SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Internal validation”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,639 records · Page 91Linked to original sources

PubMed2004

The ECOS-16 questionnaire for the evaluation of health related quality of life in post-menopausal women with osteoporosis.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to validate the questionnaire ECOS-16 (Assessment of health related quality of life in osteoporosis) for the evaluation of health related quality of life (HRQoL) in post-menopausal women with osteoporosis. METHODS: An observational, prospective and multi-centre study was carried out among post-menopausal women with osteoporosis in primary care centres and hospital outpatient clinics. All patients attended 2 visits: at baseline and at 6 months. In addition, the subgroup of outpatients attended another visit a month after the baseline to assess the test-retest reliability. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire were evaluated in terms of feasibility, validity (content validity and construct validity) and internal consistency in baseline, and in terms of test-retest reliability and responsiveness to change in visit at month and visit at 6 months, respectively. In all visits, ECOS-16, EUROQoL-5D (EQ-5D) and four 7-point items about health status (general health status, back pain, limitation in daily activities and emotional status) were administered, whereas only outpatients were given MINI-OQLQ (Mini Osteoporosis Quality of Life Questionnaire), besides all clinical variables; and sociodemographic variables at baseline. RESULTS: 316 women were consecutively included, 212 from primary care centres and 104 from hospital outpatient clinics. Feasibility: 94.3% of patients answered all items of the questionnaire. The mean administration time was 12.3 minutes. VALIDITY: factor analysis suggested that the questionnaire was unidimensional. In the multivariate analysis, patients with vertebral fractures, co-morbidity and a lower education level showed to have worse HRQoL. Moderate to high correlations were found between the ECOS-16 score and the other health status questionnaires (0.47-0.82). Reliability: internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) was 0.92 and test-retest reliability (ICC) was 0.80. Responsiveness to change: ECOS-16 scores increased according to change perceived by the patient, as well as the effect size (ranges between 1.35 to 0.43), the greater the perception of change in patients' general health status, the greater the changes in patients' scores. The Minimal Clinically Important Difference (MCID) suggested a change of 0.5 points in the ECOS-16 score, representing the least improvement in general health status due to their osteoporosis: "slightly better". CONCLUSION: ECOS-16 has been proven preliminarily to have good psychometric properties, so that it can be potentially a useful tool to evaluate HRQoL of post-menopausal women with osteoporosis in research and routine clinical practice.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

Patient safety in surgery.

BACKGROUND: Improving patient safety is an increasing priority for surgeons and hospitals since sentinel events can be catastrophic for patients, caregivers, and institutions. Patient safety initiatives aimed at creating a safe operating room (OR) culture are increasingly being adopted, but a reliable means of measuring their impact on front-line providers does not exist. METHODS: We developed a surgery-specific safety questionnaire (SAQ) and administered it to 2769 eligible caregivers at 60 hospitals. Survey questions included the appropriateness of handling medical errors, knowledge of reporting systems, and perceptions of safety in the operating room. MANOVA and ANOVA were performed to compare safety results by hospital and by an individual's position in the OR using a composite score. Multilevel confirmatory factor analysis was performed to validate the structure of the scale at the operating room level of analysis. RESULTS: The overall response rate was 77.1% (2135 of 2769), with a range of 57% to 100%. Factor analysis of the survey items demonstrated high face validity and internal consistency (alpha = 0.76). The safety climate scale was robust and internally consistent overall and across positions. Scores varied widely by hospital [MANOVA omnibus F (59, 1910) = 3.85, P < 0.001], but not position [ANOVA F (4, 1910) = 1.64, P = 0.16], surgeon (mean = 73.91), technician (mean = 70.26), anesthesiologist (mean = 71.57), CRNA (mean = 71.03), and nurse (mean = 70.40). The percent of respondents reporting good safety climate in each hospital ranged from 16.3% to 100%. CONCLUSIONS: Safety climate in surgical departments can be validly measured and varies widely among hospitals, providing the opportunity to benchmark performance. Scores on the SAQ can serve to evaluate interventions to improve patient safety.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed2003

[The role of reference laboratories in animal health programmes in South America].

The contribution of the Panamerican Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Centre (PANAFTOSA), as an OIE (World organisation for animal health) regional reference laboratory for the diagnosis of FMD and vesicular stomatitis, and for the control of the FMD vaccine, has been of fundamental importance to the development, implementation and harmonisation of modern laboratory procedures in South America. The significance of the work conducted by PANAFTOSA is particularly obvious when one considers the two pillars on which eradication programmes are based, namely: a well-structured regional laboratory network, and the creation of a system which allows technology and new developments to be transferred to Member Countries as quickly and efficiently as possible. Over the past decade, PANAFTOSA has kept pace with the changing epidemiological situation on the continent, and with developments in the international political and economical situation. This has involved the strengthening of quality policies, and the elaboration and implementation of diagnostic tools that make for more thorough epidemiological analyses. The integration of PANAFTOSA into the network of national laboratories and its cooperation with technical and scientific institutes, universities and the private sector means that local needs can be met, thanks to the design and rapid implementation of methodological tools which are validated using internationally accepted criteria. This collaboration, which ensures harmonisation of laboratory tests and enhances the quality of national Veterinary Services, serves to promote greater equity, a prerequisite for regional eradication strategies and this in turn, helps to increase competitiveness in the region.

Animal Welfare↗

PubMed2006

Lack of validity of a French adaptation of a scale measuring attitudes towards clinical practice guidelines.

BACKGROUND: Valid instruments to measure practitioners' attitudes towards clinical practice guidelines need to be developed. However, few of the available instruments have been thoroughly validated. OBJECTIVE: To adapt into French and to test the reliability and validity of a scale for measurement of attitudes towards guidelines developed by Elovainio et al. METHODS: A 27-item scale (divided into six dimensions) measuring attitudes towards guidelines was translated into French by two English native translators, reviewed and finalized by expert committee and administered to 314 practitioners who agreed to participate. Main practitioners' characteristics were collected. Item and dimension reproducibility were assessed for 62 practitioners by calculation of intraclass correlation coefficients. Internal construct validity was assessed by principal components analyses. Convergent and discriminant validity were analysed. RESULTS: Item response rates ranged from 82 to 100%. In the test-retest procedure, intraclass correlation coefficients for separate items ranged from 0.1 to 0.7 and those for dimensions were 0.7 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.5-0.8] for usefulness, 0.5 (0.3-0.6) for reliability, 0.4 (0.2-0.5) for individual competence, 0.5 (0.3-0.6) for organizational competence, 0.7 (0.5-0.8) for impracticality and 0.4 (0.3-0.6) for availability. The factorial structure after Varimax rotation showed that none of the different solutions obtained had a strictly comparable structure to that of the original scale. External construct validity was satisfactory. CONCLUSION: This scale does not have satisfactory psychometric properties and therefore cannot confidently be used in future research assessing whether attitudes towards guidelines are a determining factor in physicians' compliance with guidelines. More research is needed to develop valid scales in a more rigorous procedure, involving qualitative and quantitative steps.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed2006

Constructing indices representing supportiveness of the physical environment for walking using the Rasch measurement model.

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were to use the Rasch model to 1) assess the psychometric properties of a physical environmental audit instrument and 2) to develop indices of interrelated environmental attributes that summarize environmental supportiveness for walking. METHODS: A set of items were derived representing two conceptual physical environmental constructs: 1) functional/safety, and; 2) aesthetics. Ad hoc criteria based on point-biserial and Rasch-based fit statistics were used to examine the construct validity and internal reliability of the two constructs. RESULTS: The Rasch-based fit statistics assisted in identifying 12 items that belonged to the functional/safety construct and 4 items that belonged to the aesthetic construct. The reliability of the two constructs were low to moderate (functional/safety r(beta) = 0.19 and aesthetics r(beta) = 0.35). CONCLUSION: Given the vast number of built environmental attributes, a means of developing summary indices is essential. Future studies should assess the reliability and validity of indices that summarize physical environmental characteristics conducive to walking before testing them in predictive models of physical activity. More research examining procedures for measuring the built environment and techniques for analyzing environmental data are needed to guide future research in this area.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2006

Comparison between external and internal standard calibration in the validation of an analytical method for 1-hydroxypyrene in human urine by high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

1-Hydroxypyrene is a metabolite of pyrene, a member of the class of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) whose toxic properties in some cases include carcinogenicity. The determination of 1-hydroxypyrene in human urine is used as a biological indicator for exposure to PAHs, which is related to the combustion of organic materials, like smoking, living in urban environments, and eating grilled or smoked food. The determination of 1-hydroxypyrene by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection has very good sensitivity but it is not highly specific: this can reduce accuracy in the quantitative determination of low levels of analyte in a complex matrix like urine. An HPLC method that uses triple quadrupole mass detection has been validated with the objective both to improve the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio and to achieve the maximum specificity for the analyte in those urine samples that are richer in possible inteferents. The calibration range for 1-hydroxypyrene is from 0.005-0.1 microg/L in the urine of non-smoking healthy volunteers. After solid-phase extraction, samples were analyzed by HPLC/tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. In order to obtain reliable results quantitative analysis must be performed by means of the internal standard method (we used deuterium-labelled 1-hydroxypyrene): the method accuracy is not less than 85%. The S/N ratio at a concentration of 0.1 microg/L is about 10, and therefore this can be considered the lowest limit of quantitation. The method performance does not change if urine samples are measured using a calibration curve prepared in methanol, thus reducing the time of analysis and costs.

Biomarkers↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of the quality of life in dementia with a generic quality of life questionnaire: the Duke Health Profile.

OBJECTIVE: The study was designed to determine the acceptability, feasibility and validity of measuring quality of life in a representative sample of dementia patients with a generic instrument, the Duke Health Profile. METHOD: The French version of the Duke Health Profile was administered to 148 subjects with a mental disorder according to the DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria. The feasibility and acceptability of employing the instrument were determined by the refusal rate, the type of administration, and the percentage and distribution of missing data. Reliability was determined with Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Instrument reproducibility was assessed with the intraclass correlation coefficient for test-retest values. Internal construct validity was determined by factor analysis. Discriminant capacity was determined by comparing the average scores on each measure among patients with and without an additional chronic pathology. The measurements obtained were compared by source of information (patient, family proxy and care provider proxy). RESULTS: The feasibility and acceptability of the instrument was good. Only 2% of the patients refused to complete the questionnaire. Help from the interviewer was necessary in 79% of the cases. The average completion time was 10.6 min. Missing data exist in only 3.5% of the cases on average, except among patients with severe dementia (Mini Mental State Examination <10). For reliability, internal consistency was acceptable (Cronbach's coefficient alpha = 0.5--0.7) when the self-esteem (0.23) and social health (0.26) concepts were eliminated. Reproducibility as measured by test-retest scores was moderate to good (intraclass correlation coefficient r = 0.53--0.80), except for anxiety (0.48) and perceived health (0.45). Severity of dementia mainly affected the feasibility, acceptability and reproducibility of the instrument. The family proxy seemed to agree more with the patient than did the care provider proxy. CONCLUSION: Quality of life can be measured in patients with dementia, but special tools need to be developed for severe dementia.

Aged↗

PubMed1996

Newcastle satisfaction with nursing scales: an instrument for quality assessments of nursing care.

OBJECTIVES: To test the validity and reliability of scales for measuring patients' experiences of and satisfaction with nursing care; to test the ability of the scales to detect differences between hospitals and wards; and to investigate whether place of completion, hospital, or home influences response. DESIGN: Sample survey. SETTING: 20 wards in five hospitals in the north east of England. PATIENTS: 2078 patients in general medical and surgical wards. MAIN MEASURES: Experiences of and satisfaction with nursing care. RESULTS: 75% of patients approached to complete the questionnaires did so. Construct validity and internal consistency were both satisfactory. Both the experience and satisfaction scales were found to detect differences between randomly selected wards and hospitals. A sample of patients (102) were sent a further questionnaire to complete at home. 73% returned this; no significant differences were found in either experience or satisfaction scores between questionnaires given in hospital or at home. CONCLUSION: Scales to measure patients' experiences of and satisfaction with nursing in acute care have been developed and found to be valid, reliable, and able to detect differences between hospitals and wards. Questionnaires can be given before patients leave hospital or at home without affecting scores, but those given at home have a lower response rate.

Data Collection↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Latent structure of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition personality disorder criteria.

AIMS: This study investigated the internal construct validity of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) personality disorders and explored alternative models to characterize the personality disorder traits. The relationship between the obtained personality disorder dimensions and measures of functioning and disability was examined. METHODS: The subjects in the study were 742 community-residing individuals who participated in the Hopkins Epidemiology of Personality Disorders Study. The presence of DSM-IV personality disorder traits was assessed by psychologists using the International Personality Disorder Examination (IPDE). Confirmatory factor analysis was performed on all the IPDE criteria for each of the 10 personality disorders using the Mplus program. Exploratory factor analysis of all personality disorder traits was completed using the same program. Factor scores were correlated with subjects' GAF ratings and number of missed days from work for physical and psychological reasons. RESULTS: A single underlying factor was found for the IPDE item criteria of avoidant and dependent personality disorder, with less evidence for the other 8 personality disorders. Five factors were retained as the dimensional accounting for the personality disorder criteria. These factors were named compulsive, neurotic avoidant, aloof, impulsive callous, and egocentric. Of the five factors, 4 were associated with evidence of diminished functioning. CONCLUSIONS: The IPDE pathological personality traits did not empirically cluster according to the current DSM-IV axis II diagnostic system but instead defined 5 relatively independent PD symptom dimensions that were related to functional impairments.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Development of a questionnaire (OPQ) to assess patient's knowledge about osteoporosis.

OBJECTIVE: to develop a self-administered questionnaire (OPQ) to assess the patient's knowledge about osteoporosis. METHODS: An initial item pool of 71 questions was developed with input from clinicians involved in the management of patients with osteoporosis. It was piloted in ten patients for face validity and comprehension. The questionnaire was then administered to 50 first-time attendees at a specialist osteoporosis unit. After item analysis using index of difficulty and index of discrimination, 20 items were selected for the final questionnaire (OPQ). These were in the areas of general information (5), risk factors (7), consequences and treatment (four each). RESULTS: the average index of difficulty and index of discrimination (D) of the 20 items was 0.56 (>0.75 is suggestive of a poor discriminator) and 54.8% (D value of 50% is associated with highest level of item discrimination) respectively. This means that all the items actively discriminated between high and low scorers. The Flesch readability index was 74.3 (a score between 70 and 100 means a document is easily understood) and the reliability coefficient was 0.84 (acceptable range 0.8-0.9). Criterion validity (verification that the scale measures what it claims to measure) was confirmed by the method of contrasted groups where members of an osteoporosis awareness charity had a significantly higher score than the first time attendees (13.6 +/- 4.3 vs. 8.5 +/- 5.4; P=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: we have developed a self-report, 20-item questionnaire (OPQ) to assess the patient's knowledge about osteoporosis. Psychometric analysis has shown that the items have a satisfactory index of difficulty and discrimination. The OPQ is internally reliable, valid and easily understandable. It can be used to identify individuals in need of educational interventions as well as assess the effectiveness of education efforts as a part of management of osteoporosis.

Female↗

PubMed2006

Development and validation of a functional dyspepsia-related quality of life (FD-QOL) scale in South Korea.

BACKGROUND: Quality of life (QOL) in patients with functional dyspepsia in South Korea has never been studied, mostly due to the lack of a psychometrically validated disease-specific instrument for measuring the QOL. The aim of the present study was to develop and validate a QOL scale for patients with functional dyspepsia. METHODS: A Functional Dyspepsia-Related QOL (FD-QOL) scale was developed and validated as follows: item generation, pilot test, and psychometric test. Patients with functional dyspepsia (n = 220) were recruited from seven university hospitals. The participants were asked to complete the preliminary item-generated FD-QOL, the Short Form-36 (SF-36), and the Index of Dyspepsia Symptoms-Korean (IDS-K). The data were analyzed using factor analysis, correlation, anova, and Cronbach's alpha. RESULTS: Twenty-three items were generated based upon content validity. Factor analysis extracted a four-factor solution, and two items were deleted because they were not loaded significantly on any factor. The FD-QOL was correlated with the SF-36 subscales, of which scores were differentiated according to the levels of dyspepsia symptoms. Cronbach's alpha of the FD-QOL was 0.94. CONCLUSIONS: The FD-QOL scale is a rapid and easily applicable instrument with excellent psychometric properties of content, factorial, convergent, and known-groups validity, and internal consistency reliability in Korean patients with functional dyspepsia.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Development of a disease specific quality of life questionnaire for patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy: the GO-QOL.

AIM: To develop a reliable and valid disease specific quality of life questionnaire (the GO-QOL) for patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO), that can be used to describe the health related quality of life and changes in health related quality of life over time as a consequence of disease and treatment. METHODS: 70 consecutive GO patients (age > 18 years) who were referred for the first time to the combined outpatient clinic of the orbital centre and the department of endocrinology completed the 16 questions of the GO-QOL. Additional information on general quality of life and disease characteristics was obtained. Construct validity and internal consistency of the disease specific questionnaire was determined, based on principal component analysis, Cronbach alphas and correlations with MOS-24, three subscales of the SIP, demographic, and clinical measures. RESULTS: The a priori expected subdivision of the questionnaire in two subscales, one measuring the consequences of double vision and decreased visual acuity on visual functioning, and one measuring the psychosocial consequences of a changed appearance, was confirmed in the principal component analysis. Both scales had a good reliability and high face validity. Correlations with other measures supported construct validity. Mean scores (range 0-100) were 54.7 (SD 22.8) for visual functioning and 60.1 (24.8) for appearance (higher score = better health). CONCLUSION: The GO-QOL is a promising tool to measure disease specific aspects of quality of life in patients with GO and provides additional information to traditional physiological or biological measures of health status.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2004

[Development of patient satisfaction questionnaire in allergic rhinitis].

Recent suggestions emphasize the importance of assessing medical care outcomes from the point of view of both professional opinion and patient's subject like patient satisfaction as well as quality of life. Self-administered questionnaires are often used as an instrument for this purpose. When compared with quality of life, there is less useful questionnaire for patient satisfaction. Accordingly, we here aimed to develop the questionnaire, which is disease-specific, comprehensive, simple, clinically available and satisfied psychometric validation study. The items were collected from patients and satisfaction-related literature's review, and the total 20 were selected finally from them after excluding inadequate or overlapped items. Then, we conducted validation study in 214 subjects sampled randomly from 603 patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis who had visited clinics in 2003 by mailing self-administered questionnaire in spring, 2004. The response rate was 65.3%. In factor analysis, items were divided into four domains such as doctor-patient relationship, treatment outcome, geniality in hospital and convenience of medical service. The former two domains were the most correlated well with patient satisfaction. The quality of this questionnaire such as responsiveness, reliability, construct validity, convergent/discriminate validity, and clinical validity satisfied international standard. Thus, it was verified that our newly developed questionnaire is a useful and scientific tool for examination of patient satisfaction with medical care in allergic rhinitis.

Cryptomeria↗

PubMed1999

Test-retest reliability of the GO-QOL: a disease-specific quality of life questionnaire for patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy.

To assess the test-retest reliability of a recently developed disease-specific quality of life questionnaire for evaluative studies in patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy (the GO-QOL), measuring visual functioning and psychosocial consequences of changed appearance. Ninety-three patients were included and completed the GO-QOL. Additional information on general quality of life and disease characteristics was obtained. Construct validity and internal consistency of the two subscales was determined, based on principal component analyses, Cronbach's alpha's and correlations with MOS-24, three subscales of the SIP, and clinical measures. Eighty-nine patients completed a second GO-QOL after two weeks including four additional questions about perceived changes in health status. Test-retest reliability was assessed by calculating intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and limits of agreement, using several definitions of stable patients. Slight modifications from the original questionnaire were evaluated for their effect on the validity and reliability. The construct validity of the two subscales was confirmed and Cronbach's alpha's were 0.89 for visual functioning and 0.87 for appearance. The substantial ICCs found for both scales of the GO-QOL (ICCs above 0.80) reflect that the errors of measurement were relatively small, which supports the value of this questionnaire for clinical studies with relatively small sample sizes. The modification of the appearance scale improved the validity of the scale and resulted in less missing values. Following the recommendations of the joint committee of thyroid associations, we recommend the inclusion of HRQL-measures in clinical studies that evaluate treatments for patients with GO. The GO-QOL is a promising tool for this purpose.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Methodological issues in international comparison of interval breast cancers.

International comparisons of interval cancers (IC) are important to better understand the relationship between programmes' performance and screening practices. In this respect, differences in (i) definition, (ii) identification and (iii) quantification of IC have received little attention. To examine these 3 comparability issues and activities involving IC, an assessment was conducted among member countries of the International Breast Cancer Screening Network, and the impact of accuracy of identification and quantification practices was estimated using 1996-98 data from the Dutch breast cancer screening programme. Information was obtained from 19 screening programmes in 18 countries, 16 of which acknowledged the coexistence of opportunistic screening. IC data were collected to evaluate performance of the screening programme (100% of programmes) and the radiologists (89%); 53% of programmes had a designated review process for IC. Most programmes (84%) agreed with the European Guidelines definition of IC, but a case situation exercise evidenced substantial discrepancy in classification of cancers that occurred after a positive screen. Completeness of identification of IC appears to contribute most to international variation, and cannot be easily controlled for in methodologically rigorous comparisons. Statistically significant differences of about 4% were measured between quantification methods for IC. An operational definition of IC is proposed to enhance international comparability. Valid comparisons of IC are possible with careful attention to the definition but true differences in IC frequency across screening programmes should exceed 10% to be possibly indicative of real differences between programmes.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Infant acceptance and effectiveness of a new oral liquid medication delivery system.

A medication acceptance scale (MAS) for pediatric oral liquids was developed and used to evaluate effectiveness and infant acceptance of a medication delivery system. The MAS incorporated five behavioral elements associated with pediatric drug administration: cry, facial expression, body movement or level of agitation, reaction to placement of medication in the mouth, and swallowing. A score of 1-10 was possible, with 10 indicating the highest level of infant acceptance. Preliminary field testing was conducted. In an open-label clinical study, a single dose of acetaminophen was administered to 20 infants with approximately one fluid ounce of infant formula or apple juice by pediatric nurses using the Rx medibottle (The Medicine Bottle Company). Past medication acceptance was rated on an infant global acceptance scale. The intended dose, the amount consumed, and the time taken to administer the dose were recorded. Infant acceptance was independently scored by a nurse and two pharmacists. A high preliminary estimate of internal consistency reliability of the MAS was found. Interrater reliability was high, with the highest correlation between the two pharmacists. Sixteen (80%) of the infants received 100% of the intended dose; it took 0.5-9 minutes to administer these doses. The median MAS score was 9 for each of the three raters. Mean MAS scores for the three raters were 7.85 and 7.45 (pharmacists) and 8.50 (nurse). There was a strong correlation between MAS scores and infant global acceptance scale scores. A pediatric oral liquid MAS that had content validity, concurrent validity, high internal consistency reliability, and high interrater reliability was developed; the Rx medibottle was an effective oral liquid medication delivery system and had a high level of infant and rater acceptance.

Acetaminophen↗

PubMed1993

Adaptation of the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire (AEQ-A): a short version for use among 13-year-olds in Norway.

An adaptation of a Norwegian modified short version of Christiansen & Goldman's Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire for Adolescents (AEQ-A) was examined in this survey. Subjects were 924 Norwegian seventh graders, with an average age of 13.3 years. From the original 90 items, 27 items representing all seven original scales were used in this study. Factor analysis did not create any preferred new factor solution compared to Christiansen & Goldman's original factors. Internal consistency of the seven AEQ-A scales ranged from 0.37 to 0.72 on Cronbach's alpha. All seven AEQ-A scales correlated significantly with self-reported alcohol use as was expected, and this study also replicated the relative importance of the social enhancement scale. This was the first study using AEQ-A in a non-English-speaking culture. The generalizability of alcohol outcome expectancies was strongly supported. The present study indicates that the Norwegian version of AEQ-A possesses a level of concurrent validity and internal reliability that is acceptable compared to the original scales, and can serve as a useful instrument in behavioral research on alcohol use among Norwegian adolescents in the years to come.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Assessment of working conditions in health care workers].

OBJECTIVE: Validation and first use of a self-completed questionnaire to assess opinion on working conditions in health professionals. METHODS: The questionnaire consisted of 40 items. It was developed via review of the literature and two focus groups. A reliability test-retest study was performed on 45 health professionals with different roles. Factorial validity and internal consistency of each derived subscale were evaluated on a wide sample of 514 professionals. In addition, the opinion of the health care professionals was evaluated and possible relationships were tested between total and subscale scores and the following variables: age, sex, professional role and years in the job. RESULTS: Weighted kappa was higher than 0.60 for 95% of the items, higher than 0.70 for 43% and higher than 0.80 for 20%. Factor analysis revealed that six factors--work content and organisation, physical fatigue, relationships, mental stress, hours of work, and physical environment--explained 57% of total variance. Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the subscales ranged from 0.70 to 0.91. Low levels of satisfaction in dfferent job aspects were found among general hospital staff. They were particularly dissatisfied with personal growth and development, fairness in incentives, dissemination of information, environment, support of new ideas and skills, career opportunities. In particular, satisfaction differed among the various professional roles. DISCUSSION: The questionnaire was found reliable and had a coherent factor structure, with six factors or subscales that showed good internal consistency. This questionnaire may be useful to assess satisfaction with work in health care staff. The preliminary results of its use suggest that satisfaction with different aspects of work is low.

Adult↗