Validation of the Brazilian versions of two inventories for measuring oral health-related quality of life of edentulous subjects

'Objectives: To analyse the validity of the Brazilian versions of OHIP-EDENT and GOHAI as assessment tools of edentulous subjects' OHRQoL. Background: Inventories for measuring oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) are important in clinical studies regarding oral rehabilitation. However, there is a need for comprehensive validation after translation into different cultural settings. Materials and methods: The sample comprised of 100 complete denture wearers (29 men, 71 women, mean age of 65.2 +/- 9.9 years). The associations between each OHRQoL inventory and other variables served as measurements of construct validity. Data analysis comprised the Spearman correlation test as well as multiple regression using the OHRQoL inventories as dependent variables and the other scales as determinants. Results: Both OHRQoL inventories showed good correlation with denture satisfaction, whereas lower correlation coefficients were found among the inventories and the HAD subscales. Denture satisfaction alone explained 48% and 39% of the variance found for the OHIP-EDENT and GOHAI, respectively, as assessed by multiple regression. A smaller effect was found for OHIP-EDENT. Conclusion: Both OHIP-EDENT and GOHAI showed good construct validity for measurement of OHRQoL of edentulous subjects.

Relationship Between Regional Brain Volumes and Cognitive Performance in the Healthy Aging: An MRI Study Using Voxel-Based Morphometry

The presence of cognitive impairment is a frequent complaint among elderly individuals in the general population. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between aging-related regional gray matter (rGM) volume changes and cognitive performance in healthy elderly adults. Morphometric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures were acquired in a community-based sample of 170 cognitively-preserved subjects (66 to 75 years). This sample was drawn from the "Sao Paulo Ageing and Health" study, an epidemiological study aimed at investigating the prevalence and risk factors for Alzheimer's disease in a low income region of the city of Sao Paulo. All subjects underwent cognitive testing using a cross-culturally battery validated by the Research Group on Dementia 10/66 as well as the SKT (applied on the day of MRI scanning). Blood genotyping was performed to determine the frequency of the three apolipoprotein E allele variants (APOE epsilon 2/epsilon 3/epsilon 4) in the sample. Voxelwise linear correlation analyses between rGM volumes and cognitive test scores were performed using voxel-based morphometry, including chronological age as covariate. There were significant direct correlations between worse overall cognitive performance and rGM reductions in the right orbitofrontal cortex and parahippocampal gyrus, and also between verbal fluency scores and bilateral parahippocampal gyral volume (p < 0.05, familywise-error corrected for multiple comparisons using small volume correction). When analyses were repeated adding the presence of the APOE epsilon 4 allele as confounding covariate or excluding a minority of APOE epsilon 2 carriers, all findings retained significance. These results indicate that rGM volumes are relevant biomarkers of cognitive deficits in healthy aging individuals, most notably involving temporolimbic regions and the orbitofrontal cortex.

Validation of the Short-Version of Rose Angina Questionnaire in Brazil

Background: Stable angina pectoris is a serious condition with few epidemiological studies in Brazil. Objective: To validate the short-version of the Rose angina questionnaire in Brazilian Portuguese for its implementation in surveys and longitudinal studies. Methods: A total of 116 consecutive patients from an outpatient clinic without prior myocardial infarction and/or coronary revascularization were enrolled for application of three questions of the Rose angina questionnaire addressing chest pain after exertion. We used the treadmill test as the gold standard with the Ellestad protocol. Results: The short-version of the Rose angina questionnaire of the 116 subjects submitted to the exercise treadmill test disclosed 89.7% of accuracy, 25% of sensitivity, 92.0% of specificity, 10.0% of positive predictive value, 97.2% of negative predictive value, and 3.1 of positive likelihood ratio and 0.82 of negative likelihood ratio. Conclusion: The Portuguese version with three items of the Rose angina questionnaire is suitable for epidemiological purposes. (Arq Bras Cardiol 2012; 99(5): 1056-1059)

TRANSLATION AND VALIDATION OF THE KNEE SOCIETY SCORE - KSS FOR BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE

Objective: To translate, culturally adapt and validate the "Knee Society Score"(KSS) for the Portuguese language and determine its measurement properties, reproducibility and validity. Method: We analyzed 70 patients of both sexes, aged between 55 and 85 years, in a cross-sectional clinical trial, with diagnosis of primary osteoarthritis,undergoing total knee arthroplasty surgery. We assessed the patients with the English version of the KSS questionnaire and after 30 minutes with the Portuguese version of the KSS questionnaire, done by a different evaluator. All the patients were assessed preoperatively, and again at three, and six months postoperatively. Results: There was no statistical difference, using Cronbach's alpha index and the Bland-Altman graphical analysis, for the knees core during the preoperative period (p=1), and at three months (p=0.991) and six months postoperatively (p=0.985). There was no statistical difference for knee function score for all three periods (p=1.0). Conclusion: The Brazilian version of the Knee Society Score is easy to apply, as well providing as a valid and reliable instrument for measuring the knee score and function of Brazilian patients undergoing TKA. Level of Evidence: Level I - Diagnostic Studies Investigating a Diagnostic Test- Testing of previously developed diagnostic criteria on consecutive patients (with universally applied 'gold' reference standard).

Validation of a FFQ for estimating omega-3, omega-6 and trans fatty acid intake during pregnancy using mature breast milk and food recalls

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: To assess the performance of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for estimating omega-3, omega-6 and trans fatty acid intake during pregnancy. Moreover, we determined whether the fatty acid composition of mature breast milk represents a valuable biomarker for fatty acid intake during pregnancy. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A prospective study in 41 pregnant women, aged 18-35 years, was conducted. Food intake during pregnancy was evaluated by three 24-h recalls (24 hR), and 2 FFQ. The fatty acid composition of mature breast milk was determined by gas chromatography. The method of triads and joint classification between quartiles of intake were applied. RESULTS: The FFQ was accurate for estimating docosahexanoic (DHA), linoleic and total omega-6 fatty acids according to validity coefficients. Higher agreements (>70%) into the same or adjacent quartiles between the dietary methods were found for alpha-linolenic, total omega-3, linoleic and trans fatty acid intake. High validity coefficients for eicosapentanoic (EPA) and DHA acids of human milk were found (0.61 and 0.73, respectively), and the method was adequate for categorizing the intake of alpha-linolenic, total omega-3 and trans fatty acids compared with FFQ estimates, and for arachidonic acid and trans fatty acids compared with food recall estimates, during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: The FFQ was an accurate tool for categorizing alpha-linolenic, total omega-3 and trans fatty acid intake. According to the validity coefficients observed, the FFQ accurately estimated DHA, linoleic and total omega-6 fatty acids and the composition of mature breast milk was shown to be a suitable biomarker for EPA and DHA fatty acid intake during pregnancy.

Short Assessment of Health Literacy for Portuguese-Speaking Adults

OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a short health literacy assessment tool for Portuguese-speaking adults. METHODS: The Short Assessment of Health Literacy for Portuguese-speaking Adults is an assessment tool which consists of 50 items that assess an individual's ability to correctly pronounce and understand common medical terms. We evaluated the instrument's psychometric properties in a convenience sample of 226 Brazilian older adults. Construct validity was assessed by correlating the tool scores with years of schooling, self-reported literacy, and global cognitive functioning. Discrimination validity was assessed by testing the tool's accuracy in detecting inadequate health literacy, defined as failure to fully understand standard medical prescriptions. RESULTS: Moderate to high correlations were found in the assessment of construct validity (Spearman's coefficients ranging from 0.63 to 0.76). The instrument showed adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.93) and adequate test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.95). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for detection of inadequate health literacy was 0.82. A version consisting of 18 items was tested and showed similar psychometric properties. CONCLUSIONS: The instrument developed showed good validity and reliability in a sample of Brazilian older adults. It can be used in research and clinical settings for screening inadequate health literacy.

Short Assessment of Health Literacy for Portuguese-speaking Adults

OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a short health literacy assessment tool for Portuguese-speaking adults. METHODS: The Short Assessment of Health Literacy for Portuguese-speaking Adults is an assessment tool which consists of 50 items that assess an individual's ability to correctly pronounce and understand common medical terms. We evaluated the instrument's psychometric properties in a convenience sample of 226 Brazilian older adults. Construct validity was assessed by correlating the tool scores with years of schooling, self-reported literacy, and global cognitive functioning. Discrimination validity was assessed by testing the tool's accuracy in detecting inadequate health literacy, defined as failure to fully understand standard medical prescriptions. RESULTS: Moderate to high correlations were found in the assessment of construct validity (Spearman's coefficients ranging from 0.63 to 0.76). The instrument showed adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.93) and adequate test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.95). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for detection of inadequate health literacy was 0.82. A version consisting of 18 items was tested and showed similar psychometric properties. CONCLUSIONS: The instrument developed showed good validity and reliability in a sample of Brazilian older adults. It can be used in research and clinical settings for screening inadequate health literacy.