Effect Size Index Research Articles

Assessment of a Dietary Consultation Model for Effective Diabetes Care in Saudi Population using Partial Least Squares Estimation

The relationship between dietary habits and diabetes has not been studied efficiently in Saudi Arabia and the available diabetes risk models does not focus much on diet, nor do they capture the overall dietary behaviors. The purpose of this research was to test empirically the hypothesised dietary consultation model that has been proposed for more effective diabetes care. This exploratory study was conducted on type 2 diabetic Saudi patients visiting the Primary Health Care Centres in Almajmaah city. The data comprising 350 patients were collected from 5 th February – 24 th April, 2017 through systematic sampling technique using direct investigation method. Data was collected through four questionnaires. Composite scores were extracted for all variables under study and analysed by Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling approach using SmartPLS 3.2.6 software. Evaluation of formative outer and inner model relationships validated the hypothesised dietary consultation model. Power of study, coefficient of determination, effect size, total effects, and model fit index further validated the findings. The validated dietary consultation model facilitates a new healthcare paradigm which can give a better understanding of diabetes management at stakeholder and individual level. Healthcare givers should pay special emphasis on diabetics’ diabetes mellitus knowledge, dietary knowledge, and dietary attitude, as these factors influence each other, dietary practices and HbA1c. Healthcare givers can use this model alone or by integrating it with available diabetes risk models to carry out the dietary assessment of type 2 diabetics.

Toward customer-centric organizational science: A common language effect size indicator for multiple linear regressions and regressions with higher-order terms.

To address a long-standing concern regarding a gap between organizational science and practice, scholars called for more intuitive and meaningful ways of communicating research results to users of academic research. In this article, we develop a common language effect size index (CLβ) that can help translate research results to practice. We demonstrate how CLβ can be computed and used to interpret the effects of continuous and categorical predictors in multiple linear regression models. We also elaborate on how the proposed CLβ index is computed and used to interpret interactions and nonlinear effects in regression models. In addition, we test the robustness of the proposed index to violations of normality and provide means for computing standard errors and constructing confidence intervals around its estimates. (PsycINFO Database Record

PET textural features stability and pattern discrimination power for radiomics analysis: An “ad-hoc” phantoms study

PurposeThe analysis of PET images by textural features, also known as radiomics, shows promising results in tumor characterization. However, radiomic metrics (RMs) analysis is currently not standardized and the impact of the whole processing chain still needs deep investigation. We characterized the impact on RM values of: i) two discretization methods, ii) acquisition statistics, and iii) reconstruction algorithm. The influence of tumor volume and standardized-uptake-value (SUV) on RM was also investigated. MethodsThe Chang-Gung-Image-Texture-Analysis (CGITA) software was used to calculate 39 RMs using phantom data. Thirty noise realizations were acquired to measure statistical effect size indicators for each RM. The parameter η2 (fraction of variance explained by the nuisance factor) was used to assess the effect of categorical variables, considering η2 < 20% and 20% < η2 < 40% as representative of a “negligible” and a “small” dependence respectively. The Cohen’s d was used as discriminatory power to quantify the separation of two distributions. ResultsWe found the discretization method based on fixed-bin-number (FBN) to outperform the one based on fixed-bin-size in units of SUV (FBS), as the latter shows a higher SUV dependence, with 30 RMs showing η2 > 20%. FBN was also less influenced by the acquisition and reconstruction setup:with FBN 37 RMs had η2 < 40%, only 20 with FBS. Most RMs showed a good discriminatory power among heterogeneous PET signals (for FBN: 29 out of 39 RMs with d > 3). ConclusionsFor RMs analysis, FBN should be preferred. A group of 21 RMs was suggested for PET radiomics analysis.

Health-Related Quality of Life in People Living with Psychotic Illness and Factors Associated with Its Variation

ObjectivesTo establish whether the four-dimensional Assessment of Quality of Life (AQoL-4D) produces robust utility values in adults with psychotic illness, and identify health inequalities compared with the general population. MethodsThe AQoL-4D was completed by 1613 individuals with an International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, psychotic illness in the 2010 Australian National Survey of Psychosis. Utilities were assessed for this sample and 20 subgroups, and were compared with general population norms. Modified Cohen d was used as an index of effect size. Utilities were collapsed into 10 health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) bands or decades. ResultsHRQOL in people with psychotic illness was half of the maximum achievable utility (half-“full health”) with a mean utility of 0.49 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.48–0.51), and showing substantial variability across subgroups. Participants with essentially normal functioning had the highest mean utility (0.72; 95% CI 0.68–0.77), and those with very poor perceived mental health had the lowest (0.22; 95% CI 0.18–0.26). These subgroups showed the most variability. Negative symptoms also gave rise to substantial variation. Among diagnostic categories, only depressive psychosis had a large effect relative to delusional disorders. The distribution of utilities in people with psychotic illness differed markedly from that in the general population, with 6.8% versus 47.2% having values in the highest decade (>0.90–1.00). Utilities were lower in every age group in people with psychosis. ConclusionsProfound HRQOL impacts are revealed by the AQoL-4D in people with psychotic illness, and marked variations in utilities were observed for key subjective and objective measures. We provide a suite of utility values for economic modeling studies and recommend the AQoL-4D for assessing HRQOL in people with psychotic illness.

Precision, Reliability, and Effect Size of Slope Variance in Latent Growth Curve Models: Implications for Statistical Power Analysis.

Latent Growth Curve Models (LGCM) have become a standard technique to model change over time. Prediction and explanation of inter-individual differences in change are major goals in lifespan research. The major determinants of statistical power to detect individual differences in change are the magnitude of true inter-individual differences in linear change (LGCM slope variance), design precision, alpha level, and sample size. Here, we show that design precision can be expressed as the inverse of effective error. Effective error is determined by instrument reliability and the temporal arrangement of measurement occasions. However, it also depends on another central LGCM component, the variance of the latent intercept and its covariance with the latent slope. We derive a new reliability index for LGCM slope variance—effective curve reliability (ECR)—by scaling slope variance against effective error. ECR is interpretable as a standardized effect size index. We demonstrate how effective error, ECR, and statistical power for a likelihood ratio test of zero slope variance formally relate to each other and how they function as indices of statistical power. We also provide a computational approach to derive ECR for arbitrary intercept-slope covariance. With practical use cases, we argue for the complementary utility of the proposed indices of a study's sensitivity to detect slope variance when making a priori longitudinal design decisions or communicating study designs.

Evaluating Tau-U With Oral Reading Fluency Data and the Impact of Measurement Error.

Recently, researchers have argued that using quantitative effect sizes in single-case design (SCD) research may facilitate the identification evidence-based practices. Indices to quantify nonoverlap are among the most common methods for quantifying treatment effects in SCD research. Tau-U represents a family of effect size indices that were developed to address criticisms of previously developed measures of nonoverlap. However, more research is necessary to determine the extent to which Tau-U successfully addresses proposed limitations of other nonoverlap methods. This study evaluated Tau-U effect sizes, derived from multiple-baseline designs, where researchers used curriculum-based measures of reading (CBM-R) to measure reading fluency. Specifically, we evaluated the distribution of the summary Tau-U statistic when applied to a large set of CBM-R data and assessed how the variability inherent in CBM-R data may influence the obtained Tau-U values. Findings suggest that the summary Tau-U statistic may be susceptible to ceiling effects. Moreover, the results provide initial evidence that error inherent in CBM-R scores may have a small but meaningful influence on the obtained effect sizes. Implications and recommendations for research and practice are discussed.

Un estudio exploratorio sobre el nivel de conocimiento sobre el tamaño del efecto y meta-análisis en psicólogos profesionales españoles

El enfoque de la Práctica Basada en la Evidencia se basa en la utilización de la investigación científica en la toma de decisiones profesionales en un esfuerzo por producir los mejores servicios posibles en la práctica clínica. El nivel de conocimiento sobre los estadísticos del tamaño del efecto y estudios de meta-análisis puede afectar a las decisiones de los profesionales y poner en riesgo la calidad de las intervenciones psicológicas. Este trabajo recoge los resultados de una encuesta on line sobre el grado de conocimiento de estos tópicos entre psicólogos profesionales españoles. La muestra estuvo formada por 77 participantes (68.8% mujeres y 31.2% hombres), con una edad media de 41.44 años (DT=9.42), y un rango de edad de 25-64 años. Los resultados sugieren que la mayoría de los psicólogos encuestados no tenían un conocimiento adecuado sobre los índices de tamaño del efecto, los estudios de meta-análisis, y los listados de comprobación de la calidad metodológica de los estudios. Por lo tanto, es necesario mejorar la educación estadística de los psicólogos, la cual podría contribuir también en la mejora de la práctica profesional.

Responsiveness of the Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction in couples with incontinent partners

ObjectiveIn order for a measure to reliably evaluate treatment efficacy, it is important that the measure used has adequate responsiveness. However, the responsiveness of the Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS) questionnaire, a highly recommended questionnaire by the International Consultation of Incontinence to assess sexual function in patients with incontinence, has not been established. To enable the use of GRISS to measure change in sexual function following incontinence treatment, we evaluated the short- and long-term responsiveness of the GRISS in couples with female stress urinary incontinence partners. Study designForty-eight couples with female stress urinary incontinence partners were included in the study. The GRISS, a 28-item multidimensional measure, comprises two sets of questionnaires to assess sexual function in both male and female partners. Responsiveness was investigated using data from our recent randomized controlled trials evaluating efficacy of pulsed magnetic stimulation for treatment of female patients with stress urinary incontinence. Effect size index and standardized response mean were used to measure responsiveness of the English and Chinese versions of GRISS. ResultsFor short-term responsiveness, the overall female and male GRISS scores had effect sizes and standardized response means ranging from 0.60 to 0.83 and 0.44 to 0.78 respectively. For long-term responsiveness, the overall female and male GRISS scores had effect sizes and standardized response means ranging from 0.59 to 0.77 and 0.48 to 0.79 respectively. ConclusionIn conclusion, the English and Chinese versions of GRISS had adequate responsiveness for use in couples with incontinent partners. The GRISS can be a useful measure to detect change in sexual function of couples following treatment of females with stress urinary incontinence.

Seeking Safety Therapy for Co-Occurring Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Substance Use Disorder: A Case Study in Iran

Background: Literature documents the high prevalence of trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (OTSD) in individuals with substance use disorders, which complicate the clinical profile of patients and present challenges for treatment providers. Although several evidence-based integrated therapies are developed for comorbid PTSD/SUD (substance use disorder), there is a considerable gap addressing this co-occurrence and none of such practices are studied yet on such patients. Through A-B-A single subject design. Objectives: The current study aimed to explore the effectiveness of seeking safety (SS), an integrative evidence-based therapy for PTSD/SUD, to reduce PTSD and SUD symptoms in a 32-year-old female with both disorders. Patients and Methods: Measures of PTSD checklist (PTSD ChecklistCivilian; PCL-C), Addiction Severity Index (ASI), Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), and Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS-21) were completed by the participant at baseline, intervention, and 2-month follow-up. Results: Results were analyzed through visual analysis and computing 3 effect size indices including standardized mean difference (SMD), mean baseline reduction (MBLR), and percent of non-overlapping data (PND). Conclusions: Clinically significant reductions in PTSD symptoms, psychological distress, and ASI scores, as well as improvement in coping skills were observed at intervention phase and maintained at 2-month follow-up, which indicated that the participant benefited from SS. © 2018, International Journal of High Risk Behaviors and Addiction.

Transforming the Area under the Normal Curve (AUC) into Cohen’s d, Pearson’s r pb , Odds-Ratio, and Natural Log Odds-Ratio: Two Conversion Tables

The importance of the area under the normal curve (AUC) as a measure of the effect size (ES) in applied and forensic research has been highlighted in several articles and Tables for functioning the AUC curve into Pearson’s rpband Cohen’s d have been published. No Tables have been published for functioning AUC into other frequently used effect size indexes, such as OR and Ln(OR). In this article, two Tables for 500 AUC three-digit values provide the equivalent values for functioning AUC into four ESs, including Cohen’s d values, Pearson’s rpb, odds-ratio (OR), and Ln(OR). In the case of rpb, the values are given for four base rates (.5, .3, .2, and .1). In addition, the formulas for transforming AUC into these effect sizes are provided, so researchers can calculate other values which have not been d in the Tables.

Transcutaneous nerve stimulation for pain relief during chest tube removal following cardiac surgery.

Background and Aims:In patients undergoing open heart surgery, chest tubes are removed postoperatively when patients are well awake and stable. Pain during chest tube removal can be moderate to severe and can be the worst experience of hospitalization. Various modalities of pain relief during chest tube removal have been tried with variable results. We sought to examine the effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) as an intervention for pain relief during chest tube removal after cardiac surgery.Material and Methods:In a tertiary care center, fifty patients undergoing open heart surgery were randomized into two groups. Group TENS (n = 25) received TENS from 30 min before and continued up to 30 min after chest tube removal. Control Group (n = 25) did not receive TENS. In both the groups, additional analgesic medication was provided on demand, besides the standard analgesic regime which was injection ketorolac 30 mg intramuscularly every 8 h. Patients were studied for pain during chest drain removal and pain related nausea, vomiting, and sense of well-being.Results:Mean visual analog pain score assessed for chest tube removal was significantly less 4.1 ± 1.2 (P < 0.05) in TENS Group as compared to 6.1 ± 0.8 in Control Group. Significantly greater number of patients (n = 14) (P < 0.05) in Control Group demanded additional analgesia as compared to TENS Group (n = 5). Feeling of well-being, improvement in appetite, and sleep was better in TENS Group as compared to Control Group.Conclusion:We conclude that TENS might not replace the conventional analgesics but has definite adjuvant role in decreasing pain scores and improves sense of well-being during chest tube removal after cardiac surgery.

Yakson touch and kinesthetic stimulation on development of high-risk neonates in neonatal intensive care units: A randomized controlled trial

Background and Objectives: About 15 million babies are born preterm every year. Among them, almost 1 million neonates die due to complications. Even the survivors are prone to lifetime disability. Yakson touch and kinesthetic stimulation techniques have been proved to be effective in minimizing the complications and disability, but there is no standardized protocol. Hence, we aimed to investigate the efficacy of Yakson touch in combination with kinesthetic stimulation (YAKIN) on the development of high-risk neonates. Materials and Methods: Twenty-eight neonates were recruited through parental consent from a recognized tertiary care teaching hospital for this two-group pre- and post-test design of randomized controlled trial and were allocated into control group (n = 14) and experimental group (n = 14) by block randomization method. Neonatal behavioral assessment scale (NBAS) was performed on all recruited neonates. The duration of intervention was 5 days out of 7 days. The experimental group received Yakson touch and kinesthetic stimulation and the control group received conventional handling which included developmental positioning and Kangaroo mother care. On the 7th day, NBAS was done again to document the effect of the intervention. Results: Neonates median gestational age of 35 (34, 35.3) weeks in experimental and 35 (33.5, 36) in control group were recruited. There were no significant differences between the groups (p> 0.05). Large effect size index was seen in the experimental group. Conclusions: Efficacy of the standardized protocol YAKIN has been verified, and it may have positive effects on the overall development of high-risk neonates.

Application of Meta-Analysis to Yield Performance of Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) Clones

In Hevea, so far no attempt has been made to conduct a meta-analysis on yield performance of clones from many studies. With the objective to demonstrate the application of meta-analysis in Hevea research, yield performance of twelve clones repeated across many trials were subjected to meta-analysis. Two effect-size measures namely Standardised mean difference as Hedge’s g and log response ratio were used for combining results. Standardised mean difference in different studies ranged from −3.76 to 6.83. Random effect mean standardised mean difference in GT1 was 0.38. All the standardised mean difference values in RR1M 600 were negative. In clones RRII203, PB 235, PB 260, PB 217 and PB 311, standardised mean difference values were all positive while in other clones they were mostly negative. Random effect model mean standardised mean difference’s were significantly higher in clones RRII 203 and PB 235. In effect sizes, the percentage change in yield of GT 1 over RRII 105 ranged from negative 13 percent to positive 39 percent. Among eight studies, four studies gave positive while the other four gave negative change in yield over the control RRII 105. Random effect overall yield was about 10 percent. In RRII 600, all the six studies produced negative change in yield. RRII 203 and PB 235 produced significantly higher yield over RRII 105 with percentage increases of about 20 and 36 percent respectively. Among the other clones, PB 260 produced a significantly higher yield of about 22 percent. Clear general patterns were identified in yield performance of treatment clones over the control. Clones RRII 203, PB 235 and PB 260 showed clear superiority in yield performance. Results of clones PB 217 and PB 311 indicated that further testing needs to be undertaken for taking a clear stand on the usefulness of these clones for the region. Comparison of standardised mean difference and the log response ratio effect size indices indicated that the log response ratio maybe more informative for quantifying the treatment effect in meta-analytic studies with Hevea brasiliensis.

A methodological review of meta-analyses of the effectiveness of clinical psychology treatments.

This article presents a methodological review of 54 meta-analyses of the effectiveness of clinical psychological treatments, using standardized mean differences as the effect size index. We statistically analyzed the distribution of the number of studies of the meta-analyses, the distribution of the sample sizes in the studies of each meta-analysis, the distribution of the effect sizes in each of the meta-analyses, the distribution of the between-studies variance values, and the Pearson correlations between effect size and sample size in each meta-analysis. The results are presented as a function of the type of standardized mean difference: posttest standardized mean difference, standardized mean change from pretest to posttest, and standardized mean change difference between groups. These findings will help researchers design future Monte Carlo and theoretical studies on the performance of meta-analytic procedures, based on the manipulation of realistic model assumptions and parameters of the meta-analyses. Furthermore, the analysis of the distribution of the mean effect sizes through the meta-analyses provides a specific guide for the interpretation of the clinical significance of the different types of standardized mean differences within the field of the evaluation of clinical psychological interventions.

When power analyses based on pilot data are biased: Inaccurate effect size estimators and follow-up bias

When designing a study, the planned sample size is often based on power analyses. One way to choose an effect size for power analyses is by relying on pilot data. A-priori power analyses are only accurate when the effect size estimate is accurate. In this paper we highlight two sources of bias when performing a-priori power analyses for between-subject designs based on pilot data. First, we examine how the choice of the effect size index (η2, ω2 and ε2) affects the sample size and power of the main study. Based on our observations, we recommend against the use of η2 in a-priori power analyses. Second, we examine how the maximum sample size researchers are willing to collect in a main study (e.g. due to time or financial constraints) leads to overestimated effect size estimates in the studies that are performed. Determining the required sample size exclusively based on the effect size estimates from pilot data, and following up on pilot studies only when the sample size estimate for the main study is considered feasible, creates what we term follow-up bias. We explain how follow-up bias leads to underpowered main studies.Our simulations show that designing main studies based on effect sizes estimated from small pilot studies does not yield desired levels of power due to accuracy bias and follow-up bias, even when publication bias is not an issue. We urge researchers to consider alternative approaches to determining the sample size of their studies, and discuss several options.

Heart rate response does not differ between pitch types in college baseball pitchers

Fatigue has been observed to effect pitching velocity, performance and pain. Pitch counts are a sub-optimal substitute to quantify pitching physiologic stress. Heart rate (HR) response is conducive to quantify physiologic stress. Currently, there is a paucity of literature investigating HR response between different pitch types. It is hypothesised that different pitch types will have divergent HR responses during pitching. A gyroscope, triaxial accelerometer device (Optimeye S5, Catapult Sports, Melbourne, Australia) and HR monitor were worn by 25 collegiate pitchers during a pitching session. Individual pitch-type velocities were recorded for fastballs, curveballs, sliders and changeups. All HR was normalized to age predicted maximal HR (%HRmax), for each pitch type. Statistical analysis included paired t-tests (p < .01) and effect size indexes (ESI). %HRmax was lower for fastball compared to changeup (p < 0.01); however, when ESI’s were calculated, no difference was observed (ESI < 0.01). There was no difference in %HRmax between fastball to curveball (ESI < 0.01, p = 0.75) and fastball to slider (ESI < 0.02, p = 0.10). No meaningful difference in %HRmax was observed between fastball, curveballs, slider and changeups. Future studies are required to understand physiological stress responses beyond heart rate for different pitch types.

Common Language Effect Size Indicator for Use with Multiple Linear Regression

To address a long-standing concern regarding a gap between organizational science and practice, scholars called for more intuitive and meaningful ways of communicating research results to practitioners. In this paper, we develop a common language effect size indicator that can be used to communicate results of regression analysis to audiences with limited statistical training. We demonstrate how common language effect size indices can be computed and used to interpret the effects of continuous and categorical predictors in multiple linear regression and moderated multiple linear regression models. We also test the robustness of the proposed indicator to violations of normality, and provide means for computing standard errors and constructing confidence intervals around common language effect size indicator estimates in regression models.

Effect size and meta-analysis in Spanish professional psychologists

The Evidence-Based Practice approach is based on the use of scientific research in decision-making in an effort to produce the best possible services in clinical practice. The knowledge level about effect size statistics and meta-analysis studies may affect the decision soft professionals and jeopardize the quality of psychological interventions. This paper presents the result so fan on-line survey on the degree of knowledge of these topics among Spanish practitioner psychologists. The sample consisted of 77 participants (68.8% women and 31.2% men), with a mean age of 41.44 years (SD=9.42), with age range of 25-64 years. The results suggest that most of the psychologists survey eddid not have adequate knowledge about effect size index, meta-analysis studies, or methodological quality checklists. It is therefore necessary to improve the statistical education of practitioner psychologists, which might also contribute to their provement of professional practice.

Effect size and meta-analysis in Spanish professional psychologists

The Evidence-Based Practice approach is based on the use of scientific research in decision-making in an effort to produce the best possible services in clinical practice. The knowledge level about effect size statistics and meta-analysis studies may affect the decision soft professionals and jeopardize the quality of psychological interventions. This paper presents the result so fan on-line survey on the degree of knowledge of these topics among Spanish practitioner psychologists. The sample consisted of 77 participants (68.8% women and 31.2% men), with a mean age of 41.44 years (SD=9.42), with age range of 25-64 years. The results suggest that most of the psychologists survey eddid not have adequate knowledge about effect size index, meta-analysis studies, or methodological quality checklists. It is therefore necessary to improve the statistical education of practitioner psychologists, which might also contribute to their provement of professional practice.

Clinical significance in nursing research: A discussion and descriptive analysis

BackgroundIt is widely understood that statistical significance should not be equated with clinical significance, but the topic of clinical significance has not received much attention in the nursing literature. By contrast, interest in conceptualizing and operationalizing clinical significance has been a “hot topic” in other health care fields for several decades. ObjectivesThe major purpose of this paper is to briefly describe recent advances in defining and quantifying clinical significance. The overview covers both group-level indicators of clinical significance (e.g., effect size indexes), and individual-level benchmarks (e.g., the minimal important change index). A secondary purpose is to describe the extent to which developments in clinical significance have penetrated the nursing literature. MethodsA descriptive analysis of a sample of primary research articles published in three high-impact nursing research journals in 2016 was undertaken. A total of 362 articles were electronically searched for terms relating to statistical and clinical significance. ResultsOf the 362 articles, 261 were reports of quantitative studies, the vast majority of which (93%) included a formal evaluation of the statistical significance of the results. By contrast, the term “clinical significance” or related surrogate terms were found in only 33 papers, and most often the term was used informally, without explicit definition or assessment. ConclusionsRaising consciousness about clinical significance should be an important priority among nurse researchers. Several recommendations are offered to improve the visibility and salience of clinical significance in nursing science.