screening Tool for children with Enuresis (TBEST-E) and aimed to examine its psychometric properties. Materials and Methods: Using the Short Screening Instrument for Psychological Problems in Enuresis (SSIPPE) as a template, the 15-item with a yes/no answer format of the TBEST-E was developed for the screening of emotional problems (7 items), attention and hyperactivity/impulsivity problems (3 items each), and oppositional defiant symptoms (2 items). The parents of the children with enuresis completed the TBEST-E and the behavioral rating scale “Thai Youth Checklist” (TYC). The optimal cut-off for further assessment, the sensitivity, and the specificity the TBEST-E were identified using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: After an adaptation following comments from three child psychiatrists, the TBEST-E showed a content validity of 0.9, an internal consistency of 0.71. A total of 33 children with enuresis (median age = 9, interquartile range = 6.5-11 years) were recruited. Further assessment was indicated when one of the following occurred; at least 3 emotional problems; 3 attention problems; or 2 hyperactivity/impulsivity together with 2 oppositional defiant symptoms. The overall sensitivity and specificity were 0.88 and 0.71 respectively with the accuracy of 0.84 (95% CI = 0.68-0.95). Conclusion: The TBEST-E is time-efficient and has acceptable psychometric properties in early detection of common psychological problems in children with enuresis.

Psychometric evaluation and validation of Urdu Social Rank Scale for women with infertility in Pakistan.

Infertility negatively affects nearly all aspects of women's life and is a source of demotion in the rank/status of women that they have achieved after marriage. This social rank/status demotion due to infertility may result in depression and several other psychopathologies. No extant instrument is available to measure the phenomenon of social rank in women with infertility in Pakistan. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the psychometric properties and validate the Social Rank Scale for women experiencing infertility in Pakistan. This study was conducted in four phases. The data were collected from women with primary infertility who visited hospitals all over Pakistan from 2016 to 2018. Social Rank Scale for Women with Infertility (SRS-WI) comprising of two scales, the Social Comparison Scale for Women with Infertility (SCS-WI) and the Submissive Behavior Scale for Women with Infertility (SBS-WI), was developed. The factor structure of 37 items of SCS-WI and of 21 items of SBS-WI was determined through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) on a sample of 215 women with primary infertility with an age range of 20-45 years (Mage = 31.03; SD = 6.18). Principal component analysis with varimax rotation method yielded a three-factor solution for SCS-WI, and 32 items were retained for SCS-WI that accounted for 62.38% variance. For SBS-WI, a uni-factor solution was obtained, and 20 items were retained for SBS-WI, which collectively accounted for 42.01% variance. The factor structure for both scales was confirmed via confirmatory factor analysis among a sample of 210 participants with good model fit indices. The study provides acceptable psychometric properties of the SRS-WI in Pakistan. Testing of psychometric properties in different groups of samples would justify the generalized use of the instrument.

Development of the Pediatric Hospitalization Admission Survey of Experience (PHASE) Measure.

Although significant research is devoted to transitions of care at discharge, few measures assess the quality of transitions into the hospital. Our objective was to develop a caregiver-reported quality measure to evaluate the pediatric hospital admission experience. Measure development included: (1) adapting items from existing instruments; (2) an expert-consensus process to prioritize survey items; (3) cognitive pretesting with caregivers (n = 16); and (4) pilot testing revised items (n = 27). Subsequently, the survey was administered to caregivers at 2 children's hospitals and 1 general hospital from February 2020 through November 2021. Item reduction statistics and exploratory factor analysis were performed followed by confirmatory factor analysis. Domain scores were calculated using a top-box approach. Known-group validity and indices of model fit were evaluated. The initial survey included 25 items completed by 910 caregivers. Following item reduction and the exploratory factor analysis, 14 items were mapped to 4 domains: (1) Patient and Family Engagement, (2) Information Sharing, (3) Effectiveness of Care Delivery, and (4) Timeliness of Care. The confirmatory factor analysis and validity testing supported the factor structure. Domain scores ranged from 49% (95% confidence interval, 46-53) for Timelines of Care to 81% (95% confidence interval, 65-84) for Patient and Family Engagement, with significant differences between general and children's hospitals in Information Sharing and Effectiveness of Care Delivery. A 4-domain caregiver-reported hospital admission experience measure demonstrated acceptable validity and psychometric properties across children's and general hospitals. This measure can be used to evaluate the quality of transitions into the hospital and to focus quality improvement efforts.

ADAPTATION OF THE SCHOOL CLIMATE QUESTIONNAIRE: ITS ASSOCIATION WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACY, AND MENTAL WELLBEING IN AZERBAIJAN

School climate is an important concept in the field of education. Therefore, the aim of this study was to adapt the School Climate Questionnaire for use with Azerbaijani adolescents and explore the relationships between school climate, psychological distress, academic self-efficacy, and mental wellbeing. Data were collected from 1204 adolescents in Azerbaijan using convenience sampling. During the adaptation process, confirmatory factor analysis, criterion-related validity, and reliability analyses were performed. Additionally, the relationships between school climate and psychological distress, academic self-efficacy, and mental wellbeing were examined using PROCESS mediational analysis. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the scale consisted of 22 items, had a three-dimensional structure, and showed a good fit. Moreover, the results showed that school climate was negatively associated with depression, anxiety, and stress, and positively related to academic self-efficacy and mental well-being. Lastly, the results revealed that school climate had a mediating effect on mental well-being via psychological distress and academic self-efficacy. All of these results suggest that the Azerbaijani version of the School Climate Questionnaire has acceptable psychometric properties. Keywords: academic self-efficacy, mental wellbeing, psychological distress, school climate, educational psychology, quantitative research

Validation of the Brazilian Version of the Langer Mindfulness Scale.

Background and Purpose: The Langer Mindfulness Scale (LMS) is distinguished from other mindfulness scales by its dimensions, which are closely related to the awareness and experience of novelty, and by being a scale derived from a cognitive perspective of information processing. There are no mindfulness instruments of this type available in Brazil. Therefore, this study aimed to carry out a translation and cultural adaptation of the LMS into Brazilian Portuguese and to validate and assess the internal consistency and convergent construct validity of the translated instrument. Methods: The study had two distinct stages: (a) translation and cultural adaptation of the LMS into Brazilian Portuguese and (b) validation of the adapted instrument using a sample of 543 participants. Results: The Brazilian version of the LMS demonstrated acceptable internal consistency, with confirmatory factor analysis supporting the original four-factor model. Correlations between LMS, and the Five Facets of Mindfulness Questionnaire and the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale were statistically significant and in the expected directions. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the Brazilian version of LMS, with its four dimensions, presents acceptable psychometric properties and seems to be a reliable and valid instrument for assessing the state of mindfulness in a Brazilian cultural context.

Rasch analysis of the Chinese version of the clinically useful depression outcome scale in patients with major depressive disorder

ObjectiveTo examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Clinically Useful Depression Outcome Scale (CUDOS) in the Chinese patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) using Rasch analysis.MethodsThe sample consisted of 283 patients with MDD (69% females). The Rasch model was applied to examine the overall fit of the Chinese version of CUDOS and the fit of the 18 items. Dimensionality, item-model fit, differential item functioning (DIF), reliability, ordering of response category and targeting were tested to examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of CUDOS.ResultsRasch analysis demonstrated the unidimensionality of the Chinese version of CUDOS. Of the 18 items, three items (item 4, item 5, item 6) showed misfit in the model. After merging item 4 into item 3 and item 6 into item 5, the overall model fit improved. The person separation index (PSI) was 3.0 and the person reliability coefficient was 0.90. No evidence of significant DIF was found when associated with gender and age. No disordered category and threshold of the rating response were observed, which meant the response category setting was reasonable. The mean ability of person was − 0.53.ConclusionThe results suggested that the Chinese version of CUDOS has acceptable psychometric properties. In order to improve the quality and applicability of the Chinese version of CUDOS, the merging of item 4 into item 3 and item 6 into item 5 are suggested.

Italian validation of the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Elderly - Screening version (HHIE-S-It).

Validate the Italian version of the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Elderly - Screening version (HHIE-S-It). After translation, psychometric properties and attributes were analysed by administering the HHIE-S-It to 167 elderly outpatients together with the Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWBI). The Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.908 for the total score, and 0.832 and 0.816 for its two subscales. Significant test-retest reliability was observed (p < 0.001). Moderate to high correlations were found between HHIE-S-It and pure tone average in the better ear (p < 0.001). The ANOVA test confirmed the significant difference in HHIE-S-It scores across groups according to the degree of hearing loss (p < 0.001). Only very low and low significant correlations were observed between HHIE-S-It and PGWBI. The criterion HHIE-S-It > 11 was observed as the best cut-off with highest sensitivity (86.4%), specificity (72.4%), positive predictive value (52.8%), negative predictive value (93.7%) and likelihood ratios (3.12 and 0.19). Since the HHIE-S-It presented acceptable psychometric properties, its adoption is justified for both clinical and research purposes. Acceptable diagnostic attributes allow its use as a screening tool for age-related hearing loss.

Psychometric Assessment of the Romanian Version of the Index of Dental Anxiety and Fear (IDAF-4C+).

The goal of this study was to assess the validity of the Romanian version of the Index of Dental Anxiety and Fear (IDAF-4C+) questionnaire. This study was conducted on a convenience sample of past patients and their acquaintances through an online questionnaire administered on the Google Forms platform between May 2021 and September 2022. The sections of the survey were demographic characteristics, the dental anxiety scale questionnaire, the IDAF-4C+ questionnaire, a single question about dental fear, and previous dental treatments. In total, 239 participants were included in the study, and the mean age was 37. The IDAF-4C questionnaire had good internal validity (Cronbach alpha was 0.945). The IDAF-4C had good convergent validity, and it was positively correlated with the dental anxiety scale (r = 0.825, p < 0.001) and the question about the fear of going to the dentist (r = 0.738, p < 0.001). The questionnaire had good reliability, and the intraclass correlation was 0.985. Lower levels of dental anxiety were associated with scaling, orthodontic treatment, and dental implants. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted after the removal of the first question from the phobia module, and residual covariance was added between items four and nine of the stimulus module, showing a good fit for the retained questions of the IDAF-4C+, grouped by module. The Romanian version of the IDAF-4C+ showed acceptable psychometric properties.

Test of a brief scale designed to measure high-level managers’ indirect leadership

PurposeThe Indirect Leadership Questionnaire (ILQ) is constructed to measure important parts of a theoretical model of indirect leadership to be used in leadership courses for high-level managers. The ILQ consists of 15 model-derived items plus extra space that provides for free-text comments. This study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the ILQ, its predictive power and practical usefulness in indirect leadership courses and to evaluate the indirect leadership model in the light of new data.Design/methodology/approachThe study sample consisted of 225 higher managers and 6–10 of their subordinates (total: 1,703). The latter were working at least two hierarchical levels below their higher manager. The managers made self-ratings, and the subordinates rated their respective higher manager using the ILQ.FindingsResults showed that the ILQ has acceptable psychometric properties in terms of dimensionality (two model-compatible factors were obtained), reliability, discriminability and predictive power. Previous problems with many “Don’t know” responses from subordinates working two or more hierarchical levels below their higher manager were considerably reduced. A qualitative analysis of the free-text responses showed that indirect leadership behaviors that can be seen as inspirational influence and communication skills should be more emphasized in future indirect leadership courses. The leaders’ personality, task-related competence and performance-orientation were also highlighted more than in the indirect leadership model.Research limitations/implicationsIt was concluded that the ILQ is a useful tool in indirect leadership courses but that it is too limited to be used as a basis for theory development of indirect leadership.Originality/valueThe ILQ has acceptable psychometric properties and provides an easy-to-use tool to gain practical, usable knowledge of the “how’s” of indirect leadership.

Psychometric validation of the 15-item Questionnaire about the Process of Recovery in Spain (QPR-15-SP).

Reliable and valid instruments are needed to measure the impact of mental health services and programs on the journeys of recovery of service users. The aim of this study was to explore the psychometric properties of the cross-culturally adapted 15-item Questionnaire about the Process of Recovery in Spain (QPR-15-SP). One hundred and ten participants from three locations in Spain (Málaga, Barcelona and Madrid), who were users of primary and specialized mental health services, were interviewed from October 2021 to June 2022. The internal consistency obtained was excellent: ω =.93 and α =.92. Temporal reliability using intraclass correlation coefficients was moderate (ICC=.684, p <.000). Regarding convergent validity, the QPR-15-SP had a moderate correlation with the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation-Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) (ρ =-.500, p <.000), a Visual Numeric Recovery Scale (VNRS) (ρ =.591, p <.000), and the Stages of Recovery Instrument (STORI) (r =.566, p <.000). Correlations between advanced stages of recovery and higher QPR-15-SP scores were found (Moratorium: ρ =-.579, p <.000; Awareness: ρ =-.130, p =.189; Preparation: r =-.043, P=.665; Rebuilding: r =.460, p <.000; Growth: ρ =.697, p <.000). In terms of divergent validity, the QPR-15-SP had low correlation with the DUKE-UNC Functional Social Support Scale (ρ =.273, p <.005). The confirmatory factor analysis of the 1-factor structure obtained reasonable goodness of fit indexes. The QPR-15-SP has acceptable psychometric properties, providing support for measuring recovery in Spain and allowing international comparison research.

Validation of Healthy Aging Brain Care Monitor Selfreport Questionnaire in Patients With Post-intensive Care Syndrome

Background: Many survivors of intensive care units experience functional disabilities and significant physical, mental, and perceptive impairments known as post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). Objectives: This research intended to translate and examine the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the healthy aging brain care monitor self-report (HABC-M-SR). Materials &amp; Methods: This methodological research was directed to ascertain the psychometric properties of the Persian version of HABC-M-SR (p-HABC). This study was conducted in Ahvaz City, Iran, in 2021. The HABC-M-SR was translated into Persian. Face validity, content validity index, and content validity ratio were examined. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed on 500 samples. The Cronbach α and interclass correlation coefficients were calculated to check the reliability. Results: Regarding the quantitative and qualitative face and content validity assessments, all items were suitable for further analysis, with a content validity index &gt;0.79 and a content validity ratio &gt;0.62. Afterward, exploratory factor analysis was implemented on 270 subjects assuming that three factors were constant on the questionnaire. Also, questions 7, 8, 9, and 12 were removed due to low factor loading, and confirmatory factor analysis was performed on 23 questions. Finally, 230 samples were taken, and the results were almost within the acceptable range. The Cronbach α (0.828) and interclass correlation coefficient (0.752) were satisfactory results. Conclusion: The p-HABC showed acceptable psychometric properties and can be used to screen for PICS. The p-HABC can trigger further studies on early diagnosis and management of PICS in ICU survivors in Iran.