Psychometric Properties Of Measure Research Articles

Instruments measuring the disease-specific quality of life of family carers of people with neurodegenerative diseases: a systematic review

ObjectiveNeurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia, have a profound impact on those with the conditions and their family carers. Consequently, the accurate measurement of family carers' quality of life (QOL) is...

The Adolescent HIV Disclosure Cognition and Affect Scale: Preliminary Reliability and Validity.

Globally, there are 2 million HIV-positive 10-19-year-olds. One challenge for this population is sharing their HIV status with others (onward HIV disclosure). There are no multi-item, multidimensional scales of HIV disclosure cognitions and affect for young people living with HIV. An 18-item measure of HIV disclosure cognition and affect was developed, administered to 65 adolescents living with HIV (aged 12-16 years). Data were explored using principal component analysis and preliminary construct and criterion validity assessed. Three factors were revealed: negative disclosure attitudes and feelings, self-efficacy, and positive disclosure attitudes and feelings. The full scale and its subscales were internally consistent. The total score showed statistically significant positive relationships with HIV disclosure in the past 6 months, HIV disclosure intention and self-perception. Preliminary evidence of the measure's good psychometric properties suggests it may be helpful in future clinical and research work.

Psychometric properties of the Dutch version of the Treatment Support Measure (TSM) parent and youth form.

This is the first study to investigate the psychometric properties of the Treatment Support Measure (TSM) Parent and Youth versions, which are created to help clinicians with actionable feedback when youths are not making sufficient progress in treatment. The Dutch TSM Parent and TSM Youth have moderate to good psychometric properties. The Dutch TSM Parent and TSM Youth might be helpful tools for use in clinical practice: they contain variables that are related to youth outcome, can signal potential barriers to youth progress, and can direct the conversation between the clinician and the youth and parents about adaptation of treatment. The Dutch TSM Parent and TSM Youth could be added to the regular ROM to facilitate both routine monitoring of outcome and direct and concrete aid to the here-and-now relational processes in treatment.

How Well Can We Measure Visual Attention? Psychometric Properties of Manual Response Times and First Fixation Latencies in a Visual Search Paradigm

Attentional biases are considered to be important for the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders, but despite widespread research in this area, the psychometric properties of measures targeting attentional allocation processes have rarely been evaluated. The current study assessed the reliability and validity of manual response times and first fixation latencies within a visual search paradigm, including data from one hundred twenty-two participants (n = sixty-two participants with social anxiety disorder). We found raw manual response times to be highly reliable, while raw first fixation latencies, in most cases, were not. Bias scores were neither reliable for manual responses nor for first fixation latencies. However, we found indicators of convergent validity, as raw values and also bias scores of both measures were significantly correlated. These results raise doubts about our ability to accurately measure visual attention, especially via eye-tracking procedures.

Psychometric properties of upper extremity outcome measures validated by Rasch analysis: a systematic review.

The aim of this study was to provide a systematic review of psychometric studies of upper extremity (UE) outcome measures validated by Rasch analysis and assess the extent to which their measurement areas cover the domains of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health model. A literature search from 1966 to 2014 was performed using PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, PsycINFO, Ovid/MEDLINE, ERIC, and Cochrane library. Fourteen keywords indicating 'upper extremity', 'psychometric properties', and 'outcome measures' were used. From a total of 1039 studies, 17 UE impairment outcome measures that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were selected and reviewed. The instruments targeted adults with various neurological or orthopedic conditions (i.e. stroke, upper and lower extremity impairments, and back pain). Twelve instruments targeted the body structure/function domain and 11 instruments targeted the activity domain of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health model. Only two instruments targeted the participation domain. All outcome measures showed reasonably sound psychometric properties, including construct validity (good fit statistic), moderate to high reliability (r=0.86-0.99), and sound dimensionality (unidimensional). The reviewed psychometric properties of UE outcome measures are useful for clinicians in deciding which measures to use to assess patients' UE impairments.

Systematic Review and Critical Analysis of Measures of Social Support Used in Studies of Persons With Type 2 Diabetes.

Social support is linked to improved glycemic control and psychosocial well-being of patients diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. The purpose was to critically evaluate the psychometric properties of social support measures used in this population. A systematic review of measures of social support was performed using 5 databases. Two hundred and fifty-six studies were initially retrieved, and 48 studies met the inclusion criteria for review. The majority used general measures of perceived social support. Only 17% measured positive and negative social support; 92% used a single measure of social support. The Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS) was used in 25% of the studies. Using a combination of social support measures and further evaluation of their psychometric properties in this population is recommended.

Systematic Review and Critical Analysis of Measures of Social Support Used in Studies of Persons With Type 2 Diabetes

Background and Purpose: Social support is linked to improved glycemic control and psychosocial well-being of patients diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. The purpose was to critically evaluate the psychometric properties of social support measures used in this population. Method: A systematic review of measures of social support was performed using 5 databases. Two hundred and fifty-six studies were initially retrieved, and 48 studies met the inclusion criteria for review. Results: The majority used general measures of perceived social support. Only 17% measured positive and negative social support; 92% used a single measure of social support. The Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS) was used in 25% of the studies. Conclusions: Using a combination of social support measures and further evaluation of their psychometric properties in this population is recommended.

Quantifying the unmet needs of caregivers of people with dementia: a critical review of the quality of measures.

The array of demanding tasks carried out by caregivers of people with dementia have significant negative impacts on their physical, mental and social well-being. Needs assessment allows individuals to indicate the extent to which their needs across different areas have or have not been met, allowing for estimations of the prevalence of needs and the extent to which help is required. This approach is extremely valuable in a clinical context, as it enables identification of the areas with which caregivers report a particular desire for help and allows targeting of support and resources to those who identify high levels of unmet needs. This systematic review aimed to critically examine the psychometric properties of measures that assess unmet needs of caregivers of people with dementia. Medline, Embase, PsycINFO and Cochrane electronic databases were searched between January 1990 and August 2015 for English-language publications describing the development or validation of measures assessing the unmet needs of adult caregivers of people with dementia. The psychometric properties of included measures were assessed against standard criteria for psychometric quality. Four measures met the inclusion criteria. Only half of the indices of psychometric quality were tested across measures. Three measures had adequate internal consistency reliability, of which one also showed adequate test-retest reliability. Two measures reported adequate construct validity, while criterion validity was not assessed for any measure. There is a clear need to develop a psychometrically rigorous instrument to identify the unmet needs of caregivers of people with dementia. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Student leadership training as a stress reduction strategy at a South African university

The role of student leaders at tertiary institutions is common practice. Student leaders participation in both academic and residence leadership roles provides an opportunity for skills development and also a source of income. The multiplicity of roles that residence leaders fulfill have been reported to be a source of stress and dissatisfaction which has had a negative effect on their academic performance. A descriptive research design using a self-report cross-sectional approach was used. The population was student leaders from 19 residence halls at a South African tertiary institution (n=184). Psychometric properties of measures used were consistent with previous studies. Significant positive correlations between role overload and role stress as well as training and role satisfaction were established. A negative relationship was established between training and role satisfaction. These findings are consistent with previous studies that reported training as an important factor in determining student leader satisfaction. Key words: Role stress; role overload; student leadership; training; role satisfaction; performance

Psychometric properties of stress and anxiety measures among nulliparous women

Objective: To examine the psychometric properties of three measures, the perceived stress scale (PSS), pregnancy experience scale (PES), and state trait anxiety inventory (STAI), for assessing stress and anxiety during pregnancy among a large sample of nulliparous women.Methods: The sample included 10,002 pregnant women participating in the Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study: Monitoring Mothers-to-Be (nMoM2b). Internal consistency reliability was assessed with Cronbach’s alpha and factorial validity with confirmatory factor analyses. Intraclass correlations (ICCs) were calculated to determine stability of PSS scales over time. Psychometric properties were examined for the overall sample, as well as subgroups based on maternal age, race/ethnicity and language.Results: All three scales demonstrated good internal consistency reliability. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the factor structures of the PSS and the PES. However, a one-factor solution of the trait-anxiety subscale from the STAI did not fit well; a two-factor solution, splitting the items into factors based on direction of item wording (positive versus negative) provided a better fit. Scores on the PSS were generally stable over time (ICC = 0.60). Subgroup analyses revealed a few items that did not perform well on Spanish versions of the scales.Conclusion: Overall, the scales performed well, suggesting they could be useful tools for identifying women experiencing high levels of stress and anxiety during pregnancy and allowing for the implementation of interventions to help reduce maternal stress and anxiety.

Psychometric validation of the electronic chronic pain questions (eCPQ) in a primary care setting

Objective: Collecting data that helps evaluate different types of pain may improve physicians’ decision-making with regard to treatment selection and on-going monitoring of patients. To date, no chronic pain assessments have been widely implemented in primary care. The aim of this study was to psychometrically validate the electronic Chronic Pain Questions (eCPQ) in a primary care setting.Research design and methods: All men and women ≥18 years arriving at two similar primary care clinics in southeastern Michigan were invited to participate. Clinic staff verbally administered the eCPQ to patients and recorded their answers into the electronic medical record (EMR) prior to physician consultation with results available for physician review. Concurrent validity was assessed using Spearman correlations between eCPQ and patient-completed ancillary measures. Known-group validity was assessed by stratifying patients on self-reported chronic pain as well as by pain diagnosis (i.e. ICD-9 codes). To compare patients with chronic pain versus no chronic pain t-tests and chi-square tests were performed. Reproducibility was assessed between interviewer- and self-administration over time.Results: A total of 534 patients were invited to participate and 455 patients consented to take part in the study (85.2% response rate); 395 patients had analyzable eCPQ data; 70.1% were Caucasian; 68.1% female; mean age was 43.4; 52.7% (n = 208) self-reported chronic pain. Correlations between eCPQ and ancillary measures supported concurrent validity. Excellent discrimination between groups was evidenced based on self-reported chronic pain and ICD-9 diagnosis. Patients with self-reported chronic pain reported significantly (p < .0001) higher pain ratings and greater interference with usual activities, sleep, and mood than those without chronic pain. Test–retest reliability between modes (interviewer- vs. self-administration) was excellent as was reproducibility based on self-administration of the eCPQ at two separate time points.Key limitations: Discriminant validity was determined by comparing participants based on ICD codes. Utilizing ICD codes to identify individuals with chronic pain may not be a reliable approach as it is dependent upon providers accurately and consistently entering chronic pain diagnoses in the EMR.Conclusions: The eCPQ has sound psychometric measurement properties, including concurrent validity, discriminant validity, and reproducibility. The eCPQ appears to be useful to identify patients with chronic pain and to assess and monitor symptoms over time.

Psychometric properties of implementation measures for public health and community settings and mapping of constructs against the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research: a systematic review.

BackgroundRecent reviews have synthesised the psychometric properties of measures developed to examine implementation science constructs in healthcare and mental health settings. However, no reviews have focussed primarily on the properties of measures developed to assess innovations in public health and community settings. This review identified quantitative measures developed in public health and community settings, examined their psychometric properties, and described how the domains of each measure align with the five domains and 37 constructs of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR).MethodsMEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and CINAHL were searched to identify publications describing the development of measures to assess implementation science constructs in public health and community settings. The psychometric properties of each measure were assessed against recommended criteria for validity (face/content, construct, criterion), reliability (internal consistency, test-retest), responsiveness, acceptability, feasibility, and revalidation and cross-cultural adaptation. Relevant domains were mapped against implementation constructs defined by the CFIR.ResultsFifty-one measures met the inclusion criteria. The majority of these were developed in schools, universities, or colleges and other workplaces or organisations. Overall, most measures did not adequately assess or report psychometric properties. Forty-six percent of measures using exploratory factor analysis reported >50 % of variance was explained by the final model; none of the measures assessed using confirmatory factor analysis reported root mean square error of approximation (<0.06) or comparative fit index (>0.95). Fifty percent of measures reported Cronbach’s alpha of <0.70 for at least one domain; 6 % adequately assessed test-retest reliability; 16 % of measures adequately assessed criterion validity (i.e. known-groups); 2 % adequately assessed convergent validity (r > 0.40). Twenty-five percent of measures reported revalidation or cross-cultural validation. The CFIR constructs most frequently assessed by the included measures were relative advantage, available resources, knowledge and beliefs, complexity, implementation climate, and other personal resources (assessed by more than ten measures). Five CFIR constructs were not addressed by any measure.ConclusionsThis review highlights gaps in the range of implementation constructs that are assessed by existing measures developed for use in public health and community settings. Moreover, measures with robust psychometric properties are lacking. Without rigorous tools, the factors associated with the successful implementation of innovations in these settings will remain unknownElectronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13012-016-0512-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Psychosis risk screening: Validation of the youth psychosis at‐risk questionnaire – brief in a community‐derived sample of adolescents

There have been several attempts to identify individuals potentially at high risk for psychotic-spectrum disorders using brief screening measures. However, relatively few studies have tested the psychometric properties of the psychosis screening measures in representative samples of adolescents. The main purpose of the present study was to analyse the prevalence, factorial structure, measurement invariance across gender, and reliability of the Youth Psychosis At-Risk Questionnaire - Brief (YPARQ-B) in a community-derived sample of adolescents. Additionally, the relationship between YPARQ-B, depressive symptoms, psychopathology, stress manifestations, and prosocial skills was analysed. One thousand and twenty students from high schools participated in a cross-sectional survey. The YPARQ-B, the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and the Student Stress Inventory - Stress Manifestations were used. A total of 85.1% of the total sample self-reported at least one subclinical psychotic experience. We observed a total of 10.9% of adolescents with a cutoff score of ≥11 or 6.8% with a cutoff score of ≥13. The analysis of internal structure of the YPARQ-B yielded an essentially unidimensional structure. The YPARQ-B scores showed measurement invariance across gender. The internal consistency of the YPARQ-B total score was 0.94. Furthermore, self-reported subclinical psychotic experiences were associated with depressive symptoms, emotional and behavioural problems, poor prosocial skills, and stress manifestations. These results would appear to indicate that YPARQ-B is a brief and easy tool to assess self-reported subclinical psychotic experiences in adolescents from the general population. The assessment of these experiences in community settings, and its associations with psychopathology, may help us to enhance the possibility of an early identification of adolescents potentially at risk for psychosis and mental health problems.

A Systematic Review of the Psychometric Properties of Trait Cognitive Self-Report Measures in Social Anxiety

Cognitive factors, including beliefs, thoughts and assumptions have been found to play an important role in the development and maintenance of Social Anxiety Disorder. Trait cognitive self-report measures of social anxiety are widely used in research and clinical settings. It is imperative that only measures with good psychometric properties are used in order to interpret assessment scores accurately, and to make valid and reliable conclusions. The present systematic review evaluated the psychometric properties of trait cognitive self-report measures of social anxiety. Relevant studies were identified via a comprehensive and systematic search of academic databases. The reported psychometric properties of included studies were analysed by applying an appraisal of adequacy tool developed by Terwee et al. (2007). Of the 3091 studies identified, 50 studies met the inclusion criteria, and they included 21 measures. Included studies demonstrated that a number of measures had some adequate psychometric properties, however, no measure fulfilled criteria for all psychometric properties according to the appraisal tool. Findings highlight the need to further establish the psychometric properties of cognitive self-report measures of social anxiety in clinical and research settings through additional empirical studies.

Evaluating the measurement reliabilities and dimensionality of developmental idealism measures.

This paper investigates the measurement of developmental idealism. Developmental idealism is a set of beliefs and values stating that modern societies and families are better than traditional ones, that modern families facilitate modern societies, and that modern societies foster modern families. Prior research has shown that developmental idealism is widespread globally but has provided little evidence about whether beliefs concerning developmental idealism can be measured reliably at the individual level. It also has provided little information about the dimensionality and psychometric properties of measures of developmental idealism. Using cross-sectional survey data from Argentina, China, and Egypt, we explore and test the factor structure underlying observed measures for aspects of developmental idealism and estimate the reliability of different models. Theory and data suggest that developmental idealism consists of multiple dimensions, and when family-related items are measuring similar underlying constructs, the measurement reliabilities are high. These results provide evidence that the dimensions of developmental idealism can be measured with a high degree of reliability.

Development and Preliminary Psychometric Evaluation of Decisional Balance and Self-Efficacy Measures for Managing Anxiety in a National Sample of Clinically Anxious Adults.

Anxiety is the most common and costly mental illness in the United States. Reducing avoidance is a core element of evidence-based treatments. Past research shows readiness to address avoidance affects outcomes. Investigating avoidance from a transtheoretical model (TTM) perspective could facilitate tailored approaches for individuals with low readiness. This study developed and examined psychometric properties of TTM measures for addressing anxiety-based avoidance. Cross-sectional survey. Community centers, online survey. Five hundred ninety-four individuals aged 18 to 70 with clinically significant anxiety. Overall Anxiety Severity Questionnaire, stages of change, decisional balance, and self-efficacy. The sample was randomly split into halves for principal component analyses (PCAs) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) to test measurement models. Further analyses examined relationships between constructs. For decisional balance, PCA indicated two 5-item factors (pros and cons). Confirmatory factor analysis supported a 2-factor correlated model, Satorra-Bentler scaled chi-square [Formula: see text], comparative fit index (CFI = 0.94), root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA = 0.07), pros: α = 0.87, ρ = 0.87, cons: α = 0.75, and ρ = 0.75. For self-efficacy, PCA indicated one 6-item factor supported by CFA, [Formula: see text], P < .01, CFI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.09, α = 0.90, ρ = 0.87. As hypothesized, significant cross-stage differences were observed for pros and self-efficacy, and significant relationships between anxiety severity and pros, cons, and self-efficacy were found. Findings show strong psychometric properties and support the application of a readiness-based model to anxiety. In contrast to findings of other behaviors, cons remain high in action and maintenance. These measures provide a solid empirical foundation to develop TTM-tailored interventions to enhance engagement in treatment.

Psychometric properties of the short form of the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI-S) in young people with physical disabilities

ObjectiveDepression is a significant issue for young people with physical disabilities. Efficient and reliable questionnaires are needed to evaluate and monitor the efficacy of depression treatments in this population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the 10-item version of the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI-S) in a sample of young people with physical disabilities. MethodsA convenience sample of young people with physical disabilities (N=97) was recruited and interviewed. Reliability was evaluated using the Cronbach's α and examining the item-total correlations. Validity was evaluated by computing Pearson correlations between scores on the CDI-S and measures of pain and psychological functioning (anxiety and depression). ResultsThe CDS-I items loaded on a single factor. The internal consistency of the scale was good (Cronbach's α=0.84) and the CDI-S showed moderate significant correlations with pain intensity (r=0.29), pain interference (r=0.46) and psychological functioning (r=−0.57). Two of the items, however, did not perform well (i.e., item-total correlations <0.3, and Cronbach's α improved when they were deleted). ConclusionThe findings support the reliability and validity of the CDI-S scores for use in young people with physical disabilities. The measure's psychometric properties should be studied in larger samples. In addition, there is a new brief version of the CDI (CDI-S 2) that needs to be evaluated in order to determine which of the two scales is better for assessing depression in young people with physical disabilities.

Psychometric properties of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure in home-dwelling older adults.

BackgroundThe Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) is an occupational therapy instrument designed to help participants identify, prioritize, and evaluate performance of important occupations.ObjectiveTo investigate the validity, responsiveness, interpretability, and feasibility of the COPM when used by various health professions in home-dwelling older adults receiving reablement. Reablement is a new form of multidisciplinary home-based rehabilitation for older adults experiencing functional decline.Participants and methodsThe sample of 225 participants, mean age 80.8 years, who were in need of rehabilitation for various health conditions were included in the study. Data collection was conducted at baseline and at 10 weeks follow-up. The COSMIN guidelines and recommendations for evaluating methodological quality were followed.ResultsContent validity, construct validity, and feasibility were found to be adequate. Responsiveness, however, was moderate. Functional mobility was the most frequently prioritized occupational category of all. Regarding interpretability, the minimal important change was 3.0 points and 3.2 points for performance and satisfaction, respectively. The older adults reported that COPM was a useful and manageable instrument. The majority of the occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and nurses reported that they had the required expertise to conduct the COPM assessments.ConclusionThe results support the multidisciplinary use of the COPM in clinical practice and research in a home-dwelling, heterogeneous population of older adults. Based on the findings, 3 points are recommended as a cutoff point to distinguish between older adults who have a minimal important change in COPM performance and COPM satisfaction and those who have not.

A review of psychological assessment instruments for use in bariatric surgery evaluations.

Bariatric surgery is a viable treatment option for patients with extreme obesity and associated medical comorbidities; however, optimal surgical outcomes are not universal. Surgical societies, such as the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), recommend that patients undergo a presurgical psychological evaluation that includes reviewing patients' medical charts, conducting a comprehensive clinical interview, and employing some form of objective psychometric testing. Despite numerous societies recommending the inclusion of self-report assessments, only about 2/3 of clinics actively use psychological testing-some of which have limited empirical support to justify their use. This review aims to critically evaluate the psychometric properties of self-report measures when used in bariatric surgery settings and provide recommendations to help guide clinicians in selecting instruments to use in bariatric surgery evaluations. Recommended assessment batteries include use of a broadband instrument along with a narrowband eating measure. Suggestions for self-report measures to include in a presurgical psychological evaluation in bariatric surgery settings are also provided. (PsycINFO Database Record

Subjective sleep measures for adolescents: a systematic review.

Sleep disturbances in adolescents have received significant attention because of their high prevalence and the negative health outcomes. Relative to objective measures, subjective sleep instruments have been the most practical tools used to identify sleep problems and assess responses to interventions in research and clinical settings. This systematic review aims to examine the psychometric properties of subjective measures that are used to assess sleep quality and disturbances among adolescents, identify the strength and limitation of each measurement and inform recommendations for practice. PubMed, Embase and PsycInfo were searched from 2000 through May 2016. The reference lists of important articles were included if they met the inclusion criteria. The available measures were evaluated and classified as positive, intermediate or poor according to the quality criteria for health status questionnaires. Thirteen self-reported or parent-reported sleep measures met the inclusion criteria. Of the measurements reviewed, six were generic instruments assessing overall sleep quality and disturbances; five were dimension-specific instruments measuring daytime sleepiness, sleep insufficiency and sleep hygiene; and two were condition-specific instruments for insomnia. None of the subjective sleep measures for adolescents has a psychometric profile with all essential measurement properties. Specifically, the generic sleep measurements capture multiple dimensions but face issues of participant burden and compatibility. Among the domain-specific tools, the Cleveland Adolescent Sleepiness Questionnaire and the Chronic Sleep Reduction Questionnaire have achieved good psychometric merits but need further evaluation for responsiveness. Likewise, essential measurement properties of condition-specific tools for insomnia have yet to be established. Because of the limited evidence, no definite recommendations can be made at this point. However, each available measurement has its own uniqueness and strength despite the limitations. Future research on measurement development and evaluation for adolescent sleep is needed to ensure the relevance and suitability to different stages of adolescence and social contexts.