1. Interpretation of a Self-Esteem Subscale for Erectile Dysfunction by Cumulative Logit Model
- Author
-
Joseph C. Cappelleri, Richard L. Siegel, and Stephen S. Bell
- Subjects
Psychometrics ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Self-esteem ,Pharmacology (nursing) ,medicine.disease ,behavioral disciplines and activities ,Interpretation (model theory) ,Odds ,Erectile dysfunction ,Quality of life ,Drug Guides ,Statistics ,Range (statistics) ,medicine ,Pharmacology (medical) ,Ordered logit ,Psychology ,Clinical psychology ,media_common - Abstract
A content-based interpretation of a health status measure uses an item, along with its response choices, internal to the measure to understand the meaning of its scores. We applied a cumulative logit model to content-based interpretation of a validated self-esteem subscale (four items) for men with erectile dysfunction (score range: 0 to 100, where higher scores indicate a more favorable response). Data were obtained from a nontreatment cross-sectional study with 98 men with erectile dysfunction and 94 controls. The ordinal response item “I had good self-esteem” over the past 4 weeks (1 = Almost never/never, 2 = A few times, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Most times, 5 = Almost always/Always) was regressed on the self-esteem subscale score to which the item belongs. The proportional odds assumption was not refuted (P = .085) and supported graphically. At relatively high self-esteem scores (65+), the estimated probability of reporting good self-esteem (ie, good self-esteem most of the time or almost always/always) was 68% or more. For a 10-point increase (eg, 65 to 75), the odds of reporting good self-esteem increased slightly more than threefold (3.2). A content-based interpretation using a cumulative logit model can increase sensitivity, enhance meaning, and provide succinct and simple interpretation to scores of a health status measure.
- Published
- 2007