The Empathy in Young Students of Health Professions

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Carmela Mento ◽  
Amelia Rizzo ◽  
Nadia Barberis ◽  
Salvatore Settineri

 Objective: The assessment of empathy among different health professions has been focused almost exclusively on the cognitive and affective aspects or on specific professions, such as doctors. The Empathy Scale for Health Professions (ESHP) is a 12 item instrument developed by Mento and Settineri, including the expressive component of empathy.  Method: In the present study the scale has been administered during 2013 to a total of 420 undergraduate students of different degree courses, belonging to thehealth professions.  Results: Cronbach’s alpha value of total scale was 0.75 and both the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) revealed a 3 component structure as hypothesised. There were no differences between males and females, neither between the professions considered.  Conclusions:The results suggest that the ESHP should be a valid instrument to assess empathy during the laurea degree course, to provide the possibility of reflection about a transverse skill, involved in all health professions.  

Author(s):  
Gabriela Alejandra Grover-Baltazar ◽  
Gabriela Macedo-Ojeda ◽  
Ana Sandoval-Rodríguez ◽  
Marianne Martínez-Vizmanos ◽  
Lucrecia Carrera-Quintanar ◽  
...  

Positive attitudes towards breastfeeding in health professionals/students have been associated with increasing their confidence to provide support and accompaniment to mothers. In Mexico, there is no valid/reliable tool to assess attitudes towards breastfeeding in this population. The Australian Breastfeeding Attitudes (and Knowledge) Questionnaire (ABAQ) measures attitudes in the Australian population. We aimed to adapt and validate the ABAQ in Mexican health students. We included 264 health students (nursing, nutrition, and medicine) from the University of Guadalajara. Bilingual translators carried out the Spanish adaptation with a reverse translation into English. Experts evaluated the content validity. Reliability was evaluated through an internal consistency analysis (Cronbach’s alpha) and construct validity through convergent–divergent validation, item–total correlation, exploratory factor analysis (by principal components), and confirmatory factor analysis. According to the exploratory factor analysis, only one component was identified. Seven items were removed (low correlation between items ≤0.2 and low factor load ≤0.3). The Cronbach’s alpha was 0.78. According to the confirmatory factor analysis, the one-factor solution of the ABAQ-13Mx showed a good model fit (X2 = 98.41, G = 62, p = 0.02, CFI = 0.940, and RMSEA = 0.048). The ABAQ-13Mx is a reliable and valid instrument for evaluating attitudes towards breastfeeding in Mexican health degree students.


2020 ◽  
pp. 097215092093976
Author(s):  
Saumya Aggarwal ◽  
Ajay Kumar Singh

The study aims at developing an instrument of organizational culture (OC). The study is based on a quantitative research and used techniques like exploratory factor analysis and the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to determine the principal drivers of OC. A 17-item reliable and valid instrument has been developed on OC to enhance the developmental culture (DC), the relational culture (RC) and the facilitating culture (FC) for cultural transformation in the University of Delhi. OC of the University of Delhi is moderate and needs to be improved.


2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 145-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alo Dutta ◽  
Fong Chan ◽  
Madan M. Kundu ◽  
Cahit Kaya ◽  
Jessica Brooks ◽  
...  

The purpose of this study was to validate the Vocational Rehabilitation Engagement Scale (VRES) in a sample of state vocational rehabilitation (VR) service consumers. A total of 277 individuals with disabilities were recruited from Alaska, Kentucky, Florida, Michigan, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin. The measurement structure of the VRES was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Exploratory factor analysis results support a one-factor measurement structure of the VRES. Confirmatory factor analysis results also indicated a good model fit for the one-factor measurement model. Internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s α) for the scores on the VRES was computed to be .94. VR engagement was found to be associated with working alliance, vocational self-efficacy, internal motivation, and VR outcome expectancy in the expected direction. The VRES is a brief, reliable, and valid instrument for assessing VR engagement and contributes to the use of self-determination as a paradigm for improving motivation and engagement of people with disabilities receiving services from state VR agencies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (53) ◽  
pp. 205-222
Author(s):  
Juan Manuel García-González ◽  
Juan José Fernández-Muñoz ◽  
Esperanza Vergara-Moragues ◽  
Luis Miguel García-Moreno

Introduction. This article has two objectives: a) to examine the factorial structure of the Spanish version of the EPQR-A through an exploratory factor analysis and b) to perform a confirmatory factor analysis to determine the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the EPQR-A in terms of construct validity in an adult academic population. Method: The sample was 826 university undergraduate students volunteered to complete the Spanish version of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised-Abbreviated (EPQR-A) and to examine the concurrent validity of the EPQR-A, the Spanish version of the questionnaire Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX-Sp). We applied exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Results. The instrument demonstrated good psychometric properties and reinforcing the original dimensional structure of the scale. The EPQR-A has psychometric characteristics comparable to longer questionnaires, such as the EPQ-R; therefore, it has great suitability when inserted into more extensive protocols. Conclusion. The differences between males and females allow us to affirm that in late adolescence and early youth, promotion, prevention, and intervention health strategies differentiated by gender should be conducted.


2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 247-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gayatri Kotbagi ◽  
Laurence Kern ◽  
Lucia Romo ◽  
Ramesh Pathare

Abstract. Physical exercise when done excessively may have negative consequences on physical and psychological wellbeing. There exist many scales to measure this phenomenon. The purpose of this article is to create a scale measuring the problematic practice of physical exercise (PPPE Scale) by combining two assessment tools already existing in the field of exercise dependency but anchored in different approaches (EDS-R and EDQ). This research consists of three studies carried out on three independent sample populations. The first study (N = 341) tested the construct validity (exploratory factor analysis); the second study (N = 195) tested the structural validity (confirmatory factor analysis) and the third study (N = 104) tested the convergent validity (correlations) of the preliminary version of the PPPE scale. Exploratory factor analysis identified six distinct dimensions associated with exercise dependency. Furthermore, confirmatory factor analysis validated a second order model consisting of 25 items with six dimensions and four sub-dimensions. The convergent validity of this scale with other constructs (GLTEQ, EAT26, and The Big Five Inventory [BFI]) is satisfactory. The preliminary version of the PPPE must be administered to a large population to refine its psychometric properties and develop scoring norms.


2010 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 116-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fawzi S. Daoud ◽  
Amjed A. Abojedi

This study investigates the equivalent factorial structure of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) in clinical and nonclinical Jordanian populations, using both exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The 53-item checklist was administered to 647 nonclinical participants and 315 clinical participants. Eight factors emerged from the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) for the nonclinical sample, and six factors emerged for the clinical sample. When tested by parallel analysis (PA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), the results reflected a unidimensional factorial structure in both samples. Furthermore, multigroup CFA showed invariance between clinical and nonclinical unidimensional models, which lends further support to the evidence of the unidimensionality of the BSI. The study suggests that the BSI is a potentially useful measure of general psychological distress in clinical and nonclinical population. Ideas for further research are recommended.


2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 869-897
Author(s):  
Atiqa Rafeh ◽  
Rubina Hanif

The present study was intended to develop a scale to measure perceived weight stigmatization among people with obesity. The study was conducted in five steps. In first step, three focus group discussions were conducted with female obese university students to get the first-hand information related to weight stigmatization. Step two involved four interviews which were conducted with male obese university students to collect detailed information about weight stigmatization experiences of men. Step three included content analysis of qualitative data for item generation. In step four, judge’s opinion was taken, and a committee approach was carried out to select the items for the initial form of the scale. Items for final form of the scale were selected through exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis in step five. For exploratory factor analysis, 150 university students (men = 61, women = 89) were included in the sample, whereas, for confirmatory factor analysis, another group of students (men = 78, women = 72) participated in the study. Principal Component Factor Analysis revealed three meaningful structures including Self-Perception, Perceived Social Rejection, and Perceived Impact containing 43 items. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed this factor structure and all 43 items possessed factor loadings greater than .40. Moreover, results indicated that perceived weight stigmatization had high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = .96) with three subscales having internal consistency .95, .83, and .92 respectively. Therefore, Perceived Weight Stigmatization Scale turned out to be a reliable and valid instrument for measuring perception of weight stigma in adults with obesity.


Author(s):  
Sarah Beale ◽  
Silia Vitoratou ◽  
Sheena Liness

Abstract Background: Effective monitoring of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) competence depends on psychometrically robust assessment methods. While the UK Cognitive Therapy Scale – Revised (CTS-R; Blackburn et al., 2001) has become a widely used competence measure in CBT training, practice and research, its underlying factor structure has never been investigated. Aims: This study aimed to present the first investigation into the factor structure of the CTS-R based on a large sample of postgraduate CBT trainee recordings. Method: Trainees (n = 382) provided 746 mid-treatment audio recordings for depression (n = 373) and anxiety (n = 373) cases scored on the CTS-R by expert markers. Tapes were split into two equal samples counterbalanced by diagnosis and with one tape per trainee. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted. The suggested factor structure and a widely used theoretical two-factor model were tested with confirmatory factor analysis. Measurement invariance was assessed by diagnostic group (depression versus anxiety). Results: Exploratory factor analysis suggested a single-factor solution (98.68% explained variance), which was supported by confirmatory factor analysis. All 12 CTS-R items were found to contribute to this single factor. The univariate model demonstrated full metric invariance and partial scalar invariance by diagnosis, with one item (item 10 – Conceptual Integration) demonstrating scalar non-invariance. Conclusions: Findings indicate that the CTS-R is a robust homogenous measure and do not support division into the widely used theoretical generic versus CBT-specific competency subscales. Investigation into the CTS-R factor structure in other populations is warranted.


Author(s):  
Cheng Li ◽  
Christy Hullings ◽  
Wei Wang ◽  
Debra M. Palmer Keenan

Background: Low-income adolescents’ physical activity (PA) levels fall below current recommendations. Perceived barriers to physical activity (PBPA) are likely significant predictors of PA levels; however, valid and reliable measures to assess PA barriers are lacking. This manuscript describes the development of the PBPA Survey for Low-Income Adolescents. Methods: A mixed-method approach was used. Items identified from the literature and revised for clarity and appropriateness (postcognitive interviews) were assessed for test–retest reliability with 74 adolescents using intraclass correlation coefficient. Items demonstrating low intraclass correlation coefficients or floor effects were removed. Both exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis analyses (n = 1914 low-income teens) were used to finalize the scale; internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach’s alpha. Concurrent validity was established by correlating the PBPA with the PA questionnaire for adolescents using a Spearman correlation. Results: The exploratory factor analysis yielded a 38-item, 7-factor solution, which was cross-validated by confirmatory factor analysis (comparative-fit index, nonnormed fit index = .90). The scale’s Cronbach’s alpha was .94, with subscales ranging from .70 to .88. The PBPA Survey for Low-Income Adolescents’ concurrent validity was supported by a negative PA questionnaire for adolescents’ correlation values. Conclusion: The PBPA Survey for Low-Income Adolescents can be used to better understand the relationship between PBPA among low-income teens. Further research is warranted to validate the scale with other adolescent subgroups.


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