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PubMed1998

Effect of the method of administration, mail or telephone, on the validity and reliability of a respiratory health questionnaire. The Spanish Centers of the European Asthma Study.

The European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS), a multinational survey, assesses and compares the prevalence of asthma among subjects, aged 20 to 44, in several European areas. In Spain, some participating centers have used mail and telephone as methods of questionnaire administration. The objective of the present study was to determine whether the validity and reliability of the questionnaire differed by method of administration. Reliability of the questionnaire was measured with the kappa index and the odds ratio of agreement, and validity with the sensitivity and specificity. This study found differences in the reliability of the questionnaires although these differences were more related to the questions themselves than to the method of administration. Among men, but not women, mailed questionnaires were more sensitive and telephone questionnaires more specific. We hypothesize that these differences in validity were due to the self-selection to more severe symptomatic subjects replying earlier and therefore to the mailed questionnaire. Combining different methods of administration was useful as it increased participation and was an adequate procedure to obtain information of good quality.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

The comparability of quality of life scores. a multitrait multimethod analysis of the EORTC QLQ-C30, SF-36 and FLIC questionnaires.

This study investigates whether similarly named subscales of three quality of life questionnaires, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30), the Medical Outcome Study Quality of Life Questionnaire Short Form 36 (SF-36) and the Functional Living Index Cancer questionnaire (FLIC) assess similar aspects of the patients' quality of life. A multitrait multimethod analysis on the answers of 234 cancer patients showed that subscale correlations as indicators of convergent validity significantly exceed corresponding correlations of discriminant validity in five of the seven dimensions analysed (physical functioning, emotional functioning, pain, fatigue/vitality and nausea/vomiting). The results of the social functioning and overall health subscales are less clear. Content analysis of the social functioning scales reveals that this domain is differently operationalised in the three questionnaires. Linear regressions of the overall health subscales suggest that patients interpret overall health questions of the three questionnaires differently. The results show that overall health subscales of these three questionnaires cannot be equated, while most specific subscales provide valid results.

Female↗
PubMed2005

Development of a psychometrically valid and reliable sports nutrition knowledge questionnaire.

The present range of sports nutrition knowledge questionnaires have inadequate psychometric validation, and few are up to date in a rapidly changing discipline. The purpose of this study was to design a sports nutrition questionnaire that satisfied acceptable psychometric criteria of validity (content and construct) and reliability (test-retest). The questionnaire was designed by an expert panel of six sports dietitians and distributed to five groups, selected for their expected variation in sports nutrition knowledge. Dietitians, university business staff and nutrition students received questionnaires via e-mail. The response rates obtained were 21.3% (n = 49), 34.4% (n = 33), and 72.0% (n = 18), respectively. University business and fitness students completed questionnaires during class time. Response rates were 52.3% (n = 23) and 75.4% (n = 49), respectively. The questionnaire was administered a second time to the business staff and the dietitians to assess test-retest reliability. Two methods were used: 1, Pearson's product-moment correlation; and 2, a percentage calculation of questions answered in an identical manner on both test occasions. Reliability was acceptable with Method 1 yielding acceptable values (r = 0.74-0.93), aside from the fluid sub-category (r = 0.52). Method 2 showed good test-retest concordance with 81.2% duplication of responses of all questions. Construct validity was high, as indicated by significant mean knowledge score differences between the groups (p = 0.0001). Dietitians and nutrition students achieved significantly greater mean scores than the remaining groups. The findings of this study indicate that the questionnaire is suitably valid and reliable to be used in research and practice to determine sports nutrition knowledge.

Dietetics↗
PubMed2006

[Health-related quality of life of patients receiving home mechanical ventilation: the Spanish version of the severe respiratory insufficiency questionnaire].

OBJECTIVE: Home mechanical ventilation is used with patients with severe, chronic respiratory failure, a condition that has a serious impact on quality of life. The aim of this study was to produce a translation and cultural adaptation of the Severe Respiratory Insufficiency. Questionnaire for the Spanish population, the first health-related quality of life questionnaire specifically designed for patients receiving home mechanical ventilation. METHODS: Four bilingual German-Spanish translators were used to translate and back-translate the questionnaire. Meetings were held with the translators following each step of the translation process to produce a single version that could be used in the next step. At the end of the process, the questionnaire was piloted to assess its comprehensibility. A scoring system using a scale of 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest) was used to rate both translation difficulty and the naturalness of the language produced. The equivalence of the original and translated items was also evaluated. RESULTS: Three Spanish versions of the questionnaire were produced. Task difficulty was rated as quite low: the mean (SD) ratings were 1.4 (0.6) for translation and 2.2 (1.1) for back translation. The naturalness of the translated items was rated as very high, with scores improving with the successive versions (version 1, 8.4; version 2, 8.7; version 3, 9.1; P< .001). Thirty of the questionnaire items (61.2%) were judged to be fully equivalent, 13 (26.5%) to be similar, and 6 (12.2%) to be non-equivalent. The meaning conveyed by 5 of the items was changed or clarified during piloting. CONCLUSIONS: The translation of the questionnaire using the translation-back-translation procedure has produced a version that is both comparable to the original and accessible to the Spanish population. Its validity is currently being tested in a multicenter study.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Agreement of self-reported medical history: comparison of an in-person interview with a self-administered questionnaire.

PURPOSE: To compare history of 22 different diseases reported during an in-person interview with that reported on a mailed self-administered questionnaire. METHODS: 7841 participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC)-Potsdam study. The interview at baseline and the questionnaire at follow-up approximately 2 years later included identical questions about whether the participant had ever had a physician diagnosis of each disease. Incident diagnoses occurring in the interval between the interview and questionnaire were excluded from the analysis. RESULTS: Agreement between self-report from the interview and from the questionnaire was highest (kappa = 0.83-0.88) for myocardial infarction, cancer and diabetes mellitus; it was lower (kappa = 0.68-0.77) for gout, hypertension, hay fever, asthma, osteoporosis, ulcer of the duodenum, thyroid disease, stroke, and kidney stones, and was lowest (kappa = 0.39-0.59) for chronic gastritis, ulcer of the stomach, cerebral ischemia, benign tumor, inflammatory bowel disease, angina pectoris, hyperlipidemia, rheumatism, colon polyps and skin disease. The poor agreement for less severe or more transient diseases was primarily a result of disease frequently being reported at the interview but not on the questionnaire. CONCLUSION: Self-administered questionnaires do not generate same information particularly for less severe or transient diseases as personal interviews. For these diseases, self-administered questionnaires are not recommended. Pilot studies that test validity will be necessary.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Ascertainment of hand dermatitis using a symptom-based questionnaire; applicability in an industrial population.

In this study, the applicability of a symptom-based questionnaire on hand dermatitis was assessed in a population of rubber workers. The questionnaire was previously validated in a study among nurses. 224 subjects employed in 9 different companies completed a questionnaire on skin complaints. Subsequently, 202 workers attended the physical examination of the skin by a dermatologist. The ascertainment of skin complaints according to the questionnaire was compared to the medical evaluation. The 2 different diagnostic tools used for assessing dermatitis resulted in dissimilar estimates of the prevalence of active hand dermatitis, ranging from 6.9% to 38.1% of all workers. Using the medical evaluation as 'gold standard' we observed a moderate sensitivity and specificity (respectively 71.4%; 95% CI: 47.7-95.1 and 76.1%; 95% CI: 70.0-82.2), a low positive predictive value (18.2%; 95% CI: 8.0-28.4) and a high negative predictive value (97.3%; 95% CI: 94.7-99.9) for the classification based on the self-administered questionnaire. When evaluated against 'first symptoms of dermatitis' the sensitivity decreased, while the specificity remained almost the same. The deviant findings between the present and the original validation study of the same questionnaire among nurses hamper its applicability in populations with different occupations. Therefore, if questionnaires are to be used, validity studies have to be carried out to evaluate differences in perception of skin diseases between different (occupational) populations.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Validation of a short food frequency questionnaire to assess consumption of cereal foods, fruit and vegetables in Chinese Singaporeans.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the ability of a 16-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to measure consumption of cereal foods, fruit and vegetables in Chinese Singaporeans. DESIGN: Subjects completed the questionnaire twice, at the beginning and end of a six-week period during which they also provided three 24 h diet recalls. Estimates of intake from the questionnaire were compared with those from diet recalls. SUBJECTS: Subjects were recruited from a range of occupational groups through random sampling across divisions in the headquarters of the Singapore Ministry of Health. Of the 81 subjects initially recruited, three failed to complete the diet recalls, one was excluded due to changes in diet, and seven did not return the second questionnaire. RESULTS: Mean difference in food group consumption estimated by the two methods did not differ significantly from zero for fruit (0.00 serving, s.d.=0.54, 95% CI= -0.13, +0.12, P=0.95) or vegetables (-0.05, s.d.=0.29, 95% CI= -0.12, +0.02, P=0.13). For cereal foods, the mean difference was small, but significantly different from zero only in women (-0.32 servings, s.d. = 0.92, 95% CI = -0.59, -0.06, P=0.02). At an individual level, cereal food intake as measured by the FFQ may be 37% below or 59% above the diet recall values; and values for total fruit and vegetables may be half or double the recall values. Among subjects whose intake was classified into the lowest quartiles by diet recalls, 78% and 94% respectively, fell into the lowest two questionnaire quartiles for cereal foods, and total fruit and vegetables. The ability of the questionnaire to predict those having inadequate intake based on recall data was more than 90% for the three food groups. CONCLUSION: The short questionnaire cannot replace the three-day recalls in intake assessment for individuals, but it could be used to screen for low consumers in intervention programmes, to assess mean food group intake in population groups, and to rank individuals into broad categories of food group intake.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Reliability and validity of the Family Eating and Activity Habits Questionnaire.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this work was to develop and test an instrument that will identify the factors that facilitate childhood obesity and monitor the environmental changes and family behavior modifications associated with weight loss. DESIGN AND METHODS: The relevant factors that affect obesity and weight loss in children were divided into four scales: activity level, stimulus exposure, eating related to hunger, and eating style. We designed a questionnaire to be completed by the parents of the obese child aged 6-11 years. Scores accumulated were calculated separately for each member of the family. Higher numerical scores reflected less appropriate eating patterns. The questionnaire reliability (test-retest), internal consistency and ability to discriminate obese vs normal-weight children's behaviors was tested using a pilot population of 40 mothers not enrolled in a formal weight loss program. The questionnaire reliability (parents' report and spouse report) and predictive validity was tested using a selective population: 60 parents of obese children enrolled in a clinical intervention intended to treat childhood obesity with an environmental approach vs a dietary approach. RESULTS: The content validity of the questionnaire was evaluated by a team of ten experts. Cronbach's alpha was calculated to test internal consistency. Mean r was 0.83. Pearson's correlation coefficients were computed between test and retest scores for individual items and for the total score, and ranged from 0.78 to 0.90 (median 0.84) (P < 0.01 for all). Total score test-retest r was 0.85 (P < 0.01). The total family score was also higher in the families with an obese child compared to families with a normal-weight child, P < 0.01. No significant differences were noted between parent report and spouse report scores. The construct validity of the questionnaire was also supported by its high sensitivity to weight loss treatment. Weight loss in the child correlated highly with improvement in questionnaire score. CONCLUSIONS: The Family Activity and Eating Habits Questionnaire is reliable and internally consistent, and it is useful as an optional tool for planning an intervention program for childhood obesity.

Behavior↗
PubMed2003

Reflux symptoms in general practice: diagnostic evaluation of the Carlsson-Dent gastro-oesophageal reflux disease questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: Amongst primary care patients with dyspeptic symptoms, those with reflux-like symptoms or gastro-oesophageal reflux disease are expected to benefit most from empirical proton pump inhibitor therapy. Recognition of this patient group, however, is difficult. The Carlsson-Dent gastro-oesophageal reflux disease questionnaire was developed to justify the selection of primary care patients for empirical proton pump inhibitor treatment. AIM: To evaluate the diagnostic test characteristics of the Carlsson-Dent questionnaire in a primary care population. METHODS: A prospective, open-label, multi-centre diagnostic prevalence study was conducted amongst primary care adults with reflux symptoms. All patients completed the questionnaire and underwent gastroscopy. If no abnormalities were found, the patients were prescribed 2 weeks of treatment with omeprazole (20 mg daily). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to determine the overall discriminative value of the questionnaire. Diagnostic test characteristics of both the cut-off score (total diagnostic score) in the questionnaire and the physician's provisional classification were measured using oesophagitis and omeprazole treatment success as the reference tests. RESULTS: Of the 536 patients included, 515 underwent endoscopy. No abnormalities were found in 286 (55%). Omeprazole treatment success occurred more frequently in patients with a total diagnostic score of > 7 and oesophagitis II-IV in patients with a total diagnostic score of > 9. The diagnostic test characteristics of the questionnaire were comparable with those of the physician's provisional classification. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve did not exceed 0.65. Kappa values for observer agreement with the gold standard were far below 0.4. CONCLUSION: The diagnostic performance of this version of the Carlsson-Dent questionnaire was poor. It equalled the physician's clinical judgement and therefore its value for clinical use is limited.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

'Potency': the validation of information from a self-administered questionnaire using objective measurements of night-time erections and test-retest reliability.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the validity and reliability of a questionnaire assessing 'physiological potency'. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study comprised 89 patients with prostate cancer and 43 men without; the latter were attending a consultation clinic because of problems with erection. All men answered three questions assessing erectile rigidity during sexual activity, morning and spontaneous erections. In the questionnaire, 'potency' was defined as erectile rigidity 'sufficient for intercourse most of the time' or better. 'Potency' in one or more of the three aspects of erection was defined as 'physiological potency'. The patients with prostate cancer answered the questionnaire twice with a 3-week interval. The men attending the consultation clinic underwent two nights of erectile monitoring (using the RigiScan device) and the minimum criterion for RigiScan potency was defined as 55% rigidity at both tip and base. RESULTS: The test-retest assessment showed 93% conformity in the questionnaire diagnosis of 'physiological potency/impotence' between the tests. The sensitivity and specificity of the questionnaire assessment compared with the RigiScan method were 40% and 100%, respectively, when the question assessing sexually stimulated erectile rigidity was used alone. Using 'physiological potency', the sensitivity increased to about 60% without jeopardizing the specificity, and when men reporting depression were excluded from the analysis, the sensitivity increased to about 80%. CONCLUSIONS: The test-retest reliability of the questionnaire was satisfactory. Using questions in a self-administered questionnaire, 'physiological impotence' can be diagnosed with complete and 'physiological potency' with 60-80% sensitivity. The sensitivity of the self-assessment for 'potency' depended on the number of questions asked and the proportion of men reporting depression.

Erectile Dysfunction↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Use of the Migraine Disability Assessment Questionnaire in children and adolescents with headache: an Italian pilot study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the suitability of the Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) Questionnaire for assessing disability in children and adolescents with headache and to obtain preliminary information about disability in different primary headaches. BACKGROUND: During the last decade, researchers have begun to employ standardized methodologies to investigate the global impact of primary headaches. Disease-specific instruments have been developed to measure headache-related disability. The MIDAS Questionnaire, which is the most extensively studied of these instruments, was designed to assess the overall impact of headaches over the 3 months before compilation. The MIDAS Questionnaire is an optimal tool to assess headache-related disability in adults. METHODS: Ninety-five patients aged 7 to 17 years with tension-type headache, migraine, or both completed the validated Italian form of the MIDAS questionnaire on 2 occasions. Test-retest reliability was assessed by the Spearman rank correlation test. The Cronbach alpha assessed internal consistency. The patients answered questions about the adequacy of the questionnaire. RESULTS: The Cronbach alpha was.8. Correlation coefficients were generally high for the overall MIDAS score and for the items investigating disability in school and in family/leisure activities; they were lower for the items about housework. Most patients thought that the MIDAS Questionnaire was useful (98.9%) and that it captured the impact of their headaches (58.9%); 41% thought that questions about disability in housework were useless, 44.2% suggested adding questions regarding inability to do homework. All primary headaches had a considerable impact on daily activities, but patients with migraine tended to have lower headache frequencies and lower total disability time; those with tension-type headache suffered more days in which activities, although performed, were substantially impaired. CONCLUSIONS: The MIDAS Questionnaire is useful for assessing disability in children and adolescents with different primary headaches. Minimal changes in the phrasing and content of the items would be sufficient to render the MIDAS specific for the younger population with headache.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Relative validation of a beverage frequency questionnaire in children ages 6 months through 5 years using 3-day food and beverage diaries.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relative validity of a quantitative beverage frequency questionnaire in assessing beverage, calcium, and vitamin D intakes using 3-day food diaries for reference. DESIGN: Parents were asked to complete questionnaires for the preceding week and diaries for the following week for their children. Calcium and vitamin D intakes were estimated from human milk, infant formulas, and cow's milk ("beverages") for questionnaires and diaries and from "all foods and beverages" for diaries. Data collected at 6 and 12 months and 3 and 5 years of age as part of the Iowa Fluoride Study (N=700) were analyzed cross-sectionally. SUBJECTS: Children (N=240); 60 randomly selected from each quartile of energy intake at 6 months of age. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Spearman correlation coefficients, weighted kappa statistics, and percentages of exact agreement were used to assess associations between tools. RESULTS: Correlations between mean daily beverage intakes estimated from questionnaires and diaries ranged from 0.95-0.99 for human milk, 0.84-0.85 for infant formula, 0.63-0.86 for cow's milk, 0.54-0.69 for juice/drinks, 0.26-0.59 for liquid soft drinks, 0.35-0.74 for powdered soft drinks and 0.54-0.70 for water. Correlations between mean daily nutrient intakes estimated from questionnaires and diaries "beverages" ranged from 0.64-0.74 for calcium and 0.60-0.80 for vitamin D; and between questionnaires and diaries "all foods and beverages" ranged from 0.41-0.63 for calcium and 0.43-0.80 for vitamin D. APPLICATIONS: A quantitative beverage frequency questionnaire can provide a relative estimate of beverage, calcium, and vitamin D intakes.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Measuring family satisfaction with care in the intensive care unit: the development of a questionnaire and preliminary results.

PURPOSE: To develop and test the feasibility of administering a questionnaire to measure family members' level of satisfaction with care provided to them and their critically ill relative. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To develop the questionnaire, existing conceptual frameworks of patient satisfaction, decision making, and quality of end-of-life care were used to identify important domains and items. We pretested the questionnaire for readability, clarity, and sensibility in 21 family members and 16 professionals. To assess validity, we measured the correlation between satisfaction with overall care and satisfaction with decision making. To assess the reliability of the questionnaire, we administered the questionnaire to next of kin of surviving patients on discharge and 7 to 10 days later. RESULTS: Questionnaires were mailed out to 33 family members of nonsurvivors; 24 were returned completed but only 22 (66%) were usable.Twenty-five family members of eligible surviving critically ill patients participated in the test-retest part of this study. Of the 47 respondents, 84% were very satisfied with overall care and 77% were very satisfied with their role in the decision making. There was good correlation between satisfaction with overall care and satisfaction with decision making (correlation coefficient =.64). The assessment of overall satisfaction with care was shown to be reliable (correlation coefficient =.85). CONCLUSIONS: This questionnaire has some measure of reliability and validity and is feasible to administer to next of kin of critically ill patients.

Canada↗
PubMed2000

Validation of a screening questionnaire for androgen deficiency in aging males.

It is now well established that testosterone levels decline with age. What has not been established is whether the decline in testosterone is associated with a symptom complex. This study examined whether certain symptoms are more commonly present in males with low bioavailable testosterone (BT) levels. These were used to evaluate a questionnaire for androgen deficiency in aging males (ADAM). The validity of the ADAM questionnaire to screen for low BT was tested in 316 Canadian physicians aged 40 to 62 years. Low BT levels were present in 25% of this population. None had elevated luteinizing hormone (LH) levels. The ADAM questionnaire had 88% sensitivity and 60% specificity. When the questionnaire was administered twice 2 to 4 weeks apart to 10 men, it was determined that the coefficient of variation was 11.5%. In a second study of 34 ADAM-positive patients, 37% of those with clearly normal BT levels demonstrated some evidence of dysphoria. Finally, in 21 patients who were treated with testosterone, improvement on the ADAM questionnaire was demonstrated in 18 (P = .002). These data support the concept of a symptom complex associated with low BT levels in aging males. In addition, the ADAM questionnaire appears to be a reasonable screening questionnaire to detect androgen deficiency in males over 40 years of age.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Patient satisfaction compared with general health and disease-specific questionnaires in knee arthroplasty patients.

When assessing the health status of patients after orthopaedic surgery, such as knee arthroplasty, general health and disease-specific questionnaires are gaining in popularity because of their precision in detecting subtle differences. Self-administered postal surveys using extensive questionnaires have associated patient burden, however, which may have an impact on response rate and completeness. When a high response rate is important or when the use of comprehensive questionnaires is not practical, it may be possible to gain useful outcome data after a surgical procedure by simpler means. Two postal surveys to knee arthroplasty patients were performed. In the first survey, we posed a simple question regarding patient satisfaction to 27,114 patients. A second survey was sent 9 months later to 3,600 of the same patients; the same simple satisfaction question was posed along with several previously validated general health (NHP, SF36, SF12) and disease/site-specific (Oxford-12, WOMAC) outcome questionnaires. We found that patient satisfaction correlates significantly with general health and disease-specific outcome measures, with the highest correlation to the domains that relate to pain and function. When sent a simple satisfaction questionnaire, 95% of the patients answered, whereas the usable return rate of the more comprehensive questionnaires was 18% to 45% lower. Patients not responding to the comprehensive questionnaires were more often unsatisfied with their operated knee than patients responding.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Use of a three-day estimated food record, a 72-hour recall and a food-frequency questionnaire for dietary assessment in a Mediterranean Spanish population.

AIM: To assess the validity and the short-term reproducibility of a semi-quantitative, self-administrated food frequency questionnaire and a structured 72-hour recall in a Mediterranean Spanish population. METHODS: 44 free-living volunteers participated in the study. Macronutrient, vitamin and mineral intake, recorded on the food frequency questionnaire and the structured 72-h recall were compared with intakes derived from a three-day food record (reference method). Validity of the dietary assessment methods was further assessed by comparing urinary nitrogen, plasma vitamin C, plasma beta-carotene and whole blood glutathione peroxidase activity levels with the corresponding nutrient intakes from the questionnaires. The food frequency questionnaire and the 72-h recall were administered twice to assess the short term reproducibility. RESULTS: Pearson's correlation coefficients between urinary nitrogen, plasma vitamin C, plasma beta-carotene and whole blood glutathione peroxidase activity levels and the reported nitrogen, vitamin C, beta-carotene and selenium intakes were 0.26, 0.53, 0.17, 0.26 for the food frequency questionnaire; 0.41, 0.09, 0.34, 0.42 for the structured 72-h recall and 0.50, 0.54, 0.44, 0.38 for the three-day food record, respectively. The short term reproducibility of analysed nutrient intake showed average intra-class correlation coefficients of 0.91 and 0.69 for the food frequency questionnaire and the structured 72-h recall irrespectively. CONCLUSION: The food frequency questionnaire and the structured 72-h recall provide valid estimates of nutrient intake and could be used for dietary assessments.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Comparison of two questionnaires with a tri-axial accelerometer to assess physical activity patterns.

Two physical activity questionnaires were evaluated against cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2 peak), and a tri-axial accelerometer for movement registration (Tracmor) in 166 men, aged 40 years, within the framework of the Leuven Longitudinal Study on Lifestyle, Fitness, and Health. Tracmor data were obtained during four successive days. Besides the work index, the sport index, and the total activity index from the Baecke questionnaire, the subjective activity score, calculated energy expenditure during work, work index, and the total activity index from the Tecumseh Community questionnaire showed significant correlation coefficients with the mean Tracmor output (r = 0.26-0.47, p < 0.01). The questionnaire submeasures and the Tracmor output as generated in the same physical activity dimension showed the same relationships (r = 0.22-0.50, p < 0.01). Multiple stepwise regression and stepwise discriminant analyses showed the Baecke questionnaire as the best indicator of the subject's physical activity level. Extra information about the physical activity level was given by two Tecumseh submeasures, e.g. energy expenditure during work and sleeping time. The results indicated that the Baecke questionnaire is superior in large-scale studies because of simplicity. However, the Tecumseh questionnaire can give detailed information about physical activity patterns and energy expenditure.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2006

[Validity of patient self report data in rehabilitation research: identifying circumstances of the patients' completion of questionnaires].

BACKGROUND: Self-report questionnaires have become wide-spread and are an integral part in different fields of rehabilitation. However, it is still unclear to what extent the validity of the patients' reports is affected by motivational factors. How difficult is it for the patient to fill out questionnaires? What are the situational characteristics in which the patients fill them out? The present study aims to identify the situational, motivational and cognitive requisites of the respondents and to analyse possible impacts on the validity of self-reports. METHOD: A total of n = 105 patients scheduled for inpatient rehabilitation were interviewed by means of a guided open-ended interview in the admission phase. It is a consecutive sample of all admissions in two rehabilitation clinics in Schleswig-Holstein, which provide each patient with a questionnaire to fill out prior to their stay. The analysis involved a description of statements (categories) that have been derived by content analysis based on the patient interviews. In addition, physicians rated various patients' characteristics at the end of their hospital stay. RESULTS: The participation rate of the patients was 95.5 %. Of all patients, 95 % filled out the questionnaires at home, 69 % without a break. 57 % of the patients interviewed had filled out the questionnaires by themselves without any help, another 22 % worked it through together with their partner or spouse. The extent of influence on the responses appeared to be dependent on the amount of help necessary. In a substantial number of patients the questionnaires were regarded as an "official" document that had to be worked through meticulously. Physicians attested 96 % of the patients to have provided honest reports with regard to personal characteristics, and 95 % to have shown a sufficient degree of willingness of self-disclosure. By and large the patients' perceptions of themselves fit with the perceptions the physician in 76 % of the patients from the physicians' point of view. All patients except one were attested a positive motivation to take part in rehabilitation activities in the clinic by the physician. In individual cases there were substantial deficits of cognitive capacities necessary to work through a questionnaire, as well as limitations in literacy. Four patients had insufficient mastery of the German language. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The vast majority of the patients possessed sufficient motivational and cognitive prerequisites to provide valid self-reports. Patients with problems in responding asked partners or others for help, its impact on the self-reports being as yet not clear-cut. In individual cases it can not be ruled out that patients who think about early retirement provide distorted statements.

Adult↗