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PubMed2006

Development and testing of a scale to assess physician attitudes about handheld computers with decision support.

OBJECTIVE: The authors developed and evaluated a rating scale, the Attitudes toward Handheld Decision Support Software Scale (H-DSS), to assess physician attitudes about handheld decision support systems. DESIGN: The authors conducted a prospective assessment of psychometric characteristics of the H-DSS including reliability, validity, and responsiveness. Participants were 82 Internal Medicine residents. A higher score on each of the 14 five-point Likert scale items reflected a more positive attitude about handheld DSS. The H-DSS score is the mean across the fourteen items. Attitudes toward the use of the handheld DSS were assessed prior to and six months after receiving the handheld device. STATISTICS: Cronbach's Alpha was used to assess internal consistency reliability. Pearson correlations were used to estimate and detect significant associations between scale scores and other measures (validity). Paired sample t-tests were used to test for changes in the mean attitude scale score (responsiveness) and for differences between groups. RESULTS: Internal consistency reliability for the scale was alpha = 0.73. In testing validity, moderate correlations were noted between the attitude scale scores and self-reported Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) usage in the hospital (correlation coefficient = 0.55) and clinic (0.48), p < 0.05 for both. The scale was responsive, in that it detected the expected increase in scores between the two administrations (3.99 (s.d. = 0.35) vs. 4.08, (s.d. = 0.34), p < 0.005). CONCLUSION: The authors' evaluation showed that the H-DSS scale was reliable, valid, and responsive. The scale can be used to guide future handheld DSS development and implementation.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2006

Prediction of symptomatic vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage: the modified fisher scale.

OBJECTIVE: We developed a modification of the Fisher computed tomographic rating scale and compared it with the original Fisher scale to determine which scale best predicts symptomatic vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage. METHODS: We analyzed data from 1355 subarachnoid hemorrhage patients in the placebo arm of four randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of tirilazad. Modified Fisher computed tomographic grades were calculated on the basis of the presence of cisternal blood and intraventricular hemorrhage. Crude odds ratios (OR) reflecting the risk of developing symptomatic vasospasm were calculated for each scale level, and adjusted ORs expressing the incremental risk were calculated after controlling for known predictors of vasospasm. RESULTS: Of 1355 patients, 451 (33%) developed symptomatic vasospasm. For the modified Fisher scale, compared with Grade 0 to 1 patients, the crude OR for vasospasm was 1.6 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0-2.5) for Grade 2, 1.6 (95% CI, 1.1-2.2) for Grade 3, and 2.2 (95% CI, 1.6-3.1) for Grade 4. For the original Fisher scale, referenced to Grade 1, the OR for vasospasm was 1.3 (95% CI, 0.7-2.2) for Grade 2, 2.2 (95% CI, 1.4-3.5) for Grade 3, and 1.7 (95% CI, 1.0-3.0) for Grade 4. Early angiographic vasospasm, history of hypertension, neurological grade, and elevated admission mean arterial pressure were identified as risk factors for symptomatic vasospasm. After adjusting for these variables, the modified Fisher scale remained a significant predictor of vasospasm (adjusted OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.06-1.54), whereas the original Fisher scale was not. CONCLUSION: The modified Fisher scale, which accounts for thick cisternal and ventricular blood, predicts symptomatic vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage more accurately than original Fisher scale.

Humans↗
PubMed2005

Multi-level regulation and metabolic scaling.

Metabolic control analysis has revealed that flux through pathways is the consequence of system properties, i.e. shared control by multiple steps, as well as the kinetic effects of various pathways and processes over each other. This implies that the allometric scaling of flux rates must be understood in terms of properties that pertain to the regulation of flux rates. In contrast, proponents of models considering the scaling of branching or fractal-like systems suggest that supply rates determine metabolic rates. Therefore, the allometric scaling of supply alone provides a sufficient explanation for the allometric scaling of metabolism. Examination of empirical data from the literature of comparative physiology reveals that basal metabolic rates (BMR) are driven by rates of energy expenditure within internal organs and that the allometric scaling of BMR can be understood in terms of the scaling of the masses and metabolic rates of internal organs. Organ metabolic rates represent the sum of tissue metabolic rates while, within tissues, cellular metabolic rates are the outcome of shared regulation by multiple processes. Maximal metabolic rates (MMR, measured as maximum rates of O2 consumption, VO2max) during exercise also scale allometrically, are also subject to control by multiple processes, but are due mainly to O2 consumption by locomotory muscles. Thus, analyses of the scaling of MMR must consider the scaling of both muscle mass and muscle energy expenditure. Consistent with the principle of symmorphosis, allometry in capacities for supply (the outcome of physical design constraints) is observed to be roughly matched by allometry in capacities for demand (i.e. for energy expenditure). However, physiological rates most often fall far below maximum capacities and are subject to multi-step regulation. Thus, mechanistic explanations for the scaling of BMR and MMR must consider the manner in which capacities are matched and how rates are regulated at multiple levels of biological organization.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

A functional morphological approach to the scaling of the feeding system in the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus.

Effects of size are pervasive and affect nearly all aspects of the biology of animals and plants. Theoretical scaling models have been developed to predict the effects of size on the functioning of musculo-skeletal systems. Although numerous experimental studies have investigated the effects of size on the movements of skeletal elements during locomotion and feeding in vertebrates, relatively little is known about the scaling of the muscles and bones responsible for the actual movements. Here, we examine the scaling of external morphology, skeletal elements of the feeding system, and a number of cranial muscles to understand how this may affect the movements observed during suction feeding in the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus. The results show that neither the head nor the cranial elements themselves scale according to geometric similarity models. Relative to head size, distinct changes in the mass and configuration of the feeding structures takes place. Unexpectedly, different cranial muscles show different scaling patterns that ultimately all lead to a positive allometry of muscle cross-sectional area relative to fish head size. This suggests that (1) the scaling of the cranial elements cannot be predicted a priori based on the scaling of external head dimensions and (2) the scaling of the feeding system is optimised towards high force output in the larger animals. An analysis of the consequences of the observed changes in morphology with size on performance traits, including bite force and jaw closing velocity, suggests a tight link between the scaling of the feeding system and the natural diet of these fish. Whereas for smaller size classes the system is tuned towards high bite forces, for animals with cranial lengths greater than 65 mm the scaling of the feeding system appears to be dictated by the hydrodynamic constraints on suction feeding.

Africa↗
PubMed2005

Functional morphology of feeding in the scale-eating specialist Catoprion mento.

The wimple piranha, Catoprion mento, has a narrow-range natural diet with fish scales comprising an important proportion of its total food intake. Scales are eaten throughout most of ontogeny and adults feed almost exclusively on this food source. Catoprion exhibits a novel prey capture behavior when removing scales for ingestion. Scale feeding strikes involve a high-speed, open-mouth, ramming attack where the prey is bitten to remove scales and the force of the collision knocks scales free. Unique kinematic parameters of scale-feeding strikes include a mean gape angle of nearly 120 degrees and a ;plateau' stage of prolonged maximum displacement for cranial elevation and opercular expansion. When feeding on live fish or loose scales, Catoprion performs a typical ram/suction attack that is modulated according to the elusiveness of the prey. Captures of elusive fish elicit faster strikes with greater displacement of cranial elements than do attacks on loose scales sinking in the water column. Despite its specialized diet and suite of anatomical characters, functional versatility in feeding behavior has not been reduced in Catoprion, as predicted by many analogous studies in functional morphology. On the contrary, the behavioral repertoire of Catoprion has been broadened by the addition of a novel behavior for scale feeding.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sensitivity to changes in disability after stroke: a comparison of four scales useful in clinical trials.

Although most current stroke intervention trials use disability scales to determine outcome, little is known about the sensitivity to change of these scales. The use of a more sensitive measure would increase the statistical power of rehabilitation treatment trials. We applied four well-known disability scales to a group of stroke rehabilitation inpatients to compare sensitivity to change. Ninety-five consecutive admissions to a stroke rehabilitation service were assessed for disability on admission and discharge. Two global scales, the Modified Rankin Scale (MRS) and the International Stroke Trial Measure (ISTM), were compared with two activities of daily living (ADL) scales, the Barthel Index (BI) and the Functional Independence Measure (FIM). We determined the number of patients that each scale detected a clinically significant change in disability. Standardized response means (SRM) and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed. The MRS detected change in 55 subjects, including all who changed on the ISTM; the ISTM detected change in only 23 subjects. The BI detected change in 71 subjects but demonstrated ceiling effects with 26% of subjects scoring >95. The FIM was most sensitive, detecting change in 91 subjects; no patient achieved a maximum score. The SRM of the FIM was superior to that of the BI (2.18 versus 1.72), and ROC analysis revealed C-statistics of 0.82 for the BI, 0.59 for the MRS, and 0.51 for the ISTM. Global scales were much less sensitive to changes in disability than were ADL scales. Though ADL scales may take longer to administer, their increased sensitivity may make them more useful in treatment trials by allowing fewer subjects to be enrolled.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2006

Beta diversity at different spatial scales: plant communities in organic and conventional agriculture.

Biodiversity studies that guide agricultural subsidy policy have generally compared farming systems at a single spatial scale: the field. However, diversity patterns vary across spatial scales. Here, we examined the effects of farming system (organic vs. conventional) and position in the field (edge vs. center) on plant species richness in wheat fields at three spatial scales. We quantified alpha-, beta-, and gamma-diversity at the microscale in 800 plots, at the mesoscale in 40 fields, and at the macroscale in three regions using the additive partitioning approach, and evaluated the relative contribution of beta-diversity at each spatial scale to total observed species richness. We found that alpha-, beta-, and gamma-diversity were higher in organic than conventional fields and higher at the field edge than in the field center at all spatial scales. In both farming systems, beta-diversity at the meso- and macroscale explained most of the overall species richness (up to 37% and 25%, respectively), indicating considerable differences in community composition among fields and regions due to environmental heterogeneity. The spatial scale at which beta-diversity contributed the most to overall species richness differed between rare and common species. Total richness of rare species (present in < or = 5% of total samples) was mainly explained by differences in community composition at the meso- and macroscale (up to 27% and 48%, respectively), but only in organic fields. Total richness of common species (present in > or = 25% of total samples) was explained by differences in community composition at the micro- and mesoscale (up to 29% and 47%, respectively), i.e., among plots and fields, independent of farming system. Our results show that organic farming made the greatest contribution to total species richness at the meso (among fields) and macro (among regions) scale due to environmental heterogeneity. Hence, agri-environment schemes should exploit this large-scale contribution of beta-diversity by tailoring schemes at regional scales to maximize dissimilarity between conservation areas using geographic information systems rather than focusing entirely at the classical local-field scale, which is the current practice.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2004

Reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the Lysholm knee scale for various chondral disorders of the knee.

BACKGROUND: The Lysholm knee scale is a condition-specific outcome measure that was originally designed to assess ligament injuries of the knee. The purpose of this study was to determine the psychometric properties of the Lysholm knee scale for various chondral disorders of the knee. METHODS: Test-retest reliability, internal consistency, content validity, criterion validity, construct validity, and responsiveness to change were determined for the Lysholm knee scale within subsets of an overall study population of 1657 patients with chondral disorders of the knee. The study population was a heterogeneous group of patients with various types of traumatic and degenerative chondral lesions, including isolated lesions and those associated with meniscal and ligament injuries. RESULTS: The overall Lysholm knee scale and six of the eight domains had acceptable test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.91) and internal consistency (Cronbach alpha = 0.65). The overall Lysholm knee scale demonstrated acceptable floor (0%) and ceiling (0.7%) effects; however, the floor effects for the domain of squatting and the ceiling effects for the domains of limp, instability, support, and locking were unacceptable (>30%). There was acceptable criterion validity with significant (p < 0.05) correlations between the overall Lysholm knee scale and the physical functioning, role-physical, and bodily pain domains of the Short Form-12 scale; the pain, stiffness, and function domains of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index; and the Tegner activity scale. The overall Lysholm knee scale had acceptable construct validity, with all nine hypotheses demonstrating significance (p < 0.05), and it had acceptable responsiveness to change (effect size, 1.16; standardized response mean, 1.10), with large effects (> or = 0.80) for the domains of pain, limping, swelling, and squatting and a small effect (> or = 0.20) for the domain of instability. CONCLUSIONS: The Lysholm knee scale demonstrated overall acceptable psychometric performance for outcomes assessment of various chondral disorders of the knee, although some domains demonstrated suboptimal performance. Psychometric testing of other condition-specific knee instruments in patients with chondral disorders of the knee would be helpful to allow for comparison of psychometric properties.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Allometric scaling in small colonies of the scleractinian coral Siderastrea siderea (Ellis and Solander).

Although most physiological traits scale allometrically in unitary organisms, it has been hypothesized that modularity allows for isometric scaling in colonial modular taxa. Isometry would allow increases in size without functional constraints, and is thought to be of central importance to the success of a modular design. Yet, despite its potential importance, scaling in these organisms has received little attention. To determine whether scleractinian corals are free of allometric constraints, we quantified metabolic scaling, measured as aerobic respiration, in small colonies (< or =40 mm in diam.) of the scleractinian Siderastrea siderea. We also quantified the scaling of colony surface area with biomass, since the proposed isometry is contingent upon maintaining a constant ratio of surface area to biomass (or volume) with size. Contrary to the predicted isometry, aerobic respiration scaled allometrically on biomass with a slope (b) of 0.176, and colony surface area scaled allometrically on biomass with a slope of 0.730. These findings indicate that small colonies of S. siderea have disproportionately high metabolic rates and SA:B ratios compared to their larger counterparts. The most probable explanations for the allometric scaling of aerobic respiration are (1) a decline in the SA:B ratio with size such that more surface area is available per unit of biomass for mass transfer in the smallest colonies, and (2) the small size, young age, and disproportionately high growth rates of the corals examined. This allometric scaling also demonstrates that modularity, alone, does not allow small colonies of S. siderea to overcome allometric constraints. Further studies are required to determine whether allometric scaling is characteristic of the full size range of colonies of S. siderea.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

The Kuwait University Anxiety Scale: psychometric properties.

This study was undertaken to construct the Kuwait University Anxiety Scale in two comparable Arabic and English versions. The intent was to provide a research tool as well as a measure of predisposition to develop anxiety in general among adults and adolescents. The scale is comprised by 20 brief statements answered on a 4-point intensity scale, anchored by 1: Rarely and 4: Always. Factor analysis yielded three high-loaded factors of Cognitive/Affective, Behavioral/Subjective, and Somatic Anxiety, with moderate interfactor correlations. Item-remainder correlations ranged from .27 to .74. Reliabilities ranged from .88 to .92 (alpha) and between .70 and .93 (test-retest), denoting good internal consistency and stability. Criterion-related validity of the scale ranged between .70 and .88 (5 criteria), while the loadings of the scale on a general factor of anxiety were .93 and .95 in two factor analyses, demonstrating the scale's criterion-related and factorial validity. Discriminant validity of the scale was demonstrated. The scale correlated .65 with scores on the Beck Depression scale. Male adolescents attained a higher mean score than male undergraduates. Females have significantly higher mean scores than their male counterparts. Kuwaiti norms (N = 4,660) were reported. An English version of the scale is available.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Identification of microtonal melodies: effects of scale-step size, serial order, and training.

The perception of microtonal scales was investigated in a melodic identification task. In each trial, eight pure tones, equally-spaced in log frequency in the vicinity of 700 Hz, were presented in one of nine different serial orders. There were two experiments, each with 108 trials (six scales [tone sets] x nine serial orders x two repetitions). In each experiment, 30 subjects, half of whom were musically trained, were asked to match each melody to one of 9 visual representation (frequency-time grids). In Experiment 1, the six scales were spaced at intervals of 25, 33, 50, 67, 100, and 133 cents (100 cents = 1 semitone approximately 6% of frequency). Performance was worse for scale steps of 25 and 33 cents than it was for wider scale steps. There were no significant effects at other intervals, including the interval of 100 cents, implying that melodic pattern identification is unaffected by long-term experience of music in 12-tone equally tempered tuning (e.g., piano music). In Experiment 2, the six scales were spaced at smaller intervals, of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 cents. Performance for the three narrower scale steps was worse than that for the three wider scale steps. For some orders, performance for the narrowest scale step (10 cents) did not exceed chance. The smallest practical scale step for short microtonal melodies in a pattern-identification task was estimated as being 10-20 cents for chance performance, and 30-40 cents for asymptotic performance.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

[French validation of the "Exercise of self-care agency" scale for heart patients].

Self-care agency is the practice of health-related activities that individuals deliberately initiate and perform in order to maintain life, health and well-being (OREM, 1987). A tool measuring self-care agency is useful to nurses for identifying patients lacking knowledge, motivation, and for those with limited self-care agency. KEARNEY and FLEISCHER (1979) have developed the Exercise of Self-care Agency (ESCA) scale to asses the extent to which individuals take action toward their health care. Several studies suggest that the ESCA scale possesses adequate psychometric properties (KEARNEY & FLEISCHER, 1979; LUCAS, MORRIS & ALEXANDER, 1988; MCBRIDE, 1987; RIESCH & HAUCK, 1988). The lack of a validated tool measuring self-care agency among french speaking populations, led us to translate the ESCA scale and to examine its psychometric properties in a sample of French Canadian individuals who have survived a recent non-complicated myocardial infarction (MI). At 8 and 14 weeks after their MI, 83 subjects aged 52 +/- 10 years with a 1,857 +/- 1,605 U/L MI and an ejection fraction of 51 +/- 10% completed the french-ESCA scale. Mean scores were 112.6 +/- 13.3 at 8 weeks and 117.9 +/- 14.0 at 14 weeks post-MI. Internal consistency coefficients of the french-ESCA scale (at 8 and 14 weeks post-MI) are acceptable (0.84 and 0.88, respectively). Internal consistency coefficients are similar to those obtained in previous studies whereas mean scores on the ESCA scale are somewhat higher (RIESCH & HAUCK, 1988). Cronbach alphas for the french-ESCA scale's sub-scales are generally lower: Self-concept (0.57 and 0.69), Initiative/responsibility (0.72 and 0.80), Knowledge/information seeking (0.80 and 0.79), and Taking actions (0.49 and 0.62). The french-ESCA scale appears stable within the 6 weeks period (r = 0.77, p < 0.001). We recommend to further assess the french-ESCA scale's psychometric properties using larger samples of subjects with or without various health problems.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2000

Comparison of the University of California-Los Angeles Shoulder Scale and the Simple Shoulder Test with the shoulder pain and disability index: single-administration reliability and validity.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Shoulder scales are often used to evaluate treatment efficacy, yet little is known about the psychometric properties of these scales. Only one scale has undergone psychometric scrutiny: the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI). This study compared 2 shoulder measures-the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) Shoulder Scale and the Simple Shoulder Test (SST)-with the SPADI. SUBJECTS: One hundred ninety-two patients with shoulder disorders were recruited from one physician's office to complete the self-report sections of the 3 scales. METHODS: Cronbach alpha values and standard errors of measurement (SEM) were calculated for each of the multi-item subscales. Validity was examined through calculation of correlation coefficients among the 3 scales. Factor analysis was completed to assess the underlying constructs of the SPADI and the SST. RESULTS: Cronbach alpha values ranged from.85 to.95. The SEM values for the multi-item scales ranged from 4.75 to 11.65. Evidence for validity to reflect function was indicated by the correlation between the SST and the SPADI disability subscale. The factor analysis of the SPADI revealed loading on 1 factor, whereas the SST loaded on 2 factors. CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION: All scales demonstrated good internal consistency, suggesting that all items for each scale measure the same construct. However, the SEMs for all scales were high. Factor loading was inconsistent, suggesting that patients may not distinguish between pain and function.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Studies related to the scale-up of high-cell-density E. coli fed-batch fermentations using multiparameter flow cytometry: effect of a changing microenvironment with respect to glucose and dissolved oxygen concentration.

Multiparameter flow cytometric techniques developed in our laboratories have been used for the "at-line" study of fed-batch bacterial fermentations. These fermentations were done at two scales, production (20 m(3)) and bench (5 x 10(-3) m(3)). In addition, at the bench scale, experiments were undertaken where the difficulty of achieving good mixing (broth homogeneity), similar to that found at the production scale, was simulated by using a two-compartment model. Flow cytometric analysis of cells in broth samples, based on a dual-staining protocol, has revealed, for the first time, that a progressive change in cell physiological state generally occurs throughout the course of such fermentations. The technique has demonstrated that a changing microenvironment with respect to substrate concentration (glucose and dissolved oxygen tension [DOT]) has a profound effect on cell physiology and hence on viable biomass yield. The relatively poorly mixed conditions in the large-scale fermentor were found to lead to a low biomass yield, but, surprisingly, were associated with a high cell viability (with respect to cytoplasmic membrane permeability) throughout the fermentation. The small-scale fermentation that most clearly mimicked the large-scale heterogeneity (i.e., a region of high glucose concentration and low DOT analogous to a feed zone) gave similar results. On the other hand, the small-scale well-mixed fermentation gave the highest biomass yield, but again, surprisingly, the lowest cell viability. The scaled-down simulations with high DOT throughout and locally low or high glucose gave biomass and viabilities between. Reasons for these results are examined in terms of environmental stress associated with an ever-increasing glucose limitation in the well-mixed case. On the other hand, at the large scale, and to differing degrees in scale-down simulations, cells periodically encounter regions of relatively higher glucose concentration.

Biotechnology↗
PubMed2000

[Radiography scale in rheumatology. State of the art and consequences for clinical practice].

PURPOSE: Realize a "state of the art" of numerization and reduction or magnification scale of musculoskeletal radiography. Looking for the factors associated with this scale variation. How do they influence rheumatology practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study recenced all the numerized (RN) and conventional radiography (RC) of one hundred consecutive patients consulting a rheumatologist practitioner. The scale was read directly or on gradations on the side of the radio. All the measure was made with a graduated magnifying glass. RESULTS: This study confirms that RN gradually replace RC in musculoskeletal radiology (0% before 1994, 65% in 1999). It also confirms that reducing scale is more frequent (50% in 1994, 82% in 1999). The scale of reduction is significantly different depending on some anatomic area, some diagnosis and some geographical provinces. These scale modifications disturb some recommended measures in rheumatology practice. The significant correlation between reducing scale and joint space (r=-0,32; p=0, 009; n=67) tend to show that scale reduction provide an overestimation of joint space. CONCLUSION: Given the perturbation induced in rheumatology practice it would be better to keep the scale of 100% until relevance of reducing scale has been demonstrated.

Humans↗
PubMed2001

[Examination of validity of the subjective fatigue scale for young adults].

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of a new type of Subjective Fatigue Scale for young adults (SFS-Y). METHODS: The SFS-Y consisted of 24 item questions representing 6 sub-scales of difficulty of concentrated thinking, languor, reduced activation, reduced motivation, drowsiness and feeling of physical disintegration. The SFS-Y, subjective symptoms index (SSI), chronic fatigue symptoms index (CFSI), multidimensional fatigue index (MFI) and the Chalder fatigue scale (CFS) were administered to 5435 students aged 15-20 yr. RESULTS: It was inferred that SFS-Y can evaluate individual differences from the viewpoints of score distribution and discrimination power. It was considered that the SFS-Y has high generality because it includes many question items with a similar content to existing fatigue scales and it can do multiple evaluations covering almost all aspects of existing scales. The relationships between sub-scales in the SFS-Y and existing fatigue scales were high in sub-scales with similar names and was low in ones with different names. CONCLUSION: The Subjective Fatigue Scale developed to evaluate subjective fatigue for youths was considered to be excellent in validity and to be effective scale.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Scale construction for measuring attitude, beliefs, perception of control, and intention to exercise.

BACKGROUND: Using the Theory of Planned Behavior as a framework, the Fitness Attitude, Expectations of Others, Perceived Behavioral Control, and Intention to Exercise Scales were developed. Professionals in exercise physiology generated items for the instruments. Experts in clinical psychology and exercise physiology established content validity. METHODS: Each of the scale items is phrased in a rating scale format. Both unipolar and bipolar scales were developed with seven response choices offered. Following the pilot testing and subsequent revisions, 19 items were retained in the Fitness Attitude Scale, seven items were retained in the Expectations of Others Scale, three items were retained in the Perceived Behavioral Control Scale, and 11 items were retained in the Intention to Exercise Scale. RESULTS: Correlation coefficients for the total instruments were significantly positive for stability and internal consistency, ranging from a = 0.75 to a = 0.87. Exercise specialists may wish to implement the use of these scales in their practices to develop intervention techniques for the promotion of positive fitness attitudes, good perception of control over the ability to exercise, and good intentions to exercise. CONCLUSIONS: The positive results in this study s sample suggest that these scales are ready for application in the field, but they should be pilot-tested with each group to check reliability with the particular population.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Body image assessment: comparison of figure rating scales among urban Black women.

PURPOSE: To determine a psychometrically stable and socially acceptable scale for assessing perceptual body image in Black women. METHODS: The study sample (N = 50) was selected sequentially from Black women (mean age 52.3 +/- 10 years) who were being screened for a larger randomized trial (Project Joy). Three standard published figure rating scales (FRS) were compared with a new scale (Reese FRS). Distributions of respondents' selections on all scales were examined relative to anthropometric measures, including body mass index (BMI) and categories of obesity and overweight (National Expert Panel on Overweight and Obesity Guidelines). Cultural identity, developed from an adaptation from the African-American Acculturation Scale II (cross-validation and short form), and its relationship to FRS preference was also assessed. RESULTS: Body weight distribution of women in this study matched that of US Black women over 40 years of age in the NHANES III data. All four FRS performed similarly and correlated significantly with BMI, r was -0.70 to -0.75, P<.0001. Twenty-two percent of the women identified themselves with one of the three largest images (determined by consensus of an expert panel to represent obesity) on three FRS and 38% identified with the three largest images on one scale. For all scales, this was below 56% of women identified as obese based on national guidelines. Among women with the highest cultural identity scores, indicating the strongest identification with elements of Black culture, 72% preferred the new Reese FRS. CONCLUSION: Overall, there is considerable overlap among images selected for any weight category based on national BMI classifications. A strong preference exists for the Reese scale, especially among women with a strong Black cultural identity. This new scale performs similarly to existing scales in successively assessing the self-assignment of an image for self, but is more socially acceptable. Reasons for the small percentage of obese women who identified themselves as obese need further investigation.

Adult↗