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Development of the Children's Health Ratings Scale.

Following pilot testing, the 17-item Children's Health Ratings Scale was group administered to approximately 1,200 fourth- through sixth-grade students. The internal consistency reliability, concurrent validity, and construct validity of the scale were examined utilizing various statistical methods, including calculation of the alpha coefficient, factor analysis, and other correlational techniques. The scale was found to be reliable with an alpha coefficient of .83. Concurrent validity was supported by the finding that higher scale scores were associated with higher ratings on a single, general health item and with lower ratings on single items concerning pain, health worry, and the presence of sickness. Correlations between scores on the Children's Health Ratings Scale and sex, grade level, and a measure of response bias were of low magnitude and presented no serious threat to instrument validity. Five factors were identified for interpretation during factor analysis. A post hoc validity study compared the mean scale scores of a group of asthmatic children and a subsample from the scale development study. Suggestions for further study are presented.

Attitude to Health↗

Development of a scale to measure symptoms of anxiety and depression in the general UK population: the psychiatric symptom frequency scale.

OBJECTIVES: The psychiatric symptom frequency (PSF) scale was developed to assess symptoms of anxiety and depression (i.e. affective symptoms) experienced over the past year in the general population. This study aimed to examine the distribution of PSF scores, internal consistency, and factor structure and to investigate relationships between total scores for this scale and other indicators of poor mental health. PARTICIPANTS: The Medical Research Council national survey of health and development, a class stratified cohort study of men and women followed up from birth in 1946, with the most recent interview at age 43 when the PSF scale was administered. MAIN RESULTS: The PSF scale showed high internal consistency between the 18 items (Cronbach's alpha = 0.88). Ratings on items of the scale reflected one predominant factor, incorporating both depression and anxiety, and two additional factors of less statistical importance, one reflecting sleep problems and the other panic and situational anxiety. Total scores were calculated by adding 18 items of the scale, and high total scores were found to be strongly associated with reports of contact with a doctor or other health professional and use of prescribed medication for "nervous or emotional trouble or depression," and with suicidal ideas. CONCLUSIONS: The PSF is a useful and valid scale for evaluating affective symptoms in the general population. It is appropriate for administration by lay interviewers with minimal training, is relatively brief, and generates few missing data. The total score is a flexible measure which can be used in continuous or binary form to suit the purposes of individual investigations, and provides discrimination at lower as well as upper levels of symptom severity.

Adult↗

Development of a scale to evaluate postoperative pain in dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To design and evaluate a scale for measurement of postoperative pain in dogs. DESIGN: Randomized, blinded, prospective study, with positive- and negative-control groups. ANIMALS: 36 dogs undergoing general anesthesia for ovariohysterectomy and 12 dogs undergoing general anesthesia without surgery. PROCEDURE: A pain assessment scale was developed for dogs, which incorporated physiologic data (heart and respiratory rates) and behavioral responses (response to palpation, activity, mental status, posture, and vocalization). This pain scale was then applied to a study in which dogs were allocated to 2 groups, depending on the type of medication administered (acepromazine maleate only or acepromazine and butorphanol) before induction of general anesthesia. The 36 dogs that had ovariohysterectomy were allocated to 3 groups, members of which received butorphanol, carprofen, or no analgesic after surgery. Dogs were scored for signs of pain and videotaped at 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 18 hours after surgery by an assessor who was blinded to the groups. Results were analyzed for significant differences in pain scores for single categories and total pain scores among groups. Video segments were scrambled and then scored by a second external assessor to test the repeatability of the results, using the pain assessment scale. RESULTS: Mean total pain scores were significantly different between the group of dogs that underwent general anesthesia only and each group of dogs that underwent general anesthesia and surgery. Pain scores for the analgesic-treatment groups reflected the known onset and duration of action of the analgesic used. Agreement between the internal and external assessors was excellent and indicated high precision between the 2 assessors for the population of dogs as a whole. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Behavioral and physiologic measurements can be used reliably to evaluate degree of pain in dogs during the postoperative period and their response to analgesics.

Acepromazine↗

Testing systems for assessment of negative symptoms in schizophrenia.

To compare methods of measuring negative symptoms, eight rating scales were employed to retrospectively assess and subtype 187 patients with schizophrenia from the Chestnut Lodge Follow-up Study. These included Andreasen's Schedule for Assessment of Negative Symptoms, Carpenter's Criteria for the Deficit Syndrome, Kay and Opler's Positive and Negative Symptom Scale, the scales developed by Krawiecka et al and Crow's modification of them, the Negative Symptom Scale developed by Lewine et al, Pogue-Geile and Harrow's Negative Symptom Scale, and Abrams and Taylor's Emotional Blunting Scale. The overlap and concordance, temporal stability, and predictive validity of these instruments are described. When rated from detailed medical records, the reliability of all scales was fair to good. Despite their inclusion of different items, there were high positive correlations between the scales when used to rate negative symptoms dimensionally. When used to classify individual patients as having the negative or deficit syndrome, however, concordance among criteria was low. Using the broadest criteria (Pogue-Geile and Harrow), 75 (40%) patients were diagnosed as having negative syndrome; the narrowest criteria (Andreasen and Olsen) yielded 11 (6%) diagnoses of negative syndrome. Narrower definitions tended to be subsets of broader ones. Carpenter's Criteria for the Deficit Syndrome focus on primary enduring negative symptoms and show the greatest temporal stability. Broader criteria, which diagnose the deficit or negative syndrome independent of severity of positive symptoms, had the greatest predictive validity.

Adult↗

Comparing acculturation scales and their relationship to cancer screening among older Mexican-American women.

BACKGROUND: Hispanic women in the United States are less likely to participate in breast and cervical cancer screening than women of other racial and ethnic groups. To plan appropriate interventions requires an understanding of the barriers to participation, including those of acculturation and assimilation. Few studies have examined the effects of acculturation and assimilation on the cancer-screening behavior of Mexican-American women. PURPOSE: Because of the extensive use of the Cuellar acculturation scale and the more recent use of the Hazuda scale, we explore the utility of these two measures to predict Pap smear and mammography screening. Using a population-based sample of Mexican-American women aged 40 years and older, we compare the two scales with each other and describe their relationship to sociodemographic factors and to participation in cancer screening. METHODS: The data are from baseline surveys in El Paso and Houston, Tex., conducted before the implementation of community interventions to improve Pap smear and mammography screening in low-income Mexican-American women. Study subjects were 923 randomly selected Mexican-American women aged 40 years and older living in 16 El Paso census tracts and seven Houston census tracts. Personal interviews solicited information on age, martial and employment status, household annual income and size, education, health insurance coverage, Pap smear and mammogram history, and a series of acculturation dimensions. Acculturation was measured using the abbreviated version of the Cuellar scale developed for the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1982-1984, and the Hazuda scale developed for the San Antonio Heart Study. The eight-item Cuellar acculturation scale assessed the extent to which Spanish and English were spoken, preferred, read, and written; the ethnic identification of the respondent and her parents; and generational status in the United States. The Hazuda scale assessed the following dimensions of acculturation: adult proficiency in English, adult pattern of English versus Spanish language usage, value placed on preserving Mexican cultural origin, attitude toward traditional family structure and sex-role organization, and adult interaction with members of mainstream society. RESULTS: The Cuellar scale was highly correlated with Hazuda's two language dimension. The Hazuda scale dimensions, Mexican cultural values and traditional family attitudes, correlated the least with Cuellar's scale. All the acculturation dimensions, Cuellar's and Hazuda's, were strongly associated with education and health insurance coverage. With the use of multiple logistic regression to adjust for education, health insurance, and other variables, English proficiency was a predictor of both a recent Pap smear and a recent mammogram. No other language-based acculturation dimension was associated with a recent screening with adjustment for education, health insurance, and other variables. However, in controlling for these factors, we found that a woman's attitude toward traditional family structure was related inversely to mammogram screening. That is, women who held the strongest traditional Mexican family attitudes were more likely to participate in mammography screening. CONCLUSION: This study shows the importance of separating the effects of acculturation on cancer screening from those due to social and economic conditions. Results suggest that the Hazuda scale provides a more multidimensional approach than the Cuellar scale and is a superior measure of the acculturation process. Traditional Mexican family attitudes positively influence mammogram-screening behavior, and this finding has implications for cancer control interventions in this population.

Acculturation↗

[Quality of life of middle aged persons who have cancer].

This descriptive study was under taken to explore relationships among the quality of life, health locus of control and perceived state of health persons with cancer to contribute theoretical understanding about these phenomenon of interest to the quality of nursing care. The subjects of this were 200 persons with cancer (100-in patients and 100-out patients), both male and female, between 30 and 59 years of age. Data were obtained using a convenience sample technique from two university hospitals in seoul from August, 1989, to June, 1990. The instruments used for this study were the Quality of life scale developed by Ro, You-Ja and the Health Locus of Control scale developed by Wallston & Wallston. Data were analyzed using a SAS program for ANOVA, t-test, Schefffé test, Pearson Correlation Coefficients and Stepwise multiple regression. The results were as follows: 1. The scores on the quality of life scale ranged from 95 to 191 with as mean of 147.85 (range 47 to 235). The Mean scores (range 1-5) on the different dimensions were family relationships 3.50, relationships with neighbours 3.48, self-esteem 3.17, physical state and function 2.99, economic life 2.93 and emotional life 2.91. 2. Significantly higher scores on the quality of life and demographic characteristics were as follows: the quality of life for women (t = 2.80, p = .006), for those without complications (t = 2.54, p = .013), and for those who perceived their illness as mild (F = 4.85, p = .009). Higher scores on quality of life were correlated with the following: 1) emotional state and the age group 50-59 (F = 3.43, p = .34). 2) economic life and higher income (F = 6.72, p = .002), those without complications (t = 2.68, p = .00), and those who perceived their illness as mild (F = 3.11, p = .05). 3) self-esteem and marriage (F = 3.64, p = .028), those without complications (t = 2.18, p = .03), and those who perceived their illness as mild (F = 7.72, p = .000). 4) physical state and function and the age group 30-39 (F = 4.65, p = .010), those without complications (t = 2.00, p = .05), and those who perceived their illness as mild (F = 3.38, p = .04). 5) family relationship and those who live with their spouse (t = 2.82, p = .005).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adult↗

The catatonia rating scale I--development, reliability, and use.

The study objective is to present reliability data on the Catatonia Rating Scale (CRS). The CRS is a 21-item clinician-administered rating scale. Items are individually defined and are scored from 0 (absent) to 4 (severe). A definition for each degree of severity is provided for each item. The diagnostic threshold for catatonia is 4 symptoms rated at least 2 (moderate). The CRS requires, at most, 45 minutes to administer. Reliability data were evaluated in a sample of 120 inpatients, 71 of whom were catatonic. Ratings were performed by 4 pairs of raters. Interrater reliability was high (Pearson correlation coefficient = .91 to .99, intraclass correlation coefficient = .94 to .99). Internal consistency was very good (Cronbach's alpha = .8890). Analysis of individual items showed that all were frequently endorsed and occurred across a wide range of severity. The CRS is a reliable rating scale for the diagnosis of catatonia. Advantages of the scale, areas of use, and clinical implications are discussed.

Adult↗

Developing behaviorally anchored scales for rating dietitians' performance.

Behaviorally anchored rating scales were developed for dietitians, using a variant of the methodology of Smith and Kendall (3). Approximately thirty dietitians, representing administration, patient services, education, and community nutrition participated in the development. The job tenure of the participants ranged from one year to over twenty years. Seven dimensions were identified, and each was provided with a rating continuum containing eight or nine behavioral anchors. The dimensions and their definitions are listed, and one scale is presented.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

The development of scales to measure social support for diet and exercise behaviors.

The purpose of this study was to develop measures of perceived social support specific to health-related eating and exercise behaviors. In Study I, specific supportive and nonsupportive behaviors were identified through interviews with 40 individuals making health-behavior changes. In Study II, items derived from the interviews were administered to 171 subjects. Support from family and friends was assessed separately for both diet and exercise habits. Meaningful factors were identified for each of the four scales, and some factors were similar for family and friend scales. Both test-retest and internal consistency reliabilities were acceptable, and six factors can be used as subscales. Social support scales were correlated with respective self-reported dietary and exercise habits, providing evidence of concurrent criterion-related validity. A measure of general social support was not related to the specific social support scales or to reported health habits. These scales are among the first measures of social support behaviors specific to dietary- and exercise-habit change.

Adolescent↗

Monoseptic cultivation of phototrophic microorganisms--development and scale-up of a photobioreactor system with thermal sterilization.

The use of phototrophic microorganisms as sources of biological active substances in photoautotrophic and mixotrophic cultivation modes requires an adequate cultivation system with thermal sterilization. A corresponding photobioreactor system in the 10, 25 and 100 l scales was developed. This "Medusa"-photobioreactor system represents a concept based on the air-lift loop principle, whose working volume is irradiated by external light sources. The incident irradiation can be varied by a light control system. An effective CO(2)/O(2) gas exchange is enabled due to the efficient supply with process gas by several gas supply nozzles within the system and a large degassing surface. Using a model to describe the growth characteristics of the organisms, the volumetric irradiation coefficient I(DX) was defined as scale-up parameter. On this basis the scale-up from 1 l bubble columns to the 10 and 100 l scales was realized. The scale-up was performed successfully with Chlorella salina as model organism. A maximum biomass concentration of 7.89 g (dry weight) l(-1) at a maximum specific growth rate of 0.058 h(-1) and a yield of 35 mg l(-1) h(-1) was obtained in a batch cultivation in the 100 l scale under photoautotrophic conditions with an initial biomass concentration of approx. 0.03 g l(-1).

Bioreactors↗

The Adolescent Menstrual Attitude Questionnaire, Part I: Scale construction.

A valid, reliable, and age-appropriate instrument to measure adolescent responses to menarche was constructed. The Adolescent Menstrual Attitude Questionnaire is a 5-point Likert scale (with six sub-scales) with versions for pre- and postmenarcheal girls. Scale development included (a) content validation, (b) testing (with 860 premenarcheal and 1,013 postmenarcheal girls), (c) discriminant analysis (to identify items unique to the pre- and postmenarcheal experience, (d) construct validity using principal component factor analysis, and (e) reliability analysis. Development of the scale revealed that on some dimensions, the attitudes of premenarcheal girls were qualitatively different from those of postmenarcheal girls. Thus, the final versions of the Adolescent Menstrual Attitude Questionnaire consist of 58 items each, with 43 common items, 4 common items that load on different subscales, and 11 unique items. Reliabilities (r) are .91 and .90 for the pre- and postmenarcheal versions, respectively.

Adolescent↗

Ten-year review of rating scales. I: overview of scale functioning, psychometric properties, and selection.

OBJECTIVE: As part of the Journal's 10-year Research Update Reviews, a series of articles will be presented on the role of rating scales in child and adolescent psychiatry. The first article in the series summarizes principles underlying scale functioning. METHOD: Sources were reviewed regarding testing theory, scale development, variability in scale functioning, psychometric properties, and scale selection. The extracted information was adapted to issues in child and adolescent psychiatry. RESULTS: Rating scales can make major contributions to understanding youths' needs. They provide easy and efficient measurement of psychopathology and quantify underlying constructs for comparison across youths, time, and applications. Although multiple factors may affect a scale's functioning, these factors can be understood and managed by considering the goals of measurement and basic psychometric principles. CONCLUSIONS: Potential users of rating scales should not blindly assume that a well-known scale will meet the measurement needs for a particular application. Rather, they can relatively easily educate themselves regarding the appropriate use of rating scales. This article provides the background information needed to evaluate scales for intended applications. It will also assist in reviewing the individual scales presented in subsequent articles in this series.

Adolescent↗

[The relationship between maturity of Christian faith and anxiety of patients with cancer].

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the maturity of Christian faith and anxiety. Nurses are concerned with the spiritual dimension of clients' experience. The subjects of this study were patients with cancer in Y. University Hospital in Seoul. Subjects were selected who knew their diagnosis, were aged 20 or older and agreed to the interview. A total of 35 patients were interviewed from August 1 to September 15, 1988. The instruments used in this study were the maturity of Christian faith scale developed by H.S. Choi and modified by the investigator, and an anxiety scale developed by the investigator. Data were analyzed by statistical methods including Frequency, ANOVA, and Pearson Correlation Coefficient. Results included the following: Hypothesis, "That as the degree of maturity of Christian faith of the patients increases, the degree of state anxiety will decrease", was supported (gamma = -.8061, p less than .001). According to this study, maturity of Christian faith is significantly related to the reduction of anxiety of patients with cancer. In a holistic approach to their clients, nurses may have confidence that the maturity of Christian faith of their clients will contribute to the reduction of anxiety.

Anxiety↗

Activities of daily living instruments:optimizing scales for neurologic assessments.

The ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL) is an important part of assessment in neurologic patients. A literature search was carried out to identify multi-item ADL scales developed for the assessment of neurologic patients, comparing item content, range, and detail of ADL scales. Of the 113 ADL scales identified, 27 (24%) were designed for use in neurology. In the basic ADL (BADL) domains (basic mobility and self-care), individual items were present in 44% to 81% of instruments. In the extended ADL (EADL) domains (e.g., outdoor mobility, housekeeping), items were present in up to 67% of the instruments identified. A typical trade-off was observed between the range, the detail (number of items), and hence the practicality of a scale. In general, scales focus on either BADL or EADL domains or, on occasion, some of both, rather than measuring the full range of functioning. There are many ADL scales in neurology, with much overlap in item content, leading to redundancy. New scales developed with the traditional methods will not solve the existing difficulties associated with range and detail, ordinal scale scores, and cross-instrument comparability. The possibilities of a modern psychometric method known as item response theory that was designed to solve these problems are discussed.

Activities of Daily Living↗

The Sexual Compulsivity Scale: further development and use with HIV-positive persons.

We examined the reliability and validity of the Sexual Compulsivity Scale for use in assessing HIV-positive men and women. Measures collected from 287 men and women recruited from the community, the majority of whom were African American and over the age of 30, showed that the Sexual Compulsivity Scale was reliable for men (alpha = .89) and women (alpha = .92). Correlations with measures of sexual behaviors and numbers of sex partners supported the concurrent validity of the Sexual Compulsivity Scale for men and women. Results of discriminant function analyses that included participant age, use of nonalcohol drugs, the Sexual Compulsivity Scale, and scores on measures of trait anxiety, obsessive-compulsiveness, future pessimism, cognitive depression, and borderline personality characteristics showed that sexual compulsivity clearly discriminated between persons with 1 or no sex partners and persons with multiple partners in the past 3 months, for both men and women, suggesting evidence for criterion-related validity. Associations between sexual compulsivity scores and other markers of psychopathology showed different patterns for men and women; sexual compulsivity was associated with indexes of psychopathology in men but not in women. We conclude that the Sexual Compulsivity Scale is reliable and valid in assessing men and women infected with HIV, although sexual compulsivity may present differently between genders in relation to other forms of psychopathology.

Adult↗

New product development processes within the UK medical device industry.

This paper reports on the findings of an extensive survey investigating practising design engineers' perceptions of new product development within the UK medical device industry. The design activity recorded was predominantly the small-scale development of low volume products. Explicit formal procedures were rarely used in these small-scale developments of low volume products. Specific organizational and design process issues are identified by the respondents as key requirements for the success of the new product development process.

Commerce↗

Development of scales to measure psychosocial care needs of children with seizures and their parents. 1.

There is little research and no self-report assessment instruments available to guide nurses in the provision of psychosocial care to children with seizures and their families. Information on the development of two instruments, Report of Psychosocial Care Scale and Child Report of Psycyhosocial Care Scale, and their use in a research study to measure psychosocial care of children with new-onset seizures and their parents are presented in three parts. This first article describes development and initial testing of their psychometric properties. The second article, Part 2, "Psychosocial Care Needs of Parents of Children with New-Onset Seizures," describes results from the use of the parent scale with mothers and fathers of children with new-onset seizures. The third article, Part 3, "Psychosocial Care Needs of Children with New-Onset Seizures," reports findings from the use of the child scale with children ages 8-14 years with new-onset seizures.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Development and evaluation of a colour-coded scale for birthweight surveillance in rural Egypt.

Birthweight surveillance is an important epidemiologic tool, yet it is largely unattainable in locales where most births occur at home attended by traditional midwives. A tempered-steel hand-held scale developed by Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH, Seattle, USA) was adapted for use by Egyptian traditional midwives; it identified newborns weighing less than 2.5 kg by a colour code (yellow versus blue). The scale and reporting system were field tested in a rural Egyptian village. Traditional midwives reported 98% of 299 livebirths attended and 85% were reweighed by Salter scale within 48 hours. Sensitivity of the scale was 100%, specificity 94%. Field conditions are specified for incorporating this method into a surveillance system.

Adult↗