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Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Early and comprehensive risk identification is essential for identifying individuals at high risk for stroke. This study aimed to evaluate each question in the new Stroke Risk Screening Scales (SRSS) and assess the domains for content relevance and representativeness. Initially, six stroke experts were invited to evaluate the SRSS questions. The content validity index (CVI), including the item-CVI (I-CVI) and the average-CVI (Ave-CVI), was then calculated. In our study, the acceptable standards for I-CVI and Ave-CVI were ≥0.78 and ≥0.9, respectively. The results showed that all invited experts accepted the invitation and evaluated the SRSS questions. The previous version of the SRSS consisted of 33 questions. Of these, 30 questions reached an I-CVI of ≥0.78, indicating good content validity. Three questions had an I-CVI of 0.67 and were considered invalid; thus, they were deleted. The overall instrument achieved an Ave-CVI of 0.95. Comprehensive SRSS are essential for effective stroke prevention planning. By facilitating the early identification of individuals at high risk for stroke, these scales help reduce the incidence and impact of stroke. The high content validity found in this study supports the reliability of the SRSS as a screening tool. In the future, implementing such validated scales in clinical practice can improve early intervention strategies, ultimately enhancing health outcomes and optimizing the use of healthcare resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Depression is often difficult to detect in long-term care (LTC) patients with major neurocognitive disorders (MNCD), and an observer-rated screening scale could facilitate assessments. This study aimed to establish the external validity and reliability of the Nursing Homes Short Depression Inventory (NH-SDI) in LTC patients with MNCD and to compare its estimates to the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD), the most used scale for depression in MNCD. Methods: A focus discussion group of experts assessed the content validity of the NH-SDI. Then, a convenience sample of 93 LTC patients with MNCD was observer-rated by trained nurses with the NH-SDI and CSDD. For 57 patients, a medical assessment of depression was obtained, and screening accuracy estimates were generated. Results: The prevalence of depression was 8.8% as per reference standard. NH-SDI's content validity was judged acceptable with minor item wording modifications and specifications. The NH-SDI (cut-off ≥3) achieved 100% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 46–100%) sensitivity, 83% (95% CI: 69–91%) specificity, and 36% (95% CI: 14–64%) positive predictive value (PPV). The CSDD (cut-off ≥3) achieved 100% (95% CI: 46–100%) sensitivity, 75% (95% CI: 61–86%) specificity, and 28% (95% CI: 11–54%) PPV. No significant differences in areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve were found between scales. The NH-SDI and CSDD were highly correlated (rs = 0.913; p < 0.001) and reliable (ICC = 0.77; p < 0.001). Conclusion: The NH-SDI appears valid and reliable in LTC patients with MNCD and quicker than the CSDD to rule out depression in a busy or short-staffed setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Depression is often under-detected in long-term care (LTC) patients with major neurocognitive disorders (MNCD) and is associated with important morbidity, mortality, and costs. Observer-rated outcome measures (ObsROMs) could help resolve this problematic; however, evidence on their accuracy is scattered in the literature. This systematic review aimed at summarizing this evidence. Methods: A literature search was conducted in 7 databases using keywords, MeSHs, and bibliographic searches. We included studies published before January 2022 and reporting on the accuracy of a depression ObsROM used in LTC patients with MNCD. Data extraction, analysis, synthesis, and study methodological quality assessments were done by two authors, and discrepancies were resolved by consensus. Results: Among 9,660 articles retrieved, 8 studies reporting on 11 depression measures were included. Scales were classified as patient-reported outcome measures used as Obs-ROMs or true ObsROMs. Among the first category, the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) and the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) performed best (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.73–0.87), although both presented with low positive predictive values and high negative predictive values. Among the second category, the Nursing Homes Short Depression Inventory (NH-SDI) performed best, with an AUC of 0.93 and ≥85% sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values. Conclusion: The CSDD and MADRS may be useful to rule out depression in LTC patients with MNCD, whereas the NH-SDI may be useful to rule in and out depression within this same population. Before recommending their use, adequately powered studies to further examine their accuracy in different contexts are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to develop a short screening instrument (6 items) to assess the problematic internet use among adolescents. The Short Problematic Internet Use Test (SPIUT) has been developed based on a review of existing literature and tested using CIUS (Compulsive Internet Use Scale) as a concurrent scale. Data were collected within ESPAD-Italia (European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs), a cross-sectional school survey conducted to monitor risk-behaviors in a representative sample of Italian students (15–19 years). The SPIUT has been validated in two steps: (a) construct validity, optimal scaling analysis, and assessment of differences in mean scores related to hours spent online (Study 1, internet users = 10,153); (b) reliability test of CIUS and concurrent validity of SPIUT (Study 2, internet users = 21,205). The SPIUT showed good psychometric properties. After Multiple Correspondence Analysis optimal weights for each item were found, improving internal consistency and reliability. Significant increase in mean score with increasing daily hours spent online was found and high correlation with the CIUS. A utilization of the SPIUT in school surveys could help us to understand the risk-profile of problematic internet users among adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the validity and reliability of 16-item self-report version of the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS-SR16) scale in comparison with BDI-ll-Turkish (BDI-II-T) in a young sample of Turkish university students. Methods: A slightly modified version of the QIDS-SR16-Turkish (QIDS-SR16-T) available at www.ids-qids.org, along with the BDI-II-T, was administered to 628 young Turkish university students who attended the Family Health Center in Uludag University Campus between February and April 2010. Descriptive analyses, Student's t-test, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, and confirmatory factor analyses were used in the study. Results: The mean age of the participants was 21.1±2.16 (SD) years; 67.8% were female and 32.2% were male. Cronbach's α coefficient for internal consistency of the QIDS-SR16-T was found to be 0.769. The mean item-total correlation was 0.45, ranging from 0.29 to 0.71. The correlation between the BDI-II-T and QIDS-SR16-T was 0.72. ROC curve analysis suggested 9 as the optimal cut-off for a clinical depression level for the QIDS-SR16-T. Conclusion: We observed that the QIDS-SR16-T demonstrated good psychometric properties in a sample of young Turkish students and has convergent validity with the BDI-II-T, a widely used scale for depression. It is essential to diagnose reliably the major depressive disorder and to follow up the patients by valid screening instruments in primary care setting. The internal consistencies of the QIDS determined in studies from the United States were greater than our Cronbach's α coefficient, but there was no statistically significant difference between them (z=0.55, p>0.05). The QIDS-SR16-T can be reliably used in primary care settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]