Person Separation Reliability Research Articles

The Children’s Somatic Symptoms Inventory-8: Psychometric Properties of a Brief Measure of Somatic Distress

Background: Children often present to primary and specialty care clinics with multiple somatic symptoms of nonspecific origin that can be highly distressing and prompt significant health service use. We evaluated the psychometric properties of the eight-item Children’s Somatic Symptoms Inventory (CSSI-8) as a brief measure of somatic distress that could be easily integrated into clinical systems. Method: Eight items from the 24-item CSSI were selected based on their representation of multiple bodily systems, association with high base rates, and ability to maximize the separation of the items’ Rasch measure scores. The psychometric quality of the eight-item scale was evaluated in 876 pediatric patients with chronic abdominal pain and a nonclinical sample of 954 school children using methods from three psychometric models (the classical test theory, Rasch modeling, and confirmatory factor analysis). Results: The CSSI-8 showed good measurement properties on an extensive array of psychometric criteria, had adequate Rasch person separation reliability for a brief instrument (rsep = 0.74–0.75), and distinguished between clinical and nonclinical youth. Girls in both groups had significantly higher CSSI-8 scores than boys. Norms for the clinical sample are presented. Conclusions: The CSSI-8 is a psychometrically sound measure suitable for use as a brief dimensional assessment of pediatric somatic distress.

Rasch validation of the revised body awareness rating questionnaire (BARQ-R) in adults with and without musculoskeletal pain

BackgroundThe Revised Body Awareness Rating Questionnaire (BARQ-R) is a self-report measure of body awareness. First aim: evaluate the structural validity of BARQ-R with Rasch analysis in community-dwelling Americans with and without musculoskeletal pain. Subaim: validate a Rasch analysis of BARQ-R done in Norwegian adults with musculoskeletal pain, through a secondary analysis in our sample of Americans with musculoskeletal pain.MethodsBARQ-R has 12 items with scores ranging from 0 (completely disagree) to 3 (completely agree), with higher total scores reflecting lower degrees of body awareness. Through Rasch analysis, we evaluated unidimensionality, item hierarchy, and structural validity with item and person fit, targeting, person separation reliability (PSR), local item dependence (LID), differential item functioning (DIF), and principal components analysis of residuals (PCAR).ResultsWe recruited 623 adults with and without musculoskeletal pain (average age = 50.27 ± 17.25 years). After rescoring 1 item and deleting 3 items, the 9-item Rasch-based BARQ-R had no misfitting items, the hierarchical ordering of the items followed clinical expectations, 3 (0.48%) misfitting persons, person mean location: -0.62 ± 1.03 logits (max -0.53, min 0.72 logits), minimal floor effect (1.93%) and ceiling effect (0.48%), no DIF, and PSR = 0.72. LID was found in 5 item pairs. The PCAR’s eigenvalue was 2.18. The secondary Rasch analysis in 152 adults with musculoskeletal pain (average age = 52.26 ± 16.13 years), demonstrated that, after rescoring 2 items, BARQ-R had no misfitting items and only 2 (1.32%) misfitting persons, good targeting (person mean location: -0.36 ± 0.88 logits), minimal floor effect (0.01%), no ceiling effect (0.00%), and PSR = 0.75. LID was found in 6 item pairs. The PCAR’s eigenvalue was 2.47.ConclusionsBARQ-R had good item and person fit. PSR with items covering a limited logit range suggests that differing levels of body awareness are measured with only modest precision. Adding and revising items to cover a wider range of body awareness and to better address concepts of internal body awareness and body movements would improve BARQ-R’s utility. Further analyses are needed before BARQ-R’s use for research or in the clinic. In addition, future BARQ-R Rasch validation is needed in other populations with body awareness deficits, such as stroke or spinal cord injury.

Arabic Translation and Rasch Validation of PROMIS Anxiety Short Form among General Population in Saudi Arabia.

This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and psychometrically validate the PROMIS Anxiety Short Form 8a item bank into Arabic for the general population of Saudi Arabia. The PROMIS Anxiety Short Form was translated according to the FACIT group method. Second, psychometric validation was conducted on a convenience sample of 322 participants (mean age, 26 ± 10.4 years; predominantly female) from the general population in Saudi Arabia. Rasch analysis (Winsteps® version 5.6.1) was used to examine category functioning, item fit, the person separation index, item difficulty, unidimensionality, and local dependency. Translation and cultural adaptation demonstrated that most of the items were culturally suitable and conveyed the same underlying concepts as the original scale. The five response categories of the scale satisfied the category functioning criteria, and all items fit the underlying construct, with the exception of one item that demonstrated a misfit. The item difficulty demonstrated poor targeting for the sample population; however, the person separation index and reliability were good (2.67 and 0.88, respectively) and no local dependency was noted. The Arabic translation of PROMIS-A SF8a demonstrated good structural validity and psychometrics, making it a valuable tool for screening anxiety in Arabic-speaking populations. The application of this outcome measure shows promise for healthcare professionals and patients alike, as it contributes to the provision of high-quality care and formulation of appropriate treatment plans.

Chinese version of the Physical Resilience Scale (PRS): reliability and validity test based on Rasch analysis

BackgroundPhysical resilience is known to minimize the adverse outcomes of health stressors for older people. However, validated instruments that assess physical resilience in older adults are rare. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to translate the Physical Resilience Scale (PRS) into Chinese and to validate its psychometric properties in a population of community-dwelling older adults following SARS-CoV-2 infection.MethodsThis study used a cross-sectional design and translated the Physical Resilience Scale into Chinese. A total of 426 older adults who had recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection were chosen for assessment through convenience sampling. The measurement data were analyzed using the Rasch analysis.ResultsRasch analysis indicates that the Physical Resilience Scale demonstrates excellent reliability, validity, and unidimensionality. The Infit MNSQ and Outfit MNSQ of each entry were 0.77 ~ 1.19, and the degree of fit of each entry to the scale was good. Person and item separation reliability support the internal consistency of the studied samples and PRS items.ConclusionsThe Physical Resilience Scale has good reliability and is suitable for the assessment of physical resilience tests in older people. However, the overall difficulty of the scale is not suitable for older adults of all ability ranges, and it is possible to add higher and lower difficulty items and adjust the difficulty spacing between items in a later study.

Health behavior inventory – short form: a Chinese validation study using classical test theory and item response theory

BackgroundIt is imperative to use a validated tool to measure and understand health behavior as it greatly impacts health status. It has been demonstrated that the Health Behavior Inventory - Short Form (HBI-SF) is valid in several countries. The purpose of this study was to translate the HBI-SF into Chinese and test its psychometric properties.MethodsThis study employed a two-phase methodology. The phase one entailed the cross-cultural adaptation of the HBI-SF, while the subsequent phase evaluated the psychometric properties of the scale. This evaluation encompassed classical test theory (CTT) and item response theory (IRT) tests to assess reliability and validity. It involved 1058 participants, of whom 1036 completed the questionnaire successfully. Out of these, 518 were analyzed for CTT, along with 518 for IRT.ResultsThe S-CVI was found to be 0.935, while the I‐CVI ranged from 0.889 to 1.000. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis suggested the goodness-of-fit indices for the four-factor model was acceptable. Regarding the subscales, the average variance extracted (AVE) and Heterotrait-Monotrait Ratio of Correlations (HTMT) matrix also met the cutoff values (AVE > 0.5 and HTMI < 0.85). Furthermore, the internal consistency and composite reliability indices of all factors were greater than 0.7. Infit and/or outfit values indicated that all items fitted the Rasch model. The Wright map revealed that the average person measures for the participants (mean = − 0.994, SD = 0.430) were comparatively lower than the average item measures (mean = 0.000, SD = 0.257). The person separation reliability values for the four factors ranged from 0.600 to 0.746, indicating an acceptable level of reliability. Two items showed differential item functioning.ConclusionsThe findings derived from both CTT and IRT analyses demonstrate favorable levels of reliability and validity for the Chinese version of the HBI-SF.

German translation, cultural adaptation for Austria and validation of the Neurological Sleep Index - Multiple Sclerosis (NSI-MS).

To translate, culturally adapt, and validate the Neurological Sleep Index - Multiple Sclerosis (NSI-MS) for use in Austrian German-speaking populations with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Following established guidelines, the NSI-MS diurnal sleepiness (DS), non-restorative nocturnal sleep (NRNS), and fragmented nocturnal sleep (FNS) scales underwent forward-backward translation, with content and face validity, and cultural adaptation to Austria established. Construct validity was evaluated using Rasch analysis. Known-groups validity was examined, and comparisons were made with scales measuring MS fatigue, daytime sleepiness, sleep quality, anxiety, and depression. Reliability was assessed through Cronbach's alpha, Person Separation Index, Lin's concordance correlation coefficient, measurement error, and floor and ceiling effects. Data were merged with a historic English dataset for comparison between English/German language versions. The translation and cultural adaptation of the NSI-MS-G were successful. Pretesting involved 30 pwMS, while the validation included 400 pwMS with mild-to-severe disability. The DS, NRNS, and FNS scales exhibited good fit parameters, were unidimensional, and invariant. NSI-MS-G scales demonstrated excellent convergent and known-groups validity, internal consistency, person separation reliability, test-retest reliability, adequate measurement error, and low floor and ceiling effects. Pooling English and German datasets revealed that person estimates for the NRNS and FNS scales are equivalent across versions, unlike the DS scale. The NSI-MS-G demonstrates validity, reliability, and responsiveness in assessing DS, NRNS, and FNS in pwMS, generating interval-level data, and shows equivalence between its English and German versions. Register: German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS); URL: https://drks.de/search/en/trial/DRKS00025573; Identifier: DRKS00025573.

Validation of an Arabic tool for assessing vaccination literacy: A factor and Rasch analysis

ABSTRACT Vaccine literacy is a significant part of health literacy. Although several tools have been developed to assess vaccine literacy, such tools are lacking in Arabic. Validating an Arabic version of a tool that evaluates vaccine literacy is critically important, as it would aid in understanding the decision-making process regarding vaccinations among individuals in Arabic-speaking countries. Therefore, the current study aimed to validate an Arabic tool for assessing vaccine literacy in adult vaccination. An online questionnaire was distributed to people throughout Jordan by sharing the questionnaire link via various social media platforms. The reliability and validity of the Arabic version of the vaccination literacy assessment tool (HLVa-Ar) were evaluated using factor analysis and Rasch analyses. The two-factor model generated fit indices were in the acceptable range (χ2/df = 2.48, RMSEA = 0.06, SRMR = 0.05, GFI = 0.94, CFI = 0.97, and TLI = 0.96). Cronbach’s alpha for functional Vaccination literacy (VL) and interactive/critical VL were 0.91 and 0.88 respectively. The Rasch analysis indicated acceptable infit/outfit values and high item and person separation reliabilities for the two factors (0.852, 0.868, and 0.771, 0.818 respectively). Overall, the 420 participants displayed a good understanding of the general benefits and importance of vaccination. The HLVa-Ar was shown to be a valid and reliable tool that portrayed a wide range of vaccination literacy levels in the studied sample and provided valuable insights into participants’ vaccination knowledge. The findings emphasize the need for developing targeted strategies to improve vaccination literacy and increase vaccination rates.

The Patient Activation Measure-13 (PAM-13) in an oncology patient population: psychometric properties and dimensionality evaluation

BackgroundAccurate assessment and enhancement of health-related skills among oncology patients are pivotal for optimizing cancer care. The Patient Activation Measure (PAM-13), a questionnaire designed to reflect an individual’s knowledge, skills, and confidence in self-healthcare management, has been validated across diverse countries and settings. Concerns have been raised regarding the cross-situational applicability, as patients with specific diseases and cultural backgrounds interpret questionnaire items differently. This study aimed to examine the structural validity and psychometric properties of the PAM-13 in an oncological patient cohort.MethodsBaseline data from a longitudinal non-randomized controlled study involving cancer out-patients (n = 1,125) from Comprehensive Cancer Centres in Southern Germany were analysed. The German version of the PAM-13 was employed. With classical test and item response theory methods data quality, reliability, convergent and structural validity, as well as psychometric properties were assessed. Exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were employed to investigate the postulated unidimensionality of the underlying construct. With a partial credit model (PCM) we examined item fit, targeting, local independence and differential item functioning.ResultsParticipants were predominantly female (73.0%) with a breast cancer diagnosis (41.3%). While items were generally well-accepted, ceiling effects were observed and a high mean PAM-13 score (69.7, SD = 14.2) was noted, potentially compromising responsiveness to interventions. Reliability was adequate (Cronbach’s α = 0.81), person and item separation reliability were good to excellent (0.81 and 0.99, respectively). Explorations of the unidimensionality of the construct (EFA, CFA, PCM) yielded inconclusive results, hinting towards a two-factor solution. Item difficulty rankings deviated from the original. No differential item functioning was identified, and local independence was confirmed.ConclusionsWhile the PAM-13 serves as a valuable instrument for comprehending and promoting health-related skills in cancer patients, the identification of ceiling effects, disordered item-difficulty rankings, and inconclusive findings regarding unidimensionality contribute to the expanding body of evidence, emphasizing the dependency of PAM-13’s validity and reliability on distinctive characteristics within the population under investigation. Future research should prioritize refining or adding PAM-13 items to better capture the specific health-related challenges within diverse populations, paving the way for more effective patient engagement strategies in oncology.Trial registration numberDRKS00021779

Development of the imagination-creativity process scale in design

In this study, the undergraduate students’ Imagination–Creativity Process Scale (ICPS) in design was developed with reference to the Imagination–Creativity Process in design (Wang & Ho, 2021), and the scale reliability and validity were tested. Two samples of undergraduate students participated in test development, one for item revision and the other for validation. Sample 1 and 2 consisted of 285 and 488 students, respectively. Five to ten items were created for each scale dimension, resulting in a total of 31 items scored using a five-point Likert scale. A multidimensional Rasch partial-credit model was employed to verify the content and structural validity, generalizability, substantive validity, interpretive validity, and external validity of the scale. 30 items were retained for the final version of ICPS in design. The person separation reliabilities were 0.84, 0.83, 0.86, and 0.83, respectively for the four dimensions of the scale: (1) ideation and analysis, (2) generation and revision, (3) implementation and evaluation, and (4) communication and optimization. The results indicated that the ICPS had good model–data fit and was suitable for measuring undergraduate students’ Imagination–Creativity Process in design. Recommendations for future studies were proposed regarding the development and application of the ICPS in design.

Assessment of anxiety in children with neurodevelopment disorders: Rasch analysis of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale.

Anxiety is common in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). The parent version of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS-P) is a widely used measure to assess anxiety across a broad range of childhood populations. However, assessment of the measurement properties of the SCAS-P in NDDs have been limited. The present study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the SCAS-P in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using Rasch Measurement Theory. Data from the Province of Ontario Neurodevelopmental Disorders Network Registry were used in the analysis. Children (ages 6-13 years old) with a primary diagnosis of ADHD (n=146) or ASD (n=104) were administered the SCAS-P. Rasch Measurement Theory was used to assess measurement properties of the SCAS-P, including unidimensionality and item-level fit, category ordering, item targeting, person separation index and reliability and differential item functioning. The SCAS-P fit well to the Rasch model in both ADHD and ASD, including unidimensionality, satisfactory category ordering and goodness-of-fit. However, item-person measures showed poor precision at lower levels of anxiety. Some items showed differential item functioning, including items within the obsessive-compulsive, panic/agoraphobia and physical injury fears domains, suggesting that the presentation of anxiety may differ between ADHD and ASD. Overall, the results generally support the use of the SCAS-P to screen and monitor anxiety symptoms in children with ADHD and ASD. Future studies would benefit from examination of more severely anxious NDD cohort, including those with clinically diagnosed anxiety.

Development and validation of the Dermatology Social Comparison (DSC) Scale.

Social comparison, the process of evaluating one's characteristics in relation to others, influences individuals' self-perception and behavior. However, instruments are scarce for assessing social comparison in the medical setting. Our aim was to develop and validate a new scale for assessing social comparison. Seven statements were developed, encompassing the perceived normality of having rashes, the tendency to compare their situation with others, and the emotional response when seeing someone better or worse off than themselves. The instrument was piloted in 15 patients for readability and face validity, then prospectively validated using modern psychometric methods in 1,053 adult patients with eczema or psoriasis from three tertiary dermatological centers in Singapore. Of 1,053 adult patients, 802 (76.2%) had eczema, and 251 (23.8%) had psoriasis. Exploratory factor analysis (using a 70% sample split) showed a single factor model comprising three questions (Eigenvalue: 1.4). Confirmatory factor analysis with the remaining 30% of the sample confirmed an excellent model fit. Cronbach's alpha was 0.7, and inter-item correlations ranged from 0.42 to 0.46. In the Rasch analysis, item fit statistics and item characteristic curves showed appropriate discrimination between response options, although reliability was suboptimal with a person separation reliability of 0.63. Comprising 3 questions, the newly derived social comparison scale showed acceptable psychometrics as a measure of social comparison for clinical and research purposes in dermatology. Its brief nature likely results from its brevity and applicability to conditions beyond eczema and psoriasis, which warrants further investigation.

Assessing gambling disorder using frequency- and time-based response options: A Rasch analysis of the gambling disorder identification test.

The Gambling Disorder Identification Test (GDIT) is a recently developed self-report measure. The GDIT includes items with multiple response options that are either based on frequency or time, and item response theory evaluations of these could yield vital knowledge on its measurement performance. The GDIT was evaluated using Rasch analysis in a study involving 597 Swedish gamblers. In a three-dimensional Rasch model, the item response difficulty range extended from -1.88 to 4.06 and increased with higher time- and frequency-based responses. Differential item functioning showed that some GDIT items displayed age and gender-related differences. Additionally, person-separation reliability indicated the GDIT could reliably be divided into three to four diagnostic levels. The frequency- and time-based item response options of the GDIT offer excellent measurement, allowing for elaborate assessment across both lower and higher gambling severity. The GDIT can be used to detect DSM-5 Gambling Disorder, thereby holding significance from both epidemiological and clinical standpoints. Notably, the 3-item GDIT Gambling Behavior subscale also shows potential as a brief screening tool for identifying at-risk gambling behavior.

Structural Validity of the Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test in Individuals With Spinocerebellar Ataxia: A Rasch Analysis Study

ObjectiveTo examine the structural validity of the Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest) in individuals with spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA). DesignMethodological research on data gathered in a cross-sectional study. A Rasch analysis was conducted (partial credit model). SettingInpatients in a hospital rehabilitation setting. ParticipantsA pooled sample of patients with SCA (N=65 [total 110 data]; 23 women, 42 men; mean±SD age 63.1±9.9y). InterventionsNot applicable. Main Outcome MeasuresWe evaluated the Mini-BESTest's category structure, unidimensionality, and measurement accuracy (0: unable to perform or requiring help to 2: normal performance). ResultsThe Mini-BESTest rating scale fulfilled the category functioning criteria. The analysis of the standardized Rasch residuals showed the scale's unidimensionality, but there were 7 item pairs indicating local dependence. All of the items fit the underlying scale construct (dynamic balance), with the exception of item #1, "Sit to stand," which was an underfit. The Mini-BESTest demonstrated adequate reliability (person separation reliability=.87) and separated the patients into 5 strata. The item-difficulty measures ranged from −4.49 to 2.02 logits, and the person ability–item difficulty matching was very good (the mean of person ability=−.07 logits and the mean of item difficulty=.00). No floor or ceiling effects were detected. The keyform identified items with small (#11, "Walk with head turns, horizontal") and large (#3, "Stand on 1 leg") item thresholds. ConclusionsThe Mini-BESTest has a unidimensional balance assessment scale with good category structure and reliability even for individuals with SCA. However, it also has some inherent shortcomings such as fit statistics, local item dependencies, and item thresholds. The results obtained when the Mini-BESTest is administered to patients with cerebellar ataxia should, thus, be interpreted cautiously.

Making each point count: Revising a local adaptation of the Jacobs et al.’s (1981) ESL COMPOSITION PROFILE rubric

In this Brief Report, we describe an evaluation of and revisions to a rubric adapted from the Jacobs et al.’s (1981) ESL COMPOSITION PROFILE, with four rubric categories and 20-point rating scales, in the context of an intensive English program writing placement test. Analysis of 4 years of rating data (2016–2021, including 434 essays) using many-facet Rasch measurement demonstrated that the 20-point rating scales of the Jacobs et al. rubric functioned poorly due to (a) questionably small distinctions in writing quality between successive score categories and (b) the presence of several disordered categories. We reanalyzed the score data after collapsing the 20-point scales into 4-point scales to simulate a revision to the rubric. This reanalysis appeared promising, with well-ordered and distinct score categories, and only a trivial decrease in person separation reliability. After implementing this revision to the rubric, we examined data from recent administrations (2022–2023, including 93 essays) to evaluate scale functioning. As in the simulation, scale categories were well-ordered and distinct in operational rating. Moreover, no raters demonstrated exceedingly poor fit using the revised rubric. Findings hold implications for other programs adopting/adapting the PROFILE or a similar rubric.

Screening Second Victims for Emotional Distress: Assessment of the Clinimetric Properties of the WITHSTAND-PSY Questionnaire

Introduction: Adverse events (AEs) are a leading cause of patient morbidity and mortality, greatly impacting healthcare providers’ well-being (second victim (SV) phenomenon). Since it is not accurately captured by existing psychometric instruments, we developed a clinimetric instrument for assessing SVs’ emotional distress before and after an AE. Methods: Content validity and clinical utility of the WITHSTAND-PSY Questionnaire (WS-PSY-Q) were examined using cognitive interviews. Rasch analysis (n = 284) was applied for clinimetric assessment (i.e., construct, concurrent, and clinical validity, internal consistency), considering two crucial psychological facets of the SV phenomenon (1st: emotional impact of the AE, 2nd: current emotional state). Results: The Rasch partial credit model was used. The 1st facet demonstrated overall acceptable clinimetric properties with the subscale anxiety meeting clinimetric threshold values (e.g., all items with ordered thresholds, Loevinger’s coefficient h ≥ 0.40; Person Separation Reliability Index (PSI) = 0.7). The 2nd facet showed overall better clinimetric properties for both subscales (e.g., h ≥ 0.40, PSI = 0.82 and 0.79, respectively; receiver operating characteristic area of 0.80 and 0.86, respectively). For both datasets, item fit statistics, except those for item 19, were within the critical range (z-score < ±2.5), and meaningful differential functioning analysis was observed for only 4 (out of 24) items. Local dependency was not observed, except for two item couples in the depression subscales. Conclusions: The WS-PSY-Q is the first clinimetric tool assessing SVs’ emotional distress. It should be regarded as part of the armamentarium used by clinicians to assess in-depth healthcare providers’ psychological reactions in the aftermath of an AE to mitigate burnout and allostatic overload.

Finding functionality: Rasch analysis of the Functionality Appreciation Scale in community-dwelling adults in the US.

The Functionality Appreciation Scale (FAS) measures an individual's appreciation for the functions their body can perform, regardless of the individual's physical limitations. Prior studies reported on internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, and exploratory or confirmatory factor analyses, but Rasch analysis has not yet been performed to evaluate the structural validity of the FAS. We recruited community-dwelling adults at the Minnesota State Fair and through contact lists of participants identifying interest in research done in the Brain Body Mind Lab (University of Minnesota). Community-dwelling adults with spinal cord injury (SCI) completed the FAS over Zoom. We analyzed the FAS using Rasch Measurement Theory, which produced the following outputs: item, and person fit, targeting, unidimensionality, person separation reliability (PSR), local item dependence (LID), principal component analysis of residuals (PCAR), and differential item functioning (DIF). We recruited 567 participants (average age 52.15 ± 17.5 years, 63.84% women), among which 14 adults with SCI. After rescoring 3 items and deleting 1 item, the FAS had good person and item fit (except item 4). The PCAR and subsequent paired t-tests (3.53%) confirmed the unidimensionality of the scale. There was no DIF and only one item pair had LID (item 5-6). PSR was 0.75, reflecting a capacity to differentiate groups of people with high or low functionality appreciation levels. However, there was a significant ceiling effect (28.04%) and the person mean location was 3.06 ± 2.07 logits, indicating the FAS is too easy for community-dwelling adults in the US. The 6-item Rasch-based FAS demonstrated unidimensionality, good item fit (except item 4) and person fit, but the FAS will require more difficult items to be added to improve the targeting of the scale, and better reliability.

ASSESSMENT OF THE PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF ATTITUDE TOWARDS ASSESSMENT TEST (ATAT)

This study is on the assessment of the psychometric properties of Attitude Towards Assessment Test (ATAT). Four research questions guided the study. An instrumentation research design was adopted. The population consisted of secondary school students in Delta State, Nigeria. The sample size comprised 1,000 students, selected through simple random and non-probability cluster sampling techniques. The test under assessment was developed by Megbele, et al. (2023). The Rasch Rating Scale Model was used to answer research 1, which assessed person and item reliability, item statistics, and ordering of response categories. Two fit indices including the infit and outfit mean square (MNSQ) statistics were used to answer research question 2. The data that were used to answer research questions 1 and 2 were analysed with the aid of the Jmetrik IRT software. The Categorical Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CCFA) was used to answer research question 3 while Chi-Square Goodness of Fit Statistics was used to answer research question 4 on construct validity, evidence of unidimensionality, and local independence respectively. The findings of this study revealed that the three components of the scale had high values of item separation index and reliability as well as an acceptable range of Person separation index and reliability; the difficulty index of items in the test was within an acceptable range; Each of the components of the Attitude Towards Assessment Test (ATAT) (Cognitive, affective and behavioural) had one construct each, which is evidence of unidimensionality for the different components of the Attitude Towards Assessment Test. Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that all items in the different components that made up the test are reliable, have adequate item difficulty infit, and outfit MNSQ estimates, with evidence of unidimensionality and local independence assumptions. The study recommended that the test can be used by examination bodies for the assessment of students in the affective domain.&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/soc/0011/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

The psychometric properties of the Physical Resilience Instrument for Older Adults (PRIFOR): a Rasch analysis.

Prior psychometric evidence of the Physical Resilience Instrument for Older Adults (PRIFOR) showed good criterion-related validity, concurrent validity, known-group validity, predictive validity, and internal consistency. However, it is unclear whether older patients with different treatment diagnoses interpret the PRIFOR similarly. This study aimed to test the psychometric properties of the PRIFOR scores among different treatment diagnoses of older patients. We recruited 413 hospitalized older patients with a medical diagnosis and 207 with a surgical diagnosis in a 1343-bed tertiary-care medical center in Taiwan. Data analyses included Rasch models, Principal Components Analysis (PCA), and Pearson correlations. The Rasch analyses showed that all PRIFOR items were embedded within their belonged constructs, reflecting good construct validity and unidimensionality. Person and item separation reliability support the internal consistency of the studied samples and PRIFOR items. However, six PRIFOR items were found to have meaningful differential item functioning (DIF) problems among treatment diagnoses. The PRIFOR is a solid measurement and can be used for monitoring the status of older adults' physical resilience. However, because six items were found to have meaningful DIF among treatment diagnosis groups, future studies should consider designing specific items for different patient populations to assess their needs in physical resilience.

Rasch validation of a new scale to measure dependency in arm use in daily life: the Upper Limb Lucerne ICF-based Multidisciplinary Observation Scale.

About 77% of adults with stroke have upper limb impairments. Many scales are available to measure the impairment and activity level of the affected limb. However, an observational scale to assess dependency on others in upper limb performance during daily life activities instead of laboratory settings is lacking. Therefore, we developed a new 5-item Upper Limb Lucerne ICF-based Multidisciplinary Observation Scale (UL-LIMOS). As next step in the psychometric analysis, we evaluated the unidimensionality and structural validity of the UL-LIMOS with Rasch Measurement Theory and we calculated a cut-off score for independent arm use in daily life activities at discharge. This is a single-center cross-sectional study in adults with (sub) acute stroke. We applied Rasch Measurement Theory (RMT) to analyze the structural validation and unidimensionality of the UL-LIMOS. The outputs provide evidence of unidimensionality, item and person fit, overall fit, differential item functioning (DIF), principal component analysis of residuals (PCAR), person separation reliability (PSR), and residual item correlations (to identify local item dependence). Person mean location, floor and ceiling effects identify proper targeting. We recruited 407 adults with (sub) acute stroke (median age 63 years, 157 women). All items and persons fit the Rasch model. The PSR of 0.90 indicates that clinicians and researchers can reliably use the scale for individual decision-making. There were small floor (2.70%) and ceiling (13.00%) effects. The average person mean location was 1.32 ± 2.99 logits. There was no DIF. PCAR eigenvalue was 2.46 with 49.23% explained variance. Paired t-tests revealed that 0.89% of person locations were significantly different, confirming unidimensionality. One pair of items (arm and hand use and fine hand use) showed residual item correlations. The ROC's AUC was 0.90, CI95% = [0.85-0.96] with cut-off score of ≥14/20, and high sensitivity (87%, CI95% = [81%-91%]), specificity (83%, CI95% = [77%-87%]) for independent arm use in daily living at discharge. The new Rasch-based UL-LIMOS is a valid ICF-based observation performance scale at the ICF-activity level, to evaluate dependency during upper limb use in daily life in adults with stroke. Additional psychometric analyses are warranted. The UL-LIMOS would be a valuable addition to the core assessments of adults with (sub) acute stroke.

Preliminary Rasch analysis of the multidimensional assessment of interoceptive awareness in adults with stroke.

The Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA) measures interoceptive body awareness, which includes aspects such as attention regulation, self-regulation, and body listening. Our purpose was to perform a preliminary validation of the MAIA in adults with stroke using Rasch Measurement Theory. The original MAIA has 32 items that measure interoceptive sensibility, which is an aspect of body awareness. We performed a preliminary analysis with Rasch Measurement Theory to evaluate the unidimensionality and structural validity of the scale. We investigated overall fit to assess unidimensionality, person and item fit, person separation reliability, targeting, local item dependence, and principal components analysis of residuals. Forty-one adults with chronic stroke (average 3.8 years post-stroke, 13 women, average age 57±13 years) participated in the study. Overall fit (χ 2 = 62.26, p = 0.26) and item fit were obtained after deleting 3 items and rescoring 26 items. One participant did not fit the model (2.44%). There were no floor (0.00%) or ceiling effects (0.00%). Local item dependence was found in 42 pairs. The person separation reliability was 0.91, and the person mean location was 0.06±1.12 logits. The preliminary structural validity of the MAIA demonstrated good targeting and reliability, as well as unidimensionality, and good item and person fit in adults with chronic stroke. A study with a larger sample size is needed to validate our findings.