Test-retest Coefficients Research Articles

Adaptation of Well-being Literacy Scale to Turkish: Validity and Reliability Study

The view that well-being cannot be taught directly to individuals, but rather individuals can be taught to use language to improve their well-being, has led to the concept of "well-being literacy". Recent studies in the field of positive educational practices emphasize the importance of well-being literacy, which is defined as the ability to improve the well-being of oneself and others, in the social field as well as in the field of education. This study aimed to adapt the Well-being Literacy Scale to Turkish and test its validity and reliability in adults. Also, the relationship between well-being literacy, socioeconomic status, perceived general success, and health was investigated. The study group consists of 307 adults, 210 women and 96 men. Personal Information Form, Well-being Literacy Scale, General Well-being Scale Short Form, and Subjective Socio-economic Scale were used as data collection tools. It was found that the Well-being Literacy Scale had good levels of fit index in the confirmatory factor analysis results. Within the scope of criterion validity studies, a positive and moderate relationship was found between the Well-being Literacy Scale and the General Well-being Scale Short Form (r=.413, p=.000). Within the scope of reliability analysis, a .75 test-retest coefficient and a .88 Cronbach Alpha coefficient were determined. The second stage of the study found that the socioeconomic level predicted well-being literacy, though it is very low. Also, it was found that well-being literacy predicted individuals' perceived success at a low level but did not have a significant predictive effect on perceived general health levels. It is suggested that studies to investigate the sources and outputs of well-being literacy, which has started to become an essential focus in positive education practices and social health policies, will contribute to the field. In addition, adapting measurement tools in lower age groups may be necessary to focus on these skills in educational institutions.

Psychometric validation of the Chinese version of the empowerment scale for pregnant women.

Empowering pregnant women is a crucial process that healthcare providers should evaluate, as empowerment is a meaningful indicator that can reflect the impact of health promotion and education in antenatal care. The Empowerment Scale for Pregnant Women (ESPW) is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring empowerment. The cross-sectional study was conducted to translate and validate the psychometric properties of the ESPW among 526 pregnant women in China. The forward-backward method was used to translate the English version of the ESPW into the Chinese version. Reliability was examined with the internal consistency and test-retest coefficients. Validity was analyzed with structural, dimensionality, convergent, discriminant, and concurrent validity. The Cronbach's α value of 0.97 and the intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.98 (95% confidence interval [CI], [0.96, 0.99]) demonstrated excellent internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that five factors with eigenvalues > 1 explained 68.41% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis verified an acceptable model that fit the data exceptionally. The Chinese-translated version of the ESPW (CV-ESPW) had acceptable convergent and discriminant validity. Concurrent validity was supported by the correlation between the total scores of the CV-ESPW and the Chinese version of the Patient Perceptions of the Empowerment Scale (r = 0.64, p < 0.001). The CV-ESPW is a valid and reliable assessment tool for measuring pregnant women's empowerment in China and can potentially contribute to evaluating the effectiveness of programs that empower pregnant women.

Associated symptoms of traumatization: A scale validation of Trauma symptoms checklist - 26 (TSC-26)

BackgroundThe Trauma Symptoms Checklist-26 (TSC-26) has been used to measure negative affectivity, somatization, and dissociation in several Danish studies, but it has never been validated. MethodUsing data from five studies involving 1576 participants, the factor structure of the TSC- 26 was explored using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Correlation analyses of the associations between scales on the TSC-26 total score, its subscales, and scores on scales measuring related constructs were carried out. Independent samples t-tests of exposure variables were conducted. A test-retest analysis was performed, and Cronbach's alpha was calculated as measures of reliability. ResultsThe CFA confirmed the expected three-factor structure of the TSC-26, which obtained an acceptable fit with three modifications. The correlation analyses showed strong correlations between TSC-26 and related scales. Independent samples t-tests found significant differences in TSC-26 scores between high- and low trauma exposure groups. Both measures of reliability resulted in high reliability coefficients for the whole scale as well as subscales. Reliability measures and test-retest coefficients were excellent. ConclusionThe total score of the TSC-26 can validly be used to measure negative affectivity, somatization, and dissociation in samples of traumatized individuals. A few scale modifications and the development of a cut-off score are recommended in future studies.

Reliability of a Smartphone App to Objectively Monitor Performance Outcomes in Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: Observational Study.

Developing new clinical measures for degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is an AO Spine RECODE-DCM Research, an international and multi-stakeholder partnership, priority. Difficulties in detecting DCM and its changes cause diagnostic and treatment delays in clinical settings and heightened costs in clinical trials due to elevated recruitment targets. Digital outcome measures can tackle these challenges due to their ability to measure disease remotely, repeatedly, and more economically. The aim of this study is to assess the reliability of the MoveMed battery of performance outcome measures. A prospective observational study in decentralized secondary care was performed in England, United Kingdom. The primary outcome was to determine the test-retest reliability of the MoveMed performance outcomes using the intraclass correlation (ICC) of agreement . The secondary outcome was to determine the measurement error of the MoveMed performance outcomes using both the SE of the mean (SEM) of agreement and the smallest detectable change (SDC) of agreement . Criteria from the Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) manual were used to determine adequate reliability (ie, ICC of agreement ≥0.7) and risk of bias. Disease stability was controlled using 2 minimum clinically important difference (MCID) thresholds obtained from the literature on the patient-derived modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (p-mJOA) score, namely, MCID ≤1 point and MCID ≤2 points. In total, 7 adults aged 59.5 (SD 12.4) years who live with DCM and possess an approved smartphone participated in the study. All tests demonstrated moderate to excellent test-retest coefficients and low measurement errors. In the MCID ≤1 group, ICC of agreement values were 0.84-0.94 in the fast tap test, 0.89-0.95 in the hold test, 0.95 in the typing test, and 0.98 in the stand and walk test. SEM of agreement values were ±1 tap, ±1%-3% stability score points, ±0.06 keys per second, and ±10 steps per minute, respectively. SDC of agreement values were ±3 taps, ±4%-7% stability score points, ±0.2 keys per second, and ±27 steps per minute, respectively. In the MCID ≤2 group, ICC of agreement values were 0.61-0.91, 0.75-0.77, 0.98, and 0.62, respectively; SEM of agreement values were ±1 tap, ±2%-4% stability score points, ±0.06 keys per second, and ±10 steps per minute, respectively; and SDC of agreement values were ±3-7 taps, ±7%-10% stability score points, ±0.2 keys per second, and ±27 steps per minute, respectively. Furthermore, the fast tap, hold, and typing tests obtained sufficient ratings (ICC of agreement ≥0.7) in both MCID ≤1 and MCID ≤2 groups. No risk of bias factors from the COSMIN Risk of Bias checklist were recorded. The criteria from COSMIN provide "very good" quality evidence of the reliability of the MoveMed tests in an adult population living with DCM.

Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Version of Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support.

The purpose of this study is to revise the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and validate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the scale for Chinese college students. A total of 2830 Chinese college students were tested with the Chinese version of MSPSS. Four weeks after the formal test, 80 randomly selected subjects were retested. The item analysis shows that the total correlation between each item and the total score is 0.525~0.806, higher than the standard of 0.30; the difference between the high group and the low group in all items has reached the significant level. Exploratory factor analysis shows that the scale includes three factors with a cumulative contribution rate of 69.185%; confirmatory factor analysis shows that the data is well fitted. The total score and three factors of social support scale are positively correlated with self-esteem, with a correlation value of 0.367~0.433, and negatively correlated with depression and anxiety, with correlation values of -0.356~-0.428 and -0.253~-0.308; all are significant at 0.01 level. The internal consistency coefficient of the scale is 0.911, the split-half coefficient is 0.865, and the test-retest coefficient is 0.837-0.914. The Chinese version of the MSPSS has good reliability and validity, and is suitable for Chinese college students.

Anorectal Sexual Function Index: Development and Validation of a Health-related Quality of Life Measure

ObjectivesTo assess the reliability and validity of measuring receptive anal intercourse (RAI) sensation and associated satisfaction and bother MethodsBetween July 2022 and January 2023, we conducted a survey on sensations during RAI among people with prostates (i.e. cisgender men and transgender women). The survey content was developed based on our previous qualitative study. We assessed internal reliability and consistency through time. Sensations experienced during RAI were correlated with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measures to ensure construct validity. ResultsThe final index contained four scales: pleasure (four items), pain (seven items), urinary (four items), and bowel (four items). Overall, 1084 individuals filled out the questionnaire. The internal consistency for all subscales was at or above 0.79. Scores tended to be stable across time with all test-retest coefficients at or above 0.72. Pleasure scores were inversely correlated with pain scores (r=-0.46). Pleasure was positively correlated with erections (r=0.36) and orgasms (r=0.44) during RAI, and sexual satisfaction (r=0.39). Notable positive correlations for pain scores were with bowel scores (r=0.49), internalized homophobia (r=0.35), and prostatitis symptoms (r=0.37). Urinary scores were moderately associated with IPSS scores (r=0.22). Bowel scores were positively correlated with GI symptoms (r=0.24), mental health symptoms (r=0.28), and chronic prostatitis symptoms (r=0.29). ConclusionsThe results of the current study provide evidence that the ASFI is both reliable and valid. The ASFI may be a particularly useful HRQOL measure to assess outcomes regarding a host of urologic issues that may affect RAI.

The Repeatability of Pharyngeal Opening Pressure Under Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy.

Pharyngeal opening pressure (PhOP) is a measure of upper airway collapsibility that can be obtained during drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) titration. However, the stability of PhOP over the course of sedation during DISE remains unclear. This study aims to compare repeat measures of PhOP over the course of DISE. Single arm prospective study. Single tertiary care institution. Patients had 2 CPAP titrations while undergoing DISE. Collected data included patient demographics, PhOP, patient sedation index (PSI), and duration of and between CPAP titrations. t Tests, test-retest coefficient analysis, and repeated measures correlation were performed. Twenty-five patients completed the study between 2022 and 2023 with 22 patients having sedation depth (PSI) recording. Most were male (76%), obese (average body mass index: 30.24 kg/m2), with severe obstructive sleep apnea (average apnea-hypopnea index: 39.8 events/hr). Test-retest analysis showed good-excellent correlation between PhOP values (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.892, P < .0001, n = 25). Average time between CPAP titrations was 15 minutes to 6 seconds. Over that time, PhOP increased by an average of 0.72 cmH2O (P = .06, n = 25) and PSI decreased by 9.5 units (P = .01, n = 22). Repeated measures correlation showed a weak negative correlation between PhOP and PSI (r = -.45, P = .03, n = 22). The results showed repeatability of PhOP values over the course of DISE. When adjusted for sedation depth (PSI), deeper sedation was weakly associated with greater PHOP. However, the magnitude of this change was small and we conclude that PhOP remains relatively stable over the course of DISE (Effects of Lung Volume on Upper Airway Patency During DISE [DISE-Pulm], NCT05350332, clinicaltrials.gov).

Designing a Knee Self-care Checklist for Menopause Women with Knee Osteoarthritis

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is the most common destructive disease of the knee joint. The purpose of the present study was to design to psychometrically assess a checklist for knee care behaviors in housewives living in Yasuj, Iran. Methods: This study was conducted from 2019 to 2021. Medline, Google Scholar, and SID databases were searched using keywords such as KOA, menopause, instrument, self-care behavior, and women. The first draft of the checklist, consisting of 41 items, was prepared, and 10 experts assessed its wording, content validity index (CVI), and content validity ratio (CVR). Cronbach’s alpha and test re-test were utilized to assess the reliability of the tool. Results: Content validities confirmed the 38-item tool with 5 dimensions of standing, sitting, walking, sleeping, and exercise practicing, which were rated on a yes (score 1) or no (score 0) response. The total values for CVR and CVI for the tool were 0.97 and 0.88, respectively. Cornbrash’s alpha and test re-test coefficient of 5 dimensions were above 0.7, which was in an acceptable range. Conclusion: The study findings suggest that the 38-item tailor-made knee self-care checklist is a valid and reliable tool. Indeed, this instrument could be used by healthcare providers in health centers for evaluating knee self-care behaviors in KOA-suffered women. Furthermore, this checklist is worthy of use to further help determine the risky behaviors of women while doing daily activities and to design appropriate practical and educational interventions for improving their knee-related behaviors.

Cross-cultural adaptation, reliability and validity of the Spanish version of the long-term quality of life questionnaire.

The aim of this study was to translate, culturally adapt, and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Spanish Long-Term Quality of Life (LTQL) questionnaire. The LTQL was initially translated into Spanish and cross-culturally adapted based on established guidelines. The Spanish LTQL was administered to patients with breast cancer who had completed their initial treatment 5 years earlier, along with other self-report measures: Quality of Life in Adult Cancer Survivors (QLACS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and EORT-QLQ-BR23. Reliability was evaluated using internal consistency and test-retest. Convergent and known-groups validity were examined. Structural validity as determined by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Rasch analyses was used to assess the unidimensionality and item-functioning of the LTQL domains. Cronbach's alpha were above 0.7 in all domains. Test-retest coefficients were between 0.72 to 0.96 for LTQL domains. LTQL total score was correlated with others total scores of other measures: QLACS (r=-0.39), HADS depression (r=-0.57), HADS anxiety (-0.45) and EORTC-QLQ-BR23 (r=-0.50). CFA provided satisfactory fit indices, with RMSEA value of 0.077 and TLI and CFI values of 0.901 and 0.909, respectively. All factor loadings were higher than 0.40 and statistically significant (P<0.001). Rasch analysis showed that Somatic Concerns domain had 4 misfitting items, and Philosophical/Spiritual View of Life and social Support domains only 1 misfit item. However, unidimensionality was supported for the four domains. The findings support the validity and reliability of the Spanish version of LTQL questionnaire to be used in long-term cancer female survivors.

Psychometric evaluation of the Chinese version of the attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control and intention to pursue a career in mental health nursing scale

AimTo adapt culturally and assess the reliability and validity of the Attitudes, Subjective Norms, Perceived Behavioural Control and Intention to Pursue a Career in Mental Health Nursing (ASPIRE) scale among Chinese nursing students. BackgroundMental health nurses make up a substantial proportion of the mental health workforce and are pivotal for improving access to professional mental health care. However, a shortage of mental health nurses persists across various countries. Although new nursing graduates have the potential to alleviate the labor shortages, there is currently no standardized tool specifically designed to measure nursing students' intentions to pursue a career in mental health nursing in China. DesignA quantitative and cross-sectional design. MethodsFollowing email authorization from the author, the Chinese version of the ASPIRE scale was translated following the cross-cultural adaptation process guidelines established by the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS). A questionnaire survey was conducted among 540 nursing students from three universities in Hunan Province from April 2023 to October 2023. Nine experts were invited to evaluate the content equivalence of each item. Item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency reliability and test-retest reliability were used to test reliability and validity. ResultsThe Chinese version of the ASPIRE scale retained 14 items and it has high content validity. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a statistically significant difference in the correlation between the total scores of the items (P < 0.001). Exploratory factor analysis indicated that the one-factor solution explained 65.82% of the total variance and confirmatory factor analysis results indicated a good fit (CMIN/DF = 2.64, RMSEA = 0.079, GFI = 0.908, IFI = 0.964, SRMR = 0.0326). The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the scale was 0.958 and the test-retest coefficient was 0.783. ConclusionThe Chinese version of the ASPIRE scale has great reliability and validity and can be used for assessing Chinese nursing students' intention to pursue a career in mental health nursing.

Psychometric Testing of the Newborn Skin Assessment Attitude Scale in Neonatal ICU Nurses.

To develop a Newborn Skin Assessment Attitude Scale (NSAAS) for neonatal ICU (NICU) RNs. The study was conducted with 326 nurses working in NICUs in three cities in Turkey. The researchers evaluated the content and construct validity and reliability of the scale with item-total score correlation analysis, the test-retest method, and calculating the Cronbach α reliability coefficient. The content validity index of the scale ranged between 0.87 and 1.00. Prior to exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin coefficient of the NSAAS was 0.976, and the Bartlett test of sphericity result was χ2 = 15,337.052 (P < .001). The scale was constructed with 35 items with factor loads greater than 0.40 and three subdimensions. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the fit indices of the NSAAS were χ2/df = 3.57, root mean square error of approximation = 0.08, normed fit index = 0.98, non-normed fit index = 0.98, comparative fit index = 0.98, and standardized root mean square residual = 0.05. The overall reliability coefficient of the NSAAS was α = .978. The test-retest coefficients of correlation were r = 0.558 for the overall scale and r = 0.615, r = 0.504, and r = 0.598 for the Awareness, Practice, and Avoidance subdimensions, respectively. In addition, no statistically significant difference was observed when comparing the test-retest mean scores for the total scale and the subdimensions (P > .05). The NSAAS can be reliably used for measuring NICU nurses' attitudes toward newborn skin assessment.

Psychometric properties of the Persian version of the cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire-short (CERQ-P-short): Reliability, validity, factor structure, treatment sensitivity, and measurement invariance

AimsThis study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of a widely-used measure of emotion regulation, the short version of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ-short), in the Persian language (CERQ-P-short) among Iranian populations. MethodsThe CERQ-P-short was administered to 1825 participants (female = 974) including 436 adolescents, 834 adults from the general population, 45 patients each with generalized anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders, an additional 30 patients each with generalized anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders receiving treatment, 45 patients with substance use disorders (SUDs) and an additional 360 adult psychiatric patients. We tested reliability, factor structure, measurement invariance, convergent and discriminant validity, and treatment sensitivity (i.e., intervention response) by age, sex, and diagnostic group. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 was also administered. ResultsCronbach's alpha coefficient and test-retest coefficients suggested good reliability. Fit indices suggested that the 9-factor CERQ-P-Short model was good across groups. The CERQ-P-Short showed good measurement invariance in all four models (configural, metric, scalar, and strict) in all groups. Both adaptive and maladaptive cognitive emotion-regulation strategies demonstrated convergent and discriminant validity. Finally, treatment sensitivity of the CERQ-P-Short scale before and after the completion of treatment sessions was suggested for patients with generalized anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders. ConclusionsWhile the present study has some limitations, it represents a significant contribution because it supports CERQ-P-Short scales usefulness, validity, and reliability in the general population and among psychiatric patients. The results of the current study can be beneficial to the both clinicians and researchers.

Turkish adaptation of Social Coping Questionnaire for gifted students

The objective of this research is to conclude the Turkish adaptation, validity, and reliability analysis of Swiatek's Social Coping Questionnaire (SCQ), which was first published in 1995. (However, the most recent 2001 version of the questionnaire is employed in this study.) A total of 266 gifted students (130 females and 136 males) participated in the study. The participants' ages ranged from 11 to 15. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed that the Turkish version of the scale retained the five-factor structure of the original scale. SCQ consists of 25 items in total and examines coping techniques using 5 subscales. Furthermore, the SCQ is a self-report, seven-point likert type questionnaire that assesses five coping styles: denying giftedness (7 item), social engagement (6 item), humor (3 item), and popularity (5 item). The factor loadings of the items are ranged from .79 to .40. The range of all item-total correlation coefficients was between .44 and .77. Cronbach Alpha Coefficients were determined as .77 for denying giftedness, .60 for social interaction, .60 for humor, .57 for popularity, and .48 for peer acceptance. Test re-test coefficients were as follows; .62 denying giftedness, .48 social interaction, .50 humor, .45 popularity, and .39 peer acceptance scale. The UCLA Loneliness Scale was administered to another gifted students sample to test the convergent validity of the instrument (n=102), as expected peer acceptance and humor subscale correlates negatively ( -.43) and denying giftedness subscale correlates positively (.27) with UCLA scores. The model fit was evaluated via confirmatory factor analysis using the structural equation modeling program. The analysis were performed on the 25 social coping items and resulting fit indices clearly revealed that the five-factor model of social coping provided a good fit to the data (x2 =437.08, df=262, (x2/df=1.66)), RMSEA=0.050, GFI= 0.88, CFI=0.85, NNFI=0.83, SRMR=0.072).

Three-Dimensional Preoperative Planning Software for Hip Resurfacing Arthroplasty.

Three-dimensional planning of hip arthroplasty is associated with better visualisation of anatomical landmarks and enhanced mapping for preoperative implant sizing, which can lead to a decrease in surgical time and complications. Despite the advantages of hip resurfacing arthroplasty (HRA), it is considered a technically challenging procedure and associated with inaccurate implant placement. This study aimed to examine the validity, reliability, and usability of preoperative 3D Hip Planner software for HRA. Fifty random cases of various hip osteoarthritis severity were planned twice by two junior trainees using the 3D Hip Planner within a one-month interval. Outcome measures included femoral/cup implant size, stem-shaft angle, and cup inclination angle, and were assessed by comparing outcomes from 2D and 3D planning. An adapted unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) survey was used for software usability. Bland-Altman plots between 3D and 2D planning for stem-shaft and inclination angles showed mean differences of 0.7 and -0.6, respectively (r = 0.93, p < 0.001). Stem-shaft and inclination angles showed inter-rater reliability biases of around -2° and 3°, respectively. Chi-square and Pearson's correlation for femoral implant size showed a significant association between the two assessors (r = 0.91, p < 0.001). The 3D test-retest coefficient of repeatability for stem-shaft and inclination angles were around ±2° and ±3°, respectively, with a strong significant association for femoral implant size (r = 0.98, p < 0.001). Survey analyses showed that 70-90% agreed that 3D planning improved expectancy in four domains. 3D hip planner appears to be valid and reliable in preoperative HRA and shows significant potential in optimising the quality and accuracy of surgical planning.

Developing the Educational and Rehabilitation Needs Scale for Children With Down Syndrome (Parent Form) in Iran: A Mixed Method Study

Background and Aims Despite the existence of various tools to assess such children’s educational and rehabilitation needs, there is no instrument in Persian for this purpose. The present study aims to develop a questionnaire to measure the educational and rehabilitation needs of children with Down syndrome in Iran from the perspective of their mothers. Methods This is a mixed method study with exploratory design-instrument development model. The phenomenological method was used in the qualitative stage, where the participants were 17 mothers of children with Down syndrome in Iran who were selected purposefully based on theoretical saturation. In this phase, semi-structured interviews were used. Hsieh and Shannon’s content analysis method was used to analyze the data. In the quantitative phase, participants were 100 mothers of children with Down syndrome who were selected using a random sampling method. In this phase, a researcher-made questionnaire of educational and rehabilitation needs of children with Down syndrome was used. Then, its validity and reliability were determined. Results According to mothers, children with Down syndrome have four main needs: Communication skills, adaptive behaviors, language skills, and educational problems. These were considered as the subscales of the questionnaire. The content validity ratio (CVR) was in the range of 0.8-1, and the content validity index (CVI) value was 0.98. The Cronbach’s alpha for the overall scale was 0.93. The test-retest coefficient for the overall scale was 0.84. Conclusion The educational and rehabilitation needs scale for children with Down syndrome (parent form) in Persian has acceptable validity and reliability.

Microperimetry as an Outcome Measure in RPGR-associated Retinitis Pigmentosa Clinical Trials.

To explore which microperimetry sensitivity index (pointwise sensitivity, mean sensitivity, and volume sensitivity) is suitable as a microperimetry outcome measure in patients with X-linked RPGR-associated retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Microperimetry data from patients with RPGR-associated RP were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Fourteen participants completed triplicate microperimetry testing, across 2 consecutive days for the repeatability analyses. Longitudinal data was obtained from 13 participants who completed microperimetry testing at two separate visits. The test-retest coefficients of repeatability (CoR) for pointwise sensitivity were ±9.5 dB and ±9.3 dB, in the right and left eyes, respectively. The mean sensitivity CoR for the right and left eyes was ±0.7 dB and ±1.3 dB. Volume sensitivity CoR was ±144.5dB*deg2 and ±324.2 dB*deg2 for the right and left eyes, respectively. The mean sensitivities were positively skewed toward zero in those with a high number of nonseeing points (arbitrarily assigned to -1.0 dB) and just seen points (0.0 dB). Volume sensitivities were unaffected by the averaging effects of skewed data. Clinical trials should report population-specific test-retest variability to determine a clinically significant change. Pointwise sensitivity indices should be used with caution as outcome measures in clinical trials owing to high levels of test-retest variability. Global indices seem to be less prone to variability. Volume sensitivity indices seem to be superior for use in RPGR-associated RP clinical trials compared with mean sensitivity because they are unaffected by the averaging effects of highly skewed data. Careful selection of sensitivity indices (VA) is required when using microperimetry as a clinical trial outcome measure.

Investigating psychometric properties of the scale of emotional experience towards the spouse

Objective: The objective of the present study was to establish and assess the psychometric properties of the scale of emotional experience towards the spouse in 2018-19. Methods and Materials: For this purpose, all the married women in the city of Isfahan were considered as the statistical population from which 300 married women were selected as the statistical sample using convenience sampling. The research instruments included the scale of emotional experience towards the spouse, extroversion and introversion subscales of NEO Personality Inventory (Costa &amp; McCrae, 1992), and triangulation (Dehghani &amp; Yousefi, 2019). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (correlation analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and norm determination. Findings: Convergent validity and divergent validity results revealed that the subscale of negative emotional experience towards the spouse was significantly positively related to neuroticism and triangulation (convergent validity), but negatively related to extroversion (divergent validity). The subscale of positive emotional experience towards the spouse, on the other hand, had a positive relationship to extroversion (convergent validity) and a significantly negative relationship to neuroticism and triangulation (divergent validity). Exploratory factor analysis showed two basic factors called positive emotional experience towards the spouse and negative emotional experience towards the spouse. Test-retest coefficients, at a three-week interval, confirmed test-retest reliability. Conclusion: Thus, based on what the results revealed, this test can be used to assess the scale of emotional experience towards the spouse in the married women both in research and psychotherapy.

The Relationship between Microfinance Saving Services and SMEs Growth in Kenya: A Case Study of Manyatta Sub-Location, Kisumu, Kenya

Purpose: The Purpose of the study was to establish the relationship between microfinance saving services and Small and Medium Enterprises’ growth in Manyatta Sub-County-Kisumu County. Methodology: The research was anchored on the classic microfinance theory of change. The study employed correlation research design. Data was analyzed using Pearson’s correlation analysis, with a population size of 2500 small and medium enterprises. Using probability sampling technique, a sample size of 71 respondents was drawn from owners of the small and medium enterprises. Primary data was collected by administering questionnaires, observations and interviews and secondary data was collected from relevant books, journals and periodicals. Data was presented using frequency tables. The data was for the period 2011 to 2015. The test-retest coefficient was obtained to establish reliability of the research instruments as established by Fishers’ 0.7 coefficients. Findings: The study found that the correlation coefficient between loan amount and problem servicing loan was (r = -0.299), favorable interest rates and income was (r = 0.322), favorable interest rates and profit was (r = 0.272). Also, favorable interest rates and loan investment was (r = 0.292) implying that there was statistical significance. The study also found out that the correlation coefficient between savings expand business and business expanded after one year was (r =0.385), profits and income was (r =0.369), income and investment was (r =0.321). This showed that there existed a relationship. Conclusion: The study concluded that there exist a positive effect of Microfinance saving services on the growth of small and medium enterprises in Manyatta Sub-County in Kisumu County, Kenya. Recommendations: The study recommends MFIs to offer financial training to assist SMEs in understanding the importance of savings to scale up economic growth. The study also recommends further research to establish more facts between savings and economic growth.

Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the biological rhythms interview of assessment in neuropsychiatry in patients with major depressive disorder

BackgroundAlthough disturbances in biological rhythms are closely related to the onset of major depressive disorder (MDD), they are not commonly assessed in Chinese clinical practice. The Biological Rhythms Interview of Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (BRIAN) has been used to evaluate disturbances in biological rhythms in MDD. We aimed to assess and confirm the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the BRIAN (C-BRIAN) in patients with MDD.MethodsA total of 120 patients with MDD and 40 age- and sex-matched controls were recruited consecutively. Reliability was estimated using Cronbach’s alpha, the split-half coefficient, and the test-retest coefficient; test-retest reliability was assessed using Spearman’s correlation coefficient. A confirmatory factor analysis was used to determine the construct validity of the scale. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) were used to check concurrent validity by evaluating the correlation between the C-BRIAN, PSQI, and MEQ.ResultsThe overall Cronbach’s α value was 0.898, indicating good internal consistency. The Guttman split-half coefficient was 0.792, indicating good split-half reliability. Moreover, the test-retest reliability for both the total and individual item score was excellent. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that construct validity was acceptable (χ2/df = 2.117, GFI = 0.80, AGFI = 0.87, CFI = 0.848, and RMSEA = 0.097). Furthermore, total BRIAN scores were found to be negatively correlated with MEQ (r = − 0.517, P < 0.001) and positively correlated with PSQI (r = 0.586, P < 0.001). In addition, patients with MDD had higher BRIAN scores than those in controls.ConclusionsThis study revealed that the C-BRIAN scale has great validity and reliability in evaluating the disturbance of biological rhythms in patients with MDD.

International Validation of the EORTC QLQ-ANL27, a Field Study to Test the Anal Cancer-Specific Health-Related Quality-of-Life Questionnaire

The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) health-related quality of life questionnaire for anal cancer (QLQ-ANL27) supplements the EORTC cancer generic measure (QLQ-C30) to measure concerns specific to people with anal cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy. This study tested the psychometric properties and acceptability of the QLQ-ANL27. People with anal cancer were recruited from 15 countries to complete the QLQ-C30 and QLQ-ANL27 and provide feedback on the QLQ-ANL27. Item responses, scale structure (multitrait scaling, factor analysis), reliability (internal consistency and reproducibility) and sensitivity (known group comparisons and responsiveness to change) of the QLQ-ANL27 were evaluated. Data from 382 people were included in the analyses. The EORTC QLQ-ANL27 was acceptable, comprehensive, and easy to complete, taking an average 8 minutes to complete. Psychometric analyses supported the EORTC QLQ-ANL27 items and reliability (Cronbach's α ranging from 0.71-0.93 and test-retest coefficients above 0.7) and validity of the scales (particularly nonstoma bowel symptoms and pain/discomfort). Most scales distinguished people according to treatment phase and performance status. Bowel (nonstoma), pain/discomfort, and vaginal symptoms were sensitive to deteriorations over time. The stoma-related scales remained untested because of low numbers of people with a stoma. Revisions to the scoring and question ordering of the sexual items were proposed. The QLQ-ANL27 has good psychometric properties and is available in 16 languages for people treated with chemoradiotherapy for anal cancer. It is used in clinical trials and has a potential role in clinical practice.