To describe health utility scores among individuals living with neuromuscular disorders (NMDs) and examine sociodemographic, clinical, and economic factors associated with these outcomes. We conducted a nationwide, cross-sectional survey of individuals with NMDs and caregivers enrolled with Muscular Dystrophy Canada. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was assessed in adults using the Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI3) and in minors using parent-proxy responses to the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Neuromuscular Module (PedsQL-NMM). Multivariable generalized linear models were used. The sample included 850 adults (mean [SD] age, 56 [16] years, 52
Provider attitudes are key determinants of referral to cardiac rehabilitation (CR). The Provider Attitudes toward Cardiac Rehabilitation and Referral – Revised (PACRR-R) scale was developed to assess these attitudes, but no Danish version exists. This study translated, culturally adapted, and validated the PACRR-R in a Danish setting. Translation and cultural adaptation followed Beaton’s six-step method, including forward and backward translation, expert review, and cognitive interviews (n = 4). Following the two rounds of cognitive interviews, minor linguistic and conceptual adjustments were incorporated into the final Danish version. The final version was evaluated in a national cross-sectional survey of 75 healthcare professionals involved in the care and referral of patients with heart failure (HF). Psychometric evaluation included internal consistency, item analysis, principal component analysis, and convergent construct validity assessed through six predefined hypotheses. The cognitive interviews supported the face validity of the Danish PACRR-R, with participants generally perceiving the items as relevant, understandable, and applicable in a Danish clinical context; only minor linguistic and conceptual clarifications were required. The Danish PACRR-R demonstrated acceptable internal consistency, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.70, and item–total correlations were modest, with no meaningful improvement observed by item removal. A four-component exploratory PCA, pre-specified based on the structure reported in previous validation studies, explained 55.0
The Kessler K6 is widely used to measure non-specific psychological distress in U.S. national surveys, yet measurement equivalence across key health and sociodemographic subgroups has not been evaluated. Group comparisons can be biased if items are interpreted differently across populations. Evaluating differential item functioning across diverse subgroups is essential to ensure the validity of distress estimates. Using data from 164,291 adults (ages 18-85 years, median 50 years, 55.1
The Sleep Disorders Inventory (SDI) is a frequently used proxy measurement to assess sleep disturbances for people living with dementia. This study examined the item distribution, structural validity and internal consistency of the German SDI version for people living with dementia in nursing homes. This cross-sectional secondary analysis used baseline data collected in 2021 from the MoNoPol-Sleep trial and additional cross-sectional data collected between November 2022 and November 2023. Inclusion criteria for people living with dementia were as follows: at least one sleep problem according to the SDI, a diagnosed dementia, or a Dementia Screening Scale Score of 3 or more, and at least two weeks living in the nursing home. The analysis included descriptive statistics for the SDI item distribution, an exploratory factor analysis for the evaluation of structural validity and the calculation of Cronbach’s Alpha for the analysis of internal consistency. For data analysis, 300 people living with dementia were included. The calculated item distribution showed that, with the exception of Item seven, all items demonstrated acceptable item difficulty for both frequency and severity ratings. The exploratory factor analysis showed a one-factor model with 56.6
