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PubMed2001

International validation of the CLAU-S quality-of-life questionnaire for use in patients with intermittent claudication.

BACKGROUND: Intermittent claudication (IC) occurs in patients with peripheral occlusive arterial disease and results in leg pain after walking a certain distance - the claudication distance. Until recently, no specific questionnaire has been available to measure quality of life in patients with IC. OBJECTIVES: To validate the Claudication Scale (CLAU-S) questionnaire in patients in France, the UK, Germany and Belgium. METHODS: Patients completed the CLAU-S questionnaire and provided demographic and clinical data. Pooled data were examined for psychometric and structural validity and test-retest reliability. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to confirm that the questionnaire was measuring the causal relationships involved in IC in each of the language groups studied. RESULTS: Cross-sectional and factor analysis confirmed the validity of the questionnaire in the pooled patient population. Item convergent and discriminant coefficients and internal consistency reliability coefficients met or exceeded standard criteria. Principal component analysis confirmed the factorial structure. The underlying causal relationships in IC were identified using SEM and were consistent in all language groups studied. CONCLUSIONS: The CLAU-S questionnaire has undergone validation in English, French, German and Flemish and has a very satisfactory validity in these languages.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

Development and validation of a patient satisfaction and preference questionnaire for inhalation devices.

INTRODUCTION: The Patient Satisfaction and Preference Questionnaire (PASAPQ) is a multi-item measure of respiratory inhalation device satisfaction and preference designed to be easily understood and administered to patients with asthma and COPD. This study assessed its validity, reliability and responsiveness and explored the between-group difference in PASAPQ scores that is meaningful. METHODS: The field test version was developed using literature, focus groups and expert opinion. Item reduction followed. The assessment of the validity, reliability and responsiveness of the PASAPQ utilized data from two clinical studies comparing devices delivering the same medication, and was performed with pre-specified criteria. A minimally important difference (MID) was estimated using both anchor- and distribution-based approaches. RESULTS: Two factors of the PASAPQ, 'performance' and 'convenience', were consistent across studies. Missing and out-of-range data were minimal (<1%) and respondents used a full range of response options. All items correlated most highly with their hypothesized scale and all exceeded the minimum correlation criteria of 0.40. Cronbach's alfa was high (0.87-0.94), providing support for internal reliability for the PASAPQ. Correlations of the overall satisfaction item with the performance domain ranged from 0.78 to 0.91, the convenience domain ranged from 0.54 to 0.71, and the total score ranged from 0.78 to 0.90. These moderate-to-strong correlations provide substantial support for the validity of the PASAPQ domains and total score. Discriminate validity was assessed by calculating PASAPQ scores for patients' ratings of the device that they preferred compared with the other, non-preferred device. The preferred device was rated higher on all satisfaction measures, supporting the ability of the PASAPQ to discriminate between preferred and non-preferred devices. Although a difference of 3 or 4 points may be sufficient to observe a small effect difference between groups, most of the MID estimates were in the 8-10 point range. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Our analyses across asthma, COPD and patients with mixed respiratory disease (with features of both COPD and asthma), study designs and data sets lead us to conclude that the PASAPQ is a practical, valid, reliable and responsive instrument for measuring respiratory device satisfaction. Furthermore, a difference in satisfaction scores between treatment groups of 10 points is, conservatively, a difference that is meaningful to patients.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Reliability and validity of the self-report Quality of Life Questionnaire for Japanese School-aged Children with Asthma (JSCA-QOL v.3).

BACKGROUND: Asthma is a chronic disease prevalent in children which threatens their quality of life (QOL) through unexpected asthma attacks and/or the burden of daily self-management. As some conditions of chronic illness make it difficult for a child to accomplish normal developmental tasks, there may be fewer opportunities for the child to obtain a sense of achievement. This study investigated the reliability and validity of the Quality of Life Questionnaire for Japanese School-aged Children with Asthma Version 3 (JSCA-QOL v.3). This questionnaire includes 25 items with a 5-point Likert Scale format over five domains: "asthma attack triggers", "change in daily life", "family support", "satisfaction with daily life" and "restriction in participating in daily activities", and one summary scale. METHODS: In the present study, 2,425 children with asthma aged from 10 to 18 years were investigated in Japan. The internal consistency reliability of each domain was investigated with Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient, and test-retest reliability with Spearman's correlations coefficient. Factorial validity by factor analysis using maximum-likelihood extraction with promax rotation was performed. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 12.0J. RESULTS: The final number of effective replies was 2,097 (the rate of effective data was 86.5%). "Asthma attack triggers", "change in daily life", "family support", "satisfaction with daily life" and "restriction in participating in daily activities" showed a high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.66-0.86) as well as good test-retest reliability (Spearman's rho = 0.60, p < 0.01). The factorial validity was appropriate (KMO value = 0.90), because it was conceivable that the five factors extracted from factor analysis would be the same as in our hypothesis and support constructive validity. In addition, there was good correlation between the summary scale and the total QOL score (Spearman's rho = 0.58, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that the JSCA-QOL v.3 is a reliable and valid measurement tool that can be used to appropriately assess QOL in school-aged children with asthma. As the JSCA-QOL v.3 can be easily completed in about 10 minutes, it can contribute as an efficient evaluation tool of the outcome of medical treatment through continual utilization in the outpatient clinic. The JSCA-QOL v.3 allows a health provider to help school-aged children with asthma to achieve their developmental tasks.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Validation of the archimedes diabetes model.

OBJECTIVE: To validate the Archimedes model of diabetes and its complications for a variety of populations, organ systems, treatments, and outcomes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We simulated a variety of randomized controlled trials by repeating in the model the steps taken for the real trials and comparing the results calculated by the model with the results of the trial. Eighteen trials were chosen by an independent advisory committee. Half the trials had been used to help build the model ("internal" or "dependent" validations); the other half had not. Those trials comprise "external" or "independent" validations. RESULTS: A total of 74 validation exercises were conducted involving different treatments and outcomes in the 18 trials. For 71 of the 74 exercises there were no statistically significant differences between the results calculated by the model and the results observed in the trial. Considering only the trials that were never used to help build the model-the independent or external validations-the correlation was r = 0.99. Including all of the exercises, the correlation between the outcomes calculated by the model and the outcomes seen in the trials was r = 0.99. When the absolute differences in outcomes between the control and treatment groups were compared, the correlation coefficient was r = 0.97. CONCLUSIONS: The Archimedes diabetes model is a realistic representation of the anatomy, pathophysiology, treatments, and outcomes pertinent to diabetes and its complications for applications that involve the populations, treatments, outcomes, and health care settings spanned by the trials.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗

PubMed2003

Development and validation of a questionnaire for measuring behavior and temperament traits in pet dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a questionnaire to assess behavior and temperament traits of pet dogs. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey of dog owners. Animals-1,851 dogs belonging to clients of a veterinary teaching hospital or members of national breed clubs and 203 dogs examined by canine behavior practitioners because of behavior problems. PROCEDURE: Owners were asked to complete a questionnaire consisting of 152 items eliciting information on how dogs responded to specific events and situations in their usual environment. Data from completed questionnaires were subjected to factor analysis, and the resulting factors were tested for reliability and validity. RESULTS: Factor analysis yielded 11 factors from 68 of the original questionnaire items that together accounted for 57% of the common variance in questionnaire item scores. Reliability was acceptable for all but 1 of these factors. Behavior problems in 200 of the 203 dogs with behavior problems could be assigned to 7 diagnostic categories that matched 7 of the factors identified during factor analysis of questionnaire responses. Dogs assigned to particular diagnostic categories had significantly higher scores for corresponding questionnaire factors than did those assigned to unrelated diagnostic categories, indicating that the factors were valid. Validity of the remaining 4 factors could not be examined because of a lack of information on dogs with behavior problems related to these factors. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Findings suggest that the resulting 68-item questionnaire is a reliable and valid method of assessing behavior and temperament traits in dogs. The questionnaire may be useful in screening dogs for behavior problems and in evaluating the clinical effects of various treatments for behavior problems.

Aggression↗

PubMed2003

Validity and reliability of the general well-being schedule with northern plains American Indians diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The General Well-being Schedule is a brief indicator of subjective feelings of psychological well-being and distress. It is easy to administer, reliable, and valid, although its validity with American Indians has not been established. This study then assessed reliability, validity, and factor structure for a sample of 88 diabetic American Indians, who sought care for diabetes at an Indian Health Service hospital. Cronbach alpha was .89. A factor analysis indicated four dimensions. Adequate concurrent and divergent validity were noted in association with scores on the Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition, the depression scale on the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised, and Family-Adaptation, Partnership, Growth, Affection, & Resolve. These results suggest that the General Well-being Schedule is a reliable and valid measure of general well-being for this population of American Indians.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Constructive thinking inventory: evidence of validity among Iranian managers.

This study examined the validity and incremental validity of the Constructive Thinking Inventory in a sample of Iranian managers. These 159 men were 39.9 yr. old (SD=2.5) and volunteered to participate in a project in which they responded to the Constructive Thinking Inventory, the Big Five Factors, the Costello and Comrey Depression and Anxiety Scales, and the Perceived Stress Scale. Numerous findings confirmed the validity of the Constructive Thinking Inventory, and the Global Constructive Thinking subscale displayed incremental validity. These data supported the validity of the Constructive Thinking Inventory and its associated theoretical assumptions in a sample of Iranian managers.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Reliability and validity of the (modified) Amsterdam Inventory for Auditory Disability and Handicap.

This study investigated the psychometric adequacy of the (modified) Amsterdam Inventory for Auditory Disability and Handicap ((m)AIAD). The original version of the AIAD was developed by Kramer et al in 1995. Special emphasis was placed on the statistical aspects of the scores, because these properties place limits on the clinical utility of the instrument. The AIAD is a self-assessment questionnaire that consists of 30 questions covering all the relevant factors of disability in individual hearing functioning in daily life. This paper reports data from 94 subjects, aged 17-65 years, with different hearing abilities, who completed a modified version of the AIAD and the Hearing Disability Questionnaire (HDQ), on two occasions 1 month apart. The psychometric adequacy of the AIAD was determined by measuring its reliability and validity. Factor analysis was performed, and the reliability was tested by measuring internal consistency, split-half correlation, and test-retest reproducibility. The validity was tested by measuring construct and criterion validity. The results showed that the reliability of the (m)AIAD was highly satisfactory, with good internal consistency, high split-half correlations, and high test-retest correlations. Construct validity showed a high correlation between scores on the (m)AIAD and scores on the HDQ. Criterion validity showed a moderate but significant correlation between scores on the (m)AIAD and hearing thresholds in dB HL.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

The reliability and validity of Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version- Korean version (K-SADS-PL-K).

In order to develop a structured and objective diagnostic instrument, authors completed: (1) the translation and back translation of the Korean version of the Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia - Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL) and (2) the examination of its validity and reliability of the K-SADS-PL-Korean version (K-SADS- PL) when used with Korean children. A total of 91 study subjects were recruited from child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinics. Clinical diagnoses were used as a gold standard for the examination of validity of K-SADS-PL-K. Consensual validity of threshold and sub-threshold diagnoses were good to excellent for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), fair for tic and oppositional defiant disorders, and poor to fair for anxiety and depressive disorders. Inter-rater and test-retest reliabilities were fair to excellent for ADHD and tic disorder. The significant correlations between the K-SADS-PL-K and Korean Child Behavior Checklist (K-CBCL) were found, which provided additional support for the concurrent validity of the K-SADS-PL-K. Sensitivities varied according to the diagnostic categories, but specificities remained high over all diagnoses, suggesting that the K-SADS-PL-K is a desirable confirmatory diagnostic tool. The results of this study suggest that the K-SADS-PL-K is an effective instrument for diagnosing major child psychiatric disorders, including ADHD, behavioral disorders and tic disorders in Korean children. Future studies will examine the validity and reliability of the K-SADS-PL-K in larger samples, including adolescents and community samples on a variety of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

[Validity and reliability of an instrument for predictive nursing intention for SARS patient care].

PURPOSE: This study was done to develop and test validity and reliability of on instrument for predicting nursing intention for SARS patient care. METHOD: The psychometric properties of a SARS patient care attrition prediction tool, based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, were examined in this study. The Three-phase design involved a) salient beliefs generated from clinical nurses (n=43) b) content validation by expert panel evaluations(n=5) c) face validation by plot testing (n=10) d) and instrument validation in a cross sectional survey (n=299). Psychometric analysis of survey data provided empirical evidence of the construct validity and reliability of the instrument. RESULT: Principal component analysis verified the hypothesized 6-factor solution, explaining 68.2% of variance, and Alpha coefficients of .7538 to .9389 indicated a high internal consistency of the instrument. CONCLUSION: The instrument can be used by nurse administrators and researcher to assess clinical nurses' salient beliefs about caring for SARS patients, guide tailored intervention strategies to effective caring, and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Observation versus self-report: validation of a consumer food behavior questionnaire.

A reliable and validated set of food safety behavior questions that could be used with confidence when evaluating food safety education programs was identified in this study. A list of 29 food-handling and consumption behaviors rank-ordered within five pathogen control factors by nationally recognized food safety experts was the basis for the development of the behavior questions. Questions were evaluated for reliability and several forms of validity. During a kitchen activity session, 70 graduates of a nutrition education program completed four food preparation tasks while being observed and videotaped. The individuals also participated in an in-depth interview to validate behaviors that could not be observed during the food preparation activity, e.g., refraining from preparing food for others when experiencing diarrhea. Criterion validity was established by comparing questionnaire responses to observed behavior and interview responses. Twenty-eight questions met the validity criterion (> or = 70% agreement between observed and interviewed responses and self-reported responses), with three or more questions from each of five pathogen control factor areas. Observation assessments revealed that hand washing was more likely to be performed prior to beginning food preparation than between working with raw meats and fresh produce. Errors in methods of washing hands, utensils, and preparation surfaces between food preparation tasks were common. Most participants did not use thermometers to evaluate doneness but still cooked to safe internal temperatures. The results provide a tool that educators can use to evaluate food safety programs and will help guide the development of more effective food safety education programs targeting needed improvements in behavioral skills.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Validation of a PCR-based method for the detection of various rendered materials in feedstuffs using a forensic DNA extraction kit.

A method trial was initiated to validate the use of a commercial DNA forensic kit to extract DNA from animal feed as part of a PCR-based method. Four different PCR primer pairs (one bovine pair, one porcine pair, one ovine primer pair, and one multispecies pair) were also evaluated. Each laboratory was required to analyze a total of 120 dairy feed samples either not fortified (control, true negative) or fortified with bovine meat and bone meal, porcine meat and bone meal (PMBM), or lamb meal. Feeds were fortified with the animal meals at a concentration of 0.1% (wt/wt). Ten laboratories participated in this trial, and each laboratory was required to evaluate two different primer pairs, i.e., each PCR primer pair was evaluated by five different laboratories. The method was considered to be validated for a given animal source when three or more laboratories achieved at least 97% accuracy (29 correct of 30 samples for 96.7% accuracy, rounded up to 97%) in detecting the fortified samples for that source. Using this criterion, the method was validated for the bovine primer because three laboratories met the criterion, with an average accuracy of 98.9%. The average false-positive rate was 3.0% in these laboratories. A fourth laboratory was 80% accurate in identifying the samples fortified with bovine meat and bone meal. A fifth laboratory was not able to consistently extract the DNA from the feed samples and did not achieve the criterion for accuracy for either the bovine or multispecies PCR primers. For the porcine primers, the method was validated, with four laboratories meeting the criterion for accuracy with an average accuracy of 99.2%. The fifth laboratory had a 93.3% accuracy outcome for the porcine primer. Collectively, these five laboratories had a 1.3% false-positive rate for the porcine primer. No laboratory was able to meet the criterion for accuracy with the ovine primers, most likely because of problems with the synthesis of the primer pair; none of the positive control DNA samples could be detected with the ovine primers. The multispecies primer pair was validated in three laboratories for use with bovine meat and bone meal and lamb meal but not with PMBM. The three laboratories had an average accuracy of 98.9% for bovine meat and bone meal, 97.8% for lamb meal, and 63.3% for PMBM. When examined on an individual laboratory basis, one of these four laboratories could not identify a single feed sample containing PMBM by using the multispecies primer, whereas the other laboratory identified only one PMBM-fortified sample, suggesting that the limit of detection for PMBM with this primer pair is around 0.1% (wt/wt). The results of this study demonstrated that the DNA forensic kit can be used to extract DNA from animal feed, which can then be used for PCR analysis to detect animal-derived protein present in the feed sample.

Animal Feed↗

PubMed2004

[Validity of the non-mydriatic camera for diabetic retinopathy screening and analysis of retinopathy risk indicators].

PURPOSE: Analysis of the validity of the non-mydriatic camera in detecting diabetic retinopathy and severity levels which can be referred to the ophthalmologist. Analysis of risk indicators of diabetic retinopathy which help increase the sensitivity of the screening: development time of prolonged diabetes (more than 20 years); poor metabolic control (HbA1C > 10%). METHOD: A cross-sectional study was designed to determine the validity of a diagnostic test (non-mydriatic fundus camera Topcon model TRC-NW6S). As criteria for evaluation we used validity indicators, predictive values, indicators of clinical use, and concordance. SETTING: Primary Care. Patients with severe cataracts were excluded. The sample size was 376 eyes of 188 type-2 diabetic patients. RESULTS: With reference to the distribution of diabetic retinopathy we found that 41.25% had a variable level of retinopathy. The validity indicators analysed improved as the number of fundus fields studied increased, obtaining sensitivity levels of greater than 75%; specificity greater than 95%; positive predictive values greater than 90% and almost perfect concordance when two or three fundus fields were used. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of retinal photography in digital format can be considered a valid method with respect to the gold standard, and the severity indicators analysed can play a guiding role in obtaining greater prevalences of derivable diabetic retinopathy, but cannot be used as an isolated test for making clinical decisions.

Cross-Sectional Studies↗

PubMed2000

Validation of the Chinese Health Questionnaire (CHQ-12) in community elders.

There has been no validated screening instrument for use in non-psychotic illness of the elderly in Taiwan. This study aims to test the validity of the 12-item Chinese Health Questionnaire (CHQ-12) among the elderly in a community study. The CHQ-12 was administrated via reading-out to 222 subjects aged 65 and over from three communities. Psychiatrists using the Geriatric Mental Status Schedule (GMS) assessed psychiatric condition while the diagnosis was made according to the computerized program, AGECAT. Validity indices of the CHQ-12 were calculated, using the Relative Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis for its optimal cut-off point. Variables hypothesized to affect its performance were assessed. Validity of the CHQ-12 at optimal cut-off point 2/3 were estimated with a sensitivity of 79.7%, a specificity of 83.6%, a positive predictive value of 68.9%, a negative predictive value of 90.0% and an overall misclassification rate of 17.6%, and an estimate of the area under the ROC curve of 0.81. The performance of the CHQ-12 was better in males, in those who were literate, and in those without any physical illness. This study demonstrated that the use of CHQ-12 in the elderly community is as valid as in the general population survey. However, it should be read out by the investigator rather than self-administered due to the high proportion of illiteracy among the Taiwanese elderly.

Aged↗

PubMed2001

[The validity of revised death certificates (ICD-10) for ischemic heart disease in Oita City, Japan].

PURPOSE: Mortality statistics have recorded an increased number of deaths from ischemic heart disease (IHD) since death certificates were revised to reflect the International Classification of Diseases, tenth revision (ICD-10) in Japan, in 1995. However, it remains unclear whether the validity of IHD diagnosis improved after this revision. METHODS: We conducted the Oita Cardiac Death Survey to validate IHD certified deaths that occurred among residents aged 25-74 in Oita City, Japan (mean population = 273,000). Of the eligible 342 fatalities, 328 cases (95.0%) were examined by a review of the medical records and/or interviews with physicians. The MONICA criteria were applied and provided a reference standard against which to assess the validity of certified fatal IHD. Sensitivity (Se), positive predictive value (PPV), specificity (Sp) and negative predictive value (NPV) for IHD as the cause of death were analyzed, assuming that all validated IHD deaths were true. Multivariate logistic models were used to determine associations of false positive and false negative cases with sex, age at time of death and place of death. RESULTS: Vital statistics revealed 273 fatalities to be due to cardiac disease, including 143 from acute myocardial infarctions (AMI), 27 from other IHD, 52 from heart failure and 51 from other heart diseases. After validation, 25 'definite fatal AMI' and 71 'possible fatal AMI or IHD death' were identified among all subjects according to the MONICA criteria. In all, Se, PPV, Sp and NPV for IHD certified as the cause of death were 86.5% (95% Cl: 77.6-92.3), 50.3% (42.5-58.1), 64.7% (58.1-70.7), and 92.0% (86.5-95.5), respectively. PPV among persons aged 25-54 years was remarkably decreased. PPV and Sp among out-of-hospital deaths were significantly lower than for in-hospital deaths. Multivariate logistic models revealed out-of-hospital deaths and being aged 25-54 years to be significant predictors of false positive cases (odds ratio (OR) = 2.03, P < 0.001 versus in-hospital deaths and OR = 2.79, P < 0.05 versus ages of 65-74 years, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Because false positive cases increased among certified IHD deaths after the revision, PPV and Sp percentages decreased. Out-of-hospital deaths and being aged 25-54 years were associated with increased possibility of false positive. Given our findings, IHD deaths in vital statistics may increase due to the tendency of physicians to certify IHD as the cause of death in cases without clear sign suggestive of other causes.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Validity and reliability of simple nutrition screening tools adapted to the elderly population in healthcare facilities.

This study was conducted to assess the validity and the reliability of simple tools to screen the protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) risk among the elderly population in healthcare facilities. An initial screening tool, made up of nine PEM risk factors, was previously developed to be validated. This tool was quite complex and showed low validity results. A stepwise regression analysis determined significant risk factors (P < or = 0.05) among those included in the initial tool. These were the foundation to develop two simplified screening tools. One included Body Mass Index (BMI) and % weight loss over time. The second included BMI and albumin. Both tools classified subjects in low or high PEM risk levels. In the present study, the simple tools were assessed in a sample of 142 elderly subjects divided into two categories: acute care elderly (ACE, n=72) and long-term care elderly (LTCE, n=70). The simple tools were administered by a dietetic technician and a nurse with the purpose of assessing inter-rater and test-retest reliabilities. The criterion validity of the simple tools were assessed in comparison to in-depth nutritional assessments carried out by a dietitian. The validity results were ranked between 60.5% and 91.7%. The reliability scores showed levels of agreement of 70.8% to 93.1% and kappa coefficients ranking between 0.59(+/-0.07) and 0.79(+/-0.05). Simple tools are now available for efficiently screening the PEM risk among the elderly population on a healthcare facility-wide basis.

Aged↗

PubMed2002

Validation of Italian version of the Women's Health Questionnaire: assessment of quality of life of women from the general population and those attending menopause centers.

OBJECTIVES: The Women's Health Questionnaire has been developed and validated in Anglo-Saxon and Swedish populations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Italian version of the questionnaire to determine whether cross-cultural differences exist in the perception of quality of life, and to use it to compare the quality of life in women attending menopause centers with that of women in the general population. METHODS: An Italian version of the Women's Health Questionnaire (WHQ) was produced, using the forward-backward translation method to ensure conceptual equivalence, and approved by the originator. Women were recruited by random selection from the general population and from menopause centers, those taking hormone replacement therapy being ineligible. The questionnaire was completed anonymously at home and mailed to the co-ordinating center. Psychometric evaluation included tests of item convergent and discriminant validity, internal-consistency reliability, test-retest reliability, construct validity and the discriminative properties of the questionnaire. RESULTS: The completeness of the data was good, with missing-value rates consistently low for most items. Item-scale correlations, used to evaluate internal consistency, were also good and the scaling success rate, used to measure item discriminant validity, was high for all scales. Scale scores were reliable for seven out of nine scales and test-retest reliability was excellent. There were few significant differences between the two populations of women in most of the WHQ areas. A comparison of Italian data with published data on English women showed great similarity. CONCLUSION: The Italian version of the WHO is valid and reproducible. The subjective perception of the menopause and its related problems is similar in geographically and culturally different populations.

Affect↗

PubMed2000

Validating a model: the expert systems research approach.

The nursing profession is invariably resorting to the use of models to depict the key facets and relationships that are being uncovered through research. The expert systems approach to model validation incorporates into research methods a process authenticated by the disciplines of engineering and information systems. The seven-step process developed for a computer expert systems approach has been transformed into a Nine-Stage Schematic of the Process for Validating System Models. This article proposes the expert systems research approach to model validation as a means of clarifying and defining models within the discipline of nursing. This process was used to validate Boswell's Model of the Structure of Knowledge for Nursing, and the process conducted for this model will be discussed as a case study of the use of the expert systems approach for model validation.

Expert Systems↗