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Biomedical subjects

S Ferketich

Publications and source records attributed to S Ferketich.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Assessing the validity of the dimensions of prenatal attachment.

Prenatal attachment has been considered a multidimensional construct. The Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale (MFAS) was developed to measure prenatal attachment. Five subscales were incorporated into the MFAS to represent the dimensions. The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of the dimensions of prenatal attachment as represented by the MFAS subscales. A content analysis of parental remarks about the fetus was conducted. The categories generated from this analysis did not correspond to the MFAS subscales. Therefore, while the results support prenatal attachment as multidimensional, they did not support the specific dimensions represented by the MFAS.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Clinical markers of asthma severity and risk: importance of subjective as well as objective factors.

The purpose of this study was to explore patient perceptions of asthma severity and danger from asthma, correlate them with objective measures, and assess the impact of psychologic variables on the perception of severity. Recognition of patients at greatest risk for fatal attacks requires identifying those with severe asthma. In our study of 95 adults with asthma, we found that the subjective factors of perceived severity and perceived danger and the objective factors of medications, hospitalizations, history of intubation, and pulmonary function were important markers of asthma severity and risk. Our findings indicate that asthmatic adults make independent self-assessments that generally correlate with objective markers of increased risk of mortality and increased severity of the asthma. The perception of high severity was significantly correlated with depression, panic-fear, frequency of emergency department visits, and with an objective index of risk of death. The latter includes variables obtainable from history alone (number of medications to control symptoms, need for prednisone, prior intubation, and prior recent hospitalization) and is correlated with spirometric indexes of airflow obstruction, occurrence of nocturnal symptoms, and number of emergency department visits.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Focus on psychometrics. Aspects of item analysis.

During the course of instrument development, investigators are faced with the challenge of developing a psychometrically sound instrument that has a minimal number of items or components. Although instrument developers may encounter specific problems in relation to different types of tests, there are three areas of concern that are frequently encountered. These concerns relate to (a) instrument length, (b) scale homogeneity, and (c) instrument sensitivity. The purpose of this article is to discuss selected aspects of item analysis in relationship to these three commonly encountered and interrelated areas of concern.

Humans↗
PubMed1990

Focus on psychometrics. Internal consistency estimates of reliability.

Reliability assessments are appropriate for each research instrument in a study. Measures of internal consistency are a popular set of assessments with Cronbach's alpha being the most favored. Two other measures of internal consistency, theta and omega, have particular characteristics that make their use desirable under certain circumstances. Each of these three measures and its computation is described and examples provided.

Humans↗
PubMed1988

Further exploration of maternal and paternal fetal attachment.

Fetal attachment of four groups of expectant parents were studied during the 24th to 34th weeks of pregnancy: 153 high-risk women hospitalized for a complication, 75 high-risk women's mates, 218 low-risk women, and 147 low-risk women's mates. No differences in fetal attachment scores were observed between high- or low-risk women or their mates; women scored significantly higher than their mates. Very little variance (7% to 14%) in fetal attachment was explained by the test of causal models except for high-risk women's mates for whom 31% of the variance was explained.

Anxiety↗
PubMed1987

Breast milk collection and storage practices among mothers of hospitalized neonates.

Data about breast milk expression, collection, and storage practices were obtained by questionnaires from 51 mothers of hospitalized neonates in the San Francisco Bay Area between September 1, 1984 and July 1, 1985. In addition, teaching sources, mothers' recall of breast-feeding information, and areas of concern as described by mothers were identified. The majority of mothers collected breast milk in plastic containers: however, over 50 per cent stored frozen milk in glass--this is considered a less than optimal choice for storage. Over 50 per cent of the mothers identified the need for additional information about breast-feeding upon returning home from the hospital, particularly in relation to pumping and storage techniques. Although 88 per cent of the mothers reported having received information on breast-feeding from ICN nurses, 47 per cent were not provided with written take-home instructions. Eighteen mothers considered discontinuing breast milk collection citing insufficient milk supplies and time requirements cited as common reasons.

Breast Feeding↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Theoretical models for studying the effect of antepartum stress on the family.

Three models are proposed to predict the effect of antepartum stress on the family. These models consider external and internal family environments and individual characteristics as they influence an individual family member's health status, dyadic relationships within the family, and the family's functioning as a unit. Research to date validates the complex interrelationships between antepartum stress, social support, self-esteem, sense of mastery, anxiety, depression, and their effect on health status, dyadic relationships, and family functioning. The theoretical models presented identify relationships between these important variables that can guide much-needed research on the effects of antepartum stress on the childbearing family.

Anxiety↗