Psychometric Properties Of Instrument Research Articles

Role of social currency in customer experience and co-creation intention in online travel agencies: Moderation of attitude and subjective norms

This study investigates the relationship between social currency and customer experience concerning online travel agencies. Riding on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), we explore the moderating effect of attitude and subjective norms on customer experience. First, a conceptual model is developed and tested using the data collected from 392 respondents from India. Then, after checking the instrument's psychometric properties, we used hierarchical regression to test hypotheses. The results indicate that (a) social currency, (b) attitude, and (c) subjective norms are positively associated with customer experience. Furthermore, the findings also support attitude and subjective norms moderating the relationship between social currency and customer experience. Finally, customer experience positively predicts co-creation intention by customers. The implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Investigating method effects associated with the wording direction of items of the Social Physique Anxiety Scale.

PurposeThe use of psychometric instruments to measure latent concepts is common. The development of these instruments usually involves mechanisms to reduce response bias, such as the inclusion of reversed items. The aim of this study was to investigate method effects related to the wording direction of the Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS) items, a one-dimensional instrument that assesses individual’s level of anxiety when others observe their body.MethodsIn total, 152 Brazilian adults (65.8% female) answered 2 formats of the SPAS: the original with 12 items (7 regular and 5 reversed); and a new format with all items written in the same direction (i.e., regular). Both formats were filled out at different times and alternately. Differential item functioning analysis (DIF) and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted.ResultsThe original SPAS did not fit the data, but after allowing covariances between all reversed items, the fit improved. The wording effect was supported by the DIF, indicating a better fit to the data for the new format with all items worded in the same direction.ConclusionThe wording of the SPAS items had effect on the psychometric properties of instrument. When the wording of the reversed items was modified, the factor model fitted the data. Future studies should take these findings into account and evaluate the SPAS with all items worded in the same direction in different contexts.Level of evidenceDescriptive (cross-sectional) study, Level V.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40519-022-01439-x.

Recognition and rewards as moderators in the relationships between antecedents and performance of women teachers: evidence from India

PurposeAs teachers are considered “knowledge workers,” the present study explores teacher performance in schools. A particular emphasis is given to assessing the performance of female teachers in the rural part of South India.Design/methodology/approachAfter collecting data from 563 female teachers from four blocks in Nilgiris District (Ooty, Kotagiri, Coonoor and Gudalur) consisting of 37 government schools in the southern part of India, all the female teachers were surveyed, and the data were analyzed after checking the instrument's psychometric properties by performing confirmatory factor analysis. Hierarchical regression was employed to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe findings revealed that (1) empowerment, organizational communication and work–life balance (WLB) and recognition and rewards are positively and significantly related to teacher performance; (2) recognition and rewards moderate the relationship between (a) empowerment and performance, (b) organizational communication and performance, (c) WLB and performance, (d) organizational culture and performance and (e) quality of work-life (QWL) and performance.Research limitations/implicationsAs with any survey research, common method bias and social desirability bias may be potential limitations. However, proper care is taken to minimize these biases. The findings from this study contribute to the growing literature on education and training. In addition, the study highlights the importance of creating a climate for empowerment, recognition and rewards to foster teacher performance.Practical implicationsThe study helps administrators and policymakers to understand the antecedents of teacher performance and take necessary steps to motivate the teachers for superior performance.Originality/valueThe conceptual model the authors developed and tested is, according to the authors' knowledge, the first of the model's kind. A clear understanding of the predictors of teacher performance may guide the administrators and teaches in fostering performance in schools. The exclusive focus on female teachers is considered in this study because of the several problems the female teachers encounter in rural areas. Despite the disadvantages, female teachers perform well and contribute to students and the country as a whole.

Instruments used to measure knowledge and attitudes of healthcare professionals towards antibiotic use for the treatment of urinary tract infections: A systematic review.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the second most common condition (after upper respiratory tract infections) for which adults receive antibiotics, and this prevalence may contribute to antibiotic resistance. Knowledge and attitudes have been identified as potential determinants of antibiotic prescribing behaviour among healthcare professionals in the treatment and management of UTIs. An instrument that captures prescribers' baseline knowledge of and attitudes towards antibiotic prescribing for UTIs could inform interventions to enhance prescribing. The current systematic review evaluates the psychometric properties of instruments already available and describes the theoretical constructs they measure. Five electronic databases were searched for published studies and instruments. The Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement Instruments checklist was used to assess the psychometric quality reporting of the instruments. The items included in each instrument were mapped onto the theoretical constructs underlying knowledge and attitudes using a mixed-theoretical model developed for this study. Fourteen studies met the review inclusion criteria. All instruments were available for review. None of the instruments had all the psychometric properties evaluated. Most of the instruments sought to identify knowledge and/or attitude factors influencing antibiotic prescribing for UTIs rather than to measure/assess knowledge and attitudes. Few instruments for the assessment of knowledge and attitudes of healthcare professionals towards antibiotic use and UTI treatment are available. None of the instruments underwent the full development process to ensure that all psychometric properties were met. Furthermore, none of the instruments assessed all domains of knowledge and attitudes. Therefore, the ability of the instruments to provide a robust measurement of knowledge and attitudes is doubtful. There is a need for an instrument that fully and accurately measures the constructs of knowledge and attitude of healthcare professionals in the treatment of UTIs.

Psychometric properties of the healthy aging brain care monitor self-report tool in patients discharged from the intensive care unit.

Intensive care unit survivors experience new and ongoing physical, psychological, and cognitive complications known as postintensive care syndrome. The study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the healthy aging brain care monitor self-report tool for assessing postintensive care syndrome in Iranian patients. The study is a methodological study investigating the psychometric properties of the healthy aging brain care monitor self-report tool in 153 patients discharged from the intensive care unit. The instrument's psychometric properties were examined to determine content validity, construct validity (factor analysis, convergent validity, and discriminant validity), concurrent validity, and internal consistency. The factor structure of the healthy aging brain care monitor self-report tool was examined in the form of two models: the three-factor model with 27 items and the three-factor model with 19 items. Regarding fit indices and results of the convergent, discriminant validities and the internal consistency the 19-item model is better than the original 27-item model. The study showed that the appropriate model for the healthy aging brain care monitor self-report tool in Iranian society is a tool with 19 items with the best conditions in terms of factor structure, internal consistency, and overall psychometric characteristics. The present study led to the introduction of a valid instrument with a 19-item factor structure to assess the postintensive care syndrome by nurses and other healthcare providers in hospitals, clinics, palliative care centers, and home care centers.

Lifestyle and Life Expectancy Questionnaire: validation and assessment in an Italian sample.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the relia-bility and validity of the lifestyle (Miller-Smith) and life expectancy (Schneider) questionnaires in the Italian setting in order to make this instrument available for the determination of lifestyle and hope level in the different domains of everyday life. Before testing their psychometric properties, the original versions of the two questionnaires, lifestyle (Miller-Smith) and life expectancy (Schneider), were translated into the Italian language. We tested the instrument's psychometric properties on a sample of 18 patients over 60 years old with Alzheimer's disease in the Sapienza University of Rome teaching hospital, policlinico Umberto 1. Internal consistency was considered to assess the reliability of the results across items within the adopted scale by using Cronbach's α coefficient. Using Kolmogorov-Smirnov's test, the normality distribution was evaluated to guarantee the applicability of a parametric or non-parametric test. The software used to analyze data was SPSS version 26 for Windows. According to the outcome of our statistical analysis, the lifestyle scale showed high overall internal consistency, and the Cron-bach's α coefficient for the total 20-item scale was 0.80 in the Italian population. On the other hand, using the 12-item questionnaire about life expectancy resulted in a high overall internal consistency of 0.93, according to the Cronbach's alpha test. The outcome of our study shows that the Italian versions of the lifestyle (Miller-Smith) and life expectancy (Schneider) questionnaires demonstrated good psychometric properties and good characteristics of factorial validity for future epidemiological studies aimed at evaluating lifestyle and lifestyle expectancy in the Italian population and can as well be used in clinical practice and research.

Psychometric Properties of Self-Regulated Learning Strategies in Learning English Grammar and English Grammar Self-Efficacy Scales

The study reports on the psychometric properties of instruments that can measure EFL students’ self-regulated learning strategy use and English grammar self-efficacy and examines the relationship between these two constructs. 350 male and 432 female students, aged between 16 and 17, from two high schools in Vietnam participated in the survey. The participants answered the Questionnaire of Self-Regulated Learning Strategies in Learning English Grammar (QSRLSLEG), and the Questionnaire of English Grammar Self-Efficacy (QEGSE). The disjoint two-stage approach for Partial Least Square-Structural Equation was used to analyze the data. The results showed that the 24-item QSRLSLEG and 8-item QEGSE have face, content, and construct validity and reliability. A moderate relationship between SRL strategies in English grammar learning and English grammar SE was found. Both instruments are reliable and valid assessment tools, providing useful information for researchers and English teachers to investigate important aspects of students’ self-regulation in learning English grammar.

A school-based educational on-site vaccination intervention for adolescents in an urban area in Germany: feasibility and psychometric properties of instruments in a pilot study

BackgroundVaccination rates for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) and diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and polio (Tdap-IPV) are not optimal among German adolescents. Education in combination with easy access to vaccination may be a promising approach to improve vaccination rates. The present paper describes a pilot study of a planned cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT) in which we aim to improve MMR and Tdap-IPV vaccination rates together with knowledge and self-efficacy in a school setting.MethodsThe study covered 863 students from 41 classes of four schools. The optimization and feasibility of access to schools, recruitment strategies, intervention, and assessment procedures were examined. The course and content of the educational unit were evaluated with a mixed-methods approach. A pre-post measurement design was tested for the vaccination rate in all schools. Additionally, at two schools, improvement in vaccination-related knowledge and perceived self-efficacy were measured by questionnaire pre-educational unit (n=287) and post-educational unit (n=293). The remaining two schools provided only postintervention data. Finally, we evaluated the psychometric properties (i.e., reliability, retest reliability, and change rates) of the questionnaire, applying Cronbach’s alpha, factor analyses, generalized estimating equations and linear mixed models.ResultsThe findings of the pilot study indicated good feasibility. Of the total sample, 437 students (50.9%) brought their vaccination cards to school, 68 students received Tdap-IPV vaccinations, and 11 received MMR vaccinations. Out of six knowledge questions, on average, the students had M=2.84 (95% CI [2.69, 3.10]) correct answers before and M=4.45 (95% CI [4.26, 4.64]) after the class. Ranging from 1 to 4, the self-efficacy scale changed by 0.3 points (p <.001); Cronbach’s alpha was 0.67 and 0.76 pre- and post-educational unit, respectively, and a one-factor solution was found. Content analysis of the five semistructured group interviews (n=12, 58.3% female) showed that all students found the length of the intervention to be appropriate. The teaching methods, including interactive and social media components, were perceived as very good.ConclusionsA school-based educational and on-site vaccination intervention appears to be feasible in terms of procedures and the adequacy of the instruments for the adolescent target group.Trial registrationISRCTN, ISRCTN18026662. Pilot study for main trial registered 8 December 2017.

Reliability and validity of a perinatal depression screening instrument in rural Mali

BackgroundIn order to reduce the burden of perinatal depression in low- and middle-income countries, health systems must be able to identify and treat women suffering from depression. The objective of our study was to develop a locally valid and reliable screening instrument for use in identifying pregnant women and mothers of young children with a local depression syndrome, dusukasi, in rural Mali. MethodsWe administered a locally adapted screening instrument containing items from the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) and Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-25) to 180 pregnant women and mothers of children under age 2 in Sélingué, Mali to assess the instrument's psychometric properties and validity. Item Response Theory was used to develop an abbreviated version of the measure and the validity and psychometric properties of this shortened version were compared with the full-length scale. ResultsThe full 28-item scale exhibited a single factor structure with good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha ​= ​0.92). Women who self-identified as suffering from dusukasi (n ​= ​87) in a known groups analysis to assess construct validity had significantly higher depression and anxiety symptom scores (p ​< ​0.0001) and functional impairment scores (p ​< ​0.0001) compared to women not reporting dusukasi (n ​= ​93). The shortened 16-item scale performed as well as the full scale in identifying women with dusukasi. ConclusionsConstruct validity of our adapted screening instrument was supported for identifying dusukasi in rural Malian women. Our methodology can be applied in other settings to develop similarly valid screening instruments for perinatal depression.

POSB305 Assessing the Reliability and Validity of an Instrument Used to Measure Student Pharmacists' Experiences of Teamwork in a Quality Improvement Course

Previous research has assessed student pharmacists’ perspectives of working as part of a quality improvement team, however, the psychometric properties of instruments used to capture this data have not been well-assessed. This study aimed to measure the reliability and validity of an instrument designed to assess student pharmacists' experiences of teamwork in a quality improvement (QI) class at one college of pharmacy in the United States.

The Yonsei Lifestyle Profile for adults and the older adults: Development and test‐retest reliability

AbstractBackgroundLifestyle is one of the vital determinants for health and quality of life for the older adults. This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Yonsei Lifestyle Profile (YLP) in community‐dwelling adults and older adults,MethodA lifestyle profile for adults and the older adults was developed through two approaches. First, a comprehensive literature review and Delphi studies with an expert panel were conducted to develop the items of the multidimensional lifestyle profile questionnaire. Second, the instrument psychometric properties were assessed in a sample of community‐dwelling older adults in South Korea. In total, 156 older adults completed the YLP. Internal consistency was analyzed using Cronbach’s alpha (α) reliability coefficient. Test‐retest reliability, using an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), was assessed based on scores attained two weeks apart,ResultSixty items were developed based on the comprehensive literature review and Delphi studies. The total scale of the YLP was .83 which reflects high internal reliability. The alpha values of the YLP subscales ranged from .80 to .74 for all participants. Regarding the test‐retest reliability, the ICC was .97 for the total scores of the YLP, ranging from poor to good (0.50–0.99) for the YLP subscales. Thus, it was confirmed that the YLP has good test‐retest reliability statistics.ConclusionThe YLP developed to measure the multidimensional lifestyle factors of older adults is a valid instrument to apply in community‐dwelling adults and older adults. Therefore, the YLP questionnaire can be used in clinical practice when health‐care practitioners evaluate their client’s lifestyle.

Psychometric properties of the 7-item version of the Concise Health Risk Tracking Self-Report Scale for rural adults enrolled in an Internet-delivered self-help program for depression.

Monitoring suicide risk in clinical practice requires valid and reliable assessment instruments. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the 7-item version of the Concise Health Risk Tracking Self-Report, CHRT-SR7 in a primarily rural population. The sample comprised 788 participants (81.7% female) of an effectiveness trial of an internet-based self-help intervention for depression. Participants completed self-report questionnaires, including the CHRT-SR7 , Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Work and Social Adjustment Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10, and Barriers to Seeking Mental Health Care. Four-week test-retest reliability was calculated for a subsample of 147 participants randomized to a waitlist control group. The CHRT-SR7 internal consistency was α = 0.80 (total sample), α = 0.80 (women), and α = 0.83 (men). The 4-week test-retest reliability was strong for women (r = 0.78) and moderate for men (r = 0.66). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the original 3-factor solution: Hopelessness (2 items), Perceived Lack of Social Support (2 items), and Current Suicidal Thoughts and Plans (3 items), which was invariant across gender and rural status. Convergent and divergent validity was supported as reflected in significant correlations of the CHRT-SR7 and its subscales with measures of depression, anxiety, adjustment, and resilience. Limitations include the limited demographic diversity (mostly non-Hispanic White women) and reliance on self-report data. Our findings complement those reported in prior studies of patients with severe depression and support the use of the CHRT-SR7 for measuring suicide risk in rural adults; future studies should further test the instrument's psychometric properties in racial or ethnic minority rural residents.

Psychometrics in Behavioral Software Engineering: A Methodological Introduction with Guidelines

A meaningful and deep understanding of the human aspects of software engineering (SE) requires psychological constructs to be considered. Psychology theory can facilitate the systematic and sound development as well as the adoption of instruments (e.g., psychological tests, questionnaires) to assess these constructs. In particular, to ensure high quality, the psychometric properties of instruments need evaluation. In this article, we provide an introduction to psychometric theory for the evaluation of measurement instruments for SE researchers. We present guidelines that enable using existing instruments and developing new ones adequately. We conducted a comprehensive review of the psychology literature framed by the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. We detail activities used when operationalizing new psychological constructs, such as item pooling, item review, pilot testing, item analysis, factor analysis, statistical property of items, reliability, validity, and fairness in testing and test bias. We provide an openly available example of a psychometric evaluation based on our guideline. We hope to encourage a culture change in SE research towards the adoption of established methods from psychology. To improve the quality of behavioral research in SE, studies focusing on introducing, validating, and then using psychometric instruments need to be more common.

Psychometric properties of instruments to measure parenting practices and children\u2019s movement behaviors in low-income families from Brazil

BackgroundChildhood obesity has increased remarkably in low and middle-income (LMIC) countries. Movement behaviors (physical activity, screen time, and sleep) are crucial in the development of overweight and obesity in young children. Yet, few studies have investigated the relationship between children’s movement behaviors and parenting practices because validated measures for use among families from LMIC are lacking. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of previously validated measures of young children’s physical activity, screen time, and sleep and parenting practices, translated and culturally adapted to Brazilian families.MethodsA total of 78 parent-child dyads completed an interviewer-administered survey twice within 7 days. Child physical activity, sedentary time and sleep were concurrently measured using a wrist-worn accelerometer. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability was assessed using McDonald’s Omega and Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC’s). Concurrent validity was evaluated by calculating Spearman correlations between parent reported child behaviors and accelerometer measured behaviors.ResultsSeventeen of the 19 parenting practices scales exhibited acceptable internal consistency reliability (Ω ≥ 0.70). Test-retest reliability ICC’s were acceptable and ranged from 0.82 - 0.99. Parent reported child physical activity was positively correlated with objectively measured total movement (rho= 0.29 - 0.46, p < .05) and energetic play (rho= 0.29 – 0.40, p < .05). Parent reported child screen time was positively correlated with objectively measured sedentary time; (rho = 0.26, p < .05), and inversely correlated with total movement (rho = - 0.39 – - 0.41, p < .05) and energetic play (rho = - 0.37 – - 0.41, p < .05). Parent reported night-time sleep duration was significantly correlated with accelerometer measured sleep duration on weekdays (rho = 0.29, p < .05), but not weekends.ConclusionsMeasurement tools to assess children’s movement behaviors and parenting practices, translated and culturally adapted for use in Brazilian families, exhibited acceptable evidence of concurrent validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability.

Validity and reliability of the motivation for physical activity (RM4-FM) questionnaire.

There is a lack of validated instruments measuring motivation for physical activity (RM4-FM) in the Finnish language. The study examined the translated RM4-FM instrument’s psychometric properties in a sample of healthy, older Finnish adults. RM4-FM was translated and linguistically validated adhering to published guidelines. 65–75-year olds (n=102), completed the RM4-FM, the physical activity acceptance questionnaire (PAAQ) and sociodemographic characteristics questionnaires electronically. The RM4-FM was readministered one month after the initial assessment. RM4-FM translated well into Finnish. Motivation dimension scores were skewed towards high internal and low external motivation. A floor effect was confirmed in the external regulation dimension and a ceiling effect was confirmed in the identified regulation dimension. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated inadequacy of the four-dimension model. Separate assessment of each of the four motivation dimensions with Exploratory factor analysis showed unidimensionality for all dimensions. Exploratory factor analysis provided a best-fit model of three factors (influence of other people, intention of well-being and emotional aspect of motivation). Readministration of the instruments showed good test-retest reliability in all motivation dimensions. Female gender, higher education, and higher PAAQ score were associated with higher internal motivation and lower external motivation scores. The Finnish version of the RM4-FM instrument provides valid and reliable scores in assessing motivation for physical activity in healthy, older Finnish adults. The score distributions suggested shortages in the scale when evaluating internal motivation. The three-factor model of the RM4-FM provided more favorable structural validity compared to the original version.

Development and validation of a questionnaire to determine medical orders non-adherence: a sequential exploratory mixed-method study

BackgroundPatients’ non-adherence with medical orders of physicians in outpatient clinics can lead to reduced clinical effectiveness, inadequate treatment, and increased medical care expenses. This study was conducted to develop and validate a questionnaire to determine the reasons for patients’ non-adherence with physicians’ medical orders.MethodsA sequential exploratory mixed-method study was conducted in two stages. The first stage comprised a qualitative stage to generate the primary items of the questionnaire. This stage provided findings of two sub-stages comprising a literature review and the findings of a qualitative conventional content analysis of 19 semi-structured interviews held with patients, physicians, and managers of the outpatient clinics in Kerman, an area located in southeastern Iran. The second stage comprised a quantitative study aiming evaluation of the instrument psychometric properties, including the face, content, construct, and reliability assessment of the questionnaire. Construct validity assessment was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The reliability assessment was done using assessing internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha). To assess the construct validity of the questionnaire, four hundred and forty patients referred to outpatient clinics in Kerman were selected using stratified convenience sampling to fill out the questionnaire. The sample size was calculated using the Cochran formula. Qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed by MAXQDA 10 and Stata version 14, respectively.ResultsThe primary items contained 57 items, of which 42 met the minimum acceptable value of 0.78 for item-level content validity index (I-CVI = 1 for 24 items and I-CVI = 0.8 for 18 items). Item-level content validity ratio (I-CVR) was confirmed for 18 items with a minimum acceptable value of 0.99 for five experts. Finally, 18 items obtained the acceptable value for both I-CVI and I-CVR indicators and were confirmed. Using EFA, four factors (intrapersonal-psychological, intrapersonal-cognitive, provider-related, and socio-economic reasons) with 18 items and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.70, 0.66, 0.73, and 0.71, respectively, were identified and explained 51% of the variance. The reliability of the questionnaire (r = 0.70) was confirmed.ConclusionThe questionnaire with four dimensions is a valid and reliable instrument that can help determine the perceived reasons for non-adherence with medical orders in the outpatient services system.

Adaptation of the City of Hope-Quality of Life-Ostomy Questionnaire From English to Brazilian Portuguese: A Validation Study.

To culturally adapt the City of Hope-Quality of Life-Ostomy Questionnaire (COH-QOL-OQ) from English to Brazilian Portuguese and evaluate psychometric properties of the adapted instrument (internal consistency and construct validity). Methodological study to establish reliability and validity. The sample comprised 215 persons with stomas of any etiology who attended 1 of 3 specialized outpatient care center and 2 associations for persons with ostomies. Participants were residents of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, located in southeastern Brazil. Techniques for cultural adaptation were carried out based on recommendations from the literature. We then evaluated the instrument's psychometric properties. Specifically, we evaluated construct (convergent and discriminant) validity and concurrent criterion validity via comparison of the adapted version of COH-QOL-OQ versus the WHOQOL-Bref (World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument). We also evaluated the internal consistency of the adapted COH-QOL-OQ, a measure of reliability. The internal consistency of the items was high with a Cronbach α of 0.92 for the total score and values ranging from 0.79 to 0.86 for the various domains of the COH-QOL-OQ. Confirmatory factorial analysis identified adjustment indexes to the acceptable model of adjustment for the COH-QOL-OQ model. Strong correlations between the COH-QOL-OQ and WHOQOL-Bref instrument domains confirmed the validity of the convergent construct. For the analysis of the concurrent criterion validity, the correlation coefficients between the score of item 16 and the other domains of COH-QOL-OQ ranged from 0.26 to 0.66. Analysis of the discriminate validity indicated that it was possible to isolate groups based on the temporal character of the stoma and time since ostomy surgery. The adapted version of COH-QOL-OQ demonstrates construct (convergent and discriminant) validity, concurrent criterion validity, and internal consistency (a measure of reliability) for evaluating health-related quality of life of persons with ostomies living in Brazil.

Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Professional Integration Factors Retention Strategies Survey.

Nursing students experience higher attrition rates than average college students due to the academic rigor of nursing programs. This study examined psychometric properties of the Professional Integration Factors Retention Strategies Survey (PIF-RSS), which measured constructs of faculty advisement and helpfulness, professional events, memberships, encouragement by friends in class, peer mentoring-tutoring, and enrichment programs. The PIF-RSS survey was distributed to deans, directors, and program coordinators of traditional Bachelor's in Nursing programs. Following exploratory factor analysis, 47 items aligned within a 5-factor solution were retained. Reliability of the total instrument was .90. This study provides preliminary evidence of the psychometric properties of the PIF-RSS instrument. Additional studies are recommended to further examine instrument psychometric properties for different program types and populations.

Child Body Concerns and Behavior Scale: Development and Psychometric Properties of a Body Image Scale for Children.

There are few instruments with good validity and reliability for evaluating body image in children. In this study we aimed to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a scale for Brazilian children. In Study 1, we developed 53 items on the basis of a literature review, previous body image scales and qualitative study. We developed the item format and response options and developed instructions for both researchers and participants. In Study 2, we used 10 experts and 21 boys and girls aged 7-11 years (M = 8.25 years, SD = 1.70) to evaluate item content and semantics. The scale went through further refinement, leading to the exclusion of some items and the modification of others. In Study 3, we analyzed the instrument's psychometric properties in 571 girls (M = 9.17 years of age, SD = 1.23) and 597 boys (M = 9.32 years, SD = 1.24) from all over Brazil, using exploratory and confirmatory factorial analyses with independent samples. The scale's final version for females was composed of 17 items divided into five factors; and the final male version included 13 items and two factors. Both versions presented satisfactory convergent and discriminant validity, and these scales can now be used reliably with 7-11 year old Brazilian children.

Measuring personal growth in partners of persons with multiple sclerosis: A new scale.

The purpose of this study was to describe the development and validation of a personal growth scale in caregiving partners of persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). Two studies were conducted: one to identify possible constructs and items, and another to and examine the instrument's psychometric properties. Study 1 consisted of focus groups of 39 partners of patients with MS, expert reviews, and qualitative methodology for identifying themes. In Study 2, the items generated were administered to a new sample (N = 315), and the instrument's psychometric properties were assessed. Study 2 sample was suitable for principal component analysis (PCA), and PCA was performed with oblique rotation. A 6-component solution was deemed most parsimonious and interpretable. Subscales were formed and labeled as follows: Positivity, Appreciation, Acceptance, Insight, Independence, and Spirituality. Reliability analysis of the subscales showed acceptable to high internal consistency. A secondary PCA was performed on mean subscale scores. Five of the six subscales clustered together along one dimension, and the sixth, Spirituality, was found to be distinct as represented in a loading plot. This subscale was retained as an independent measure; the remaining subscale scores were summed to create a total score. Measures of convergent and discriminant validity evaluated against existing instruments yielded findings in the expected directions. The dimensionality and structure of personal growth in caregiving partners of persons with MS were delineated in a novel instrument. Future studies should confirm its structure, establish classification criteria, and standardize it as an assessment tool. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).