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PubMed2004

Fear of negative appearance evaluation: development and evaluation of a new construct for risk factor work in the field of eating disorders.

The psychometric properties and correlates of a measure designed to assess fear of negative appearance evaluation are presented. In Study 1, 165 college females completed the Fear of Negative Appearance Evaluation Scale [FNAES; Thomas, C.M., Keery, H., Williams, R., & Thompson, J. K. (1998, November). The Fear of Negative Appearance Evaluation Scale: Development and preliminary validation. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, Washington, DC] along with measures of body image, eating disturbance, and depression. Results replicated previous analyses indicating the presence of a single factor, good internal consistency, and significant association with measures of body image and eating disturbance. Additionally, the FNAES accounted for unique variance beyond that explained by general fear of negative evaluation, and other measures of body image and eating disturbance, in the prediction of body shape dysphoria, dietary restraint, and trait anxiety. Study 2 further examined the validity of the FNAES, finding it to correlate significantly with measures of social physique anxiety, body image, eating attitude, and mood. The FNAES did not significantly correlate with body mass index (BMI). Regression analyses found the FNAES to predict levels of body image, eating attitude, and mood beyond variance explained by social physique anxiety. The FNAES appears to measure a conceptually unique aspect of body image that has not been indexed by previous measures and may serve a useful role in risk factor and preventive work.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Friendship closeness inventory: development and psychometric evaluation.

This study developed a psychometrically sound measure of closeness in Australian men's (n = 59) and women's (n = 77) same-sex friendships, the Friendship Closeness Inventory. Subscales were developed to measure both masculine and feminine styles of closeness in three domains of Emotional Closeness, Behavioural Closeness, and Cognitive Closeness. The inventory was subjected to reliability checks which supported the reliability of each scale, and factor analyses which supported the 3-factor design. Correlations among ratings on subscales suggested that the affective, behavioural, and cognitive dimensions are distinguishable but related components of friendship. Group comparisons indicated that women rated themselves closer to their same-sex friends on the affective dimension than men. Researchers have suggested that sex-role socialisation may partly account for sex differences in self-ratings of emotional expressiveness in friendships. There were no significant differences between men's and women's ratings on the behavioural and cognitive aspects of friendships. The cognitive element may need further exploration in further scale development as it measures only one aspect of cognitive closeness: the perceived influence of friends. Pending further validation, the inventory appears potentially useful for research exploring affective, behavioural, and cognitive elements of young men's and women's friendships.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

[Is the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale suitable for Dutch older persons living in the community?].

BACKGROUND: In ageing populations fear of falling is an important issue. International studies and collaborations require scales suitable to more cultures. Scales developed in one culture require adaptation and additional investigation of psychometric properties for use in other countries. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the psychometric properties of a Dutch version of the Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale (ABC-NL) and whether adding questions about complex/dual tasks improves the discriminatory power. METHOD: Subjects were 106 men and 140 women aged 65-92 years. Measures were the 16-item ABC-NL and seven additional more complex items, fall history, general and physical self-efficacy, a functional reach test and a balance platform test. RESULTS: The ABC-NL had a weak ceiling effect. Internal consistency (Cronbachs alpha) was high. The relationship between ABC-NL and physical self-efficacy was significantly stronger than between the ABC-NL and general self-efficacy. Relationships with performance-based measures of balance were moderate. Differences between fallers and non-fallers and between activity avoiders and non-avoiders were significant. Adding questions about complex tasks hardly improved discriminatory power, reliability and validity. CONCLUSION: Psychometric properties of the ABC-NL were satisfactory. Further research is needed for use in high-functioning older persons.

Accidental Falls↗

PubMed1989

Iodine deficiency impairs intellectual and neuromotor development in apparently-normal persons. A study of rural inhabitants of north-central China.

Intelligence was measured by means of the Hiskey-Nebraska Test of Learning Aptitude or the Griffiths Mental Development Scales in a sample of 369 patients from iodine-deficient rural villages (Baihuyao), iodine-sufficient rural villages (Huanglo) and urban populations to test for the damaging effects of iodine deficiency on the development of the nervous system in the presumed healthy section of a community. In urban school-children who were aged seven to 14 years (n = 78), a normal range of measured intelligence was found (mean +/- SD intelligence-quotient score, 107.0 +/- 18.3). By comparison, intelligence-quotient scores were lower in all rural cohorts (a rural suppression effect) but the distribution of intelligence-quotient scores showed a further shift to the left in the iodine-deficient township. In Baihuyaon villagers who were aged 30-35 years (n = 50), who were born during the period of severe iodine deficiency, 72% of villagers had an intelligence-quotient score of less than 70 compared with 41% (P less than 0.05) of villagers who were aged 28-35 years from Huanglo, a rural iodine-sufficient control group (n = 49). Although measured intelligence was higher in Baihuyaon children whose mothers had received iodized salt - 44% of seven- to 14-year-old children had intelligence-quotient scores of less than 70 (n = 141)--it remained significantly depressed compared with rural (n = 51) and urban (n = 78) control subjects (18% and 4%, respectively). These findings were consistent with other parameters (that is, the persistently-high rate of goitre), which indicated that the salt-iodization programme was inadequate. In the iodine-deficient village, lower intelligence-quotient scores showed a relationship with the detection by audiometry of nerve deafness and with the presence of abnormal neurological signs. The latter included spasticity and pyramidal signs which were of a similar pattern to the neurological deficits that have been demonstrated in overt neurological cretins. We conclude that iodine deficiency imposes a further suppressive effect on the intellectual performance of rural inhabitants, and results in a shift of the entire population distribution of cognitive skills to a lower level.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

The Leeds Assessment Scale of Handicap: its operationalisation, reliability, validity and responsiveness in in-patient rehabilitation.

PURPOSE: This paper describes the application of the handicap dimension of the International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities and Handicaps. METHOD: A method of assessing four of the six roles (or areas of expected competency) was developed and applied to an in-patient population, aged 16 to 65 years, receiving specialist rehabilitation following neurological damage. Handicap assessment was a collaborative process by a multidisciplinary team. Difficulties were experienced in measuring inter-rate reliability in the busy, clinical setting. RESULTS: We conclude that handicap assessment in an in-patient rehabilitation unit which uses a multidisciplinary approach to treating patients with complex physical, sensory and cognitive problems is both feasible and useful. CONCLUSION: The developed scale, The Leeds Assessment Scale of Handicap, provides a valid and valuable summary of human disadvantage, complementing the common disability assessments.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1998

Development of a scale to measure information needs in cancer care.

Developing approaches to improve the use of scarce health care resources is of increasing importance in cancer care. Being able to target the provision of information to the primary needs of consumers ensures more productive use of expensive teaching time by health care professionals. Researchers and clinicians have used a variety of measurement techniques to assess the information needs of individuals with cancer at various points in their illness trajectory. The two most common types of scaling techniques used by researchers to measure information needs have been summative and differential. The advantages and disadvantages of using these types of measurements are evaluated. This article describes the development and pilot testing of a measure of the information needs in cancer patients that uses one type of differential scaling technique, Thurstone scaling. This measure was subsequently converted into a patient-friendly computerized program capable of helping consumers identify their information priorities before their medical visits. Individualized teaching may be guided by this new measurement technique in the future.

Breast Neoplasms↗

PubMed2003

New diagnostic tool for robotic psychology and robotherapy studies.

Robotic psychology and robotherapy as a new research area employs a systematic approach in studying psycho-physiological, psychological, and social aspects of person-robot communication. An analysis of the mechanisms underlying different forms of computer-mediated behavior requires both an adequate methodology and research tools. In the proposed article we discuss the concept, basic principles, structure, and contents of the newly designed Person-Robot Complex Interactive Scale (PRCIS), proposed for the purpose of investigating psychological specifics and therapeutic potentials of multilevel person-robot interactions. Assuming that human-robot communication has symbolic meaning, each interactive pattern evaluated via the newly developed scale is assigned certain psychological value associated with the person's past life experiences, likes and dislikes, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral traits or states. PRCIS includes (1) assessment of a person's individual style of communication with the robotic creature based on direct observations; (2) the participant's evaluation of his/her new experiences with an interactive robot and evaluation of its features, advantages and disadvantages, as well as past experiences with modern technology; and (3) the instructor's overall evaluation of the session.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

A French version of the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP): stages in the cross cultural validation of a generic quality of life scale.

The Sickness Impact Profile is a quality of life scale developed in the United States which is now widely used in clinical trials in chronic conditions such as chronic obstructive lung disease, angina, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic pain, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease and cancer. Validated generic scales permit cross cultural comparisons within disease processes in clinical trials. As a simple, direct translation of a scale is inadequate, we have created a French version of the original US version of the Sickness Impact Profile. The first phase was qualitative. A first French translation of the original US version was back translated into English by three independent translators. A second French version resulted from a consensus reached by a panel of lay subjects and health professionals after comparing the original US version, the first French version and the three back translations. This second version was tested with a group of 40 healthy volunteers. This qualitative phase resulted in a French Test Version with content and face validity. The quantitative phase assessed the equivalence of the rank order of each item, by sub scale, in the US version with that of the French Test Version, ie the rank of the French item was comparable (+/- 2) to the rank of the corresponding US item. The French Test Version was tested with 47 healthy subjects. Of the 136 items of the Sickness Impact Profile, 13 were retranslated to create a final French version. This was similarly tested on ten healthy subjects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Development and scale-up of a fed-batch process for the production of capsular polysaccharide from Haemophilus influenzae.

The production of the capsular polysaccharide, polyribosylribitolphosphate, from Haemophilus influenzae type b is important for the production of effective conjugate vaccines. Factors limiting the production of this polysaccharide from H. influenzae type b in liquid culture were investigated. A fed-batch fermentation was developed that increased cell density and PRP titer approximately four fold when compared to the batch fermentation. This fed-batch process was successfully scaled from the 1.5 l development scale to the 500 l manufacturing scale. The maximum cell density in the 500 l fermentation was 6 g dry cell weight per liter and the PRP concentration was 1.3 g l(-1).

Bacterial Capsules↗

PubMed2005

[Development of measurement scale for the quality of life in hypertensive patients].

OBJECTIVES: To develop a tool for multidimensional measurement of the quality of life, which was psychometrically sound, short, and easy to administer for patients with hypertension. METHODS: A sample of 1115 hypertensive patients aged 20 or above in Cheong-Song County was studied from June 1997 to October 1998. In the development of the instrumental stage, the authors first conceptualized the quality of life. Item generation, item reduction, and questionnaire formatting were followed. Item-level (item descriptive, missing%, item internal consistency, item discriminant validity) analysis, scale-level (scale descriptive, floor and ceiling effect) analysis, and other tests(Cronbach's alpha, inter-dimension correlations, factor analysis, clinical validity) were performed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the new measurement scale. After 1 year, responsiveness and confirmatory factor analysis were performed. RESULTS: The results of both item-level and scale-level analyses were acceptable. An acceptable degree of internal consistency was observed for each of the dimensions (Cronbach's alpha was 0.60 or higher). Inter-dimension correlations were below 0.50 and the factor analysis result was the same as the intended dimension structure. Correlation coefficients between perceived health status, stress and dimensions were proven to be acceptable. The result of comparing dimensional score means among ADL and MMSE-K groups above 60 years was statisticalIly significant (p < 0.05). The result of confirmatory factor analysis concluded that the dimensional structure model was well fitted. However, the result of responsiveness test using sensitivity and specificity was unsatisfactory. CONCLUSIONS: The newly developed measurement scale is psychometrically reliable and valid instrument for measuring quality of life in hypertensive patients.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

[Confusion syndromes in hospitalized aged patients: polymorphism of symptoms and course. Prospective study of 183 patients].

Using explicit criteria contained in the DSM III R, we collected in a prospective cohort study clinical features, outcome and risk factors from two cohorts of delirium in hospitalized elderly patients: 138 hospitalized in geriatric department and 45 patients admitted to an acute and comprehensive care hospital. The clinical features were assessed using a quantitative scale (developed by Derouesné). Delirium was unrecognized or misdiagnosed by physicians in 34% of the cases. The onset was known only two thirds of cases. The incidence of hyperactive type, prolonged hospital stay, poor outcomes (persistent delirium leading up to dementia) were highest in subjects admitted in comprehensive hospital. The etiology of delirium is complex and multifactorial. An underlying cause was identified in 80% of patients. The length or the worsening of delirium was significantly higher in patients with psychiatric or dementia comorbidity (OR: 0.2; IC 95%: 0.1-0.5). The prognosis was better in patients without psychoactive medications (OR: 0.2; IC 95%: 0.1-0.4) or with metabolic abnormalities or acute diseases and disorders (OR: 3.3; IC 95%: 1.5-7.6). The predisposing factors to the development of dementia were prior use of psychoactive medications and signs of prior cognitive impairment. This article suggests delirium in elderly patients is associated with several outcomes. The prognosis should be improved at admission by specific scale and an evaluation of predisposing and precipitating factors.

Aged↗

PubMed1998

Depressive symptoms are often unrecognized in gynaecological practice.

We performed a study on depressive symptoms in gynaecological practice in Belgium, identifying depressive symptoms according to both practitioners' opinions and the scores on a scale developed to detect depression in general medical settings. According to the 170 participating gynaecologists, 12% of the 2174 women they interviewed had symptoms of depression. However, 35% had two or more positive answers on the Depression Scale, and 19% had four or more positive answers. Our results suggest that depressive symptoms are often not identified in clinical gynaecological practice.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

[Dependency, abuse, and depression by gender in widowed elderly].

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of dependency and abuse on depression according to gender in widowed elderly. METHOD: A convenient sample consisted of 246 widowed elderly who were more than 65 years old in four cities. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire from August to September, 2002. A dependency Scale developed by Ahn (1999) was used to measure the level of dependency. Emotional abuse and physical abuse were measured by 10 items for emotional abuse and 7 items for physical abuse selected out of the Conditions Scale of Elder Abuse. The level of depression was measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). The SPSS WIN 11.0 version program was used for data analysis. RESULT: In male widowed elderly, dependency affected depression indirectly through emotional abuse. While in female widowed elderly, dependency affected depression directly and affected emotional abuse indirectly. CONCLUSION: The study showed that dependency was the most explainable variable on depression in widowed female elderly. Therefore, it dependency should be assessed first in nursing intervention to relieve depression of widowed elderly.

Aged↗

PubMed1997

Floctafenin versus acetaminophen for pain control in patients with osteoarthritis in the lower limbs. Franco-Belgian Task Force.

A multicenter, double-blind, cross-over, random-order study compared the efficacy of floctafenin, 800 mg/day and acetaminophen, 3000 mg/day, in providing pain relief to 192 patients with chronic pain due to osteoarthritis in the lower limbs. Each drug was given for 12 days and the interval between the two treatment periods was two days. The primary evaluation criterion was pain relief as assessed using the visual analog scale developed by Huskisson (mean baseline score, 62.7 +/- 13.6 mm). Secondary criteria were the algofunctional index, the investigator's overall efficacy rating and patient preference. Floctafenin therapy was associated with significantly better results regarding the visual analog scale score (P = 0.036, 149 patients in the per protocol analysis) and the investigator's overall efficacy rating (P = 0.0001, 169 evaluable patients). Among the 169 evaluable patients, 68 had no preference for either treatment and 101 had a preference, which was for floctafenin therapy in 65% of cases (P = 0.001). Clinical tolerance was satisfactory with both drugs. Gastrointestinal symptoms were the most common side effects (13% and 11% of patients with floctafenin and acetaminophen, respectively).

Acetaminophen↗

PubMed1999

New acellular pertussis-containing paediatric combined vaccines.

Combined pediatric vaccines have the advantages of conferring protection against multiple common infectious diseases with a reduced number of injections. Their use should lead to better compliance to recommended vaccination schedules. Diphtheria (D), tetanus (T) and whole-cell pertussis vaccine (P) have been successfully combined, with or without inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) in the same syringe for many years. Recently developed acellular pertussis (aP) Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), inactivated poliomyelitis virus and hepatitis B vaccines are ideal candidates for inclusion in current combined vaccines. Nevertheless, the development of new combinations has to face preclinical and clinical issues: the appropriate formulation of the new antigen(s) and other vaccine components needs to be determined to ensure compatibility and guard against potential additive or unexpected adverse reactions; potential immunological interference between antigens and the negative impact of other vaccine components on immunogenicity may occur, and these have to be examined also. Whole-cell pertussis vaccines are highly protective against whooping cough, but the severe adverse reactions that these vaccines sometimes produce have led to hesitation over their use, including the decision of some countries to stop pertussis immunization. To increase the acceptability of pertussis vaccination, Pasteur Mérieux Connaught has developed a combined D, T and a two-component acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP), composed of purified pertussis toxoid (PT) and filamentous haemagglutinin (FHA), which has been shown to be effective in an efficacy trial conducted in Senegal. Acellular DTaP vaccines are immunogenic and have a better safety profile than DTP vaccines, when given either for the primary series, for the booster vaccination or for both. In order to meet worldwide demands, the combined DTaP-IPV or DTP-IPV has been developed for countries where IPV is recommended. Following the encouragement of the WHO, an H. influenzae type B tetanus-conjugated (Act-HIB) vaccine, has been combined in a full liquid formulation with the whole-cell DTP. This vaccine showed a good safety and immunogenicity profile in infants and in toddlers. A combined DTaP-IPV-PRP-T vaccine (where the Act-HIB vaccine is reconstituted by the full-liquid DTaP-IPV) also has been successfully developed both for the primary series and for booster vaccination; although, a reduced immunogenicity against PRP observed after the primary series, this did not affect vaccine priming. Hepatitis B immunization campaigns targeting high-risk groups have failed to control the disease in areas of low endemicity. In 1992, the WHO recommended that hepatitis B vaccination should be integrated into the EPI in all countries by 1997-1999. For that purpose, hepatitis B vaccine is currently evaluated in pediatric combined vaccines. Developing new combination vaccines is a difficult but essential process for maintaining high immunization rates worldwide against infectious diseases, provided that the costs are acceptable. New combined vaccines including pneumococcal and meningococcal component are under wide-scale development.

Hepatitis B Vaccines↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Reliability of photographic analysis in determining change in scar appearance.

Photographs frequently are used to document change in the management of hypertrophic scars. The purpose of this study was to design a scale for the analysis of photographs of hypertrophic scars and to test its reliability. The subjects were four occupational and physical therapists, (two novices and two experts), in scar management. Existing scales were modified to produce a new scale. The subjects twice rated four slides from each of ten patients' scars, in random order. They used a Latin Square design. Interrater and test-retest reliabilities were calculated using a weighted kappa statistic. The newly developed scale demonstrated interrater reliability, which ranged between 0.66 and 0.90 for all items. The test-retest reliability ranged between 0.73 and 0.89 for all items. The new scale had substantial reliability (using a single rater) and was at least as reliable when used by novice therapists. This indicated that training had no effect.

Adult↗

PubMed1985

Effect of a brief instructional unit in death education on the death attitudes of prospective elementary school teachers.

The present study determined if there would be a significant change in the attitudes of prospective elementary school teachers toward death after two, one- and-one-half hour instructional units of death education that were incorporated into an elementary health education methods and content class (experimental group). Control groups consisted of similar students who did not receive death education, but were enrolled in the elementary health education methods and content class (control group I) and another group of students who were not in elementary education, but were enrolled in a basic home economics class (control group II). The Templer Death Anxiety Scale and a scale developed by the author to measure attitudes toward death education for young children were administered to the three groups during pretest and posttest sessions two and 10 weeks after instruction. Validity and reliability for the author's scale was determined by various experimental procedures. Several different resources were used in the education process. The experimental group had significantly less fear of death and felt more comfortable discussing death with children than did the two control groups. The results suggest that brief units of death education are effective in changing the attitudes of future elementary teachers.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

[Early attention to learning disabilities].

INTRODUCTION: In the early stages of their development, children acquire the skills and knowledge that provide them with the foundations on which they will later add what they learn at school, including skills such as reading, writing and mathematics. The presence of learning difficulties at the infantile stage can affect the development of these academic skills during the period of compulsory schooling. DEVELOPMENT: Some children show learning difficulties in their earliest years. Early learning difficulties refer specifically to those problems that occur in the time between birth and the age of six and which reduce the chances of accomplishing the skills and knowledge that are typically acquired during the stage of infancy. There is a correlation between these problems and difficulties linked to cognition, to attention, perception and memory processes, to language skills involving both comprehension and expression, and to visuospatial processing. Their aetiology involves neuropsychological, social and cultural factors, as well as others that derive from the actual learning processes themselves. Following an interdisciplinary model using development scales, psychometric tests and neurodevelopmental monitoring will allow an early diagnosis to be reached. The intervention will be carried out in the medical, social, educational and family areas, and will focus on the aspects that favour maturing, development and the learning of curricular material. CONCLUSION: The new socio-educational scenario makes it necessary to attend to early learning difficulties in infants' education. Prevention and early attention offer guidelines and strategies to deal with them in a satisfactory manner.

Child↗