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PubMed1991

Four-year follow-up of locomotor and language development in 34 twin pairs.

A group of 34 twin pairs was studied at four years of age. Characteristics of the group were a homogeneous social background, good parental interrelationship and conscientious care during pregnancy, delivery and the neonatal period. All the children were tested with the Griffiths' Mental Development Scales. The girls generally showed a higher development quotient than the boys. Birth weight seemed to be the most important factor; at 4 years of age, the twins with a birth weight of less than 2500 grams had a significantly lower locomotor quotient. The language quotient showed a similar trend. This difference was, however, not significant. No significant differences in either locomotor or language development could be observed between MZ and DZ twins.

Birth Weight↗

PubMed1988

Some simple scales for use in asthma research.

Several reviewers have recently identified a need for systematic efforts to improve the quality of questionnaires and other measures used in asthma research. This article applies standard psychometric techniques to scales developed to help meet this need. These scales assess asthma symptoms, respiratory diseases, the extent to which asthma inconveniences patients, medication regimens, and medication side effects. Scale quality was assessed by using data from 262 adult asthma patients. The results in general support the usefulness of these scales. The reliabilities indicate an acceptable to good level of internal consistency; the spread of scores is good; and correlations with external variables support validity.

Adult↗

PubMed1978

Development of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) Scales.

The development of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scales is described. Scales have been developed to tap beliefs that the source of reinforcements for health-related behaviors is primarily internal, a matter of chance, or under the control of powerful others. These scales are based on earlier work with a general Health Locus of Control Scale, which, in turn, was developed from Rotter's social learning theory. Equivalent forms of the scales are presented along with initial internal consistency and validity data. Possible means of utilizing these scales are provided.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Development of a fatigue scale.

A self-rating scale was developed to measure the severity of fatigue. Two-hundred and seventy-four new registrations on a general practice list completed a 14-item fatigue scale. In addition, 100 consecutive attenders to a general practice completed the fatigue scale and the fatigue item of the revised Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS-R). These were compared by the application of Relative Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis. Tests of internal consistency and principal components analyses were performed on both sets of data. The scale was found to be both reliable and valid. There was a high degree of internal consistency, and the principal components analysis supported the notion of a two-factor solution (physical and mental fatigue). The validation coefficients for the fatigue scale, using an arbitrary cut off score of 3/4 and the item on the CIS-R were: sensitivity 75.5 and specificity 74.5.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Development and validation of an instrument to measure patient satisfaction with pharmacy services.

A research program was undertaken to develop and validate a multidimensional measure of patient satisfaction with pharmacy services. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of 44 Likert-type attitudinal items was adapted from the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire developed by Ware et al. In an iterative scale development process, the adapted questionnaire and its revisions were evaluated in three successive studies conducted on convenience samples (n = 30, 313, 489) of individuals in attendance at family practice clinics in a southwestern city. Methods used to construct multi-item scales measuring separate dimensions of service included principal components factor analysis and item analyses. Acquiescent response set (ARS), the tendency to agree with statements of opinion regardless of content, was measured by the method of matched pairs of items. A partial correlation matrix which controlled for ARS was used as the data in a principal components factor analysis in an effort to reduce the biasing effect of ARS on factor analytic outcomes. Dimensions of satisfaction identified were Explanation, Consideration, Technical Competence, Financial Aspects, Accessibility, Drug Efficacy, OTC (over-the-counter) Product Availability, and Quality of the Drug Product. Questionnaire revision is suggested to confirm the validity of the latter two dimensions Future research should examine the relationship between separate dimensions of satisfaction and other patient attitudes and behaviors, and the convergence between this instrument and other measures of patient satisfaction with pharmacy services.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1988

Identification, expression, and localization of beta keratin gene products during development of avian scutate scales.

Epidermal-dermal interactions influence morphogenesis and expression of the beta keratin gene family during development of scales in the embryonic chick. The underlying mechanisms by which these interactions control beta keratin expression are not understood. However, the present study of beta keratin gene expression during avian epidermal differentiation contributes new information with which to investigate the role of tissue interactions in this process. Using beta keratin-specific synthetic oligonucleotide probe, beta keratin mRNA was hybrid-selected from total poly A+ RNA of scutate scales. Seven beta keratin polypeptides were translated in vitro and could be identified by their positions in two-dimensional gels among the detergent-insoluble extracts of scutate scale epidermis. In vivo phosphorylation studies suggested that an additional three beta keratin polypeptides were present as phosphoproteins. The temporal appearance of beta keratin mRNA and the corresponding polypeptides was followed during scutate scale development. Polyclonal antiserum made against two of the beta keratin polypeptides was used for immunohistochemical and immunogold electron-microscopic analysis of beta keratin tissue distribution. Immunological reactivity was observed specifically along the outer scale surface in epidermal cells above the stratum germinativum. Immunogold beads were localized on 3-nm filament bundles. In situ hybridization with a beta keratin-specific RNA probe demonstrated that mRNA accumulated in the same regional manner as the polypeptides. This selective expression of beta keratin genes in specific regions of the developing scutate scale suggests that epidermal-dermal interactions provide not only for morphological events, but also for control of complex patterns of histogenesis and biochemical differentiation.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

A sensitive and reliable locomotor rating scale for open field testing in rats.

Behavioral assessment after spinal cord contusion has long focused on open field locomotion using modifications of a rating scale developed by Tarlov and Klinger (1954). However, on-going modifications by several groups have made interlaboratory comparison of locomotor outcome measures difficult. The purpose of the present study was to develop an efficient, expanded, and unambiguous locomotor rating scale to standardize locomotor outcome measures across laboratories. Adult rats (n = 85) were contused at T7-9 cord level with an electromagnetic or weight drop device. Locomotor behavior was evaluated before injury, on the first or second postoperative day, and then for up to 10 weeks. Scoring categories and attributes were identified, operationally defined, and ranked based on the observed sequence of locomotor recovery patterns. These categories formed the Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan (BBB) Locomotor Rating Scale. The data indicate that the BBB scale is a valid and predictive measure of locomotor recovery able to distinguish behavioral outcomes due to different injuries and to predict anatomical alterations at the lesion center. Interrater reliability tests indicate that examiners with widely varying behavioral testing experience can apply the scale consistently and obtain similar scores. The BBB Locomotor Rating Scale offers investigators a more discriminating measure of behavioral outcome to evaluate treatments after spinal cord injury.

Animals↗

PubMed1987

Validity of self-report measures of girls' pubertal status.

To understand the meaning of somatic changes to the adolescent and their possible effects on behavior, developmentalists have begun to examine maturational timing and status in detail. Efforts have been hampered by the necessity of obtaining somatic growth data by physician examination. In the present study, 3 self-report methods for rating secondary sexual characteristic growth were compared to physician ratings; the accuracy of self-reported height and weight also was assessed. Specifically, 151 11-, 12-, and 13-year-old girls rated their breast and pubic hair development using schematics of the 5 Tanner stages and filled out the Pubertal Development Scale (PDS); their mothers also rated their daughters' development using the Tanner stage schematics. The correlation with physician Tanner ratings was .82 for self-ratings, .85 for ratings by the mother, and between .61 and .67 for self-reports on the PDS. The correlations for self- and actual reports of weight and height were .98 and .75, respectively. The usefulness of the PDS, Tanner ratings, and self-reported height and weight as adequate estimates of pubertal development is discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1986

Lofexidine in alcohol withdrawal states.

Twenty-eight patients admitted to hospital for alcohol withdrawal were treated with lofexidine, an alpha adrenergic agonist of the imidazole type, in an open trial. Twenty-three patients completed the regime. Symptoms were measured on a scale developed for the study: the Alcohol Withdrawal Rating Scale (AWRS). Scores on this scale fell steeply over three days, more slowly over the subsequent four--the period of the trial. Results are compatible with the hypothesis that alcohol withdrawal states are characterised by increased adrenergic activity.

Attention↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The relationship of weight loss, locus of control, and social support.

This study investigated the relationship between weight loss, locus of control, and social support. It was hypothesized that internals would be more successful in weight reduction than externals/powerful others or externals/chance; that participants with higher social-support scores would be more successful in weight reduction than participants with lower social support scores; and that social support would contribute more to success in weight reduction in externals/powerful others than in internals or externals/chance. Subjects were 46 female employees of a large life insurance company who had participated in a nutrition and weight control program. They were studied six months later to assess weight change, locus of control (specifically, using a multidimensional health locus of control scale and a modified weight locus of control scale) and social support (using an investigator-developed scale). Study findings did not support the hypotheses. Rather, a significant negative relationship was found between social support and weight reduction in the case of internals. Possible explanations for the findings were discussed, along with recommendations for practice and further research. For example, it was suggested that it may be most desirable for those attempting weight loss to be sufficiently internal that they believe they are capable of bringing their weight under control, yet sufficiently external that they are amenable to the advice of health professionals.

Attitude to Health↗

PubMed1991

Psychosocial and physiological correlates of male gender role stress among employed adults.

Previous research has identified male gender role stress (MGRS) as a construct that leads men, as a function of traditional socialization processes, to appraise certain situations in ways that produce psychosocial and physiological distress. Because the initial research was based on college undergraduates, the current study explored the relationship of MGRS to psychosocial and physiological risk factors for cardiovascular disease among employed adults. As predicted, men obtained significantly higher scores than women on a measure, the MGRS Scale, developed to assess this construct. Women with elevated MGRS Scale scores, however, experienced undesirable outcomes much the same as their male counterparts. Specifically, MGRS Scale scores were significantly associated with Type A behavior, hostility, personal loss, life dissatisfaction, and elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The authors discuss possible environmental contributors to the development and maintenance of MGRS, including organizational factors associated with male-dominated work environments.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

Butorphanol tartrate (Stadol) relieves postanesthesia shaking more effectively than meperidine (Demerol) or morphine.

The cause of postanesthesia shaking (PS) is unknown. PS develops spontaneously and unpredictably in up to 67% of patients emerging from general anesthesia, and it continues for minutes to hours when not treated with medications or radiant heat lamps. The purposes of this study were to (1) examine whether butorphanol tartrate (Stadol; Anaquest, Madison, WI/Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Evansville, IN), meperidine (Demerol; Winthrop, NY, NY), and morphine are differentially effective in suppressing PS, (2) compare PS suppression by sex, and (3) determine time to PS development. PS, measured on a 0 to 3 visual scale, developed in 120 of 533 patients (23%). Medication treatment was initiated for 66 of 120 patients by PACU nurses following standard policies and procedures for intravenous doses of 1 mg butorphanol (n = 12), 15 to 30 mg meperidine (n = 18; n = 23), or 2 to 4 mg morphine (n = 13). Treatment effect was measured in units on a 0 to 2 visual scale. By t test, butorphanol is more effective within 2 minutes than meperidine for suppressing shaking alone (P less than .02) or shaking among patients also complaining of pain (P less than .02). Morphine does not relieve shaking. The chi 2 test indicates women suppress PS more rapidly than men (P less than .01), and PS develops within 5 minutes of PACU arrival (P less than .001). Findings suggest that butorphanol is an alternative PS treatment to meperidine, since it relieves shaking within 2 to 5 minutes without producing nausea, vomiting, or recurrence of shaking.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

The assessment of sexual function in cancer patients.

The sexual function of cancer patients may be compromised by their disease or treatment. This is infrequently assessed as an outcome variable and methodological differences between reported studies make comparison difficult. Where sexual function is being assessed as one dimension of a more comprehensive assessment of quality of life, a single item concerned with frequency of intercourse or satisfaction may be sufficient, but many studies require more detailed information. Methods developed for clinical assessment of sexual dysfunction are generally too long and detailed for this purpose. The best developed scales for cancer patients are embedded in lengthy and expensive questionnaires. A pool of items can be identified from which a scale could be derived to assess the relevant aspects of sexual experience. The development of an appropriate and psychometrically sound scale is now required to encourage greater consideration of the impact of disease and treatment on cancer patients' sexual function.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A self-report measure of violence risk, II.

A brief self-report scale designed to measure the risk of violence was developed. Scale scores were found to be significantly related to a history of violence, or violence as a reason for admission, in psychiatric inpatients. Internal reliability was found to be high. A group of psychiatric inpatients could be significantly discriminated from a normal group of individuals, both on total scale score as well as on each individual item. Sensitivity and specificity were also determined. The value of the scale is in its brevity, in its focus on overt behavior as well as feelings, and in the fact that it defines a profile of characteristics that have been found to be associated with violent behavior. It thus represents a useful tool for future research on human aggression.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

[A study on the relationships of discomfort, self-esteem, personality and life satisfaction in persons with rheumatoid arthritis].

The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation of discomfort, self-esteem, personality and life-satisfaction in persons with rheumatoid arthritis and to provide basic data to help them attain a better quality of life. From Jan. 27 to Feb. 24, 1988, 53 patients, registered at a rheumatic clinic at one general hospital in Seoul, were accepted as subjects for this study. The instruments used for this study were a discomfort scale and life-satisfaction scale developed by the researcher, Rosenberg's Self-esteem Scale and Wallston and Wallston's Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MEILC) Scale. The reliability of the scales were tested by Cronsbach's alpha. The collected data were analyzed by the SAS program using unpaired t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson's Correlation Coefficients. The results were as follows: 1. There was a significant difference in the subjects perceived discomfort level (t = -3.49, p = .0010) between the onset of the disease (14.87 +/- 9.02) and the present (19.87 +/- 8.44). 2. There was a significant correlation between the MHLC-internal score and the MHLC-chance score (r = -.4366, p = .0011). 3. The findings related to the demographic variables regarding the MHLC scores were as follows: 1) Regarding sex, there was a significant difference for the MHLC-internal score (t = 4.2572, df = 15.2, p = .0007) between male (32.13 +/- 2.47) and female (27.56 +/- 4.17). But the MHLC-chance score for male (15.13 +/- 2.85) was lower (t = 3.153 9, df = 21.8, p = .0047) than for female (19.47 +/- 6.29). 2) Regarding educational background, the MHLC-chance score for the below-high school group (20.52 +/- 5.81) was higher (t = 2.5450, df = 51.0, p = .0140) than the college graduate group (16.41 +/- 5.76). 4. The average Self-esteem score was 26.87 (S.D. = 5.29) and there was a significant correlation between the Self-esteem score and the MHLC-chance score (r = .3122, p = .0026). 5. It was found that the subjects' Discomfort score was correlated with the Self-esteem score (r = -.3788, p = .0051) and the Life-satisfaction score (r = -.3570, p = .0087). It was also found that subjects' Self-esteem score was correlated with the Life-satisfaction score (r = .4474, p = .0008).

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗

PubMed1992

Clinical and laboratory measures of postural balance in an elderly population.

The objective of this cross-sectional study was to compare scores on the Balance Scale with laboratory measures of postural sway and other clinical measures of balance and mobility. Thirty-one elderly subjects were assessed on the clinical measures and the laboratory tests of postural sway while standing still and in response to pseudorandom movements of the platform. The average correlation between the Balance Scale and the spontaneous sway measures was -.55. It was slightly lower (r = -.38) for the same parameters measured during the pseudorandom tests. There were high correlations between the Balance Scale and the Balance Sub-Scale developed by Tinetti (r = .91), Barthel Mobility sub-scale (r = .67), and timed "Up and Go" (r = -.76). The Balance Scale was the most efficient measure (effect size > 1) to statistically discriminate between subjects according to their use of each type of mobility aide (walker, cane, no aids). These data contribute to existing information on the performance of the Balance Scale and supports the validity of the Balance Scale in this geriatric population.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1993

Comparison of the Vineland Social Maturity Scale, the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales--survey form, and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development with infants evaluated for developmental delay.

The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales is an extensive revision of the Vineland Social Maturity Scale; however, research comparing the two scales with different populations and measures of intelligence is limited. The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales--Survey Form, the Vineland Social Maturity Scale, and the mental scale of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development were administered to 44 infants referred for evaluation of developmental delay. The differences between means were compared and shared variance examined. The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales--Survey Form scores were significantly higher than those of the Vineland Social Maturity Scale and the Bayley Mental Development Index. No significant differences were found between the means of the Vineland Social Maturity Scale and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development--Mental Development Index. Correlations were .59 between the Bayley Index and scores on the Vineland--Survey Form and .72 between the Bayley Index and the Vineland Social Maturity Scale. Between versions of the Vineland scale r = .39. Implications for diagnosis and educational classification are discussed.

Developmental Disabilities↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Identifying video game addiction in children and adolescents.

There is a current trend of thought among some scholars of gambling that arcade video game playing in some adolescents may develop into a behavior which resembles a gambling addiction. A scale, developed to identify arcade video game addiction in adolescents, was administered to 467 secondary school children in a coastal town in the UK. Initial psychometric tests show that the scale has acceptable internal consistency reliability and factorial validity, and is significantly related to alternative means of assessing excessive video game play. The implications of the study findings are discussed together with its limitations and suggestions for future research.

Adolescent↗