Exploratory factor analysis and psychometric evaluation of the Teachers Reporting Attitude Scale for Child Sexual Abuse

This paper presents an evaluation of an instrument to measure teachers’ attitudes towards reporting child sexual abuse and discusses the instrument’s merit for research into reporting practice. Based on responses from 444 Australian teachers, the Teachers’ Reporting Attitude Scale for Child Sexual Abuse (TRAS - CSA) was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis. The scale isolated three dimensions: commitment to the reporting role; confidence in the system’s response to reports; and concerns about reporting. These three factors accounted for 37.5% of the variance in the 14-item measure. Alpha coefficients for the subscales were 0.769 (commitment), 0.617 (confidence), and 0.661 (concerns). The findings provide insights into the complexity of studying teachers’ attitudes towards reporting of child sexual abuse, and have implications for future research.

French version of the Family Attitude Scale : psychometric properties and relation of attitudes to the respondent's psychiatric status

The Family Attitude Scale (FAS) is a self-report measure of critical or hostile attitudes and behaviors towards another family member, and demonstrates an ability to predict relapse in psychoses. Data are not currently available on a French version of the scale. The present study developed a French version of the FAS, using a large general population sample to test its internal structure, criterion validity and relationships with the respondents' symptoms and psychiatric diagnoses, and examined the reciprocity of FAS ratings by respondents and their partners. A total of 2072 adults from an urban population undertook a diagnostic interview and completed self-report measures, including an FAS about their partner. A subset of participants had partners who also completed the FAS. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed an excellent fit by a single-factor model, and the FAS demonstrated a strong association with dyadic adjustment. FAS scores of respondents were affected by their anxiety levels and mood, alcohol and anxiety diagnoses, and moderate reciprocity of attitudes and behaviors between the partners was seen. The French version of the FAS has similarly strong psychometric properties to the original English version. Future research should assess the ability of the French FAS to predict relapse of psychiatric disorders.

A pilot trial of mobile, patient-performed teledermoscopy

BACKGROUND Early detection by skin self-examination (SSE) could improve outcomes from melanoma. Mobile teledermoscopy may aid this process. OBJECTIVES To establish clinical accuracy of SSE plus mobile teledermoscopy compared to clinical skin examination (CSE) and test whether providing people with detailed SSE instructions improves accuracy. METHODS Men and women 50-64 years (n=58) performed SSE plus mobile teledermoscopy in their homes between May and November 2013 and were given technical instructions plus detailed SSE instructions (intervention) or technical instructions only (control). Within three months, they underwent a CSE. Outcome measures included: a) body sites examined, lesions photographed, and missed; b) sensitivityof SSE plus mobile teledermoscopy compared to in-person CSE using either patients or lesions as denominator, and; c) concordance of telediagnosis with CSE. RESULTS: 49 of 58 randomised participants completed the study, and submitted 309 lesions to the teledermatologist (156 intervention; 153 control group). Intervention group participants were more likely to submit lesions from their legs compared to control (p=0.03), no other differences between groups in number or site of missed lesions.11 participants (22%) did not photograph 14 pigmented lesions the dermatologist considered worthwhile photographing or requiring clinical monitoring. Sensitivity of SSE plus mobile teledermoscopy was 81.8% (95% confidence interval 64.5-93.0) using the patient as the denominator and 41.9 (27.6-56.2) using the lesion as denominator.-There was substantial agreement between telediagnosis and CSE (Kappa =0.90) accounting for differential diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS SSE plus mobile teledermoscopy is promising for surveillance of particular lesions even without provision of detailed SSE instructions, but in the format tested in this study, consumers may overlook lesions and send many non-pigmented lesions. This investigation demonstrates that high quality dermoscopic images can be taken by patients at home and for those sent, telediagnosis is highly accurate.

Bridging formal and informal learning : a mobile learning attitude scale for higher education

Problem Statement: Over the past decade there has been an increasing global demand towards the integration of mobile technologies for teaching and learning. There has emerged a need for a survey instrument that can form a solid foundation for objective judgment of leaner perspectives as they begin using mobile applications for learning. The Mobile Learning Scale, a seven-item, Likert-type survey instrument, was developed by the authors in response to this need. Items were drawn from the key points developed for a 2011 paper by the authors on mobile learning prospects for informal learning in higher education [13], with many of these points initially developed during group discussions at the 2011 International Summit on ICT in Education hosted at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, France. Approach: In order to access the performance of the instrument, data were gathered from 81 undergraduate and graduate university students during August and September of 2011. Follow-up data were also gathered from 19 undergraduates in February, 2012. Results: Initial indications are the instrument has good reliability (Alpha = .80 - .85) as well as acceptable content, construct, and criterion-related validity when used with its intended audience. Conclusions/Recommendations: The authors conclude that the Mobile Learning Scale v1.0 performs well as a unidimensional scale that is capable of assessing pre-post gains resulting from a mobile learning intervention within a university course. The authors propose that this new instrument should be useful for helping guide educators in the process of meaningful integration of Mobile Applications (Apps) into teaching and learning, inside and outside the classroom.

Introducing a mobile learning attitude scale for higher education

The Mobile Learning Scale v1 .0 consists of seven Likert items drawn from the key points developed for a paper on mobile learning prospects for informal learning in higher education (Khaddage & Knezek, 2011 ). Many of these points had been initially developed during the 2011 International Summit on ICT in Education (UNESCO, Paris, 2011 ), where the first author was Rapporteur for the working group Co-Chaired by the second author. In order to assess the performance of the instrument, data were gathered from 81 undergraduate and graduate university students during August and September of 2011. Data were assessed for strength of agreement on individual items and for internal consistency reliability of the seven item-scale. Initial indications are that the instrument has good reliability for university students (Alpha = .85) and can be useful for assessing attitudes toward mobile learning technologies and applications within the intended audience of higher education learners. Potential uses and plans for future research are discussed.

Broschüren zur Früherkennung von Hautkrebs

In der vorliegenden Studie wurde überprüft, ob Broschüren, die negative Konsequenzen unzureichender Hautselbstuntersuchung (HSU) betonen (Verlustrahmung), besser geeignet sind, die Früherkennung von Hautkrebs zu fördern als Broschüren, die positive Konsequenzen bei richtig durchgeführter HSU schildern (Gewinnrahmung). Geschlecht und die Bewältigungsdispositionen Vigilanz und kognitive Vermeidung wurden als mögliche Moderatorvariablen untersucht. Nach Erfassung von Baseline- und Hintergrundvariablen lasen 180 Teilnehmer jeweils eine der Broschüren, die ihnen per Zufall zugeteilt wurde. Diese variierten in Rahmung (Gewinn/Verlust) und Bedrohungsgrad (gering/hoch), so dass vier unterschiedliche Versionen vorlagen. Rahmung und Bedrohungsgrad wirkten sich in Abhängigkeit von Vigilanz, d.h. der Disposition, bedrohungsbezogene Informationen systematisch zu verarbeiten, auf die Intention aus. Deutlicher war die Wirkung der Rahmung auf die berichtete Häufigkeit von HSU, die zwei Monate nach dem Lesen erneut erfragt worden war. In der Verlustbedingung stieg die berichtete Häufigkeit von HSU bei Personen mit hoher Vigilanz, bei Personen mit niedriger Vigilanz dagegen sank sie. In der Gewinnbedingung profitierten Personen mit niedriger Vigilanz, während Personen mit hoher Vigilanz weniger HSU berichteten als zuvor. Diese Effekte korrespondierten zwar mit Änderungen der eigenen Risikowahrnehmung, der Erinnerungsleistung und der Beschäftigung mit dem Studienthema, jedoch ließ sich für keine dieser Variablen eine vermittelnde Wirkung nachweisen. Einstellung und Anforderung von Informationsmaterialien blieben unbeeinflusst.

Validity assessment of the Breast Cancer Risk Reduction Health Belief scale.

BACKGROUND: : Women at increased risk of breast cancer (BC) are not widely accepting of chemopreventive interventions, and ethnic minorities are underrepresented in related trials. Furthermore, there is no validated instrument to assess the health-seeking behavior of these women with respect to these interventions. METHODS: : By using constructs from the Health Belief Model, the authors developed and refined, based on pilot data, the Breast Cancer Risk Reduction Health Belief (BCRRHB) scale using a population of 265 women at increased risk of BC who were largely medically underserved, of low socioeconomic status (SES), and ethnic minorities. Construct validity was assessed using principal components analysis with oblique rotation to extract factors, and generate and interpret summary scales. Internal consistency was determined using Cronbach alpha coefficients. RESULTS: : Test-retest reliability for the pilot and final data was calculated to be r = 0.85. Principal components analysis yielded 16 components that explained 64% of the total variance, with communalities ranging from 0.50-0.75. Cronbach alpha coefficients for the extracted factors ranged from 0.45-0.77. CONCLUSIONS: : Evidence suggests that the BCRRHB yields reliable and valid data that allows for the identification of barriers and enhancing factors associated with use of breast cancer chemoprevention in the study population. These findings allow for tailoring treatment plans and intervention strategies to the individual. Future research is needed to validate the scale for use in other female populations. Cancer 2009. (c) 2009 American Cancer Society.

Human growth hormone presented by K14hGH-transgenic skin grafts induces a strong immune response but no graft rejection

Although immune responses leading to rejection of transplantable tumours have been well studied, requirements for epithelial tumour rejection are unclear. Here, we use human growth hormone (hGH) expressed in epithelial cells (skin keratinocytes) as a model neo-self antigen to investigate the consequences of antigen presentation from epithelial cells. Mice transgenic for hGH driven from the keratin 14 promoter express hGH in skin keratinocytes. This hGH-transgenic skin is not rejected by syngeneic non-transgenic recipients, although an antibody response to hGH develops in grafted animals. Systemic immunization of graft recipients with hGH peptides, or local administration of stimulatory anti-CD40 antibody, induces temporary macroscopic graft inflammation, and an obvious dermal infiltrate of inflammatory cells, but not graft rejection. These results suggest that a neo-self antigen expressed in somatic cells in skin can induce an immune response that can be enhanced further by induction of specific immunity systemically or non-specific immunity locally. However, immune responses do not always lead to rejection, despite induction of local inflammatory changes. Therefore, in vitro immune responses and in vivo delayed type hypersensitivity are not surrogate markers for immune responses effective against epithelial cells expressing neoantigens.

Adaptation and validation into Portuguese language of the HIV Antibody Testing Attitude Scale

Objective. To culturally adapt and validate a version in European Portuguese language of the HIV Antibody Testing Attitude Scale. Methods. Study conducting a methodological investigation for the adaptation and validation of an attitude measurement instrument. The instrument translation and back-translation were performed. Then, a pre-test was conducted. The study used a sample of 317 subjects from the academic community - students, professors and other professionals - who were contacted in the campus. Ethical principles were observed. Results. Three analyses were conducted using the method of principal component analysis (PCA) with five, four and three factors. A three-factor solution was achieved, which presents 50.82% variance. In the analysis of inter-item correlation, values between -0.018 and 0.749 were observed. Internal consistency shows Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of 0.860 overall and between 0.865 and 0.659 in the three factors. Conclusion. The instrument version shows psychometric properties that allow its use in Portuguese-speaking countries.

Neonatal palliative care attitude scale : development of an instrument to measure the barriers to and facilitators of palliative care in neonatal nursing

OBJECTIVE The aim of this research project was to obtain an understanding of the barriers to and facilitators of providing palliative care in neonatal nursing. This article reports the first phase of this research: to develop and administer an instrument to measure the attitudes of neonatal nurses to palliative care. METHODS The instrument developed for this research (the Neonatal Palliative Care Attitude Scale) underwent face and content validity testing with an expert panel and was pilot tested to establish temporal stability. It was then administered to a population sample of 1285 neonatal nurses in Australian NICUs, with a response rate of 50% (N 645). Exploratory factor-analysis techniques were conducted to identify scales and subscales of the instrument. RESULTS Data-reduction techniques using principal components analysis were used. Using the criteria of eigenvalues being 1, the items in the Neonatal Palliative Care Attitude Scale extracted 6 factors, which accounted for 48.1% of the variance among the items. By further examining the questions within each factor and the Cronbach’s of items loading on each factor, factors were accepted or rejected. This resulted in acceptance of 3 factors indicating the barriers to and facilitators of palliative care practice. The constructs represented by these factors indicated barriers to and facilitators of palliative care practice relating to (1) the organization in which the nurse practices, (2) the available resources to support a palliative model of care, and (3) the technological imperatives and parental demands. CONCLUSIONS The subscales identified by this analysis identified items that measured both barriers to and facilitators of palliative care practice in neonatal nursing. While establishing preliminary reliability of the instrument by using exploratory factor-analysis techniques, further testing of this instrument with different samples of neonatal nurses is necessary using a confirmatory factor-analysis approach.

Examination of social demographic status, disease status, health behaviours and quality of life in older Australians using the theory of planned behaviour model

The increase of life expectancy worldwide during the last three decades has increased age-related disability leading to the risk of loss of quality of life. How to improve quality of life including physical health and mental health for older people and optimize their life potential has become an important health issue. This study used the Theory of Planned Behaviour Model to examine factors influencing health behaviours, and the relationship with quality of life. A cross-sectional mailed survey of 1300 Australians over 50 years was conducted at the beginning of 2009, with 730 completed questionnaires returned (response rate 63%). Preliminary analysis reveals that physiological changes of old age, especially increasing waist circumference and co morbidity was closely related to health status, especially worse physical health summary score. Physical activity was the least adherent behaviour among the respondents compared to eating healthy food and taking medication regularly as prescribed. Increasing number of older people living alone with co morbidity of disease may be the barriers that influence their attitude and self control toward physical activity. A multidisciplinary and integrated approach including hospital and non hospital care is required to provide appropriate services and facilities toward older people.

Development, implementation and evaluation of a cancer survivor self-management care plan

Aim There is a growing population of people with cancer who experience physiological and psychological effects that persist long after treatment is complete. Interventions that enhance survivors’ self-management abilities might help offset these effects. The aim of this pilot study was to develop, implement and evaluate interventions tailored to assist patients to manage post-treatment health issues effectively. Method In this pre-post intervention cohort study, participants were recruited on completion of cancer treatment. Participants recruited preimplementation, who received usual care, comprised the control group. Participants recruited later formed the intervention group. In the intervention group, the Cancer Care Coordinator developed an individualised, structured Cancer Survivor Self-management Care Plan. Participants were interviewed on completion of treatment (baseline) and at three months. Assessments concerned health needs (CaSUN), self-efficacy in adjusting and coping with cancer and health-related quality of life (FACIT-B or FACT-C). The impact of the intervention was determined by independent t-tests of change scores. Results The intervention (n = 32) and control groups (n = 35) were comparable on demographic and clinical characteristics. Sample mean age was 54 + 10 years. Cancer diagnoses were breast (82%) and colorectal (18%). Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) indicated improvement in the intervention group for: (a) functional well-being, from the FACIT, (Control: M = −0.69, SE = 0.91; Intervention: M = 3.04, SE = 1.13); and (b) self-efficacy in maintaining social relationships, (Control: M = −0.333, SE = 0.33; Intervention: M = 0.621, SE = 0.27). No significant differences were found in health needs, other subscales of quality of life, the extent and number of strategies used in coping and adjusting to cancer and in other domains of self-efficacy. Conclusions While the results should be interpreted with caution, due to the non-randomised nature of the study and the small sample size, they indicate the potential benefits of tailored self-management interventions warrant further investigation in this context.

不同类型量表的线上调查和传统纸笔调查的比较研究

During the past 11 years, with the rapid development of the Internet, more and more psychologists began to realize and take advantage of it, which led to a growing number of psychological test administrated on the internet for data collection. But there were some controversy about the reliability and representatively of this new method. To examine the applicability of the Online Survey and how different types of scales used on the internet, we first reversed the measurement instrument, then from three different levels to investigate the equivalence of online survey and paper-and-pencil assessment, namely, sample level, scale level and item level. Both Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory were used to analyze the invariance of different types of scale applicability on the internet. The main conclusions of this study could be drawn as follows: 1. In the sample-based study, self-select sample of the online survey was compared to the random sampled sample of paper-and-pencil assessment. The results showed there were no gender difference between them (p>0.05), but the online survey sample was characterized with high qualifications, high-income and younger features (88% of the sample with post-secondary education or above, and 71% aged 20 -29 years). There were significant differences on the scores of all scales between online survey and paper-and-pencil assessment (p<0.01). With demographic controlled, there was no significant difference on the variable of Neurotic between different surveys (p>0.05). 2. With in-group design, it was proved equivalence of the scale of BI (Attitude toward Brand Importance), BT (Attitude toword Brand Switcher), Extraversion, and Conscientiousbess in the compared study in the reliability, construct validity and average scores. 3. On the item level, the results based on the Item Response Theory analysis showed that 2PLM is appropriate for personality and attitude scales. With regard to personality scale, there emerged some items with DIF in the dimensions of Openness to the experience subscale and Agreeable subscale. However, there were no significant differences about the test function. 4. Exploring the psychometrics properties of answer formats of five-, six-, seven-, ten-points, it was showed that different measurement validity between online survey and paper-and-pencil test. It was also described the lower reliability and validity of six-point scale. In conclusion, the results support the application of personality scale online, but for attitude scale, we need to choose prudently.

The impact of education on the use of breat self- examination among Canadian women

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the level of education that Canadian women have and their use of breast self-examination (BSE). The secondary objective of this study was to do some exploratory research to measure how the demographic characteristics of these women, and the behaviours that they chose to participate in, might be associated to their use of BSE. This exploratory research was done to gain a better understanding of what kinds of lifestyle and behavioural factors are associated with the use of BSE, and how these factors impact on the relationship that education has on women's use of BSE. The data for the women in the sample were taken from the 1990 Population Health Survey, conducted by Statistics Canada. This survey included questions related to both the demographic characteristics of this population, and their behavioural choices in regards to various healthy lifestyle factors. Education was found to be significantly related to the use of BSE. Many of the demographic variables (age, income, marital status and language) were also found to be significantly related to the use of BSE. The behavioural variables (tobacco use, alcohol use) did not reflect such a strong relationship.

Comparaison du format papier-crayon et du format électronique de la Self-Report Psychopathy Scale de Levenson

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal