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Evolutionary Psychology : An... Jan 2017This article attends to recent discussions of validity in psychometric research on human life history strategy (LHS), provides a constructive critique of the extant... (Review)
Review
This article attends to recent discussions of validity in psychometric research on human life history strategy (LHS), provides a constructive critique of the extant literature, and describes strategies for improving construct validity. To place the psychometric study of human LHS on more solid ground, our review indicates that researchers should (a) use approaches to psychometric modeling that are consistent with their philosophies of measurement, (b) confirm the dimensionality of life history indicators, and (c) establish measurement invariance for at least a subset of indicators. Because we see confirming the dimensionality of life history indicators as the next step toward placing the psychometrics of human LHS on more solid ground, we use nationally representative data and structural equation modeling to test the structure of middle adult life history indicators. We found statistically independent mating competition and Super-K dimensions and the effects of parental harshness and childhood unpredictability on Super-K were consistent with past research. However, childhood socioeconomic status had a moderate positive effect on mating competition and no effect on Super-K, while unpredictability did not predict mating competition. We conclude that human LHS is more complex than previously suggested-there does not seem to be a single dimension of human LHS among Western adults and the effects of environmental components seem to vary between mating competition and Super-K.
Topics: Humans; Life History Traits; Psychometrics
PubMed: 28152627
DOI: 10.1177/1474704916666840 -
Clinical Psychology Review Dec 2020The need for sustained skill development and quality assurance when executing behavioral interventions is best demonstrated in the empirical evolution of Motivational... (Review)
Review
The need for sustained skill development and quality assurance when executing behavioral interventions is best demonstrated in the empirical evolution of Motivational Interviewing (MI). As a brief behavioral intervention that identifies the therapeutic process as an active treatment ingredient, it is critical for researchers, trainers, and administrators to use psychometrically sound and theoretically congruent tools to evaluate provider skills and fidelity when executing MI. Yet, no prior work has evaluated the breadth of MI tools employed across research contexts. Therefore, this review identified MI fidelity and skill development tools across measurement, training and efficacy/effectiveness studies and evaluated their psychometric strength and fit with current MI theory. We identified 199 empirical studies that employed an MI fidelity/skill tool and we found 21 tools with varying degrees of empirical support and theoretical congruence. Specifically, we identified five observer-, two trainee- and one client-rated tool with strong empirical support, and nine observer- and two client-rated tools with preliminary empirical support. We detailed the empirical strength, including the extent to which tools were linked to trainee/client outcomes across research contexts and offer recommendations on which MI tools to use in training, efficacy, and effectiveness trials.
Topics: Behavior Therapy; Humans; Motivational Interviewing; Psychometrics
PubMed: 32920371
DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2020.101909 -
Implementation Science : IS Aug 2020Implementation research aims to facilitate the timely and routine implementation and sustainment of evidence-based interventions and services. A glaring gap in this... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Implementation research aims to facilitate the timely and routine implementation and sustainment of evidence-based interventions and services. A glaring gap in this endeavour is the capability of researchers, healthcare practitioners and managers to quantitatively evaluate implementation efforts using psychometrically sound instruments. To encourage and support the use of precise and accurate implementation outcome measures, this systematic review aimed to identify and appraise studies that assess the measurement properties of quantitative implementation outcome instruments used in physical healthcare settings.
METHOD
The following data sources were searched from inception to March 2019, with no language restrictions: MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, HMIC, CINAHL and the Cochrane library. Studies that evaluated the measurement properties of implementation outcome instruments in physical healthcare settings were eligible for inclusion. Proctor et al.'s taxonomy of implementation outcomes was used to guide the inclusion of implementation outcomes: acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, adoption, penetration, implementation cost and sustainability. Methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist. Psychometric quality of the included instruments was assessed using the Contemporary Psychometrics checklist (ConPsy). Usability was determined by number of items per instrument.
RESULTS
Fifty-eight publications reporting on the measurement properties of 55 implementation outcome instruments (65 scales) were identified. The majority of instruments assessed acceptability (n = 33), followed by appropriateness (n = 7), adoption (n = 4), feasibility (n = 4), penetration (n = 4) and sustainability (n = 3) of evidence-based practice. The methodological quality of individual scales was low, with few studies rated as 'excellent' for reliability (6/62) and validity (7/63), and both studies that assessed responsiveness rated as 'poor' (2/2). The psychometric quality of the scales was also low, with 12/65 scales scoring 7 or more out of 22, indicating greater psychometric strength. Six scales (6/65) rated as 'excellent' for usability.
CONCLUSION
Investigators assessing implementation outcomes quantitatively should select instruments based on their methodological and psychometric quality to promote consistent and comparable implementation evaluations. Rather than developing ad hoc instruments, we encourage further psychometric testing of instruments with promising methodological and psychometric evidence.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
PROSPERO 2017 CRD42017065348.
Topics: Checklist; Delivery of Health Care; Health Facilities; Humans; Psychometrics; Reproducibility of Results
PubMed: 32811517
DOI: 10.1186/s13012-020-01027-6 -
JAMA Health Forum Apr 2022Psychometrically robust patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) are critical to evaluating quality and performance...
IMPORTANCE
Psychometrically robust patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) are critical to evaluating quality and performance across health services and systems. However, the adoption and implementation of PROMs and PREMs remain a challenge in many countries. The aim of this guide is to support instrument selection and implementation to measure health system performance.
OBSERVATIONS
The guide is split into 3 step-by-step sections. Step 1: Knowing What to Measure discusses what PROMs and PREMs capture and how they differ from related instruments. Step 2: Choosing the Right Instrument describes the critical psychometric properties of validity, reliability, and responsiveness, and provides resources to support instrument selection and evaluation. Step 3: Mitigating Potential PROM and PREM Implementation Barriers outlines key barriers and supports for instrument implementation at system, service, and individual levels.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
This guide aims to provide practical resources for the identification of psychometrically robust PROMs and PREMs, as well as support for their implementation to drive improvements across health systems globally.
Topics: Humans; Patient Reported Outcome Measures; Psychometrics; Reproducibility of Results; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 36218960
DOI: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2022.0326 -
European Journal of Physical and... Oct 2018In the geriatric population, independent mobility is a key factor in determining readiness for discharge following acute hospitalization. The Cumulated Ambulation Score... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
In the geriatric population, independent mobility is a key factor in determining readiness for discharge following acute hospitalization. The Cumulated Ambulation Score (CAS) is a potentially valuable score that allows day-to-day measurements of basic mobility. The CAS was developed and validated in older patients with hip fracture as an early postoperative predictor of short-term outcome, but it is also used to assess geriatric in-patients with acute medical illness. Despite the fast-accumulating literature on the CAS, to date no systematic review synthesizing its psychometric properties has been published. Therefore, we aimed to provide a comprehensive review of the psychometric properties of the CAS, summarizing the present evidence on this measure as a basis for further research to investigate its applicability across a wider range of functional abilities and care settings.
EVIDENCE ACQUISITION
A literature search was conducted on research articles published between 2006 and June 2016 in journals indexed by MEDLINE and Scopus databases using as a search item "Cumulated Ambulation Score"[All Fields], and selecting studies that presented a psychometric analysis of the scale. Of 49 studies identified, 17 examined the psychometric properties of the CAS.
EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS
Most papers dealt with patients after hip fracture surgery, and only 4 studies assessed the CAS psychometric characteristics also in geriatric in-patients with acute medical illness. Two versions of CAS (CAS1 and the more detailed CAS2 version) and two different methods to calculate the total score (1-day and 3-day CAS) were used in the selected papers. Most of the papers assessed reliability and validity, using different statistics, and only one showed evidence of sensitivity to change of the score.
CONCLUSIONS
This systematic review shows international interest of researchers in the CAS, despite the short time frame since its first publication in 2006. The results support the reliability, validity, and sensitivity to change of the tool. Since different versions of CAS are available and two scores are commonly used, we suggest that clinicians and researchers in the future choose the more detailed CAS2 version, already used by the large majority of studies, and report whether they used the 1- or 3-day score.
Topics: Activities of Daily Living; Disability Evaluation; Hip Fractures; Humans; Psychometrics; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Walk Test; Walking
PubMed: 29600687
DOI: 10.23736/S1973-9087.18.04822-0 -
PloS One 2009Heightened body awareness can be adaptive and maladaptive. Improving body awareness has been suggested as an approach for treating patients with conditions such as... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
Heightened body awareness can be adaptive and maladaptive. Improving body awareness has been suggested as an approach for treating patients with conditions such as chronic pain, obesity and post-traumatic stress disorder. We assessed the psychometric quality of selected self-report measures and examined their items for underlying definitions of the construct.
DATA SOURCES
PubMed, PsychINFO, HaPI, Embase, Digital Dissertations Database.
REVIEW METHODS
Abstracts were screened; potentially relevant instruments were obtained and systematically reviewed. Instruments were excluded if they exclusively measured anxiety, covered emotions without related physical sensations, used observer ratings only, or were unobtainable. We restricted our study to the proprioceptive and interoceptive channels of body awareness. The psychometric properties of each scale were rated using a structured evaluation according to the method of McDowell. Following a working definition of the multi-dimensional construct, an inter-disciplinary team systematically examined the items of existing body awareness instruments, identified the dimensions queried and used an iterative qualitative process to refine the dimensions of the construct.
RESULTS
From 1,825 abstracts, 39 instruments were screened. 12 were included for psychometric evaluation. Only two were rated as high standard for reliability, four for validity. Four domains of body awareness with 11 sub-domains emerged. Neither a single nor a compilation of several instruments covered all dimensions. Key domains that might potentially differentiate adaptive and maladaptive aspects of body awareness were missing in the reviewed instruments.
CONCLUSION
Existing self-report instruments do not address important domains of the construct of body awareness, are unable to discern between adaptive and maladaptive aspects of body awareness, or exhibit other psychometric limitations. Restricting the construct to its proprio- and interoceptive channels, we explore the current understanding of the multi-dimensional construct and suggest next steps for further research.
Topics: Humans; Psychometrics; Self-Assessment
PubMed: 19440300
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005614 -
Asian Nursing Research Aug 2022The aim of this paper is to develop a scale for measuring the perinatal bereavement care competence of midwives and assess its psychometric properties. (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
The aim of this paper is to develop a scale for measuring the perinatal bereavement care competence of midwives and assess its psychometric properties.
METHODS
The Perinatal Bereavement Care Competence Scale was developed in four phases. (1) Item generation: 75 items were formulated based on a literature review and interviews with midwives. (2) Delphi expert consultation: 15 experts evaluated whether the items were clear/appropriate/relevant to the questionnaire dimensions, and the items were optimized. (3) Pilot test: The comprehensibility, acceptability, and time required to complete the questionnaire by midwives were assessed. (4) Evaluation of reliability and validity: The scale was validated by initial item analysis, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and internal consistency reliability and test-retest reliability.
RESULTS
The final scale consisted of six dimensions and 25 items: maintaining belief (three items), knowing (four items), being with (six items), preserving dignity (four items), enabling (five items), and self-adjustment (three items). Exploratory factor analysis yielded a six-factor structure that was consistent with the theoretical framework and explained 70.8% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good fit for the six-factor model. Cronbach's α for the scale was 0.931, and the test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.968.
CONCLUSION
The Perinatal Bereavement Care Competence Scale is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring the competence of midwives in caring for bereaved parents who have experienced perinatal loss.
Topics: Bereavement; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Female; Grief; Humans; Midwifery; Perinatal Death; Pregnancy; Professional Competence; Psychometrics; Reproducibility of Results; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 35716897
DOI: 10.1016/j.anr.2022.06.002 -
BMC Health Services Research May 2023Using a validated instrument to measure palliative care (PC) educational needs of health professionals is an important step in understanding how best to educate a...
BACKGROUND
Using a validated instrument to measure palliative care (PC) educational needs of health professionals is an important step in understanding how best to educate a well-versed PC workforce within a national health system. The End-of-life Professional Caregiver Survey (EPCS) was developed to measure U.S. interprofessional PC educational needs and has been validated for use in Brazil and China. As part of a larger research project, this study aimed to culturally adapt and psychometrically test the EPCS among physicians, nurses, and social workers practicing in Jamaica.
METHODS
Face validation involved expert review of the EPCS with recommendations for linguistic item modifications. Content validation was carried out by six Jamaica-based experts who completed a formal content validity index (CVI) for each EPCS item to ascertain relevancy. Health professionals practicing in Jamaica (n = 180) were recruited using convenience and snowball sampling to complete the updated 25-item EPCS (EPCS-J). Internal consistency reliability was assessed using Cronbach's [Formula: see text] coefficient and McDonald's [Formula: see text]. Construct validity was examined through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory factor analysis (EFA).
RESULTS
Content validation led to elimination of three EPCS items based on a CVI < 0.78. Cronbach's [Formula: see text] ranged from 0.83 to 0.91 and McDonald's [Formula: see text] ranged from 0.73 to 0.85 across EPCS-J subscales indicating good internal consistency reliability. The corrected item-total correlation for each EPCS-J item was > 0.30 suggesting good reliability. The CFA demonstrated a three-factor model with acceptable fit indices (RMSEA = 0.08, CFI = 0.88, SRMR = 0.06). The EFA determined a three-factor model had the best model fit, with four items moved into the effective patient care subscale from the other two EPCS-J subscales based on factor loading.
CONCLUSIONS
The psychometric properties of the EPCS-J resulted in acceptable levels of reliability and validity indicating that this instrument is suitable for use in measuring interprofessional PC educational needs in Jamaica.
Topics: Humans; Caregivers; Psychometrics; Reproducibility of Results; Jamaica; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 37193983
DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-09497-2 -
Brain and Behavior Jul 2023Family members of patient in the intensive care unit (ICU) experience a set of problems which are entitled Family Intensive Care Units Syndrome (FICUS). (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Family members of patient in the intensive care unit (ICU) experience a set of problems which are entitled Family Intensive Care Units Syndrome (FICUS).
OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to develop and psychometrically evaluate the FICUS Inventory (FICUSI) in Iran.
METHODS
This sequential exploratory mixed method study was conducted in 2020 in two main phases. In the first phase, FICUSI was developed based on the results of an integrative review and a qualitative study. In the second phase, the psychometric properties of FICUSI, namely, face, content, and construct validity, reliability, responsiveness, interpretability, and scoring, were evaluated. The sample for the construct validity evaluation consisted of 283 ICU family members.
RESULTS
The primary item pool of FICUSI had 144 items and was reduced to 65 items or omitting overlapping and similar items. The scale-level content validity index of FICUSI was 0.89. In the construct validity evaluation through exploratory factor analysis, 31 items with factor loading values more than 0.3 were loaded on two factors (namely psychological symptoms and nonpsychological symptoms) which explained 68.45% of the total variance. The Cronbach's alpha and the test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient of FICUSI were 0.95 and 0.97, respectively.
CONCLUSION
FICUSI is a valid and reliable instrument which can be used in clinical settings and studies for FICUS assessment. Further studies for the cross-cultural adaptation of FICUSI in other contexts are recommended.
RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE
Health care providers in clinical settings can use FICUSI to assess FICUS among the family caregivers of patients in ICU. Health care providers' better understanding of FICUS helps them understand the quality of their own services for the family members of patients in ICU.
Topics: Humans; Psychometrics; Reproducibility of Results; Intensive Care Units; Caregivers; Family; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 37279159
DOI: 10.1002/brb3.3101 -
PloS One 2015Impairments in social functioning are associated with an array of adverse outcomes. Social skills measures are commonly used by health professionals to assess and plan... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Impairments in social functioning are associated with an array of adverse outcomes. Social skills measures are commonly used by health professionals to assess and plan the treatment of social skills difficulties. There is a need to comprehensively evaluate the quality of psychometric properties reported across these measures to guide assessment and treatment planning.
OBJECTIVE
To conduct a systematic review of the literature on the psychometric properties of social skills and behaviours measures for both children and adults.
METHODS
A systematic search was performed using four electronic databases: CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase and Pubmed; the Health and Psychosocial Instruments database; and grey literature using PsycExtra and Google Scholar. The psychometric properties of the social skills measures were evaluated against the COSMIN taxonomy of measurement properties using pre-set psychometric criteria.
RESULTS
Thirty-Six studies and nine manuals were included to assess the psychometric properties of thirteen social skills measures that met the inclusion criteria. Most measures obtained excellent overall methodological quality scores for internal consistency and reliability. However, eight measures did not report measurement error, nine measures did not report cross-cultural validity and eleven measures did not report criterion validity.
CONCLUSIONS
The overall quality of the psychometric properties of most measures was satisfactory. The SSBS-2, HCSBS and PKBS-2 were the three measures with the most robust evidence of sound psychometric quality in at least seven of the eight psychometric properties that were appraised. A universal working definition of social functioning as an overarching construct is recommended. There is a need for ongoing research in the area of the psychometric properties of social skills and behaviours instruments.
Topics: Adult; Child; Humans; Psychometrics; Reproducibility of Results; Social Behavior; Social Skills; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 26151362
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132299