Single-item vs multiple-item measures of stage of change in compliance with prescribed medications

The Stage of Change construct from the Transtheoretical Model of behavioral change has been widely utilized in the assessment of various health behaviors. The majority of these tests measure the Stage of Change construct using the single-item. multiple-choice format. This study validated the use of a single-item measure in measuring readiness to comply with taking a prescribed medication. A sample of 161 subjects tested the multiple-item Stage of Change measure, then a refined multiple-item survey was tested with 59 subjects. With the latter survey, discriminating subjects at the differing stages of change dimensions was difficult. A correlation of .91 was found for stage classifications between ratings on the single-item and multiple-item scales. The use of the single-item measure seems reasonable when assessing stage of change in compliance with prescribed medication.     

The MOS Short-Form General Health Survey: single item vs multiple measures of health-related quality of life: some nuances.

Researchers concluded that Item 2 of the Short-form General Health Survey of the Medical Outcomes Study can be used as a single-item measure of health-related quality of life. This conclusion is tested again on a random sample of elderly people in the Netherlands. Although it can be concluded that the psychometric properties of the short form are satisfactory, the use of the single item as a measure of health-related quality of life is discussed.     

Gender differences in health-related quality of life

In 1986 the life expectancy at birth was 71.3 years for males and 78.3 years for females--providing a 7-year advantage for women. Although women live longer, it has been reported that they paradoxically experience more physical and psychological illnesses. In this article, we estimate the expected well-years or quality-adjusted life years for men and women in the general population. The data were obtained in a random sample of 1,034 residents of San Diego. The well-life expectancy uses standard life expectancies with adjustments for quality of life. The well-life expectancy for men was 59.8 years; for women, it was 62.7 years. Thus, the quality adjustment had significantly more impact on women (15.6 years) than on men (11.5 years). Age-specific estimates of health-related quality of life suggested a male advantage before age 45 and a female advantage after age 45. The benefits of well-years of life as a public health statistic are discussed.     

单题项测量：质疑、回应及建议

研究者关于单题项测量的争论已久。支持者认为单题项测量具有时间和效率上的优势, 而反对者则认为单题项测量的信效度均无法得到保障。通过定性和定量的回顾, 归纳了单题项测量的优缺点, 剖析了以往研究对单题项测量的种种质疑并逐一进行回应。通过系统梳理, 发现单题项测量具有可以接受的信度和效度水平, 且多题项测量的效标关联效度并没有显著优于单题项测量。最后, 指出了单题项测量开发和使用过程中应该注意的事项。尽管多题项测量仍是当前研究界的主流测量方法, 但未来研究者应当更加客观地看待单题项测量。学界应当充分理解单题项测量潜在的优点和适用范围, 从而使单题项测量在管理心理学和社会科学研究中发挥其应有的作用。     

Morningness-eveningness and health-related quality of life among adolescents

Accumulating evidence suggests that evening-type adolescents are exposed to a number of determinants that might have a negative impact on their health condition. Given that few studies have investigated the association between chronotype and quality of life measures in large samples of adolescents, the aim of this study was to assess the relationship between morningness-eveningness and health-related quality of life among 1600 adolescents (aged 12-16 years). Adolescents completed the Ve?u et Santé Per?ue de L'adolescent (VSP-A) and the Morningness-Eveningness Scale for Children (MESC). Girls and older adolescents reported worse health indicators and were more evening oriented. Evening-type adolescents obtained lower scores on vitality, physical and psychological well-being, body image, relations with parents, relations with teachers, school work and global health scale.     

General self-efficacy and health-related quality of life after myocardial infarction

Fatigue after myocardial infarction (MI) has been found to be distressing. A person's self-efficacy will influence his/her health behavior and plays an active role in tackling illness consequences. This study investigated associations between fatigue, disturbed sleep, general self-efficacy, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a sample of 145 respondents admitted to hospital for MI two years earlier. The aim was to identify the predictive value of general self-efficacy and to elucidate mediating factors between self-efficacy and HRQoL. General self-efficacy measured four months after MI was positively related to HRQoL after two years. In tests of indirect effects, fatigue meditated the effects between self-efficacy and the physical and the mental dimension of HRQoL, respectively. The indirect effect of disturbed sleep went through that of fatigue. To conclude, patients who suffer from post-MI fatigue may need support aimed at helping them increase their self-efficacy as well as helping them adapt to sleep hygiene principles and cope with fatigue, both of which will have positive influences on HRQoL.     

Exercise training and health-related quality of life in generalized anxiety disorder

ObjectiveTo quantify the effects of six-weeks of resistance (RET) and aerobic exercise training (AET) on quality of life (QoL) among sedentary women with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).DesignData from our published randomized controlled trial of the effects of six-weeks of either RET or AET among GAD patients were analyzed.MethodThirty women with GAD were randomized to either six weeks of twice-weekly lower-body weightlifting or cycling, or wait-list control (WL). SF-36 subscales assessed dimensions of QoL. Hedges’ d effect sizes (95%CIs) quantified the magnitude of change in response to exercise training compared to WL.ResultsRET significantly improved role-physical (d = 1.04; 95%CI: [0.11–1.97]), role-emotional (d = 0.96; [0.04–1.89]), and mental health (d = 1.05; [0.11–1.98]). AET resulted in significant improvements in physical function (d = 1.31; [0.34–2.27]) and vitality (d = 0.93; [0.01–1.85]).ConclusionsExercise training improves dimensions of QoL among GAD patients. The largest effects were observed for role impairments, physical function, vitality, and mental health.     

Measurement issues in health-related quality of life: Challenges for health psychology

Abstract

Quality of life assessment is a central element of clinical trials and related forms of evaluative research. Early efforts to establish appropriate methods of measuring quality of life drew on psychometric principles and emphasised the need for validated measures. However, it is increasingly clear that, whilst still a central requirement of quality of life measures, validity needs to be emphasised alongside a number of other essential properties that have become clearer as the field has developed. Moreover formal psychometric methodology has to be adapted to take account of the specific needs of evaluative research. Research is beginning to develop more appropriate methods of outcome assessment in this area. Further lines of research are suggested to examine psychometric with other approaches to measurement of health-related quality of life.     

Executive functioning and health-related quality of life in pediatric sickle cell disease

Research consistently indicates that children with sickle cell disease (SCD) face multiple risk factors for neurocognitive impairment. Despite this, no empirical research to date has examined the impact of neurocognitive functioning on quality of life for this pediatric group. Thus, the current study aims to examine the relationship between executive functioning and quality of life in a sample of children with SCD and further explore psychosocial and family/caregiver resources as moderators of this relationship. A total of 45 children with SCD aged 8 to 16 years and their caregivers completed measures of quality of life, behavioral ratings of executive functioning, and psychosocial functioning. Hierarchical linear regression models were utilized to determine the impact of executive functioning on quality of life and further test the interaction effects of proposed moderating variables. Controlling for age, pain, and socioeconomic status (SES), executive functioning was found to significantly predict child- and parent-reported quality of life among youth with SCD. Psychosocial resources of the primary caregiver or family was not found to moderate the relationship between executive functioning and quality of life. These results provide the first empirical evidence that lower executive skills negatively predict quality of life for children with SCD, supporting clinical and research efforts which aim to establish efficacious interventions that target cognitive decrements within this pediatric population.     

Relation of perceived emotional intelligence and health-related quality of life of middle-aged women

This study examined the relationship between perceived emotional intelligence and health-related quality of life in middle-aged women. 99 middle-aged Spanish women, who studied in two adult schools, volunteered to participate. 49 were premenopausal and 45 were postmenopausal. These women completed the Trait Meta-Mood Scale and Health Survey SF-36. Scores were analyzed according to social, physical, and mental health, menopausal status, and scores on perceived emotional intelligence. Then, the data regarding the mental and physical health of the premenopausal and postmenopausal women were compared after controlling for age. No associations between menopausal status and health-related quality of life were found. Perceived skill at mood repair was significantly associated with scores on health-related quality of life in these middle-aged women. These findings provide empirical evidence that aspects of perceived emotional intelligence may account for the health-related quality of life in midlife including social, physical, and psychological symptoms.     

Parental knowledge and adolescent adjustment: substance use and health-related quality of life

This study analyses two models (maternal and paternal) in which parental care and sources of parental knowledge moderated the relationship between parents' knowledge about their adolescents' lives and adolescents' substance use and health-related quality of life. The sample was made up of 15942 Spanish adolescents who participated in the 2006 edition of Health Behavior in School-aged Children Study. Results showed that increased parents' knowledge about their adolescents' lives reduced adolescents' substance use and increased their quality of life. With respect to the moderation relationship, a limited effect was found. However, parental care and sources of parental knowledge used by both parents generally had main effects on adolescents' substance use and health-related quality of life, with care being the most relevant variable in the health-related quality of life, while knowledge was the most relevant one for substance use.     

Recognition of multiple-item probes

In the present study, we contrasted models in whichfamiliarity orstrength is the sole basis for recognition judgments (e.g., Gillund & Shiffrin, 1984) with models incorporating retrieval of specific information in a recall-like process (e.g., Humphreys, 1976, 1978; Humphreys & Bain, 1984). We also examined the possibility that an item’s “strength” is determined in part by the match between the verbal encoding contexts at study and at test. In two experiments, study items were presented in triplets. In Experiment 1 recognition was tested with all possible combinations of one-, two-, or three-item targets and distractors; in addition, three different decision criteria were employed in different lists. Experiment 2 included cued recognition among other test conditions. Recognition performance did not increase as more cues were added to the probe, a finding that is inconsistent with Humphreys’s model and other models of that type. Both studies were well fit by a version of the Search of Associative Memory model for recognition (Gillund & Shiffrin, 1984).     

Cognition,daily living,and health-related quality of life in 85-year-olds in Sweden

ABSTRACT

This study investigates how cognition influences activities of daily living and health-related quality of life in 85-year-olds in Sweden (n?=?373). Data collection included a postal questionnaire comprising demographics and health-related quality of life measured by the EQ-5D. The ability to perform personal activities of daily living (PADL) was assessed during a home visit that included administering the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). Cognitive impairment was shown in 108 individuals (29%). The majority were independent with respect to PADL. A larger number of participants with cognitive impairment reported that they needed assistance in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) compared to the group without cognitive impairment. Impaired cognition was significantly related to problems with IADL. Significant but low correlations were found between cognition and health-related quality of life – higher ratings on perceived quality of life correlated with higher results on the MMSE.     

Generic health-related quality of life amongst patients employing different voice restoration methods following total laryngectomy

Three methods of voice restoration--tracheosophageal speech (TEP), oesophageal speech, electrolarynx--are available following total laryngectomy. TEP produces better voice quality compared with other methods and is assumed to result in better quality of life. Little evidence exists to support the relationship between voice quality and quality of life, however. Advertising this study through several leading laryngectomy charities resulted in the completion of 226 questionnaires (TEP = 147; oesophageal speech = 42; electrolarynx = 37) comprising the Short Form 36 (SF-36) quality of life measure and questions examining perceived voice intelligibility. Additionally, 89 questionnaires comprising only the SF-36 were completed by participants who reported having no serious medical problems, to form a healthy control group. Results indicate that improved voice quality does not result in widespread benefits to quality of life. On only a few dimensions were there differences between voice restoration method: electrolarynx and TEP better than oesophageal speech with respect to pain, TEP better than oesophageal speech with respect to role limitation: physical problems. Additionally whilst widespread differences between voice restoration methods did not occur, all three groups had a worse quality of life compared with the healthy control group. Implications of the results for the selection of voice restoration method to maximize quality of life are discussed.     

Cognition, daily living, and health-related quality of life in 85-year-olds in Sweden

This study investigates how cognition influences activities of daily living and health-related quality of life in 85-year-olds in Sweden (n = 373). Data collection included a postal questionnaire comprising demographics and health-related quality of life measured by the EQ-5D. The ability to perform personal activities of daily living (PADL) was assessed during a home visit that included administering the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). Cognitive impairment was shown in 108 individuals (29%). The majority were independent with respect to PADL. A larger number of participants with cognitive impairment reported that they needed assistance in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) compared to the group without cognitive impairment. Impaired cognition was significantly related to problems with IADL. Significant but low correlations were found between cognition and health-related quality of life - higher ratings on perceived quality of life correlated with higher results on the MMSE.     

Stress, health-related behavior and quality of life on depressive symptomatology in a sample of adolescents.

This study examined the correlations of 21 variables categorized into sociodemographic, subjective quality of life, stress, problem behavior, and health behavior predictors of at-risk and low-risk depressive symptomatology for a sample of 1056 adolescents attending public school. Discriminant function analysis showed lower life satisfaction, higher stress, and perceived unattractiveness as major discriminating variables for at-risk (CES-Depression score greater than 23) versus low-risk depressed adolescents. Only two problem behaviors were significant, smoking for girls and hard drug use for boys.     

Subjective and objective measures of quality of life have different predictors for people with schizophrenia

This study investigated the relationship between subjective and objective quality of life and assessed predictors in people with schizophrenia. The study population consisted of 99 stabilized outpatients with schizophrenia (DSM-IV) who had been regularly receiving outpatient treatment at the Department of Psychiatry, The Tokushima University Hospital. Subjective and objective quality of life were estimated using the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale and the Quality of Life Scale, respectively. Psychiatric symptoms were also measured with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia. Scores on the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale Motivation and Energy scales significantly correlated with the Quality of Life Scale total scores -.40 (p <.001), and with the scores on Interpersonal Relations subscale -.42 (p <.001), Instrumental Role subscale -.28 (p = .005), Intrapsychic Foundations subscale -.39 (p<.001), and Common Objects and Activities subscale -.25 (p =.014). The Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale Psychosocial scale significantly correlated with only the Quality of Life Scale total score -.20 (p =.05), and there was no significant correlation between the scores on the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale Symptoms and Side-effects scales and the Quality of Life Scale. Stepwise regression analyses showed that the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia score was the most important predictor of each scale of the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale, and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale Negative Symptoms score was the most important predictor of the Quality of Life Scale total score and each subscale. These results suggest that subjective and objective quality of life have different predictors and should be considered as separate and complementary outcome variables.     

Impact of outpatient non-myeloablative haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in quality of life vs. conventional therapy

The role of outpatient hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) as a therapeutic tool has been strengthened significantly because of the increasing number of patients undergoing this treatment. Due the very nature of this procedure, one of the aspects that should not be overlooked is the quality of life (QOL) of patients undergoing HSCT. Thus, one must consider not only health status after treatment, but also, the psychosocial implications for the patient. This is an observational, longitudinal, and prospective study to assess QOL in patients undergoing outpatient HSCT vs. similar patients receiving medical treatment (MxTx). By applying the COOP/WONKA charts on five occasions (pre-HSCT/initial, post-HSCT/first month, and at 3, 6, and 9 months), thirty-eight patients were analysed, 19 with HSCT and 19 with MxTx with no differences in age, gender or diagnosis. The initial survey found significant differences only in pain perception, which was higher in the HSCT group (p = .08); at the first month, there was a greater tendency for feelings of depression or anxiety in the HSCT group (p = .016), with more limitations in social (p = .003) and daily (p = .044) activities. From 3 months post-HSCT, the results were very similar. The differences persisted only in the area of social activities. Four patients developed graft-versus-host disease with no significant difference in the scores obtained compared to other transplant patients at 3, 6, and 9 months (p = .26) of follow-up.