Biomedical subjects

Andrew M H Siu

Publications and source records attributed to Andrew M H Siu.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

A 6-month follow-up of the effects of an information and communication technology (ICT) training programme on people with intellectual disabilities.

We investigated the long-term effects of an information and communication technology (ICT) training programme for people with intellectual disabilities (ID). A community-based ICT training programme was designed to enhance the computer skills of people with ID and prepare them to make use of ICT in their daily life. Of the 100 who had participated in the original ICT training programme, 59 of them and their caregivers agreed to participate in the follow-up interview. A computer skills checklist was used to assess the ICT competence of the participants before training, after training, and at the 6-month follow-up assessment. All caregivers were interviewed at the 6-month follow-up session to explore the use of ICT by people with ID and their needs for further training. Results from repeated measures ANOVA showed that participants maintained at the 6-month follow-up the basic ICT skills that they acquired during training [F=13.86, p<0.001]. Caregivers reported that participants spent more time in using the computers, but still needed occasional guidance. They also reported a need to advance their ICT skills beyond the basic computer training. We concluded that ICT training for people with ID would help them in maximizing the benefits of information technology via computers.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Evaluation of the chronic disease self-management program in a Chinese population.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the 6-week Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) in Hong Kong. METHODS: A total of 148 subjects with chronic illness were recruited. Subjects were matched on duration of illness and gender, and then randomly allocated to experimental and comparison groups. The experimental group participated in the CDSMP, while the comparison group joined a Tai-Chi interest class in a mass-activity format. Subjects completed evaluation questionnaires before beginning their program and 1 week following the program. RESULTS: Analysis of covariance showed that the CDSMP participants demonstrated significantly higher self-efficacy in managing their illness, used more cognitive methods to manage pain and symptoms, and felt more energetic than the subjects in the comparison group. The CDSMP participants also demonstrated changes in their profile of coping strategies, having a tendency to adopt the cognitive methods of diverting attention, reinterpreting pain, ignoring sensations, and making positive self-statements. CONCLUSION: The short-term evaluation results showed that the CDSMP primarily increased the self-efficacy, exercise behavior, and application of cognitive coping strategies of the participants. PRACTICE IMPLICATION: The effect of the CDSMP in a Chinese population is similar to that found in studies in Western cultures, and the CDSMP could be applied effectively in a Chinese population.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2006

Prediction of work rehabilitation placements using the Chinese Work Personality Profile.

This study aims to evaluate the application of a situational assessment instrument, the Chinese Work Personality Profile (CWPP), to predict the work rehabilitation placements of persons with psychiatric disabilities. Using the five CWPP subscale scores as predictors, both discriminant and classification and regression tree analysis showed that the CWPP scores correctly identified more than 80% of the work rehabilitation placements of the 179 participants. Social skills, self-control, and task orientation factors of the CWPP were the most important predictors of work rehabilitation placements, and clinical implications for these results were discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Functional disabilities profile of chinese elderly people with Alzheimer's disease - a validation study on the chinese version of the disability assessment for dementia.

This study aimed to determine the validity and applicability of the Chinese version of the Disability Assessment for Dementia (CDAD) in the Chinese elderly population. The original English version was translated and modified to a 47-item scale to suit the societal and cultural background of the Chinese population. The CDAD was administered to 169 community-residing Chinese elderly people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.91), excellent test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation, ICC=0.99) and excellent interrater reliability (ICC=0.98). The functional disabilities profile of the same sample was examined. The CDAD had a high negative correlation with the Global Deterioration Scale (GDS; Spearman's rho=-0.89, p<0.001). ANOVA and post hoc comparisons showed there were significant differences in the mean CDAD scores across different GDS stages. To study the construct validity, the CDAD was administered concurrently with several instruments. The Instrumental Activities of Daily Living subscore of the CDAD had a high correlation with the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (r=0.94,p<0.001), and the Activities of Daily Living subscore of the CDAD had a high correlation with the Modified Barthel Index (r=0.82, p<0.001). A moderate correlation (r=0.60, p<0.001) with the Cantonese version of the Mini Mental State Examination was also found. Analysis of the relationship with sociodemographic factors indicated that the CDAD was not correlated with gender and education, and that the correlation with age was low. The CDAD was shown to be a reliable and valid instrument in assessing the functional disabilities of community-residing elderly subjects with AD in the Chinese population.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2005

The Chinese version of the social problem-solving inventory: some initial results on reliability and validity.

The development of an instrument that measures social problem solving of Chinese adolescents is reported. The Social Problem-Solving Inventory Revised (SPSI-R) was translated to Chinese, and content validity, cultural relevance, and reading level of the translated measure were reviewed by panels of experts. The Chinese version of the scale (C-SPSI-R) was then administered to a sample of 352 junior secondary-school students. Exploratory factor analyses revealed a 5-factor structure that was largely consistent with the structure of the original English-language SPSI-R. The C-SPSI-R and its subscales were found to be internally consistent and temporally stable over time. The scores of the subscales were also correlated with depression scores, a correlation that supported the convergent validity of the subscales. Adolescents with high and low Chinese Beck Depression Inventory scores had significant differences in four out of five subscales of the C-SPSI-R (except Rational Problem-Solving). On the whole, the results supported that the C-SPSI-R is a reliable and valid instrument in the assessment of social problem solving in Chinese adolescents.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

A study of the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Dementia Rating Scale.

BACKGROUND: The present study aims to develop and validate a Chinese version of the Dementia Rating Scale (DRS) for use with Chinese populations in psychogeriatric settings. METHODS: The DRS was translated into Chinese and its content validity was evaluated by an 11-member expert panel. To assess reliability and concurrent validity, 52 subjects with dementia were recruited from medical and psychogeriatric settings using purposive sampling. RESULTS: With percentage of agreement as an indicator, 28 out of 36 items (78%) had satisfactory content validity. Items with a percentage of agreement below 70% were reviewed and modified, based on the comments of the experts. The CDRS had excellent test-retest and inter-rater reliability, with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) at 0.94 and 0.93 respectively. Intraclass correlation coefficients ranged between 0.75 and 0.89 for the subscales. The internal consistency of the CDRS subscale, as measured by Cronbach's a, ranged from 0.57 to 0.82. The CDRS had high correlations with the Chinese Mini-mental State Examination (r = 0.80 for total score, r = 0.58 to 0.84 for subscales. CONCLUSIONS: The CDRS is a valid instrument for the assessment of dementia in Chinese-speaking subjects.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

Chronic disease self-management program for Chinese patients: a preliminary multi-baseline study.

This study reports the preliminary findings on the effects of the Chronic Disease Self-management Program on a group of Chinese participants who suffered from chronic diseases. A total of 23 participants were recruited in a multi-baseline study protocol. Their self-management behaviors, self-efficacy and health status were captured over three baseline assessments and one post-test assessment. The results indicated significant increases in the performance of stretching exercises, the management of cognitive symptoms and communication with physicians. Their self-efficacy in terms of these aspects was found to be significantly increased. However, changes in other aspects of self-management which required more special skills and coordination with outside agencies were not significant. The changes in the physical and mental statuses of the participants were also not significant. It was observed that the positive effects of the program could be attributed to traditional Chinese beliefs of 'self-discipline' and a welcoming response towards self-efficacy strategies. Further studies should adhere to standards of a randomized clinical trial and further examine the mechanisms underpinning the changes in self-management behaviors among Chinese people with chronic diseases.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2005

Psychometric properties of the Chinese Family Assessment Instrument in Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong.

This paper reports evidence on the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Chinese Family Assessment Instrument (C-FAI), an instrument developed to assess family functioning in Chinese populations. A convenience sample of 1,462 adolescents from junior secondary schools completed the C-FAI and measures of parent-adolescent conflict. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed that five factors were abstracted from the scale, a finding which was similar to those reported in previous validation studies. Results also showed that the C-FAI was internally consistent and its scores were moderately correlated with measures of conflict with parents, providing support for the convergent validity of the measure. Finally, females perceived family functioning to be better than did males and age was linearly related to perceived family dysfunction. In conjunction with the previous findings, the present study suggests that the C-FAI can be used to objectively assess family functioning in Chinese adolescents.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Evaluation of a community rehabilitation service for people with rheumatoid arthritis.

This study aims to evaluate the outcomes of a community rehabilitation service for people with rheumatoid arthritis, provided by the Community Rehabilitation Network (CRN) in Hong Kong. The three-phase community rehabilitation service consists of a number of standardized program elements, including orientation meeting, self-help course, stress management program, water exercises class, as well as informal social and recreational activities. Using a pre-, post-test non-equivalent groups design, the outcomes of 29 clients of the treatment group were compared with 16 clients of the comparison group at baseline and at the end of 9 months, using an 86-item self-completed questionnaire. The treatment group achieved significant more increases in self-efficacy of managing the illness, more increases in self-management behaviors, but no significant increases in the overall health status or health care utilization patterns, when compared with the comparison group.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of a positive youth development program in Hong Kong: issues, principles and design.

Several issues concerning evaluation of positive youth development programs in Hong Kong are outlined. These include the choice of evaluation paradigm, evaluation frameworks and evaluation standards, role of quantitative and qualitative research methods, process vs. outcome evaluation, and choice of objective outcome measures. With reference to the above issues, the evaluation design of a positive youth development program in Hong Kong is presented. Several principles are maintained in the design of the program. These include objective outcome assessment, use of multiple objective outcome indicators, subjective outcome evaluation, involvement of stakeholders in evaluation, assessment of program implementers' views, qualitative evaluation, collection of quantitative and qualitative data, process evaluation, triangulation of data collected from different sources by different methods, use of validated measures, following existing guidelines governing the evaluation of positive youth development programs, and continuous evaluation. Five evaluation strategies, including objective outcome evaluation, subjective outcome evaluation, qualitative evaluation, evaluation based on repertory grid tests, and process evaluation are proposed to evaluate the project.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Development and validation of a positive youth development scale in Hong Kong.

The development of the Chinese Positive Youth Development Scale (CPYDS) is outlined in this paper. The CPYDS assesses 15 aspects of positive youth development, including bonding, resilience, social competence, emotional competence, cognitive competence, moral competence, behavioral competence, self-determination, self-efficacy, spirituality, positive view of the future, positive self-identity, prosocial involvement, prosocial norms, and recognition for positive behavior. Based on a Well Adjustment Group (N=162) and a Poor Adjustment Group (N=264), the present findings showed that the CPYDS and its subscales possess acceptable internal consistency. Except the Self-Efficacy Subscale, the CPYDS total and subscale scores were able to discriminate the two groups. While the CPYDS total and subscale scores were positively related to thriving, wellness assessment and life satisfaction measures, they were negatively related to substance abuse, delinquency, and behavioral intention to engage in problem behavior. The present findings provide support for the reliability and validity of the CPYDS to assess positive youth development in the Chinese culture.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Prosocial involvement as a positive youth development construct: conceptual bases and implications for curriculum development.

Pro-social involvement programmes are significant and important for the healthy growth of adolescents as well as for the development of society. Pro-social involvement of adolescence refers to paid-job, volunteer works, sport and games. It serves the functions of making adolescents aware of and to accept the social norms and moral standard of the society, which would bring positive changes to the adolescents and consequently benefit the society as a whole. Past studies showed that adolescents who participated in pro-social involvement programmes tended to have positive self-perception, more social skills, and less anti-social behaviors. In Hong Kong, professionals in education and social services have fully recognized the benefits of pro-involvement programmes. They have organized multi-level and diverse pro-social involvement programmes and encouraged adolescents to participate. Through participation, adolescents could be helped to redefine their relationship with the society, and maximize their potentials for growth. The current programme described in this article is designed in the P.A.T.H.S. Project, support by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Prosocial norms as a positive youth development construct: conceptual bases and implications for curriculum development.

Prosocial norms are clear, healthy, ethical standards, beliefs, and behavior guidelines that promote prosocial behavior and minimize health risks. The promotion of prosocial norms like altruism, solidarity, and volunteerism is an important aspect of positive youth development programs. From the literature, it is evident that a prosocial orientation is encouraged in traditional Chinese philosophy. Longitudinal studies have shown that prosocial behavior increases gradually over adolescence, and that the development of prosocial behavior is closely linked to the development of moral reasoning, perspective taking, and regulation of personal distress. It is noteworthy that females have a higher prosocial orientation than males, and peer influence could be a major mediating factor of interventions to foster prosocial norms and behavior during adolescence. This review also analyzes the mechanism underlying prosocial behavior using the cost-reward model, social cognitive theory, and stages of moral development. Role modeling, social reinforcements and evaluations, discussion of moral dilemmas, empathy skills training, and foot-in-the-door procedures are identified as useful strategies for fostering prosocial norms and behavior.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Recognition for positive behavior as a positive youth development construct: conceptual bases and implications for curriculum development.

Recognition of positive behavior has gained momentum as the focal perspective in understanding the needs of growth and development among youth. Parents, teachers, youth workers, and other helping professions are encouraged to recognize the strength and potential of young people instead of merely attending to problem behaviors of the youth. Implementing the concepts and practice of recognizing positive behaviors involves both explicit, implicit or symbolic positive reinforcements. Effective recognition of positive behaviors involves the consideration and the combination of different reinforcement strategies that would help young people develop appropriate values and attitudes towards life. Within the Chinese culture, Hong Kong parents are very practical and place strong emphasis on academic achievement. Discipline is the most frequently used method to correct misbehaviors; whereas recognition of positive behaviors is rarely utilized. Consequently, curriculum design needs to encompass contents that help teachers, parents and students understand the importance of positive behaviors, and learn how to promote positive behaviors. The ultimate goal is to help young people internalize positive behaviors, develop a more positive self-perception and to be more active and pleasant in relating to others, and to feel that helping others is self-fulfilling and rewarding. The curriculum programme described in this article is designed for the PATHS-Project, supported by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.

Adolescent↗