Assessment of awareness on consumption of irradiated foods among Saudi population using a validated psychometric scale.

Despite the application of food irradiation for enhancing food safety, many consumers lack an understanding of its fundamental principles, often misinterpreting the information and exhibiting negative perceptions toward foods treated with ionizing radiation. This study focuses on evaluating public awareness regarding the consumption of irradiated food within Saudi Arabia, utilizing the Awareness Scale on Consumption of Irradiated Foods (ASCIF), a developed and validated tool. The ASCIF encompasses four constructs: concepts, awareness, labeling, and safety concerning irradiated foods. The average scores for each subscale and the aggregate ASCIF score were determined, with the analysis incorporating both descriptive and inferential statistical methods. The study's sample of 712 individuals predominantly consisted of females (53.37%), individuals aged 18-30 years (55.62%), those holding a bachelor's degree or higher (70.79%), participants earning less than SAR 5000 (42.70%), students (37.08%), and singles (66.85%). The overall mean scores for each category were as follows: safety (2.87 ± 0.92), concept (3.18 ± 0.79), label (3.44 ± 1.15), and awareness (2.68 ± 1.03). The overall mean score for the ASCIF was 3.02 ± 0.81, a diverse spectrum of awareness, with the majority of participants (62.92%) exhibiting intermediate awareness, while 17.98% displayed poor awareness, and 19.10% demonstrated high awareness. Logistic regression analysis identified age and educational attainment as significant predictors of awareness levels (p < 0.001). These results highlight a moderate understanding of irradiated foods among the Saudi population, with significant variations based on demographic factors. The study's conclusion emphasizes the necessity for tailored educational initiatives that cater to specific demographic groups to enhance understanding and awareness of irradiated food technologies in Saudi Arabia. This study thereby provides valuable insights for policymakers and health educators in designing effective communication strategies about irradiated foods.

Translation, cultural adaptation and validation of Patient Satisfaction with Pharmacist Services Questionnaire (PSPSQ) 2.0 into the Arabic language among people with diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Understanding patient satisfaction is key to advancing pharmacy services and improving health outcomes. There is a lack of a translated and psychometrically validated tool in the Arabic language to measure patient satisfaction with pharmacy services. OBJECTIVE: To translate the English version of the PSPSQ 2.0 into Arabic language, culturally adapt, and verify its reliability and validity. SETTING: A community pharmacy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted between April 2021 and June 2022 among patients with diabetes attending a community pharmacy. The International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research good practice guidelines for linguistic translation and cultural adaptation were used to translate and culturally adapt the English version of PSPSQ 2.0 into Arabic. The Arabic version of PSPSQ 2.0 was subjected to factor analysis using principal component analysis with varimax rotation to evaluate its validity and Cronbach's alpha was used to assess the reliability of PSPSQ 2.0. RESULTS: A total of 129 (68.2% male, and mean age 50 (SD: 11.9) years) patients with diabetes participated in the study. The analysis was undertaken for the items in each of the three domains of PSPSQ 2.0: quality of care, interprofessional relationship and overall care. Exploratory factor analysis revealed validity of 92.7%, 80.5% and 96.2%, respectively. The Arabic version of PSPSQ 2.0 had high internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha scores 0.99, 0.95 and 0.98 for the three measured domains, respectively. The sample adequacy was 0.924. CONCLUSION: The PSPSQ 2.0 was successfully translated and culturally adapted into the Arabic language and had acceptable validity and reliability to measure patient satisfaction with services provided by pharmacists in community pharmacies.

Psychometric assessment of the Runyankole-translated Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale among persons with HIV in Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Social desirability can negatively affect the validity of self-reported measures, including underreporting of stigmatized behaviors like alcohol consumption. The Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (SDS) is widely implemented and comprised of Denial and Attribution Domains (i.e., tendencies to deny undesirable traits or attribute socially desirable traits to oneself, respectively). Yet, limited psychometric research has been conducted in sub-Saharan Africa, where the prevalence of unhealthy alcohol consumption is high as well as religiosity and hierarchical social norms. To address this gap, we (a) conducted an exploratory study assessing certain psychometric properties of the 28-item SDS (Runyankole-translated) among persons with HIV (PWH) in Uganda, and (b) examined the relationship between social desirability and self-reported alcohol use. METHODS: We pooled baseline data (N = 1153) from three studies of PWH engaged in alcohol use from 2017 to 2021. We assessed the translated scale's construct validity (via confirmatory factor analysis), internal consistency, item performance, differential item functioning by gender, concurrent validity with the DUREL religiosity index domains, and the association between social desirability and self-reported alcohol use. RESULTS: Participants had a mean age of 40.42 years, 63% were men, and 91% had an undetectable HIV viral load. The 28-item SDS had satisfactory construct validity (Model fit indices: RMSEA = 0.07, CFI = 0.84, TLI = 0.82) and internal consistency (Denial Domain ΩTotal = 0.82, Attribution Domain ΩTotal = 0.69). We excluded Item 14 ("I never hesitate to help someone in trouble") from the Attribution Domain, which mitigated differential measurement error by gender and slightly improved the construct validity (Model fit indices: RMSEA = 0.06, CFI = 0.86, TLI = 0.85) and reliability (Attribution Domain ΩTotal = 0.72) of the 27-item modified SDS. Using the 27-item SDS, we found that social desirability was weakly correlated with religiosity and inversely associated with self-reported alcohol use after adjusting for biomarker-measured alcohol use and other confounders (ß = -0.05, 95% confidence interval: -0.09 to -0.01, p-value = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: We detected and mitigated measurement error in the 28-item Runyankole-translated SDS, and found that the modified 27-item scale had satisfactory construct validity and internal consistency in our sample. Future studies should continue to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Runyankole-translated SDS, including retranslating Item 14 and reevaluating its performance.

Development and psychometric evaluation of the hidden curriculum assessment scale in nursing education: A validity and reliability study.

AIMS: The study aimed to develop and psychometrically evaluate a measurement scale for identifying and assessing the hidden curriculum in undergraduate nursing education. BACKGROUND: The hidden curriculum is a general term for educational information that exists outside of the teaching program and mainly affects students' knowledge, emotions, behaviors, beliefs, values and professional ethics. However, a specific instrument to comprehensively define and assess the hidden curriculum in nursing education has not yet been developed in China. DESIGN: A descriptive and explorative study design was used. METHODS: We developed the initial scale through a literature review, focus group discussion, Delphi expert consultation and pre-survey. From February to April 2023, the data were collected from a convenient sample of 512 nursing students enrolled in five medical universities in China to conduct exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis for validity testing. In addition, reliability analysis was conducted by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficients, split-half reliability and test-retest reliability. The nursing students' responses were evaluated using a five-point Likert scale. RESULTS: The Hidden Curriculum Assessment Scale in Nursing Education (HCAS-NE) was formulated, consisting of 4 dimensions and 35 items. Exploratory factor analysis extracted four factors, with a cumulative variance contribution rate of 66.863 % and confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the fit indices values of the scale structure model met the criteria for an ideal level. the Cronbach's α coefficient of the scale was 0.965, the Guttman split-half was 0.853 and the test-retest reliability was 0.967. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the Hidden Curriculum Assessment Scale in Nursing Education (HCAS-NE) has ideal reliability and validity, which provides a valid and reliable tool for identifying and assessing the hidden curriculum in nursing education.

Assessment of physical literacy in 8- to 12-year-old Pakistani school children: reliability and cross-validation of the Canadian assessment of physical literacy-2 (CAPL-2) in South Punjab, Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: The increasing prevalence of physical inactivity, declining fitness, and rising childhood obesity highlight the importance of physical literacy (PL), as a foundational component for fostering lifelong health and active lifestyle. This recognition necessitates the development of effective tools for PL assessment that are applicable across diverse cultural landscapes. AIM: This study aimed to translate the Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy-2 (CAPL-2) into Urdu and adapt it for the Pakistani cultural context, to assess PL among children aged 8-12 years in Pakistan. METHOD: The Urdu version of CAPL-2 was administered among 1,360 children aged 8-12 from 87 higher secondary schools across three divisions in South Punjab province, Pakistan. Statistical analysis includes test-retest reliability and construct validity, employing confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate the tool's performance both overall and within specific subdomains. RESULTS: The Urdu version of CAPL-2 demonstrated strong content validity, with a Content Validity Ratio of 0.89. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the four-factor structure proposed by the original developers, evidenced by excellent model fit indices (GFI = 0.984, CFI = 0.979, TLI = 0.969, RMSEA = 0.041). High internal consistency was observed across all domains (α = 0.988 to 0.995), with significant correlations among most, excluding the Knowledge and Understanding domains. Notably, gender and age significantly influenced performance, with boys generally scoring higher than girls, with few exceptions. CONCLUSION: This study marks a significant step in the cross-cultural adaptation of PL assessment tools, successfully validating the CAPL-2 Urdu version for the Pakistani context for the first time. The findings affirm the tool's suitability for assessing PL among Pakistani children, evidencing its validity and reliability across the Pakistani population.

Internal consistency and temporal stability of the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE): A reliability generalization meta-analysis.

Psychotic experiences (PE) are prevalent in general and clinical populations and can increase the risk for mental disorders in young people. The Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE) is a widely used measure to assess PE in different populations and settings. However, the current knowledge on their overall reliability is limited. We examined the reliability of the CAPE-42 and later versions, testing the role of age, sex, test scores, and clinical status as moderators. A systematic search was conducted on the Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, EBSCOhost, ProQuest, and GoogleScholar databases. Internal consistency and temporal stability indices were examined through reliability generalization meta-analysis (RGMA). Moderators were tested through meta-regression analysis. From a pool of 1,015 records, 90 independent samples were extracted from 71 studies. Four versions showed quantitative evidence for inclusion: CAPE-42, CAPE-20, CAPE-P15, and CAPE-P8. Internal consistency indices were good (α/ω≈.725-0.917). Temporal stability was only analyzed for the CAPE-P15, yielding a moderate but not-significant effect (r=0.672). The evidence for temporal stability is scant due to the limited literature, and definitive conclusions cannot be drawn. Further evidence on other potential moderators such as adverse experiences or psychosocial functioning is required.

Functional performance assessment scale for children and adolescents with cancer: cross-cultural study.

OBJECTIVES: to describe the methodological process of cross-cultural adaptation of the PlayPerformance Scale for Children to Brazilian Portuguese. METHODS: methodological study of translation and cross-cultural adaptation in six stages: translation, synthesis of translations, back-translation, evaluation by a committee of judges, evaluation by expert nurses, and pretest. The agreement and representativeness of the items were assessed using the content validity index. A minimum value of 80% agreement was considered. RESULTS: all stages of the translation and cross-cultural adaptation process were satisfactory. In the evaluation performed by the committee of judges, all items obtained agreement above 80%. Fifteen pediatric nurses conducted the content validation, suggesting necessary modifications for understanding and application. Thirty children and adolescents with cancer were assessed with the scale for the pre-test. CONCLUSIONS: the scale was cross-culturally adapted to Brazilian Portuguese. The need for psychometric testing in a consistent sample is emphasized.

Validation of the Seizure-Related Impact Assessment Scale (SERIAS): a study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: This study aims to validate the Seizure-Related Impact Assessment Scale (SERIAS). This novel patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) compares the 'trade-off' between seizures and treatment-related adverse effects, and measures epilepsy disability qualitatively and quantitively. It fills an important gap in PROMs for epilepsy clinical trials and practice. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Adults with epileptologist-confirmed epilepsy from two Australian Epilepsy Centres are being recruited. People with functional seizures, or who are unable to self-complete English-language validated instruments are excluded. Participants providing informed consent are invited to complete questionnaires at baseline, 3 and 6 months later. SERIAS includes five questions that ask about the number of days per month that seizures or treatment-related adverse effects partially or fully impact work/home/school and family/social/non-work activities, as well as a visual analogue scale regarding epilepsy-related disability. SERIAS is completed alongside seven internationally validated instruments measuring treatment-related adverse effects, mood disorders and quality of life. Target recruitment is n=100, ensuring>50 people complete all questionnaires at all timepoints. Comprehensive psychometric analysis will be performed. Convergent validity will be investigated using bivariate correlations with relevant measures. Reliability will be investigated using Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's omega and test-retest correlation coefficients. SERIAS will be a novel PROM for epilepsy clinical trials and practice. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Multisite ethics approval was granted by the Alfred Health Ethics Committee (HREC 17/23). Results of this study will be disseminated through publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at scientific conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN12623000599673.

Psychometric assessment of the 10-item Thai version of the Experience in Close Relationship-Revised for Adolescents (ECR-R-10-AD).

The 18-item version of the Experiences in Close Relationships-revised (ECR-R-18) is a valid and reliable scale used among Thai adolescents. However, it revealed problematic items that impacted the scale's internal consistency. The study aimed to achieve two objectives: (1) develop a new, shorter scale by retaining only highly loaded items equally between attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance, and (2) evaluate the psychometric properties of the shorter ECR-R version compared to the existing 18-item scale. Objective 1 was achieved through Study 1, involving 204 youths aged 16-18 years (64% female). All participants completed the 18-item ECR-R, and exploratory factor analysis was conducted to identify suitable items for the new ECR-R-AD. Objective 2 was fulfilled in Study 2, which included a total of 443 students in grades aged 15-18 years old (88% female) from Thai boarding schools in Northern Thailand. All participants completed both the 18-item ECR-R, and confirmatory factor analysis of both the existing 18-item and the new shorter scale was performed and compared. Additional measures including the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Perceived Stress Scale-10, and Relationship Questionnaire were completed alongside the ECR-R to assess convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity. The invariance test for the new ECR-R across genders was conducted using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. For objective 1, Study 1 developed a new scale called "ECR-R-10-AD" with 10 items, comprising 5 for attachment anxiety and 5 for attachment avoidance. The McDonald's omega values were 0.866 for avoidance and 0.823 for anxiety subscales. The corrected correlation between the ECR-R-18 and ECR-R-10-AD was significant. For objective 2, Study 2 found that the first-order two-factor solution model fit the data best for the ECR-R-10-AD. Convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity with other measurements and invariance tests based on sex were established for the ECR-R-AD. The ECR-R-10-AD provided sufficient psychometric properties among Thai adolescents. Factorial validity, convergent validity, and measurement invariance were established. As the ECR-R-10-AD is brief, it can be administered with less burden. Limitations and future research were discussed.

Measures of financial toxicity in cancer survivors: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: Comprehensive cancer-related financial toxicity (FT) measures as a multidimensional construct are lacking. The aims of this systematic review were to (1) identify full measures designed explicitly for assessing FT and evaluate their psychometric properties (content validity, structural validity, reliability, and other measurement properties) using Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN), and (2) provide an analysis of the domains of FT covered in these measures. METHODS: MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Cochrane CENTRAL were searched for quantitative studies published from January 2000 to July 2023 that reported psychometric properties of FT measures in cancer survivors. The psychometric properties of FT measures and study risk of bias were analysed using COSMIN. Each FT measure was compared against the six domains of FT recommended by Witte and colleagues. Results were synthesized narratively. The detailed search strategies are available in Table S1. RESULTS: Six FT tools including the COST-FACIT, PROFFIT, FIT, SFDQ, HARDS, and ENRICh-Spanish were identified. The COST-FACIT measure had good measurement properties. No measure reached an excellent level for overall quality but was mostly rated as sufficient. The SFDQ, HARDS, and ENRICh-Spanish were the most comprehensive in the inclusion of the six domains of FT. CONCLUSION: This review emphasizes the need for validated multidimensional FT measures that can be applied across various cancer types, healthcare settings, and cultural backgrounds. Furthermore, a need to develop practical screening tools with high predictive ability for FT is highly important, considering the significant consequences of FT. Addressing these gaps in future research will further enhance the understanding of FT.

Evaluation of a New Adolescent Social Communication Assessment: The Transition Pragmatics Interview.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the psychometric functioning of a new criterion-referenced assessment of adolescent social communication, the Transition Pragmatics Interview (TPI), based on the synthesis model of pragmatics. Two ways of interpreting item difficulty were explored: (a) as a function of the synthesis model elements of social communication ability that items were designed to assess, and (b) as a function of the developmental level required for a successful response based on an adapted situational-discourse-semantics (SDS) model (Norris & Hoffman, 1993). METHOD: Thirty-seven participants aged 14-22 years completed the TPI. Responses were analyzed using Rasch analysis to evaluate the functioning of the scale and to determine item difficulty. Items were coded for the SDS developmental level required for an adequate response. The mean Rasch item difficulty for items at each SDS developmental level was analyzed for the five adapted SDS domains. RESULTS: Consistent with the first approach for interpreting item difficulty, TPI items varied in difficulty as a function of the element of social communication they were designed to assess (p < .001). Interpreting item difficulty based on the adapted SDS model was not supported: Items requiring higher SDS developmental levels were not more difficult than those requiring less (p = .55). CONCLUSIONS: The TPI responses fit the Rasch model, supporting the TPI as a unidimensional measure and supporting the use of all items together to compute a single number that summarizes the level of social communication for each examinee. The item ordering from least to most difficult was consistent with prior findings on adolescent social communication development. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.26018545.

Cognitive Assessment with Cognivue Clarity®: Psychometric Properties and Normative Ranges in a Diverse Population.

Background: Detecting cognitive impairment in clinical practice is challenging as most instruments do not perform well in diverse samples of older adults. These same instruments are often used for eligibility into clinical trials making it difficult to recruit minoritized adults into Alzheimer's disease (AD) studies. Cognivue Clarity® is an FDA-cleared computerized 10-minute cognitive screening platform using adaptive psychophysics to detect cognitive impairment. Objective: Test the ability of Cognivue Clarity to measure cognitive performance in a diverse community sample compared with the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). Methods: This study enrolled 452 participants across 6 US study sites and completed both Cognivue Clarity device and RBANS. Psychometric properties and exploratory factor analysis of Cognivue Clarity were explored and comparisons against RBANS across different age, sex, education, and ethnoracial groups were conducted. Results: Participants had a mean age of 47.9±16.1 years (range: 18-85), 63.6% were female, 45.9% had ≤12 years of education, 31.2% were African American and 9.2% were Hispanic. Cognivue Clarity had strong internal consistency, test-retest reliability and minimal practice effects. A 4-factor structure (Memory, Attention, Visuomotor, and Discrimination) had excellent goodness-of-fit. Normalizing age effects improved performance. Race and education effects were similar to those seen with RBANS. Cognivue Clarity had strong correlations with RBANS. Conclusions: Our study supports the use of Cognivue Clarity as an easy-to-use, brief, and valid cognitive assessment that measures cognitive performance. In the correct clinical setting, Cognivue Clarity may identify individuals with likely cognitive impairment who could be candidates for AD research studies.

Re-assessing the assessment of fears of positive and negative evaluation: Scale development and psychometric evaluation of the Bivalent Fear of Evaluation Scale (BFOES).

The bivalent fear of evaluation (BFOE) model of social anxiety divides fear of evaluation into two distinct valences: fear of positive evaluation (FPE) and fear of negative evaluation (FNE). However, there is evidence that the two most widely utilized and psychometrically supported measures of FNE and FPE contain items which are ambiguous with regard to valence of evaluative fear. To formally address this, the BFOE Scale (BFOES) was developed, by merging items from measures of FNE and FPE into a single scale with an integrated response format. The present studies examined the psychometric profile of the BFOES across a large pooled archival dataset (N = 2216), which included approximately 10 % (n = 224) patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD). The factorial validity, internal consistency, and construct validity of the BFOES were examined. Additionally, item response theory analyses were employed for the purpose of merging items from self-report scales which utilized different Likert-type response formats. Results from both studies provided support for the psychometric profile of the BFOES. The implications of the BFOES for the assessment of social anxiety, and theoretical models of fear of evaluation and SAD, are discussed.

Validity, reliability, and responsiveness of the Brazilian version of the instrument World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) for individuals with obstructive sleep apnoea.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a disabling health condition, and there is no disease-specific patient-reported outcome instrument to assess individuals with OSA. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) in individuals with OSA. METHODS: One hundred individuals with OSA responded to the WHODAS 2.0 version of 36 items, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the 12-item health survey (SF-12). Internal consistency, convergent and discriminative validity, and responsiveness to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) were the psychometric properties tested. RESULTS: Cronbach's α values indicate good internal consistency (0.91 - 0.73), except for the self-care domain (α = 0.52). Convergent validity indicated an excellent correlation (r = -0.80) between the domains of functioning and quality of life. Discriminative validity showed no association between OSA severity and functioning (p = 0.90). The responsiveness to CPAP treatment showed a large effect size (r = 0.82; p < 0.05) CONCLUSIONS: The WHODAS 2.0 instrument is valid, reliable, and responsive for assessing individuals with OSA.

Burden in family caregivers: The psychometric properties of Polish version of the Zarit Burden Interview. / Poczucie obciazenia opieka wsród opiekunów rodzinnych: psychometryczne wlasciwosci polskiej wersji Zarit Burden Interview.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to estimate the reliability, validity and internal structure of the Polish version of the Zarit Burden Interview scale (ZBI). METHODS: The participants in the study were 504 Polish family caregivers (spouses, parents, children and other family members) of chronically ill patients. The Burnout Scale version for caregivers (SWS) and the Resilience Assessment Questionnaire (KOP-26) were used. RESULTS: The Polish version of the Zarit Burden Interview demonstrated good psychometric properties. Confirmative factor analysis confirmed the presence of a three-factor second-order structure, the model proved to be quite well suited to the data (CFI = 0.941; TLI = 0.931; SRMR = 0.045; RMSEA = 0.061). Also, the results of the theoretical validity analysis proved to be satisfactory. Cronbach's α coefficient for the general result was 0.91; for individual subscales: "Negative image of the patient" - 0.85, "Frustration" - 0.82 and "Losses" - 0.85. CONCLUSIONS: The Polish version of the ZBI scale can be used as a reliable and accurate diagnostic tool to measure the burden among carers of chronically ill people. Qualitative analysis of the response content also allows to identify areas requiring the implementation of activities in the field of psychological support for the surveyed caregivers.

Using a health equity lens to measure patient experiences of care in diverse health care settings.

People who are structurally disadvantaged and marginalized often report poor health care experiences, such as inequitable treatment, due to intersecting forms of stigma and discrimination. There are many measures of patient experiences of care, however, few are designed to measure equity-oriented health care. In alignment with ongoing calls to integrate actions in support of health equity, we report on the development and testing of patient-reported experience measures that explicitly use a health equity and intersectional lens. Our analysis focuses on two different scales: the Equity-Oriented Health Care Scale-Ongoing, which was evaluated in primary health care settings where patients have an ongoing relationship with providers over time, and the Equity-Oriented Health Care Scale-Episodic, which was tested in an emergency department where care is provided on an episodic basis. Item Response Theory was used to develop and refine the scales. The psychometric properties of each scale were also evaluated. The Equity-Oriented Health Care Scale-Ongoing was first tested with a cohort of 567 patients. The Equity-Oriented Health Care Scale-Episodic was subsequently tested in an emergency department setting with 284 patients. Results of the Item Response Theory analysis for each scale yielded a brief index that captured the level of equity-oriented care when care is ongoing (12 items) or episodic (9 items). Both scales showed evidence of internal consistency and concurrent validity, based on a high correlation with quality of care. They are brief, easy-to-administer patient-reported experience measures that can support organizations to monitor quality of care. Their availability enhances the possibility of measuring equity-oriented health care in diverse contexts and can provide nuanced understandings of quality of care through an intersectional and equity lens.

Construct validity of the simplified Chinese version of the instrument 'Picture My Participation'.

BACKGROUND: Preliminary evidence of the content validity of the simplified Chinese version of 'Picture My Participation' (PMP-C; Simplified) items and reliability of the subscale attendance for the effectiveness of the use with children and youth in mainland China has been collected. However, evidence of construct validity for the instrument is not yet available. AIM: To explore the construct validity of the attendance scale in PMP-C (Simplified). METHODS: A cross-sectional study using convenience sampling was conducted using PMP-C (Simplified) with a picture-supported interview for 290 children and youths aged 5-21 with and without ID in urban and rural areas of mainland China. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed using the principal component analysis (PCA) to analyse the resulting data. RESULTS: The EFA extracted five factors with eigenvalues greater than one and the cumulative contribution rate of factors accounted for 51.62% of the variance. All items had factor loadings above 0.50. The five subcomponents included: organised activities, social activities, taking care of others, family life activities and personal care and development activities. CONCLUSION: The results of the factor analysis support the construct validity of the PMP-C (Simplified) attendance scale. It provides further psychometric evidence that PMP-C (Simplified) is a sound measure to assess participation for children and youths in mainland China.

Psychometric properties of the Danish version of the Caregiver Burden Scale: Investigating predictors and severity of burden after stroke, spinal cord injury, or traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate (i) psychometric properties of the Danish version of the Caregiver Burden Scale, (ii) predictors of burden in caregivers of persons with stroke, spinal cord injury, or traumatic brain injury, and (iii) severity of caregiver burden, and compare level of severity of burden in caregivers of persons with stroke, spinal cord injury, or traumatic brain injury. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: Pooled sample of 122 caregivers. METHODS: Psychometric properties including internal consistency, floor and ceiling effects, inter-item and item-total correlation were investigated using the Caregiver Burden Scale. Severity of burden was compared using Fisher's exact test and ANOVA, and predictors of burden were investigated using multiple linear regression models. RESULTS: The total burden score exhibited good internal consistency (α = 0.93), with no floor or ceiling effects. Longer time as a caregiver was a significant predictor of higher total score. The majority (52.2%) reported a low level of caregiver burden (below cut-off of 2.00). Mean scores on the Caregiver Burden Scale were not significantly different among caregivers across diagnostic groups. Differences were found when comparing spinal cord injury caregivers with brain injury caregivers (traumatic brain injury and stroke, collectively), χ2(2) = 6.38, p = 0.04, as spinal cord injury caregivers were more likely to report low levels of burden. CONCLUSION: Good psychometric properties were reported, and most caregivers reported a low level of burden, and longer time as a caregiver was associated with higher burden. Consequently, the Caregiver Burden Scale is a valid measure to use when measuring burden in caregivers of stroke, spinal cord injury, and traumatic brain injury patients.

LanguageScreen: The Development, Validation, and Standardization of an Automated Language Assessment App.

PURPOSE: Oral language skills provide a critical foundation for formal education and especially for the development of children's literacy (reading and spelling) skills. It is therefore important for teachers to be able to assess children's language skills, especially if they are concerned about their learning. We report the development and standardization of a mobile app-LanguageScreen-that can be used by education professionals to assess children's language ability. METHOD: The standardization sample included data from approximately 350,000 children aged 3;06 (years;months) to 8;11 who were screened for receptive and expressive language skills using LanguageScreen. Rasch scaling was used to select items of appropriate difficulty on a single unidimensional scale. RESULTS: LanguageScreen has excellent psychometric properties, including high reliability, good fit to the Rasch model, and minimal differential item functioning across key student groups. Girls outperformed boys, and children with English as an additional language scored less well compared to monolingual English speakers. CONCLUSIONS: LanguageScreen provides an easy-to-use, reliable, child-friendly means of identifying children with language difficulties. Its use in schools may serve to raise teachers' awareness of variations in language skills and their importance for educational practice.