scholarly journals Assessing psychological adjustment and cultural reintegration after military service: development and psychometric evaluation of the post-separation Military-Civilian Adjustment and Reintegration Measure (M-CARM)

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Madeline Romaniuk ◽  
Gina Fisher ◽  
Chloe Kidd ◽  
Philip J. Batterham

Abstract Background The transition out of military service and subsequent reintegration to civilian life has been established as a period associated with an increased risk of psychological adjustment difficulties, psychiatric disorders and suicide risk, yet no tool exists to measure cultural and psychological adjustment following permanent separation from the military. This study describes the two-phase mixed-methods development and validation of the self-report Military-Civilian Adjustment and Reintegration Measure (M-CARM). Methods In Phase I, four focus groups (n = 20) and semi-structured one-on-one interviews (n = 80) enabled thematic analysis and generation of 53 initial items that were reviewed by an expert multidisciplinary panel (n = 12) and piloted for clarity and relevance in an Australian service-veteran sample (n = 11). In Phase II, psychometric properties of the 47 items resulting from Phase I were evaluated with online assessment of a convenience sample of transitioned Australian Defence Force veterans (n = 725). Analyses included exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, as well as evaluation of test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and convergent, divergent and discriminant validity. Results Exploratory factor analysis on a randomized split-half sample (n = 357), resulted in a 21-item, five-factor solution of Purpose and Connection, Help seeking, Beliefs about civilians, Resentment and regret, and Regimentation, explaining 53.22% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analysis (n = 368) verified this factor structure without modification (χ2 = 304.96, df = 160; CFI = .96, TLI = .94, NFI = .91, RMSEA = .05). Strong convergent, divergent and discriminant validity was demonstrated as M-CARM scores significantly correlated with related constructs assessed by standardised clinical measures as well as differentiated groups based on three binary reintegration items, with large effect sizes (d = > 1). Strong test-retest reliability for the total score (n = 186, r = .93) and excellent internal consistency (n = 725, a = .90) were also found. Conclusions Results provide promising evidence the M-CARM is a valid, reliable measure of psychological and cultural reintegration to civilian life, with potential for considerable clinical and research application.

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liyuan Cui ◽  
Yaxin Zhu ◽  
Jinglou Qu ◽  
Liming Tie ◽  
Ziqi Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Critical thinking disposition helps medical students and professionals overcome the effects of personal values and beliefs when exercising clinical judgment. The lack of effective instruments to measure critical thinking disposition in medical students has become an obstacle for training and evaluating students in undergraduate programs in China. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the CTDA test. Methods A total of 278 students participated in this study and responded to the CTDA test. Cronbach’s α coefficient, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, floor effects and ceiling effects were measured to assess the reliability of the questionnaire. Construct validity of the pre-specified three-domain structure of the CTDA was evaluated by explanatory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The convergent validity and discriminant validity were also analyzed. Results Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the entire questionnaire was calculated to be 0.92, all of the domains showed acceptable internal consistency (0.81–0.86), and the test-retest reliability indicated acceptable intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) (0.93, p < 0.01). The EFA and the CFA demonstrated that the three-domain model fitted the data adequately. The test showed satisfactory convergent and discriminant validity. Conclusions The CTDA is a reliable and valid questionnaire to evaluate the disposition of medical students towards critical thinking in China and can reasonably be applied in critical thinking programs and medical education research.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liyuan Cui ◽  
Yaxin Zhu ◽  
Jinglou Qu ◽  
Liming Tie ◽  
Ziqi Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Critical thinking disposition helps medical students and professionals overcome the effects of personal values and beliefs when exercising clinical judgment. The lack of effective instruments to measure critical thinking disposition in medical students has become an obstacle for training and evaluating students in undergraduate programs in China. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the CTDA test.Methods: A total of 278 students participated in this study and responded to the CTDA test. Cronbach’s a coefficient, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, floor effects and ceiling effects were measured to assess the reliability of the questionnaire. Construct validity of the pre-specified three-domain structure of the CTDA was evaluated by explanatory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The convergent validity and discriminant validity were also analyzed.Results: Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the entire questionnaire was calculated to be 0.92, all of the domains showed acceptable internal consistency (0.81-0.86), and the test-retest reliability indicated acceptable intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) (0.93, p<0.01). The EFA and the CFA demonstrated that the three-domain model fitted the data adequately. The test showed satisfactory convergent and discriminant validity.Conclusions: The CTDA is a reliable and valid questionnaire to evaluate the disposition of medical students towards critical thinking in China and can reasonably be applied in critical thinking programs and medical education research.


2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irini S. Parastatidou ◽  
Georgios Doganis ◽  
Yannis Theodorakis ◽  
Symeon P. Vlachopoulos

The study examines the factor structure, internal consistency, concurrent and discriminant validity, and test-retest reliability of the Exercise Dependence Scale-Revised scores (EDS-R: Symons-Downs, Hausenblas, & Niggs, 2004 ) in a sample of Greek exercise participants. The Greek translation of the EDS-R was completed by 581 exercise participants along with measures of exercise addiction. Confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the hypothesized EDS-R correlated 7-factor model along with evidence for strong item loadings and factor discriminant validity. Further evidence emerged in favor of the internal consistency, concurrent validity, and test-retest reliability of the translated EDS-R scores. The results provide initial support for various aspects of the validity and reliability of the translated-into-Greek EDS-R scores.


Author(s):  
Cheng Chen ◽  
Susanne Weyland ◽  
Julian Fritsch ◽  
Alexander Woll ◽  
Claudia Niessner ◽  
...  

Objective: The purposes of this paper were to (a) develop a new short, theory-driven, version of the physical activity enjoyment scale (PACES-S) using content analysis; and (b) subsequently to measure the psychometric properties (construct validity, internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and concurrent validity) of the PACES-S for adolescents. Methods: Six experts used a four-point Likert scale to assess the content validity of each of the 16 items of the physical activity enjoyment scale according to a provided definition of physical activity enjoyment. Based on the results, exploratory factor analysis was used to analyze survey data from a longitudinal study of 182 individuals (Measure 1 of Study 1: 15.75 ± 3.39 yrs; 56.6% boys, 43.4% girls), and confirmatory factor analysis (Measure 2 of Study 1: 15.69 ± 3.44 yrs; 56.3% boys, 43.7% girls) was used to analyze the survey data from a cross-sectional study of 3219 individuals (Study 2; 15.99 ± 3.10 yrs; 47.8% boys, 52.2% girls) to assess the construct validity of the new measure. To assess the reliability, test–retest reliability was assessed in Study 1 and internal consistency in Study 1 and 2. For the concurrent validity, correlations with self-reported and device-based physical activity behavior were assessed in both studies. Results: Four out of sixteen items were selected for PACES-S. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analyses identified and supported its factorial validity (χ2 = 53.62, df = 2, p < 0.001; RMSEA = 0.073; CFI = 0.99; RFI = 0.96; NFI = 0.99; TLI = 0.96; IFI = 0.99). Results showed good test–retest reliability (r = 0.76) and internal consistency (a = 0.82 to 0.88). Regarding concurrent validity, the results showed positive correlations with a physical activity questionnaire (Study 1: r = 0.36), with a physical activity diary (Study 1: r = 0.44), and with accelerometer-recorded data (Study 1: r = 0.32; Study 2: r = 0.21). Conclusions: The results indicate that PACES-S is a reliable and valid instrument that may be particularly useful to measure physical activity enjoyment in large-scale studies. It shows comparable measurement properties as the long version of PACES.


2021 ◽  
pp. 105477382110368
Author(s):  
Kuei-Min Chen ◽  
Meng-Chin Chen ◽  
Hui-Fen Hsu ◽  
Frank Belcastro ◽  
Wei-Yun Chang

This study aimed to verify the factorial structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and discriminant validity of the High-need Community-dwelling Older Adults Screening Scale (HCOASS). A 20-item HCOASS covering five domains was used with a systematic random sample of 818 community-dwelling older adults. After the analyses, the Exploratory Factor Analysis suggested a removal of two items, resulting in 5 domains with 18 items, and the Confirmatory Factor Analysis yielded satisfactory results with Goodness of Fit Index of .98. The HCOASS demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 α = .75) and excellent test-retest reliability (0.94; 95% CI [0.91, 0.97]). The area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.90 (95% CI [0.84, 0.95]) and the optimal cut-off score was 4/5. The HCOASS is a valid and reliable screening tool. It has the potential for consistent and efficient administration to be used by non-healthcare professionals in the community.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuemei Ma ◽  
Yufan Yang ◽  
Qian Wei ◽  
Hong Jiang ◽  
Huijing Shi

Abstract Objectives This study aimed to develop and validate the reproductive health literacy questionnaire for Chinese unmarried youth aged 15–24. Methods We conducted a validity and reliability study of the questionnaire through a cross-sectional survey and test–retest analysis in four districts in Shanghai between April and June 2017. A total of 1587 participants completed a self-administered questionnaire anonymously on-site and the trained investigators conducted quality check afterwards. Sixty participants among them completed the test–retest assessment with 2 weeks interval. The reliability was determined by internal consistency, spilt-half reliability and test–retest reliability. The construct validity was assessed by confirmatory factor analysis. Results The 58-question reproductive health literacy questionnaire for Chinese unmarried youth demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.919), spilt-half reliability (Guttman splitting coefficient = 0.846) and test–retest reliability (correlation coefficient = 0.720). The confirmatory factor analysis showed that the construct of the questionnaire fitted well with the hypothetical model. The reproductive health literacy scores in unmarried girls aged 15–24 were higher than boys (P < 0.05) and college students who lived in rural areas when they were middle and high school obtained lower score than those living in cities and suburbs (P < 0.01). Conclusion The reproductive health literacy questionnaire for Chinese unmarried youth demonstrated good reliability and validity, which could potentially be used as an effective evaluation instrument to assess reproductive health literacy among Chinese young people.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liyuan Cui ◽  
Yaxin Zhu ◽  
Jinglou Qu ◽  
Liming Tie ◽  
Ziqi Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Critical thinking disposition helps medical students and professionals overcome the effects of personal values and beliefs when exercising clinical judgment. The lack of effective instruments to measure critical thinking disposition in medical students has become an obstacle for training and evaluating students in undergraduate programs in China. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the CTDA test.Methods: A total of 278 students participated in this study and responded to the CTDA test. Cronbach’s a coefficient, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, floor effects and ceiling effects were measured to assess the reliability of the questionnaire. Construct validity of the pre-specified three-domain structure of the CTDA was evaluated by explanatory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The convergent validity and discriminant validity were also analyzed.Results: Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the entire questionnaire was calculated to be 0.92, all of the domains showed acceptable internal consistency (0.81-0.86), and the test-retest reliability indicated acceptable intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) (0.93, p<0.01). The EFA and the CFA demonstrated that the three-domain model fitted the data adequately. The test showed satisfactory convergent and discriminant validity.Conclusions: The CTDA is a reliable and valid questionnaire to evaluate the disposition of medical students towards critical thinking in China and can reasonably be applied in critical thinking programs and medical education research.


2021 ◽  
pp. 003022282110162
Author(s):  
Adalberto Campo-Arias ◽  
Andrés Felipe Tirado-Otálvaro ◽  
Isabel Álvarez-Solorza ◽  
Carlos Arturo Cassiani-Miranda

The study aimed to perform confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency, gender differential item functioning, and discriminant validity of the Fear of COVID-5 Scale in emerging adult students of a university in Mexico. Confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega), and gender differential item functioning were estimated (Kendall tau b correlation). The Fear of COVID-5 Scale showed a one-dimension structure (RMSEA = 0.07, CFI = 0.98, TLI = 0.96, and SRMR = 0.02), with high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha of 0.78 and McDonald's omega of 0.81), non-gender differential item functioning (Kendall tau b between 0.07 and 0.10), and significant discriminant validity (Higher scores for fear of COVID-19 were observed in high clinical anxiety levels). In conclusion, the Fear of COVID-5 Scale presents a clear one-dimension structure similar to a previous study.


Hand Therapy ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 175899832110345
Author(s):  
E Lanfranchi ◽  
T Fairplay ◽  
P Arcuri ◽  
M Lando ◽  
F Marinelli ◽  
...  

Introduction Several general hand functional assessment tools for Dupuytren’s disease have been reported, but none of the patient-reported-outcome measures specific to Dupuytren’s disease-associated disabilities are available in the Italian language. The purpose of this study was to culturally adapt the Unité Rhumatologique des Affections de la Main (URAM) into Italian (URAM-I) and determine its measurement properties. Methods Cross-cultural adaptation was performed according to the current guidelines. Construct validity (convergent and divergent validity) was measured by comparing the URAM-I with the Pain-Rated Wrist/Hand Evaluation (PRWHE-I), Short-Form 36 (SF-36-I) scale and finger range of motion, respectively. Factor analysis was used to investigate the URAM-I’s internal structure. Reliability was assessed by internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) and test-retest reliability by Intra-Class Correlation Coefficient (ICC). Results This study included 96 patients (males = 85%, age = 66.8 ± 9.3). Due to the cultural adaptation, we divided the original item #1 into two separate items, thus generating the URAM-I(10). Convergent validity analysis showed a strong positive (r = 0.67), significant (p < 0.01) Pearson’s correlation with the PRWHE-I. Divergent validity analysis showed a weak, negative (r < 0.3) and not significant correlation with the SF-36-I subscales, except for the physical pain subscale (r = −0.21, p < 0.05). Factor analysis revealed a 2-factor, 4-item solution that explained 76% of the total variance. The URAM-I(10) demonstrated high internal consistency (α = 0.94) and high test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.97). Conclusion The URAM-I(10) demonstrates moderate construct validity, high internal consistency and test-retest reliability, and showed a 2-factor internal structure. Its evaluative use can be suggested for the Italian Dupuytren’s population.


2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon Gwin ◽  
Paul Branscum ◽  
E. Laurette Taylor

The purpose of this study was to create a valid and reliable instrument to evaluate theory-basedbeliefs towards physical activity among clergy members. Data were collected from 174 clergy that par-ticipated in a 15-item online and paper-based survey. Psychometric properties of the instrument includedconfirmatory factor analysis (construct validity), and cronbach’s alpha (internal consistency reliability).In addition, the stability (test-retest reliability) of each subscale was evaluated with a sub-sample of 30participants. Results show the instrument was both valid and reliable, and will be useful in future studiestargeting this population. Future implications are discussed.


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