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Background: Considerable debate exists on whether the substantiation decision is a reliable measure for rates of maltreatment. Studies have shown that risks among children victims of maltreatment versus children investigated but unsubstantiated are similar., Objective: This paper aims to respond to two research questions: (1) Do most child maltreatment referrals, substantiated and unsubstantiated, come from the same neighborhoods? (2) Do substantiated and unsubstantiated referrals share the same neighborhood risk factors?, Participants and Settings: We used geocoded data from substantiated (n = 1799) and unsubstantiated (n = 1638) child maltreatment referrals in Valencia, Spain (2004-2015). As the neighborhood proxy, we used 552 Census block groups. Neighborhood characteristics analyzed were: socioeconomic status, immigration concentration, residential instability, and public disorder and crime., Methods: To study the geographical overlap of child maltreatment referrals, a Bayesian joint modeling approach was used. To analyze the influence of neighborhood-level characteristics on risk, we used a Bayesian random-effects modeling approach., Results: For substantiated child maltreatment referrals, 90 % of the total between-area variation in risk is captured by the shared component, while for unsubstantiated child maltreatment referrals, the shared component was 88 %. The correlation between substantiated and unsubstantiated risks of child maltreatment referrals was .80. These risks were higher in neighborhoods with low levels of socioeconomic status, higher immigrant concentration, public disorder and crime., Conclusions: Child maltreatment referrals, regardless of whether substantiated or unsubstantiated, overlap in the same disadvantaged neighborhoods. This suggests that in these neighborhoods, families are at a higher risk of being investigated by child protective services suggesting a potential reporting bias., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The short, self-administered Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) Symptom Frequency Questionnaire (GSFQ) is a specific Quality of Life (QoL) instrument which measures the impact of GERD symptoms on QoL. This study aims to map the specific scores in GSFQ into two generic instruments: SF-6D and EQ-5D-3 L, in order to obtain utility estimates derived from the GERD condition., Method: A national representative sample of GERD patients was selected, stratified by gender, age (< 45, ≥45 years) and GERD severity (0-I, II-IV Savary-Miller score) for validation purposes. Age, gender, BMI, GERD diagnose, GERD severity, associated comorbidities and risk factors were recorded. GSFQ, SF-6D, EQ-5D-3 L, and the HRQoL Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) were answered by patients. Several mapping methods were estimated, regression using dummy variables, and linear, quadratic and cubic regression using optimal factor scores. The use of a GERD aggregated summary severity derived from the GSFQ was dimed the best predictor. Overall Mean Absolute Error (MAE), overall Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) were used as goodness-of-fit (GOF) indexes to compare models., Results: A total of 3405 patients were recruited by 490 clinicians. Mean age was 49 (±14.4) years and 49.8% were women. Reported comorbidities were clustered in 6 antecedents and 15 concomitant pathologies. Aggregation of levels for the frequency of symptoms items was found more suitable for estimation. Regression weights were found to follow a monotonous progressive pattern. Overall MAE ranged from 0.092 to 0.094 for SF-6D utility prediction and from 0.008 to 0.08 for EQ-5D-3 L, while MAPE values ranged from 27.9 to 29% for SF-6D and from 36.8 to 38.4% for EQ-5D-3 L. Cubic regression GOF demonstrated a better fit., Conclusions: It is possible to translate specific GSFQ scores assessing GERD condition into generic SF-6D and EQ-5D-3 L utility values. Although regression using dummy variables is a suitable mapping procedure, other alternative mapping methods convey better fit, in particular cubic regression.

The following study will present findings on the validity of the adaptation of the Burger and Cooper's Desirability of Control Scale into Spanish. Two samples are present: the first involving 1,999 people to study their psychometric properties. In the second sample, 111 people were included to estimate test/retest reliability. Cultural adaptation was performed using the translation & back-translation method. Item analysis, internal consistency and test/retest reliability were assessed, then evidence of the validity of the internal structure was determined by using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Subject recruitment was performed to gather the 1,999 subjects stratified by age, gender quotas as designed in the sampling plan. Of the subjects, 51% were female, average age of 45 years old (SD = 17.5). All items from the original scale were understood correctly, while five items presented ceiling effect. Cronbach's alpha = .736 and a test-retest correlation r = .713 were obtained. The factor structure indicated the presence of four dimensions: forecast, autonomy, power and influence and reactance which were reassured in the confirmatory analysis (chi2/df = 4.805, CFI = .932, TLI = .954, RMSEA = .062). The basic dimensions of the scale have shown to be stable and well-defined, though not perfect. The scope, possible applications of the scale and further research are later proposed and discussed.

This study aims to develop an instrument for the assessment of psychological predictors of well-being and quality of life (QoL) in people living with HIV. A four-step procedure was followed to achieve this objective. A literature review, focus group in different regions of Spain and content analysis generated a preliminary pool of 96 items. Interjudgement ratings over the items and a cognitive debriefing interview were performed to delete or review items (one omitted and 15 reviewed). The psychometric properties of the instrument were assessed in a sample of 84 HIV+. Pilot testing allowed a new wave of depuration process by empirical criteria (30 items omitted). A final pool of 63 items covering 23 facets (α from 0.53 to 0.95) of psychological predictors remained. Exploratory factorial analysis (GLS) assessing the underlying structure of the questionnaire showed a six-factor model explaining 56.5 of variance. Empirical exploratory structure revealed evidence of goodness of fit (χ(2) = 113.110, gl = 130, p > 0.05; RMSEA = 0.017; RMSEA IC90 % 0.000-0.057). This study presents the first instrument able to screen key psychological variables expected to be related to adjustment, well-being and QoL in people with HIV.

This paper presents evidence from a heterogeneous sample of 440 Spanish adults, for the reliability and validity of a European Spanish version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), designed to measure the degree to which situations in one's life are appraised as stressful. The European Spanish version PSS (14-item) demonstrated adequate reliability (internal consistency, alpha = .81, and test-retest, r = .73), validity (concurrent), and sensitivity. Additional data indicate adequate reliability (alpha = .82, test-retest, r = .77), validity, and sensitivity of a 10-item short version of the PSS.