The utility of the Mood Disorders Questionnaire as a screening tool in a methadone maintenance treatment program

Objective. Comorbid mental illness amongst methadone maintenance therapy clients may be common and screening may be warranted. The Mood Disorders Questionnaire (MDQ) is a screening tool for bipolar disorder that has been validated in other treatment settings. Its utility for patients with substance use disorders is assessed in this study.

Methods. Clients of a methadone maintenance program were invited to complete the MDQ when they attended a public Drug and Alcohol Service for their regular scheduled appointments. Information about their history of substance use was also collected.

Results. Eighty clients (43 females, 37 males) aged 35 8.0 years (mean SD) participated in the study. Seventy-four clients completed the MDQ of which 36 (48.6%) obtained a positive screen. A check of client fi les suggested that only three of the 74 participants had a current working diagnosis of bipolar disorder. These three participants had screened positive on the MDQ.

Conclusions. There was a high prevalence of manic symptoms reported by participants, suggesting that screening for bipolar disorder in this population may be warranted. However, there is a risk of false positives with the MDQ, as it does not clearly differentiate between symptoms of mania and drug intoxication.

The Renal Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (RTSQ): a measure of satisfaction with treatment for chronic kidney failure.

BACKGROUND: Quality and effectiveness of care can be enhanced through the use of condition-specific measures of satisfaction with treatment. The aim of the present study was to design and develop a measure of satisfaction with treatment for patients with chronic kidney failure (CKF) for use in routine clinical care and clinical trials. The Renal Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (RTSQ) was designed to be suitable for people using any of the various treatment modalities for CKF. Items measure satisfaction with aspects of treatment, including convenience, flexibility, freedom, and satisfaction to continue with present form of treatment.

METHODS: A 12-item RTSQ was investigated at a UK hospital-based renal unit, using data from 140 outpatients undergoing renal replacement therapy (hemodialysis, n = 35; continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, n = 57; transplantation, n = 46).

RESULTS: An 11-item scale was developed from the original 12-item version, with a single factor accounting for 59% of the variance and item loadings greater than 0.58. Scale reliability was excellent (alpha = 0.93) in the full sample and proved robust to analysis in separate treatment subgroups. As expected, RTSQ scores differed significantly ( P < 0.0001) between the transplantation and other treatment groups. Those who had received a transplant expressed greater overall satisfaction, with specific advantages of transplantation shown by all individual items, including convenience, time, lifestyle, freedom, and satisfaction to continue current treatment.

CONCLUSION: The RTSQ provides a brief reliable measure of satisfaction with treatment for patients with CKF that is suitable for use in routine clinical care and clinical trials.

Reliability of the modified child and adolescent physical activity and nutrition survey, physical activity (CAPANS-PA) questionnaire among chinese-australian youth

Background : Evidence suggests that differences exist in physical activity (PA) participation among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) children and adolescents. It is possible that these differences could be influenced by variations in measurement technique and instrument reliability. However, culturally sensitive instruments for examining PA behaviour among CALD populations are lacking. This study tested the reliability of the Child and Adolescent Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey (CAPANS-PA) recall questionnaire among a sample of Chinese-Australian youth.
Methods : The psychometric property of the CAPANS-PA questionnaire was examined among a sample of 77 Chinese-Australian youth (aged 11 - 14 y) who completed the questionnaire twice within 7 days. Test-retest reliability of individual items and scales within the CAPANS-PA questionnaire was determined using Kappa statistics for categorical variables and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for continuous variables.
Results : The CAPANS-PA questionnaire demonstrated acceptable test-retest reliability for frequency and duration of time spent in weekly Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA) (ICC ≥ 0.70) for all participants. Test-retest reliability for time spent in weekly sedentary activities was acceptable for females (ICC = 0.82) and males (ICC = 0.72).
Conclusions : The results suggest the CAPANS-PA questionnaire provides reliable estimates for type, frequency and duration of MVPA participation among Chinese-Australian youth. Further investigation into the reliability of the sedentary items within the CAPANS-PA is required before these items can be used with confidence. This study is novel in that the reliability of instruments among CALD groups nationally and internationally remains sparse and this study contributes to the wider body of available psychometrically tested instruments. In addition, this study is the first to our knowledge to successfully engage and investigate the basic health enhancing behaviours of Chinese-Australian adolescents.

Interparent agreement on the strengths and difficulties questionnaire : a Chinese study

This article reports on the first study to investigate interparent agreement when the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is used to assess school-aged children. It is also the first study conducted in China on agreement between parents reporting on their child. Both parents of 380 girls and 320 boys completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Chinese version). Because reliabilities were poor, the Conduct Problems and Hyperactivity=Inattention subscales were merged to form an Externalizing Problems subscale, and the Peer Problems subscale as an independent variable was omitted from analyses. Consistent with past research, moderate to strong correlations were found between mother and father reports for emotional and behavioral problems, although interparent agreement was better for externalizing problems than internalizing problems for both girls and boys. Mothers reported significantly higher scores than fathers for prosocial behaviors for their sons. Findings suggest that, in general, one parent’s report will be similar to the other’s when the SDQ is used in the form adapted for this study. More work on the psychometric properties of the SDQ is needed in China.

Development and validation of the influenza intensity and impact questionnaire (FluiiQ™)

Clinical trials of new agents to reduce the severity and impact of influenza require accurate assessment of the effect of influenza infection. Because there are limited high-quality adult influenza Patient Reported Outcomes (PRO) measures, the aim was to develop and validate a simple but comprehensive questionnaire for epidemiological research and clinical trials.

Development of a multi-dimensional measure of resilience in adolescents : the adolescent resilience questionnaire

Background: The concept of resilience has captured the imagination of researchers and policy makers over the past two decades. However, despite the ever growing body of resilience research, there is a paucity of relevant, comprehensive measurement tools. In this article, the development of a theoretically based, comprehensive multidimensional measure of resilience in adolescents is described.

Methods: Extensive literature review and focus groups with young people living with chronic illness informed the conceptual development of scales and items. Two sequential rounds of factor and scale analyses were undertaken to revise the conceptually developed scales using data collected from young people living with a chronic illness and a general population sample.

Results: The revised Adolescent Resilience Questionnaire comprises 93 items and 12 scales measuring resilience factors in the domains of self, family, peer, school and community. All scales have acceptable alpha coefficients. Revised scales closely reflect conceptually developed scales.

Conclusions: It is proposed that, with further psychometric testing, this new measure of resilience will provide researchers and clinicians with a comprehensive and developmentally appropriate instrument to measure a young person’s capacity to achieve positive outcomes despite life stressors.

Development and psychometric properties of the Female Sexual Desire Questionnaire (FSDQ)

Introduction.  Sexual desire is often evaluated as part of a global assessment of female sexual function, which may not comprehensively evaluate the various facets of this experience. There currently exists a need to develop a psychometrically robust desire-specific measure for women.

Aim.  The aim of this study was to develop and validate a desire-specific, self-administered instrument that evaluates the multiple facets of sexual desire and factors influencing this experience for partnered heterosexual women, with or without sexual dysfunction.

Methods.  Preliminary items for inclusion in the Female Sexual Desire Questionnaire (FSDQ) were identified through a literature review and individual interviews with partnered heterosexual women, mostly from Australia. The resulting instrument was completed by a validation sample of 741 women, aged between 18 and 71 years, who were involved in a heterosexual relationship of between 3 months' and 49 years' duration.

Main Outcome Measures.  Exploratory factor analysis was used to refine the FSDQ item content and identify the underlying domain structure. The reliability (internal consistency) and validity (convergent validity) of the FSDQ were also evaluated.

Results.  The final version of the FSDQ consisted of 50 items organized into six domains that characterized the experience of, and factors influencing, sexual desire for heterosexual partnered women: Dyadic Desire, Solitary Desire, Resistance, Positive Relationship, Sexual Self-Image, and Concern. Each domain demonstrated high reliability, as did the overall measure. Evidence of construct validity was ascertained through convergence with the Sexual Desire Inventory and the Hurlbert Index of Sexual Desire. A short-form of the FSDQ, consisting of six items, was also developed.

Conclusions.  The FSDQ is a new reliable and valid multidimensional measure designed specifically for evaluating the facets of, and factors influencing, sexual desire among sexually functional and dysfunctional women who are involved in a heterosexual relationship.

Effect of questionnaire length, personalisation and reminder type on response rate to a complex postal survey : randomised controlled trial

Background: Minimising participant non-response in postal surveys helps to maximise the generalisability of the inferences made from the data collected. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of questionnaire length, personalisation and reminder type on postal survey response rate and quality and to compare the costeffectiveness of the alternative survey strategies.
Methods: In a pilot study for a population study of travel behaviour, physical activity and the environment, 1000 participants sampled from the UK edited electoral register were randomly allocated using a 2 × 2 factorial design to receive one of four survey packs: a personally addressed long (24 page) questionnaire pack, a personally addressed short (15 page) questionnaire pack, a non-personally addressed long questionnaire pack or a nonpersonally addressed short questionnaire pack. Those who did not return a questionnaire were stratified by initial randomisation group and further randomised to receive either a full reminder pack or a reminder postcard. The effects of the survey design factors on response were examined using multivariate logistic regression.
Results: An overall response rate of 17% was achieved. Participants who received the short version of the questionnaire were more likely to respond (OR = 1.48, 95% CI 1.06 to 2.07). In those participants who received a reminder, personalisation of the survey pack and reminder also increased the odds of response (OR = 1.44, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.95). Item non-response was relatively low, but was significantly higher in the long questionnaire than the short (9.8% vs 5.8%; p = .04). The cost per additional usable questionnaire returned of issuing the reminder packs was £23.1 compared with £11.3 for the reminder postcards.
Conclusions: In contrast to some previous studies of shorter questionnaires, this trial found that shortening a relatively lengthy questionnaire significantly increased the response. Researchers should consider the trade off between the value of additional questions and a larger sample. If low response rates are expected, personalisation may be an important strategy to apply. Sending a full reminder pack to non-respondents appears a worthwhile, albeit more costly, strategy.

Reliability and validity of the modified Chinese version of the children's leisure activities study survey (CLASS) questionnaire in assessing physical activity among Hong Kong children

This study aimed to examine the reliability and validity of the modified Children’s Leisure Activities Study Survey (CLASS) Chinese-version questionnaire in assessing physical activity among Hong Kong Chinese Children. Test-retest reliability was examined in 84 boys and 136 girls aged 9–12 years by comparing data from two administrations of the survey conducted one week apart. Validity was determined by comparing data from the second administration with accelerometer estimates. The results suggested that the questionnaire provided reliable and valid estimates in overall physical activity patterns in Hong Kong Chinese children. However, substantial overestimation was observed in vigorous activity.

Using the Rose Angina Questionnaire cross-culturally : the importance of consulting lay people when translating epidemiological questionnaires

Objectives. The Rose Angina Questionnaire (RAQ) is an important measure of coronary heart disease prevalence. It has been shown to perform inconsistently across some ethnic groups in Britain. This study investigates whether the best available versions of the RAQ in Punjabi and Cantonese were linguistically equivalent to the English version.

Design. Interviews were carried out with lay people from the Pakistani, Chinese and European-origin communities in Scotland to assess the versions of the RAQ used in the Newcastle Heart Project (the best available versions). For each questionnaire item, participants were asked to elaborate on their understanding of the question and the meaning of keywords or phrases.

Results. Problems were discovered with the Punjabi and Cantonese translations of the RAQ. For example, the translation for ‘chest’ was interpreted by some Pakistani and Chinese women to mean ‘breasts’. ‘Walking uphill’ was translated in Chinese as ‘walking the hill’, without stipulation of the direction, so that some Cantonese speakers interpreted the question as pertaining to walking downhill. Many Chinese interpreted RAQ items to be referring to breathlessness rather than chest pain due to ambiguous wording.

Conclusion. Existing versions of the RAQ are unlikely to be yielding data that are cross-culturally valid or comparable. For robust health survey research in languages other than that in which the questionnaire was developed, lay assessment of questionnaires prior to and after translation is a necessity rather than a luxury.