Item-Response-Theory Analysis of Two Scales for Self-Efficacy for Exercise Behavior in People With Arthritis

2011 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 239-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thelma J. Mielenz ◽  
Michael C. Edwards ◽  
Leigh F. Callahan

Benefits of physical activity for those with arthritis are clear, yet physical activity is difficult to initiate and maintain. Self-efficacy is a key modifiable psychosocial determinant of physical activity. This study examined two scales for self-efficacy for exercise behavior (SEEB) to identify their strengths and weaknesses using item response theory (IRT) from community-based randomized controlled trials of physical activity programs in adults with arthritis. The 2 SEEB scales included the 9-item scale by Resnick developed with older adults and the 5-item scale by Marcus developed with employed adults. All IRT analyses were conducted using the graded-response model. IRT assumptions were assessed using both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The IRT analyses indicated that these scales are precise and reliable measures for identifying people with arthritis and low SEEB. The Resnick SEEB scale is slightly more precise at lower levels of self-efficacy in older adults with arthritis.

Arthritis ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thelma J. Mielenz ◽  
Michael C. Edwards ◽  
Leigh F. Callahan

Using item response theory (IRT), we examined the Rheumatoid Arthritis Self-efficacy scale (RASE) collected from a People with Arthritis Can Exercise RCT (346 participants) and 2 subscales of the Arthritis Self-efficacy scale (ASE) collected from an Active Living Every Day (ALED) RCT (354 participants) to determine which one better identifies low arthritis self-efficacy in community-based adults with arthritis. The item parameters were estimated in Multilog using the graded response model. The 2 ASE subscales are adequately explained by one factor. There was evidence for 2 locally dependent item pairs; two items from these pairs were removed when we reran the model. The exploratory factor analysis results for RASE showed a multifactor solution which led to a 9-factor solution. In order to perform IRT analysis, one item from each of the 9 subfactors was selected. Both scales were effective at measuring a range of arthritis SE.


Assessment ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 655-671 ◽  
Author(s):  
James J. Li ◽  
Steven P. Reise ◽  
Andrea Chronis-Tuscano ◽  
Amori Yee Mikami ◽  
Steve S. Lee

Item response theory (IRT) was separately applied to parent- and teacher-rated symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from a pooled sample of 526 six- to twelve-year-old children with and without ADHD. The dimensional structure ADHD was first examined using confirmatory factor analyses, including the bifactor model. A general ADHD factor and two group factors, representing inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive dimensions, optimally fit the data. Using the graded response model, we estimated discrimination and location parameters and information functions for all 18 symptoms of ADHD. Parent- and teacher-rated symptoms demonstrated adequate discrimination and location values, although these estimates varied substantially. For parent ratings, the test information curve peaked between −2 and +2 SD, suggesting that ADHD symptoms exhibited excellent overall reliability at measuring children in the low to moderate range of the general ADHD factor, but not in the extreme ranges. Similar results emerged for teacher ratings, in which the peak range of measurement precision was from −1.40 to 1.90 SD. Several symptoms were comparatively more informative than others; for example, is often easily distracted (“Distracted”) was the most informative parent- and teacher-rated symptom across the latent trait continuum. Clinical implications for the assessment of ADHD as well as relevant considerations for future revisions to diagnostic criteria are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise Mendonça de Melo ◽  
Altemir José Gonçalves Barbosa ◽  
Nelimar Ribeiro de Castro ◽  
Anita Liberalesso Neri

Abstract The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) is currently used to the track cognitive status of older adults in Brazil. Studies on its psychometric properties are lacking, especially ones that use Item Response Theory. The objective was to assess the difficulty of the items in a Brazilian version of MMSE using the Rasch model and to identify possible differential item functioning (DIF), considering schooling, age and sex of the sample of Brazilian older adults. This study used the answers of 2.734 older adults to the 30 items of MMSE. It was found that four items in the seven series were the most difficult, and items nine, 13, 22 and 23 were the easiest. The skill of respondents was higher than the items’ difficulty level. DIF was observed for schooling, sex and age in, respectively, 27, 18 and 16 items. It is concluded that the use of MMSE in Brazilian older adults should be cautious due to the large number of biased items, mainly due to schooling.


Author(s):  
Deborah A Lowe ◽  
John F Linck

Abstract Objective The Texas Functional Living Scale (TFLS) is a performance-based measure of functional abilities assessing the domains of time, money and calculation, communication, and memory. It is likely that certain items are more sensitive at different levels of functional impairment, with some signaling milder degrees of functional difficulty. This study analyzed psychometric characteristics of individual TFLS items using item response theory (IRT) in an outpatient clinical sample. Method In total, 270 adult outpatients completed the TFLS during clinical neuropsychological evaluation. IRT analysis using 2PL and graded response model was applied to the TFLS. Results Item parameters, item characteristic curves, and information curves were produced. Item difficulty (a) parameters ranged from 1.05 to 2.23, and item discrimination (b) parameters ranged from −4.11 to 0.51. Conclusions TFLS items were differentially sensitive along the continuum of functional impairment. Items that were most sensitive to milder degrees of functional impairment involved clock drawing, microwave programming, financial calculation, and prospective memory. Other items that were optimally precise in more severe degrees of functional impairment involved interacting with a calendar and a relatively simple financial calculation task. These findings suggest that the ability to pass at least some of the items on the TFLS may not necessarily reflect fully intact functional abilities. Certain TFLS items may be able to detect the presence of subtle functional difficulties.


2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel S.J. Costa ◽  
Ali Asghari ◽  
Michael K. Nicholas

AbstractBackground and aimsThe Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ) is a 10-item instrument designed to assess the extent to which a person in pain believes s/he is able to accomplish various activities despite their pain. There is strong evidence for the validity and reliability of both the full-length PSEQ and a 2-item version. The purpose of this study is to further examine the properties of the PSEQ using an item response theory (IRT) approach.MethodsWe used the two-parameter graded response model to examine the category probability curves, and location and discrimination parameters of the 10 PSEQ items. In item response theory, responses to a set of items are assumed to be probabilistically determined by a latent (unobserved) variable. In the graded-response model specifically, item response threshold (the value of the latent variable for which adjacent response categories are equally likely) and discrimination parameters are estimated for each item. Participants were 1511 mixed, chronic pain patients attending for initial assessment at a tertiary pain management centre.ResultsAll items except item 7 (‘I can cope with my pain without medication’) performed well in IRT analysis, and the category probability curves suggested that participants used the 7-point response scale consistently. Items 6 (‘I can still do many of the things I enjoy doing, such as hobbies or leisure activity, despite pain’), 8 (‘I can still accomplish most of my goals in life, despite the pain’) and 9 (‘I can live a normal lifestyle, despite the pain’) captured higher levels of the latent variable with greater precision.ConclusionsThe results from this IRT analysis add to the body of evidence based on classical test theory illustrating the strong psychometric properties of the PSEQ. Despite the relatively poor performance of Item 7, its clinical utility warrants its retention in the questionnaire.ImplicationsThe strong psychometric properties of the PSEQ support its use as an effective tool for assessing self-efficacy in people with pain.


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