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PubMedDate not supplied

The reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the caregiver burden inventory.

BACKGROUND: The assessment of burden has become a challenging task for most researchers because cultural, ethical, religious, and other personal values may influence perceptions of the meaning and consequences of burden. The lack of examination of the psychometric properties of the burden measures across studies limits the scientific rigor for generating additional research into "burden." OBJECTIVE: To examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Caregiver Burden Inventory for its utility in clinical and research practice. METHOD: The first investigation evaluated the consistency between the Chinese and English versions of the Caregiver Burden Inventory. The second investigation established the internal consistent reliability, test-retest reliability, content validity, concurrent validity, and construct validity. RESULTS: A paired -test and intra-class correlation indicated that the Chinese version of the Caregiver Burden Inventory was a very good reflection of the English version and demonstrated item equivalence. It also showed adequate internal consistency reliability, appropriate content validity, and concurrent validity. Factor analysis revealed moderate intercorrelations between subscales and high factor loadings also helped to clarify the psychometric meaning. DISCUSSION: The reliability and validity information presented in this paper support using the Chinese version of the Caregiver Burden Inventory as a research instrument in measuring the caregiver burden in the Chinese population. Further study is needed to discriminate the developmental, emotional, and social burden constructs.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1999

Clinical validity and stability of active and passive cervical range of motion with regard to total and unilateral uniplanar motion.

STUDY DESIGN: A study of inter- and intra-examiner reliability and clinical validity using two instruments for assessment of spinal range of motion in healthy individuals. OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical validity, stability, and normative values for active and passive cervical range of motion as measured by the CA-6000 (Orthopedic Systems Inc., Union City, CA), an electrogoniometer. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The authors' early trials with the electrogoniometer yielded values that differed substantially from those in other reports. The authors sought to resolve those discrepancies and understand their sources. METHODS: Axial rotations along the transverse, coronal, and frontal planes were measured as half-cycles (i.e., left-right or flexion-extension) that were repeated seven times per trial. Test-retest data were collected on the same healthy individuals for active and passive motion using men and women aged 20-39 years. For validity, simultaneous digital dual inclinometry and electrogoniometry were performed twice over a 1-week interval. In addition, a bench test was performed for validation of axial rotation. RESULTS: Clinical reliability of the CA-6000 was high for inter- and intra-examiner studies of total active motion, and validity was high when compared with that obtained with dual inclinometry. Total range of motion had less between-trial variability than half-cycles, axial rotation and lateral bending measurements had greater reliability than did flexion-extension measurements, and active motion was more reliable than passive motion. CONCLUSION: The CA-6000 provides valid and reliable measures of cervical range of motion. Discrepancies reported elsewhere appear to have arisen from several sources, as discussed in this article.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Significance of cytomegalovirus for long-term survival after orthotopic liver transplantation: a prospective derivation and validation cohort analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and disease has been found to be associated with decreased graft and patient survival among heart transplant recipients. We sought to explore the effect of CMV infection and disease on long-term survival in orthotopic liver transplant (OLT) recipients using a derivation and validation cohort. METHODS: For derivation-validation modeling, we used data collected from two prospectively followed cohorts as the basis for multivariate analyses: 167 OLT recipients from the Boston Center for Liver Transplantation (the derivation set; median follow-up: 5.5 years, mortality: 40%) and an independent cohort of 294 OLT recipients from the Mayo Clinic (the validation set; median follow-up: 4.8 years, mortality: 27%). RESULTS: Underlying liver disease other than primary biliary cirrhosis or sclerosing cholangitis, number of units of red blood cells administered during transplantation, and donor CMV seropositivity were the pre- and intratransplant variables independently associated (P<0.01) with decreased long-term survival in the derivation cohort. For variables collected up to 1 year after transplantation, the need for retransplan. tation, CMV pneumonia, invasive fungal disease, and underlying liver disease other than primary biliary cirrhosis or sclerosing cholangitis were independently associated (P<0.01) with decreased long-term survival in the derivation cohort. The magnitude of the relationship of each pre-, intra-, and posttransplant factor with survival, as measured by the relative risk, did not significantly differ between the derivation and validation cohorts. The derivation model, incorporating pre-, intra-, and posttransplant factors, had receiver operating characteristic areas of 73% and 74% for 5-year mortality in the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Data from a derivation and an independent validation cohort demonstrate that CMV factors (reflected by either donor CMV seropositivity at transplantation, CMV pneumonia, or CMV disease within the first posttransplant year) are independently associated with decreased long-term survival in OLT recipients.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

Shoulder abduction strength measurement in football players: reliability and validity of two field tests.

Musculoskeletal and neurologic injuries affecting shoulder strength are common in contact sports. Full-strength recovery is desired before resumption of competition. On-field assessment of shoulder strength is usually done by manual muscle testing, which lacks sensitivity and reliability. Our objective was to determine the reliability and validity of two field instruments capable of quantifying shoulder abduction strength. Twenty junior football players underwent bilateral isokinetic (60 degrees/s) and isometric shoulder abduction strength measurements using a Cybex 340 isokinetic dynamometer. Test-retest measurements of both shoulders of each player were made using strain gauge (SG) and handheld dynamometer (HHD) instruments. Players were tested during rested and competition conditions. Within and between session reliabilities were calculated using the intraclass coefficient, and validity was assessed using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Overall reliability for each device was calculated using Lisrel analysis. SG was found to be superior to HHD in overall reliability and validity. Within-session reliability in the rested and competition states was 0.75 and 0.78, respectively, for SG and 0.60 and 0.81, respectively, for HHD. Between-session reliability in the rested and competition states dropped to 0.51 and 0.63, respectively, for SG and 0.55 and 0.70, respectively, for HHD. Validity was 0.41 and 0.70 for SG when correlated with Cybex at 0 degree and 60 degrees/s respectively. Validity for HHD was 0.28 and 0.42 for Cybex speeds of 0 degree and 60 degrees/s, respectively. SG reliability and validity were similar when testing was done one shoulder at a time or both shoulders concurrently.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Validation of two devices for self-measurement of blood pressure by elderly patients according to the revised British Hypertension Society protocol: the Omron HEM-722C and HEM-735C.

BACKGROUND: The validation of self-measurement devices for clinical use by elderly patients has been recommended. The Omron HEM-722C device has recently been validated according to the British Hypertension Society (BHS) protocol for use for general populations and the Omron HEM-735C is a new fully automatic device with a high capacity for storage of measurements that is integrated with a personal computer. OBJECTIVE: To perform a clinical validation for use by elderly people of the Omron HEM-722C and HEM-735C devices according to the revised protocol of the BHS and the criteria of the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI). METHODS: We carried out a main validation test according to the revised BHS protocol for validation procedures for special groups on two groups of 30 subjects aged more than 65 years (29 men and 31 women), 11 of 30 with systolic blood pressures (SBP) <110mmHg, 10 of 30 with SBP >200 mmHg, 15 of 30 with diastolic blood pressures (DBP( <70 mmHg and 10 of 30 with DBP >110 mmHg. The results were graded according to the BHS system from A to D. RESULTS: The Omron HEM 722C achieved an overall A/A grading and satisfied the AAMI criteria for accuracy whereas the Omron HEM-735C achieved an overall B/A grading and satisfied the AAMI criteria for accuracy. The sphygmomanometer measurements were 147 +/- 31/79 +/- 15 and 144 +/- 30/78 +/- 15 mmHg (means+/-SD) respectively, for the models 722C and 735C. The average differences between mercury sphygmomanometer and HEM-722C readings for SBP and DBP were, respectively, 0.76+/-5 and 0.41+/-8 mmHg; those for HEM-735C were, respectively, 0.24+/-8 and 0.9+/-8 mmHg. Readings of the HEM-722C device differed by less than 5 mmHg for 76% of systolic readings and 96% of the readings differed by less than 10 mmHg. Diastolic measurements differed by less than 5 mmHg for 71% and less than 10 mmHg for 71 and 87% of all readings. Readings of the HEM-735C device differed by less than 5 mmHg for 68% of systolic readings and 74% of the readings differed by less than 10 mmHg. Diastolic measurements differed by less than 5 mmHg in 74% and less than 10 mmHg in 88 and 87% of all readings. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of these results, for elderly subjects both self-measurement devices (Omron HEM-722C and HEM-735C) satisfied the validation criteria of the BHS and therefore can be recommended for the clinical measurement of blood pressure in elderly patients.

Automation↗

PubMed2004

Development, validity, reliability, and responsiveness of a new leg ulcer measurement tool.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate an assessment tool--the Leg Ulcer Measurement Tool (LUMT)--that would be able to detect changes in the appearance of lower extremity ulcers. SUBJECTS: Twenty-two subjects with chronic leg ulcers of various etiologies (arterial, venous, diabetes) participated in the validation study. DESIGN: An interdisciplinary panel consisting of 9 local wound care specialists confirmed content validity. Concurrent criterion validity was determined by correlation of the size domain (1 of 14 clinician-rated domains in the LUMT) with acetate tracing measurement of wound surface area. Reliability was determined using repeated assessments by 4 wound care specialist and 2 inexperienced evaluators; responsiveness was determined using monthly reassessments by a single rater for 4 months. RESULTS: Concurrent criterion validity was r = 0.82. Excellent values of intrarater and interrater reliability (ICC > 0.75) were obtained for total LUMT scores and for many of the 14 individual domains; however, several domains were found to be less reproducible. The LUMT detected change in wound status over time (responsiveness coefficient = 0.84). CONCLUSION: The LUMT can be used by 1 or more assessors, with relatively little previous training, to make reproducible evaluations of lower extremity ulcer appearance and to document change in appearance over time. The LUMT represents a novel assessment tool specifically designed and validated for clinical or research use on chronic leg ulcers.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

The validity of DSM-IV alcohol dependence: what do we know and what do we need to know?

This article presents the proceedings of a symposium at the 2002 RSA Meeting in San Francisco, California. Deborah S. Hasin organized the symposium and co-chaired it with Marc Schuckit. The purpose of the symposium was to provide an overview of what is known about the validity of DSM-IV and ICD-10 alcohol dependence and abuse, with a focus on work done since 1994. Presentations included: (1) Validity of DSM-III-R alcohol dependence in adolescents, by Christopher S. Martin; (2) Reliability and validity of DSM and ICD formulations of alcohol use disorders: findings from epidemiology, by Bridget F. Grant; (3) Validity and reliability of the alcohol-dependence phenotype in the context of genetic studies, by Kathleen K. Bucholz; and (4) DSM-IV and beyond: uniting the clinical utility of categories with the precision of dimensions, by John E. Helzer. The findings supported the validity of DSM-IV alcohol dependence across numerous study designs and samples, suggested some value in a dimensional dependence measure, and raised questions about the validity of the diagnosis of alcohol abuse as currently defined. Marc Schuckit, as discussant for the symposium, placed the issues in perspective for the upcoming DSM-V.

Alcoholism↗

PubMed2003

The reliability and validity of the self-reported drinking measures in the Army's Health Risk Appraisal survey.

BACKGROUND: The reliability and validity of self-reported drinking behaviors from the Army Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) survey are unknown. METHODS: We compared demographics and health experiences of those who completed the HRA with those who did not (1991-1998). We also evaluated the reliability and validity of eight HRA alcohol-related items, including the CAGE, weekly drinking quantity, and drinking and driving measures. We used Cohen's kappa and Pearson's r to assess reliability and convergent validity. To assess criterion (predictive) validity, we used proportional hazards and logistical regression models predicting alcohol-related hospitalizations and alcohol-related separations from the Army, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 404,966 soldiers completed an HRA. No particular demographic group seems to be over- or underrepresented. Although few respondents skipped alcohol items, those who did tended to be older and of minority race. The alcohol items demonstrate a reasonable degree of reliability, with Cronbach's alpha = 0.69 and test-retest reliability associations in the 0.75-0.80 range for most items over 2- to 30-day interims between surveys. The alcohol measures showed good criterion-related validity: those consuming more than 21 drinks per week were at 6 times the risk for subsequent alcohol-related hospitalization versus those who abstained from drinking (hazard ratio, 6.36; 95% confidence interval=5.79, 6.99). Those who said their friends worried about their drinking were almost 5 times more likely to be discharged due to alcoholism (risk ratio, 4.9; 95% confidence interval=4.00, 6.04) and 6 times more likely to experience an alcohol-related hospitalization (hazard ratio, 6.24; 95% confidence interval=5.74, 6.77). CONCLUSIONS: The Army's HRA alcohol items seem to elicit reliable and valid responses. Because HRAs contain identifiers, alcohol use can be linked with subsequent health and occupational outcomes, making the HRA a useful epidemiological research tool. Associations between perceived peer opinions of drinking and subsequent problems deserve further exploration.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Validation of a prediction rule for renal artery stenosis.

OBJECTIVES: We previously developed a prediction rule to estimate the probability of renal artery stenosis. This rule should be validated before it can be used reliably to select hypertensive patients for renal angiography. We determined the validity of the prediction rule in recent patients and in other settings. DESIGN: We studied three aspects of validity (agreement between predicted and observed probability of stenosis, discriminative ability, and clinical usefulness) in 180 consecutive patients with drug-resistant hypertension and normal or mildly impaired renal function, who visited six hypertension clinics of academic and community hospitals in the Netherlands. Thirty-five patients (19%) had a significant stenosis. RESULTS: The clinical characteristics in the rule (age, sex, vascular disease, recent onset of hypertension, smoking, body mass index, abdominal bruit, serum creatinine concentration, and hypercholesterolemia) had similar predictive value in the validation sample and development sample. The predicted probabilities of stenosis agreed well with the observed frequencies (Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test, P = 0.87). The prediction rule discriminated reasonably between patients with and without stenosis in the validation sample with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.71. If only patients with predicted probabilities of stenosis of 5% or more were referred for renal angiography, the number of referrals was reduced by 20%, while 9% of patients with a stenosis were missed. CONCLUSIONS: The prediction rule was valid in more recently treated patients in other settings. If used conservatively, the rule can reliably exclude a small proportion of patients from angiography.

Age Distribution↗

PubMed2004

A factor analysis of the Strauss and Carpenter revised outcome criteria scale: a validation of the French translation.

This article seeks to validate the French translation of the Strauss and Carpenter revised outcome criteria scale (SCOCS-R) through the study of its interrater reliability, its convergent validity, and its factor structure. Using a sample of 113 DSM-IV schizophrenic subjects, we assessed the interrater reliability of the SCOCS-R and its convergent validity with an already validated scale (Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale). The factor structure of the SCOCS-R was assessed using a principal components analysis. Interrater reliability was excellent (ri > or = 0.88 for each of the individual items), and the convergent validity with the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale proved to be highly satisfactory (r = 0.89; p < .0001). Factor analyses yielded two factors corresponding to social functioning and professional functioning. These factors accounted for 78% of the variance of outcome. These results demonstrate the reliability and the validity of the French translation of the SCOCS-R. Moreover, the two dimensions yielded by our factor analysis add to the evidence of the multidimensional structure of outcome. This article supports the relevance of the SCOCS-R to assess the dimensions of outcome in schizophrenic subjects.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disord↗

PubMed2006

Validation of learning style measures: implications for medical education practice.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear which learners would most benefit from the more individualised, student-structured, interactive approaches characteristic of problem-based and computer-assisted learning. The validity of learning style measures is uncertain, and there is no unifying learning style construct identified to predict such learners. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to validate learning style constructs and to identify the learners most likely to benefit from problem-based and computer-assisted curricula. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional design, 3 established learning style inventories were administered to 97 post-Year 2 medical students. Cognitive personality was measured by the Group Embedded Figures Test, information processing by the Learning Styles Inventory, and instructional preference by the Learning Preference Inventory. The 11 subscales from the 3 inventories were factor-analysed to identify common learning constructs and to verify construct validity. Concurrent validity was determined by intercorrelations of the 11 subscales. RESULTS: A total of 94 pre-clinical medical students completed all 3 inventories. Five meaningful learning style constructs were derived from the 11 subscales: student- versus teacher-structured learning; concrete versus abstract learning; passive versus active learning; individual versus group learning, and field-dependence versus field-independence. The concurrent validity of 10 of 11 subscales was supported by correlation analysis. Medical students most likely to thrive in a problem-based or computer-assisted learning environment would be expected to score highly on abstract, active and individual learning constructs and would be more field-independent. CONCLUSIONS: Learning style measures were validated in a medical student population and learning constructs were established for identifying learners who would most likely benefit from a problem-based or computer-assisted curriculum.

Cognition↗

PubMed2006

Provider attitudes toward pay-for-performance programs: development and validation of a measurement instrument.

OBJECTIVE: To develop an instrument for assessing physician attitudes toward quality incentive programs, and to assess its reliability and validity. DATA SOURCES: Study involved primary data collection. A 40-item paper and pencil survey of primary care physicians in Rochester, New York, and Massachusetts was conducted between May 2004 and December 2004. Seven-hundred and ninety-eight completed questionnaires were received, representing a response rate of 32 percent (798/2,497). STUDY DESIGN: Based on an extensive review of the literature and discussions with experts in the field, we developed a conceptual framework representing the features of pay-for-performance (P4P) programs hypothesized to affect physician behavior in that context. A draft questionnaire was developed based on that conceptual model and pilot tested in three groups of physicians. The questionnaire was modified based on the physician feedback, and the revised version was distributed to 2,497 primary care physicians affiliated with two of the seven sites participating in Rewarding Results, a national evaluation of quality target and financial incentive programs. DATA COLLECTION: Respondents were randomly divided into a derivation and a validation sample. Exploratory factor analysis was applied to the responses of the derivation sample. Those results were used to create scales in the validation sample, and these were then subjected to multitrait analysis (MTA). One scale representing physicians' perception of the impact of P4P on their clinical practice was regressed on the other scales as a test of construct validity. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Seven constructs were identified and demonstrated substantial convergent and discriminant validity in the MTA: awareness and understanding, clinical relevance, cooperation, unintended consequences, control, financial salience, and impact. Internal consistency reliabilities (Cronbach's alpha coefficients) ranged from 0.50 to 0.80. A statistically significant 25 percent of the variation in perceived impact was accounted for by physician perceptions of the other six characteristics of P4P programs. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible to identify and measure the key salient features of P4P programs using a valid and reliable 26-item survey. This instrument may now be used in further studies to better understand the impact of P4P programs on physician behavior.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The construct and concurrent validity of the EQ-5D in a renal transplant population.

OBJECTIVES: Cost-utility analysis in renal transplant populations requires the use of a generic instrument for health status measurement that generates a single value for health. Such instruments should be widely applicable in diverse patient populations and their validity should be established. The aim of this study was to explore the validity of the EQ-5D in renal transplant patients. METHODS: The EQ-5D was compared with the Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36), the modified transplant symptom occurrence and symptom distress (MTSOSD) scale, the short-form Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Construct and concurrent validity were tested on cross-sectional data of 350 patients. RESULTS: Construct validity is good for some but not all EQ-5D dimensions, and the EQ-5D discriminates well among groups of patients with different health states according to the SF-36, MTSOSD scale, BDI, and STAI and between patients and the general public. Concurrent validity is good, as shown by the correspondence of EQ-5D and SF-36 results. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that the EQ-5D is a valid instrument for the measurement of health status in renal transplant patients.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Predictors of outcome of epilepsy surgery: multivariate analysis with validation.

PURPOSE: To identify predictors of outcome of epilepsy surgery, using the Duke experience, applying multivariate analysis and validation techniques. To compare the results of different modeling algorithms. Few previous studies have reported multivariate analysis, or validated their results. METHODS: Records of 116 patients with focal resections for intractable epilepsy from January 1, 1980 through June 30, 1989 were analyzed. Primary outcome variable was patient's condition in second postoperative year: seizure free (except auras), or not. Three predictors of biologic interest were specified a priori for confirmatory analysis. Additional predictors were considered within exploratory analysis. Logistic regression techniques were applied to assess relations with pre- and postoperative predictors. Internal validity was assessed by repeated random selection of training and validation samples, used in conjunction with bootstrap techniques. RESULTS: By using multivariate analysis, percentage of epileptic EEG activity arising from the site of resection and either imaging localization or lack of use of invasive monitoring were the only statistically significant preoperative predictors for good outcome at 2 years. Presence of seizures within 2 months of surgery was a significant postoperative predictor for a poor outcome. Adding more variables did not result in significantly improved models. Use of validation techniques reduced the degree of optimism in the predictive value of the models. CONCLUSIONS: Pooling of data from multiple institutions is needed to attain the large sample sizes needed for multivariate analysis with validation.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Cross-validation of anthropometric and bioelectrical resistance prediction equations for body composition in older people using the 4-compartment model as a criterion method.

OBJECTIVE: To cross-validate existing equations in the literature for their accuracy and precision for estimating body fat in older people from anthropometric measures and height2/resistance, using the 4-compartment model as a criteria method, and to propose new practical equations with improved accuracy and precision. DESIGN: Measurement of body composition in a cross-sectional cohort of healthy men and women and comparison by cross-validation techniques against existing prediction equations. SETTING: The study was performed on subjects admitted to a General Clinical Research Center. PARTICIPANTS: The subjects were 41 healthy women (68.2 +/- 6.6 years; 64.1 +/- 10.2 kg) and 41 healthy men (70.2 +/- 7.0 years; 74.9 +/- 11.0 kg). MEASUREMENTS: The criteria method for total body composition was the 4-compartment model based on measurement of total body density by underwater weight, total body water by isotope dilution, and total bone mineral from dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. The other techniques examined for accuracy and validity were body fat estimates derived by skinfolds using the Durnin and Womersley Equations; waist circumference and age using the Lean Equations; and bio-electrical resistance using five published equations, including two derived in the older population. RESULTS: When compared with data derived from the 4-compartment model, the skinfold equation of Durnin and Womersley was cross-validated successfully in women but not in men. The Baumgartner equation was the only bioelectrical resistance equation that met the criteria for successful cross-validation in men and women, although in women the intercept (4.0 +/- 2.1 kg) was close to significantly different from zero (P = .06). Error in the estimates of body fat using the Durnin and Womersley and the Baumgartner equations was significantly and inversely related to fat mass (r = -.39 to r = -.56). In our data, the significant predictors of fat mass were hip circumference, calf skinfold, gender, body weight, height2/resistance, and biceps skinfold, explaining 84% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS: The Durnin and Womersley equation is accurate for women and the Baumgartner equation is accurate for both men and women if a correction of +4 kg is made in women; however, for both equations the error in the estimate is inversely related to fat mass. We suggest new anthropometric equations for estimating body fat in older people, which may improve accuracy and precision. The new equations will need to be tested in independent cross-validation studies.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMed1998

Development and validation of a geriatrics attitudes scale for primary care residents.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate an instrument measuring attitudes toward older persons and caring for older patients. DESIGN: Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. SETTING: An academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS: Initial Study: 121 primary care residents (n = 96), fellows (n = 14), and faculty (n = 11) participated in instrument development in 1995. Longitudinal Study: 95 residents (n = 87) and fellows (n = 8) of the initial cohort participated in the 1996 follow-up study, and 61 of the initial cohort (57 residents and 4 fellows) participated in the 1997 follow-up study. Cross Validation Study: 96 first-year residents (n = 78) and fellows (n = 18) participated in this study. MEASUREMENTS: A 14-item geriatrics attitudes scale was developed. The items were selected from a pool of 37 items administered to the 121 participants in the initial study. RESULTS: The instrument demonstrated high reliability (Cronbach's alpha = .76) and known-groups and construct validity. Attitudes were progressively more positive with more medical training (P < .001), and residents with greater career interest in geriatrics scored higher than those less interested (P = .007). Cross validation results supported the reliability and validity of the instrument. Longitudinal data showed significantly different trends of attitude changes among groups of residents and fellows over a 2-year period. CONCLUSIONS: The 14-item geriatrics attitudes scale developed in this study shows sound reliability, validity, and sensitivity to change among primary care residents. The performance of other groups of medical trainees and the relationship of attitude changes to specific medical training warrant further investigation.

Aged↗

PubMed1999

A reliable and valid home visit report for studies of asthma in young adults.

Validated instruments are not available to assess the residential characteristics. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of an interviewer-administered home visit report. The validity of 48 items in the Home Visit Report was examined against: observations made by a researcher, measurements of relative humidity, cat allergen, and ergosterol, a biomaker of fungal exposure and a biochemical test. Test-retest reliability of 10 fixed residential characteristics was assessed comparing the responses obtained in the main study with the pilot study, Kappa, ANOVA and Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests were applied to assess the agreement and P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Among 44 items examined for the validity against observations, there was a perfect or almost perfect agreement in 21 (kappa = 0.9-1) and substantial agreement (kappa = 0.6-0.8) in 19. Higher cat allergen levels were observed with cat ownership and cat being allowed indoors. Observed condensation was associated with relative humidity and observed mould was associated with ergosterol levels. The agreement on the type of carpet and the test was substantial (kappa = 0.6). Among 10 items examined for reliability, there was a perfect or almost perfect agreement in 9 (kappa = 0.9-1) and substantial agreement (kappa = 0.7) in one. In conclusion, the Home Visit Report validated in this study provides reliable and valid data.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Instrument validity and reliability in three health education journals, 1980-1987.

Investigators examined how often validity and reliability measures were reported for research articles in three health education journals: Health Education, Health Education Quarterly, and the Journal of School Health. Articles published from 1980 to 1987 were considered in the analysis. Of the 611 articles published by Health Education during the period used for analysis, 128 (21%) met the criteria of a research article. Reliability was reported for 22 (17%) articles, and validity was reported for 78 (61%) articles. Health Education Quarterly published 212 articles; 74 (35%) were research articles. Reliability was reported for 16 (21%) articles and validity was reported for 40 (54%) articles. The Journal of School Health published 778 articles, of which 243 (31%) were research articles. Reliability was reported for 62 (25%), and validity was reported for 164 (67%) of the research articles. A chi-square test found a significant difference among the number of research articles published by the journals. Chi-square tests also found significant differences among the journals in the proportion of research articles that reported reliability information and the proportion that reported validity. A significant trend was noted for Health Education Quarterly and the Journal of School Health; the proportion of research articles that reported validity and reliability increased over time for both publications.

Health Education↗