scholarly journals Mini-Mental State Examination in Brazil: An Item Response Theory Analysis

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.

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (12) ◽  
pp. 1315-1323
Author(s):  
Sulaiman Alshammari ◽  
Adel Alhamdan ◽  
Saad Bindawas ◽  
Maysoon Al-Amoud ◽  
Saada Al-Orf ◽  
...  

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.


2000 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 605-618 ◽  
Author(s):  
RICHARD N. JONES ◽  
JOSEPH J. GALLO

Background. Little work has been published on the internal structure of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), one of the most widely used instruments for grading cognitive status in clinical settings and field research.Methods. MMSE responses from a sample of older adults (50–98 years) in five US sites (N = 8556) were analysed.Results. A five-factor solution was found to be most appropriate. The first factor (concentration) had large loadings with serial sevens and spell world backwards items. The second factor (language and praxis) had large loadings with naming, follow command and praxis items. The third factor (orientation) had loadings with orientation to time and place items. The fourth factor (memory) had large loadings with delayed recall items and the fifth (attention) had large loadings with immediate registration items.Conclusions. We found that the MMSE is essentially unidimensional; nevertheless, evidence was revealed suggesting that the MMSE is a multidimensional assessment instrument. Dimensions revealed in this sample correspond directly to MMSE sections articulated by the developers of the instrument. These findings have not been reported in previous factor analyses of the MMSE. The findings support the construct validity of the MMSE as a measure of cognitive mental state among community dwelling older adults.


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