Proefschrift Universiteit van Amsterdam. / Auteursnaam op omslag: Sanneke J. Schouwstra. Met bibliogr., lit. opg. - Met samenvatting in het Nederlands.

Thesis--Munich. / In Periodical Room.

Aim Nutrient profiling is defined as “the science of classifying or ranking food items according to their nutritional composition for reasons related to preventing disease and promoting health, and can be used to govern the criteria under which nutrient and/or health claims may be made”. The validation of a nutrient profiling model (NPM) is an essential part of the model development process, and is extremely important for the model to meet basic scientific criteria. This mini-dissertation investigated the content and convergent validity of a suitable NPM for South Africa. Method Content validity was tested for by comparing the NPM classification of 131 “indicator” foods with the classification of the “indicator” foods by the Food Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs). Convergent validity was tested for by comparing the standard ranking of a representative data set of food items (n = 128) by nutrition experts with the classification of the food items by the NPM. The questionnaire asked respondents to rank 40 foods (electronically generated from a master list of 128 foods) according to the nutritional information provided from “more healthy” to “less healthy” using a six point Likert scale. The 128 foods were selected to be representative of the South African diet. These questionnaires were sent via e-mail to all full members (n = 1105) of the Association of Dietetics in South Africa. The draft “Guiding principles and framework manual for the development or adaptation of nutrient profile models” dated 22 February 2011 (WHO, 2011), was used as a guide in the validation process of the NPM. Results The NPM showed good content validity: the way that the NPM categorises foods correspond well with that of the FBDGs (kappa statistic = 0.73). Two hundred and ninety two responses were received (26.4%) from the nutrition experts, these responses were used to rank the 128 foods by the average score which they received from the nutrition experts. The NPM also showed good convergent validity: the NPM classification of foods had a good correlation with the standard ranking of foods by dietitians (r = 0.853; p = 0.0001). Conclusion The NPM demonstrated good content validity by classifying food items in way that supports the FBDGs with the exception of a few processed food items and combined food items. The NPM also demonstrated good convergent validity by classifying food items in accordance with the views of nutrition experts in South Africa. / Thesis (MSc (Dietetics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Aim Nutrient profiling is defined as “the science of classifying or ranking food items according to their nutritional composition for reasons related to preventing disease and promoting health, and can be used to govern the criteria under which nutrient and/or health claims may be made”. The validation of a nutrient profiling model (NPM) is an essential part of the model development process, and is extremely important for the model to meet basic scientific criteria. This mini-dissertation investigated the content and convergent validity of a suitable NPM for South Africa. Method Content validity was tested for by comparing the NPM classification of 131 “indicator” foods with the classification of the “indicator” foods by the Food Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs). Convergent validity was tested for by comparing the standard ranking of a representative data set of food items (n = 128) by nutrition experts with the classification of the food items by the NPM. The questionnaire asked respondents to rank 40 foods (electronically generated from a master list of 128 foods) according to the nutritional information provided from “more healthy” to “less healthy” using a six point Likert scale. The 128 foods were selected to be representative of the South African diet. These questionnaires were sent via e-mail to all full members (n = 1105) of the Association of Dietetics in South Africa. The draft “Guiding principles and framework manual for the development or adaptation of nutrient profile models” dated 22 February 2011 (WHO, 2011), was used as a guide in the validation process of the NPM. Results The NPM showed good content validity: the way that the NPM categorises foods correspond well with that of the FBDGs (kappa statistic = 0.73). Two hundred and ninety two responses were received (26.4%) from the nutrition experts, these responses were used to rank the 128 foods by the average score which they received from the nutrition experts. The NPM also showed good convergent validity: the NPM classification of foods had a good correlation with the standard ranking of foods by dietitians (r = 0.853; p = 0.0001). Conclusion The NPM demonstrated good content validity by classifying food items in way that supports the FBDGs with the exception of a few processed food items and combined food items. The NPM also demonstrated good convergent validity by classifying food items in accordance with the views of nutrition experts in South Africa. / Thesis (MSc (Dietetics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Various scales have previously been developed to measure coping strategies (Taylor & Stanton, 2007; Devonport & Lane, 2006; Stapelberg, 1999) or self–efficacy (Carroll et al., 2005; Chen et al., 2001; Tipton & Worthington, 1984); and some of them have been validated in a South African context, but the validation of a coping self–efficacy scale as a single measurement has not been conducted in an African context. Therefore, the aim of this study was to validate Chesney et al.’s 2006 Coping Self–Efficacy Scale (CSE) in an African context. A multicultural convenience sample of 2 214 South African adolescents and adults, including both male and female participants, participated in this study. Measuring instruments such as the Coping Self–Efficacy Scale (CSE) (Chesney, Neilands, Chambers, Taylor & Folkman, 2006), the Mental Health Continuum - Short Form for adults (MHC–SF) (Keyes et al., 2008), the New General Self–Efficacy Scale (NGSE) (Chen, Gully & Eden, 2001; 2004), the Fortitude Questionnaire (FORQ) (Pretorius, 1998), the Patient Health Questionnaire: Depression Symptoms (PHQ–9) (Kroenke, Spitzer & Williams, 2001) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) (Goldberg & Hillier, 1979) were used in this study. Criterion–related validity of the CSE was established. Construct validity was determined by conducting confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses as well as SEM on the CSE. Results indicated a Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient of 0.87 and satisfactory inter–item correlations ranging from 0.19–0.21. Criterion–related validity was satisfactory. Confirmatory analysis indicated a good fit and exploratory factor analysis confirmed the three major factors similar to Chesney et al.’s (2006) findings. Construct validity was further supported by SEM analysis, which confirmed the three–factor structure. The CSE can be viewed as reliable and valid for use in further research in the African context. Future studies should validate this scale in various population groups, with translated versions of the scale and with randomly selected groups. / Thesis (M.A. (Research Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Various scales have previously been developed to measure coping strategies (Taylor & Stanton, 2007; Devonport & Lane, 2006; Stapelberg, 1999) or self–efficacy (Carroll et al., 2005; Chen et al., 2001; Tipton & Worthington, 1984); and some of them have been validated in a South African context, but the validation of a coping self–efficacy scale as a single measurement has not been conducted in an African context. Therefore, the aim of this study was to validate Chesney et al.’s 2006 Coping Self–Efficacy Scale (CSE) in an African context. A multicultural convenience sample of 2 214 South African adolescents and adults, including both male and female participants, participated in this study. Measuring instruments such as the Coping Self–Efficacy Scale (CSE) (Chesney, Neilands, Chambers, Taylor & Folkman, 2006), the Mental Health Continuum - Short Form for adults (MHC–SF) (Keyes et al., 2008), the New General Self–Efficacy Scale (NGSE) (Chen, Gully & Eden, 2001; 2004), the Fortitude Questionnaire (FORQ) (Pretorius, 1998), the Patient Health Questionnaire: Depression Symptoms (PHQ–9) (Kroenke, Spitzer & Williams, 2001) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) (Goldberg & Hillier, 1979) were used in this study. Criterion–related validity of the CSE was established. Construct validity was determined by conducting confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses as well as SEM on the CSE. Results indicated a Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient of 0.87 and satisfactory inter–item correlations ranging from 0.19–0.21. Criterion–related validity was satisfactory. Confirmatory analysis indicated a good fit and exploratory factor analysis confirmed the three major factors similar to Chesney et al.’s (2006) findings. Construct validity was further supported by SEM analysis, which confirmed the three–factor structure. The CSE can be viewed as reliable and valid for use in further research in the African context. Future studies should validate this scale in various population groups, with translated versions of the scale and with randomly selected groups. / Thesis (M.A. (Research Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Eleven official languages are spoken in South Africa. Misunderstandings during communication seems to be inevitable. The researcher or psychologist often does not speak or have full command of the language of the group that is being investigated, and therefore has to rely on interpreters to understand the internally experienced world of these persons. Trained interpreters are scarce and this study endeavours to determine the extent of the validity of translations done by the available interpreters. This is done by means of a psychological-systemic perspective. The nature of this study is qualitative. Fifteen interviews were conducted with trauma patients at the Maxilla- and Face Surgery Department of the Garankuwa Hospital. Only eleven of these were useable. Mouth injuries etc. affected the quality of the other interviews not used. Four nurses from this department interviewed the patients and wrote up the interpreted answers on a semi-structured interview schedule made available by the researcher. A verbatim translation of the interviews was made from the tape recordings. Units of meaning were assigned and a comparison of the interpreted and the verbatim translations were made. Three perceptual styles were used to identify how much of the meaning the interpreter included (sharpening), excluded (levelling) and changed (assimilation) during the translation. The translation-interpretation process is analysed against the contextual background and paradigms of the participants The results make it clear that South Africa indeed has a problem with the validity of the outputs of interpreters being used as well as the availability of interpreters and their subject-specific training. Copyright 2005, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Barsby, A 2005, Die rol van tolke in onderhoudvoering : ‘n sielkundig-sistemiese perspektief en geldigheidsbepaling (Afrikaans), MA dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-10172005-152643 / > / Dissertation (MA (Research Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Psychology / unrestricted

This research was aimed at validating the PHQ–9 in an African context. This study forms part of the project of Psychosocial Health and Biomarkers in an African context (FORT3, Wissing, 2008). The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ–9) is a nine–item depression scale that has the potential of being a dual–purpose instrument to establish the diagnosis of a depressive disorder, as well as the grade of symptom severity (Kroenke, Spitzer & Williams, 2001). The PHQ–9 was administered with criterion related measures to a multicultural convenience sample of 2214 participants from the North West Province of South Africa, including two groups of adolescents (n1 = 1480 and n2 = 559) and an availability sample of adults (n3 = 185). Instruments to determine criterion validity were the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), designed to detect symptoms of mental disorders; the Mental Health Continuum - Short Form for Adults (MHC–SF) which measures the degree of emotional, social and psychological well–being; and the New General Self–Efficacy Scale (NGSE) designed to measure an individual’s general self–efficacy. Descriptive statistics for the PHQ–9 including its reliability in the various groups is reported. The PHQ–9 manifested a Cronbach Alph are liability index of 0.86. Criterion–related validity was supported by significant correlations between the PHQ–9 and criterion measures. Confirmatory factor analysis for the PHQ–9 yielded a one–factor solution in all groups. The percentage variance explained ranged between 34.71% and 46.62%. Exploratory factor analyses yielded two factors in all groups with the second factor comprised of no more than 2 items and thus interpreted as a minor factor. The construct validity obtained in this research indicates that the PHQ–9 may be a valid measure to identify depression in a South African context. Based on the psychometric properties found in this study, it can be concluded that the PHQ–9 is a valid measure of depression in two of the samples selected for this study. Future studies may further validate this instrument in specific language and cultural groups, and explore the cross–cultural measurement equivalence. / Thesis (M.A. (Research Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

return and payback period. All these above techniques will be analysed in three different scenarios, namely: 1. Mine X will stay with its current operations without any new projects. 2. The development project will begin immediately. 3. A six–month delay in development of the project. The study found that the net present value was positive, the internal rate of return was more than the discount rate and the payback period was shorter than the project’s life–time regarding to all three above–mentioned scenarios. The highest net present value is calculated in case the project starts immediately. Both the internal rate of return and the payback period indicated that a six month delay in the project is the most viable. After considering all the facts, the study concluded due to the highest net present value the best feasible recommendation would be to start the project immediately. The value of this study is that it is the first study to investigate the relationship between the viability to delay or to start the investment project immediately in the South African mining industry. This study is also unique, since it takes into account how mining industries world–wide can achieve long–term success through development projects without losing key players, due to impulsive short–term downsizing decisions. To be able to use personality tests in the most reliable and valid manner there are many considerations to be taken into account. Variables such as the population used, the culture of the test–takers, the mode of administration, whether pencil–and–paper or computer–based testing procedures, familiarity with computers when using computer–based tests and the response format to be used when administering the personality questionnaire are but some of the considerations. Within South Africa it is that much more important to consider the mode of administration, whether pencil–and–paper tests or computer–based tests, as there are many individual groups who have been historically disadvantaged when it comes to the use of computers as a testing method. It is just as important to consider the response scale to be utilised when administering personality testing as this may influence the results obtained and can influence the reliability and validity of these results. The objective of this study was to determine which response scale, dichotomous or polytomous, was the best to use when conducting computer–based personality testing. The questionnaire that was utilised was the South African Personality Inventory (SAPI) questionnaire; however, only items from the Soft–Heartedness cluster were employed as the objective was not to test the questionnaire but to test the most reliable and valid response scale to be used in conjunction with the questionnaire. A convenience sampling approach was utilised and the questionnaire was administered to students who were available and able to take the test (N = 724). Descriptive statistics, factor analysis and Cronbach Alpha coefficients were used to analyse the data obtained. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

This research was aimed at validating the PHQ–9 in an African context. This study forms part of the project of Psychosocial Health and Biomarkers in an African context (FORT3, Wissing, 2008). The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ–9) is a nine–item depression scale that has the potential of being a dual–purpose instrument to establish the diagnosis of a depressive disorder, as well as the grade of symptom severity (Kroenke, Spitzer & Williams, 2001). The PHQ–9 was administered with criterion related measures to a multicultural convenience sample of 2214 participants from the North West Province of South Africa, including two groups of adolescents (n1 = 1480 and n2 = 559) and an availability sample of adults (n3 = 185). Instruments to determine criterion validity were the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), designed to detect symptoms of mental disorders; the Mental Health Continuum - Short Form for Adults (MHC–SF) which measures the degree of emotional, social and psychological well–being; and the New General Self–Efficacy Scale (NGSE) designed to measure an individual’s general self–efficacy. Descriptive statistics for the PHQ–9 including its reliability in the various groups is reported. The PHQ–9 manifested a Cronbach Alph are liability index of 0.86. Criterion–related validity was supported by significant correlations between the PHQ–9 and criterion measures. Confirmatory factor analysis for the PHQ–9 yielded a one–factor solution in all groups. The percentage variance explained ranged between 34.71% and 46.62%. Exploratory factor analyses yielded two factors in all groups with the second factor comprised of no more than 2 items and thus interpreted as a minor factor. The construct validity obtained in this research indicates that the PHQ–9 may be a valid measure to identify depression in a South African context. Based on the psychometric properties found in this study, it can be concluded that the PHQ–9 is a valid measure of depression in two of the samples selected for this study. Future studies may further validate this instrument in specific language and cultural groups, and explore the cross–cultural measurement equivalence. / Thesis (M.A. (Research Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.