Psychometric Properties of Instruments that Measure Vaping Outcome Expectancies: A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: Vaping is a growing public health concern. Interventions that address vaping must build upon rigorous research that uses psychometrically sound instruments to measure vaping-associated outcome expectancies. The primary aim was to appraise the reporting of psychometric properties of instruments used to measure vaping outcome expectancies. Secondary aims were to distinguish the different types of outcome expectancies assessed across the measures, the conceptual underpinnings, and the evidence explaining e-cigarette use etiology. METHODS: This systematic review was guided by an adapted version of the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) guideline and Risk of Bias Checklist. Five electronic databases were searched for peer-reviewed studies, dissertations, and theses that psychometrically evaluated instruments that measure vaping outcome expectancies. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were appraised based on their reporting of nine psychometric properties outlined in the COSMIN checklist. RESULTS: The review included 11 studies that described eight instruments and reported on two to five of nine pre-determined psychometric properties. Structural validity, construct validity, and internal consistency were the most commonly reported properties. No studies reported test-retest, intra-rater, or inter-rater reliability, measurement error or responsiveness. Content validity and measurement invariance were only reported by two and four studies, respectively. The most commonly included subscales in the instruments were affect regulation, positive sensory experience, and negative health consequences. Many of the outcome expectancy subscales were associated with e-cigarette behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: There is limited reporting of psychometric testing of instruments that measure vaping outcome expectancies; however, utilization of the COSMIN guideline could enhance the quality of such reporting. IMPLICATIONS: Appraising the reporting of psychometric properties of instruments that measure vaping outcome expectancies is a first step to ensuring valid and reliable instruments are used to support rigorous research and build evidence-based knowledge. Future research should focus on testing for responsiveness, measurement error, and reliability, and on quality appraisal of the instruments. Studying vaping outcome expectancies may improve understanding of factors that influence and deter vaping. This may contribute to the development of effective interventions aimed at vaping cessation and prevention.

An Online Program for Primary Care Practitioners to Enhance Confidence in Ability to Care for Patients With or at Risk of Painful Knee Osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Primary care practitioners (PCPs) care for the majority of patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Despite the existing evidence-based guidelines, PCPs often feel unequipped to evaluate and effectively treat patients with KOA. To address this need, we designed and implemented a free internet-based program focusing on the diagnosis and treatment of KOA. We assessed whether the program led to improvements in participants' confidence in their knowledge and skills related to effectively recognizing and caring for patients with or at risk of KOA. METHODS: We used Caffarella's integrative model to develop a program aligned with the American College of Rheumatology 2019 Guideline for the treatment of KOA. The program incorporated 18 case-based questions to provide retrieval practice and mastery experiences. We assessed changes in participants' confidence in their KOA knowledge and skills after program completion. RESULTS: Of the first 353 learners completing the program, 53.8% were women, 41.9% had a clinical focus in primary care, and 69.1% were nonphysicians. Overall confidence in KOA knowledge and skills improved after program completion (P < 0.001; effect size = 1.28, 95% confidence interval 1.12-1.45), with largest improvements among participants with lower pre-program confidence. A total of 95.8% of participants indicated they would recommend the program to others. CONCLUSION: A free online program focusing on the effective care for patients with KOA attracted a wide range of learners, even though it targeted PCPs. Participants overwhelmingly endorsed it as highly relevant and would recommend it to others. Whether improvements in confidence translate into better patient outcomes is an important area for future research.

Methods and Statistical Analyses in Studies of Motivation for E-Cigarette Use Among University Students: An Integrative Review.

Understanding the motivations for e-cigarette use among college and university students is essential for developing and implementing effective interventions. Evaluating existing literature is necessary to identify methodological gaps and limitations and improve the quality of future research.We aimed to evaluate the quality of the methods and statistical analyses and integrate evidence addressing motivations for e-cigarette use among college and university students.An integrative literature review was conducted by two researchers to identify and evaluate peer-reviewed, quantitative, and mixed methods research exploring motivations for e-cigarette use among college and university students. A systematic analytic method of data reduction was used to identify alignment and divergence of the data, gaps in the literature, and methodological limitations.Fifteen quantitative studies and three mixed methods studies published between 2015-2020 were included. Most studies were cross-sectional, used convenience sampling, and lacked psychometric and assumptions testing. Half performed regression analyses, however, very few adhered to research and statistical reporting standards.Current literature provides a foundation for developing and implementing interventions aimed to prevent e-cigarette use and encourage cessation. Future research should incorporate stronger sampling methods and research designs, as well as the use of rigorous statistical analyses in conjunction with thorough reporting.Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2021.1990332.

Palynological Investigation of Mummified Human Remains.

Pollen analysis was applied to a mummified homicide victim in Nebraska, U.S.A., to determine the location of death. A control sample showed the normal ambient pollen in the garage crime scene. Ambient windborne types, common in the air of the region, dominated the control. Internal samples were analyzed from the sacrum, intestine, and diaphragm. Microfossils were recovered from the rehydrated intestine lumen. The intestinal sample was dominated by Brassica (broccoli). The sacrum sample was high in dietary types but with a showing of ambient types. The pollen from the diaphragm was dominated by ambient pollen similar to the control samples. The discovery of diverse pollen spectra from within a single mummy was unexpected. They show that ingested and inhaled pollen mixed in the corpse. The data linked the decedent to a specific crime scene in her Nebraska home in the southern tier of eastern counties on the border with Kansas.