Scree Plot Research Articles

Principal Component Analysis in Kodo Millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum) under Salt Stress Conditions

The study was carried out in a polyhouse using germination trays to examine the impact of salt stress on seedling growth and germination across 42 Kodo Millet genotypes. Conducted at the Research Farm of RVSKVV, Gwalior, the experiment followed a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications. To minimize variability and maintain uniform conditions, a standardized growing medium composed of compost, vermiculite, and cocopeat in a 1:1:1 ratio was employed. Salt stress levels were assessed using NaCl solutions at concentrations of 50 mM, 100 mM, 250 mM, and 500 mM. In this study, two principal components with eigen values greater than one collectively accounted for 72.2% of the total variability among the analyzed traits. The first principal component (PC1) contributed the most, explaining 63.05% of the variation, while the second principal component (PC2) explained 9.15%. PC1 was primarily associated with traits such as days to emergence, final germination percentage, shoot length, seedling length, shoot fresh weight, root fresh weight, total fresh weight, total dry weight, and proline content. In contrast, PC2 was dominated by traits such as root length, vigor index, chlorophyll a, and chlorophyll b. The scores for PC1 ranged from 0.002 to 3.795 for positive values and -7.521 to -0.034 for negative values, while PC2 scores ranged from 0.061 to 2.894 for positive values and -2.687 to -0.089 for negative values. Scree plot and biplot collectively highlighted the major contributors to variability and their interrelationships under the salt stress condition in kodo millet genotypes.

Development of a psychometrically valid and reliable measure of primary care providers’ willingness to engage with value based payments and innovations in care coordination

BackgroundMost approaches to healthcare reform envision an enhanced role for primary care providers, supported by innovative payment methodology and improved resources. However, there are currently no instruments to measure providers’ ability and willingness to work with existing tools provided by payers, such as Accountable Care Organizations (ACO). In this study, we develop and psychometrically test a new instrument to measure provider engagement with ACOs.Methodology/ approachThe instrument was developed based on a self-efficacy theory of the adoption of innovations. We hypothesized two underlying constructs: Ease of Use (“Ease”) and Perceived Usefulness (“Usefulness”). Constructs were tested using confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability was assessed with Cronbach's Alpha and convergent and divergent validity. Survey subjects were Primary Care Providers engaged with an ACO.ResultsEigenvalue and scree plots indicated the hypothesized two factor model was appropriate. Four questions failed to load onto a single factor – three from Ease and one from Usefulness. Both scales have outstanding reliability, with an Alpha of 0.951 for Usefulness and 0.831 for Ease. For validity, the results are consistent with our prior hypotheses for convergent and divergent validity.ConclusionsThe new instrument is a valid and reliable measure of providers’ ability to work with and gain value from ACO participation.Practice implicationsThe success of any health care reform will be highly dependent on primary care providers’ willingness and ability to engage with payers. This instrument provides a new tool to measure the value and difficulty of that engagement by primary care providers.

Analysing physical activity measures and clustering in patients with type 2 diabetes in secondary care: insights from the DIAbetes and LifEstyle Cohort Twente (DIALECT)—an observational cohort study

ObjectivesTo analyse variance in accelerometer-based physical activity (PA) measures in patients with type 2 diabetes, identify the most distinctive PA measures and classify patients into different PA clusters based on...

GC Analyses of Volatile Constituents of Plants from Clausena Genus and Computing the Chemical Variability by Multivariate Correlation Analysis

ABSTRACT Chemical variability of essential oils of five Clausena species C. anisata, C. austroindica, C. dentata, C. heptaphylla and C. indica was studied. EOs were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-MS and GC-FID. Monoterpenes were the dominating category in Clausena EOs, in which trans-anethole, estragole, terpenolene, sabinene and myrcene were the main components. According to the Scree plot of PCA, the combination of (PC1) and (PC2) alone explained more than 86% of the total variance. Biplot analysis showed myristicin, sabinene, terpinolene and biofloratriene were the key markers accountable for the segregation of C. indica and C. dentata. Another constituent trans-anethole was responsible for the closeness of C. austroindica and C. heptaphylla EOs. According to the matrix plot, the volatile constituents were represented by the difference in percentage of volatile category. This correlation analysis gave an insight into all the data gathered for the samples and to categorize them into clusters (HCA) based on similarities and differences in the chemical profile predominating in the essential oils that influence their biological activity.

Sustainability or Technology - What Drives Consumer Purchase Behaviour in Digital Era?

Retail industry is undergoing transformation. Many changes are happening in this industry due to change in consumer behaviour. Every retailer is trying to understand, what drives the customers to select the retailer? It is technology, sustainability or both. Retailers are trying to identify the right technology for their business, which will delight customers and at the same trying to find out how to achieve sustainability in their business. The purpose of this paper is to find answers for these questions and help the retailers to invest their money wisely and satisfy their customers and remain relevant in the business. The outcomes of the study exhibit the shifting trend among customers which help the companies to cater the altering preferences of their customers. A well-structured questionnaire was developed and collected the primary data from 368 respondents adopting Convenient sampling method through online. Questionnaire was analysed by Factor extraction principal component analysis, Exploratory Factor Analysis, Eigen values and scree plot. The relation between the independent and dependent variables was established with multiple regression analysis. Each factor effect on sustainability and Advanced digitalisation independently was tested for its significance by adopting t – test statistic. The aggregate effect of all independent variables in each equation, in multiple regression are shown by the multiple correlation coefficient (R2). This multiple relation is also tested by adapting the F – test statistic.

Validation of the Zarit Burden Interview in Informal Caregivers of Patients with Severe Visual Impairment and Blindness.

The needs of family caregivers providing care to relatives with visual impairment are often dismissed, leading to caregiver burden. The Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) can measure the caregiver burden of caring for a family member with vision impairment. The purpose of this study is to validate the ZBI in Mexican family caregivers of patients with visual impairment. The ZBI was applied to 137 family caregivers of patients with visual acuity ≤ 20/200 in the best eye for ≥ 6months. The ZBI's reliability was determined using Cronbach's α and the factor structure using exploratory factor analysis (EFA, principal axis factoring with promax rotation). Items with loadings < 0.400 were eliminated. Retained factors were determined using the scree test and Horn's parallel analysis (95%CI). Associations between burden factors and other variables were evaluated with descriptive and inferential statistics. Mean ZBI score was 26.2 ± 13.1, and internal consistency was high (α = 0.871). EFA yielded four factors: (1) embarrassment and frustration, (2) self-efficacy expectations, (3) interference in personal relationships, and (4) personal strain. The α values ranged from 0.649 to 0.812. Spousal caregivers had significantly higher scores (factors 1, 2, and 4), whereas adult children had less scores (factor3). There was a significant positive correlation between hours of daily caregiving and factors 2 (r = 0.350) and 3 (r = 0.388). A worse degree of visual impairment was associated with higher mean factor scores in all factors. The ZBI is a valid instrument to detect burden in Mexican caregivers of patients with visual impairment. We identified a four-factor structure that improved our understanding of the ZBI's underlying constructs. Interventions targeting specific types of burden are warranted.

Cultural adaptation and validation of the Sinhala version of the spiritual needs assessment for patients (S-SNAP) questionnaire

BackgroundSpiritual support for patients and caregivers of critically ill patients is associated with improved quality of life. This aspect, however, is not incorporated into the current care pathways in Sri Lanka. The Spiritual Needs Assessment for Patients (SNAP) questionnaire, comprised of 3 domains: psychosocial, spiritual and religious, gives a platform for clinicians to assess the spiritual needs of those patients. This study presents the results of validation of the Sinhala version of the SNAP (S-SNAP) questionnaire.MethodsThe SNAP was translated from English to Sinhala using the standard forward and backward translation process. After verifying the content validity, unambiguity and clarity of items in a focused group discussion, and a pilot study, the pre-final version was tested among 267 volunteers with cancer selected from three state-run cancer care institutions. Data were analysed for internal consistency and item-total correlations. Factor analysis was done using Varimax rotation with Kaiser normalization. A Scree plot was also made to determine the number of factors.ResultsThe mean (SD) age of subjects was 63.2 (11.4) years. The total S-SNAP score ranged from 22 to 88 (maximum 88). The overall Cronbach’s alpha was 0.94 while item-total correlations varied from 0.26 to 0.87. Total SNAP score showed inverse correlations with age, Charleson Comorbidity index and Barthel index while a positive correlation was seen with the Karnofsky performance status scale (p < 0.05). Kaiser-Meyer-Olkein value of 0.92 (P = < 0.001) for Bartlett’s test indicated adequate sampling and non-linearity of factors. The scree plot showed a four-factor structure explaining 76% variation. Meaning of life and relationship with a supernatural being and religious rituals are loaded as 2 different factors. Worries, fears and forgiveness are grouped as the third factor while relaxation, coping and sharing feelings are loaded separately.ConclusionsThe S-SNAP is a reliable and valid tool to assess spiritual suffering among patients with cancers conversant in the Sinhala language.

Psychological barriers in children: an exploratory study on Dengue transmission using an adapted DIPB scale.

Dengue is an arboviral infection found in tropical and subtropical regions transmitted by hematophagous mosquitoes from the genus Aedes spp. and responsible for millions of cases every year. Public campaigns and educational curriculum are designed to educate people, including children. However, what has been reported is that many decide not to follow these guidelines, even though they allegedly know what has to be done. To understand this phenomenon, this study aims to identify psychological barriers behind the adoption of pro-environmental behaviors that seek to reduce Aedes aegypti's population. For that, middle school students participated on two studies responsible for (1) adapting the Dragons of Inaction Psychological Barrier (DIPB) scale to the target group (n = 150) and then (2) testing it on a larger group (n = 449). In the exploratory factor analysis, Bartlett correlation (p < 0.001), Cronbach's alpha (0.83), and KMO analysis (overall MSA = 0.84) showed that data was suited for factor analysis. Five factors were retained by Kaiser Criterion and scree test (i.e., Conflicting goals and unnecessary changes-α 0.76, Interpersonal relations-α 0.72, Conflicting goals and lacking knowledge-α 0.58, Tokenism-α 0.73, and Tokenism toward the government-α 0.66). After that, the scale was tested across 11 different schools, where students also answered a questionnaire about the mosquito. Results suggested that the factors Conflicting goals and lacking knowledge and Tokenism toward the government presented a higher level of agreement for all students (means: 2.6 and 2.12 out of five, respectively). Those who scored higher in the mosquito's questionnaire had factors Conflicting goals and unnecessary change and Interpersonal relations inhibited when compared to others (p < 0.05). These results suggests that future educational campaigns should build different actions that focuses on addressing both internal and external factors, creating a mosaic of projects, with different goals, each aiming different environmental challenges.

Examining Retention Methods in Factor Analysis: A Comparison of Polychoric and Pearson Correlations for Categorical and Continuous Data.

In the last two decade, it has become clear that retention methods must utilize polychoric correlation instead of Pearson correlation to eliminate drawbacks such as underestimation of the magnitude of the relationship between latent variables that result in spurious findings (Bernstein &amp; Teng, 1989). In the present study, the literature review will be examined and compared using Monte Carlo simulation to determine the most parsimonious method of retention for categorical data. With continuous variables, the majority of researchers still implement Cattell’s scree test (Henson &amp; Roberts, 2006) and Kaiser-Guttman-1 rule (Velicer et al., 2000), because these procedures are the default in popular statistical packages, such as SPSS and SAS. The present study will examine two of the most accurate methods: MAP (Minimum Average Partial) and PA (Parallel Analysis) along with Very Simple Structure (VSS) with categorical variables.

Evaluation of an innovative dementia care competency model among physical and occupational therapy students

ABSTRACT The rising prevalence of dementia calls for a competent workforce capable of delivering quality dementia care. A standard for assessing dementia-care-specific competencies is necessary to guide curriculum development and implementation in a competency-based educational framework during academic training. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Dementia Care Competency Model (DCCM) among students enrolled in physical (PT) and occupational therapist (OT) programs. Eighty PT and OT students completed the DCCM by rating the 11 sub-competencies using the National Institute of Health Proficiency Likert Scale. The Exploratory Factor Analysis yielded a Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin of 0.878 and Bartlett’s test significance value of < 0.001, which indicates that the data were very good for factor analysis. The Eigenvalues and scree plot derived two factors with an excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.936). When examining the grouping of sub-competencies, the two factors that emerged were patient-centered and interprofessional collaborative care. The DCCM version 2.0 can guide educators in designing learning experiences that target the essential competencies in dementia care, ensuring that PT and OT graduates are well-prepared to work with individuals living with dementia. Future research should refine the model by exploring additional sub-competencies within each domain and expanding the model’s applicability across multiple healthcare disciplines.

Development of a breastfeeding support scale in the workplace and psychometric properties of Turkish version: a validity and reliability

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to develop a workplace breastfeeding support scale for working mothers and examine their psychometric properties. This methodological research was conducted between February and April 2022. This study included 325 mothers who continued breastfeeding while working. The tool development stages included item generation, expert review for content validity testing, and psychometric testing. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews between February and April 2022. In data analysis, for explanatory factor analysis, the direct oblimin technique and scree plot test were performed. Structural equation modeling was performed for confirmatory factor analysis. Two sub-dimensions (manager support, environmental support) and a nine-item workplace breastfeeding support scale showed good validity and reliability. The Cronbach’s alpha value of the total scale and sub-dimensions of the scale were greater than 0.70. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the model fit indices were acceptable (χ2 = 68.658, χ2/df = 2.64, CFI = 0.94, GFI = 0.96, AGFI = 0.92, and RMSEA = 0.07). The total variance explained by the scale was 54.32 percent. This newly developed 9-item and 2-dimensional version is a valid and reliable tool for measuring the working mothers’ perception of workplace breastfeeding support. This tool is recommended to be verified in other low, middle, and high-income countries.

Oxford Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (OVHS): a UK-based and US-based online mixed-methods psychometric development and validation study of an instrument to assess vaccine hesitancy

ObjectivesTo describe the development, validation and reliability of the Oxford Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (OVHS), a new instrument to assess vaccine hesitancy in the general population.DesignCross-sectional validation study.SettingInternet-based study with participants...

B - 7 Factor Structure of the Beck Depression Inventory-II in Epilepsy

Abstract Objective This study aimed to explore the factor structure of the Beck Depression Inventory, Second Edition (BDI-II) in persons with epilepsy (PWE) and assess its correspondence with validated BDI-II cognitive and somatic-affective factors associated with depression in other populations. Method Retrospective data from 69 PWE (ages 18–72) who completed the BDI-II at a National Association of Epilepsy Centers level 4 epilepsy center were analyzed. Patients with diagnoses of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia spectrum disorders were excluded. An Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) using the psych package in R Studio was conducted, allowing factors to correlate with oblique factor rotation. The number of factors was determined using eigenvalues &amp;gt;1 and scree plots. Results Statistical support is strongest for a one-factor solution with eigenvalue 7.91; however, a two-factor solution (Factor two eigenvalue = 1.16) also met criteria. These factors accounted for 30% and 10% of the variance, respectively. Due to the low eigenvalue, few item loadings (3), and low variance explained by the second factor, item-level considerations were implemented to determine whether a two-factor solution added clinically relevant information. Conclusion Although a one-factor solution was best supported by the data, a second factor including sadness, feeling of punishment, and suicidal thoughts may be clinically relevant given elevated suicide risk and qualitative research reporting punishment feelings among PWE.

B - 57 Examining Symptom Patterns in Anomalous Health Incidents: a Spectral Co-Clustering Analysis Using the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale

Abstract Objective The ImPACT Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS) is widely used to document post-concussion symptoms. This study investigated the structural patterns of PCSS using spectral co-clustering on data from U.S. diplomats and their families who served in Cuba and China, who reported experiencing Anomalous Health Incidents (AHIs). Method Clinicians at the University of Pennsylvania evaluated 65 individuals with potential AHI exposure (Median age-group = 35–45 years; 73.84% in Cuba; 49.23% females). PCSS feature scores were discretized into 4-level symptom severity expressions: none, mild, moderate, and severe. The preprocessed data were fit with spectral co-clustering model to extract optimal number of biclusters, by measuring scree plot with principal component analysis and Calinski-Harabasz (CH) score. Final model was also evaluated by CH score and a random label t-test to compare the significance of the clustering results. Results Overall, spectral co-clustering yielded two biclusters with CH score of 20.29 and random label t-test of p &amp;lt; 0.001, suggesting reasonable clustering quality. Biclustering identified two sets of interpretable PCSS symptom characteristics. Cluster centroids X and Y (IDs retracted) were estimated using Manhattan distance, summarizing symptom characteristics of each cluster. More precisely, centroid X represented mild to moderate symptom profiles (e.g., headache, dizziness, drowsiness, and nervousness), while centroidY represented a relative absence of symptoms, except for mild nervousness and emotionality. Conclusion The spectral co-clustering of PCSS reveals patterns of elevated symptoms in one cluster and minimal symptom burden in the other, similar to outcomes observed after mild TBI. These patterns can guide future research directions and ultimately improve patient outcomes in various medical contexts.

Development and psychometric evaluation of the catheter assessment, management and performance (CAMP) scale for nurses

AimTo develop and test the psychometric properties of a self-administered scale to assess the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviour of nurses to support the self-management of patients living with indwelling urinary catheters. BackgroundNurses are pivotal in supporting patients with urinary catheter self-management to prevent potentially avoidable hospital presentations. However, no validated scale is available to assess nurses’ attitudes and readiness for this task. DesignA quasi-experimental design was used to collect survey data both at baseline and after the completion of the intervention. A total of 128 participants were recruited from the Western Sydney region (New South Wales, Australia), who were working in community healthcare settings. Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap™) database was used to manage the survey data collected for data analysis purposes. This study has been registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN126210 0 0683831) MethodsUsing a three-stage process of concept identification, item construction and pilot testing to develop the Catheter Assessment, Management and Performance (CAMP) scale, followed by factorial and discriminant validity and reliability testing. This 23-item CAMP scale is theoretically informed by the COM-B (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour) model, recognised for its effectiveness in understanding and influencing behaviour change. The scale was distributed to nurses working in three community health care settings to assess their knowledge, attitude and behaviour regarding catheter management and performance. ResultsFour factors were identified using scree plot, accounting for 63.36 % of total explained variance, which reflected the four dimensions of the COM-B model. Cronbach's alpha of the overall CAMP scale (0.93) and subscales (0.92, 0.87, 0.85 and 0.86) indicate good internal consistencies. The CAMP scale was able to detect changes in nurses’ self-reported behaviour change following educational intervention (85.53 versus 95.98, p < 0.001). ConclusionThe CAMP scale is valid and reliable scale, capable of assessing nurses’ capability, opportunity and motivation to support patients, through delivery of catheter self-management education that can potentially prevent catheter-related complications and avoid hospital presentations. Future research could explore using CAMP scale among non-specialist nurses and in various clinical settings to enhance its effectiveness and generalisability.

FC24: Discrimination and Stigma Scale Ultra Short for People Living with Dementia (DISCUS- Dementia): Development and Psychometric Validation

Objectives: This work was aimed at characterizing the experiences of discrimination, and report initial psychometric properties of a new tool to capture these experiences, among a global sample of people living with dementia.Methods: Data from 704 people living with dementia who took part in a global survey from 33 different countries and territories were analysed. Psychometric properties were examined, including internal consistency and construct validity.Results: A total of 83% of participants reported discrimination in one or more areas of life, and this was similar across WHO Regions. The exploratory factor analysis factor loadings and scree plot supported a unidimensional structure for the Discrimination and Stigma Scale Ultra Short for People Living with Dementia (DISCUS-Dementia). The instrument demonstrated excellent internal consistency, with most of the construct validity hypotheses being confirmed and qualitative responses demonstrating face validity.Conclusions: The DISCUS-Dementia performs well with a global sample of people living with dementia. This scale can be integrated into large-scale studies to understand factors associated with stigma and discrimination. It can also provide an opportunity for a structured Discussion around stigma and discrimination experiences important to people living with dementia, as well as planning psychosocial services and initiatives to reduce stigma and discrimination.

Translation, Cross-Cultural Adaptation, and Validation of the Croatian Version of the Athlete Psychological Strain Questionnaire (APSQ).

The aim of this study is to translate, cross-culturally adapt, and validate the Croatian Athlete Psychological Strain Questionnaire (APSQ-Cro) as part of the Sport Mental Health Assessment Tool 1 (SMHAT-1) validation. We assessed the reliability and applicability of the APSQ-Cro among Croatian athletes. The international sports community is increasingly focused on mental health issues in athletes, highlighting the need for early detection tools like the Athlete Psychological Strain Questionnaire (APSQ) and SMHAT-1. We included 869 Croatian competing athletes across 54 sports who received a link to access the WEB-based questionnaire. The Croatian Olympic Board helped in distributing the questionnaires, aiming to reach as many and as diverse a group of registered competing athletes in Croatia as possible. Results showed a Cronbach's alpha of 0.75 for the entire questionnaire, indicating acceptable reliability. An exploratory strategy of factor analysis was used to determine the underlying structure of the APSQ-Cro. For this purpose, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test and Bartlett's test for sphericity were performed to ensure the suitability of the data. The KMO test ensured sampling adequacy, with a measure of 0.77 indicating suitability for factor analysis, while Bartlett's test confirmed significant correlations among variables (χ2 = 2779.155, df = 45, p < 0.001), validating the dataset's appropriateness for data reduction techniques. The factor analysis, together with the Cattell scree test and varimax rotation, resulted in a two-factor structure for the APSQ-Cro. Factor 1 included items related to internal psychological struggles, while Factor 2 included items related to external pressures from the athletic environment. These two factors explained 53% of the variability, with Cronbach's alphas of 0.75 and 0.88 for the respective factors. The APSQ-Cro is a valid and reliable tool for assessing distress in Croatian athletes. Croatian athletes' sporting experience will be improved with the broad adoption of the APSQ-Cro, which can help detect early signs of psychological distress and subsequently improve mental health outcomes.

Psychometric properties of the Arabic version of PHEEM applied on a sample of medical residents in Syria

BackgroundThe clinical learning environment (CLE) plays a crucial role in shaping the learning experiences and professional development of medical professionals. Understanding and optimising this environment is essential for improving doctors’ knowledge acquisition, clinical skills, and overall well-being. The development of the Postgraduate Hospital Educational Environment Measure (PHEEM) and its translation to numerous languages has been a milestone in clinical education. Even though PHEEM was recently translated into Arabic, its psychometric properties in this form remain unevaluated. Therefore, this study aims to conduct a comprehensive psychometric analysis of the Arabic version of the PHEEM questionnaire.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional questionnaire survey validation study. The defined population were medical residents in Damascus, Syria. A paper-based survey as well as an online-based one were conducted using several non-probability sampling methods namely, convenience, river and, snowball sampling between June 15, 2023, and June 21, 2023. Both exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory (CFA) factor analyses were conducted. Several psychometric criteria were applied including scree plot, eigenvalue > 1.5 and the ‘proportion of variance accounted for’ criterion.ResultsA total of 543 participants completed the questionnaire (56.9% female). Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure for sample adequacy was high (0.937) and the P-value for Bartlett’s test was < 0.001. EFA revealed five meaningful factors which were labelled: perception of teachers, learner’s engagement and social participation, external regulation, work culture, and living conditions. These factors had the following eigenvalues: 12.6, 2.18, 2.03, 1.86, and 1.41 respectively, with a total explained variance of 43.45%. Cronbach’s Alpha was 0.938. CFA confirmed the model structure of EFA (SRMR = 0.067 and RMSEA = 0.066). The Average Variance Explained (AVE) value of any given factor was > 0.7.DiscussionThe Arabic PHEEM inventory demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties. The extracted domains are of theoretical relevance to the psychosocial-material conceptual framework for learning environment. Nonetheless, this validation was performed in the Syrian context; therefore, future studies in other Arabic countries are recommended to support the applicability of Arabic PHEEM in the wide Arab World.

Examining the psychometric properties of the Columbia Speech Quality Instrument in cochlear implant users

ObjectiveAlthough speech recognition among cochlear implant (CI) users improved over the past few decades, many still report poor speech quality. Currently, there is no validated tool to measure speech quality. The objective was to examine whether a previously validated speech quality tool is applicable in the CI population using psychometric analysis.DesignCross-sectional psychometric analysis of the Columbia Speech Quality Instrument (CSQI; previously validated in normal-hearing individuals; consists of 2 original and 7 manipulated speech clips designed to accentuate selected speech characteristics) was performed in adult English-speaking CI recipients (N = 36). Subjects rated each clip using a visual analog scale (VAS) on 14 characteristics: cartoonish/not-cartoonish, clear/unclear, like/dislike, breathy/not-breathy, smooth/rough, echo-y/not-echo-y, tinny/bassy, soothing/not-soothing, natural/unnatural, mechanical/not-mechanical, hoarse/smooth, pleasant/unpleasant, male/female, and speech-like/not-speech-like. Main outcome measures included validity, reliability, and factor structure.ResultsContent validity was previously confirmed during instrument design. Construct validity by item-item correlation analysis demonstrated correlation of 12/14 items with ≥1 other retained item (r ≥ 0.35, Spearman). Reliability was confirmed by internal consistency; factor analysis using two subsets selected by Scree plot and factor loading ≥0.4 demonstrated Cronbach alpha coefficients of 0.89 and 0.74 for factors 1 and 2, respectively. Tinny/bassy and male/female were the only characteristics that did not pass construct validity or internal consistency.ConclusionsThe CSQI has strong psychometric properties in the CI population; however, our findings support removal of tinny/bass and male/female characteristics from the final instrument prior to implementation in the CI population. The CSQI can be utilized in cochlear implantees to investigate effects of changes in speech processing strategies and postoperative outcomes with different devices.

Ecological Grief, Eco-Anxiety and Climate Change; Development and Validation of the Solastalgia Scale

Background: As environmental changes accelerate, psychological impacts such as ecological grief and eco-anxiety become more pronounced. This study focuses on the validation and enhancement of the Solastalgia Scale, originally a unidimensional measure, to assess these complex psychological responses more effectively. Objective: To expand and validate the Solastalgia Scale into a three-dimensional tool encompassing ecological grief, environmental identity, and eco-anxiety, addressing gaps in current research methodologies. Methods: Our methodology involved two main phases: exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Initially, exploratory factor analysis was conducted on a purposive sample of 317 participants from Punjab (125 men, 192 women), using Principal Component Analysis, scree plots, and eigenvalues to extract 13 items across three factors. This was followed by confirmatory factor analysis on a new sample of 319 participants (141 men, 178 women) to validate the scale's three-dimensional structure and ascertain model fit indices. Results: The exploratory factor analysis identified three distinct factors, resulting in a 13-item scale. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the three-dimensional structure with excellent fit indices (CFI = 0.95, TLI = 0.93, RMSEA = 0.05, SRMR = 0.04). This multi-dimensional approach contrasts with previous research that employed a single-dimensional focus. Conclusion: The revised Solastalgia Scale is a robust tool for assessing the psychological impact of environmental change across multiple dimensions. This scale is instrumental for researchers and practitioners in understanding and mitigating the psychological effects of ecological grief, enhancing resilience and well-being in the face of environmental disruptions.