Reliability and validity of the hidden hunger assessment scale in China-revised for high school students

Objective:Hidden hunger remains a severe public health problem that affects millions of people worldwide.In China,challenges related to dietary imbalance and hidden hunger persist.Micronutrient inadequacy deserves more attention among adolescents,given its vital role in their growth and development;however,this problem appears to have been largely ignored.High school students,in particular,are often at a high risk of hidden hunger but have limited assessment tools available.Therefore,this study aims to revise the hidden hunger assessment scale for high school students(HHAS-HSS)in China and assess its reliability and validity.Methods:Based on a literature review,expert consultation,pre-experiment,and formal survey,a hidden hunger assessment scale was revised for high school students.The formal survey involved 9336 high school students in 11 of the 16 cities in Anhui Province,China,and 9038 valid questionnaires were collected and included in the analysis.The item analysis,internal consistency reliability,test-retest reliability,content validity,exploratory factor analysis,and confirmatory factor analysis of the HHAS-HSS were examined.Results:The HHAS-HSS included a total of 4 dimensions and 12 items:"vegetables and food diversity"(three items),"fruits and dairy products"(three items),"micronutrient-dense foods"(four items),and"health condition and eating habits"(two items).The results showed a Cronbach's alpha of 0.758,a split-half reliability of 0.829,and a test-retest reliability of o.793,indicating good internal consistency.Using the Bartlett's test and Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin test(KMO)to test the exploratory factor analysis presented a four-factor model of the HHAS-HSS,the KMO0 value was 0.820(P<0.001),which indicated the possibility for factor confirmatory factor analysis.Using the maximum variance rotation method,four factors were obtained,and the cumulative variance explained rate was 57.974%.Confirmatory factor analysis also supported the division of the scale into four dimensions,and the fitting indices were x^(2)=1417.656,x^(2)/df=29.534,goodness-of-fit index=0.974,adjusted goodnessof-fit index=0.958,parsimonious goodness-of-fit index=0.600,normed fit index=0.938,incremental fit index=0.940,Tucker-Lewis index=0.917,comparative fit index=0.939,and root mean square error of approximation=0.056.Except for x^(2)/df,all the indices reached the fitting standard,and the above results showed that the construct validity of the scale reached an acceptable level.Conclusions:The HHAS-HSS has good validity and reliability for Chinese high school students.It is a convenient self-report measure of hidden hunger risk.

Validity and reliability of the evaluation tool of TCM confidence in students with TCM learning experience

Objective:This study aimed to design an evaluation scale of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)confidence and then evaluate its validity and reliability.Methods:Three parallel samples with TCM learning experience were included in this current study.Randomly selected 500 nursing students were included factor analysis and reliability and validity analyses.After 4 weeks,200 nursing students were recruited to retest the reliability.The evaluation tool of TCM confidence included 6 dimensions and 25 entries.Results:Cronbach's a coefficient of the evaluation scale was 0.95 and that of the 6 observed aspects were higher than 0.90,and splithalf reliability was 0.81.For the retest reliability,Cronbach's a coefficient of the evaluation scale was 0.93 and that of the 6 examined aspects was all over 0.80.The index of content validity Scale Content Validity Index(S-CVI)was 0.92 and Item Content Validity Index(I-CVI)was 0.83–1.00.Conclusions:Observed results may indicate that the designed tool can be used to assess the TCM confidence level of students with TCM studied experience and also can evaluate results of TCM education during studying TCM lectures.

Investigating the Reliability and Validity of Chen and Starosta's Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS) against Chinese Cultural Background

Intercultural Communication Competence (ICC), as one of the research fields of intercultural communication, has been given much importance from scholars all around the world. Intercultural sensitivity is one of the three dimensions in Dr Chen's ICC model. This research investigates the reliability and validity of Chen and Starosta's Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS) (2000) against Chinese cultural background by using Chinese university students majoring in English as respondents.

Validity and reliability of the Ocular Motor Nerve Palsy Scale

Objective and accurate assessment of the degree of ocular motor nerve palsy is helpful not only in the evaluation of prognosis, but also for the screening of treatment methods. However, there is currently no comprehensive measure of its severity. In this study, we designed the Ocular Motor Nerve Palsy Scale and investigated its validity and reliability. Six experts were invited to grade and evaluate the scale. The study recruited 106 patients with a definite diagnosis of unilateral isolated ocular motor nerve palsy. Three physicians evaluated the patients using the scale. One of the three physicians evaluated the patients again after 24 hours. The content validity index（CVI） and factor analysis were used to analyze the scale＇s construct validity. The intraclass correlation coefficient and Cronbach＇s alpha were used to evaluate the inter-rater and test-retest reliability and the internal consistency. The CVI results（I-CVI = 1.0, S-CVI = 0.9, Pc = 0.016, K＊ = 1） indicated good content validity. Factor analysis extracted two common factors that accounted for 85.2% of the variance. Furthermore, the load value of each component was above 0.8, indicating good construct validity. The Ocular Motor Nerve Palsy Scale was found to be highly reliable, with an inter-rater reliability intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.965（P 0.01）, a test-retest reliability intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.976（P 0.01）, and Cronbach＇s alpha values of 0.63–0.70. In conclusion, the Ocular Motor Nerve Palsy Scale with good validity and reliability can be used to quantify the severity of ocular motor nerve palsy. This study was registered at Chinese Clinical Trial Registry（registration number： Chi CTR-OOC-17010702）.

Reliability and Validity Test of Questionnaire on the Adaptation Strategy of Cryosphere Changes in Arid Inland River Basin

[Objective] The aim was to test the reliability and validity of questionnaire on the adaptation strategy of cryosphere changes in arid inland river basin. [Method] A questionnaire on 'the adaptation strategy of cryosphere changes in arid inland river basin' was carried out in Urumchi River basin and Aksu River basin, and its reliability and validity were tested by means of statistical method, so as to investigate the stability and accuracy of questionnaire. [Result] Reliability analysis of questionnaire showed that the split-half reliability coefficient of questionnaire in Urumchi River basin and Aksu River basin was 0.729 and 0.750, respectively, and Cronbach’s α reliability coefficient was 0.613 and 0.616, respectively, which revealed that the questionnaire had good equivalence and internal consistency which reflected good reliability and stability. According to validity analysis on questionnaire, there was significant correlation between the score of most questions and questionnaire, and it indicated that questionnaire had high content validity. There were 8 common factors collected from 26 questions, which were summarized as agricultural planting, agricultural water conservation, life satisfaction, cultivated land variation, social integration sense, climate and cryosphere changes, capital input improved by environment and family economic condition, respectively. Meanwhile, the contribution rate of various questions in corresponding indexes was higher, and reflected structure was in full accord with questionnaire content, which revealed that questionnaire owned good construct validity. [Conclusion] With higher stability and accuracy, the questionnaire could determine the desired topic and content and was suitable for the study on the perception of common people and choices of adaptive strategy under cryosphere changes in arid inland river basin in northwestern China.

Validity and Reliability of an Information-Motivation-Skill-Behavior Questionnaire: A Gender-Sensitive HIV Survey

Background: Despite the essence of HIV-related surveys, their precision in measurement of intended constructs has been an area of controversy. Considering the increasing trend of sexual transmission of HIV among women, standard gender-sensitive tools can yield pivotal information for researchers and policy-makers in Iran. Aim: To evaluate the reliability and validity of a questionnaire (IMSB) based on the Information-Motivation-Behavior model of HIV-related behavior prediction. Methods: The IMSB survey constituted of five main domains: HIV-related knowledge, attitudes toward people living with HIV, motivation to practice safe-sex, skills to practice safe-sex, and HIV-related behaviors. Completed questionnaires (n = 189) from pilot phases of three projects were accessed. We assessed face and content validity through expert consultation and respondent feed-backs for the primary pool of items. Discriminant validity was measured utilizing non-parametric tests. Cronbach’s alpha was calculated for each domain to assess internal consistency, and paired t-tests were used to measure stability over time. Results: The primary pool of items was reduced in the process of validation. The discriminant validity was appraised to be favorable since the survey can differentiate between age groups, women with different levels of education and marital status. The survey was reliable in 4 domains;but a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.6 was reported for the fifth domain (HIV-related behaviors). Younger women had higher knowledge and motivation scores;single women were more motivated to practice safe-sex and divorced/widowed women had lower motivation and skills scores. Conclusion: This questionnaire can be used as a valid and reliable tool to measure the IMB constructs. The lower reliability of the “behavior” domain is probably rooted in societal norms and cultural definitions. The integration of motivation and skill domains can provide valuable information for clinicians/interventionists to address vulnerabilities experienced by their female clients.

Reliability and validity of sub-axial injury classification in clinical application

Objective To evaluate the clinical reliability and validity of the sub-axial injury classification (SLIC) system proposed by the Spine Trauma Study Group (STSG) in 2007. Methods Thirty cases of cervical injury were randomly chosen

The reliability of the Australasian Triage Scale:a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Although the Australasian Triage Scale(ATS) has been developed two decades ago, its reliability has not been def ined; therefore, we present a meta-analyis of the reliability of the ATS in order to reveal to what extent the ATS is reliable.DATA SOURCES: Electronic databases were searched to March 2014. The included studies were those that reported samples size, reliability coefficients, and adequate description of the ATS reliability assessment. The guidelines for reporting reliability and agreement studies(GRRAS) were used. Two reviewers independently examined abstracts and extracted data. The effect size was obtained by the z-transformation of reliability coefficients. Data were pooled with random-effects models, and meta-regression was done based on the method of moment's estimator.RESULTS: Six studies were included in this study at last. Pooled coefficient for the ATS was substantial 0.428(95%CI 0.340–0.509). The rate of mis-triage was less than fifty percent. The agreement upon the adult version is higher than the pediatric version.CONCLUSION: The ATS has shown an acceptable level of overall reliability in the emergency department, but it needs more development to reach an almost perfect agreement.

A study on the feasibility of CET oral test based on automatic essay marking

This paper discusses the approach to the CET （college English test） oral test based on automatic essay marking （AEM）. The reliability and validity arouses a dispute on Internet-based CET （iB-CET） oral test in China, leading to the penetration into oral test contents in dialogue, description or comment, and question answering. Then, a probe into transformation from a spoken document into a textual document is touched on a conversion ratio of 72% adopted at the present time, AEM to be carried forward being a necessary hypothesis for Afterwards, this paper focuses on the pipeline in AEM with the content features and the language itself, which is established in two different models in marking for extraction and detection. Through experiments, this paper reveals the fact that an iB-CET oral test can be performed perfectly in the pipeline of spoken documents transformed into textual documents which can be automatically marked. Hence the design of the iB-CET oral test reaches its reliability and validity.

Developing a Subjective Evaluation Scale for Assessing the Built Environments of China’s Hygienic City Initiative

Objective To develop a preliminary subjective evaluation scale for assessing the built environments of China’s Hygienic City Initiative and to evaluate its reliability and validity.Methods The initial items of the scale were determined based on a review of policy documents and consultations with experts. The final items of the scale were confirmed through individual interviews with residents combined with the discretetrend method, critical ratio method, correlation coefficient method, and factor analysis method. Then, the dimensions of the scale were determined using exploratory factor analysis(EFA). The Cronbach’s α coefficient, split-half reliability coefficient, and confirmatory factor analysis(CFA) were used to assess the reliability and validity of the scale.Results A scale containing five dimensions with 22 items was established, including urban lifestyle,governance, basic functions, environmental sanitation, and amenities. The Cronbach’s α coefficient of the scale was 0.876, and the split-half reliability coefficient was 0.796. The CFA results indicate that each inspection level was within the standard limit.Conclusion The preliminarily subjective evaluation scale for assessing the built environments of China’s Hygienic City Initiative demonstrates a high level of reliability and validity. Additional empirical studies should be carried out to further verify the value of the scale in terms of practical application.

Development, Reliability and Validity of Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Self-Evaluation Scale(TCM-50)

Objective： To develop a health-evaluating scale from a Chinese medicine（CM） perspective and reflecting CM conception of health. Methods： The Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Self-Evaluation Scale（TCM-50） was developed by verification of dimensions, formation of item pool, verification of scoring methodology, and pilot test of scale and item analysis. Results： TCM-50 composed of 50 items that could be classified into 4 dimensions including physiology and health, psychology and health, nature and health, and society and health. An examination of reliability and validity of TCM-50 yielded Cronbach＇s α coefficient of 0.927, and half coefficient of r was 0.876. The intraclass correlation coefficient of total score was 0.912. After using SF-36 questionnaire to evaluate the criterion validity, the Pearson r of the score of the two scales from the same participant was 0.740. Conclusions： TCM-50 has good reliability and validity, and can yield similar levels of efficacy as SF-36 in terms of evaluating people＇s overall health level. As a scale based on CM theory, TCM-50 is suitable for self-measuring the general health of Chinese patients.

A Listening Test of Controlled-Productive Ability

The purpose of the study is to estimate a new testing method of evaluating the student's ability of Listening Comprehension. The problem to be addressed is whether there is evidence to show that the method can discriminate between the testees, separating the above average students from the average and the below-average studentsThus, the controlled-productive listening test will be' found to be reliable, valid (in that the test distinguished between different proficiency students )and practical.

Development of a frailty scale for elderly people in China

Objective：The aim of this study was to develop a frailty scale for the elderly in China and to examine its reliability and validity.Methods：The method of convenient sampling was used to select 375 elderly individuals in different communities of Tianjin,China.EuroQpl-5D was used to evaluate the criterion validity.Cronbach＇s αcoefficients,correlation analysis,exploratory factor analysis,criterion-related validity,and internal consistency were used to evaluate the reliability and validity of the scale.To evaluate the test—retest reliability,30 old people were re-evaluated after 2 weeks.Results：The final version of the frailty scale（FI-35） consisted of 35 items.Eleven factors were extracted by a principal factor analysis and varimax rotation,with a cumulative contribution of 86.00%.Eleven dimensions were positively correlated（r = 0.130-0.541,P 〈 0.01）.Cronbach＇s α coefficient was 0.952,and the alpha coefficients of 11 dimensions ranged from 0.730 to 0.992.The test-retest reliability was0.874 for the total scale.The split-half reliability of the scale was 0.808.Structural equation modeling was used to perform a confirmatory factor analysis,and various parameters were all acceptable.Conclusions：FI-35 met the requirement of scale development and showed good reliability and validity;thus,it can be used as an efficient frailty measurement tool for Chinese elderly.

Cost Climate Survey Scale in Construction:Development and Empirical Research

To develop the cost climate survey scale( CCSS) used in construction enterprises,the design concepts,principles and the process diagrams of CCSS are proposed.Through questionnaire investigation and expert interviews,314 projects are established and the CCSS that is made up of 7 dimensions framework and 30 levels is preliminarily determined.After categorized merger,pre-test analysis and multiple items refining,16 projects of CCSS are eventually compiled.In order to verify the credibility and validity of the CCSS,200 employees in Qinhuangdao construction company as the samples are tested.SPSS 21.0 is used to analyze the reliability,validity and rationality of level divisions,and Amos 22.0 is for analyzing the degree of model adaptation in this survey.Finally,the current cost climate situation of the construction site in the company is evaluated,the deficiencies of the cost culture of the construction site are pointed out.This study shows that strengthening the cost knowledge training has a significant positive effect on the cost climate cognition of the employees.Nevertheless,accumulation of work experience has a dual impact on that.The CCSS is not only an important foundation for the cost climate research and its theoretical development,but also the premise of the cost climate quantitative research.An appropriate CCSS,to some extent,can reflect the cognitive level of all kinds of employees in one enterprise and cost savings degree of the enterprise in a certain time.The development of CCSS reflects the originality and interactivity,and fills a blank of the CCSS in construction,which is considered to be an effective tool for cost climate research in construction.

Factors to Give Full Play to the Positive Backwash Effect in the Language Testing

＂Backwash＂ has usually been described in terms of the effect of testing on language teaching and learning. ＂Backwash can be harmful or beneficial＂, as Arthur Hughes states. （Hughes： 1989） This paper set out to see how far this term can be applied to the ways in which both the students and teachers can benefit from language testing.

Oral English Assessment

The assessment of oral English is often neglected and it needs a theoretical system to ensure its reliability and validity. This paper attempts to propose such a system by discussing some issues in current practice in Oral English assessment and presenting a system for designing Oral English course exams.

DETERMINING THE RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF A MODIFICATION OF THE CET 4 WRITING TEST

The CET 4 writing test is widely used in China,but whether it is a more reliable and valid test ofwriting for CET 4 than other methods of evaluation is still not clear.The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and the validity of a modification of this test.In carrying out the study,a total of 60 Band 4 students in Zhejiang University took the modified test,aCET 4 test and a First Certificate Practice Test.The results of this study demonstrate that themodified version is a significantly more reliable and valid writing test than the present CET 4 writingtest.These results suggest that the CET 4 writing test needs modification.

Development and evaluation of a Traditional Chinese Medicine syndrome questionnaire for measuring sub-optimal health status in China

OBJECTIVE:Sub-optimal health status(SHS),in which a person's mind and body exists in a low-quality state of being between disease and health,has become a public health problem that cannot be ignored in China.SHS measurement presents a challenge to the academic fields.We developed and evaluated a questionnaire from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) that embodies the features of TCM syndrome diagnosis for measuring SHS in China.METHODS:The construction of the theoretical framework of the questionnaire was based on a literature review,an expert questionnaire survey and group interviews.The subscales and questionnaire items were screened through a pilot study using statistical means and qualitative analysis.Reliability tests that were used included test-retest reliability,Cronbach's α coefficient,split-half reliability;validity tests included content validity,criterion validity,discrimination validity and construct validity.RESULTS:The final questionnaire,the SHSQ-50,included 50 five-class quantifiable items that encompassed nine subscales:liver stagnation syndrome,liver-Qi deficiency syndrome,spleen-Qi deficiency syndrome,liver-fire syndrome,heart-fire syndrome,stomach-fire syndrome,heart-Qi deficiency syndrome,lung-Qi deficiency syndrome and dampness syndrome.Questionnaires were completed by 268 of the 288 SHS subjects(93.0%) and by 86 of the 94 healthy subjects(91.5%).The Cronbach α coefficients,split-half coefficients and stability coefficients ranged from 0.70 to 0.95,0.67 to 0.87 and 0.88 to 0.98,respectively,for the overall scores and subscales.The Wilcoxon rank test showed statistically significant differences in the subscales and overall scores between the SHS group and the healthy group(P<0.01).Twelve factors with an eigenvalue greater than one were extracted by factor analysis and merged into nine factors,for which the cumulative contribution rate was 63.63%.The nine factors were corresponded to the overall structure of the questionnaire.CONCLUSION:The SHSQ-50 is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring TCM syndrome diagnosis of SHS in China.