scholarly journals Validity and reproducibility of two semi-quantitative alcohol frequency questionnaires for the Colombian population

2006 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 763-770 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oscar F Herrán ◽  
María F Ardila

AbstractObjectiveTo determine the relative validity and reproducibility of two alcohol intake frequency questionnaires (AFQ-A; AFQ-B), designed to classify subjects according to their alcohol intake level, in Bucaramanga, Colombia.MethodOne hundred and nine randomly selected subjects, aged between 20 and 60 years, completed three 30-day semi-quantitative alcohol intake records (30-DR). The AFQs were applied three months after the last 30-DR. AFQ-A contained 53 items; AFQ-B contained five items, with the alcoholic drinks for AFQ-B selected by Max_r. The correlation and agreement between alcohol intake assessed with the AFQs and the 30-DR were obtained using Pearson's correlation coefficient (r), Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (pC), Spearman's rank correlation coefficient(rS), Bland and Altman's limits of agreement (LOA) and Cohen's weighted kappa statistic (Kw).ResultsThe reproducibility of the 30-DR was poor; rS ranged from 0.33 to 0.41. The reproducibility of the AFQs was higher, with rS between 0.50 and 0.73. The agreement(Kw) of the 30-DR and the AFQs was 0.40. The lower and upper LOA were between 56.4% and 11.0%. The AFQs and 30-DR were well correlated. Assessment of relative validity between the two methods yielded r values for alcohol between 0.52 Alcohol consumption and 0.60, which reduced to 0.20–0.29 after energy adjustment.ConclusionsThese AFQs may be useful to rank subjects according to their alcohol Max_r intake. The AFQ-B is easy and quick to apply, and is also highly cost-effective.

BMC Nutrition ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Salvesen ◽  
E. R. Hillesund ◽  
F. N. Vik ◽  
A. L. Brantsæter ◽  
N. C. Øverby

Abstract Background The importance of diet and nutrition during preconception age is a window of opportunity to promote future parental and transgenerational health. As a sub-study to a large Norwegian study, ‘Diet today – health of tomorrow’, a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was developed to assess diet during the preconception phase in young adults aged 20 – 30 years and in this paper we report the reproducibility and relative validity of this questionnaire. Methods The FFQ was developed from an existing FFQ validated in adolescents. Participants were recruited on social media and at a university. Reproducibility was assessed by comparing the test and retest of the FFQ. Relative validity was assessed by comparing intake measured by the FFQ with a 7-day weighed food record. Energy, nutrients and food intake were used to assess the reproducibility and relative validity of the FFQ. The study applied the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, percentage of agreement and Cohen’s Kappa to assess reproducibility and validity. Results There were 32 participants recruited to the study, of which 21 participants completed both the test-retest reproducibility and the relative validation. The test-retest reproducibility had a median correlation coefficient of 0.85 for energy and nutrients, a median Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient of 0.75 and a median Cohen’s Kappa of 0.51 for food groups. The relative validity of the FFQ had a median correlation coefficient of 0.59 for energy and nutrients, a median Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient of 0.54 and a median Cohen’s Kappa of 0.28 for food groups. Conclusion This newly developed FFQ for preconception diet in young adults had a satisfactory test-retest reproducibility and fair relative validity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 58-68
Author(s):  
T. Chernykh ◽  
V. Mulyk ◽  
K. Mulyk ◽  
А. Skaliy ◽  
А. Ostrowski ◽  
...  

Purpose: to determine the relationship between the performance of basic elements and indicators of static and dynamic balance in the training process of young acrobats 6-7 years. Material and methods. The study involved 16 young acrobats at the stage of initial training (age 6-7 years). All parents of the participants gave written consent for the participation of children in the study. The study involved testing the technique of performing basic elements of sports acrobatics and assessing the static and dynamic balance of young athletes. The relationship between (swallow, shoulder blade, forward squat, wheel (sideways overturning), bridges) and static and dynamic equilibrium tests was determined. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient method was used as a method of statistical analysis. Results. It is established that the largest relationship between the performance of basic elements and static balance in the basic exercises of young acrobats have: Romberg's test with the elements "Swallow", "Stand on the shoulders", "Bridge"; Biryuk test with elements "Swallow", "Wheel", "Bridge"; balance "Swallow" with elements "Swallow", "Wheel"; static equilibrium test with the elements "Swallow", "Rack on the shoulders", "Rolling forward with a squat", "Wheel". Reliable values ​​of the correlation coefficient were established between the tests of dynamic balance and the basic elements of sports acrobatics in young athletes 6-7 years, namely: "Swallow", "Flip forward with a squat", "Wheel" and "Bridge". The analysis of special tests of static and dynamic balance in mastering the basic elements of acrobatics at the first stage of long-term training makes it possible to use them to determine the level of coordination capabilities of young athletes and further improve the use of acrobatic exercises. Conclusions. A reliable relationship between the performance of basic exercises and indicators of static and dynamic balance in young acrobats at the initial stage of training. It is shown that the level of static and dynamic balance is of great importance for the assimilation and improvement of basic elements of technology by young acrobats 6-7 years. Static and dynamic balance tests can be used to individually build training programs and young acrobats. It is shown that sports acrobatics is a significant means of developing the balance of children 6-7 years.


2022 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 32-38
Author(s):  
A. S. Putneva ◽  
T. M. Karavaeva ◽  
M. V. Maksimenya ◽  
P. P. Tereshkov ◽  
M. N. Mishchenko ◽  
...  

Aim. To determine the saliva level of immunoregulatory proteins in patients with rampant caries and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) deficiency and evaluate the association of their concentration with 25(OH)D plasma level.Materials and methods. The study was performed in two groups. The experimental group included 15 patients aged 20–22 years with rampant caries and the 25(OH)D plasma level of < 20 ng / ml. The control group encompassed 15 healthy age-matched volunteers with the 25(OH)D plasma level of 20–100 ng / ml. The concentrations of B7.2 (CD86), free active TGF-β1, CTLA-4, PD-1, Tim-3, LAG-3, IGFBP-4, and ICAM-1 were assessed using flow cytometry. The levels of LL-37 and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) were measured using ELISA. The Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to reveal a correlation between the indicated proteins and the 25(OH)D plasma level.Results. A decrease in B7.2 (CD86), PD-1, Tim-3, sIgA, and LL-37 and elevation of IGFBP-4 and ICAM-1 saliva levels were detected in patients with rampant caries and 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency. A positive Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was revealed between plasma 25(OH)D and saliva levels of free active TGF-β1, CTLA4, B7.2 (CD86), LL-37, and sIgA. A negative correlation was revealed between 25(OH)Dand ICAM-1.Conclusion. 25(OH)D deficiency in patients with rampant caries is associated with decreased levels of B7.2 (CD86), PD-1, Tim-3, sIgA, and LL-37 and elevated levels of IGFBP-4 and ICAM-1 in the saliva. 


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Xuan Zhao ◽  
Wei Lin ◽  
Jiawei Li ◽  
Yunhui Chen ◽  
Anamica Patel ◽  
...  

Dosage is essential for studying the compatibility and effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine. Danggui and Chuanxiong are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for ailments and treatment of various disorders. 628 traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions containing Danggui and Chuanxiong were extracted from the self-built prescription database and screened for the three groups of prescriptions, i.e., irregular menstruation, sores, and stroke. We processed and tested the dosage of Danggui and Chuanxiong and selected the optimal copula function, Gumbel copula function, from the Archimedes function family and elliptical copula function family to establish the data model. To establish the presence of a correlation between the dose of Danggui and Chuanxiong, a graph of the joint distribution function of rank correlation coefficients, Kendall’s rank correlation coefficient and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, was used. Our results suggest that the model using the Gumbel copula function better reflects the correlation between the dose of Danggui and Chuanxiong. For irregular menstruation, sores, and strokes, Kendall’s rank correlation coefficients were 0.6724, 0.5930, and 0.7757, respectively, and Spearman’s correlation coefficients were 0.8536, 0.7812, and 0.9285, respectively. In all three prescription groups, the dose of Danggui and Chuanxiong was positively correlated, implying that, as the dosage of one drug increases, the dosage of the other increases as well. From the perspective of data mining and mathematical statistics, the use of the copula function model to evaluate the correlation between the prescribed dosage of the two drugs was innovative and provided a new model for the scientific interpretation of the compatibility of traditional drugs. This might also serve to guide the clinical use of traditional Chinese medicine.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiucheng Xu ◽  
Huiyu Mu ◽  
Yun Wang ◽  
Fangzhou Huang

The selection of feature genes with high recognition ability from the gene expression profiles has gained great significance in biology. However, most of the existing methods have a high time complexity and poor classification performance. Motivated by this, an effective feature selection method, called supervised locally linear embedding and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (SLLE-SC2), is proposed which is based on the concept of locally linear embedding and correlation coefficient algorithms. Supervised locally linear embedding takes into account class label information and improves the classification performance. Furthermore, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient is used to remove the coexpression genes. The experiment results obtained on four public tumor microarray datasets illustrate that our method is valid and feasible.


BIBECHANA ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 103-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Bhandari

This study was conducted to assess the association of depression and anxiety with selected variables; low academic performance and poor parent adolescent relationship among the adolescent students at Arniko Higher Secondary school at Biratnagar. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) tools were used for data collection. Spearman’s Rank Correlation Coefficient and Chi Square test were applied to assess the significant variables. The findings of the study revealed that there was significant correlation between total depression and total anxiety score i.e. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient value was 0.554 (p = 0.000). The study also found that the depression and anxiety were significantly associated with type of family (p =0.005 & p = 0.015).  The depression was significantly associated with academic performance of adolescent students (p = 0.030) and major accident in the family (p =0.009). Similarly, the anxiety was significantly associated with parental fight (p = 0.007), conflict with father (p = 0.019), and death of family member (p = 0.016). It can be concluded that adolescent anxiety and depression are significant mental health problems so further studies are needed to validate the findings. BIBECHANA 14 (2014) 103-109


2021 ◽  
pp. 57-67
Author(s):  
С. А. Котов ◽  
Т. М. Гонтова ◽  
А. Г. Котов

Combined herbal medicines for the treatment and prevention of allergic diseases are perspective substitutes for the «classic» drugs of H-1 receptor blockers of the 1st and 2nd generation. Literary-logical methods are quite effectively used for scientifically justified design of these drugs, namely phytopharmacological drug design (PPD) and phytochemical drug design (PCD). The aim of the work – the search for ways of the scientifically justified design of a combined multifunctional medicine based on the bur-marigold, which normalizes the functioning of the body's defence systems, increases the body's nonspecific resistance, normalizes the immune status using literary-logical and statistical methods of analysis. The design of the preparation was carried out using literature data for PPD and experimental and literature data for PCD. Statistical processing method – Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used. Design aspects of the combined herbal medicine, which includes a bur-marigold herb, calendula flowers, hawthorn leaves and flowers were considered using of a system-comparative analysis of information and its processing by the method of the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient determination. When PCD development of various combinations of herbal drugs, information about the content of such biologically active substances (BAS) as flavonoids, oxycinnamic acids, polyphenols, triterpenes, proteins/amino acids, polysaccharides was used. When PPD development the spectra of pharmacological activity were determined and a quantitative assessment to them in the system of marks for each of the herbal drug of the combined medicine was given. The PCD and PPD data into the matrix for calculating the Spearman rank correlation coefficient of the «action–sum of BAS» was entered. As a result, a strong, direct and statistically significant correlation relation (p from 0.924 to 0.997) between the content of oxycinnamic acids, polyphenols, triterpenes, proteins/amino acids, polysaccharides and such pharmacological actions as capillary-strengthening, anti-inflammatory, immunostimulating; choleretic, hepatoprotective, improving metabolism; diuretic, hypotensive, sedative, tonic, desensitizing, antipruritic, reparative for the studied herbal combinations was found. The obtained results of the PCD and PPD development as well as the study of the correlation «action–sum of BAS» by calculating the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, this suggests the developed combined herbal medicinal product with multifunctional action is perspective in the complex therapy of allergic diseases accompanied by a decrease in the body's resistance and immunostatus.


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