Background and Purpose: Limited care interaction measurements capture important interaction characteristics that occur during staff-resident care interactions. The purpose of this study was to test the reliability and validity of Modified Quality of Interaction Scale (MQuIS). Methods: Data from an observational study in four assisted living facilities was used. Results: A total of 152 staff-resident care interactions were observed. There was some evidence of reliability based on the Rasch analysis (item reliability of .98). There was some support for validity based on the item fit and hypothesis testing as active resident engagement was significantly associated with positive social and positive care interactions. Conclusions: This study provides some support for the use of the MQuIS to evaluate the quality of care interactions in assisted living settings.

UNASSIGNED: Differential Item Functioning (DIF), an item malfunctioning, causes Differential Test Functioning (DTF), thus biasing questionnaire measures. The current study evaluates the relationship between DIF and DTF for the Barthel Index and the Functional Independence Measure, likely the most used disability measures. The aim is to understand under which conditions DIF can be ignored as its DTF is negligible.
UNASSIGNED: A simulation study was run. Disability measures were obtained for the Barthel Index and FIM motor domain using Rasch analysis with previously published item calibrations. Several DIF scenarios have been assessed. DTF was tolerable if ≤0.50 logits.
UNASSIGNED: Simulations showed that the larger the DIF, the larger the DTF and that, keeping the overall DIF constant, the total number of items with DIF does not affect DTF. DIF of the items with the lowest or highest calibrations is the most dangerous. The DIF of central items should be so massive to matter in DTF terms that it is unlikely to happen in practice. The FIM robustness to DIF is better than that of the Barthel Index.
UNASSIGNED: The FIM and the Barthel Index show remarkable robustness to DIF. Thanks to this feature, sample invariant, generalisable disability measures are available.
The Barthel Index and the Functional Independence Measure are two assessment procedures for evaluating disability.It is demonstrated that the Functional Independence Measure and the Barthel Index are remarkably resistant to Differential Item Functioning.As a result, these questionnaires yield very generalisable disability measures.

OBJECTIVE: The Rasch-Built Pompe-Specific Activity (R-PAct) scale is a patient-reported outcome measure specifically designed to quantify the effects of Pompe disease on daily life activities, developed for use in Dutch- and English-speaking countries. This study aimed to validate the R-PAct for use in other countries.
METHODS: Four other language versions (German, French, Italian, and Spanish) of the R-PAct were created and distributed among Pompe patients (≥16 years old) in Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Switzerland and pooled with data of newly diagnosed patients from Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the USA, and the UK and the original validation cohort (n = 186). The psychometric properties of the scale were assessed by exploratory factor analysis and Rasch analysis.
RESULTS: Data for 520 patients were eligible for analysis. Exploratory factor analysis suggested that the items separated into two domains: Activities of Daily Living and Mobility. Both domains independently displayed adequate Rasch model measurement properties, following the removal of one item (\"Are you able to practice a sport?\") from the Mobility domain, and can be added together to form a \"higher order\" factor as well. Differential item functioning (DIF)-by-language assessment indicated DIF for several items; however, the impact of accounting for DIF was negligible. We recalibrated the nomogram (raw score interval-level transformation) for the updated 17-item R-PAct scale. The minimal detectable change value was 13.85 for the overall R-PAct.
CONCLUSIONS: After removing one item, the modified-R-PAct scale is a valid disease-specific patient-reported outcome measure for patients with Pompe disease across multiple countries.

BACKGROUND: Current and former athletes are one of the most at-risk population groups for disordered eating (DE), impacting their dietary practices, body composition, performance and health during and following their athletic careers. Few comprehensive DE screening tools exist for this group. To help address this, the current study utilised a mixed-methods approach of Classic Test Theory (CTT) and Item Response Theory (IRT) to develop and validate a DE screening tool suitable for current and former athletes.
METHODS: Novel scale development methodologies were used to develop and assess the validity (content, face, cross-cultural, construct), test-retest reliability, internal consistency reliability, factor analysis and Rasch analysis of a new DE scale.
RESULTS: A new validated Athletic Disordered Eating (ADE) screening tool was created, with 17 items and four subscales (food control, bingeing, body control, body discontent), with an internal consistency reliability of 0.91, excellent content and construct validity, an Intraclass Correlation Coefficient of 0.97 and excellent Rasch model fit.
CONCLUSIONS: The ADE screening tool has been dually developed for research purposes and as a clinically applicable screening tool to detect DE in current and former athletes and is suitable for a global use across sporting categories, diverse genders and levels of competition.

This study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the homophobia scale in students attending religion-based universities in Indonesia. This research is important as homosexuality is a controversial issue in the country and is still a topic of debate. The Homophobia Scale is a tool that assesses attitudes towards homosexuality through 17 items measuring positive affirmation, negative cognition, and the perceived threat of homosexual behavior. The scale was adapted for the Indonesian context, which is predominantly religious, based on The Heterosexual Attitudes Towards Homosexuality (HATH) Scale and Items, originally translated by bilingual experts. The translated scale was then reviewed for content by psychologists and communication experts, and field-tested for reliability and validity. Data from 327 students aged 18-35 from both state and private religion-based universities were analyzed using Rasch model analyses, including principal component analysis (PCA), reliability analysis, and differential item functioning (DIF) assessment. The study found that the homophobia scale accounted for 42.4 % of the raw variance, indicating its unidimensionality. The scale demonstrated an acceptable level of personal reliability and excellent reliability for individual items. Results revealed significant demographic effects, with age and study program showing more differential item functioning (DIF). Male students were more tolerant towards homosexuals than females. Additionally, students at state universities tended to be more tolerant but held negative views of homosexuality when associated with AIDS. In conclusion, the homophobia scale assessed in this study exhibits promising construct validity and sufficient psychometric properties. The findings indicate that negative stigma towards homosexuals and homophobia still persist among students at religion-based universities in Indonesia, despite limited interaction with homosexuals.

BACKGROUND: In the management of individuals with venous leg ulcers, education serves as a pivotal tool for acquiring knowledge, fostering appropriate attitudes, and promoting best practices. Consequently, assessing knowledge, skills, attitudes, confidence, and commitment becomes essential, necessitating the development of suitable evaluation instruments. Pre- and post-test assessments align with Level 2 of Kirkpatrick\'s model. Moreover, nurse educators should integrate assessment into the teaching-learning sequences.
OBJECTIVE: To psychometrically validate an instrument designed to assess undergraduate nursing students\' knowledge of the aetiology, prevention, and treatment of venous leg ulcers.
METHODS: A multi-phase study was designed to develop the tool and subsequently validate its psychometric properties.
METHODS: The study was conducted at three sites within the University of the Basque Country and one site within the University of Alicante.
METHODS: A total of 516 students from all four years of the nursing degree program participated.
METHODS: The construct definition and instrument development were previously published. This article presents the psychometric evaluation, which involved classical item analysis, analysis of psychometric properties according to the Rasch model, differential item functioning analysis, construct validity analysis through hypothesis testing in known groups, and reliability analysis via internal consistency.
RESULTS: The results validated the Knowledge on Venous Leg Ulcer Questionnaire, reducing it from 72 initial items to 36 definitive items. It was found to be a valid and reliable instrument, capable of detecting statistically significant differences between known groups. Knowledge scores on a 0-100 scale were found to be 33.1 (SD = 19.5) for the first-second year groups, and 48.3 (SD = 17.5) for the third-fourth year groups, demonstrating a progressive and logical increase in knowledge each year.
CONCLUSIONS: The Knowledge on Venous Leg Ulcer Questionnaire appears to be a valid and reliable instrument for measuring nursing students\' knowledge of venous leg ulcers. However, further research in different contexts is required to confirm these results.

UNASSIGNED: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale using the 5-option response categories for individuals with lower limb amputation (ABC-5/Ar).
UNASSIGNED: This was a methodological study on a convenience sample of individuals with unilateral lower-limb amputation attending outpatient rehabilitation centres in Saudi Arabia and Turkey (N = 155). Rasch analysis (WINSTEPS version 4.6.5) was used to examine the 5-categories rating scale structure, item fit, item difficulty hierarchy, person separation index, unidimensionality, local item dependency, and differential item functioning.
UNASSIGNED: The ABC-5/Ar 5-response option demonstrated an appropriate model fit. Most items fit the Rasch model, except for item #12 \"walk in a crowded mall,\" which showed an overfitting value of 0.63. The person separation indices 2.95 (Cronbach\'s α = 0.96). Principal component analysis of residuals confirmed the unidimensionality of the scale; however, local dependency was detected between item #14 \"Ride in escalator holding rail,\" and item #15 \"Ride in escalator not holding rail.\"
UNASSIGNED: The findings suggest that the ABC-5/Ar shows promise in assessing balance confidence in Arabic-speaking lower-limb prosthesis users. However, further studies with larger sample sizes and in diverse clinical contexts are needed to confirm its effectiveness in various clinical settings.
Overall, our Rasch-based study provides additional evidence to support the psychometric appropriateness of using the Activity-specific Balance Confidence scale with the 5-category options (ABC-5) of the Arabic version among lower prosthesis users.Clinicians and researchers should be mindful of cultural and contextual differences that exist among Arabic-speaking population which may influence how participants responded to certain items in the scale.It is essential to conduct a comprehensive psychometric evaluation to guide the implementation and interpretation of scales, particularly in Arabic-speaking countries due to the scarcity of validated and standardised outcome measures to assess prosthesis users’ confidence.

UNASSIGNED: The Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS) stands as the preeminent tool for assessing burnout across various professions. Although the MBI-GS9 emerged as a derivative of the MBI-GS and has seen extensive use over several years, a comprehensive examination of its psychometric properties has yet to be undertaken.
UNASSIGNED: This study followed the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing guidelines to validate the MBI-GS9. Employing a combined approach of classical test theory and item response theory, particularly Rasch analysis, within an integrated framework, the study analyzed data from 16,132 participants gathered between 2005 and 2015 by the Centre for Organizational Research at Acadia University.
UNASSIGNED: The findings revealed that the MBI-GS9 exhibited satisfactory reliability and validity akin to its predecessor, the MBI-GS. Across its three dimensions, Cronbach\'s α and omega coefficients ranged from 0.84 to 0.91. Notably, the MBI-GS9 displayed no floor/ceiling effects and demonstrated good item fit, ordered threshold, acceptable person and item separation and reliability, clear item difficulty hierarchy, and a well-distributed item threshold. However, the results suggested a recommended minimum sample size of 350 to mitigate potential information loss when employing the MBI-GS9. Beyond this threshold, the observed mean difference between the MBI-GS and MBI-GS9 held minimal practical significance. Furthermore, measurement equivalence tests indicated that the MBI-GS9 maintained an equivalent three-factor structure and factor loadings across various gender, age, and continent groups, albeit with inequivalent latent values across continents.
UNASSIGNED: In sum, the MBI-GS9 emerges as a reliable and valid alternative to the MBI-GS, particularly when utilized within large, diverse samples across different age and gender demographics. However, to address potential information loss, a substantial sample size is recommended when employing the MBI-GS9. In addition, for cross-cultural comparisons, it is imperative to initially assess equivalence across different language versions at both the item and scale levels.

BACKGROUND: Abdominal pain is a common and often debilitating issue for children and adolescents. In many cases, it is not caused by a specific somatic condition but rather emerges from a complex interplay of bio-psycho-social factors, leading to functional abdominal pain (FAP). Given the complex nature of FAP, understanding its origins and how to effectively manage this condition is crucial. Until now, however, no questionnaire exists that targets knowledge in this specific domain. To address this, the Abdominal Pain Knowledge Questionnaire (A-PKQ) was developed.
METHODS: Two versions were created (one for children and one for parents) and tested in four gastroenterology clinics and one specialized pain clinic in Germany between November 2021 and February 2024. Children between 8 and 17 years of age (N = 128) and their accompanying parents (N = 131) participated in the study. Rasch analysis was used to test the performance of both versions of the questionnaire.
RESULTS: The original questionnaires exhibited good model and item fit. Subsequently, both questionnaires were refined to improve usability, resulting in final versions containing 10 items each. These final versions also demonstrated good model and item fit, with items assessing a variety of relevant domains.
CONCLUSIONS: The A-PKQ is an important contribution to improving assessment in clinical trials focused on pediatric functional abdominal pain.

The 4-point Heckmatt grading scale can easily be used to analyze muscle ultrasound images. The scale is used in an expanding set of muscles and neuromuscular disorders. This prompted the need for evaluation of the measurement properties of the scale in its current form. In this retrospective observational study we included muscle ultrasound images from patients who were undergoing an ultrasound exam for either clinical or research purposes. The primary outcome of this study was to investigate and improve the measurement properties of the Heckmatt scale using Rasch analysis. We investigated whether observers consistently used the 4 response categories. Data was available of 30.967 muscle ultrasound images from 1783 patients and 43 different individual muscles. In 8 of the 43 muscles, observers had difficulty to discriminate between the response categories, especially in bulbar muscles. After rescoring to a 3-point scale, the response categories were consistently used in all 43 muscles. In conclusion, a 3-point Heckmatt grading scale leads to improved accurate scoring compared to the original 4-point Heckmatt grading scale. Using the 3-point Heckmatt grading scale will not only simplify the use of the scale but also enhance its application in clinical practice and research purposes.