Search

Introduction: Adolescent sexual health interventions are increasingly incorporating content that is inclusive of LGBTQIA+ youth (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, and other marginalized sexualities and genders). Evaluations of such programs must also be inclusive to enhance the validity of evaluation results and avoid further marginalization. We present strategies for increasing LGBTQIA+-inclusivity based on our evaluation of SafeSpace, a sexual health curriculum. Methods: To design an LGBTQIA+-inclusive program evaluation, we leveraged LGBTQIA+ research staff's insights, pursued a parental consent waiver, developed an inclusive recruitment plan, and crafted demographic and sexual behavior survey measures with input from youth and equity experts. We conducted a pilot study with 42 youth ages 14-17 to assess the feasibility and efficacy of our strategies. Results: We obtained a parental consent waiver and recruited a majority LGBTQIA+ pilot study sample (62%). Using themes from cognitive interviews with youth and experts regarding inclusive framing and use of plain language, we refined demographic measures and expanded sexual behavior measures. Conclusion: Findings suggest that the strategies used to enhance LGBTQIA+-inclusivity in our evaluation of SafeSpace were effective in respectfully and more accurately capturing a fuller range of experiences and identities of LGBTQIA+ and cis-straight youth. The strategies and survey measures developed for this study can be applied to increase LGBTQIA+-inclusivity in other adolescent sexual health program evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionAdolescent sexual health interventions are increasingly incorporating content that is inclusive of LGBTQIA+ youth (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, and other marginalized sexualities and genders). Evaluations of such programs must also be inclusive to enhance the validity of evaluation results and avoid further marginalization. We present strategies for increasing LGBTQIA+-inclusivity based on our evaluation of SafeSpace, a sexual health curriculum.MethodsTo design an LGBTQIA+-inclusive program evaluation, we leveraged LGBTQIA+ research staff’s insights, pursued a parental consent waiver, developed an inclusive recruitment plan, and crafted demographic and sexual behavior survey measures with input from youth and equity experts. We conducted a pilot study with 42 youth ages 14–17 to assess the feasibility and efficacy of our strategies.ResultsWe obtained a parental consent waiver and recruited a majority LGBTQIA+ pilot study sample (62%). Using themes from cognitive interviews with youth and experts regarding inclusive framing and use of plain language, we refined demographic measures and expanded sexual behavior measures.ConclusionFindings suggest that the strategies used to enhance LGBTQIA+-inclusivity in our evaluation of SafeSpace were effective in respectfully and more accurately capturing a fuller range of experiences and identities of LGBTQIA+ and cis-straight youth. The strategies and survey measures developed for this study can be applied to increase LGBTQIA+-inclusivity in other adolescent sexual health program evaluations.

Background and objectivesDelivering care as a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) is being widely adopted across the United States by primary care practices to better meet patient needs. A key PCMH element is measuring patient experience for practice improvement. The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) PCMH recognition program requires practices to both measure patient experience and engage in continuous practice/quality improvement to attain PCMH recognition and then throughout full PCMH transformation. The NCQA recommends but does not require that practices administer the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) clinician and group patient experience survey (CG-CAHPS) plus 14 CAHPS PCMH items, known as the CAHPS PCMH survey. We examine aspects of patient experience measured by practices with a varying number of years on their journey of PCMH transformation.MethodsWe randomly selected practices from the 2008-2017 NCQA directory of practices that had applied for PCMH recognition based on region, physician count, number of years and level of PCMH recognition, and use of the CG-CAHPS PCMH survey. We collected characteristics of the practices from practice leader(s) knowledgeable about the practice's PCMH history and patient experience data. We confirmed the patient experience surveys used during their PCMH history and requested copies of their non-CAHPS survey(s). For practices not administering the recommended CG-CAHPS survey (53/105 practices), we obtained and coded the content of their non-CAHPS surveys (68%; 36/53). We mapped the patient experience domains and specific measures to the CG-CAHPS survey (versions 2.0 and 3.0), CAHPS PCMH item set (versions 2.0 and 3.0), and the available CG-CAHPS supplemental items.ResultsWhether or not practices administered the CG-CAHPS items, most of them addressed topics contained in the CG-CAHPS survey such as Access to care, Provider communication, Office staff helpfulness/courteousness, Care coordination, and Shared decision-making. The most common CAHPS measures included were Office staff helpfulness/courteousness and Provider communication. Common non-CAHPS measures included were Ease of scheduling, Being informed about delays, and Provider helpfulness/courteousness.ConclusionNCQA PCMH practices included CAHPS items on their patient experience surveys even if they did not administer the full CG-CAHPS survey or the recommended CAHPS PCMH survey. To enhance the usefulness of patient experience surveys for practices undergoing PCMH changes, additional CAHPS measures could be developed related to key areas of PCMH change, including expanded access to care (ie, after-hours and weekend visits, ease of scheduling, being informed about delays), use of shared decision-making, and improvements in provider communication (ie, the provider is courteous, communication by other clinical staff members with the patient). These additional measures would assist practice leaders in capturing the breadth and depth of their PCMH transformation and its influence on providing more patient-centered care. Developing such items would help standardize the measurement of changes related to patient experience during PCMH transformation. Research is needed to determine whether a CAHPS survey is the best source of this information.

The ITC Malaysia Project is part of the 31-country ITC Project, of which the central objective is to evaluate the impact of tobacco control policies of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). This article describes the methods used in the 2020 International Tobacco Control (ITC) Malaysia (MYS1) Survey. Adult smokers and non-smokers aged ≥18 years in Malaysia were recruited by a commercial survey firm from its online panel. Survey weights, accounting for smoking status, sex, age, education, and region of residence, were calibrated to the Malaysian 2019 National Health and Morbidity Survey. The survey questions were identical or functionally similar to those used in other ITC countries. Questions included demographic measures, patterns of use, quit history, intentions to quit, risk perceptions, beliefs and attitudes about cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and heated tobacco products. Questions also assessed measures assessing the impact of tobacco demand-reduction domains of the FCTC: price/tax (Article 6), smokefree laws (Article 8), health warnings (Article 11), education, communication and public awareness (Article 12), advertising, promotion, and sponsorship restrictions (Article 13), and support for cessation (Article 14). The total sample size was 1253 (1047 cigarette smokers and 206 non-smokers). Response rate was 11.3%, but importantly, the cooperation rate was 95.3%. The 2020 ITC MYS1 Survey findings will provide evidence on current tobacco control policies and evidence needed by Malaysian government regulatory agencies to develop new or strengthen existing tobacco control efforts that could help achieve Malaysia’s endgame, i.e. a tobaccofree nation by 2040.

This paper assesses the performance of three commonly used types of questions – open-ended, check-all and forced choice – for capturing retrospective online news exposure, combining both survey and web-tracking data. It examines the performance of these different survey questions considering both systematic and random error in two unexplored non-US contexts: Spain and the UK. Results show that the check-all question produces on average the most accurate – i.e. less biased – estimates of observed exposure. Some motivational and cognitive factors underlying bias in self-reports are explored. Findings reveal that the characteristics of outlets are associated with systematic error. Finally, we find that media systems matter for accuracy – where media fragmentation is high (Spain), accuracy is low across all questions; where it is low (UK), accuracy is high across all questions. In the final section, we highlight the methodological and theoretical contributions of our study and provide some recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality of one's overall diet has proven to be of great importance to health and well‐being. Unfortunately, diet quality is time‐consuming to assess. The Stanford Wellness Living Laboratory (WELL) administered an online survey that included the WELL Diet Score (a novel diet quality assessment calculated from 12 diet‐related items). Subsequently, WELL participants were asked to complete the 127‐item Block Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) online. The present study's primary objective was to compare the WELL Diet Score with the established FFQ‐based Alternative Healthy Eating Index‐2010 (AHEI‐2010), in a subset of WELL participants (n = 248) who completed both dietary measures through WELL's online platform. The two scores were significantly correlated (r =.69; p <.0001). Regression analyses demonstrated that the WELL Diet Score was positively significantly associated with sociodemographic determinants of diet quality and protective health factors, including older age, higher education, lower BMI, and higher physical activity. In summary, the WELL Diet Score, derived from 12 small diet‐related items that can be completed in 5 min, was significantly positively correlated with the AHEI‐2010 derived from the lengthy 127‐item FFQ, suggesting the potential utility of the WELL Diet Score in future large‐scale studies, including future WELL studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trust is fundamental for the stability of human society. A large part of the experimental literature relies on the Trust Game as the workhorse to measure individual differences in trust and trustworthiness. In this review we highlight the difficulties and limitations of this popular paradigm, as well as the relations to alternative instruments ranging from survey measures to neurochemical manipulations and neuroimaging.

Introduction: The heterogeneity of e-cigarette products and e-liquids pose challenges to surveillance of e-cigarette exposure. The goal of this study was to evaluate the internal consistency of e-cigarette use frequency, quantity, and duration measures in a national population-based survey.Methods: Data were drawn from the 2012-2013 for the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III (n = 36,309; NESARC-III). Adults who used e-cigarettes/e-liquid during the past year (≤18 years old; n = 1,229) were asked about their age of first use, recency of use, quantity (i.e., cartridges, drops), nicotine concentration, and duration (hours). Several internal consistency parameters were compared for e-cigarette measures in past-year (n = 750) and past 30-day e-cigarette users (n = 472) overall, and by frequency of use (i.e., infrequent [≤3 days/month], non-daily [1-6 days/week], daily).Results: There were no significant differences in quantity, nicotine concentration, or duration by frequency of use in past 30-day e-cigarette users. One-third of past 30-day and almost half of past-year users did not know the nicotine concentration of their cartridge or e-liquid. Correlations between all e-cigarette use measures were low, with the highest correlations seen between e-liquid quantity and cartridge quantity in all past 30-day users (r = 0.28) and those reporting any e-liquid use (r = 0.40). Cronbach's alpha and mean interitem correlations were low across all user groups.Conclusions: Low to moderate correlation across e-cigarette measures in e-cigarette users implies low internal consistency of these measures in a population survey. Findings suggest measures such as quantity and nicotine concentration might more appropriate in samples of recent experienced e-cigarette users than in general population samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trust is fundamental for the stability of human society. A large part of the experimental literature relies on the Trust Game as the workhorse to measure individual differences in trust and trustworthiness. In this review we highlight the difficulties and limitations of this popular paradigm, as well as the relations to alternative instruments ranging from survey measures to neurochemical manipulations and neuroimaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a proposed minimum data set for global stop-smoking services to improve tobacco dependence treatment. Topics include the use of additional items on treatment cost and cessation aids, such as electronic cigarettes, that would enable stronger inferences about the effectiveness of services and cessation aids.

Abstract: Background: In order to successfully address excessive alcohol consumption it is essential to have a means of measuring the drinking patterns of a nation. Owing to the multi-dimensional nature of drinking patterns, usual survey methods have their limitations. The aim of this study was to make use of extremely detailed diary survey data to demonstrate a method of combining different survey measures of drinking in order to reduce these limitations. Methods: Data for 1724 respondents of the 2000/01 National Diet and Nutrition Survey was used to obtain a drinking occasion dataset, by plotting the respondent's blood alcohol content over time. Drinking frequency, level and variation measures were chosen to characterise drinking behaviour and usual behaviour was estimated via statistical methods. Results: Complex patterns in drinking behaviour were observed amongst population subgroups using the chosen consumption measures. The predicted drinking distribution combines diary data equivalent coverage with a more accurate proportion of non-drinkers. Conclusions: This statistical analysis provides a means of obtaining average consumption measures from diary data and thus reducing the main limitation of this type of data for many applications. We hope that this will facilitate the use of such data in a wide range of applications such as risk modelling, especially for acute harms, and burden of disease studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The construction of the Tauern Tunnel in the early 1970s was a milestone in the development of the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM). The experience gained then formed the basis for the development of new technologies, which made tunnelling more efficient and safer and were applied consistently in the design and construction of the second tube. The present article describes the geological conditions, compares the geology with the original tunnel and then explains the starting points for the geomechanical design framework. The basic considerations for the planning of the tunnelling work are described, particularly for squeezing rock behaviour. Then there is a discussion of the geotechnical monitoring and implementation of the design during the excavation of the tunnel, with particular consideration of the problem of long-duration creep deformation and the difficulties in the project-specific determination of warning values. Finally, the conditions encountered along the new tube are summarised and compared with the design and geotechnical conditions of the first tube. This includes a description of the extremely complex and difficult tunnelling conditions in incompetent rock when passing through the approx. 300m long section in slope debris. Der Bau der ersten Röhre des Tauerntunnels in den frühen 70er Jahren des letzten Jahrhunderts stellte einen Meilenstein in der Entwicklung der Neuen Österreichischen Tunnelbauweise (NÖT) dar. Die damals gewonnenen Erfahrungen bildeten die Grundlage für die Entwicklung neuer Technologien, die den Tunnelbau effizienter und sicherer machten und bei Planung und Bau der 2. Röhre konsequent angewendet wurden. Vorliegender Beitrag erläutert nach einer Vorstellung der geologischen Rahmenbedingungen und einem Vergleich mit der Geologie der ersten Röhre die Ausgangspunkte für die geomechanische Rahmenplanung. Die grundsätzlichen Überlegungen bei der Vortriebsplanung, insbesondere für druckhaftes Gebirgsverhalten, werden dargestellt. In weiterer Folge wird auf die geotechnische Überwachung und Umsetzung der Planung während der Vortriebsarbeiten eingegangen, wobei besonders die Problematik von langanhaltenden Kriechverformungen und die Schwierigkeiten bei der projektspezifischen Festlegung von Warnwerten betrachtet werden. Abschließend werden die im Zuge des Vortriebs angetroffenen Verhältnisse zusammengefasst und eine Gegenüberstellung mit der Planung und den geotechnischen Verhältnissen der ersten Röhre durchgeführt. Dabei werden auch die äußerst komplexen und schwierigen Vortriebsbedingungen im Lockergestein bei der Durchörterung der ca. 300 m langen Hangschuttstrecke behandelt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extent of tunnel refurbishment has increased constantly in recent years. The particular importance of meticulous and thought-out planning has been demonstrated on recent projects. The original drawings often provide an insufficient basis for design work and have to be checked, verified or supplemented by targeted investigation measures. A brief glance at the list of claims from a refurbishment project can clearly demonstrate the potential savings, which could have been produced by relatively cheap investigations. For the planning and design of the refurbishment of the first tube of the Tauern Tunnel, many staged investigation surveys were therefore carried out. The investigation measures carried out and their results and effect on the design and tender documents for the refurbishment of the existing tube of the Tauern Tunnel are described in this article. In den letzten Jahren ist der Umfang der Tunnelsanierungen stetig gestiegen. Die bei Sanierungsmaßnahmen besonders große Bedeutung einer sorgfältigen und durchdachten Planung konnte bei den jüngst ausgeführten Projekten erkannt werden. Alte Baupläne sind oft nur eine sehr unzureichende Planungsgrundlage, die durch gezielte Erkundungsmaßnahmen abgesichert, verifiziert oder ergänzt werden sollten. Ein kurzer Blick auf die Liste der Mehrkostenforderungen bei Sanierungsprojekten zeigt in eindrucksvoller Weise das Einsparpotenzial, das mit vergleichsweise kostengünstigeren Erkundungsmaßnahmen hätte erzielt werden können. Für die Planung der Sanierung der ersten Röhre des Tauerntunnels wurden daher mehrere, zeitlich gestaffelte Erkundungsprogramme durchgeführt. Die durchgeführten Erkundungsmaßnahmen sowie deren Ergebnisse und Auswirkungen auf die Planung und Ausschreibung der Sanierung der Bestandsröhre des Tauerntunnels werden im vorliegenden Beitrag vorgestellt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An analysis of data from the Joint Canada/United States Survey of Health (JCUSH), allows us to compare prevalence estimates that result from four different question sets designed to assess disability from a group of respondents residing in either Canada or the United States. Depending upon the question set used and the coding applied to the responses, age-standardized prevalence estimates varied widely in both countries. In the U.S. noninstitutionalized adult population, disability prevalence estimates ranged from as low as 15.3% to as high as 36.4%, while in Canada the estimates ranged from 13.4% to 37.3%. Concordance and discordance in identification as disabled among these question sets were also examined. In both countries, less than 20% of those identified as disabled by any question set were identified as disabled on all four question sets when using conservative response coding to define disability. Concordance in answers to these questions was also found to be associated with older age, single marital status, low education and low income in both countries. Discordance between question set pairs was similar across both countries whether among measures based on the same domains of disability or different domains of disability. The theory, methods and future of disability measurement in health surveys are discussed in light of these findings. We conclude that understanding and interpreting national prevalence estimates requires more thoughtful attention to the purposes for which data are being collected, the specific definition and operationalizations of disability for those purposes, the methodology used in the data collection and analysis process and the areas of both commonality and difference in the populations identified by each question set. In terms of cross-cultural comparisons, the use of a common set of questions and answer categories and similar survey methodologies provides much more robust results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article presents methods used in the 2020 International TC Korea Wave 1 (KRA1) Survey. To date, three cohorts of Korean respondents have participated in the larger ITC Korea Project (cohort 1: 2005-2014, cohort 2: 2016, and cohort 3: 2020-present). The overall objectives of the ITC KRA1 Survey were to examine the use of cigarettes, heated tobacco products (HTPs), e-cigarettes (ECs); whether HTPs might help smokers quit; and the effectiveness of tobacco control policies, such as large graphic warnings, high cigarette taxes, and smoking bans in public places. The KRA1 Survey measures were identical or functionally similar to those of the ITC Japan Survey and, to a lesser extent, those of other ITC countries. Key measures assessed sociodemographic characteristics of respondents; the use of combustible cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and heated tobacco products; and measures assessing policies of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, including price and tax (Article 6), smoke-free laws (Article 8), health warnings (Article 11), education, communication and public awareness (Article 12), advertising, promotion, and sponsorship restrictions (Article 13), and support for cessation (Article 14). Adult tobacco and/or nicotine users aged ≥19 years in South Korea were recruited by a commercial survey firm from its online panel. Overall, 4794 respondents completed the KRA1 Survey. The cooperation rate was 97.4% and the response rate was 15.2%. The cohort design permits assessment of transitions in products used among users in South Korea and evaluations of the impact of policies on tobacco and/or nicotine products used and transitions in use., Competing Interests: The authors have each completed and submitted an ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. The authors declare that they have no competing interests, financial or otherwise, related to the current work. G.T. Fong has served as an expert witness or a consultant for governments defending their country’s policies or regulations in litigation and as a paid expert consultant to the Ministry of Health of Singapore in reviewing the evidence on plain/standardized packaging., (© Lee S. et al.)