Search

The development of efficient and reliable online assessments has become increasingly important in the digital era. We developed a 10-min online word reading assessment of global English based on the existing paper-and-pencil version of our English silent word reading test. The test includes two parts, namely, random word recognition and contextual word reading. A total of 889 participants (437 children and 392 adults; 62.7% female) took part in the study. They were from various regions including mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, Poland, the United States, and the Philippines. Reliability and validity analyses on various demographics samples (by age and country/region of origin) demonstrated that the WordSword Test is highly reliable and valid (e.g., the correlation of this test with other English reading measures were above.80). Education level was positively correlated with test performance, while the correlations between age and test performance were not consistent. Ninety-seven children participants also took the paper-and-pencil version of the WordSword Test. The correlation between performances on the online and paper-and-pencil versions of the test was.879, one year apart. With more children and adults taking the WordSword Test, we ultimately hope to establish norms by area, grade level, and age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hong Kong experienced the SARS pandemic in 2003. Seventeen years later, the Covid-19 pandemic now challenges Hong Kong and the world. This study aims to unveil the impact of the pandemic on health social workers. One hundred and sixty-six health care social workers in Hong Kong were recruited to join a cross-sectional online survey from November 2020 to March 2021. This paper includes the analysis of the demographic information, fear of contamination, resilience, perceived social support and physical health only. Irrespective of the demographic background, the level of fear of contamination, resilience, perceived social support and physical health were similar. The mean scores of the two dimensions of fear of contamination (Harm avoidance: m = 7.49, s.d. = 3.25; Disgust avoidance: m = 7.75, s.d. = 2.90) were higher than those of general public and clinical samples with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. No moderation effects were found in resilience and perceived social support in the relationship of fear of contamination and physical health. Instead, direct effects were shown.The impact of the pandemic on health social workers was universal. Psychoeducational programs to alleviate the fear of contamination and organizational-level interventions to improve workplace social support are highly needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic libraries are experiencing significant changes and making efforts to deliver their service in the digital environment. Libraries are transforming from being places for reading to extensions of the classroom and learning spaces. Due to the globalized digital environment and intense competition, libraries are trying to improve their service quality through various evaluations. As reference service is crucial to users, this study explores user satisfaction towards the reference service through WhatsApp, a social media instant messenger, at a major university in Hong Kong and discusses the correlation between the satisfaction rating and three variables. Suggestions and recommendations are raised for future improvements. The study also sheds light on the usage of reference services through instant messaging in other academic libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Partners in Health (PIH) scale is a measure designed to assess the generic knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and impacts of self-management. A cross-cultural adaptation of the PIH for use in Hong Kong was evaluated in this study. This paper reports the validity and reliability of the Chinese version of PIH (C-PIH[HK]).Method: A 12-item PIH was translated using forward-backward translation technique and reviewed by individuals with chronic diseases and health professionals. A total of 209 individuals with chronic diseases completed the scale. The construct validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability were evaluated in two waves.Results: The findings in Wave 1 (n = 73) provided acceptable psychometric properties of the C-PIH(HK) but supported the adaptation of question 5 to improve the cultural relevance, validity, and reliability of the scale. An adapted version of C-PIH(HK) was evaluated in Wave 2. The findings in Wave 2 (n = 136) demonstrated good construct validity and internal consistency of C-PIH(HK). A principal component analysis with Oblimin rotation yielded a 3-factor solution, and the Cronbach's alphas of the subscales ranged from 0.773 to 0.845. Participants were asked whether they perceived the self-management workshops they attended and education provided by health professionals as useful or not. The results showed that the C-PIH(HK) was able to discriminate those who agreed and those who disagreed related to the usefulness of individual health education (p < 0.0001 in all subscales) and workshops (p < 0.001 in the knowledge subscale) as hypothesized. The test-retest reliability was high (ICC = 0.818).Conclusion: A culturally adapted version of PIH for use in Hong Kong was evaluated. The study supported good construct validity, discriminate validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability of the C-PIH(HK). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The unitized curtain wall system (UCWS), one of the prefabricated technologies, is increasingly attracting attention in the Hong Kong construction industry. However, this innovative technology still lacks on-site implementation in high-rise residential buildings. To promote its development, this study aims at identifying the influential factors of UCWS adoption in Hong Kong's high-rise residential buildings from a multi-stakeholder perspective. Design/methodology/approach: Factors were first selected through an in-depth literature review and a semi-structured interview. Then the factors were validated through a questionnaire survey using Cronbach's Alpha Reliability Test. Next, the factors were ranked regarding their importance using mean-score ranking and standard deviation. Meanwhile, different stakeholders were clustered using an experimental factor analysis (EFA) model to find the shared preferences (namely common factors). Findings: The result shows that reduction of construction time (B1) and insufficient site storage area (C1) are the most important factors. The six stakeholder groups were clustered into two segments. B1 and improved quality control are the shared interests. While C1 and the need of specification change are the common concerns. Originality/value: There are two major breakthroughs in this study. First is the novelty of research objects. UCWS, particularly its application preference in high-rise residential buildings, has rarely been studied, yet it is urgently required. Second is the novel research perspective. The influential factors were studied from a multi-stakeholder perspective. Not only the significant factors for six specific stakeholders but also the shared preference for stakeholder groups was identified. The findings contribute to promoting UCWS more targeted, efficient and comprehensive, as well as demonstrating the collaborative possibilities of multi-stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of single-item measures of self-rated mental health (SRMH) has been increasingly valued in epidemiologic research. However, little is known about the reliability and mental health correlates of SRMH in Chinese populations. This study examined the reliability and mental health correlates of SRMH in three Chinese samples. We analyzed data collected from two convenience samples of Chinese adults from Hong Kong and/or Taiwan (Sample 1: N = 205; Sample 2: N = 377), and a random sample of Taiwan psychiatric inpatients (Sample 3: N = 100). Our results showed that the single-item measure of SRMH had moderate to good test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation [ICC] = 0.75) in Sample 1 and acceptable reliability between the self-report and interviewer-administered versions (ICC = 0.58) in Sample 3. It had a high positive correlation with self-esteem and a moderately high negative correlation with depression. It also had a consistently negative correlation with borderline personality disorder symptoms and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. The SRMH score was also associated with psychiatric service usage. These findings contribute to the body of knowledge regarding the use of a single-item measure of SRMH to assess overall self-perceived mental health in Chinese communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIM: This paper reports a study to examine the relationship between patient satisfaction and triage nursing care in order to assist nurses in defining more clearly their roles, and ultimately to improve the quality of care delivered to emergency patients. BACKGROUND: Patient satisfaction is considered an important indicator of quality care from the perspective of the consumer and has been widely studied in many settings. However, few studies have examined patient satisfaction with emergency nursing services in the particular area of triage. METHODS: A descriptive, correlational study was conducted in 2001 in one urban acute hospital in Hong Kong using Consumer Emergency Care Satisfaction Scale (CECSS), and patient and nurse demographic data were also collected. Following a power calculation, systematic sampling was carried out, and the final sample consisted of 56 urgent, semi-urgent and non-urgent patients triaged. The response rate was 61%. RESULTS: The majority of the participants were satisfied with their triage nursing care and teaching. However, difficulties were encountered during the data collection process, resulting in a relatively low response rate. Correlational analyses revealed that patient satisfaction with triage nursing care was statistically significantly correlated with age and the type of nursing intervention received. Older people were more satisfied with the teaching offered by triage nurses and patients who had received specific nursing interventions gave more positive ratings on the teaching subscale of the CECSS. There were no statistically significant relationships between patient satisfaction with triage nursing care and nurse characteristics, including gender, work experiences and educational level. CONCLUSIONS: Patients were generally satisfied with the care provided by the triage nurses. Measuring patient satisfaction with triage nursing care remains a major challenge for health care providers in emergency care settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the increasing use of virtual modalities in schools since the COVID-19 pandemic, no systematic tools exist to evaluate the process of online learning. We developed and validated an Online Learning Process Questionnaire (OLPQ) for assessing online at-home learning among 219 Hong Kong primary-school students and 474 caregivers. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of caregivers' data classified the 58-item OLPQ into 11 subscales: (1) learning aims, (2) environmental structuring, (3) learning environment, (4) time management, (5) engagement in learning activities, (6) persistence, (7) interaction between teachers and students, (8) interaction among students, (9) feedback from the interface, (10) application of learning, and (11) meaning of learning under three learning phases. Confirmatory factor analysis of students' data further categorized the 11-subscale framework into three learning phases: preparatory, performance, and transfer. The OLPQ demonstrated excellent reliability and discriminant validity across caregiver (Cronbach's alpha = 0.98) and student samples (alpha = 0.98). These findings indicate that the OLPQ is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the online at-home learning process among both students and their caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Globally, the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created an interpersonally threatening context within which other people have become a source of possible threat. This study reports on the development and validation of a self-report measure of pandemic paranoia; that is, heightened levels of suspicion and mistrust towards others due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: An international consortium developed an initial set of 28 items for the Pandemic Paranoia Scale (PPS), which were completed by participants from the UK (n = 512), USA (n = 535), Germany (n = 516), Hong Kong (n = 454) and Australia (n = 502) using stratified quota sampling (for age, sex and educational attainment) through Qualtrics and translated for Germany and Hong Kong. Results: Exploratory factor analysis in the UK sample suggested a 25-item, three-factor solution (persecutory threat; paranoid conspiracy and interpersonal mistrust). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the remaining combined sample showed sufficient model fit in this independent set of data. Measurement invariance analyses suggested configural and metric invariance, but no scalar invariance across cultures/languages. A second-order factor CFA on the whole sample indicated that the three factors showed large loadings on a common second-order pandemic paranoia factor. Analyses also supported the test–retest reliability and internal and convergent validity. Conclusion: The PPS offers an internationally validated and reliable method for assessing paranoia in the context of a pandemic. The PPS has the potential to enhance our understanding of the impact of the pandemic, the nature of paranoia and to assist in identifying and supporting people affected by pandemic-specific paranoia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Determining the core competence of advanced practice nurses is foundational for promoting optimal design and implementation of advanced practice nursing roles. Core competencies specific to the contexts of the advanced practice nurse in Hong Kong have been developed, but not yet validated. Thus, this study aims to assess the construct validity of advanced practice nurse core competence scale in Hong Kong. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study using an online self-report survey. Exploratory factor analysis was used to examine the factor structure of a 54-item advanced practice nurse core competence scale through principal axis factoring with direct oblique oblimin rotation. A parallel analysis was conducted to determine the number of factors to be extracted. The Cronbach's α was computed to evaluate the internal consistency of the confirmed scale. The STROBE checklist was used as reporting guideline. Results: A total of 192 advanced practice nurse responses were obtained. Exploratory factor analysis led to the final 51-item scale with a three-factor structure, which accounted for 69.27% of the total variance. The factor loadings of all items ranged from 0.412 to 0.917. The Cronbach's alpha of the total scale and three factors ranged from 0.945 to 0.980, indicating robust internal consistency. Conclusion: This study identified a three-factor structure of the advanced practice nurse core competency scale: client-related competencies, advanced leadership competencies, and professional development and system-related competencies. Future studies are recommended to validate the core competence content and construct in different contexts. Moreover, the validated scale could provide a cornerstone framework for advanced practice nursing roles development, education, and practice, and inform future competency research nationally and internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Affiliate stigma of family caregivers may severely influence family caregiving, early treatment, and recovery of people with mental illness (PMI), and it may be impacted by the knowledge of mental illness and contact with PMI. However, little is known about the correlation between affiliate stigma of family caregivers of PMI and contact in Hong Kong. Aims: This study aimed to investigate affiliate stigma and its influencing factors among family caregivers of PMI in Hong Kong. Methods: A total of 106 family caregivers in Hong Kong participated in the study. The measurements included affiliate stigma, contacts (quantity, quality, and level), knowledge, prejudice, and discriminatory behaviors. Multiple regression analyses were employed. Results: The mean score of affiliate stigma scale (ASS) in family caregivers was 2.17 (SD = 0.65). In regression analyses, the results showed that contact quantity and contact level were significantly associated with higher affiliate stigma and its cognitive domain, while contact quality (e.g. positive contact) were significantly associated with lower affiliate stigma and its all domains among family caregivers. The positive relationship between prejudicial attitudes and affiliate stigma was also found. Conclusions: Affiliate stigma is severe among family caregivers of PMI in Hong Kong. The results of this study indicate that contact, especially positive contact, contributes to reducing affiliate stigma among family caregivers of PMI. The results of this study are important for development of health policy on reducing stigma in family caregivers of PMI. The effectiveness of Enhancing Contact Model (ECM) should be examined in future anti-stigma interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sociodemographic and career-related characteristics of two types of youth who are not in education, employment or training (NEETs) in Hong Kong were examined and compared: longer-term (≥5 months, n = 787) and transitional (<5 months, n = 3,939). After controlling for sociodemographic variables, multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that longer-term NEETs are more likely to be associated with risk factors such as taking a carer role, seclusion at home, involvement in deviant activities, having addiction or health problems; whereas higher educational attainment, identification of career interest and plans for future work/study/ training, and higher career adaptability appeared to be protective factors for NEETs and identifiers of transitional NEETs. Implications are drawn for research and career support services for NEETs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about the level of distrust in healthcare systems is very limited in Chinese populations, and no validated instrument has been developed to measure this distrust. Therefore, to begin addressing this research gap, this study evaluated the psychometric properties of a traditional Chinese version of the Revised Health Care System Distrust Scale and used it to assess the level of distrust in a healthcare system. The study involved a community‐based personal interview survey of individuals in Hong Kong. A total of 340 men were randomly recruited. In addition to the distrust instrument, the two‐item Trust in Physician Scale and the Patient Health Questionnaire‐9 were used. The two‐factor structure of the distrust scale was confirmed. The item‐total correlations corrected for overlap were >0.4 for both the Competence and Values Distrust subscales, confirming the internal construct validity of the scale. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.77 for both subscales. The scores of both the Competence and Values subscales were moderately negatively correlated with the total score of the Trust in Physician Scale, providing support for convergent validity. Regarding known‐group validity, the scale could differentiate people according to marital status, monthly personal income and severity of depressive symptoms. Moreover, we found that men who had previously undergone prostate cancer screening had higher Values Distrust scores than those who had not. The descriptive analysis showed that only about half of the participants reported that they received high‐quality medical care and that the healthcare system provided excellent medical care, suggesting that more effort is needed to improve the quality of care and people's satisfaction with healthcare in Hong Kong. In summary, the translated traditional Chinese version of the Revised Health Care System Distrust Scale used in this study is a valid and reliable scale for assessing the level of distrust in a healthcare system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been no validated tool to assess workplace infection control towards SARS-Cov-2 in non-healthcare industries. In this first year survey during 07/2020–04/2021, 6684 workers were recruited from varied non-healthcare settings of Hong Kong, Nanjing and Wuhan of China and responded standard questionnaires containing information of prevention measures and policies implemented by companies and personal preventive behaviour towards infection control. All participants were randomly stratified into two sub-samples as training and validation sample. Workplace safety index towards SARS-Cov-2 (WSI-SC2) was developed and validated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). We identified 14 manifest variables in WSI-SC2, with three sub-indices named "Workplace infection control measures and prevention", "Company occupational safety and health management and commitment" and "Worker's personal preventive behavior and awareness towards infectious control". WSI-SC2 obtained a good internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranged: 0.76–0.91), good composite reliability (composite reliability ranged: 0.70–0.95) and satisfactory fit of the model (GFI = 0.95; SRMR = 0.05; RMSEA = 0.07). We further performed stratified analysis according to cities, and the index remained stable. Workers with higher scores of WSI-SC2 were more likely to uptake COVID-19 test. This multi-city large study developed a novel and validated tool that could horizontally measure the workplace safety towards SARS-Cov-2 in non-healthcare workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives Care planning can protect against or offset potential stressors in the caregiving stage and mitigate their detrimental effects. This study aimed to translate, adapt, and validate 2 short forms of the multidimensional, theory-guided scale measuring preparation for future care needs (PFCN) among Chinese older adults in Hong Kong. Research Design and Methods Data were derived from a cross-sectional survey of 862 community-dwelling individuals aged 60 years and older. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to assess the structural validity of the scales. Criterion-related validity, known-groups validity, and internal consistency were also examined. Results EFA yielded a 14-item 4-factor (awareness, avoidance, decision making, and concrete planning) model, which was supported by CFA and explained 68.9% of the total variance. CFA also supported the structural validity of the 5-item scale. Criterion-related validity of the 2 scales was supported by their significant and positive correlations with domain-specific planning behaviors for retirement. Known-groups validity of the 2 scales was demonstrated by significant differences in scores between male and female older adults and scores between different educational levels and socioeconomic status. Cronbach's alphas for the internal consistency of the 14-item and 5-item scales were 0.889 and 0.774, respectively. Discussion and Implications PFCN scales enable researchers and service practitioners to accurately understand and assess older adults' processes and efforts in care planning, facilitate the identification of individuals at risk from inadequate planning, and inform the development of interventions to enhance care preparation in target domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the early pragmatic language skills in typically developing (TD) preschool-age children, children with language impairment (LI) and children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Two hundred and sixty-two TD children, 73 children with LI, and 16 children with ASD were compared on early pragmatics through direct assessment (DA). Post hoc analysis revealed that children in two clinical groups displayed significant pragmatic language deficits. Children in the ASD group who were older exhibited comparable degree of impairments as their LI peers, suggesting a relatively stagnant development of pragmatic language skills in children with ASD. Findings also supported the use of DA in identifying pragmatic language deficits, which have implications for the adoption of this assessment approach in clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Given the absence of a brief scale that reconciles and encompasses different conceptual definitions of well-being (physical, psychological, social and spiritual), the present research aimed at developing and validating a Comprehensive Well-Being Scale (CWBS) that encompasses these different conceptual definition and extend the definition of well-being to transcendental well-being among individuals in recovery of mental illness. The present research focuses on testing the scale among people in recovery of mental illness so that a brief and theoretically comprehensive scale would be available for mental health organization to evaluate the well-being of service users, and to develop and evaluate well-being related services. Methods: A 56-item preliminary well-being scale was developed by a professional panel. In Study 1, 300 mental health service users in Hong Kong were recruited. Twenty items were selected through principal component analysis to form the CWBS. In Study 2, another sample of 300 service users was recruited. Confirmatory factor analysis was done to confirm a two-factor structure. Validity of the scale was also examined. Results: The CWBS yielded good internal consistency (Cronbach's alphas =.79–.91). The finding supported a two-factor structure, namely Intrapersonal Well-Being, and Transpersonal Well-Being, χ2 (169) = 335.61, p <.001, CFI =.90, RMSEA =.06, SRMR =.06. Conclusions: The CWBS established concurrent and construct validity in assessing well-being among Chinese in recovery of mental illness in Hong Kong. It provided theoretical and practical implications for measuring well-being. Theoretically, it extended the concept of well-being to encompass transcendental well-being in model of recovery among individuals recovery from mental illness. Practically, it provided a tool for evaluation of well-being and service development in mental health organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) was established by Fairbank in 1989 to assess functional disabilities in low back pain (LBP). It was last updated in 2019 as ODI version 2.1b (ODI AU_2.1b). ODI was first translated into Simplified Chinese Oswestry Disability Index (CODI) in 2008 by Lue. The construct validity, internal consistency, level of agreement and the floor and ceiling effects of CODI were found unclear by Yao in 2016. This study will verify how well the adapted Cantonese-Hong Kong Oswestry Disability Index version 2.1b (HKCODI) aligns with ODI AU_2.1b in the Southern Chinese population.Methods: The translation of ODI AU_2.1b was performed according to guidelines from MAPI Research Trust and American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Psychometric properties of HKCODI were tested statistically by Pearson's correlation, Cronbach's Alpha and Intraclass  Correlation  Coefficient (ICC).Results: A total of 200 subjects (109 males, 91 females) aged from 15 to 85 (mean age = 58.91) with LBP scored from 3/10 to 10/10 in the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) were recruited in the Occupational Therapy Department of a tertiary referral center. HKCODI demonstrated strong construct validity in comparing with Hong Kong Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (HKRMDQ) (r = 0.666, p = 0.000), Short Form Health Survey (SF-36)  Physical Composite Summary (- 0.700, p = 0.000) and VAS (0.487, p = 0.000). Excellent internal consistency and test-retest reliability were confirmed with Cronbach's Alpha of 0.997 and ICC of 0.993 at 95% confidence level.Conclusion: Cross-cultural adaptation of ODI AU_2.1b has been translated and validated as   HKCODI and Item-8 (Sex Life) was suggested to skip for patient older than 60. HKCODI is a fully self-administered and highly reliable tool in assessing the functional disability of patients with LBP in the Southern Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patient enablement is a core tenet of patient-centred and holistic primary care. The Patient Enablement Instrument (PEI) is a transitional measure limited in its ability to measure changes over time. A modified version, PEI-2, has been developed to measure enablement at a given time-point without comparison to a recalled baseline.Objective: To assess the validity, reliability, sensitivity and responsiveness of PEI-2.Methods: PEI-2 was modified from the Chinese PEI to assess enablement over 4 weeks in a prospective cohort study nested within a community support programme [Trekkers Family Enhancement Scheme (TFES)] in Hong Kong. Construct validity was assessed by factor analysis and convergent validity by Spearman's correlations with health-related quality of life and depressive symptoms. Internal reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Test-retest reliability was assessed by intraclass correlation (ICC), responsiveness by 12-24-month change in PEI-2 score and sensitivity by differences in change of PEI-2 score between TFES participants and a control group.Results: PEI-2 demonstrated construct validity with all items loading on one factor (factor loadings >0.7). Convergent validity was confirmed by significant correlations with 12-item Short Form Questionnaire, version 2 (r = 0.1089-0.1919) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (r = -0.2030). Internal reliability was high (Cronbach's alpha = 0.9095) and test-retest reliability moderate (ICC = 0.520, P = 0.506). Significant improvements in PEI-2 scores among the TFES group suggested good responsiveness (P < 0.001). The difference in change of PEI-2 scores between TFES and control was significant (P = 0.008), indicating good sensitivity.Conclusions: This study supports the validity, reliability, sensitivity and responsiveness of PEI-2 in measuring changes in enablement, making it a promising tool for evaluating enablement in cohort and intervention studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The present study aims to formulate a conceptual model of the mediating factors between parents' marital satisfaction and children's academic performance, with a sample drawn from Hong Kong Chinese parents and children. The mediators included parental involvement, parents' psychopathological symptoms, and children's internalizing behavior and school engagement. Methods: Survey responses from 507 Grade 4–6 children and their parents, who were primary caregivers, were analyzed. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the internal structures of the seven scales, and the finalized scales have moderate to high reliabilities (Cronbach's α values ranging from 0.74 to 0.95). Structural equation modeling analysis was applied to test the relationships between the latent variables in the proposed model. Results: Structural equation modeling revealed that parents' marital satisfaction had a significant indirect effect on children's academic performance via two pathways: (1) with parents' psychopathological symptoms, children's internalizing behaviors, and school engagement as mediators; (2) with parental involvement and school engagement as mediators. Marital satisfaction had no direct effect on school engagement or on academic performance. Conclusions: Our findings highlighted the importance of parents maintaining harmonious relationships with their spouses and being highly involved in their children's education, in order to provide an optimal social environment to promote children's academic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

University study has been considered to be one of the most stressful periods in a person's life. University students may have irrational beliefs that could play a significant role in causing emotional disturbance. Nevertheless, a suitable instrument for measuring irrational beliefs in college students in Chinese society has been lacking. The aim of this study was to construct a culturally relevant scale for measuring irrational beliefs among university students in the Hong Kong Chinese context. The construction of the Chinese Irrational Beliefs and Rational Attitude Scale (CIBRAS) for university students was based on (1) literature review and expert panel review for evaluation on content validity, (2) a pilot test of 200 local Hong Kong university students to determine the scale's psychometric properties and probe the exploratory factor analysis, and (3) confirmatory factor analysis to test for construct validity of the CIBRAS (conducted with a further 655 local Hong Kong university students). The results showed that the five‐factor 19‐item CIBRAS has good psychometric properties, including good internal consistency (Cronbach's alphas ranging from.64 to.80), content validity (content validity index = .96 for relevance,.94 for clarity, and.94 for representativeness), construct validity (explaining 60.1% of the total variance), and adequate fit indices (normed chi‐square = 2.8, comparative fit index = .94, normal fit index = .93, non‐normed fit index = .93, incremental fit index =.94, root‐mean‐square error of approximation = .077, and standardized root‐mean residual = .074). The limitations and implications of the study were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the use of the Hong Kong version of the Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test-Third Edition (RBMT-3) for older adults, and by presenting the optimal cut-off scores for patients with cognitive impairments, and for a group of peers who have functional everyday cognition. Hundred older adults residing in community dwellings were recruited from three non-government organisations and completed the RBMT-3: 29 patients with mild to moderate dementia, 34 persons at risk for MCI, and 37 matched older adults with everyday functional cognition for a healthy control group (NC). The test has excellent inter-rater (ICC [2, 1] = 0.997), intra-rater (ICC [3, 1] = 0), and parallel version (ICC [3, 1] = 0.990) reliabilities, as well as satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha: 0.643-0.832). The scores of the MCI group were significantly lower than those of NC group in four subtests. The optimal cut-off scaled scores of ≤ 41.5, ≤ 102.5, and ≤ 131.5 are suggested for the RBMT-3 to discriminate between patients with mild and moderate dementia, mild dementia and MCI, and MCI and NC, with sensitivities 73%, 100% and 94.1%, respectively. This version is useful to differentiate those with or without risk of cognitive impairments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses development and testing of an instrument to evaluate patient engagement in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China. Topics discussed include psychometrically validating a patient engagement questionnaire, use of Cronbach's alpha, inter correlation coefficients, and weighted kappa to assess the internal consistency reliability, and patient engagement in clinical research.

Background: This study translated the International Positive and Negative Affect Schedule Short Form (I-PANAS-SF) into Chinese and examined its factor structure and measurement invariance in Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong.Methods: A sample of 4136 Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong was invited to complete a set of questionnaires. The factor structure of the I-PANA-SF was examined using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory structural equational modeling (ESEM). Internal consistency reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha coefficients, and nomological validity was assessed using bivariate correlations between positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) subscales with effort, worry and lack of concentration. Finally, measurement invariance across genders and grades was examined to evaluate the invariance of the I-PANAS-SF.Results: Factor structure analysis suggested that the ESEM model outperformed the CFA model. The results of ESEM analysis indicated that one item ("alert") was problematic and a 9-item two-factor measurement model with that item removed was a better fit for the data. The Cronbach's alpha values were above 0.70 (0.81 and 0.83), revealing excellent internal consistency reliability. The PA subscale was positively associated with effort and negatively associated with worry and lack of concentration. The NA subscale was negatively associated effort and positively associated with lack of concentration and worry, indicating nomological validity. Finally, measurement invariance analysis revealed strict invariance across genders and grades.Conclusions: The results of the study provide preliminary support for validity and reliability of the 9-item Chinese version of the I-PANAS-SF and suggest that it is suitable for use among Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]