Pictorial Scale Research Articles

Child perceived motor competence as a moderator between physical activity parenting and child objectively measured physical activity

This longitudinal study aimed to examine how physical activity parenting (PAP) directly predicted objectively measured children’s moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentariness over a three-year transitional period from early to middle childhood, and second, whether the children’s perception of motor competence (PMC) mediated or moderated the influence of PAP to children’s MVPA or sedentariness. At time 1 (T1), PAP and children’s (N = 396, mean age 5.80, SD 1.04) PA were assessed by parental questionnaire. Three years later, at time 2 (T2), children’s (N = 396, mean age 8.80, SD 1.04) PMC was measured by a validated pictorial scale, and MVPA and sedentariness were measured by accelerometers. All the analyses were conducted using the Mplus statistical package (Version 8.4). The models were adjusted for the following covariates: children’s PA (T1), gender (T1), age (T1), mean accelerometer measurement in hours per day (T2), and parents’ education level (T1). Results showed that PAP at T1 did not significantly predict level of MVPA or sedentary time at T2 and, therefore, PMC did not mediate the PAP-children’s MVPA or sedentary time relationship either. However, PMC significantly moderated the relationship between PAP and MVPA but not between PAP and sedentary time. The results suggested that parental support positively predicts children’s MVPA among children with low PMC but not among children with high PMC. This unique finding proposes that family-based PA interventions could benefit from screening of children with low PMC and provision of PA counselling to their parents.

Validation of the Pictorial Fit-Frail Scale in a Thoracic Surgery Clinic.

Examine feasibility and construct validity of Pictorial Fit-Frail scale (PFFS) for the first time in older surgical patients. The PFFS uses visual images to measure health state in 14 domains and has been previously validated in outpatient geriatric clinics. Patients ≥65 year-old who were evaluated in a multidisciplinary thoracic surgery clinic from November 2020 to May 2021 were prospectively included. Patients completed an in-person PFFS and Vulnerable Elders Survey (VES-13) during their visit, and a frailty index was calculated from the PFFS (PFFStrans). A geriatrician performed a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) either in-person or virtually, from which a Frailty Index (FI-CGA) and Frailty Questionnaire (FRAIL) scale were obtained. To assess the validity of the PFFS in this population, the Spearman rank correlations (r spearman ) between PFFS trans and VES-13, FI-CGA, FRAIL were calculated. All 49 patients invited to participate agreed, of which 46/49 (94%) completed the PFFS so a score could be calculated. The majority of patients (59%) underwent an in-person CGA and the reminder (41%) a virtual CGA. The cohort was mainly female (59.0%), with a median age of 77 (range: 67-90). The median PFFS trans was 0.27 (interquartile range [IQR] 0.12-0.34), PFFS was 11 (IQR 5-14), and 0.24 (IQR 0.13-0.32) for FI-CGA. We observed a strong correlation between the PFFS trans and FI-CGA (r spearman = 0.81, P < 0.001) and a moderate correlation between PFFS trans and VES-13 and FRAIL score (r spearman = 0.68 and 0.64 respectively, P < 0.001). PFFS had good feasibility and construct validity among older surgical patients when compared to previously validated frailty measurements.

Anxiety Rating Scale for Speech and Hearing-impaired Children.

It has been observed that children with special healthcare needs exhibit higher dental anxiety levels because of various barriers. In the literature, there is no anxiety assessment scale for speech and hearing-impaired children. A new concept of pictorial representation of common emotions observed during dental treatment was used to design an innovative scale, thereby helping to improve communication and in bringing out positive behavior among the children. This study aimed to assess and validate the efficacy of an anxiety rating scale for speech and hearing-impaired children. A total of 36-12-year-old children with speech and hearing impairments from a special school were selected for this study. The pretreatment anxiety score among the children was assessed using the pictorial anxiety rating scale. The anxiety rating scale was well accepted by speech and hearing-impaired children. It was well-supported by expert opinions and equal distribution of anxiety scores. The pictorial scale is a valid anxiety assessment scale for measuring dental anxiety among speech and hearing-impaired children. It can be used independently to assess dental anxiety in clinical settings and epidemiological studies as well. Shivashankarappa PG, Kaur J, Adimoulame S. Anxiety Rating Scale for Speech and Hearing-impaired Children. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2022;15(6):704-706.

Effectiveness of Family Centered Art Intervention on Anxiety among Hospitalised Children in a Tertiary Care Hospital, Mangaluru, India: A Quasi-experimental Study

Introduction: Children become fearful, frightened, or unhappy when they attend the hospital. Art intervention can support their capacity to take responsibility and make decisions. It assists children and their families to explore and express their emotional reactions to the hospital admission, which can be difficult to explain. Aim: To find the effectiveness of family centred art intervention on anxiety among hospitalised children in selected tertiary care hospital, Mangaluru, Karnataka, India. Materials and Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted in Department of Paediatric, Yenepoya Medical College and Hospital, Mangaluru, Karnataka, India, from December 20, 2021, to April 10, 2022. A non probability purposive sampling technique was used to enlist study participants, who were then divided into the intervention (n=35) and control (n=35) groups. The level of anxiety was assessed on the first day of admission. Diversional activities were given to the hospitalised child in interventional group, for the first three days of admission, for a duration of 35-45 minutes per day and control group received routine care. The data was collected using the demographic performa, RMS (Raghavendra, Madhuri, Sujatha) pictorial scale and a parent report on their child’s anxiety. A post-test was done each day 30 minutes after the intervention. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Bonferroni posthoc test, Independent t-test and Chi-square-test were used for statistical analysis. Result: A total of 70 hospitalised children, aged between four to eight years, were split into two groups. There were 35 participants per group. The majority of the intervention group (25.7%) were seven-year-old, while the majority of the control group (34.3%) were four-year-old. A 60% of the intervention group participants and 74.3% of the control group participants were males, respectively. A comparison of anxiety scores at different points in the intervention group showed a significant decrease from pretest to post-test (p-value &lt;0.05). The control group showed no difference (p-value&gt;0.05), while at all the posttests, the difference in the anxiety level of children between groups was significant (p-value&lt;0.05). Conclusion: In present study, family centered art intervention significantly reduced the anxiety among children in intervention group as compared to control group.

Images of bodies in mass and social media and body dissatisfaction: The role of internalization and self-discrepancy.

The study examines the influence on body dissatisfaction of viewed images of bodies transmitted over mass media and social media, as mediated by the internalization of body ideals through media and self-discrepancy (the difference between the perceived actual self and the perceived ideal self). In this study, the images of bodies individuals view in their everyday media diet are estimated using a newly developed pictorial scale for women (thinness) and men (muscularity). For participants, the perceived body image is formed through mass media (magazines, TV) and social media (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat). The self-discrepancy theory is then used to explain the effect of images of bodies in the media on the internalization of these body ideals and body dissatisfaction. Results show that Facebook and YouTube shape body ideals perceived to be prevalent in the media, negatively influencing internalization and self-discrepancy. Self-discrepancy, in turn, increases body dissatisfaction. However, for males, the perceived body ideals in the media did not affect body dissatisfaction, internalization, or self-discrepancy. These results emphasize the importance of combining and comparing mass and social media and differentiating between female and male concerns regarding body image.

Face and Content Validity of the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Water Competence in Young Children.

An international group of experts have developed a pictorial tool to measure perceived water competence for children aged from 5 to 8 years old: the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Water Competence (PSPWC). The aim of the present study was to verify the validity of this tool. In the first part of the study, 120 children were interviewed to investigate face validity of the PSPWC to ensure that all pictorial items were understandable. In the second part of the study, 13 scientific and/or pedagogical international experts were invited to assess the tool's content validity via an online survey. Face validity results revealed that children were able to understand and sequence correctly the aquatic situations in 92% of the cases. The average Content Validity Index (CVI) of the PSPWC ranged from 0.88 to 0.95, showing acceptable content validity. Feedback from experts and children resulted in a major improvement of the "exit water" situation and minor improvements concerning some other items. Experts confirmed that the PSPWC was globally appropriate for different countries and cultures, except for the situation "water entry by slide" which was not considered usual practice in some countries. The PSPWC opens up to new fields of research; useful both for the prevention of drowning and for the support of children's aquatic education.

Exploring the perception of stress in childhood and early adolescence

Stressful life experiences may jeopardize the healthy development of children. To improve interventions, more knowledge is needed on the perception of stress by children. In adults, stress is regarded as a state of low valence and high arousal. It is unclear whether children perceive stress similarly. In the current study, 35 children of the general population completed three tasks aiming to provide insight into their knowledge of the concept stress. In the first task, participants were asked about their verbal knowledge of the concept stress. In the second task, they rated the valence and arousal of eight emotion-evoking vignettes. In the final task, participants completed an experience sampling survey for at least 1 day, consisting of a stress thermometer and pictorial scales of valence and arousal. Participants’ perception of stress was found to be mainly valence focused. Age and sex were found to play a role in the degree of arousal focus. Older participants differentiated more in arousal levels than younger participants, as did girls in comparison with boys. Because the perception of stress depends on developmental and other individual factors, using stress as a single measurement dimension in a survey is not recommended.

Associations of mothers’ rejection sensitivity with children’s cognitions about peer rejection and social self-perceptions: The mediating role of maternal supportive behaviors

This study examined the associations between mothers’ predisposition to show rejection sensitivity and children’s cognitions regarding peer rejection and their social self-perceptions. It also explored whether these associations were mediated by mothers’ behaviors in situations that might suggest their children were rejected by peers. Participants were 122 Jewish Israeli mothers and their kindergarten children (50.82% female; MChild age in months = 67.52, SD = 6.35). Mothers completed the Adult Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire and reported their likely behaviors in scenarios suggesting the rejection of their children by peers. Children were interviewed using the response evaluation scale for the rejection stories in the Social Information Processing Interview–Preschool Version and the peer acceptance subscale of the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Young Children. Results revealed indirect links between mothers’ rejection sensitivity and children’s maladaptive response evaluations and lower social self-perceptions, through fewer supportive maternal behaviors. These findings highlight the need to consider parents’ dispositions and behaviors in the context of their children’s peer interactions for a more complete understanding of the development of children’s social competence.

Management of Pythium myriotylum in burley tobacco transplants and its effect on field productivity

Pythium root rot (PRR) is a significant disease of tobacco transplants produced in the greenhouse floatbed system, but little is known about its influence once PRR-infected plants are transplanted in the field. Tobacco producers have limited chemical options to manage PRR, and additional data are needed on the efficacy of the fungicide active ingredients etridiazole, mefenoxam, and hydrogen peroxide-peroxyacetic acid. With the support of a pictorial, ordinal root ball quality (RBQ) rating scale, etridiazole and mefenoxam improved RBQ in tobacco transplants inoculated with Pythium myriotylum in greenhouse trials. In multi-year, generalized linear mixed model analyses, higher average RBQ in transplants significantly increased plant establishment, survival to season-end, and cured yield in research farm trials. To further apply the pictorial scale, a potential threshold of average RBQ >3.0 would be expected to result in 201 kg/ha more cured yield, over transplants with average RBQ ≤3.0. These results document for the first time the influence of transplant PRR on cured tobacco yield, in addition to its interim effects on tobacco establishment and survival. While additional data are needed to support a critical RBQ value, estimated effects of transplant quality on cured tobacco yield may assist growers in post-transplant farm management decisions, such as labor planning.

Validity evidence for the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Water Competence short form (PSPWC-4)

ABSTRACT Promoting swimming and water safety is an important public health issue. The Pictorial Scale of Perceived Water Competence (PSPWC) requires children to indicate their perceived competence using three difficulty levels for 17 swimming scenarios. The aim was to purposefully select four critical scenarios of the PSPWC to create the PSPWC-short form and test for associations with actual swim competence. Four of 17 scenarios were selected and extended to a four-point response scale by adding an extra difficulty level. Parents whose children had participated in at least 1-week swim-intensive programme in 2021 were invited to participate in the study, and perceptions of 139 children (mean age 6.9 years, SD = 1.9) were matched with certificate data of actual swim competence pre- (n = 139) and post-programme (n = 29). Moderate positive correlations were found between swim level at programme start and perception of: retrieving an object in deep water (rho = 0.57), swimming on front (rho = 0.60), swimming on back (rho = 0.69), treading water (rho = 0.63) and the summed score of all four (rho = 0.71). After adjusting for sex and age, higher perceived skill was still significantly associated with increasing achieved skill levels. The PSPWC-short form appears to provide a valid measure to be used as a brief screening assessment.

Motor competence, physical activity, and perceived motor competence: A relational systems approach

ABSTRACT Being and perceiving oneself as proficient in motor skills seems essential for an active lifestyle; conversely, being active and perceiving oneself as proficient may be associated with greater motor competence. By expanding the causal path view about the relationship between active and healthy developmental system elements, this study tested the mediation hypothesis of perceived motor competence in the relationship between motor competence and physical activity – in both ways – and moderation by developmental phase and sex. This cross-sectional study sampled healthy schoolchildren (n = 379; 8.2 ± 1.7 years; 54.9% boys). Physical activity (questionnaire), motor competence (tests included locomotor and object control skills) and perception of motor competence (a pictorial scale) were assessed. Maximum likelihood structural equation models with fit statistics confirmed the mediation in both ways. Unexpectedly, the relationship between motor competence and physical activity was inverse. Sex was a moderating variable (boys). In a systemic relational paradigm of human development, perceived motor competence, motor competence, and physical activity interact in an active and healthy behavioural system, but the complexities of understanding how these elements relate to one another across childhood point to the need for future longitudinal studies.

A picture is worth a thousand words: Pictorial scales for the assessment of work intensity

In the field of work and organizational psychology, verbal questionnaires provide a solid and valid foundation for the assessment of working conditions and employees’ attitudes. In the view of practitioners, these instruments are often too long, requiring a lot of time to complete, and employees might resist the invitation to participate in frequent surveys. To address these drawbacks, we present an alternative approach and describe the development of pictorial scales for the assessment of work intensity. Pictorial scales provide a simple and inviting format for the assessment of work intensity, and therefore, are a suitable instrument for practice-oriented formats such as interviews or workshops. Moreover, pictorial scales have advantages in repeated assessments such as in diary studies.

Psychometric properties of the French version of the Pictorial Scale of Physical Self-Concept for Younger Children (P-PSC-C).

Psychometric properties of the French version of the Pictorial Scale of Physical Self-Concept for Younger Children (P-PSC-C).

Does Skill Performance Influence Young Children’s Perceived Physical Competence?

Children's self-perceived competence is critical for their engagement in fundamental motor skills (FMS), although these perceptions are highly inaccurate until around age seven (grade 2). Moreover, FMS competence is highly correlated with physical activity engagement in childhood. In this study we examined: (a) if children's perceptions of their FMS competence differed after they were allowed to perform the skill or observe their performance, and (b) if the accuracy of children's perceived competence changed under those conditions. Child participants (N = 76; K-second grade) judged their own competence for three physical skills (running, skipping and dribble or hopping) on the Harter and Pike Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance under three conditions: (a) a no-performance baseline, (b) after performing each skill, and (c) after observing themselves performing the skill. A repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that their perceived competence differed across these conditions for running but not for skipping/hopping (p = .556) or for dribbling (p = .368). Spearman's rho correlations showed that their perceived running competence scores better predicted their actual competence after observing their performance (rs = .25, p = .029) than after other conditions. Both performing and observing their performance were associated with changes in perceptions of running competence. Future research should focus on how and when children's perceived competence is assessed and how perceptions relate to FMS and physical activity engagement.

The Pictorial Fit-Frail Scale-Malay version (PFFS-M): reliability and validity testing in Malaysian primary care.

This study investigated the reliability and convergent validity of the PFFS-Malay version (PFFS-M) among patients (with varying educational levels), caregivers, and health care professionals (HCPs). PFFS-M cutoffs for frailty severity were developed. This is a cross-sectional study from 4 primary care clinics where 240 patients aged >60 years and their caregivers were enrolled. Patients were assigned to a nurse or a health care assistant (HCA) for 2 separate PFFS-M assessments administered by HCPs of the same profession, as well as by a doctor during the first visit (inter-rater reliability). Patients were also administered the Self-Assessed Report of Personal Capacity & Healthy Ageing (SEARCH) tool, a 40-item frailty index, by a research officer. The correlation between patients' PFFS-M scores and SEARCH tool scores determined convergent validity. Patients returned 1 week later for PFFS-M reassessment by the same HCPs (test-retest reliability). Caregivers completed the PFFS-M for the patient at both clinic visits. Classification cut-points for the PFFS-M were derived against frailty categories defined through the SEARCH tool. The inter-rater (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.92 [95% CI, 0.90-0.93)] and test-retest (ICC = 0.94 [95% CI, 0.92-0.95]) reliability between all raters was excellent, including by patients' education levels. The convergent validity was moderate (r = 0.637, p < 0.001), including for varying educational background. PFFS-M categories were identified as: 0-3, no frailty; 4-5, at risk of frailty; 6-8, mild frailty; 9-12, moderate frailty; and >13, severe frailty. PFFS-M is a reliable and valid tool with frailty severity scores now established for use of this tool in primary care clinics.

A Pictorial Sexual Knowledge Scale for Male High School Students with Intellectual Disabilities in Taiwan

A Pictorial Sexual Knowledge Scale for Male High School Students with Intellectual Disabilities in Taiwan

A scoping review of nausea, vomiting and retching measurement methods in children with cancer.

Evaluation of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in the pediatric population is subject to diverse approaches. This scoping review summarizes the methods used in clinical studies that assessed nausea, vomiting or retching in children with cancer. We conducted a literature search of studies indexed in EMBASE and Ovid MEDLINE after 2000. Studies were included if they involved patients ≤18 years of age diagnosed with cancer, and had nausea, vomiting or retching as a primary study outcome. We excluded studies that reported only parent- or clinician-proxy measures without including the child's self-reported NVR, and those without specifying the NVR data collection process. The literature search identified twenty-four studies evaluating pediatric nausea, vomiting or retching. In the assessment of NVR, structured surveys were the most commonly used instrument for NVR assessment (75%) and the use of patient diaries (50%). Nine studies (38%) relied solely on self-reports from children as the outcome measure, while fifteen studies (62%) solicited input from parents/ caregivers and healthcare providers in addition to children's self-reports. Almost all the studies reported the frequency (n = 24) and/or severity (n = 23) of NVR symptoms and the use of antiemetic therapy (n = 19). Fewer studies evaluated distress caused by the symptoms (n = 2) and the effects of symptoms on activities of daily living (n = 4). Incorporating NVR measurement tools as part of standard of care for pediatric patients undergoing chemotherapy is strongly advocated. Based on the age group, we recommend the use of such tools comprising Likert scale, pictorial scales and structured scripts to assess various dimensions of a child's NVR experience.

Development and initial validation of a pictorial survey to assess for symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence in western Kenya.

Introduction and hypothesisVisual tools are a valuable tool for ascertaining patient symptoms, especially in populations with low literacy rates. The objective was to develop and validate a pictorial scale for assessing symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and urinary incontinence among women in western Kenya.MethodsIllustrations of POP, stress urinary incontinence (SUI), and urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) were developed by an artist. Virtual Zoom interviews were conducted with gynecology providers in Kisumu soliciting feedback on the illustrations. Cognitive interviews with patients were then conducted. Validation of the illustrations was performed against the gold standard of clinical history and examination amongst patients presenting for outpatient care at three Kisumu hospitals.ResultsSixteen provider interviews were conducted. The illustrations were revised to reflect each disorder more clearly, and performed well during cognitive interviews with 8 patients (aged 21 to 76). One hundred patients were included in the validation study. Nine patients had symptomatic POP, whereas 32 had UUI and 25 had SUI. Sensitivity and specificity for the SUI illustration was 80% (95% CI 61–91%) and 97% (95% CI 72–98%) and for UUI they were 81% (95% CI 65–91%) and 99% (95% CI 92–100%) respectively. POP illustrations had lower sensitivity and specificity, with the best performing illustration having sensitivity of 67% (95% CI 35–88%) and specificity of 99% (95% CI 94–100%), which improved when only bulge or pressure symptoms were included.ConclusionsWe present a newly developed pictorial scale to assess for clinical urinary incontinence and POP that may be adapted and evaluated in other settings for clinical and research purposes.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00192-022-05214-5

Culicoides species community composition and feeding preferences in two aquatic ecosystems in northern Spain

BackgroundAquatic ecosystems provide breeding sites for blood-sucking insects such as Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), but factors affecting their distribution and host choice are poorly understood. A study was undertaken at two nature reserves in northern Spain to examine the abundance, species composition, population dynamics and feeding patterns of biting midges between 2018 and 2019.MethodsCulicoides were captured by light suction traps baited with CO2 and by sweep netting vegetation. Blood meals and species identification of blood-fed specimens were determined using cytochrome c oxidase I subunit (COI) DNA barcoding. Multivariate generalized linear models were used to evaluate the associations between the abundance of Culicoides, the species richness and other parameters.ResultsThe 4973 identified specimens comprised 28 species of Culicoides. These included two species reported for the first time in northern Spain, thus raising to 54 the number of Culicoides species described in the region. Specimens of all 28 species and 99.6% of the total specimens collected were caught in suction traps, while sweep netting vegetation revealed just 11 species and 0.4% of the total specimens. Midge abundance peaked in June/early July, with five species comprising > 80% of the captures: Culicoides alazanicus (24.9%), Culicoides griseidorsum (20.3%), Culicoides poperinghensis (16.2%), Culicoides kibunensis (10.7%) and Culicoides clastrieri (9.6%). DNA barcode analysis of blood meals from eight Culicoides species revealed that they fed on 17 vertebrate species (3 mammals and 14 birds). Species in the subgenus Avaritia were primarily ornithophilic, except for C. griseidorsum and C. poperinghensis. Host DNA from blood meals was successfully amplified from 75% of blood-fed females. A pictorial blood meal digestion scale is provided to accurately assess the blood-fed status of female Culicoides.ConclusionsThe large number of different blood meal sources identified in the midges captured in this study signals the likely importance of wild birds and mammals (e.g. red deer and wild boar) as reservoir/amplifying hosts for pathogens. Available hosts are more exposed to being bitten by biting midge populations in aquatic ecosystems in late spring and early summer.

Are gender-stereotyped attitudes and beliefs in fathers and daughters associated with girls’ perceived motor competence?

ABSTRACT Background: Children can internalise social and parental gender stereotypes and this may influence their perceived motor competence (PMC). This study aimed to examine the association between father and daughter gender-stereotyped attitudes/beliefs and girls’ PMC. Methods: Girls (N = 68, M age = 8.9 years, SD = 1.7) and their fathers were recruited at baseline from a physical activity intervention. Girls’ PMC was assessed using the pictorial scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence. Gender-stereotyped attitudes/beliefs of girls and fathers were assessed using the Occupation, Activity, and Trait – Attitude/Personal instrument. The girls’ questions were interviewer administered to ensure comprehension, whilst fathers completed an online survey. Correlations were calculated, followed by linear regressions adjusted for girls’ age and fathers’ education. Regression models were used to investigate associations between father-daughter gender-stereotyped attitudes/beliefs, and whether these attitudes/beliefs were associated with girls’ perceptions of their object control/locomotor, active play, and overall skill competence. Results: Girls’ gender-stereotyped attitudes negatively correlated with overall PMC, r(60) = –.36, p = .004, and object control perception, r(60) = –.36, p = .004. These associations remained evident in linear regression analysis. No other associations were found. Conclusions: Girls with more gender-stereotyped attitudes have lower motor skill perceptions, which may impact negatively on physical activity and sport participation. Future interventions aimed at reducing sociocultural gender stereotypes in children may improve girls’ motor skill perception and positively impact physical activity.