Spearman-Brown Coefficient Research Articles

Design and Implementation of a Checklist for Prediction of Anesthesia-Induced Nausea and Vomiting in Candidate Patients for Mastectomy

Objectives: Prediction of nausea and vomiting can positively contribute to the management of this post-anesthesia adverse effect. Therefore, the present study aimed to design and implement a checklist for predicting anesthesia-induced nausea and vomiting in candidate patients for mastectomy. Materials and Methods: This methodological study was conducted on 300 candidate patients for mastectomy during 2018-2019 at Imam Reza hospital, Tabriz, Iran. The checklist items were designed and developed based on scientific articles, expert opinions, and patient interviews. The Pearson correlation coefficient, Cronbach’s alpha, Spearman-Brown coefficient, factor analysis, the KaiserMeyer-Olsen measure of sampling adequacy, and VARIMAX rotation were used to analyze the data. Eventually, the distribution of data with a normal distribution was compared through the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Results: In the first stage, 100 items were collected, which were reduced to 35 cases after modification by a team of experts. Twenty items were ultimately selected after observing the 80/20 response rate. The overall scale reliability was calculated as 0.953 based on Cronbach’s alpha. The correlation coefficient of the first and second implementations was 0.853. Finally, the four extracted factors accounted for 69.51 of the variance of the checklist based on factor analysis. Conclusions: The prediction checklist for post-anesthesia nausea and vomiting in candidate patients for mastectomy comprised adequate psychometric indicators that could be used with high reliability according to the extracted indices.

German version of the Death Attitudes Profile- Revised (DAP-GR) \u2013 translation and validation of a multidimensional measurement of attitudes towards death

BackgroundIn Germany, only limited data are available on attitudes towards death. Existing measurements are complex and time consuming, and data on psychometric properties are limited. The Death Attitude Profile- Revised (DAP-R) captures attitudes towards dying and death. The measure consists of 32 items, which are assigned to 5 dimensions (Fear of Death, Death Avoidance, Neutral Acceptance, Approach Acceptance, Escape Acceptance). It has been translated and tested in several countries, but no German version exists to date. This study reports the translation of the Death Attitudes Profile-Revised (DAP-R) into German (DAP-GR) using a cross-cultural adaption process methodology and its psychometric assessment.MethodsThe DAP-R was translated following guidelines for cultural adaption. A total of 216 medical students of the Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf participated in this study. Interrater reliability was investigated by means of Kendall’s W concordance coefficient. The internal consistency of the DAP-GR Scales was assessed with Cronbach’s alpha coefficients. Split-half reliability was estimated using Spearman-Brown coefficients. Convergent validity was measured by Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Content validity was assessed by means of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 24 and AMOS 22.ResultsThe items showed fair to good interrater reliability, with W-values ranging from .30 to .79. Internal consistency of the five subscales ranged from .61 (Neutral Acceptance) to .94 (Approach Acceptance). Split-half reliability was good, with a Spearman-Brown-coefficient of .83. The results of CFA slightly diverged from the original scale.ConclusionOur results suggest overall good reliability of the German version of the DAP-R. The DAP-GR promises to be a robust instrument to establish normative data on death attitudes for use in German-speaking countries.

Adaptation of Quality of Life Measure for Limb Lymphedema–Arm in Turkish Women With Breast Cancer–Related Lymphedema

Quality-of-life measures are needed for clinicians and researchers to identify quality of women's life with breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). To adapt Quality of Life Measure for Limb Lymphedema-Arm into Turkish (TR) and to test its validity and reliability. This is a methodological and cross-sectional study and was conducted in the lymphedema outpatient clinic of a university hospital. The study included 109 women with BCRL. After linguistic validity of the scale was achieved, confirmatory factor analyses and known group validity were used to test its construct validity. Reliability of the scale was tested with Cronbach's α, item-total correlations, and Spearman-Brown coefficient. After linguistic validity was achieved, opinions requested from 5 experts specializing in lymphedema showed that item and content validity indexes of the scale were 1. Fit indexes of confirmatory factor analysis were as follows: χ/df = 1.86, root mean square error of approximation = 0.089, standardized root mean square residual = 0.09, and comparative fit index = 0.81. Known group validity analysis showed a significant difference in the mean scores for the subscales of Quality of Life Measure for Limb Lymphedema-Arm-TR, symptom, function, and body image/appearance in terms of lymphedema stages (P < .05). The internal reliability coefficients for the subscales ranged from 0.78 and 0.86. The item-total correlation coefficients ranged between 0.36 and 0.73. Quality of Life Measure for Limb Lymphedema-Arm-TR was found to be valid and reliable in the TR population. It could be used in research to evaluate the quality of life in patients with BCRL. The scale can be used to evaluate effectiveness of nursing interventions directed toward patients developing breast cancer-related lymphedema in clinical settings and studies.

Development and validation of a Chinese parental health literacy questionnaire for caregivers of children 0 to 3\u2009years old

BackgroundGiven the limited information on parental health literacy measurements, the study aimed to develop and validate the Chinese Parental Health Literacy Questionnaire for caregivers of children 0 to 3 years old.MethodsWe conducted a validity and reliability study of the questionnaire through a cross-sectional survey and test-retest analysis respectively between March and April 2017. We recruited 807 caregivers of children 0 to 3 years old, among them 101 caregivers completed the test-retest assessment with 2 weeks interval. The reliability was determined by internal consistency, spilt-half reliability and test-retest reliability. The construct validity was assessed by confirmatory factor analysis.ResultsThe 39-question Chinese Parental Health Literacy Questionnaire was demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.89), spilt-half reliability (Spearman-Brown coefficient = 0.92) and test-retest reliability (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.82). The confirmatory factor analysis showed that the construct of the questionnaire fitted well with the hypothetical model. The participants’ test scores of the Chinese Parental Health Literacy Questionnaire in the cross-sectional survey were positively associated with caregivers being mothers, more educated, the children with Shanghai Hukou, having only one child in the family, and higher family income.ConclusionThe Chinese Parental Health Literacy Questionnaire demonstrated good reliability and validity, which could potentially be used as an effective evaluation instrument to assess parental health literacy.

Validation of the Electronic Version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5 and IIEF-15): A Crossover Study.

BackgroundPatient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are increasingly used to measure patient’s perspective of functional well-being, disease burden, treatment effectiveness, and clinical decision making. Electronic versions are increasingly feasible because of smartphone and tablet usage. However, validation of these electronic PROMs (ePROMs) is warranted for justified implementation. The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) 5 and 15 are widely used PROMs in urology to measure erectile dysfunction. Measurement reliability and validity testing of the IIEF ePROMs are essential before clinical application.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess reliability and validity of an ePROM version of both IIEF-5 and 15.MethodsThis study included 179 patients from our urology outpatient clinic. It also had a randomized crossover design—participants completed either a paper and electronic IIEF-5 or 15 or twice completed an electronic version—with a 5-day delay. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach alpha and Spearman-Brown coefficient, test-retest reliability using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and convergent validity using the Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficient.ResultsA total of 122 participants completed the study. Internal consistency was excellent for the electronic IIEF-5 (ICC 0.902) and good to excellent for the domains of the IIEF-15 (ICC 0.962-0.834). Test-retest reliability was excellent for the IIEF-5 (ICC 0.924) and good to excellent for the domains of the IIEF-15 (ICC 0.950-0.778). Convergent validity was excellent for the IIEF-5 and IIEF-15, with a correlation of r=0.923 and r=0.951, respectively.ConclusionsWe successfully introduced patient-acceptable ePROM versions of the IIEF-5 and IIEF-15. This study’s results demonstrate that the ePROM versions of the IIEF-5 and IIEF-15 can be reliably implemented, as outcomes are reliable and in accordance with findings of the paper version.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT03222388; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03222388

Development of a scale to measure quality of life of overweight women.

This study presents the results of methodological research that derives evaluation items and tests the validity and reliability of the scale to measure quality of life of the overweight women. The scale items were developed by the current researchers directly from the consultation data following a group interviewing process aiming to capture the women's experiences, who are currently receiving primary health care. Pretest interviews were used to ensure that the questions were understood correctly. Six experts determined items for content validity of the scale and the evaluations of experts were scored using a content validity index. The scale is a Likert-type scale, ranging from 1 to 5. The items were tested on a sample of 506 healthy women. The body mass indices of participants were 30 and above. Psychometric analyses included explanatory factor analysis (EFA) and item response theory. Parallel analysis was used to extract factors in EFA. Internal consistency and Spearman Brown split-half test correlation were used for testing reliability. The scale was refined as four final dimensions, comprising 40 items as a whole. The result of Bartlett's Test of Sphericity was found sufficient (χ2 = 14164.92; p < 0.001) and the KMO value was 0.959. This statistically significant value (p < 0.001) indicates that the sampling was sufficient and data had normal distribution. Cronbach's alpha was 0.967. The Spearman Brown coefficient was found to be 0.884. It was found that the scale is a valid and reliable assessment tool that can be used to measure the quality of life of overweight women. Methodological study, Level V.

Environmental Attitude Scale for Secondary School, High School and Undergraduate Students: Validity and Reliability Study

The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable “Environmental Attitude Scale” (EAS) for secondary school (5th, 8th grade), high school (11th) and undergraduate college students. The reliability and validity studies of the scale were carried out in three different countries (Finland, USA and Turkey). The sampling size was 1687 students. For the construct validity, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was run and in order to test the accuracy of the obtained factor structure. The scale was composed of three sub scales: “Environmental Behaviour Sub Scale (EBSS)”, “Environmental Opinion Sub Scale (EOSS)” and “Environmental Emotion Sub Scale (EESS)”. The EBSS and EESS consist of two factors each and the EOSS consists of one factor. The EBSS had 13 items, EOSS 11 items and EESS 16 items, all using a 5-point Likert scale. The Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient for the whole scale was found to be α=.94, and reliability coefficient of the first subscale was found to be α=.91, second subscale α=.82 and third subscale α=.94 and the Spearman Brown coefficients were found to be .85, .83, .80 and .85, respectively. Reliability and validity results of the study show that the “Environmental Attitude Scale” can be used to measure the environmental attitudes of the different levels of students.

Validity and Reliability of a Korean Version of Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children (YFAS-C)

This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Korean version of Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children (YFAS-C). Participants were 419 young adolescent students (11~15 years old). The content validity of the expert group was calculated as the content validity index (CVI) after the translation and reverse translation process of the 25 items of the YFAS-C. The multitrait-multimethod matrix (MTMM) method was used to verify the construct validity; the generalized linear model (GLM) was used to evaluate the concurrent and incremental validity. Reliability was calculated as Kuder-Richardson-20 (KR-20) and Spearman-Brown coefficients. The CVI of the 25 items was greater than the item-level CVI .80 and the scale-level CVI .90. The Korean version of YFAS-C had verified convergent validity in emotional eating and external eating and discriminant validity in restrained eating. In addition, it had verified concurrent validity in emotional eating and external eating. Finally the incremental validity of the Korean version of YFAS-C was statistically significant on BMI. Reliability was KR-20 α=.69 and the Spearman-Brown coefficient was .64. The Korean version of YFAS-C is a valid and reliable scale for measuring the severity of food addiction; it can be a useful scale for preventing obesity by predicting food addiction early.

The Impact of the Formal Strategy of the Theory of Cognitive Burden in Acquiring the Concepts of Middle School Students

The present research aims to identify the effect of the formal strategy based on the cognitive burden theory in acquiring the historical concepts of the fourth literary students. The research was conducted on the fourth grade students. The school was randomly selected (Al-Mahaweel Preparatory School for Girls with 61 students). The researcher used the experimental method as the most suitable method for this research. The experiment was applied to the two research groups with a period of (1) years. 8 weeks), and used the pat The statistical methods (t-test, kai square (k2), coefficient of paragraph distinction, coefficient of paragraph difficulty, effectiveness of wrong alternatives, Pearson correlation coefficient, Spearman-Brown correlation coefficient). The researcher found that there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups of research in the post-acquisition experiment in favor of the experimental group.

Reliability and validity of Chinese version of ambivalence over emotional expression questionnaire: testing in breast cancer survivors

Objective To examine the validity and reliability of the Chinese version of ambivalence over emotional expression questionnaire(AEQ) in breast cancer survivors. Methods A total of 323 breast cancer survivors were divided into 2 parts: sample 1 contains 122 breast cancer survivors for item and exploratory factor analysis, while sample 2 contains 201 breast cancer survivors for further confirmatory factor analysis, criterion validity, and internal consistency reliability. Results One-factor construct was determined and the results of confirmatory factor analysis showed that one-factor construct AEQ had a good construct validity (χ2/df=1.01, CFI=0.99, TLI=0.99, NFI=0.86, IFI=0.99, RMSEA=0.02). The AEQ score was correlated with TAS-20 (r=0.28, P<0.01). Cronbach α coefficient, Spearman-Brown split coefficient and the test-retest reliability of AEQ were 0.86, 0.80 and 0.79, respectively. Conclusion The AEQ is a reliable tool to assess the ambivalence over emotional expression in Chinese breast cancer survivors. Key words: Ambivalence over emotional expression questionnaire; Reliability; Validity; Breast cancer survivors

The factor structure, reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Van Dream Anxiety Scale.

Background/purposeDream emotions and contents are associated with psychological well-being. Dream disturbances, such as frequent nightmares and dream anxiety, are associated with a variety of psychopathological conditions. Therefore, it is important to consider nightmares and the resulting dream anxiety. To address this issue, the Van Dream Anxiety Scale (VDAS) was designed especially for measuring nightmare frequency and dream anxiety caused by frightening dreams. As a Chinese version of VDAS may be helpful in promoting study of nightmare and dream anxiety among Chinese population, in the current study, we sought to develop a Chinese version of the VDAS (CVDAS).MethodsWe translated the VDAS into Chinese. To evaluate its validity and reliability, a sample of 1,081 Chinese college students from two universities answered the CVDAS, GAD-7, PHQ-9 and EPQ-R-N. Ninety of them answered the CVDAS twice. We also conducted exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to explore the structure of CVDAS.ResultsExcellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.926), split-half reliability (equal-length Spearman–Brown coefficient was 0.938) and good test–retest reliability (the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.942 and t=−1.478, P=0.143) of the CVDAS was presented. Exploratory factor analyses indicated a two-factor structure: sleep-related disturbances caused by nightmares and dysfunction caused by nightmares. Convergent and divergent validities were acceptable.ConclusionThe CVDAS shows promise for the measurement of nightmare frequency and specific dream anxiety in Chinese population. Future study should confirm the reliability and validity in the clinical population and further improve this scale.

Reliability of methodological and psychometric characteristics of the questionnaire of congruence of personal and organizational values

Research background: Congruence of employees? personal and organizational values means that the employee both accepts and cherishes organizational values, as well as follows them in daily activities of the organization. Different forms of values in the organization are derived from three subjects (employees, managers, and the organization as a whole). From this perspective, value congruence occurs when employees? personal values match the organizational values, which are supported by the top management of the organization and are acceptable to the majority of members of the organization.&#x0D; Purpose of the article: To carry out verification of methodological and psychometric characteristics of the questionnaire of congruence of personal and organizational values.&#x0D; Methods: The survey of employees was carried out in 15 organizations, of which 11 are private and 4 belong to the public sector (N=374), and on the basis of the results of the research statistical and psychometric analysis of the data was performed. By developing the instrument of congruence of personal and organizational values, an analytical reflection method was applied. To conduct the empirical study, the mixed methods approach was employed, consistently combining qualitative and quantitative research methods, substantiating the research results with different data sources and forms. An expert assessment method was chosen for identification of validity of the constructed instrument and suitability of its content. To identify the perceived congruence of personal and organizational values, employees? personal values, the values prevailing in the organization and the climate of the organization, employees? attitudes towards work and organizational performance results, the employees? questionnaire surveys in fifteen organizations were conducted. The sample was formed employing the stratified sampling methodology. To identify the reliability of methodological and psychometric characteristics of the constructed questionnaire, factor distribution, Cronbach alpha and Spearman Brown coefficients, factor weights, resolutions of test steps were calculated and explained. Multivariate statistical methods: correlation and factor analysis, etc. were also applied.&#x0D; Findings &amp; value added: The reliability and validity of the questionnaire were empirically proved and it is recommended that scholars researching values in organizations and value congruence should use the Questionnaire of Congruence of Personal and Organizational Values for Employees with the authors? consent.

The PUFFinCA scale: development of an instrument for evaluating the primary care functions of family physicians in childhood asthma.

AimTo develop the Primary care fUnctions oF Family physicians in Childhood Asthma (PUFFinCA) scale for evaluating the cardinal process functions of primary care services (accessibility, comprehensiveness, continuity and coordination) provided by family physicians (FPs) in the management of childhood asthma. BACKGROUND: In the literature on the functions of primary care, there is no assessment tool focusing on children with asthma. Primary care assessment scales adapted to various languages are not suitable to adequately address the needs of special patient groups, such as children with asthma. METHODS: In this methodological study, the instrument development process was completed in four stages: establishing the pool of items, evaluating the content validity, applying the scale and statistical analysis. The scale was applied to 320 children who had asthma and received care in the clinic of the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Allergy and Pulmonology at Ege University School of Medicine, Turkey. The Cronbach's α and Spearman-Brown coefficient were calculated to determine the reliability of the scale. Principal component analysis was used to determine the construct validity of the scale.FindingsThe PUFFinCA scale was found to have four-factor structure and 25 items. Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.93. It has been determined that the reliability was excellent and the item-total correlation coefficients were &gt;0.30 each. The factors were titled FP's 'functions of accessibility, first contact and continuity', 'functions of coordination and comprehensiveness of health services related to asthma management', 'provision of preventive care related to asthma' and 'provision of services for paid vaccinations'.

Development and validation of the cancer self-perceived discrimination scale for Chinese cancer patients

BackgroundTo develop a Cancer Self-Perceived Discrimination Scale (CSPDS) for Chinese cancer patients and to assess its reliability and validity.MethodA total of 178 patients were recruited and the classical test theory was used to develop the CSPDS. Item analysis was adapted to improve the preliminary version of the CSPDS, then the reliability, the validity and the acceptability of the final version of CSPDS were assessed.ResultsThis CSPDS contained 14 items classified into 3 subscales: social withdrawal with 7 items, stigma with 4 and self-deprecation with 3. Good validity (χ2/df = 1.216, GFI = 0.935, AGFI = 0.903, I-CVIs> 0.80) and good reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.829, Spearman-Brown coefficient = 0.827, test-retest reliability coefficient = 0.944) were found. The completion time was 6.06 ± 1.80 min. Participants who were female and reported poor self-rated health tended to have higher CSPDS scores (P < 0.05).ConclusionsThe results indicated that this CSPDS could be used to assess the level of self-perceived discrimination and to preliminarily screen perceived discrimination among Chinese cancer patients, especially in Southwest China. It may provide a basis for scientific assessment of targeted patient education, psychological counseling, social interventions, and psychotherapy in the future.

Reliability and validity of Chinese version of the Short Form of Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire for elderly patients

Objective To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Short Form of Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (Q-LES-Q-SF) for elderly patients. Methods The quality of life of 400 elderly outpatients from Kongjiang community health service center were evaluated by using the Chinese version of Q-LES-Q-SF. The reliability of the Chinese version of Q-LES-Q-SF was tested by the internal consistency reliability (Cronbach′s α coefficient) and the half confidence; the validity was tested by structural validity, convergence validity and distinguish validity and calibration validity. Results The Cronbach′s α coefficient of the internal consistency was 0.956; the Spearman-Brown coefficient of the half confidence was 0.894; the Guttman Split-half coefficient of odd even fold half confidence was 0.894. The exploratory factor analysis showed that there were 2 dimensions: the psychological dimension (Q2-8 items) and the physiological dimension (Q1, Q10-14). The confirmatory factor analysis showed that each psychological dimension factor load of Q2-8 was >0.50; each physiological dimension factor load of Q1, Q10-14 was >0.50. In distinguish validity, there was item with Z> 1.96 (P 9.5, RMSEA were all <0.05. In calibration validity, the physiological and psychological dimensions of Q-LES-Q-SF had a good correlation with the corresponding dimensions of the SF-12 (P<0.05), and Pearson correlation value was 0.317 and 0.237, respectively. Conclusion The Chinese version of Q-LES-Q-SF has a good reliability and validity for elderly patients. Key words: Community health centers; Elderly; The Short Form of Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction questionnaire

Teistik Kader Algısı Ölçeği’nin Geliştirilmesi: Güvenirlik ve Geçerlik Çalışması

In this study Theistic Fatalism Scale’s reliability and validity analyses are presented. The scale measures how people explain the affairs which they encounter in daily life. It asks whether they attribute these affairs and responsibility to people or to God. The data was collected from 445 adult participants who live in İstanbul. The analyses show that Theistic Fatalism Scale consists of 12 items and one dimension. And the scale is reliable (Cronbach’s Alpha .897, Spearman-Brown Coefficient .880, r = 786) and valid (X2 /df = 3.34, RMSEA = 0.073, NFI = 0.97, NNFI = 0.97, CFI = 0.98, RMR = 0.050, SRMR = 0.044, GFI = 0.94, AGFI = 0.91).&nbsp;

Translation and Validation of Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire SHALOM in Lithuanian Language, Culture and Health Care Practice

Awareness of patients’ and healthy people’s spiritual well-being allows for care professionals to support individual spiritual concerns in a timely and appropriate manner, performing a whole-person approach to care. To date, there have been no validated measures of spiritual well-being for use with healthy or illness-affected Lithuanian people. This paper reports the translation and validation procedures of the Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire, SHALOM, for its use with Lithuanian people regarding the self-assessment of spiritual health. A convenience sample of 171 hospitalized non-terminally ill oncology patients was interviewed face-to-face during a field-test of a Lithuanian version of SHALOM. Overall scale reliability of the SHALOM-Ideals section was 0.909, with overall scale reliability of the SHALOM-Lived Experience section being 0.888. Culturally relevant translation resulted in very good stability over time with a seven-day break between repeat application (Ideals section: Spearman-Brown coefficient was 0.927; Lived Experience section: Spearman-Brown coefficient was 0.942). The construct validity of the scale was determined using exploratory factor analysis. The research perspective on spirituality and spiritual well-being in Lithuania indicates the desirability for larger scale quantitative and qualitative studies with different populations applying cross-sectional and cross-cultural comparisons.

Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the 12-item Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire in fibromyalgia syndrome patients

According to the interpersonal theory of suicide, thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness are key elements in the development of suicidal ideation. The Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ) was developed to assess the degree of frustration of these two interpersonal needs related to suicidal ideation. This study aims to analyze the psychometrics properties of a Spanish adaptation of INQ-12 in fibromyalgia patients. Exploratory factor analysis (n = 180) and confirmatory factor analysis (n = 179) were performed in two randomly selected sub-samples. The first analysis leads to the elimination of two items, whereas the second one confirmed the fit of the proposed two-factor structure. The reliability estimated using the Cronbach´s alpha coefficient and the Spearman-Brown coefficient was adequate. To obtain further validity evidence based on the relationship with other variables three variables were used. Moreover, a control group (n = 99) was used to contrast the means of INQ scores as evidence of validity based on differential scores. These findings support the usefulness of the Spanish version of the INQ-10 for assessing the degree of frustration of these interpersonal needs in patients with fibromyalgia

Postural awareness and its relation to pain: validation of an innovative instrument measuring awareness of body posture in patients with chronic pain

BackgroundHabitual postural patterns are associated with musculoskeletal pain, and improving a maladaptive posture requires postural awareness in order to lead to clinical improvements. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of an innovative postural awareness scale.MethodsA 12-item Postural Awareness Scale (PAS) was developed and administered to 512 chronic pain patients (50.3 ± 11.4 years, 91.6% female, 37.1% spinal/shoulder pain) to assess its factor structure and reliability. To determine convergent validity, measures of body awareness, body responsiveness, body image, and mindfulness were correlated with the PAS, as were clinical measures of pain intensity, disability, and mental health. Sensitivity to change was assessed in 202 outpatients participating in a 10-week multimodal mind-body program.ResultsFactor analysis revealed two factors (Ease/Familiarity with Postural Awareness and Need for Attention Regulation with Postural Awareness) that explained 50.8% of the variance. Cronbach’s alpha for the complete scale was 0.80; Spearman-Brown coefficient of split-half reliability was 0.67; and intra-class correlation was ICC2,1 = 0.75 (95% confidence interval = 0.71, 0.78). Significant positive correlations were found for body awareness (r = 0.23), body responsiveness (r = 0.41), body image (r = 0.22–0.32), and mindfulness (r = 0.38); negative correlations for pain intensity (r = − 0.14), disability (r = − 0.12), depression (r = − 0.23), and stress (r = − 0.29). Postural awareness scores increased with a mind-body program (p < 0.001); changes in the PAS were negatively correlated with changes in pain intensity (r = − 0.35) in patients with spinal/shoulder pain.ConclusionSelf-reported postural awareness is associated with clinical symptoms in chronic pain patients; improvements in postural awareness are longitudinally associated with reduced pain in patients with spinal/shoulder pain.

The Development of Academic Self-Efficacy Scale for Filipino Junior High School Students

Primarily the research is focused on the development and validation of the Academic Self-efficacy Scale (ASES-FJHS) for Filipino junior high school students. Self-efficacy refers to people’s beliefs in their capabilities to produce certain effects and to learn or perform behaviors at designated levels (Bandura, 2012; Bandura, 2006). In relation to test construction, most of the developed self-efficacy scale focuses on one source of self-efficacy and are constructed as subscale. Given the limited published academic self-efficacy scale for Filipino junior high school students as well as the non-existence of published and established academic self-efficacy scale in Philippine context, this study sought to develop and validate a self-efficacy scale that is more holistic than those previously published. The design of the research is Test Development and anchored on Classical Test Theory. Respondents comprise of 4,759 junior high school students from selected 20 public and private schools in Nueva Ecija, Philippines. The study followed the two stages of test development, i.e. the development of the initial, preliminary and final forms and validation of the scale. The items were developed through consultation with experts and literature reviews. After the development of table of specification, items were validated by four expert judges. Results showed using Lawshe CVR (CVI=.87) and Intra Class Correlation (ICC(2,4)=.953, a=.000) that the expert validators have high agreement on the items of ASES. Moreover, UL-LL method (d=.43), Cronbach alpha (.95), split half method (Spearman-Brown Coefficient=.86) and item to total correlation, and Principal Component Analysis were also utilized to test the reliability of test items. The factor structure verified the four iterations which includes Perceived Control (PC), Competence (C), Persistence (P) and Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) domains. Convergent (r = .498; p < .05) and concurrent validity (r = .518; p < .01) that were employed suggest that the ASES is a valid measure. The Final Form validated consists of 62 items. Results of the study revealed that the ASES for K to 12 junior high school students is a reliable and valid measure of Academic Self-efficacy.