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In this article, statistical properties of the root mean square deviation (RMSD) item fit statistic in item response models are studied. It is shown that RMSD estimates will indicate even misfit for items whose parametric assumption of the item response function is correct (i.e., fitting items) if some item response functions in the test are misspecified. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the RMSD values of misfitting and fitting items depend on the proportion of misfitting items. We propose three alternative bias-corrected RMSD estimators that reduce the bias for fitting items. However, these alternative estimators provide slightly negatively biased estimates for misfitting items compared to the originally proposed RMSD statistic. In the numerical experiments, we study the case of a misspecified one-parameter logistic item response model and the behavior of the RMSD statistic if differential item functioning occurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyze the Chinese version of the Nociception Coma Scale–Revised in patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness within the framework of Rasch modeling, including investigating the invariance of total scores across different etiologies of disorders of consciousness. Design: Prospective psychometric study. Participants: Patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness from the Rehabilitation and Neurology units in hospital. Interventions: None. Main Outcome Measure: The Nociception Coma Scale–Revised was undertaken by trained raters and the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised was used to assess patients' consciousness. The psychometric properties within the Rasch model including item-person targeting, reliability and separation, item fit, unidimensionality, and differential item functioning were assessed. Results: 84 patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (mean age 53 years; mean injury 5 months; 42 with Minimally Conscious State and 42 with Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome) of 252 observations were enrolled in the study. Through the procedure of repeated assessment and differential item function, a lower item bias Rasch set was purified. The Rasch model assumptions were examined and met, with item reliability and validity meeting the recommended threshold. Conclusions: The Chinese version of the Nociception Coma Scale–Revised demonstrated unidimensionality, good reliability and separation, and good item fit, but dissatisfied person fit and item-person targeting. The verbal subscale showed a notable discrepancy between person responses and the difficulty of the items, suggesting limited clinical significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have a considerable impact on an individual's social life. Life-long medication, fear of death, dietary restrictions, hospital admissions, dependency on caregivers, and strained interpersonal relationships play a role. The available questionnaires measure only individual aspects of social impact. The aim of the study was to develop and validate a comprehensive questionnaire to assess the social impact of NCDs. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients and caregivers seeking care at a tertiary care hospital for diabetes, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), stroke, coronary artery disease (CAD), and cancer. Thirty patients each with the above diseases were administered Cousineau Self-Perceived Burden Scale to assess perceived burden among patients, Caregiver Burden Scale to assess caregiver burden, EuroQol-5D-3L to assess the quality of life, and face validated questions of sociodemographic details, cost of healthcare, and stress due to disease. Rasch analysis was performed to identify items that lie within the traditional bounds of mean-square item fit. The Delphi method with 10 subject experts was used to identify the questions that would be included in the final tool. Results: The data consists of 150 observations, with 77 categorical questions subdivided into various domains. From this, a total of 30 questions were extracted by Rasch analysis. The new questionnaire had good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha: 0.969, 95% confidence interval: 0.96–0.98). The questionnaire was finalized after reaching a consensus among subject experts. Conclusion: The social impact questionnaire developed consisted of 30 questions, has good internal consistency, and can be used to measure the social impact of NCDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing item fit for unidimensional item response theory models for dichotomous items has always been an issue of enormous interest, but there exists no unanimously agreed item fit diagnostic for these models, and hence there is room for further investigation of the area. This paper employs the posterior predictive model-checking method, a popular Bayesian model-checking tool, to examine item fit for the above-mentioned models. An item fit plot, comparing the observed and predicted proportion-correct scores of examinees with different raw scores, is suggested. This paper also suggests how to obtain posterior predictive p-values (which are natural Bayesian p-values) for the item fit statistics of Orlando and Thissen that summarize numerically the information in the above-mentioned item fit plots. A number of simulation studies and a real data application demonstrate the effectiveness of the suggested item fit diagnostics. The suggested techniques seem to have adequate power and reasonable Type I error rate, and psychometricians will find them promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parents and preschool teachers play a key role in shaping children's dietary behaviors. Knowledge of nutrition and healthy dietary choices is a key component to improve dietary habits and reduce the prevalence of obesity and associated co-morbidities. Using valid and reliable instruments is necessary for accurate assessment of knowledge to tailor interventions and measure effectiveness specific to the population of interest. The objectives of this paper are to (1) identify potential gaps in the baseline nutrition knowledge among parents and teachers using a previously validated questionnaire prior to a preschool obesity prevention intervention; and (2) assess the instrument's reliability and construct validity for a low socioeconomic status population using a post hoc Rasch analysis. Participants included 177 parents and 75 teachers who participated in a Head Start intervention study. Knowledge scores, instrument reliability, and item fit and difficulty were assessed using a Rasch analysis; t-tests were used to determine differences in scores between parents and teachers. Parents answered 38% of questions correctly while teachers correctly answered 46% of the questions. Adequate item fit and reliability were indicated for Sections 1 and 2 of the Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire (NKQ). Section 3 demonstrated less adequate reliability. The items were found to adequately and reliably define the unidimensional measures of the three components of knowledge represented in this instrument, providing evidence of construct validity. However, Rasch measures indicated the NKQ overall was difficult for participants. Recommendations for improving the instrument for nutrition education/intervention and research practice areas related to obesity and obesity-related conditions are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Abdominal pain is a common and often debilitating issue for children and adolescents. In many cases, it is not caused by a specific somatic condition but rather emerges from a complex interplay of bio-psycho-social factors, leading to functional abdominal pain (FAP). Given the complex nature of FAP, understanding its origins and how to effectively manage this condition is crucial. Until now, however, no questionnaire exists that targets knowledge in this specific domain. To address this, the Abdominal Pain Knowledge Questionnaire (A-PKQ) was developed. Methods: Two versions were created (one for children and one for parents) and tested in four gastroenterology clinics and one specialized pain clinic in Germany between November 2021 and February 2024. Children between 8 and 17 years of age (N = 128) and their accompanying parents (N = 131) participated in the study. Rasch analysis was used to test the performance of both versions of the questionnaire. Results: The original questionnaires exhibited good model and item fit. Subsequently, both questionnaires were refined to improve usability, resulting in final versions containing 10 items each. These final versions also demonstrated good model and item fit, with items assessing a variety of relevant domains. Conclusion: The A-PKQ is an important contribution to improving assessment in clinical trials focused on pediatric functional abdominal pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines the utility of the s - χ² statistic proposed by Orlando and Thissen (2000) in evaluating item fit for multidimensional item response models. Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to investigate both the Type I error and statistical power of this fit statistic in analyzing two kinds of multidimensional test structures: approximate simple structure and complex structure. Overall, results show that this statistic is capable of evaluating item fit in the application of multidimensional item response models. It is important to identify the structure of multidimensional tests before this fit statistic is applied. For tests with an approximate simple structure, the sampling distribution can be approximated by a standard chi-square distribution. But for tests with a complex structure, that approximation is more complicated. As regards power in detecting the model nonfitting items, the performance of this statistic in multidimensional tests is comparable to that in unidimensional tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viable methods for the identification of item misfit or Differential Item Functioning (DIF) are central to scale construction and sound measurement. Many approaches rely on the derivation of a limiting distribution under the assumption that a certain model fits the data perfectly. Typical DIF assumptions such as the monotonicity and population independence of item functions are present even in classical test theory but are more explicitly stated when using item response theory or other latent variable models for the assessment of item fit. The work presented here provides a robust approach for DIF detection that does not assume perfect model data fit, but rather uses Tukey's concept of contaminated distributions. The approach uses robust outlier detection to flag items for which adequate model data fit cannot be established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the psychometric characteristics of the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence (PMSC) in Chinese children, utilizing the principles of item response theory (IRT). Methods: A total of 284 children (147 boys), aged 4–10 years (Mage = 7.39, SD = 2.18), from four schools were recruited for testing, adhering to the principle of random sampling. The Rasch model was applied to evaluate the rating scale validity, local independence, scale dimensionality, person and item fit statistics, and differential item functioning (DIF). Results: (1) The rating scale validity was confirmed by the monotonically increasing trend in both average item difficulty measures and Andrich thresholds. (2) However, the observation that standardized residual correlations for all items remained below 0.3 unequivocally confirmed the presence of local independence among the variables. (3) The scale's dimensions were substantiated, with Rasch measures explaining 40.6% of total variance, exceeding the 40% threshold. Additionally, the first contrast had an eigenvalue of 1.8 and explained 8.80% of the variance, both exceeding the minimum 3:1 ratio. Consequently, the unidimensionality assumption of the item was supported. (4) Person and item fit statistics indicated requisite reliability and separation, with all achieving suitable infit and outfit measures, and point‐biserial correlations exceeding 0.55. (5) Regarding gender DIF, it was observed that the majority of items did not exhibit statistically significant gender DIF effects (p > 0.05) except item 8 (Bounce a ball, t = −2.74, p < 0.01, DIF = −0.51). Conclusion: Rasch analysis revealed that the instrument exhibited strong scale validity among Chinese children, adhering to the Rasch model's unidimensionality and local independence principles, with robust person and item reliability and separation. All items demonstrated a good fit. Additionally, the significant gender difference in item 8 (Bounce a ball) warrants further consideration. In conclusion, PMSC is suitable for assessing the PMSC of Chinese children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to generate the health state classification system (HCS) of a condition-specific preference-based measure to capture the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) from the 15-item Myasthenia Gravis Quality of Life Scale (MG-QoL15r). An HCS was derived from the MG-QoL15r in a large sample of 1739 patients with MG based on psychometric analysis, including factor analysis, item response theory analysis, and discussions with experts. Reliability, construct and convergent validity, and item fit of the HCS were further assessed using another sample. The HCS has six dimensions: social activity, hobbies and fun activities, meeting family needs, work performance, mobility, and emotion, and it demonstrates good internal consistency reliability. The unidimensionality of the HCS was confirmed using confirmatory factor analysis. Satisfied convergent validity was supported by a significant association with the 12-item Short Form Survey (SF-12). Based on a solid process of development and consultations with clinical professionals and patients, a valid MG-specific preference-based measure, MGQoL-6D, was developed. Further research will estimate the local preference weight to support the MG-related cost–utility analysis. A new condition-specific health state classification system (HCS) named Myasthenia gravis Quality of Life Scale (MGQoL-6D) is proposed. MGQoL-6D classifies MG health states as a combination of six dimensions with three response levels. The dimensions of the HCS are social activity, hobbies and fun activity, family needs, work performance, mobility, and emotion. The HCS and the upcoming value set of the MGQoL-6D could support the cost-effectiveness analysis of MG-related clinical and rehabilitated interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To perform a detailed psychometric Rasch analysis of the Prosthesis Embodiment Scale (PEmbS) administered in adults with lower limb amputation (LLA). A convenience sample of German-speaking adults with LLA (n = 150), recruited from German state agencies' databases, was asked to complete the PEmbS, a 10-item patient-reported scale assessing prosthesis embodiment. The local dependency between two items was resolved by keeping for the global score only the lower score of these two items (#9 and #10). Collapsing the seven response categories to four (two expressing disagreement and two agreement) eliminated disordered thresholds. After that, the PEmbS demonstrated unidimensionality, acceptable item fit, and good reliability indices. A keyform plot was created to transform raw scores into linear measures of prosthesis embodiment, making it possible to compare the individual's item responses with those expected by the Rasch model, and to manage missing responses. The PEmbS is useful for assessing prosthesis embodiment in people with LLA, both for research and clinical purposes. We propose a revised version of the PEmbS for lower limb amputees; its appropriateness in other LLA contexts requires further investigation. Prosthesis embodiment has been empirically related to positive clinical outcomes in limb amputees. The Prosthesis Embodiment Scale (PEmbS) is a patient-reported scale that has been recently recommended for use in research on prosthesis embodiment. Rasch analysis showed that the revised version of the German PEmbS is a psychometrically sound instrument for the assessment of prosthesis embodiment in lower limb amputees. The PEmbS thus also allows reliable and valid diagnosis of prosthesis embodiment in clinical and rehabilitation contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing valid inferences from item response theory (IRT) models is contingent upon a good fit of the data to the model. Violations of model-data fit have numerous consequences, limiting the usefulness and applicability of the model. This instructional module provides an overview of methods used for evaluating the fit of IRT models. Upon completing this module, the reader will have an understanding of traditional and Bayesian approaches for evaluating model-data fit of IRT models, the relative advantages of each approach, and the software available to implement each method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Lifestyle, defined as a way of living resulting from an individual's deliberate choices, is a crucial factor in improving and maintaining health. Consequently, the measurement and analysis of lifestyle are of significant importance. This study aims to validate the validity and reliability of the Yonsei Lifestyle Profile‐Active, Balance, Connection, Diversity (YLP‐ABCD) in measuring health‐related lifestyles. Methods: Data were collected from 300 participants aged 55 and older using the YLP‐ABCD. To analyse the validity and reliability of the YLP‐ABCD, analysed using frequency, descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis, and Rasch model analysis. Results: The results indicate that the YLP‐ABCD, which consists of 35 items, demonstrates unidimensionality and local independence. The Rasch model confirmed the suitability of the 5‐point Likert scale for the factors, excluding subfactors Balanced and Unbalanced. The item fit criteria (0.5 < MNSQ < 1.5) were met for all items. The distribution of the respondents' abilities suggests the need for additional items to measure their ability levels. Both the item and respondent separation indices and their reliabilities were satisfactory. Conclusion: This study confirmed the utility of the YLP‐ABCD as a valuable tool for measuring and understanding the multifaceted diversity of lifestyles. Therefore, by utilising YLP‐ABCD to quantitatively measure health lifestyles, we anticipate contributing to improvements in human health and quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to translate the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) General Life Satisfaction Short Form (GLS SF5a) into the Arabic language and psychometrically validate the scale in the general population of Saudi Arabia. The translation processes followed the international recommendations of the FACIT Measurement System. The study was a multicentre cross-sectional study conducted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A total of 657 individuals who were above 18 years of age and able to write and comprehend Arabic completed the GLS SF5a. Rasch analysis was used to evaluate item fit, reliability indices, item difficulty, principal component analysis and local item dependency. WINSTEPS (v. 5.6.0) was used for the analysis. The translation process and cognitive defibring were completed with no issues. The rating scale categories had a disordered threshold. All items, except one, demonstrated a satisfactory fit to the Rasch model. The reliability of the person separation was 0.86. The scale was unidimensional, and no items showed local dependency. Overall, this study confirms the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the PROMIS GLS SF5a, which can be used as an instrument for measuring general life satisfaction in the general population. Further research is required to explore responsiveness, interpretability and feasibility in the clinical setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two types of global testing procedures for item fit to the Rasch model were evaluated using simulation studies. The first type incorporates three tests based on first-order statistics: van den Wollenberg's Q[sub 1] test, Glas's R[sub 1] test, and Andersen's LR test. The second type incorporates three tests based on second-order statistics: van den Wollenberg's Q[sub 2] test, Glas's R[sub 2] test, and a non-parametric test proposed by Ponocny. The Type I error rates and the power against the violation of parallel item response curves, unidimensionality and local independence were analysed in relation to sample size and test length. In general, the outcomes indicate a satisfactory performance of all tests, except the Q[sub 2] test which exhibits an inflated Type I error rate. Further, it was found that both types of tests have power against all three types of model violation. A possible explanation is the interdependencies among the assumptions underlying the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine whether the Exercise Motivations Inventory − 2 (EMI-2) scale would be appropriate to measure college students' exercise motivation. Participants: The EMI-2 scale questionnaire was administered to 325 college students in the southwestern U.S. Method: The WINSTEPS program was conducted to analyze Rating Scale Fit, Differential Item Functioning (DIF), and Item fit by applying Rasch rating scale model calibration. Results: A 5-point Likert-type rating scale of the EMI-2 was more appropriate to investigate college students' exercise motivation. Seventeen of 51 items were selected as the DIF, and one item had over standard item fit. Overall, 33 items were finally selected for a new version of the EMI-2 scale for college students. Additionally, Person-Item map showed that person ability and item difficulty were fit matched. Conclusions: This reconstructed EMI-2 scale can be utilized to assess exercise motivations of college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To produce and validate an Italian version of the Lymphedema Life Impact Scale version 2 (LLISv2-It), a tool measuring the impact of lymphedema on health-related quality of life, and investigate its main psychometric characteristics. After translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the LLISv2, we administered it to 156 subjects with secondary lymphedema (upper or lower limb), together with (depending on the limb involved) either the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire (DASH) or the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS). We analyzed the performance of LLISv2-It using Classical Test Theory and Rasch methods. Cronbach alpha was 0.89. Item fit statistics indicated that item #12 was underfitting (Infit MnSQ = 1.56; Outfit MnSq = 1.75). Test-retest reliability of the 17-item version (without item #18, not scored, according to the original authors) and of a 16-item version (without #12 and #18—a unidimensional item set) were both excellent (ICC2.1 = 0.93; 95%). The minimum detectable change was 8.9 points. The correlation of LLISv2-It with DASH and LEFS was r = 0.81 and −0.57, respectively. The Italian version of the LLISv2 is reliable and valid. To make the tool more psychometrically sound, we recommend to not calculate items #12 and #18 in the total score. The Lymphedema Life Impact Scale (LLISv2) is particularly useful as a validated condition-specific health-related quality of life measure for patients with chronic edema/lymphedema. We have validated its Italian version (LLISv2-It). We also examined the psychometric properties of the LLISv2 in individuals with secondary lymphedema of either upper or lower limb, using both classical test theory and Rasch techniques, to provide insights for further refinement of the questionnaire. Based on our results, we recommend not to count item #12 in the total score (besides #18, as already suggested by the original authors). Moreover, we determined that the minimum detectable change of the LLISv2 was 9 points. This information is helpful in clinical practice to understand if the change in score is not due to chance (measurement error). Although further research is warranted, the present validation study of the LLISv2 increases the confidence in the metric quality and clinical utility of the scale to assess lymphedema-specific health-related quality of life in individuals with secondary lymphedema of either upper or lower limb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

S − χ 2 is a popular item fit index that is available in commercial software packages such as flex MIRT. However, no research has systematically examined the performance of S − χ 2 for detecting item misfit within the context of the multidimensional graded response model (MGRM). The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the performance of S − χ 2 under two practical misfit scenarios: first, all items are misfitting due to model misspecification, and second, a small subset of items violate the underlying assumptions of the MGRM. Simulation studies showed that caution should be exercised when reporting item fit results of polytomous items using S − χ 2 within the context of the MGRM, because of its inflated false positive rates (FPRs), especially with a small sample size and a long test. S − χ 2 performed well when detecting overall model misfit as well as item misfit for a small subset of items when the ordinality assumption was violated. However, under a number of conditions of model misspecification or items violating the homogeneous discrimination assumption, even though true positive rates (TPRs) of S − χ 2 were high when a small sample size was coupled with a long test, the inflated FPRs were generally directly related to increasing TPRs. There was also a suggestion that performance of S − χ 2 was affected by the magnitude of misfit within an item. There was no evidence that FPRs for fitting items were exacerbated by the presence of a small percentage of misfitting items among them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. It is reported that hopeful thinking plays a positive role in encouraging patients to achieve functional goals during the rehabilitation process. Hope is a key concept in evaluating stroke outcomes in research and rehabilitation practice. Aims. The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Korean Dispositional Hope Scale (K-DHS) using the Rasch analysis in patients with hemiplegic stroke. Methods. The K-DHS was completed by 166 community-dwelling hemiplegic stroke patients in Korea. Data were analyzed according to item fit, item difficulty, and the appropriateness of the rating scale using the Rasch analysis. Results. Item fit analysis showed that 8 items of the K-DHS are appropriate because the infit MSNQ was between 0.7 and 1.3. Item difficulty results revealed that there is a difference in distribution between personal attributes and item difficulty. It shows that the item fit statistics of the 4-point Likert scale of K-DHS are all good. The person separation index demonstrated that the K-DHS could differentiate two or three hope status strata in stroke patients. The item separation index indicated that the items were useful with high reliability. Conclusion. The K-DHS comprises appropriate items for measuring the hope of stroke patients living in the community, and the rating scale of the K-DHS is also appropriate. This study is the first to conduct an analysis of the rating scale and its appropriateness, as well as the difficulty of items based on item response theory, and offers new insights for enhancing hope and improving well-being following stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality measurement of the intensive care unit (ICU) should include families' perspectives, their satisfaction with the care process and outcomes, and the evaluation of actions to improve their psychological health and wellbeing. The current study was designed to validate the Italian version of the Family Satisfaction in the Intensive Care Unit (FS-ICU) using the Rasch model. Results included reliability and separation for items and persons, item fit statistics, unidimensionality, and item characteristic curve. The study was conducted between August 2022 and February 2023. A total of 108 family members (mean age 54.9 years) completed the FS-ICU questionnaire. The instrument had a moderate discrimination ability and only five items (#21, #23, #10, #22, and #24) exhibited a misfit. The Rasch dimension explained 52.1% of the variance in the data, while the unexplained variance in the first contrast is 7.2%, which indicates a possible second dimension. FS-ICU was shown to be beneficial as an assessment instrument for family member satisfaction in the ICU, despite some flaws that need to further be addressed to improve the scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS) measures static and dynamic seated trunk control in children with cerebral palsy (CP) who have postural control problems. Studies have investigated the reliability and validity of the TIS. However, the fitness and difficulty of the scale items have not been investigated. This study used Rasch analysis to test the construct validity of TIS for children with CP. TIS data were collected from 60 children with CP and analyzed for person and item fit, item difficulty, rating scale suitability, and separation reliability. Principal component analyses of residuals revealed that TIS had unidimensionality. Five misfit items (static sitting balance (SSB) items 2 and 3, dynamic sitting balance (DSB) items 4 and 5, and coordination (COO) item 3) were identified. DSB8 is the most difficult item, followed by DSB3 and COO4. On the other hand, the SSB3 item was found to be a relatively easy item. The rating scales demonstrated that out of the three subscales, SSB, DSB, and COO, only the SSB subscale did not meet the appropriate criteria. We demonstrated that statistical item analysis with the Rasch model could provide valuable information related to psychometric properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to discuss reliability and precision through the lens of a modern measurement approach, item response theory (IRT). Reliability evidence in the field of counseling is primarily generated using Classical Test Theory (CTT) approaches, although recent studies in the field of counseling have shown the benefits of using IRT approaches to explore measurement precision. We discuss the theoretical foundations and assumptions of CTT and IRT, and examine how modern measurement theory (i.e. IRT) poses advantages for capturing measurement precision. We use an example analysis to demonstrate the indices of measurement precision in IRT approaches (e.g. standard errors, person-fit, item-fit, targeting, residual-based fit statistics). Finally, we discuss practical and clinical implications for counseling researchers for using IRT approaches to measure precision, including insights into precision for persons, items, and measurement invariance as well as the utility of brief and adaptive scales. Using modern measurement theory approaches (i.e. item response theory), evidence of precision is generated for persons, items, and other relevant facets, and these indices can inform needed scale revisions, identify for whom the theorized model is a good fit, and the items that are well-targeted for the population of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Debilitating symptoms of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (rCDI) often lead to long-term effects on health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL). In ECOSPOR III, SER-109, an investigational oral microbiome therapeutic, was superior to placebo in reducing rCDI. We investigated the validity, reliability, and responsiveness of a 32-item, CDI-specific questionnaire—the Clostridium difficile Quality of Life Survey (Cdiff32)—across mental, physical, and social domains in patients with rCDI. Methods In this post hoc analysis of a phase 3 clinical trial, 182 outpatients with rCDI completed Cdiff32 and EQ-5D at baseline and at 1 and 8 weeks. Cdiff32 was evaluated for item performance, internal reliability, and convergent validity. To assess known-groups validity, Cdiff32 scores were compared by disease recurrence status at week 1; internal responsiveness was evaluated in the nonrecurrent disease group by 8 weeks by means of paired t test. Results All 182 patients (mean age [standard deviation], 65.5 [16.5] years; 59.9% female) completed baseline Cdiff32. Confirmatory factor analysis identified 3 domains (physical, mental, and social relationships) with good item fit. High internal reliability was demonstrated (Cronbach α = 0.94 with all subscales >0.80). Convergent validity was evidenced by significant correlations between Cdiff32 subscales and EQ-5D (r = 0.29–0.37; P <.001). Cdiff32 differentiated patients by disease recurrence status at week 1 (effect sizes, 0.38–0.42; P <.05 overall), with significant improvement from baseline through week 8 in patients with nonrecurrent disease at week 1 (effect sizes, 0.75–1.02; P <.001 overall). Conclusions Cdiff32 is a valid, reliable, and responsive disease-specific HRQOL questionnaire that is fit for purpose for interventional treatment trials. The significant improvement in patients with nonrecurrent disease by 8 weeks demonstrates the negative impact of rCDI on HRQOL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the development and validation of a shortened form of SELweb EE, a web-based assessment for social–emotional skills in the early elementary grades. Using a Rasch approach, in the first study, we used data from two archival data sets to reduce the number of items in three subtests to create short forms that maintained item fit, item difficulty, item discrimination, and test information function range. In the second study, we created and administered a short form of SELweb EE to a demographically diverse cross-validation sample of 22,683 students. We evaluated the shortened assessment subtests' score reliability, fit to a hypothesized factor structure, and association with age and other variables to evaluate criterion-related validity. Findings from this study suggest that score reliabilities, factor structure, and criterion-related validity for the short form are similar to corresponding properties of the long form. In addition, using a confirmatory factor analysis framework, the short form of SELweb EE demonstrated evidence of configural, metric, and scalar invariance across sex, ethnicity, and language. Shortening SELweb EE reduced the mean administration duration from 36 to 24 minutes. This reduction substantially increases its usability and feasibility while maintaining its psychometric merit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a new Bayesian differential item functioning (DIF) detection method using posterior predictive model checking (PPMC). Item fit measures including infit, outfit, observed score distribution (OSD), and Q1 were considered as discrepancy statistics for the PPMC DIF methods. The performance of the PPMC DIF method was evaluated via a Monte Carlo simulation manipulating sample size, DIF size, DIF type, DIF percentage, and subpopulation trait distribution. Parametric DIF methods, such as Lord's chi‐square and Raju's area approaches, were also included in the simulation design in order to compare the performance of the proposed PPMC DIF methods to those previously existing. Based on Type I error and power analysis, we found that PPMC DIF methods showed better‐controlled Type I error rates than the existing methods and comparable power to detect uniform DIF. The implications and recommendations for applied researchers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Item response theory (IRT) is a framework for modeling and analyzing item response data. Item-level modeling gives IRT advantages over classical test theory. The fit of an item score pattern to an item response theory (IRT) models is a necessary condition that must be assessed for further use of item and models that best fit the data. The study investigated item level diagnostic statistics and model- data fit with one-and two- parameter models using IRTPROV3.0 and BILOG- MG V3.0. Ex-post facto design was adopted. The population for the study consisted of 11,538 candidates' responses who took Type L 2014 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) Mathematics paper in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The sample of 5,192(45%) responses was randomly selected through stratified sampling technique. BILOG-MG V3.0 and IRTPROV3.0 computer software was used to calibrate the candidates' responses. Two research questions were raised to guide the study. Pearson's χ² and S - χ² statistics as an item fit index for dichotomous item response theory models were used. The outputs from the two computer software were used to answer the questions. The findings revealed that only 1 item fitted 1-parameter model in BILOG- MG V3.0 and IRTPRO V3.0. Furthermore, the findings revealed that 26 items fitted 2-parameter models when using BILOG-MG V3.0. Five items fitted 2-parameter models in IRTPRO. It was recommended that the use of more than one IRT software programme offers more useful information for the choice of model that fit the data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patient-reported outcome measures are important in person-centered care, providing valuable information about patients' experiences. Disease-specific questionnaires add important information about a certain disease in comparison to generic questionnaires. Questionnaires need to be validated in the targeted population to achieve reliable data. The purpose with the study was to use Rasch measurement theory to evaluate the English version of the ASTA questionnaire. Methods: The Rasch model theory was used to evaluate global and item fit, targeting, response category functioning, local independency, unidimensionality, differential item functioning (DIF) for gender and age, and reliability. Results: The study included 202 patients undergoing DC conversion or catheter ablation at the Centre for Heart Rhythm Disorders at the University of Adelaide, Australia. The mean age was 67 years and 30% were women. Most patients had atrial fibrillation (n = 179), others had atrial flutter or had a combination. One of nine items demonstrated unsatisfactory model fit in the ASTA Symptom scale and two of 13 in the ASTA Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) scale. Unidimensionality was supported for both scales. The targeting was acceptable except for the lower end of the scales. Both scales showed reversed thresholds for the response categories "quite a lot" and "a lot" (eight of ASTA symptoms and 12 of ASTA HRQoL items). Some problems with local dependency were detected in both scales. The reliability (person separation index) was satisfactory: 0.75 for the ASTA symptom scale and 0.77 for the ASTA HRQoL scale. No DIF for gender and age were detected. Conclusions: The English version of the ASTA questionnaire demonstrated satisfactory measurement properties according to the Rasch model. However, it needs to be evaluated in patients with other arrhythmias. The response categories should be considered as well as DIF in further validation. The ASTA questionnaire can be used for assessments of symptoms and HRQoL between groups of different ages and genders in patients with arrhythmia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In this study, we evaluated the psychometric properties of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales 21 items (DASS-21) in a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) sample. Method: Treatment-seeking adults (n = 347) were recruited from outpatient rehabilitation services in New Zealand. Dimensionality, reliability, person separation index, and differential item functioning (DIF) of the DASS-21 were examined using Rasch analysis. Results: Initial analysis of the complete 21-item DASS showed poor overall fit due to problems with individual items. Fit to the Rasch model was excellent when treated as three composite scores. The stress subscale demonstrated adequate model fit, dimensionality and good reliability. For anxiety, fit was not good, reliability was unsatisfactory and DIF was evident on one item. When this item was removed, fit to the model was still inadequate as was reliability. DIF was also evident for depression, but when this item was removed, fit to the model was adequate. Conclusion: The DASS-21 is a psychometrically sound measure of distress and stress for adults seeking treatment following mTBI. Ordinal to interval score conversion tables are provided to increase the precision of measurement. When assessing depression in a mTBI population, a 6-item depression subscale is recommended. Caution is advised in using the DASS-21 anxiety subscale alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Family sense of coherence (FSOC) seems to reduce distress in the family and promote the well-being of the family. Therefore, getting accurate measurements for families with long-term illnesses is of particular interest. This study explores dyadic data analysis from the dyadic- and single-informant perspectives, and the measurement properties of the FSOC-S12 according to the Rasch model. Methods: Racked and stacked data from 151 dyads were analyzed according to the polytomous Rasch model. Results: Notably, both the dyadic- and single-informant perspectives (i.e., racked and stacked data set-ups) showed measurement properties with minor deviations from the Rasch model according to fit statistics. However, most items had disordered thresholds and some problems with local dependency. Item hierarchies were similar in both set-ups and there was no differential item functioning (DIF) by role from the dyadic informant perspective. Four items showed DIF by informant role in the single-informant perspective. Conclusions: Our approach to handling dyadic data has shown both strengths and limitations in the evaluation of FSOC-S12, and the understanding of FSOC as a construct from the family's view of the family's ability as a whole (dyadic-informant perspective) and patient's and family member's separate views of the family's ability as a whole (single-informant perspective). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop the Japanese version of the ABILHAND-Kids and to examine its psychometric properties for Japanese children with cerebral palsy (CP). Methods: The experimental version of 75 items was developed using forward-backward translation method. Parents of 137 children with CP answered it. Their responses were analyzed to successive items, and psychometric properties of the final version were investigated through the Rasch measurement model. Results: The Japanese version of the ABILHAND-Kids contained 22 items. It showed valid item-patient targeting, no significant floor and ceiling effects, and no differential item functioning for demographic and clinical subgroups. All items contributed to the definition of one-dimensional measure. For internal consistency, the person separation index was 0.94. For test-retest reliability, the intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.96 (95% CI: 0.92–0.98). The minimal detectable difference was calculated with a logit score of 0.79 and a total raw score of 4.50. The logit score showed a strong correlation with the Manual Ability Classification System level (ρ= −0.70) and the Gross Motor Function Classification System level (ρ= −0.62). Conclusions: The Japanese version of the ABILHAND-Kids was found to be valid and reliable. It appears to be a good tool for assessing manual abilities in daily activities in children with CP. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Impairment of upper limb function affects participation and quality of life in children with cerebral palsy, and adequate assessment tools are essential to appropriate planning and evaluation of interventions. The Japanese version of the ABILHAND-Kids is a valid and reliable measure of manual ability in children with cerebral palsy. The Japan-specific items and calibrations allows for evaluation that takes Japanese culture into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of teachers' beliefs on the implementation and effectiveness of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programs underscores the essential need for reliable measures of these beliefs. This study aims to explore and validate the psychometric properties of the Teacher Social and Emotional Learning Beliefs Scale (TSELBS) within the Chinese educational context, utilizing the Partial Credit Model of the Rasch family models. Through the analysis of responses from 893 Chinese teachers, our findings confirm the reliability, validity, and robust psychometric properties of the TSELBS, making it a valuable instrument for assessing educators' SEL beliefs. Additionally, our results indicate that the TSELBS demonstrates fairness across gender, educational levels, and areas. These outcomes emphasize the critical role of culturally sensitive methods in evaluating SEL beliefs and lay a foundational step for future cross-cultural research in this domain. This contribution advances the global conversation on SEL, facilitating further studies on similar validations across diverse cultural settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Culturally bounded in nature, adaptive behavior is the degree to which a person meets the requirements of personal independence and social responsibilities. This study aimed to develop a computerized adaptive test (CAT) of a culturally appropriate adaptive behavior measure (i.e., the Activities and Participation Rating Scale [APRS]) in the Singapore context for children aged 7 to 12 years, that is, the CAT-APRS-Primary. In Study 1, an item bank consisting of 310 adaptive skills was developed and piloted among 56 caregivers. In Study 2, the refined 310 items were calibrated using Rasch analysis among 352 caregivers. After the removal of five poor items based on the Rasch analysis, the finalized 305 items were used for the CAT development, with these items showing good Rasch person and item fit statistics. Preliminary utility of the CAT-APRS-Primary was established, with participants completing 24 items on average. Limitations and implications for future research were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The Critical Incident Inventory (CII) was developed to assess stressful exposures in firefighters and emergency service workers. The CII includes six subscales: trauma to self, victims known to fire-emergency worker, multiple casualties, incidents involving children, unusual or problematic tactical operations, and exposure to severe medical trauma. OBJECTIVES: To examine the construct validity of all subscales of the Critical Incident Inventory (CII) by assessing the unidimensionality of the scales, and the interval properties of CII subscales by examining fit to the Rasch model and ordering of item thresholds. METHODS: This was a secondary data analysis based on survey data collected from a sample of 390 firefighters. RESULTS: Item 4 and Item 20 were removed with the confirmation of unacceptable fit residual. This revised version of the CII showed satisfactory fit to the Rasch model by non-significant Chi-square test and acceptable level of item fit. We rescored the CII original version and considered all items as only dichotomous response options where 0 represented the original no experience, and 1 presents the combination of experiencing 1, 2, 3 cases. CONCLUSION: The re-appraisal of the revised version CII indicated a satisfactory level of Rasch model fit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Military sexual trauma (MST; i.e., sexual harassment and/or sexual assault during one's military service) is highly prevalent among female veterans and is associated with numerous adverse health and psychosocial sequelae. When institutions fail to prevent sexual trauma from happening or respond in an unsupportive manner (i.e., institutional betrayal [IB]), MST survivors typically report more severe health-related outcomes. Although the Institutional Betrayal Questionnaire.2 (IBQ.2) was developed to assess IB, no studies have examined the factor structure or dimensionality of the IBQ.2 among MST survivors. In addition, initial research has reported differing factor structures for this measure. The present study examined the dimensionality and factor structure of the IBQ.2, and tested for differential item functioning (DIF) based on whether military sexual assault was experienced. The sample comprised 235 female veterans who reported a history of MST in an anonymous national survey. Rasch analysis suggested multidimensionality and DIF based on history of military sexual assault. Exploratory factor analysis and parallel analysis suggested the IBQ.2 comprises three factors: (1) Environment Leading to MST, (2) Institutional Response to MST, and (3) Institutional Belongingness following MST. Although these results suggest that the IBQ.2 is multidimensional, the three-factor model had significant issues with respect to dimensionality, item fit, and person separation and reliability. Thus, using the full IBQ.2 may be more advantageous. Further examination of the IBQ.2 is warranted to ensure optimal assessment of IB in relation to MST, irrespective of whether the MST comprised sexual harassment or sexual assault, as well as to ensure that the IBQ.2 is culturally meaningful for MST survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) is a widely used 20-item patient-reported outcome instrument with five response categories. We investigated the measurement properties of the Finnish version of the LEFS among foot and ankle patients to refine the scale to measure more accurately what is relevant for patients. Materials and methods: Data were obtained from 182 patients who had undergone foot and ankle surgery for various reasons. The Rasch Measurement Theory and Cronbach's alpha were employed for analyses of model and item fit, response category thresholds, targeting, person separation index, and internal consistency. Results: Threshold misfit was noted in 13 of the 20 items. After collapsing the response categories 1 ("Quite a bit of difficulty") and 2 ("Moderate difficulty"), five items were removed one by one to make the scale fit the model. This new 15-item scale with four response categories had a unidimensional structure with good item fit, ordered thresholds, and good coverage/targeting. The person separation index and Cronbach's alpha were 0.85 and 0.95, respectively. Conclusions: This study provides a new 15-item LEFS with four response categories for clinicians and researchers to measure function in foot and ankle patients in a relevant way. Assessing foot and ankle function and rehabilitation effectiveness is of high importance. The Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) is a widely used 20-item patient-reported outcome instrument with five response categories. The Finnish LEFS was revised to better fit into the Rasch model. The new LEFS with 15 items and four response categories for foot and ankle patients is a psychometrically sound, meaningful, and operable instrument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health literacy is described as a domain of competence across the life-span, gaining particular prominence in light of age-associated health restrictions. However, no specific measurement approach has been proposed for old age. The aim of this study is to augment the existing HLS-EU-Q16 scale (16 items) by items sensitive to age-specific aspects of health literacy to ensure validity and reliability for use in old age. In a first step, the HLS-EU-Q16 was administered in a sample of 463 individuals aged 72 − 92 years. Psychometric properties were evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis and item-response-theory item fit statistics. Scale reliability was found to be poor in this population segment. In a second step, age-specific items were developed based on qualitative in-depth interviews with older persons. In a third step, we tested if the additional set of age-specific items was able to enhance a valid and reliable measurement of health literacy in a second sample of older adults (N  = 107, 49 − 91 years). With the inclusion of an eight-item add-on, it was possible to measure health literacy in old and very old age with both high validity and satisfying precision (reliability = 0.80). The study contributes to a population-specific measurement of health literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: The purpose of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the Quality of Interactions Schedule (QuIS) using a quantification scoring approach. Methods: Baseline data from the Evidence Integration Triangle for Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (EIT-4-BPSD) study was used. Results: A total of 553 residents participated. There was evidence of inter-rater reliability with Kappa scores of.86 to 1.00 and internal consistency based on the Rasch analysis (item reliability of.98). There was some support for validity based on item fit and hypothesis testing as resistiveness to care was significantly associated with total QuIS scores. Conclusion: This study supports the use of the quantified QuIS to evaluate the quality of interactions over time and to test interventions to improve interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to develop an illustration‐based developmental motor screening questionnaire (DMSQi) for young children and examined its psychometric properties. 463 young children and their caregivers were collected and received the DMSQi assessment. DMSQi is made up of two domains. The gross motor (GM) domain includes body coordination and stability/mobility subdomains. The fine motor (FM) domain includes visual motor integration and hand grasp/manipulation subdomains. The internal consistency (Cronbach's α) and test–retest reliabilities (ICCs) of DMSQi were 0.88–0.98 and 0.85–0.95, respectively. For concurrent validity, the GM and FM domains of DMSQi were highly correlated with the corresponding domains of Peabody Developmental Motor Scale, second edition (r = 0.85–0.95). DMSQi had good discriminant validity for age (p <.001). Most items (96%) were fitted and the item difficulty was from −7 to 5 scaled by Rasch analysis. DMSQi is easy, quick, and culture‐specific. It has good reliability, validity, and item fit for assessing the motor development of young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-assessment is fundamental to self-regulated learning; however, instruments to measure self-assessment practices are limited to a few developed educational systems. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Self-assessment Practice Scale (SaPS) in the English language subject using data from 778 secondary school students from the Philippines. We used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Rasch analysis to test the SaPS' within-network validity, then bivariate correlations and structural equation modeling (SEM) for between-network validity. The CFA supported the scale's four-factor structure, and the Rasch analysis supported the scale's dimensionality, rating scale effectiveness, and item fit statistics. The four SaPS subscales were positively correlated to agentic, cognitive, and metacognitive engagement. SEM results show that all SaPS factors (except self-monitoring) had significant associations to the engagement outcomes. This study highlights the sound psychometric properties of SaPS in a new educational context and its applicability as a subject-specific measure of assessment-as-learning strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reliable and valid measurement is the foundation of evidence-based practice. The self-administered Foot Health Assessment Instrument (S-FHAI) was recently developed to measure patients' evaluations of their own foot health. Evidence regarding the psychometric properties of the S-FHAI is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate those properties by using a Rasch analysis. Methods: This methodological study analysed secondary data that was collected from nurses (n = 411) in 2015. The psychometric properties of the S-FHAI were evaluated using the Rasch model. Unidimensionality was analysed first, followed by item functioning, person misfit and differential item functioning (DIF). Results: The S-FHAI demonstrated evidence of unidimensionality, with an acceptable item fit according to the Rasch model. Person fit and person separation were low, however, indicating restricted separation among different respondents. Item separation was high, demonstrating clear discrimination between the items. No DIF was detected in relation to gender, but significant DIF was demonstrated in relation to age for 6 of the 25 items. Conclusions: The S-FHAI has potential for use in investigating self-reported foot health. The Rasch analysis revealed that the psychometric properties of the instrument were acceptable, although some issues should be addressed to improve the scale. In future, it may be beneficial to analyse the sensitivity of the items and to test the S-FHAI in more diverse patient populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "Disability Attitudes in Health Care" scale contains 17 items and measures attitudes toward persons with disabilities in healthcare settings. This study aimed to analyze the psychometric properties of the Disability Attitudes in Health Care in order to improve its measurement quality. The Disability Attitudes in Health Care scale was administered to 272 students at a medical school. Rasch analysis was conducted to assess the category use, the overall fit of the model, and the person-item fit. Compared to the previous 5-point Likert scoring system, the combination of category 1 (strongly disagree) and 2 (disagree), which transformed the Disability Attitudes in Health Care into a 4-point scale, was more appropriate. Items 2 and 13 had a poor fit with the model because of low construct homogeneity and low point-measure correlation, respectively; therefore, they were removed. However, there were not enough questions regarding the difficulty level for distinguishing medical students' attitudes toward persons with disabilities more sensitively. The results of this study suggest that constructing Disability Attitudes in Health Care with 15 items and using a 4-category scoring method could help to increase the scale's reliability and validity. The revised version of Disability Attitudes in Health Care could be of value to those who educate medical students and train rehabilitation professionals. Constructing a Disability Attitudes in Health Care scale with 15 items by using a 4-category scoring method could increase the reliability and validity of the scale. To improve the sensitivity of the Disability Attitudes in Health Care, it is necessary to add more difficult items to the scale. The Disability Attitudes in Health Care could be of value to those who educate medical students and train rehabilitation professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The proliferation of instruments that define instrument-specific metrics impedes progress in comparative assessment across populations. This paper explores a method to extract a common metric from related but different instruments and transform the original measurements into scores with a standard unit of measurement. Methods: Existing data from four assessment instruments of child development, collected from three different samples of children, were used to create "equate clusters" of items that measure the same behaviour in (slightly) different ways. A probability model was formulated to identify best items and groups to serve as anchors linking the instruments, assuming that items in an anchoring or "active" equate cluster are psychometrically equivalent. Quantification and inspection of item characteristic curves were used to resolve which equate clusters should be active. We simulated the impact of various analytic choices. Results: Simulation confirmed the feasibility of creating a common metric from data collected with different instruments from respondent samples with different abilities. The method performed as expected in an application in early childhood development. Conclusions: The use of equate clusters is an intuitive and flexible way to establish a common metric across instruments and facilitates the transformation of measurements obtained to a standardized scale. Standardizing instrument scores to a common metric allows for population-level comparisons on a global scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Several outcome measures are available to assess the severity of fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this study was to adapt the Italian version of the Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS-40) and its modified versions: a 21-item Modified scale (MFIS-21), its 5-item short version (MFIS-5), and an 8-item version for daily use (DFIS-8) and investigate their measurement properties through classical theory-test (CTT) and Rasch analysis (RA). Methods: 229 Italian-speaking adults with MS were included. Questionnaires were cross-culturally translated and subjected to CTT (i.e. internal consistency through Cronbach's alpha and unidimensionality through confirmatory factor analysis [CFA]) and RA. (i.e. internal construct validity, reliability, and targeting). Results: Internal consistency was high for all scales (>0.850). Final CFAs reported issues in the unidimensionality for all scales except for FIS-40. Baseline RA revealed a misfit for all scales. After adjusting for local dependency, FIS-40, MFIS-21, and MFIS-5 fitted the Rasch model (RM). MFIS-21 and D-FIS-8 required a structural modification, i.e. item deletions to satisfy the RM. Conclusion: The FIS-40, MFIS-21, MFIS-5, and DFIS-8 achieved the fit to the RM after statistical and structural modifications. The fit to the RM allowed for providing ordinal-to-interval measurement conversion tables for all the questionnaires. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: The Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS-40), the 21-item Modified scale (MFIS-21), its 5-item short version (MFIS-5) and the 8-item version for daily use (DFIS-8) have been successfully cross-culturally validated in Italian. The FIS-40 and its versions fit the Rasch Model with minimal changes, determining that the studied outcomes represent a unidimensional construct, i.e. fatigue in multiple sclerosis. The final Rasch Model enables the transformation of scores into interval-level measurements, allowing clinicians to gauge the distance between individuals' scores on the scale continuum. Interval-level transformation allows rehabilitation professionals to better interpret clinical changes and researchers to apply parametric statistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to develop and validate a patient-reported experience measure (PREM) to examine the patients' perspectives on the quality of outpatient physiotherapy and occupational therapy rehabilitation. Materials and methods: A systematic literature search in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cinahl was conducted to identify relevant themes for the questionnaire. Fourteen studies were analyzed through a systematic text condensation to identify quality aspects in the rehabilitation from patients' perspectives. Further, based on the analysis, 13 items with answers on a five-point Likert scale were developed. Face validity and content validity were established during interviewing 14 municipality outpatients. Finally, to determine the construct validity and internal consistency, the questionnaire was distributed to 385 patients with various diagnoses. Results: The final questionnaire, Outpatients' Experience of quality in Rehabilitation (OPER), demonstrated good face and content validity and covered patients' experience of quality in municipal rehabilitation. Data from 307 respondents established construct validity and high internal consistency and showed, in general, a positive experience of outpatient rehabilitation. Conclusions: The OPER demonstrates satisfactory psychometric properties based on an extensive development and validation process. By assessing outpatients' experience of the rehabilitation process, OPER offers a measurement of the quality of therapists' practice of patient-centered rehabilitation. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Quality in outpatient rehabilitation should be measured with patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) that encompass patients' experience of the rehabilitation process. Based on analyses of the literature and a thorough validation process, the study developed a PREM for outpatient rehabilitation: OutPatients' Experience of quality in Rehabilitation (OPER). OPER demonstrates satisfying psychometric properties in an outpatient population with various diagnoses. OPER is based on patient-centeredness in meeting with physiotherapists and occupational therapists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is currently no dedicated measurement for assessing nursing students' study interest in China. Considering the good reliability, validity, and widespread applicability of the Study Interest Questionnaire-Short Form (SIQ-SF), the objective of this study was to validate its usage among Chinese nursing students. Methods: The translation and cross-cultural adaptation rigorously followed the modified Brislin model. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using the Chinese version of the SIQ-SF and convenience sampling was employed to select nursing students. The Psychometric evaluation of the Chinese version of the SIQ-SF was conducted based on Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory. Results: A total of 1158 participants were included in the analysis. The item-level content validity index (CVI) ranged from 0.9 to 1.0, and the scale-level CVI was 0.98. In the Exploratory factor analysis, three factors with eigenvalues above 1 were identified, accounting for 62.554% of the cumulative variance. In the confirmatory factor analysis, the CMIN\DF was 5.639, the GFI was 0.953, the CFI was 0.902, and the IFI was 0.904. The Cronbach's α coefficient of the Chinese version of the SIQ-SF was 0.70. Thirty-one participants were invited to sign the scale after two weeks. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.784, and that of items ranged from 0.70 to 0.819. The infit MnSQ values ranged between 0.76 and 1.51, and the outfit MnSQ values ranged between 0.72 and 1.76. The point-measure correlation value ranged between 0.30 and 0.68. The item difficulty measures ranged from − 0.66 to 1.44 logit and the individual learning interest estimations ranged from − 4.22 to 4.97 logit. DIF contrast ranged from 0.00 to 0.33 logits, with all p values greater than 0.05. Conclusions: The Chinese version of the SIQ-SF demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity among Chinese nursing students and could be used to assess nursing students' study interest in China. With the aid of this scale, teachers can gain a better understanding of nursing students' study interests, thereby maximizing their learning effects through appropriate content and methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: For clients to understand social insurance decisions and processes, information from authorities needs to be comprehensible, and clients need sufficient individual abilities. These dimensions are captured by the concept social insurance literacy, which has been operationalized into a measure, the Social Insurance Literacy Questionnaire (SILQ). The aim of this study was to describe the development of the SILQ and evaluate its psychometric properties using Rasch measurement theory. Methods: The development of the SILQ included a Delphi study and cognitive interviews. A preliminary version, divided on four scales corresponding to the domains of the concept (obtaining information, understanding information, acting on information, and system comprehensibility) was psychometrically evaluated according to Rasch measurement theory, in a survey to a stratified random sample of people on sick leave (n = 1151) sent out in the fall of 2020. Results: Overall, the items in the final version of the SILQ demonstrated good fit to the Rasch model, and the response scale worked as intended. Unidimensionality was supported for all scales, but minor problems with local dependency was detected for three items. The person separation was 0.80 for the Obtain scale, 0.82 for the Understand scale, 0.68 for the Act scale, and 0.81 for the System scale. Corresponding ordinal alpha values were 0.91, 0.91, 0.86, and 0.91, respectively. Conclusion: This study is a first step toward exploring literacy in the social insurance field. The SILQ covers individual abilities and systems' comprehensibility, and the results show that it has acceptable psychometric properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern healthcare increasingly requires interprofessional teams to collaborate both in person and virtually to effectively achieve common goals. To prepare students for interprofessional collaborative practice (CP) universities need evaluation tools that can validly and reliably measure students' CP competencies after online and in-person interprofessional education. The Jefferson Teamwork Observation Guide® (JTOG) is a 360-degree evaluation tool previously validated to measure nationally-defined CP competencies. The psychometrics of the Individual JTOG have been examined in a sample of interprofessional healthcare students after online interprofessional education. The present study examined the psychometric properties of the Individual JTOG in 709 students after in-person interprofessional education using Rasch Modeling and compared results across collaborative settings and student professions. Results indicated that item and person statistics, unidimensionality, scaling performance, and local independence of the Individual JTOG were comparable between online and in-person samples, suggesting it is consistent in its measurement of CP competencies across collaborative settings. Psychometric properties were strong, but ceiling effects were present. Minor deviations were found in the Individual JTOG's unidimensionality between professional groups. The Values and Ethics construct was more strongly separated from others for nursing than other health professions. Recommendations for future research and possible adaptations to the instrument are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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BACKGROUND: The Depression Scale (DEPS) is a commonly used screening tool for major depression in studies investigating low back pain, yet it has not been validated for patients with back-specific problems. OBJECTIVE: To assess the psychometric properties of the DEPS in patients with degenerative spinal disease. METHODS: Six hundred and thirty-seven patients with a degenerative spinal disease completed the DEPS instrument. The Rasch Measurement Theory was applied to analyze the measurement properties of the DEPS. The main hypothesis-driven approach was whether the DEPS would meet relevant psychometric criteria for assessing depressive symptoms among patients with degenerative spinal disease. RESULTS: The Mean (SD) DEPS score was 9.2 (6.6). Scale minimum or maximum points among participants were 2.4% and 0.8%, respectively. Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency was 0.92. Person Separation Index for reliability was 0.88. All items had ordered thresholds and seven of the 10 items had good item fit. Unidimensionality of the DEPS was supported (proportion of significant t -tests, 4.5%). CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the validity of the DEPS for screening depressive symptoms in patients with degenerative spinal disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The PainCAS is a web-based clinical tool for assessing and tracking pain and opioid risk in chronic pain patients. Despite evidence for its utility within the clinical setting, the PainCAS scales have never been subject to psychometric evaluation. The current study is the first to evaluate the psychometric properties of the PainCAS Interference with Daily Activities, Psychological/Emotional Distress, and Pain scales.Methods: Patients (N = 4797) from treatment centers and hospitals in 16 different states completed the PainCAS as part of routine clinical assessment. A subsample (n = 73) from two hospital-based treatment centers also completed comparator measures. Rasch Rating Scale Models were employed to evaluate the Interference with Daily Activities and Psychological/Emotional Distress scales, and empirical evaluation included assessment of dimensionality, discrimination, item fit, reliability, information, and person-to-item targeting. Additionally, convergent and discriminant validity were evaluated through classical test theory approaches. Convergent validity of the Pain scales was evaluated through correlations with corresponding comparator items.Results: One Interference with Daily Activities item was removed due to poor functioning and discrimination. The retained items from the Interference with Daily Activities and Psychological/Emotional Distress scales conformed to unidimensional Rasch measurement models, yielding satisfactory item fit, reliability, precision, and coverage. Further, results provided support for the convergent and discriminant validity of these two scales. Convergent validity between the PainCAS Pain and BPI Pain items was also strong.Conclusion: Taken together, results provide strong psychometric support for these PainCAS Pain scales. Strengths and limitations of the current study are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]