Screening for occupational asthma by using a self-administered questionnaire in a clinical setting

OBJECTIVE: Because of its high prevalence, early screening for occupational asthma (OA) is crucial. We aimed to evaluate the screening performance of the Occupational Asthma Screening Questionnaire-11 items (OASQ-11) in a clinical setting. METHODS: Between January 2009 and December 2011, 169 workers referred for potential OA to our hospital completed the OASQ-11 and underwent workups to determine the final diagnosis. The discriminative abilities of the OASQ-11 as a whole and in relation to demographic and exposure parameters were determined by the area under the receiving operator characteristic curve (AUC). RESULTS: Model 1, consisting of the OASQ's items, showed fair discrimination (AUC, 0.69; 95% confidence interval, 0.58 to 0.80). Addition of age and exposure duration to model 1 improved discrimination (AUC, 0.80; confidence interval, 0.72 to 0.88). CONCLUSION: A simple model consisting of the OASQ-11's items, age, and exposure duration could well discriminate subjects with OA in a clinical setting.

Detecting and measuring deprivation in primary care: development, validity and reliability of a self-reported questionnaire - the DiPCare-Q

Background: General practitioners play a central role in taking deprivation into consideration when caring for patients in primary care. Validated questions to identify deprivation in primary-care practices are still lacking. For both clinical and research purposes, this study therefore aims to develop and validate a standardized instrument measuring both material and social deprivation at an individual level. Methods: The Deprivation in Primary Care Questionnaire (DiPCare-Q) was developed using qualitative and quantitative approaches between 2008 and 2011. A systematic review identified 199 questions related to deprivation. Using judgmental item quality, these were reduced to 38 questions. Two focus groups (primary-care physicians, and primary-care researchers), structured interviews (10 laymen), and think aloud interviews (eight cleaning staff) assured face validity. Item response theory analysis was then used to derive the DiPCare-Q index using data obtained from a random sample of 200 patients who were to complete the questionnaire a second time over the phone. For construct and criterion validity, the final 16 questions were administered to a random sample of 1,898 patients attending one of 47 different private primary-care practices in western Switzerland (validation set) along with questions on subjective social status (subjective SES ladder), education, source of income, welfare status, and subjective poverty. Results: Deprivation was defined in three distinct dimensions (table); material deprivation (eight items), social deprivation (five items) and health deprivation (three items). Item consistency was high in both the derivation (KR20 = 0.827) and the validation set (KR20 = 0.778). The DiPCare-Q index was reliable (ICC = 0.847). For construct validity, we showed the DiPCare-Q index to be correlated to patients' estimation of their position on the subjective SES ladder (rs = 0.539). This position was correlated to both material and social deprivation independently suggesting two separate mechanisms enhancing the feeling of deprivation. Conclusion: The DiPCare-Q is a rapid, reliable and validated instrument useful for measuring both material and social deprivation in primary care. Questions from the DiPCare-Q are easy to use when investigating patients' social history and could improve clinicians' ability to detect underlying social distress related to deprivation.

Versión breve en español del Team Climate Inventory (TCI-14) : desarrollo y propiedades psicométricas.

Resumen tomado de la publicación

Estilos de pensamiento, evaluaci??n del aprendizaje y rendimiento acad??mico en la ESO

El objetivo principal es verificar emp??ricamente la teor??a tri??rquica de la inteligencia y la teor??a del autogobierno mental de Sternberg y su relaci??n con el aprendizaje y logro acad??mico en los alumnos de ESO, ofreciendo al mismo tiempo un modelo explicativo de la relaci??n entre estas variables y otras de tipo motivacional y afectivo como las metas de aprendizaje y las expectativas de logro para realizar con ??xito los aprendizajes escolares derivadas del autoconcepto acad??mico. Otros objetivos ser??an: 1. buscar evidencia emp??rica del constructo estilos de pensamiento, en alumnos y en profesores, mediante el an??lisis de las respuestas a los instrumentos Thinking Styles Questionnaire para alumnos (TSQS) y para profesores (TSQT) elaborados por Sternberg. 2. Analizar la relaci??n entre los 3 tipos de inteligencia descritos en la teor??a tri??rquica de Stenberg y las distintas clases de estilos de autogobierno mental, as?? como el grado en que habilidades y estilos determinan diferencialmente el logro acad??mico del estudiante. 3. Explorar mediante el procedimiento de An??lisis Cluster la hip??tesis de los estilos compuestos y, en caso de su existencia, indagar sobre su relevancia en la explicaci??n del rendimiento acad??mico. 4. Contrastar la hip??tesis que predice la relevancia de que los estilos de profesor y alumnos coincidan en el sentido de que ello redundar?? en beneficio para el alumno. 5. Analizar la relaci??n que existe entre estilos de pensamiento de los alumnos y tipos de evaluaci??n descritos en p??ginas precedentes. 6. Estudiar la caracter??sticas de los estilos de autogobierno de los estudiantes, teniendo en cuenta la interacci??n con otras variables. 7. Explorar qu?? caracter??sticas motivacionales son caracter??sticas de cada uno de los estilos de pensamiento del alumno. 2698 estudiantes de ESO de distintas zonas de Asturias y 135 profesores de estos estudiantes, durante el curso acad??mico 1999-2000. Entre los meses de noviembre de 1998 y febrero de 1999 se lleva a cabo un estudio piloto con el fin de recopilar informaci??n importante sobre cuestiones relativas a los instrumentos de evaluaci??n necesaria para la planificaci??n del estudio final. En ??ste, realizado a lo largo del curso acad??mico 1999-2000 se le aplican a los estudiantes cuatro pruebas: inteligencia (Stenberg Triarchic Abilities Test), estilos intelectuales (Thinking Styles Questionnaire for Students), competencia percibida para la realizaci??n de los aprendizajes escolares (Escala de Evaluaci??n del Autoconcepto en adolescentes) y metas acad??micas (Cuestionario de Metas Acad??micas en la ESO), mientras que los profesores cumplimentan un cuestionario de evaluaci??n de los estilos intelectuales para profesores. Finalizado el curso acad??mico se han realizado entrevistas con la direcci??n de los centros educativos y con los profesores implicados para obtener las notas del rendimiento de los alumnos, as?? como informaci??n sobre los procedimientos de evaluaci??n utilizados por el profesorado. Stenberg Triarchic Abilities Test (STAT), para medir las habilidades intelectuales seg??n la teor??a tri??rquica de Sternberg. Thinking Styles Questionnaire for Students (TSQS) para evaluar los estilos de autogobierno de los alumnos. Thinking Styles Questionnaire for Teachers (TSQT), eval??a los estilos de pensamiento del profesor. Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI), para la evaluaci??n de estrategias. Inventario de Procesos Metacognitivos (IPM), escala de evaluaci??n de los procesos metacognitivos. Cuestionario de Metas Acad??micas (CMA), eval??a las diferencias individuales en cuanto a los motivos por los cuales los alumnos se esfuerzan en sus estudios. Self Description Questionnaire (SDQ-II), permite la evaluaci??n de las diversas dimensiones del autoconcepto de los alumnos en la etapa de la adolescencia. Pruebas de rendimiento, muestra c??mo los profesores eval??an los conocimientos de sus alumnos. Se realizan los siguientes an??lisis estad??sticos: An??lisis de fiabilidad de todos los instrumentos de evaluaci??n. An??lisis factoriales de tipo exploratorio y confirmatorio con el fin de estudiar la validez del constructo. An??lisis de las correlaciones entre las distintas variables para investigar sobre la relaci??n entre ??mbitos de las habilidades. An??lisis de Cluster de tipo jer??rquico para obtener informaci??n sobre posibles estilos intelectuales compuestos. An??lisis de covarianza (ANCOVA) para obtener informaci??n sobre el efecto de ciertas variables independientes (estilos de pensamiento y capacidades cognitivas) sobre una variable dependiente (el rendimiento en un tipo de prueba de evaluaci??n). An??lisis de regresi??n m??ltiple para complementar la informaci??n obtenida de los an??lisis de las correlaciones. An??lisis de modelos de ecuaciones estructurales, para el estudio de la causalidad. Se apoyan los supuestos b??sicos del modelo de Robert Sternberg tanto respecto a la teor??a tri??rquica de la inteligencia como a la teor??a del autogobierno del pensamiento, tanto en alumnos como en profesores. Tambi??n aporta informaci??n relevante para la formulaci??n de hip??tesis que implican nuevas dimensiones de este modelo. Se demuestra la vinculaci??n significativa del constructo 'estilos intelectuales' con la 'determinaci??n de una meta personal' en el estudio y con la 'capacidad percibida' para este tipo de trabajo en la explicaci??n del rendimiento acad??mico de los alumnos.

Measuring experiential avoidance and psychological inflexibility : The Spanish version of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire - II

Resumen tomado de la publicaci??n

Psychometric evaluation of the Self-Appraisal Questionnaire in a Spanish sample of offenders

Resumen tomado de la publicaci??n

An evaluation of the CID perceived self-competence questionnaire

This paper discusses self-esteem and hearing impaired children based on the results of a questionnaire administered to students at CID.

Estadísticas de energía eléctrica de México, 1966: vol. II: versión preliminar

Incluye Bibliografía

Current approach to the haemodynamic management of septic shock patients in European intensive care units: a cross-sectional, self-reported questionnaire-based survey

The aim of this survey was to investigate clinicians' current approach to the haemodynamic management and resuscitation endpoints in septic shock.

Assessment of smoking behaviour in the dental setting. A study comparing self-reported questionnaire data and exhaled carbon monoxide levels

The present study validated the accuracy of data from a self-reported questionnaire on smoking behaviour with the use of exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) level measurements in two groups of patients. Group 1 included patients referred to an oral medicine unit, whereas group 2 was recruited from the daily outpatient service. All patients filled in a standardized questionnaire regarding their current and former smoking habits. Additionally, exhaled CO levels were measured using a monitor. A total of 121 patients were included in group 1, and 116 patients were included in group 2. The mean value of exhaled CO was 7.6 ppm in the first group and 9.2 ppm in the second group. The mean CO values did not statistically significantly differ between the two groups. The two exhaled CO level measurements taken for each patient exhibited very good correlation (Spearman's coefficient of 0.9857). Smokers had a mean difference of exhaled CO values of 13.95 ppm (p < 0.001) compared to non-smokers adjusted for the first or second group. The consumption of one additional pack year resulted in an increase in CO values of 0.16 ppm (p = 0.003). The consumption of one additional cigarette per day elevated the CO measurements by 0.88 ppm (p < 0.001). Based on these results, the correlations between the self-reported smoking habits and exhaled CO values are robust and highly reproducible. CO monitors may offer a non-invasive method to objectively assess current smoking behaviour and to monitor tobacco use cessation attempts in the dental setting.

Predicting the risk of hospital admission in older persons--validation of a brief self-administered questionnaire in three European countries

OBJECTIVES: To validate the Probability of Repeated Admission (Pra) questionnaire, a widely used self-administered tool for predicting future healthcare use in older persons, in three European healthcare systems. DESIGN: Prospective study with 1-year follow-up. SETTING: Hamburg, Germany; London, United Kingdom; Canton of Solothurn, Switzerland. PARTICIPANTS: Nine thousand seven hundred thirteen independently living community-dwelling people aged 65 and older. MEASUREMENTS: Self-administered eight-item Pra questionnaire at baseline. Self-reported number of hospital admissions and physician visits during 1 year of follow-up. RESULTS: In the combined sample, areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) were 0.64 (95% confidence interval (CI)=0.62-0.66) for the prediction of one or more hospital admissions and 0.68 (95% CI=0.66-0.69) for the prediction of more than six physician visits during the following year. AUCs were similar between sites. In comparison, prediction models based on a person's age and sex alone exhibited poor predictive validity (AUC or= 0.5) were 2.3 times as likely (95% CI=2.1-2.6) as low-risk individuals to have a hospital admission, and 2.1 times as likely (95% CI=2.0-2.2) to have more than six physician visits. CONCLUSION: The Pra instrument exhibits good validity for predicting future health service use on a population level in different healthcare settings. Administrative data have shown similar predictive validity, but in practice, such data are often not available. The Pra is likely of high interest to governments and health insurance companies worldwide as a basis for programs aimed at health risk management in older persons.

Assessment of smoking behaviour in a dental setting: a 1-year follow-up study using self-reported questionnaire data and exhaled carbon monoxide levels.

OBJECTIVES This study analyses the changes in smoking habits over the course of 1 year in a group of patients referred to an oral medicine unit. MATERIALS AND METHODS Smoking history and behaviour were analysed at baseline and after 1 year based on a self-reported questionnaire and on exhaled carbon monoxide levels [in parts per million (ppm)]. During the initial examination, all smokers underwent tobacco use prevention and cessation counselling. RESULTS Of the initial group of 121 patients, 98 were examined at the follow-up visit. At the baseline examination, 33 patients (33.67 %) indicated that they were current smokers. One year later, 14 patients (42.24 % out of the 33 smokers of the initial examination) indicated that they had attempted to stop smoking at least once over the follow-up period and 15.15 % (5 patients) had quit smoking. The mean number of cigarettes smoked per day by current smokers decreased from 13.10 to 12.18 (p = 0.04). The exhaled CO level measurements showed very good correlation with a Spearman's coefficient 0.9880 for the initial visit, and 0.9909 for the follow-up examination. For current smokers, the consumption of one additional cigarette per day elevated the CO measurements by 0.77 ppm (p < 0.0001) at the baseline examination and by 0.84 ppm (p < 0.0001) at the 1-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS In oral health care, where smoking cessation is an important aspect of the treatment strategy, the measurement of exhaled carbon monoxide shows a very good correlation with a self-reported smoking habit. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Measurement of exhaled carbon monoxide is a non-invasive, simple and objective measurement technique for documenting and monitoring smoking cessation and reduction.

Drinking refusal self-efficacy questionnaire-revised (DRSEQ-R): a new factor structure with confirmatory factor analysis

The drinking refusal self-efficacy questionnaire (DRSEQ: Young, R.M., Oei, T.P.S., 1996. Drinking expectancy profile: test manual. Behaviour Research and Therapy Centre, University of Queensland, Australia Young, R.M., Oei, T.P.S., Crook, G.M., 1991. Development of a drinking refusal self-efficacy questionnaire. J. Psychopathol. Behav. Assess., 13, 1-15) assesses a person's belief in their ability to resist alcohol. The DRSEQ is a sound psychometric instrument based on exploratory factor analyses, but has not been subjected to confirmatory factor analysis. In total 2773 participants were used to confirm the factor structure of the DRSEQ. Initial analyses revealed that the original structure was not confirmed in the current study. Subsequent analyses resulted in a revised factor structure (DRSEQ-R) being confirmed in community, student and clinical samples. The DRSEQ-R was also found to have good construct and concurrent validity. The factor structure of the DRSEQ-R is more stable than the original structure of the DRSEQ and the revised scale has considerable potential in future alcohol-related research. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.