Initial Validity Testing Research Articles

Assessing beliefs about emotion generation and change: The conceptualisation, development, and validation of the Cognitive Mediation Beliefs Questionnaire (CMBQ)

The ability to regulate emotions is important for human function and health. That emotion regulation can be achieved through cognitive change is predicated on the notion of cognitive mediation. However, the extent to which individuals believe that their emotions are cognitively mediated (C–M), or in contrast, that their emotions occur via stimulus-response (S-R), is underexplored, and whether C–M and S-R beliefs shape emotion reactivity is not yet known. Research that addresses these empirical needs could inform emotion regulation interventions such as cognitive behavioural therapies (CBTs). The current paper reports the development and initial validity testing of the cognitive mediation beliefs questionnaire (CMBQ). Five studies report the factor structure, the construct and criterion validity, and the test-retest reliability of the CMBQ. The CMBQ was found to have a correlated two-factor structure (C–M change beliefs, and S-R generation beliefs). Higher C–M change beliefs and lower S-R generation beliefs were related to greater emotion regulation, greater thought control ability, higher positive mental health, and lower emotion reactivity. The CMBQ also demonstrated acceptable test-retest reliability. Initial testing indicates that the CMBQ is a valid and reliable questionnaire for psychometric use in adult populations, including those with a diagnosed mental health condition.

Initial Reliability and Validity testing of the DESTINY Stroke and Large Vessel Screening Tool

Background: Screening is a valuable tool in emergency medicine for triaging, activation of protocols, and resource allocation. The Dallas Emergency Department Screening Tool to Identify Stroke (DESTINY) was developed to screen for all stroke subtypes, with improved sensitivity for posterior circulation stroke and large vessel occlusion (LVO). The main purpose of this study was to evaluate how reliably the tool could be taught and used by ED Nurses.
 Methods: This is Phase 1 of a multi-phase study to evaluate the DESTINY tool. A vascular neurologist retrospectively reviewed 409 stroke code activations between January and December of 2018. Thirty descriptive vignettes were composed: right anterior circulation stroke (n=5), left anterior circulation stroke (n=5), posterior circulation stroke (n=5), TIA and stroke mimic (n=6), non-LVO stroke (n=5), and hemorrhagic stroke (n= 4). Fifteen emergency medicine registered nurses used the DESTINY tool to screen the vignettes following the stroke education and DESTINY training module.
 Results: Individual Pearson Correlation Coefficients (PCC) were calculated for each nurse compared to the vascular neurologist (range: 0.43860 to 0.96966; mean: 0.8746 ± 0.1484). All individual PCC were statistically significant except for one [PCC of 0.43860 (p = 0.0153)]. Cronbach’s Alpha scores were very similar across multiple raters (standardized alpha for nurse raters: 0.9853). Omnibus test to compare DESTINY scores by stroke type demonstrated left anterior LVO and mimic/TIA stroke had few outlier observations, however, poorly differentiated hemorrhagic from ischemic stroke
 Conclusion: As demonstrated by high interrater reliability, the DESTINY tool can be effectively taught to ED nurses using clinical vignettes. The DESTINY tool is good at differentiating non-LVO, anterior LVO, mimics, and TIAs; while the ability to distinguish between anterior LVO/posterior LVO and ischemic/hemorrhagic stroke was sub-optimal. Utilizing the lessons learned in the early version of the DESTINY screening tool we expect that the high-reliability scores will continue to improve in future prospective studies.

Trip Quality, Tourist Satisfaction, and Behavioral Intention on The New Tourism Destination: A Case Study in Pabangbon Panoramic Hill, West Java

When the new tourist destination occurs, people usually come because of their curiosity. The purpose of this study was to analyze Trip Quality, Tourist Satisfaction, and Behavioral Intention of those who visited Bukit Panorama Pabangbon (Pabangbon Panoramic Hill) as a new tourism destination in Bogor district, West Java, Indonesia. The research method was descriptive quantitative. This research was a survey using a questionnaire. In the initial stages, validity and reliability tests were carried out, and the test results show that all items in the questionnaire were valid and reliable. The questionnaire was then distributed to respondents using a simple random sampling technique resulting 100 sets of data. Then the mean score of each variable and correlation value was calculated. The results showed that in general, the tourists' trip quality was good in which the affordable ticket got the highest score, while local transportation got the lowest. On the whole, they were satisfied with their experience visiting the site, and they were willing to return and recommend this new tourist attraction to friends and relatives. Among the construct under study, the correlation between trip quality and behavioral intention was stronger than the correlation between tourist satisfaction and behavioral intention. All are positive correlations. Keywords: Trip Quality, Tourist Satisfaction; Behavioral Intention DOI: 10.7176/JTHS/52-05 Publication date: December 31 st 2020

The Health Literacy Questionnaire: Initial Validity Testing in a Norwegian Sample.

Background:The Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) is a multidimensional generic questionnaire developed to capture a wide range of health literacy needs. There is a need for validation evidence for the Norwegian version of the HLQ (N-HLQ).Objective:The present study tested an initial version of the Norwegian HLQ by exploring its utility and construct validity among a group of nursing students.Methods:A pre-test survey was performed in participants (N = 18) who were asked to consider every item in the N-HLQ (44 items across nine scales). The N-HLQ was then administered to 368 respondents. Scale consistency was identified and extracted in a series of factor analyses (principal component analysis [PCA] with oblimin rotation) demanding a nine-dimension solution performed on randomly drawn 50% of the samples obtained by bootstrapping. Correlations between the nine factors obtained in the 13-factor PCA and the scale scores computed by the scale scoring syntaxes provided by the authors of the original HLQ were estimated.Key Results:The pre-test survey did not result in the need to rephrase items. The internal consistency of the nine HLQ scales was high, ranging from 0.81 to 0.72. The best fit for reproduction of the scales from the original HLQ was found for these dimensions: “1. feeling understood and supported by health care providers,” “2. having sufficient information to manage my health,” and “3. actively managing my health.” For the dimensions “7. navigating in the healthcare system” and “8. ability to find good health information,” a rather high degree of overlap was found, as indicated by relatively low differences between mean highest correlations and mean next-highest correlations.Conclusions:Despite some possible overlap between dimensions 7 and 8, the N-HLQ appeared relatively robust. Thus, this study's results contribute to the evidence validation base for the N-HLQ in Norwegian populations. [HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice. 2020;4(4):e190–e199.]Plain Language Summary:This study tested the Norwegian version of the Health Literacy Questionnaire. The questionnaire (44 items across nine scales) was completed by 368 nursing students. Despite some overlap between scale 7 (“navigating in the health care system”) and scale 8 (“ability to find good health information”), the questionnaire appears to serve as a good measurement for health literacy in the Norwegian population.

The Violent Behavior Vignette Questionnaire (VBVQ): A Measure of Violent Behavior for Research in Forensic and Non-Forensic Settings and Populations.

The measurement of violent behavior presents serious challenges for research on violence. In the current article, we present initial tests of the construct validity of scores on the Violent Behavior Vignette Questionnaire (VBVQ), which consists of a series of interpersonal conflict vignettes with response options in a multiple-choice format designed to measure current violent behavior. Violent responses on the initial version of the VBVQ generally corresponded to independent indicators of physical aggressiveness and violent behavior among male university students, men in the community, and incarcerated male offenders. We then refined the VBVQ and again tested the validity of its scores in new samples of men in the community and incarcerated male offenders. In both samples, men who selected a violent response option on the VBVQ generally had much higher levels of physical aggressiveness and violent behavior than did men who selected non-violent response options. However, VBVQ responses were not associated with the number of violent offenses in offenders' official criminal records. Our findings provide some support for the use of the VBVQ in lab and correctional/forensic research, but further research is required to determine whether it offers advantages over other measures.

Development and validation of a tourism fatigue scale

Abstract Fatigue is a pervasive physiological and psychological phenomenon in tourism experiences, but remains almost unexplored in the existing literature on tourist perception and behavior. The possible reason for this deficiency is the vagueness of the tourism fatigue concept and the lack of a measurement tool in addition to the influence of the traditional paradigms and ideas of the tourism research. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a scale for measuring tourism fatigue based on its conceptualization. Taking Zhouzhuang Ancient Town and Huangshan Mountain as examples, 926 samples were collected through two rounds of data collection. Following construct definition, initial item production, scale purification, EFA, CFA, reliability and validity testing, a four-dimensional (physical, motivational, affective and cognitive) tourism fatigue model with 16 items was established. This study extends the current knowledge of tourist perceptions and behaviors and provides a tool for further related investigation for academics and managers.

Pilot study on deformed bullet correlation

Most studies on bullet identification address test fired bullets that have near pristine striated marks on the land engraved areas (LEAs). However, in case work, bullets found at a crime scene may be severely deformed or fragmented. The resulting missing, expanded, or distorted LEA striations can cause challenges in toolmark comparisons performed by examiners or algorithms. In this paper, an image reconstruction procedure is proposed that, in combination with the Congruent Matching Profile Segments (CMPS) profile comparison method, facilitates the algorithmic correlation of deformed bullets. Initial validation tests were conducted using 57 bullets, with varying degrees of fragmentation or deformation, that were fired from the same 9mm Luger caliber Luger pistol. The bullets spanned 7 different ammunition brands. The CMPS method was applied to correlate the LEA striation profiles extracted from LEA topography images that were corrected for pattern distortion. 15 bullet LEAs, out of 250 bullet LEAs that could be measured, had major distortions. Two sets of comparison tests were conducted, corresponding to a same source and specific source scenario: 1) comparison of the severely distorted LEAs with a near-pristine reference bullet, before and after image reconstruction, and 2) inter comparisons of distorted LEAs, before and after reconstruction. The reconstruction process significantly improved the correlation results when dealing with distorted bullet LEAs. In general, the improvement was larger for samples with relatively large deformation and good striation visibility. Samples with approximately parallel striations tend to have less improvement of CMPS results after profile reconstruction since the CMPS method itself can correct certain scale errors.

Privacy Preserving Policy Framework: User-Aware and User-Driven

Privacy policies outline and structure data collection and access management for online services or websites. These policies are often too long, complex, and convoluted for an average internet user to understand which is a factor in why these policies are ignored. Prior work has mostly focused on improving the accessibility of these privacy policies. Here we focus on making the policies more resemble the negotiation they are supposed to represent by proving flexibility to people. An example is a website which offers various services such as photo, video, or location sharing, where the people are required to either accept the privacy policy to access all the services provided by the website or be prevented from using any of the services. Our goal is to map privacy policy statements to the distinct services offered by a website allowing people to agree for only the services they wish to use. By not agreeing to a policy statement, the access would be denied only on the corresponding service instead of following the all or none mechanism. Additionally, this would also prevent the website from collecting data from people for a particular service which they have no current or future desire to use, in accordance with the principle of data collection minimization. We propose a privacy policy framework to promote transparency for consumers, credibility and trust building for the organization, and clarity in data storage for the developers. Our modular service-policy map for developers allow them to easily associate new features to the corresponding privacy policy section. Modularizing enables developers, organizations, customers, and other stakeholders to understand how specific services correspond with individual data compilations. With the current ongoing debate of data access strategies in social media platforms, our initial framework is based on Facebook’s privacy policy because of the diversity in services that the platform offers. However, the framework can be widely applied across various social media, business, and health care policies. Finally, through pilot interviews with existing consumers, we report on the initial validity testing of our proposed framework. Our early findings are promising in terms of meeting the goals of promoting privacy awareness and increasing trust in organizations' privacy policies.

Beliefs about sharing illness experiences: Development of a scale and relationship with symptoms of fibromyalgia.

The aim of the current research was to evaluate, in people with fibromyalgia, the extent to which beliefs about sharing illness experiences are associated with functioning and distress, and to explore the mediating role of illness behaviours. A new scale was designed to address this. The Beliefs about Sharing Illness Experiences (BASIE) scale was developed, and initial tests of reliability and validity were conducted. A cross-sectional design was used to determine relationships, including mediation analyses. Individuals with fibromyalgia (n=147) and a comparison group of individuals without fibromyalgia (n=47) completed questionnaires online. Construct validity was assessed by comparing these two groups. Convergent validity was assessed through correlations with the BASIE and measures of support-seeking and self-sacrifice. Correlation analyses were used to determine relationships with illness behaviours and outcome measures (distress and global impact). Mediation analyses were used to test the indirect effects of illness behaviours. The BASIE was correlated with expected convergent measures and had good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=.939). Individuals with fibromyalgia had significantly higher scores than the comparison group. There was a direct relationship between BASIE scores and outcomes, in terms of functioning and distress. The relationship between BASIE scores and functioning was partially mediated by personal/emotional support-seeking and all-or-nothing behaviours, and not by symptom-related support-seeking or limiting behaviours. Beliefs about sharing illness experiences may be a key factor in maintaining cycles of distress and symptoms in people with fibromyalgia, together with all-or-nothing behaviours and personal/emotional support-seeking. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Maintenance of fibromyalgia is likely to be a complex autopoietic relationship including symptoms, beliefs, behaviours, and emotions. Research suggests possible roles of beliefs about unacceptability of emotions and beliefs around interpersonal situations, and behaviours in social situations as well as limiting and all-or-nothing behaviours. People with fibromyalgia may experience stigma, sometimes resulting in secrecy around their condition and symptoms. What does this study add? The BASIE is a 21-item questionnaire that measures beliefs around sharing illness experiences. Individuals with fibromyalgia hold stronger beliefs around unacceptability of sharing illness experiences. These beliefs are related to functioning and distress, partially mediated by illness behaviours.

Development and Initial Validation of a Frontline Health Worker mHealth Assessment Platform (MEDSINC®) for Children 2-60 Months of Age.

.Approximately 3 million children younger than 5 years living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) die each year from treatable clinical conditions such as pneumonia, dehydration secondary to diarrhea, and malaria. A majority of these deaths could be prevented with early clinical assessments and appropriate therapeutic intervention. In this study, we describe the development and initial validation testing of a mobile health (mHealth) platform, MEDSINC®, designed for frontline health workers (FLWs) to perform clinical risk assessments of children aged 2–60 months. MEDSINC is a web browser–based clinical severity assessment, triage, treatment, and follow-up recommendation platform developed with physician-based Bayesian pattern recognition logic. Initial validation, usability, and acceptability testing were performed on 861 children aged between 2 and 60 months by 49 FLWs in Burkina Faso, Ecuador, and Bangladesh. MEDSINC-based clinical assessments by FLWs were independently and blindly correlated with clinical assessments by 22 local health-care professionals (LHPs). Results demonstrate that clinical assessments by FLWs using MEDSINC had a specificity correlation between 84% and 99% to LHPs, except for two outlier assessments (63% and 75%) at one study site, in which local survey prevalence data indicated that MEDSINC outperformed LHPs. In addition, MEDSINC triage recommendation distributions were highly correlated with those of LHPs, whereas usability and feasibility responses from LHP/FLW were collectively positive for ease of use, learning, and job performance. These results indicate that the MEDSINC platform could significantly increase pediatric health-care capacity in LMICs by improving FLWs’ ability to accurately assess health status and triage of children, facilitating early life-saving therapeutic interventions.

Determination of response versus scan angle for the NOAA-20 visible infrared imaging radiometer suite thermal emissive bands from emissive radiation measurements during the pitch maneuver

The visible infrared imaging radiometer suite (VIIRS) is a key sensor onboard the newly launched (November 18, 2017) NOAA-20 satellite and the early launched Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) satellite. The two VIIRS sensors are nearly identical in design. Its onboard calibration components include a solar diffuser (SD) and a SD stability monitor for the reflective solar bands, a V-grooved blackbody for the thermal emissive bands (TEBs),and a space view port for background subtraction. These onboard calibrators are located at fixed scan angles. The response versus scan angle (RVS) of the VIIRS scan mirror was characterized prelaunch in lab-ambient conditions and is currently used to calibrate the on-orbit response for all scan angles relative to the calibrator's scan angle. A spacecraft-level pitch maneuver was scheduled during the initial intensive calibration and validation testing for both the NOAA-20 and SNPP. The pitch maneuver provided a rare opportunity for VIIRS to make observations of deep space over the entire range of the scan angle, which can be used to characterize the TEBRVS. We analyze the NOAA-20 pitch maneuver data and assess the derived TEB RVS. A comparison between the RVS determined by the pitch maneuver observations and prelaunch lab measurements is conducted for each band, detector, and mirror side of the half-angle mirror.

Novel imaging phantom for accurate and robust measurement of brain atrophy rates using clinical MRI.

Brain volume loss, or atrophy, has been proven to be an important characteristic of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis. To use atrophy rate as a reliable clinical biomarker and to increase statistical power in clinical treatment trials, measurement variability needs to be minimized. Among other sources, systematic differences between different MR scanners are suspected to contribute to this variability. In this study we developed and performed initial validation tests of an MR-compatible phantom and analysis software for robust and reliable evaluation of the brain volume loss. The phantom contained three inflatable models of brain structures, i.e. cerebral hemisphere, putamen, and caudate nucleus. Software to reliably quantify volumes form the phantom images was also developed. To validate the method, the phantom was imaged using 3D T1-weighted protocols at three clinical 3T MR scanners from different vendors. Calculated volume change from MRI was compared with the known applied volume change using ICC and mean absolute difference. As assessed by the ICC, the agreement between our developed software and the applied volume change for different structures ranged from 0.999–1 for hemisphere, 0.976–0.998 for putamen, and 0.985–0.999 for caudate nucleus. The mean absolute differences between measured and applied volume change were 109–332 μL for hemisphere, 2.9–11.9 μL for putamen, and 2.2–10.1 μL for caudate nucleus. This method offers a reliable and robust measurement of volume change using MR images and could potentially be used to standardize clinical measurement of atrophy rates.

A Study on the Deployment of a Service Robot in an Elderly Care Center

In this article, we address the implementation and deployment of a service robot platform for interaction with the elderly in the context of a collaborative European initiative. Specifically, we overview the development of the robot system architecture and components, focusing on the graceful integration of a set of interoperable intelligent services towards advanced human–robot interaction. The service robot targets older people with light physical or psychological issues, delivering several different functionalities, and putting itself at their service. We describe the initial validation tests in a semi-controlled scenario, as well as the deployment of the robotic platform during a week-long pilot in an end user environment. The main challenges and the outcome of the experimental tests with the mobile robot platform are discussed, and results show generally positive reactions from the care center residents, which have provided their valuable feedback on the usability, appearance, interaction and satisfaction of the robot, yielding important lessons that were learned while performing the pilot.

The Optical Autocovariance Wind Lidar. Part I: OAWL Instrument Development and Demonstration

AbstractWe present the motivation, instrument concept, hardware descriptions, and initial validation testing for a Doppler wind lidar (DWL) system that uses optical autocovariance (OA) in a field-widened quadrature Mach–Zehnder interferometer lidar to measure Doppler shifts from atmospheric-aerosol-backscattered laser light. We describe system architectures for three different generations of the direct-detection aerosol Optical Autocovariance Wind Lidar (OAWL) system, including the current two-line-of-sight, dual-wavelength (355 and 532 nm) airborne configuration, designed to be an airborne demonstrator for potential space-based global wind measurement applications. We provide meter-per-second-precision results from a ground-based 355-nm OAWL aerosol winds measurement validation study alongside another DWL, results from an autumn 2011 airborne validation testing performed with radar wind profiler data, and wind measurement results from airborne validation flight testing using the 532-nm wavelength in spring 2016.

Construction and validity evidence of a scale for coping with difficult social academic interpersonal situations

The aim of this study was to develop a scale to investigate the ways of coping with interpersonal situations considered difficult in the Brazilian university context. The items were based on the results of a study previously obtained in a focus group with university students. The first steps of the study were the analysis of judges and the investigation of the semantic validity. After these steps, a total of 1366 (female = 74.9%) students from public and private institutions participated in the study. The study followed the steps design of the items, development of the first version of the instrument, and initial tests of validity (content validity and internal consistency). The results of the exploratory factor analysis indicated the maintenance of 26 items, distributed in four factors: focus on emotion (α = 0.73), focus on social support (α = 0.81), focus on religious coping (α = 0.83), and focus on the problem (α = 0.70). The final scale solution was considered satisfactory for the proposed instrument, with consistency for the application in other studies and investigations that evaluate the coping strategies of students in situations considered difficult in the university.

Development, initial validation and reliability testing of a web-based, generic feline health-related quality-of-life instrument.

The objective of this study was to develop a valid, reliable, web-based generic feline health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) questionnaire instrument to measure the affective impact of chronic disease. A large initial item pool, obtained through interviews with cat owners, was reduced using predetermined criteria, survey scores for relevance and clarity, and the ability of individual items to discriminate between healthy and sick cats when owners completed a prototype questionnaire. Using these data, factor analysis was used to derive a scoring algorithm and provide evidence for factorial validity. Validity was demonstrated further in a field trial using a 'known groups' approach (sick vs healthy cats will have a different HRQoL profile, and the HRQoL profile of cats will deteriorate as comorbidities increase). Test-retest reliability was assessed using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs). In total, 165 items were reduced to 20 and, on the basis of a factor analysis that explained 72.3% of the variation in scores input by 71 owners of 30 healthy and 41 sick cats using the prototype, these were allocated to three domains (vitality, comfort and emotional wellbeing [EWB]) with a scoring algorithm derived using item loadings. Subsequently, the owners of 36 healthy and 58 sick cats completed one or two (n = 48) assessments. Median scores (healthy vs sick) for all domains were significantly different ( P <0.001), 78% of cats were correctly classified as healthy or sick and for comorbidities the correlation coefficients were moderate (vitality 0.64; comfort 0.63; EWB 0.50). Test-retest reliability was good (ICC vitality 0.635; comfort 0.716; EWB 0.853). This study provides initial evidence for the validity and reliability of a novel HRQoL instrument to aid the assessment and management of chronic diseases of cats.

Work Addiction Test Questionnaire to Assess Workaholism: Validation of French Version

BackgroundWork addiction is a significant public health problem with a growing prevalence. The Work Addiction Risk Test (WART) is the gold standard questionnaire to detect workaholism.ObjectiveThe main objective of this study was to validate the French version of the WART.MethodsQuestionnaires were proposed to voluntary French workers using the WittyFit software. There were no exclusion criteria. The questionnaire was administered anonymously for initial validity testing and readministered one week later for test-retest reliability. We also assessed the workers’ sociodemographic characteristics, as well as other measurements for external validity, such as stress, well-being, and coaddictions to tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis. Several psychometric properties of the French-WART were explored: acceptability, reliability (internal consistency [Cronbach alpha coefficient] and reproducibility [Lin concordance coefficient]), construct validity (correlation coefficients and principal component analysis), and external validity (correlation coefficients).ResultsAmong the 1580 workers using WittyFit, 187 (11.83%) agreed to complete the WART questionnaire. Of those, 128 completed the test-retest survey (68.4%). Acceptability found that all respondents had fully completed the questionnaire, with few floor or ceiling effects. Reliability was very good with a Cronbach alpha coefficient at .90 (internal consistency) and Lin concordance coefficient at .90 (95% CI .87-.94] with a difference on the retest of .04 (SD 4.9) (95% CI −9.6 to 9.7) (reproducibility). We identified three main dimensions (construct validity). Relationships between WART and stress and well-being confirmed its external validity.ConclusionsThe French version of the WART is a valid and reliable instrument to assess work addiction with satisfactory psychometric properties. Used in occupational medicine, this tool would allow the diagnosis of work addiction and can be easily implemented in current practice.

Wireless Monitoring of Induction Machine Rotor Physical Variables.

With the widespread use of electric machines, there is a growing need to extract information from the machines to improve their control systems and maintenance management. The present work shows the development of an embedded system to perform the monitoring of the rotor physical variables of a squirrel cage induction motor. The system is comprised of: a circuit to acquire desirable rotor variable(s) and value(s) that send it to the computer; a rectifier and power storage circuit that converts an alternating current in a continuous current but also stores energy for a certain amount of time to wait for the motor’s shutdown; and a magnetic generator that harvests energy from the rotating field to power the circuits mentioned above. The embedded system is set on the rotor of a 5 HP squirrel cage induction motor, making it difficult to power the system because it is rotating. This problem can be solved with the construction of a magnetic generator device to avoid the need of using batteries or collector rings and will send data to the computer using a wireless NRF24L01 module. For the proposed system, initial validation tests were made using a temperature sensor (DS18b20), as this variable is known as the most important when identifying the need for maintenance and control systems. Few tests have shown promising results that, with further improvements, can prove the feasibility of using sensors in the rotor.

Shortening of an existing generic online health-related quality of life instrument for dogs.

Development, initial validation and reliability testing of a shortened version of a web-based questionnaire instrument to measure generic health-related quality of life in companion dogs, to facilitate smartphone and online use. The original 46 items were reduced using expert judgment and factor analysis. Items were removed on the basis of item loadings and communalities on factors identified through factor analysis of responses from owners of healthy and unwell dogs, intrafactor item correlations, readability of items in the UK, USA and Australia and ability of individual items to discriminate between healthy and unwell dogs. Validity was assessed through factor analysis and a field trial using a "known groups" approach. Test-retest reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients. The new instrument comprises 22 items, each of which was rated by dog owners using a 7-point Likert scale. Factor analysis revealed a structure with four health-related quality of life domains (energetic/enthusiastic, happy/content, active/comfortable, and calm/relaxed) accounting for 72% of the variability in the data compared with 64% for the original instrument. The field test involving 153 healthy and unwell dogs demonstrated good discriminative properties and high intraclass correlation coefficients. The 22-item shortened form is superior to the original instrument and can be accessed via a mobile phone app. This is likely to increase the acceptability to dog owners as a routine wellness measure in health care packages and as a therapeutic monitoring tool.

The Blood Donation Ambivalence Survey: measuring conflicting attitudes about giving blood.

This study was designed to develop and conduct initial validation testing for a novel measure of ambivalence about donating blood. Previous studies of living organ, bone marrow and stem cell donors have identified donation-related ambivalence as a predictor of decisions about donation and post-donation outcomes. Ambivalence about blood donation has not received the same attention. In Study 1, a sample of young adults (N = 396) were administered test items of ambivalence, and exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were performed to identify the Blood Donation Ambivalence Survey. In Study 2, a separate sample of young adults (N = 241) completed the Blood Donation Ambivalence Survey in addition to questionnaires assessing known predictors of blood donation. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated a two-factor structure reflecting commitment to donating blood and indecision about giving blood. The commitment subscale was positively related to known predictors of increased donation behaviour (e.g. donation intention, self-efficacy), whereas the indecision subscale was positively related to known predictors of decreased donation behaviour (e.g. donation anxiety, negative affect). Furthermore, a history of blood donation was associated with greater commitment and less indecision. The present findings provide strong initial support for the reliability and validity of a novel measure of blood donor ambivalence.