Differences In Preference Scores Research Articles

Person-centered strategies for delivering TB diagnostic services in Lima, Peru.

Lima, Peru. To close the gap in TB diagnosis, TB diagnostic services must match care-seeking preferences. We sought to identify preferred strategies for delivering TB diagnostic services and to determine whether preferences differ among demographic groups. During May 2022-January 2023, we recruited adults who recently initiated treatment for pulmonary TB. We used an object-case best-worst scaling instrument to assess the desirability of nine hypothetical strategies for delivering TB diagnostic services. A t-test was used to assess differences in preference scores between groups. Among 150 participants, the strategies with the highest preference scores were an integrated mobile unit offering screening for multiple conditions, expedited attention at the health center, and home-based screening. These were strongly preferred by 42%, 25%, and 27% of participants, respectively, and 80% of participants strongly preferred at least one of the three. Expedited attention at the health center scored more highly among people who experienced >2 months delay in TB diagnosis compared to those who experienced a more rapid diagnosis (0.37 ± 0.06 vs. 0.17 ± 0.06; P = 0.031). Providing person-centered TB diagnostic services at diverse access points could help reach different populations, which could promote early diagnosis and help close the diagnosis gap.

Effects of hearing diverse orthoptera sounds on human psychology

There is a growing interest in the health improvement functions of green spaces. Natural sounds have various effects on the human mind and body and this positive effect is a cultural service of the ecosystem; however, the mechanisms of these effects are poorly understood. This study investigated the psychological effects of diverse orthoptera calls on Japanese university people. Sixty-five participants were exposed to seven different sound sources, which comprised 1–4 different species, and then asked to answer questions on impressions and preferences. We compared the differences in preference scores according to species and number of species. Factor analysis was used to identify the common factors of impressions. Structural equation modeling was used to understand the influence of participants’ attributes on their preferences. The results showed that as the number of species increased, the sound preference score increased. As a result of the factor analysis of the impressions, the factors Calm, Gorgeous, Musicality, and Deep were extracted; the factor scores of Gorgeous and Musicality increased as the number of species increased. Both, the inclusion of certain species and an increased diversity of species, increased the score. The combination of multiple species resulted in a favorable evaluation due to the harmonization of sounds and diversification of rhythms on the time axis. The results showed that the presence of diverse species of orthopteran calls has a positive effect on humans; orthopteran sounds are assumed to have psychological restorative effects. However, since the influence of the participants’ attributes on preference was unclear in this result, further research is required to understand the effects of racial and cultural backgrounds, age, place of residence and personal attributes. Diverse orthopteran calls are an ecosystem service that contribute to the quality of the soundscape.

Viewing Television While Walking

PURPOSE: To determine the effects of television viewing while walking on: 1) preference for exercise and 2) treadmill endurance time. METHODS: Twenty-five insufficiently active adults (means+SD; age: 46+12 years; body mass index: 31.2+5.3 (kg/m2) completed this study. Part 1: participants performed three randomized 1/3-mile walking bouts at an intensity equivalent to 70% of their oxygen consumption at ventilatory threshold (VO2-at-VT). During these exercise bouts, indivdiuals viewed 1) their favorite television program (FavTV), 2) a standarized nature program (NatTV) or 3) no-TV (NoTV). A behavioral choice paradigm approach was used to assess preference for exercising with each television condition. Part 2: participants compelted two randomized 60-minute visitis where they were asked to walk at 70% of VO2-at-VT for 10-minutes under FavTV or NoTV conditions. After 10 minutes, participants could choose to continue exercising under the current television condition or stop exercising and watch television while seated. Participants were allowed to switch between exercise adnr est as they desired during the remaining time. RESULTS: Part 1: in regards to preference for exercise, lower scores indicate greater preference for exercise during specified television condition. FavTV (preference score: 1.1+1.3; p<0.001) and NatTV (preference score: 1.8+1.9; p=0.002) were significantly greater than NoTV (preference score: 3.0+2.7). There was no significant difference in preference scores between FavTV and NatTV conditions (p=0.132) Part 2: despite this difference in preference for exercise there was no significant difference in treadmill walking time (FavTV vs. NoTV; 50.0+2.6 vs. 44.7+3.2 minutes, respectively; p=0.102). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides empirical evidence that inactive individuals prefer walking with television viewing versus with no television. Further research is neede to determine if active television viewing can translate to observable changes in exercise behaviors.

Impact of intensive lifestyle intervention on preference-based quality of life in type 2 diabetes: Results from the Look AHEAD trial.

To assess the effect of an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) compared with standard diabetes support and education (DSE) on preference-based health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in persons with overweight or obesity and type 2 diabetes. Look AHEAD was a multisite, randomized trial of 5,145 participants assigned to ILI or DSE. Four instruments were administered during the trial: Feeling Thermometer (FT), Health Utilities Index Mark 2 (HUI2), Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI3), and Short Form 6D (SF-6D). Linear mixed effect models were used to estimate the mean difference in preference scores by treatment group for 9 years. The ILI had higher mean FT (0.019, 95% CI, 0.015-0.024, P < 0.001) and SF-6D (0.011, 95% CI, 0.006-0.014, P < 0.001) scores than the DSE. No significant group differences were observed for the HUI2 (0.004, 95% CI, -0.003 to 0.010, P = 0.23) and HUI3 (0.004, -0.004 to 0.012, P = 0.36). In year 1, the ILI had higher mean preference scores for all instruments. Thereafter, the increases remained significant only for FT and SF-6D, and the effects also become smaller. ILI aimed at reducing body weight among persons with overweight or obesity and type 2 diabetes improves preference-based HRQOL in the short term, but its long-term effect is unclear.

The impact of odor-reward memory on chemotaxis in larval Drosophila.

How do animals adaptively integrate innate with learned behavioral tendencies? We tackle this question using chemotaxis as a paradigm. Chemotaxis in the Drosophila larva largely results from a sequence of runs and oriented turns. Thus, the larvae minimally need to determine (i) how fast to run, (ii) when to initiate a turn, and (iii) where to direct a turn. We first report how odor-source intensities modulate these decisions to bring about higher levels of chemotactic performance for higher odor-source intensities during innate chemotaxis. We then examine whether the same modulations are responsible for alterations of chemotactic performance by learned odor “valence” (understood throughout as level of attractiveness). We find that run speed (i) is neither modulated by the innate nor by the learned valence of an odor. Turn rate (ii), however, is modulated by both: the higher the innate or learned valence of the odor, the less often larvae turn whenever heading toward the odor source, and the more often they turn when heading away. Likewise, turning direction (iii) is modulated concordantly by innate and learned valence: turning is biased more strongly toward the odor source when either innate or learned valence is high. Using numerical simulations, we show that a modulation of both turn rate and of turning direction is sufficient to account for the empirically found differences in preference scores across experimental conditions. Our results suggest that innate and learned valence organize adaptive olfactory search behavior by their summed effects on turn rate and turning direction, but not on run speed. This work should aid studies into the neural mechanisms by which memory impacts specific aspects of behavior.

Relationship between Jacket Comfort and Stiffness of Adhesive Interlining

We investigated the effects of adhesive interlining on wearing and moving comfort and garment pressure exerted on the body. Scheffe's paired comparison test was performed for sensory evaluation of four jackets of the same pattern: one without interlining and three with different adhesive interlinings (soft, normal, hard). The bonded fabrics have different shear and bending rigidities. Nineteen subjects performed a series of postures and movements while wearing the jackets: (1) standing, (2) moving arms forward, (3) raising arms overhead, and (4) moving arms horizontally to the side. They compared wearing and moving comfort, and the feeling of garment pressure on designated parts of the body on a seven-point scale. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences in preference scores between jacket types. A jacket with lower stiffness was evaluated as more comfortable and as placing less pressure on the body. There were significant differences in wearing comfort between jackets even when subjects were standing. We conclude that adhesive interlinings affect wearing and moving comfort of jackets and the pressure exerted by a jacket on the body, especially in the shoulder, back, forearm, under the arm and bust areas. The use of lower-rigidity interlining, especially for the shoulder, back, under the arm and bust, will result in a more comfortable jacket, although the interlining must be sufficiently rigid to maintain the desired shape and appearance of the jacket.

Personality Characteristics of South Korean Students with Visual Impairments Using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Introduction The study presented here was designed to determine whether there were significant differences in the frequency and preference scores of personality functions and the frequency of personality types, as measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), by gender, school level, and level of visual function, of students with visual impairments in South Korea. Methods Ninety-eight South Korean students with visual impairments who were enrolled in special junior high and high schools for students with visual impairments answered the MBTI. Chi-square analyses examined the frequencies of preference functions and personality types by gender, school level, and level of functional vision. Independent-samples t-tests were conducted to examine the differences in preference scores by the independent variables for personality functions. Results Only gender differences were found in the frequency of preference functions between the Thinking-Feeling functions. Significant differences were not found in the frequencies of preference scores and personality types by gender, school level, or functional vision. Discussion The students with visual impairments were more likely to think of themselves along the indicators of Extraversion, Sensing, and Perceiving. More male students than female students preferred Thinking over Feeling. Educators need to understand the way in which each gender group prefers to use perception and judgment as decision-making functions. Personality traits vary among persons who are visually impaired as much as they do among those who are sighted. Implications for practitioners South Korean adolescents with visual impairments differ on their personality types in a way similar to sighted students. Learning more about the personality characteristics of children with visual impairments may help educators to teach more effectively.

Birth Control Does Not Significantly Alter Women’s Preferences for Variants of Men’s Voices

AbstractResearch shows that women‘s preferences for masculine voices (low pitch) vary as a function of the menstrual cycle, becoming positively augmented around ovulation. The proximate cause catalyzing this effect is attributed to fluctuating estrogen levels. Thus, the introduction of hormonally based birth control has been to shown to have a dampening effect in experiments researching women‘s preference of dimorphic secondary sexual characteristics. However, this dampening effect has not yet been explored in respect to women‘s preferences for masculine voice types. This experiment sought, first, to investigate the effect of birth control on subjects off and on birth control; and, second, to replicate past findings: Women‘s preference for masculine voice types increases during ovulation.Six voice stimuli were created from voice recordings of two men speaking monopthong vowels. Each recording‘s pitch was increased or decreased 3%. Subjects rated the attractiveness of each stimulus using a five point Likert type scale. Results showed that women (n = 145; 85 off and 60 on birth control, average age = 23.1±4.57) preferred the naturally lower pitched voice; though, this preference could not be attributed to pitch, solely. Fourth order polynomial regression analysis revealed preference for deep voice pitch was not influenced by ovulation, though significant fluctuation in preference occurred over the cycle. Lastly, there were no significant differences in preference scores between the on and off birth control samples. The authors discuss multiple methodological and statistical methods in respect to these novel findings.

Comparing the Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI3) with the Short Form-36 Preference-Based SF-6D in Chronic Kidney Disease

Objective Assess within-subject agreement and compare discriminative abilities between the SF-6D and the Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI3) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods The HUI3 and Short Form-36 were self-completed by 185 CKD patients enrolled in a prospective study of incident patients with stage 4 and 5 CKD. Results The mean preference-based score for the SF-6D was 0.67 ± 0.13 compared to 0.58 ± 0.26 for the HUI3 ( P < 0.01). There was a strong association between SF-6D and HUI3 scores (Pearson correlation coefficient 0.55, 95% CI 0.43–0.65) and moderate agreement with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.44. The HUI3 was better able to capture more severe burden of illness with fewer floor effects. The SF-6D was better at capturing differences among patients at the top range of the scale with fewer ceiling effects. Both the HUI3 and SF-6D were able to discriminate between patient groups differing in disease severity defined as predialysis versus dialysis dependent and depressive symptoms using a Beck Depression Inventory II score of ≥14 as the cutoff. The HUI3 was better able to discriminate greater depressive symptoms. Conclusion The SF-6D and the HUI3 generate different preference-based scores for patients with CKD and any comparison between their scores should be made with caution. The HUI3 appears more suitable for measuring the health of populations with greater disability such as patients with CKD. It remains to be determined whether these differences will remain when one compares within-instrument differences in preference scores over time.

Impact of Patient Age and Comorbidity on Surgeon Versus Oncologist Preferences for Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Stage III Colon Cancer

To study surgeons' versus oncologists' preferences for adjuvant chemotherapy for elderly patients with stage III colon cancer, as population studies indicate that such patients are less likely to receive treatment. A vignette-based survey was mailed to a nationally representative sample of 1,000 general surgeons and 1,000 oncologists in the United States. Patient age, comorbidity level, and preference were varied across eight vignettes. Physician preference for referral (surgeons) or treatment (oncologists) was measured using a 7-point Likert scale. Mixed-effects linear regression was used to evaluate the results. One thousand twenty-nine surveys were returned (response rate of 54%). Among surgeons, increasing age and more severe comorbidity resulted in lower likelihood of referral to oncologist: mean difference in preference scores for vignettes describing a 61-year-old versus an 83-year-old patient (adjusted for comorbidity) was 0.77 (p < 0.0001); mean difference in scores between vignettes describing a patient with none versus severe comorbidity, adjusted for age, was 1.94 (p < 0.0001). Among oncologists, patient age and comorbidity interacted significantly (p < 0.0001) to affect oncologists' preferences: both increasing age and more severe comorbidity resulted in decreased preference for recommending adjuvant chemotherapy, but oncologists were more heavily influenced by comorbidity at younger patient age. Patient preference against therapy also affected physicians' recommendations (p < 0.0001), but the magnitude of effect was small relative to age and comorbidity. Patient age and comorbidity level influence both types of physicians' preferences about adjuvant chemotherapy for colon cancer and might explain some of the patterns of care seen for this disease in population-based studies.

Measuring Health Preferences for Health Utilities Index Mark 3 Health States: A Study of Feasibility and Preference Differences among Ethnic Groups in Singapore

Little is known about the health preferences of Southeast Asians. The authors therefore investigated the feasibility of measuring health preferences of Chinese, Malays, and Indians in Singapore and compared their preference scores. A stratified random sample of the Singaporean general population was interviewed to measure preferences for a set of health states defined by the Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI3) using both the rating scale (RS) and the standard gamble (SG) methods. Feasibility of preference measurement was assessed using ratings of measurement tasks, task completion rates, and ranking of preference scores. Differences in preference scores across Chinese, Malays, and Indians were examined using analysis of variance models. Among 245 interviewed respondents (Chinese: 110, Malays: 73, Indians: 62), 97.1% and 95.1% successfully completed all the RS and SG measurement tasks, respectively; 70.1% and 75.3% judged the RS and SG tasks as "easy" or "very easy," respectively. Interviewers rated 69.4% and 75.0% of these respondents as having "full comprehension" for the RS and SG tasks, respectively; "full concentration" was observed in 84.1% and 84.0% of these respondents for the RS and SG tasks, respectively. There were no significant differences in mean preference scores across Chinese, Malays, and Indians, with and without adjustment for effects of confounding variables. RS and SG are feasible methods for measuring health preferences for Asians in Singapore; it appears that Chinese, Malays, and Indians in Singapore have similar preferences for HUI3 health states.

Preliminary Study of the Effect of Knowledge and Sensory Expertise on Liking for Red Wines

Twelve inexpensive red wines were evaluated by descriptive analysis in which 12 trained judges rated 14 attributes in duplicate. Fifty-seven subjects rated liking for these wines on a 9-point hedonic scale. Subjects were segmented based on their level of wine knowledge (written test) and sensory expertise (sensory test) and on overall expertise, as estimated by the combined scores. Segments were formed by assigning lowest approximately 25%, medium approximately 50%, and highest approximately 25% to different groups. There was no correlation in performance between the two tests (Spearman’s ranked correlation = 0.057), indicating that sensory performance and wine knowledge are two distinctly different types of expertise and that one cannot be inferred from the other. The combined scores better reflect wine expertise, as true "wine experts" should possess knowledge in both domains. Significant differences in liking were found across all subjects. Based on the sensory expertise test, an overall significantly lower rating (<i>p</i> = 0.044) was found for the medium performance group. No overall significant differences in liking were found across groups based on performance in the wine knowledge test or the overall expertise. Despite this, significant differences in preference scores were found for several wines between groups. Individual differences in liking were significant, suggesting that individual preferences play a far larger role than mere level of wine knowledge or sensory expertise. External preference mapping was used to relate subjects liking to descriptive profiles. Although liking could not be modeled well from the sensory properties, some conclusions regarding liking for these subjects could still be made. Wines high in vanilla/oak aroma and high in either berry or canned vegetables aroma were liked significantly more than wines high in leather aroma and/or sour taste.

Procedure-Related Miscarriages and Down Syndrome–Affected Births

In Brief Objective To determine how pregnant women of varying ages, races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds value procedure-related miscarriage and Down–syndrome-affected birth. Methods We studied cross-sectionally 534 sociodemographically diverse pregnant women who sought care at obstetric clinics and practices throughout the San Francisco Bay area. Preferences for procedure-related miscarriage and the birth of an infant affected by Down syndrome were assessed using the time trade-off and standard gamble metrics. Because current guidelines assume that procedure-related miscarriage and Down syndrome–affected birth are valued equally, we calculated the difference in preference scores for those two outcomes. We also collected detailed information on demographics, attitudes, and beliefs. Results On average, procedure-related miscarriage was preferable to Down syndrome–affected birth, as evidenced by positive differences in preference scores for them (time trade-off difference: mean = 0.09, median = 0.06; standard gamble difference: mean = 0.11, median = 0.02; P < .001 for both, one-sample sign test). There was substantial subject-to-subject variation in preferences that correlated strongly with attitudes about miscarriage, Down syndrome, and diagnostic testing. Conclusion Pregnant women tend to find the prospect of a Down syndrome–affected birth more burdensome than a procedure-related miscarriage, calling into question the equal risk threshold for prenatal diagnosis. Individual preferences for those outcomes varied profoundly. Current guidelines do not appropriately consider individual preferences in lower-risk women, and the process for developing prenatal testing guidelines should be reconsidered to better reflect individual values. Pregnant women perceive that a Down syndrome–affected birth is worse than a procedure-related miscarriage, calling into question the equal risk threshold for prenatal diagnosis.

Procedure-related miscarriages and down syndrome–affected births: implications for prenatal testing based on women’s preferences

Objective: To determine how pregnant women of varying ages, races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds value procedure-related miscarriage and Down–syndrome-affected birth. Methods: We studied cross-sectionally 534 sociodemographically diverse pregnant women who sought care at obstetric clinics and practices throughout the San Francisco Bay area. Preferences for procedure-related miscarriage and the birth of an infant affected by Down syndrome were assessed using the time trade-off and standard gamble metrics. Because current guidelines assume that procedure-related miscarriage and Down syndrome–affected birth are valued equally, we calculated the difference in preference scores for those two outcomes. We also collected detailed information on demographics, attitudes, and beliefs. Results: On average, procedure-related miscarriage was preferable to Down syndrome–affected birth, as evidenced by positive differences in preference scores for them (time trade-off difference: mean = 0.09, median = 0.06; standard gamble difference: mean = 0.11, median = 0.02; P < .001 for both, one-sample sign test). There was substantial subject-to-subject variation in preferences that correlated strongly with attitudes about miscarriage, Down syndrome, and diagnostic testing. Conclusion: Pregnant women tend to find the prospect of a Down syndrome–affected birth more burdensome than a procedure-related miscarriage, calling into question the equal risk threshold for prenatal diagnosis. Individual preferences for those outcomes varied profoundly. Current guidelines do not appropriately consider individual preferences in lower-risk women, and the process for developing prenatal testing guidelines should be reconsidered to better reflect individual values.