scholarly journals The Acute Stress Scale in healthcare professionals caring for patients with COVID-19. Validation study. (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  

BACKGROUND Clinical uncertainty, the shortage of equipment and the difficulties in maintaining the supply chain, constant changes in instructions, the interruption of all non-delayable care, the increased perception of self-risk and the experience of isolation of admitted patients has affected healthcare workers mental health. During the first outbreak, the exceptionality and urgency of the situation demanded measures and a specific screening tool to support healthcare workers identifying their stress levels that affected their wellbeing. OBJECTIVE This study designed and validated in the first days of the outbreak in Spain a scale to measure acute stress experienced by healthcare workforce during the care of patients with COVID-19 (EASE scale). METHODS Item development, scale development, and scale evaluation were considered. Qualitative research was conducted to produce reactive items, assure their legibility, and content assess content validity. Internal consistency was calculated using Cronbach's Alpha and McDonald's Omega. Confirmatory Factorial Analysis, and Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test were used to assess construct validity. Lineal Regression was applied to assess criterion validity. Back translation methodology was used to adapt the scale into Portuguese, and English. RESULTS A total of 228 health professionals from the Spanish public health system responded to the ten items, of the EASE scale. Internal consistency was 0.87 (McDonald’s Omega). Goodness-of-fit indices confirmed a two factors structure, explaining 55% of the variance. As expected, the highest level of stress was found among professionals working in health services who accumulated a higher number of deaths from COVID-19 (P<.05). CONCLUSIONS EASE gathers adequate metric properties regarding consistency and construct validity. Its systematic use would allow the identification of professionals with a higher risk of developing affective/anxiety disorders and Moral injury that could limit that patients received safety and integrated care.

Author(s):  
José Joaquín Mira ◽  
Angel Cobos ◽  
Olga Martínez García ◽  
Maria Jose Bueno Domínguez ◽  
María Pilar Astier-Peña ◽  
...  

Abstract Backgroud: This study designed and validated a scale to measure acute stress experienced during the care of patients with COVID-19 (EASE scale). Methods: The COSMIN recommendations were followed in the design and validation of the EASE scale. Internal consistency was calculated using Cronbach's Alpha and McDonald's Omega. Qualitative research was conducted to assess content validity. Exploratory and Confirmatory Factorial Analysis were used to assess construct validity. Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test and Lineal Regression were applied to assess criterion validity. Responsiveness and interpretability were also assessed.Results: A total of 228 health professionals from the Spanish public health system responded to the ten items, of the EASE scale. Internal consistency was 0.87 (McDonald’s Omega). Two factors explaining 55% of the variance were isolated. Goodness-of-fit indices confirmed this factor structure. The highest level of stress was found among professionals working in health services who accumulated a higher number of deaths from COVID-19 (P<.05). By means of translation-counter-translation, it was adapted to Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and English.Conclusions: EASE gathers adequate metric properties. Its systematic use would allow the identification of professionals with a higher risk of developing affective/anxiety disorders and Moral injury that could limited that patients received safety and integrated care.


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Neves ◽  
João Graveto ◽  
Victor Rodrigues ◽  
João Marôco ◽  
Pedro Parreira

ABSTRACT Objective: to evaluate the psychometric qualities of the Portuguese version of the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire for the nursing context, through confirmatory analysis and invariance, aiming to evaluate the reliability, internal consistency, construct validity and external validity of the instrument. Method: confirmatory factor analysis of the Portuguese version of the questionnaire was carried out with a sample of 850 nurses, in hospital context. The analysis was complemented using specification search. Goodness of fit was evaluated through different indices. Reliability, internal consistency and construct validity were estimated. The invariance of the model was evaluated in two subsamples of the same sample, in order to confirm the external validity of the factorial solution. Results: the refined model demonstrated good overall fit (χ2/df=6.37; CFI=0.91; GFI=0.92; RMSEA=0.08; MECVI=0.62). The factorial structure was stable (λ:Δχ2(14)=18.31; p=0;193; Intercepts: Δχ2(14)=22.29; p=0.073; Covariance: Δχ2(3)=6.01; p=0.111; Residuals: Δχ2(15)=22.44; p=0.097). Conclusion: the simplified model of the questionnaire demonstrated adequate goodness of fit, representing a stable factorial solution. The instrument was fit to monitor and evaluate the organizational commitment of Portuguese nurses.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Paço ◽  
A Rodrigues ◽  
C Oliveira ◽  
D Carvalho ◽  
J Ferreira ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Achilles tendinopathy is considered one of the most frequent injuries in individuals who practice regular physical activity, thus the existence of an instrument that allows the evaluation of the degree of severity of the lesion is important. The VISA-A was developed for English-speaking population to evaluate patients with this condition, and there is a need to adapt this tool to Portuguese (Portugal). Objectives To cross-cultural adapt and validate the VISA-A questionnaire for Portuguese-speaking (Portugal) Achilles tendinopathy patients. Methodology The VISA-A questionnaire was translated and cross-culturally adapted into Portuguese (VISA-A-Por) according to specific guidelines, using six steps: Translation, synthesis, back translation, expert committee review, pretesting (n = 10), and appraisal of the adaptation process. The resulting VISA-A-Por was then subjected to an analysis of the psychometric properties (construct validity, reproducibility [agreement and reliability], internal consistency and floor and ceiling effects) in 57 Achilles tendinopathy patients and 58 asymptomatic people. Participants completed the questionnaire at baseline and after a minimum interval of 48 hours. Results The Visa-A-Por semantic and content validity was considered good by the expert committee and has construct validity shown by the differences between groups (p &lt; 0,001). The questionnaire presented good internal consistency, with a Cronbach α of 0,88. Concerning reproducibility, agreement levels were considered optimal which can be verified in the Bland Altman graph, the standard error measurement (6,49) and the minimally important change (17,99 points), as well as the excellent ICC value (0,88). No ceiling-floor effect was found. Conclusion The VISA-A-Por questionnaire has been shown to be equivalent to the original questionnaire, which indicates that it is a valid and reliable measure for the evaluation of the severity and functional impact of patellar tendinopathy in Portuguese-speaking (Portugal) patients.


2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 624-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panayiotis Antoniou ◽  
Mohan Lu

During the last 25 years researchers have proposed a number of conceptual frameworks to measure the various functions of instructional leadership. One of the most frequently used frameworks is the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS). Despite the great number of studies employing the PIMRS, evidence for its reliability and validity is relatively limited. In addition, we still don’t know much about the extent to which this instrument could be used in diverse demographic and cultural educational settings. This study explores the content, face, and construct validity, reliability and internal consistency of the PIMRS in the Chinese educational system. A total number of 311 teachers from five middle schools in the Haidian District of Beijing participated in the study. The data were analysed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). On an overall basis the results provided support for the face, content, and construct validity, reliability and internal consistency of the PIMRS. However, six out of the 50 items had to be removed to reach satisfactory fit indices. Implications of the findings in relation to the importance of evaluating the measuring properties of research instruments are discussed and, finally, suggestions for future studies are provided.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaana Helena Suni ◽  
Tarja Virkkunen ◽  
Pauliina Husu ◽  
Kari Tokola ◽  
Jari Parkkari ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Healthcare workers have increased risk for chronic low back pain (LBP) leading to reduced workability. Depression, a highly prevalent, costly and disabling condition, is commonly seen in patients with sub-acute LBP. This study investigated the psychometric properties and content-validity of a modified 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9-mFIN) in female healthcare workers with sub-acute LBP. Methods: Reliability (internal consistency, test-retest repeatability) was assessed with standard methods. Construct validity of the PHQ-9-mFIN was assessed as level of depression (PHQ-9-mFIN: 0-4 none, 5-9 mild, ≥10 at least moderate) against RAND-36 Health Survey, a valid measure of health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Content validity was determined as the strength of the association between the levels of PHQ-9-mFIN and the selected biopsychosocial factors. Results: The internal consistency of the PHQ-9-mFIN was high (Cronbach’s α=0.82) and the test-retest repeatability scores (n=65) fair: Pearson’s correlation 0.76, Kappa-value 0.42 for the diagnostic criterion (i.e. scores 0-9 vs. 10-27). Construct validity (Spearman correlation) against the Physical and Mental component items and their summary scales of the RAND 36 were much higher for the Mental (range -0.43 to -0.70 and -0.68) than for the Physical (range -0.06 to -0.41 and -0.24), respectively. There was a clear stepwise association (p<0.001) between the levels of depressive symptoms and General health (physical component, range 59.1 to 78.8). The associations with all items of the Mental components were strong and graded (p<0.001). All participants had low scores for Bodily pain regardless of the level of depressive symptoms. There was a strong association (p≤0.003) between levels of PHQ-9-mFIN and multisite pain, lumbar exertion and recovery after work days, neuromuscular fitness in Modified push-ups, workability, and fear of pain related to work. Conclusions: The PHQ-9-mFIN showed adequate reliability, and excellent construct and content validity among female healthcare workers with recurrent LBP and physically strenuous work. Trial registration: NCT01465698


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyedeh Fatemeh Ghaffari ◽  
Hamid Sharif Nia ◽  
Forouzan Elyasi ◽  
Zohre Mohammadpoorsaravimozafar ◽  
Zohreh Shahhosseini

Abstract Background: Fear of childbirth is reported in 13% of fathers, and it may have adverse consequences for the health of fathers as well as their families. Due to the lack of a valid and reliable questionnaire to measure fathers' fear of childbirth, this study was conducted to develop the Fathers' Fear of Childbirth Scale and evaluate its psychometric properties. Methods: This mixed method study was conducted in two phases. In the qualitative phase (or item generation), semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 expectant fathers, and a literature review was performed to generate the Fathers' Fear of Childbirth Scale items pool. In the quantitative phase (or psychometric evaluation), reliability as well as face, content, and construct validity of this scale were evaluated. To establish construct validity, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed. Reliability was evaluated through internal consistency and composite reliability measures. Results: The primary version of Fathers' Fear of Childbirth Scale contained 32 items, which were reduced to 17 items while establishing construct validity. Exploratory factor analysis extracted two factors, namely fear of childbirth process (12 items) and fear of hospital (5 items). These factors explained 50.82% of the total variance. Goodness of fit indices within the confirmatory factor analysis was acceptable. Internal consistency and composite reliability indices of all the factors were greater than 0.70. Conclusion: The Fathers' Fear of Childbirth Scale has a suitable validity and reliability for assessing fear of childbirth in fathers. It is a simple report instrument that can be easily implemented by health care professionals.


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 566-578
Author(s):  
Marzieh Hatef ◽  
Hamid Sharif Nia ◽  
Christopher Boyle ◽  
Vida Shafipour

Background and Purpose: In order to effectively evaluate self-efficacy, a valid and reliable instrument is clearly required. This study was conducted to assess the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale (ESES) in hemodialysis patients. Methods: There were 404 patients who completed the ESES. The face, content, and construct validity were evaluated. The reliability of the scale was measured using internal consistency and construct reliability. Results: Construct validity determined one factor. The total variance was calculated at 48.13%. The confirmatory factor for the goodness-of-fit indices was χ2[(27, N = 202) = 106.70]. All the indices confirmed that the final model was a good fit. The convergent and divergent validity of the scale were regarded as being acceptable. The reliability of the scale was calculated as being over 0.7. Conclusions: Considering the established acceptability of the psychometric properties of the ESES, the Persian version of the scale can be reliably used for measuring self-efficacy in hemodialysis patients.


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eun Nam Lee ◽  
Jang Mi Kim

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the Suicide Opinion Questionnaire to measure Korean nurses’ attitudes toward suicide attempters.Methods: The questionnaire data were collected from 191 nurses who worked in emergency rooms, emergency wards and psychiatry wards. The internal consistency reliability and construct validity were evaluated using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis.Results: The Cronbach’s α values regarding internal consistency were 0.51-0.79 for the subscales of the Korean version of the Suicide Opinion Questionnaire. The factor loadings of 18 items on the 6 subscales ranged from 0.54 to 0.84. The 6 subscale model was validated by a confirmatory factor analysis. The goodness-of-fit indexes were verified to be χ2/df = 1.56, root mean square residual = 0.04, goodness of fit index = 0.91, adjusted goodness of fit index = 0.86, Tucker-Lewis index = 0.9, comparative fit index = 0.92 and root mean squared error of approximation = 0.05.Conclusion: The findings indicated relatively satisfactory construct validity for the Korean version of the Suicide Opinion Questionnaire, whereas the reliability was not high. The current study indicates that the questionnaire should be used with caution when measuring nurses’ attitudes toward suicide attempters.


2021 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Thiago Ferreira de Sousa ◽  
Sueyla Ferreira da Silva dos Santos ◽  
Silvio Aparecido Fonseca ◽  
Gerleison Ribeiro Barros ◽  
Mauro Virgílio Gomes de Barros ◽  
...  

Os objetivos do estudo foram estimar o nível de confiabilidade e validade fatorial da escala “Perfil do Estilo de Vida Individual” em tempos de distanciamento social, por meio da análise fatorial confirmatória (AFC). Para tanto, a escala “Perfil do Estilo de Vida Individual” em tempos de distanciamento social foi empregada em um estudo realizado com amostras de estudantes e servidores de instituições de ensino superior de diferentes regiões brasileiras. A amostra final correspondeu a 4.694 adultos que responderam o formulário on-line. Para a avaliação de constructo foi realizada a análise de consistência interna via Alfa de Cronbach’s (a) e correlação de Spearman. Empregou-se a AFC para testar a estrutura fatorial hipotética da escala. A consistência interna geral foi de a de 0,778 e houve correlações significativas, porém, inferiores a ± 0,799 para os itens dos mesmos constructos e ± 0,499 entre os itens de constructos diferentes. Na AFC, após ajustes na estrutura do modelo, ocorreu a adequação para todos os indicadores (Goodness-of-fit Index: 0,976; Comparative Fit Index: 0,937; Normalized Fit Indices: 0,932; Tucker-Lewis Indices: 0,914; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation: 0,047; Root Mean-Square Residual: 0,031; Standardized Root Mean-Square Residual: 0,0337), com a exceção para os valores de p do Qui-quadrado e razão entre Qui-quadrado e graus de liberdade. Conclui-se que a escala “Perfil do Estilo de Vida Individual” em tempos de distanciamento social, mostrou consistência interna e estrutura fatorial satisfatórias para orientar a avaliação do estilo de vida (individual ou de grupos) e as intervenções para promover estilos de vida saudáveis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-104
Author(s):  
Younhee Kang ◽  
Sook Jung Kang ◽  
In-Suk Yang ◽  
Haeok Lee ◽  
Joyce Fitzpatrick

Purpose: To determine psychometric properties of the Caring Behaviors Inventory-24 (CBI-24) among Korean clinical nurses.Methods: A methodological design was used. Data were collected from 408 clinical nurses. Construct validity analysis was performed, including factorial, convergent, and discriminant validity. Internal consistency was tested by Cronbach’s ⍺ coefficients, inter-item correlation, and corrected item-total correlation.Results: Exploratory factor analysis produced three factors: ‘empathy and supporting’, ‘knowledge and skills’, and ‘providing comfort’. In confirmatory factor analysis results, model fit indices were acceptable (x<sup>2</sup>/df=3.50, RMR=.05, RMSEA=.08, CFI=.90). The values obtained for the AVE ranged from .53 to .68, and for the CR ranged from .53 to .68. Convergent validity coefficients were noticeably greater in magnitude than discriminant validity coefficients: .53 (AVE<sub>1</sub> value) and .68 (AVE<sub>2</sub> value)≥.45 (r<sub>12</sub><sup>2</sup> value) and .68 (AVE<sub>2</sub> value) and .63 (AVE<sub>3</sub> value)≥.61 (r<sub>23</sub><sup>2</sup> value). Internal consistency (Cronbach’s ⍺) of CBI-K was .95.Conclusion: The CBI-K was shown to have acceptable construct validity and good internal consistency. Study findings imply that CBI-K could be a useful instrument for clinical administrators and nursing researchers to assess caring behaviors among Korean clinical nurses. Utilization of CBI-K might contribute to the building of empirical knowledge and the understanding of caring behaviors from nurses’ perspectives.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document