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Detection of dyslexia should occur early, with the development of instruments that allow teachers to perceive the signs being necessary for the Brazilian context. The aim of the study was to construct and validate a dyslexia signs screening instrument for teachers. The psychometric parameters were tested considering content, construct and criterion validity. For the three types of validity, the results were satisfactory. The instrument presented a two-factor structure with a reliability level above .97. The ROC curve results showed high sensitivity and specificity, distinguishing children with and without signs of dyslexia. The 30-item instrument had psychometric parameters contributing to the identification of signs of dyslexia by teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuropsychological alterations are characterized, mainly, by compromising functions such as memory, attention, executive functions, visual-spatial and linguistic abilities, acquired or congenital. The present study examines the internal structure and indicators of sensitivity and specificity of the Neuropsic-R scale. A total of 790 patients participated in this study, of which 432 (55%) were healthy (control group) and 358 (45%) with probable neuropsychological and neurological impairment (clinical group), from different Brazilian regions. In an exploratory analysis, 1 factor was removed, with factory loads between 0.312 and 0.93. The results of the confirmatory analysis revealed that the one-factor model for 19 items had the best fit (RMSEA = 0.044; CFI = 0.957; TLI = 0.953) and the general internal consistency index of the model was 0.93 (Cronbach's alpha). Sensitivity and specificity, calculated based on the ROC curve, revealed a minimum score of 43 points for the identification of neuropsychological alterations (minimum values of 19 and maximum of 76 points), which distinguishes a presumably sick population from a healthy one. For patients with suspected cognitive decline and dementia, the cutoff point is shifted to 47. Thus, the Neuropsic-R scale has good, fast, and reliable applicability in different contexts, especially for clinical and research purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyze the survival time and factors associated with the mortality of patients with long-stay hospitalizations in a hospital of high complexity. Methods: Cross-sectional study. We included records of patients who had long-term hospitalization for the Unified Health System between 2014 and 2017, excluding rehospitalizations. Cox Regression was used to identify the factors associated with mortality. Still, among the patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit, the Roc curve was used to determine the cutoff point to identify the day on which the patients had a higher risk of death. Results: 1,209 long-stay hospitalizations were identified, resulting in a prevalence of 7.3%. Of the total long-stay patients, 50.3% died. The majority were over 60 years old, with diseases of the circulatory system (40%). The factors associated with the mortality of patients with long-term hospitalization were: elderly (HR = 2.31; 95% CI: 1.89-2.81); clinical hospitalization (HR = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.54-2.15); ICU admission (HR = 12.41, 95% CI: 6.74-22.8). Mortality of patients admitted to the intensive care unit was significantly higher after the ninth day (p = 0.036). Conclusion: There was a high mortality rate in patients with long-term hospitalization, mainly among elderly people with chronic degenerative diseases and in palliative care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The psychometric properties of measurement instruments should be assessed in different populations. Objective: To analyze the psychometric properties of the 28-Item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) in nurses. Methodology: Methodological validation study of measurement instruments. Analysis of psychometric properties, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) by the principal component analysis method, and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, with a nonprobability sample of 1,264 nurses. Results: EFA suggests keeping four factors and deleting four items in three dimensions (items 3, 16, 21, and 26). The variance explained by the four factors was 61.5%, and Cronbach's alpha was 0.93. The general health scores did not change significantly after deleting the four items. The comparison between the 24-item version and the 28-item version revealed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.996 (p <0.001) and a cutoff point of 20.5, with a 96.3% sensitivity and a 98.4 specificity. Conclusion: The reassessment of the psychometric properties of GHQ-28 in nurses suggests a reduction to 24 items. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bender Gestalt Test (BGT) is one of the main instruments used by psychologists in the evaluation of perceptual organization. However, BGT can also be used for evaluation of visuoconstructive praxis and in elderly patients. Objective of this research was to present evidence of validity of BGT in healthy elderly and with diagnosis of dementia. Sample composing by 285 elderly, of both sexes and with at least 4 years of study were evaluated. The instruments used were the Mental State Mini Exam, Cambridge Cognitive Examination (CAMCOG) and Pfeffer Functional Activities Questionnaire (PFAQ). BGT score criteria used was proposed by Lacks (1998) which described 12 types of errors founded in elderly with brain dysfunction. To analyze the data we used the ROC curve analysis to establish cutoff points and the binary logistic regression with hierarchical method among BGT and the other validated instruments. Results showed that Bender significantly differentiated the healthy elderly from those with AD (p <0.0001) and VD (p <0.0001), with a higher area under the curve, respectively AUC = 0.958 and AUC = 0.982. Logistic regression analysis showed 92% efficacy in the differential diagnosis when Bender was applied concomitantly to the MMSE and PFAQ. It can be concluded that the Bender was a test that pointed out satisfactory psychometric data to be applied in the elderly with dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Paulista de Enfermagem is the property of Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista de Enfermagem and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The literature shows no validated instruments for measuring various components (cognitive and language) of proficiency of immigrant school population, with recent entry in a host country such as Portugal. On the other hand, the results of tests for the evaluation of Second language acuity are difficult to interpret. To examine the validity of diagnostic evidence of second-language proficiency, specifically for the linguistic dimensions (spelling, semantic, syntactic, lexical) and cognitive (verbal reasoning, lexical decision, rhythm prosodic), it is necessary determine cut-off points controlling the following variables: chronological age (7-17 years), age of immigration, nationality of the child, the parents' nationality, diversity of mother tongues and residence in the host country within < eight years. In the study that is underway, the statistical analysis will be made using discriminant analysis and shall be measured sensitivity and specificity (comparison between the hits and errors) through the model Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC). It is expected that the groups differ in accordance with the selected variables and this distinction holds up the definition of distinct cut-off points whereas the level of difficulty of the subject, the type of evidence and the idiosyncrasies of our host school context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of ConScientiae Saúde is the property of Nove de Julho University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The sarcopenia is frequently observed in postmenopausal women and causes include changes in the hormonal status and low levels of physical activity. Functional impairment and disability are the major consequences of this condition. The study aimed to analyze the association and the discriminatory power of physical activity (PA), for the prevention of sarcopenia in postmenopausal women. The sample includes 257 women (57.2 ± 6.6 years; 69.1?11.3 kg; 155.0?5.2 cm) and body composition was measured by bioelectrical impedance. The long version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used for assessing the levels of habitual physical activity. The association of variables was been tested using logistic regression and the discriminatory power through Receiver Operating Characteristic, considering a confidence interval of 5%. The presence of a weekly caloric expenditure 580-816 kcal through the practice of walking proved to be associated with a better muscle condition in postmenopausal, being registered a significant association between this type of physical activity and sarcopenia only for the cutoff value of 816 kcal/week. The study results suggest that the practice of walking, gathering a weekly energy expenditure of 816 kcal, prevents sarcopenia in postmenopausal women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to analyze the walking speed as a discriminator of functional disability. This was an epidemiological cross-sectional study with a random sample of 622 individuals, in the age group 60-96 years, mean 71.6 years (SD= 7.39) for men and 70.78 years (SD= 7.96) for women. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were designed and the criterion discriminator of 2.44 meters walking speed (in seconds) were determined in order to predict the absence of functional disability in basic activities of daily living (BADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). The areas under the ROC curve for the analyzes were higher 0.60 suggesting that the walk test has the potential to discriminate functional impairment, in BADL and IADL in both sexes. Walking time to discriminate functional disability was higher than 3.53 seconds for BADL and 2.47 seconds in IADL for men. For women, it was higher than 3.41 seconds for BADL and 3.19 seconds in IADL. The time of walking speed can be monitored in surveys and interventions population as indicator of functional disability in the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theoretical framework: The Morse Fall Scale (MFS) is a scale for assessing the risk of falling, designed for adults and widely used in Portugal. The scale must be calibrated for each context and the prevention strategies targeted to patients who have higher risk. Objective: Analyze the cut-off point of the scale that best discriminate people with no risk from people with fall risk in hospital inpatient context. Methodology: A receiver operator curve (ROC) was used to determine the best cut-off. The predictive validity of MFS was assessed through sensitivity and specificity, positive and negative predictive value, the area under the curve (AUC) of ROC and also through the Youden Index. Results: The cut-off point of 45, was identified as the best cutoff point, in which 78% of participants are identified as true positives and 22% as false negatives, and has an OR of 3.8 (95%CI=2,17-6,51). Conclusion: The MFS is a good instrument to identify patients with high risk of falls in the hospital setting, particularly in medical and surgical inpatient wards and continuous and palliative care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Eletrônica de Enfermagem is the property of Revista Eletronica de Enfermagem and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective. To identify the main determinants of cellular atypia detection in the cervical screening program in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, using data from the Cervical Cancer Information System SISCOLO. Methods. A random sample of 65 535 Pap smears performed in 2007 was obtained from SISCOLO. This sample was used to produce a logistic regression model to identify variables that impact the process of detecting cellular atypia. A ROC curve was used to define the most suitable cutoff point to classify the presence or absence of atypia. A sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the impact on the model of factors related to the organization of the service model. Results. The variables of impact were "reference laboratory," which refects laboratory production scale; "presence of cellular elements representative of the transformation zone," which reflects the quality of the sampling; "immature squamous metaplasia," "presence of other benign cellular changes," and "absence of typical vaginal microorganisms." Each increase of 1 year in age was associated with a 1.7% reduction in the chance of detecting atypia. The ROC curve defined a cutoff of 4.5%, which allowed the maximization of the model's sensitivity (73.0%) and specificity (66.8%). Sensitivity analysis indicated an increase of 46.4% in the frequency of atypia following a simulated increase in the number of samples analyzed in the excellence (42.9%) and in the presence of cellular elements representative of the transformation zone (43.0%). Conclusions. The model revealed that the detection of atypical cells is strongly influenced by organizational factors such as adequate sample collection and laboratory size. Because these factors can be changed by adequate management practices, the proposed model may be an important tool to improve cervical screening programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: A valid and reliable risk assessment scale is considered to be an essential tool in pressure ulcer prevention. The commonly used pressure ulcer risk scales in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients are the Braden Scale and the Cubbin & Jackson Scale.Aim: To compare and validate the Braden and Cubbin & Jackson pressure ulcer risk scales among Chinese ICU patients.Method: A longitudinal research design was proposed in which the Braden Scale and the Cubbin &Jackson Scale were simultaneously used to collect 139 ICU patients’ data. The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) method was employed to evaluate the overall validity of the scales.Results: Eleven patients (7.91%) developed pressure ulcers. Based on the cut-off point of 16 for the Braden Scale and 24 for the Cubbin & Jackson Scale, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negatively predictive value for the Braden Scale were 91.7%, 63.0%, 19.0%, 98.8%,respectively, and 33.3%, 95.3%, 40.0%, 93.8% for the Cubbin & Jackson Scale. The AUC was 0.155 for Braden scale and 0.098 for the Cubbin &Jackson Scale.Conclusion: The Braden Scale has high sensitivity and negative predictability,whereas the Cubbin & Jackson Scale has high specificity. The Braden Scale is better than the Cubbin & Jackson Scale in terms of overall validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Kineanthropometry & Human Performance is the property of Brazilian Journal of Kineanthropometry & Human Performance and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Ciência & Saúde Coletiva is the property of Associacao Brasileira de Pos-Graduacao em Saude Coletiva and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives: To culturally adapt the Falls Efficacy Scale -- International (FES-I) and assess its psychometric properties in a sample of community-dwelling elderly Brazilians. Methods: The instrument was translated into Brazilian Portuguese and culturally adapted to the Brazilian population (FES-I-Brazil) as recommended by the Prevention of Falls Network Europe. FES-I-Brazil was applied to 163 elderly people (73.44±5.51 years), and the demographic data and history of falls were also collected. From this group, 58 participants were randomly distributed to evaluate reliability. The reliability was analyzed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the internal consistency, using Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α). The internal structure of FES-I-Brazil was evaluated by means of exploratory factor analysis. The logistic regression model was used to determine which tasks on the scale were more relevant for discriminating falls. To analyze the sensitivity and specificity of FES-I-Brazil, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used. Results: The internal consistency of FES-I-Brazil was α=0.93, and the intra- and inter-examiner reliability were ICC=0.84 and 0.91, respectively. Factor analysis suggested two factors: concern about falling during social activities and activities of daily living (basic and instrumental), and postural control tasks. FES-I-Brazil scores ≥23 suggested an association with a previous history of sporadic falls, whereas scores ≥31 suggested an association with recurrent falls. Conclusions: FES-I-Brazil was shown to be semantically, linguistically and psychometrically appropriate to evaluate the fear of falling in the community-dwelling Brazilian elderly population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective was to analyse the patterns of physical activity (moderate and vigorous walking) in different domains (work, commuting, household, leisure time) as predictors of absence of diabetes. This was a cross-sectional study in the city of Lauro de Freitas, Bahia, Brazil, with a sample of 522 individuals, 57.8% of them female, over 18 years of age. Receiver Operating Characteristic curves (ROC) were constructed and compared to patterns of physical activity in differing domains and absence of diabetes. Cut-off points of physical activity (minutes/week) were established to predict the absence of diabetes. A 95% confidence interval was considered to find the largest areas under the ROC curves for leisure time physical activity and for the differing domains analysed altogether. Walking was not a good predictor of diabetes absence. Accumulated physical activity in different domains (185 minutes/week of moderate intensity or 285 minutes/week of moderate or vigorous intensity walking) presented the best cut-off points for predicting the absence of diabetes. Practicing physical activity, especially leisure time or accumulated in different domains, contributes to diabetes prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]