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Results for “construct validity”

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PubMed2005

The health assessment questionnaire disability index and scleroderma health assessment questionnaire in scleroderma trials: an evaluation of their measurement properties.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the measurement properties of the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) disability index (DI) for group comparisons in scleroderma trials, and to determine if the Scleroderma Health Assessment Questionnaire (SHAQ) visual analog scales confer any measurement advantage over the HAQ DI. METHODS: A computer search for articles describing the use of the HAQ DI and SHAQ in scleroderma was performed. Evidence supporting the sensibility, reliability, validity, and responsiveness of these measures was evaluated. RESULTS: The SHAQ has incremental face and content validity over the HAQ DI because it addresses scleroderma-specific manifestations that also contribute to disability. The HAQ DI has good concurrent validity, construct validity, and predictive validity. Whether SHAQ confers incremental construct, concurrent, or predictive validity over the HAQ DI is uncertain. The HAQ DI appears more reliable than the SHAQ; however, reliability studies provide insufficient data to ascertain if minimum standards have been achieved. Responsiveness of the HAQ DI subscales has been demonstrated. CONCLUSION: The SHAQ has incremental face and content validity over the HAQ DI. The HAQ DI has greater reliability and demonstrated construct, concurrent, and predictive validity. Further investigation into the measurement properties of the HAQ DI and SHAQ visual analog scales, and their relation to the required standards of measurement is needed.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗

PubMed2005

Media ratings for movies, music, video games, and television: a review of the research and recommendations for improvements.

This article review is organized by studies that are relevant for testing the reliability and validity of ratings systems. Specifically, the interrater reliability, consistency, temporal stability, content validity, construct validity, and criterion validity of media ratings systems are reviewed. Data that are related to testing the "forbidden fruit" and "tainted fruit" hypotheses also are reviewed. Several changes are recommended to improve the ratings systems, including the creation of a universal ratings system that could be applied equally to all media. The research reviewed here can provide a guide for how to construct a reliable, valid, and more useful ratings system. This is important because the decisions that parents make regarding their children's media use can be only as good as the information to which the parents have access.

Humans↗

PubMed2003

A critical appraisal of quantitative arthroscopy as an outcome measure in osteoarthritis of the knee.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To review the performance of arthroscopic assessment of articular cartilage damage in osteoarthritis. METHODS: The literature was reviewed for publications containing data regarding validity and reliability of arthroscopic systems of cartilage evaluation in knee osteoarthritis. RESULTS: Fifty-two distinct measurement systems were identified in 60 publications. There were 30 simple severity-scoring systems, 3 global visual analogue scale systems, and 19 composite systems. No systems consisted solely of measurements of lesion size or site, although 13 systems used either or both of these for the calculation of composite scores. Only 6 publications (10%) undertook any reliability evaluation and these generally used inappropriate methods of statistical analysis. Thirty-five publications (58%) evaluated validity. Construct validity was tested using several constructs (clinical in 2, magnetic resonance imaging in 10, radiographs in 10, or other arthroscopic assessments in 5 publications). Criterion validity was ascertained by using several methods including cartilage histology, histochemistry, or biomechanics in 10 publications. Responsiveness was determined in 1 publication. DISCUSSION: Many publications evaluated composite systems but only a few evaluated fundamental aspects of arthroscopic measurement. Conceptually, composite scoring systems have the best validity; however, at present, there is only enough evidence to support the use of simple chondropathy severity scores and there are little data on the responsiveness of these methods. A proposed program for comprehensive evaluation and development of valid and responsive arthroscopic assessments of articular cartilage is outlined.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Measuring peer caring behaviors of nursing students: scale development.

BACKGROUND: Caring is one of the most important domains of nursing research, peer caring among student nurses, and its potential effects on nurse caring behaviors remains largely unexplored. Few tools in the literature target peer caring interactions, and which were either irrelevant to our research purpose or culturally inappropriate for nursing student population in Taiwan. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to develop a culturally sensitive instrument to measure peer caring behavior from the student perspective and to offer a descriptive answer to "what is peer caring in Taiwan." DESIGN: The study uses both qualitative and quantitative methods in developing the "Peer Caring Measurement (PCM)" questionnaire. SETTINGS: Students from a 5-year associate degree nursing program in a university of technology in southern Taiwan were recruited into this study. PARTICIPANTS: Thirteen first- through fourth-year student volunteers between the ages of 16 and 20 were interviewed to explore caring behavior in student peer-to-peer interactions. Two classes from each of the first, second, third, and fourth year students, a total of 360 students were randomly selected to assess the internal consistency of "PCM", and 47 first-year students were conveniently selected to examine the stability of the tool. METHODS: Interviews were conducted in an unstructured manner. Qualitative data were analyzed by a constant comparative method. The questionnaire survey was used to assess the validity and reliability of "PCM". RESULTS: A 17-item "PCM" was developed; the content validity, construct validity, and reliability of the tool were ensured by expert review, factor analysis, and internal consistency. Three factors, labeled assistant caring, academic caring, and affective caring, accounted for 63.197% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS: The "PCM" addressed the multidimensional construct of peer caring. It was validated in a Chinese language version and can be used in college settings to evaluate student interactions and their peer caring behaviors.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Gait classification in children with cerebral palsy: a systematic review.

This systematic review of the literature evaluates the validity of existing classifications of gait deviations in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Numerous efforts have been made to develop classification systems for gait in CP to assist in diagnosis, clinical decision-making and communication. The internal and external validity of gait classifications in 18 studies were examined, including their sampling methods, content validity, construct validity, reliability and clinical utility. Half of the studies used qualitative pattern recognition to construct the gait classification and the remainder used statistical techniques such as cluster analysis. Few adequately defined their samples or sampling methods. Most classifications were constructed using only sagittal plane gait data. Many did not provide adequate guidelines or evidence of reliability and validity of the classification system. No single classification addressed the full magnitude or range of gait deviations in children with CP. Although gait classification in CP can be useful in clinical and research settings, the methodological limitations of many classifications restrict their clinical and research applicability.

Cerebral Palsy↗

PubMed2001

Construction and validation of a polycompetitor construct (SWITCH) for use in competitive RT-PCR to assess tachyzoite-bradyzoite interconversion in Toxoplasma gondii.

The obligate intracellular protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii exists as 2 life-cycle forms in intermediate hosts. The rapidly dividing tachyzoites responsible for acute disease, present in the first 14 days of infection, give rise to slowly dividing bradyzoites that reside in tissue cysts. Reactivation of disease is associated with conversion of bradyzoites to tachyzoites. A sensitive method for detection and assessment of the number of each life-cycle stage would be useful for following these events. Herein we describe the construction and validation of a plasmid (pSWITCH) containing a polycompetitor construct (SWITCH) for use in competitive reverse transcriptase-PCR (cRT-PCR). pSWITCH contains competitors for SAG2A and LDH2 genes, which are exclusively expressed by tachyzoite and bradyzoite stages respectively, and for beta-tubulin, a gene expressed by both stages. Using cRT-PCR, samples can first be accurately normalized for expression of the housekeeping gene, beta-tubulin and then the relative levels of SAG2A and LDH2 expression compared to follow stage conversion. The abundance of transcripts for other genes of interest can then be followed during this process as demonstrated here for the SAG2-related family of genes. This technique offers a powerful tool for studying the processes involved in tachyzoite and bradyzoite interconversion.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The use of claims databases for outcomes research: rationale, challenges, and strategies.

Health care payers and policy makers need information about the cost and effectiveness of medical treatments. While randomized controlled trials historically are the primary source of medical information, they are expensive and labor-intensive, and often have limited utility for answering questions about "real-world" patient populations. These problems have led to an increasing reliance on claims database research in making policy decisions about treatment options. However, both researchers and decision makers should recognize the limitations and unique features of claims databases. Recommendations for avoiding or minimizing threats to internal validity, construct validity, and external validity are: (1) use of a study design that includes comparisons; (2) ensuring that the study design and conclusions are consistent with the database; (3) a priori conceptual modeling of the research question; (4) use of appropriate constructs; (5) explicit examination of alternative explanations for study findings; (6) sensitivity analyses of key assumptions; (7) awareness of the distinction between statistical and practical significance of findings; (8) generalization only when appropriate; and (9) reporting of relevant information. Given that any study design or data source has limitations, we hope that this paper will encourage a philosophy of methodological pluralism in outcomes research. Awareness and accurate reporting of validity issues will strengthen and extend the information resources currently available to decision makers.

Decision Making↗

PubMed2000

Measures of depression in older adults with generalized anxiety disorder: a psychometric evaluation.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is the most common of the pervasive anxiety disorders among older adults, with lifetime prevalence estimates of 6%. Because of this high prevalence rate, it is important to establish the utility of assessment tools with this population. Preliminary data exist with regard to the use of anxiety measures with older anxious adults; however, no similar information is available for self-report measures of depression in this population. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) with a sample of 54 older adults diagnosed with GAD, 22 of whom were diagnosed with a coexistent depressive disorder. Internal consistency, convergent and divergent validity, construct validity, and discriminative validity of the BDI and the GDS were examined. Overall, the results support the reliability and validity of these self-report measures of depressive symptoms in a sample of older anxious adults.

Aged↗

PubMed1990

Measurement of the Type A behavior pattern in adolescents and young adults: cross-cultural development of AATAB.

This paper reports psychometric development of a new scale, the AATAB, a 19-item questionnaire which attempts to measure the Type A behavior pattern in the adolescent and in the young adult. Initial studies were accomplished with Polish secondary-school students. Test-retest and internal consistency reliability estimates were very adequate, as was concurrent validity. Construct validity information is scant but in the desired direction. Factor analytical studies reveal only a single-factor structure on these adolescent subjects. The AATAB was given to university students of both sexes in Poland, Italy, and the United States. Students from all three countries scored at about the same level and concurrent validity was acceptable. Factor analysis of these data revealed meaningful factors for both sexes across all three cultures. While similar factors were found, the order of them was different by sex and by culture. These results are discussed and further reliability and validity research with the AATAB is outlined.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

A critical review of published competency-to-confess measures.

The development of standardized assessments for competency-to-confess evaluations has remained largely neglected for the last several decades. Groundbreaking research was conducted on Miranda waivers during the late 1970s, but researchers have failed to sustain programmatic research. This critical review focuses on four published Miranda measures (Comprehension of Miranda Rights, Comprehension of Miranda Rights-Recognition, Comprehension of Miranda Vocabulary, and Function of Rights in Interrogation). When evaluated by contemporary standards, the validation of these measures is very limited. Major improvements are needed for interrater reliability, test-retest reliability, content validity, construct validity, and criterion-related validity.

Civil Rights↗

PubMed2005

Development and psychometric tests of the Chinese-version Low Vision Quality of Life Questionnaire.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To develop and assess the psychometric validity of a Chinese language Vision Health related quality-of-life (VRQoL) measurement instrument for the Chinese visually impaired. METHODS: The Low Vision Quality of Life Questionnaire (LVQOL) was translated and adapted into the Chinese-version Low Vision Quality of Life Questionnaire (CLVQOL). The CLVQOL was completed by 100 randomly selected people with low vision (primary group) and 100 people with normal vision (control group). Ninety-four participants from the primary group completed the CLVQOL a second time 2 weeks later (test-retest group). The internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability, item-internal consistency, item-discrimination validity, construct validity and discriminatory power of the CLVQOL were calculated. RESULTS: The review committee agreed that the CLVQOL replicated the meaning of the LVQOL and was sensitive to cultural differences. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient and the split-half coefficient for the four scales and total CLVQOL scales were 0.75-0.97. The test-retest reliability as estimated by the intraclass correlations coefficient was 0.69-0.95. Item-internal consistency was > 0.4 and item-discrimination validity was generally < 0.40. The Varimax rotation factor analysis of the CLVQOL identified four principal factors. the quality-of-life rating of four subscales and the total score of the CLVQOL of the primary group were lower than those of the Control group, both in hospital-based subjects and community-based subjects. CONCLUSION: The CLVQOL Chinese is a culturally specific vision-related quality-of-life measure instrument. It satisfies conventional psychometric criteria, discriminates visually healthy populations from low vision patients and may be valuable in screening the local community as well as for use in clinical practice or research.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

Quality criteria were proposed for measurement properties of health status questionnaires.

OBJECTIVES: Recently, an increasing number of systematic reviews have been published in which the measurement properties of health status questionnaires are compared. For a meaningful comparison, quality criteria for measurement properties are needed. Our aim was to develop quality criteria for design, methods, and outcomes of studies on the development and evaluation of health status questionnaires. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Quality criteria for content validity, internal consistency, criterion validity, construct validity, reproducibility, longitudinal validity, responsiveness, floor and ceiling effects, and interpretability were derived from existing guidelines and consensus within our research group. RESULTS: For each measurement property a criterion was defined for a positive, negative, or indeterminate rating, depending on the design, methods, and outcomes of the validation study. CONCLUSION: Our criteria make a substantial contribution toward defining explicit quality criteria for measurement properties of health status questionnaires. Our criteria can be used in systematic reviews of health status questionnaires, to detect shortcomings and gaps in knowledge of measurement properties, and to design validation studies. The future challenge will be to refine and complete the criteria and to reach broad consensus, especially on quality criteria for good measurement properties.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗

PubMed2004

Validity and reliability of the PDQ-39 and the PDQ-8 in English-speaking Parkinson's disease patients in Singapore.

The purpose of the study was to assess the validity and reliability of the Parkinson's disease questionnaire (PDQ-39, UK English version) as well as its briefer version (the PDQ-8) among Asian patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) in Singapore. Eighty-eight patients recruited from movement disorder clinics or patient support groups completed the PDQ-39 and EQ-5D, a generic health related quality of life questionnaire previously validated for use in Singapore. PDQ-39 items showed good convergent and discriminant validity. Construct validation against the EQ-5D showed strong correlation between these scales as hypothesised (Spearman's rho: 0.53-0.71, P<0.001 for all). Factor analysis yielded a component on which all eight PDQ-39 dimensions were substantially loaded (loading range: 0.50-0.79). The PDQ-39 also demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha: 0.59-0.94) and test-retest reliability (intra-class correlation coefficient:0.67-0.87, n=68). Six of eight PDQ-8 items showed the strongest correlation with their PDQ-39 dimensions as hypothesised. PDQ-39 and PDQ-8 summary indexes were highly correlated (Pearson's r=0.96, ICC=0.95), and both were strongly correlated with the EQ-5D utility index and EQ-5D visual analogue scale (P<0.001). We conclude that the PDQ-39 and PDQ-8 are valid and reliable disease-specific HRQoL instruments for PD in Singapore.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Gradations of clinical severity and sensitivity to change assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory-II in Japanese patients with depression.

Knowledge of what constitutes a minimal clinically important difference and change on a psychiatric rating scale is essential in interpreting its scores. The present study examines the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), a recently revised successor to the world's most popular self-rating instrument for depression. BDI-II was administered to 85 patients with major depression, diagnosed with DSM-IV along with its severity specifiers. It was again administered to 40 first-visit patients from the original sample when they returned 14 or more days later. The Clinical Global Impression-Change Scale was rated at the same time. All the ratings were done independent of each other. The BDI-II was able to distinguish between all grades of depression severity. An approximate 10-point difference existed between each severity specifier. The BDI-II was also sensitive to change in depression: a 5-point difference corresponded to a minimally important clinical difference, 10-19 points to a moderate difference, and 20 or more points to a large difference. Given the already established high reliability, content validity, construct validity and factorial validity, and the high sensitivity to between-subject differences and within-subject changes demonstrated in the present study, the BDI-II promises to continue to be a leading self-rating instrument to assess depression severity worldwide.

Cohort Studies↗

PubMed1997

The Chronic Pain Grade questionnaire: validation and reliability in postal research.

The Chronic Pain Grade questionnaire has been proposed as an interview-administered, multi-dimensional measure of chronic pain severity in selected populations with chronic pain in the United States of America. It has not previously been tested in the United Kingdom, in self-completion form or in an unselected general population. We undertook a postal survey to assess its reliability, validity and acceptability in these circumstances, using a general practice population in Scotland, with a practice population of 11202 patients. A random sample of 400 patients aged over 18 was drawn, stratified for age, gender and receipt or non-receipt of regular prescriptions for pain-relieving medication. The dimensions and sub-scales of the Chronic Pain Grade were compared with the SF-36 general health questionnaire and questions relating to duration of any pain and attempts to seek treatment for this. The methodological approach proposed by Streiner and Norman (1989) was used to assess validity and reliability. A response rate of 76% was achieved. Cronbach's alpha was > 0.9 and item-total correlations were all high, indicating good internal consistency and reliability. Validity was confirmed by psychometric testing, including confirmatory factor analysis. Good correlations with comparable dimensions of the SF-36 general health questionnaire confirmed convergent validity. Construct validity was confirmed by testing scores against duration of pain and treatment sought for pain. We concluded that the Chronic Pain Grade questionnaire is a useful, reliable and valid measure of severity of chronic pain. It translates well into UK English and is acceptable in general population postal research.

Chronic Disease↗

PubMed2002

Psychometric evaluation of the Body Change Inventory: an assessment instrument for adolescent boys and girls.

A new instrument, the Body Change Inventory, was developed to provide an assessment of body change strategies that are used by both adolescent girls and boys. The novel aspect of this instrument is that it evaluates strategies to increase body size and increase muscle size, as well strategies to decrease body size. Independent samples of adolescent girls and boys aged between 11 and 17 years (N=1732) participated in four studies. The revised instrument consisted of three body change scales-Strategies to Decrease Body Size, Strategies to Increase Body Size, and Strategies to Increase Muscle Size. The studies demonstrated content validity, construct validity, internal consistency, and concurrent and discriminant validity for the new scales. The new scales provide a valuable addition in the literature for assessing three global body change strategies among adolescent girls and boys. They are needed in order to examine further the normative development of different kinds of body change strategies and how these may lead to behavioural problems such as disordered eating, exercise dependence, and steroid use.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1997

Psychometric properties and clinical utility of the scale for suicide ideation with inpatient children.

The purpose of the current study was to examine the psychometric properties and clinical utility of the Scale for Suicide Ideation (SSI) for children. The SSI was administered to 100 children who were hospitalized. Data were not used from 13 subjects due to the presence of a psychotic disorder or IQ less than 70, leaving 87 participants. The SSI was examined regarding its internal consistency, concurrent validity, construct validity, and factor structure when used with children. Based on the findings, the SSI appears to have adequate psychometric properties and can be used by clinicians and researchers examining children in an inpatient setting. Recommendations for clinicians are included to help make the SSI more functional in use for children.

Child↗

PubMed1997

Questionnaire methods of cognitive self-statement assessment.

Questionnaire methods can be used to assess thoughts, which are cognitive products often referred to as self-statements, automatic thoughts, or internal dialogue. This review examines the nature of endorsement measures of self-statements and considers their advantages and disadvantages as well as scoring issues. A psychometric evaluation of self-statement questionnaires discusses the issues of reliability, content validity and scale development, criterion validity, construct validity, and clinical utility. Descriptions of and psychometric findings for over 2 dozen measures are summarized, including measures for depression, anxiety, eating disorders, pain, and applications with children and adolescents, and conclusions and future directions are suggested.

Awareness↗