<p>Vardagslivets belastning har en stark påverkan på människors välbefinnande, men utbudet av reliabla och valida mätinstrument är inte tillräckligt stort. Syftet med föreliggande studie är att göra en systematisk utvärdering av Life Content Questionnaire (LCQ), en enkät baserad på Krav-Kontroll-Stöd-modellen avsedd att mäta generell belastning i vardagen. Undersökningsdeltagarna var 272 föräldrar; kvinnor och män boende i Stockholms kommun med minst ett barn 0-16 år. LCQs psykometriska egenskaper mättes både genom en kvantitativ och med en kvalitativ studie. Inledningsvis genomfördes reliabilitetsberäkningar och en jämförande statistisk analys mot andra stress- och utbrändhetsmått. Därefter utfördes semistrukturerade metodorienterade intervjuer kring var och en av skalans frågor. Tematisk analys användes i databearbetningen av intervjuerna. Resultatet visade att LCQ är ett reliabelt och valitt instrument. LCQ var approximativt normalfördelat och korrelerade signifikant med ett stress- och ett utbrändhetsmått. Kontrolldelskalan föll ut i två komponenter och respondenterna uppfattade fråga 5 (angående motstridiga krav) väldigt olika samt påpekade att de påståenden som mäter socialt stöd var svåra att skilja åt.</p>

本文的主要目的是為使用者建立一個方便使用及減少成本的網路問卷模型，以模糊統計為基礎，主要探討梯形隸屬度函數的統計量，讓使用者能透過系統，從事問卷調查。 網站共有5個部份,分成(1)問卷調查(2)威克生等級檢定(3)離散型模糊資料統計量(4)連續型模糊資料統計量(5)模糊迴歸；網頁使用ASP.NET2.0撰寫，並在其中加入資料庫語法，連結資料庫，讓使用者可以在線上輸入資料，並獲得統計結果。 / The main purpose of this paper is to build up a questionnaire model, which is convenient to use and can reduce cost for the users. With the foundation of the fuzzy statistics, the main study is about the statistical quantity of trapezoid membership function, and let them work on a questionnaire through system. The website totally has 5 parts and is divided into (1) A questionnaire, (2) Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test, (3) The statistical quantity with discrete fuzzy data, (4) The statistical quantity with continuous fuzzy data, (5) Fuzzy regression equation. The web page is composed of ASP.NET2.0, and database phrasing is added therein to link database. Let users input data on line, and get the results of statistics.

This thesis explores treatment satisfaction and dissatisfaction in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). Chapters 1 and 2 provide background on CLBP, and treatment satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Chapter 3 presents study 1, the systematic review which identified research concerning treatment satisfaction and dissatisfaction in patients with CLBP. Findings indicated a need to define the concept, and establish appropriate measurement based on patient input and evidence to support the reliability and validity of items. Chapter 4 presents study 2, a qualitative study. Ten patients with CLBP taking medication and/or receiving physiotherapy were interviewed. A conceptual model of CLBP and a thematic map of treatment satisfaction and dissatisfaction were developed. Satisfaction was related to being 'happy' or 'pleased', and maintaining normal functioning. Treatment not working, causing discomfort, or negatively affecting health-related quality of life, as well as inconvenience of medication, lack of information, not feeling involved in treatment decisions, lack of trust and confidence in healthcare professionals, and being misdiagnosed or undiagnosed, were associated with dissatisfaction. Chapter 5 documents the development of the CLBP Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire, based on patient input from study 2. Cognitive debriefing showed items were relevant and understood by patients. Chapter 6, study 3, explored the psychometric properties of the questionnaire. The longitudinal design involved data collection from 249 patients, some of whom participated in follow-ups. Results indicated that treatment satisfaction/dissatisfaction involves an appraisal of the following seven domains: 'Information Provided about Back Pain and Treatment', 'Burden of Back Pain', 'Impact of Back Pain and Treatment on Relationships', 'Satisfaction with the Treatment Process', 'Problems with Side Effects of Medication', 'Adherence to Physiotherapy', and 'Medication Acceptability'. Some evidence of reliability and validity are presented. This thesis concludes with Chapter 7, a discussion of the main findings of the studies, strengths and limitations, and recommendations for future research.

Background: Clinical and physiotherapy professional guidelines advocate enquiry into, and documentation of the impact of musculoskeletal pain on a range of psychosocial and functional aspects of life. However, there is no clinical tool to assist this process. The Impact of Symptoms Questionnaire (IoSQ) is patient-completed and was developed to meet the needs of outpatient physiotherapists. It explores the impact of health conditions on patients’ beliefs/concerns and their ability to undertake work/caring responsibilities and activities of daily living; and to enjoy their usual hobbies or activities. It also enquires into the impact on mood and relationships. It comprises a “Yes” or “No” response for each of the five domains with the option of providing written comments. There are also four numerical rating scales. A discharge version determines if patients’ needs and expectations have been addressed. However, the acceptability and usefulness of the IoSQ has not been explored in a department naive to its development. Project purpose Two studies were undertaken, to explore: the role of the IoSQ for enhancing documentation of psychosocial and functional assessment; and the perceptions of staff and patients regarding the acceptability and clinical value of the IoSQ Research questions Enquiry into the primary research question, “Is the introduction of the Impact of Symptoms Questionnaire to a physiotherapy outpatient department acceptable and clinically useful for patients and staff?” was undertaken through secondary questions which explored: patients’ experiences of psychosocial and functional assessment before and after the introduction of the IoSQ; the role of the IoSQ for the provision of documentation; evidence for staff and patients engaging with the IoSQ; and staff and patients’ experiences of using the IoSQ. Project design and methods: A pragmatic mixed model project was undertaken in a department comprising predominantly post-surgical orthopaedic patients. Study 1 explored current practice; study 2 explored the impact of introducing the IoSQ, with minimal training as to its role or use. Methods for both studies comprised sequential audits of patients’ notes, and surveys and focus groups for patients and staff. Results: The audits (study 1, n=60; study 2, n=55) highlighted that documentation by physiotherapists for assessing the impact across all five domains remained low at about 20%, with 40% of the notes in both studies not providing evidence of enquiry into any of the domains. Only one set of notes provided physiotherapist evidence that a domain was still affected at discharge. Study 2 showed that patients consistently completed the IoSQ with 62.6% of the domains being affected at assessment and 19% of the domains being unresolved at discharge, affecting 64.1% of the patients. Survey feedback (study 1, n=19/60; study 2, n=33/55) identified that patients felt it was important to assess the broader impact of a health problem and staff and patients indicated that the IoSQ was relevant to the presenting conditions and was easy to use. This was further explored in the three focus groups (patients, n=3 studies 1 and 2; physiotherapists n=8, study 2) where frustration with validated outcome questionnaires in current use was expressed. However, patients felt they took responsibility for raising issues, even when the IoSQ was provided. Patients and staff felt that if physiotherapists were able to engage with the IoSQ better, it could help to provide structure and prompts to identify patients’ questions or concerns about their condition and the functional impact. The potential for patients to describe the impact in their own words was particularly valued as well as its potential, to improve rapport and more effectively match expectations It was also demonstrated that the IoSQ can enhance documentation of the impact of health problem - from the patient’s perspective. Conclusion: Patients engaged well with the IoSQ and it has potential to be a useful tool to facilitate identification and discussion of the broader psychological, social and functional impact of a health problem. However, staff would need additional training to facilitate discussion with the completed forms and patients, and further research would be required to determine its impact on patient outcomes.

This thesis aimed to develop a measure to investigate the perceived motivational climate in individual sports. In particular, it aimed to address some of the knowledge gaps in the current literature examining motivational climates: by developing a measure whose intended population participate in individual sports; that incorporates the perceived motivational climate created by multiple significant others; and that incorporates the 'impact' or salience of each of these perceptions of the motivational climate. In order to achieve this, the thesis is comprised of four studies.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether coaching behavior preferences of NCAA Division I athletes differ as a function of gender and type of sport. The Coaching Behavior Questionnare (CBQ; Martin & Barnes, 1999) was administered to 195 NCAA Division I athletes. Gender and sport type were the independent variables and the participant's mean scores for the subscales on the CBQ were the dependent variables. Descriptive statistics revealed that, overall, NCAA Division I athletes prefer positive and instructional behaviors more than non-responses or negative behaviors. A 2 (gender) x 3 (type of sport) MANOVA and follow-up discriminant function analysis indicated that coaching behavior preferences differed as a function of gender and type of sport played. Thus, NCAA Division I coaches should consider both individual and situational characteristics when working with their athletes to achieve the desired outcome.

A literature study was undertaken to investigate the experience of loss and grief in the different developmental stages, as well as to identify characteristics of loss and grief in the young child. Guidelines have been compiled on how to handle loss and grief in young children. The empirical study comprised of workshop presentations. Through these presentations it was also determined as to whether parents and children would benefit from such workshops, as well as if the information regarding loss and grief addressed the parents’ needs. The empirical study found that parents are ignorant about loss and grief in the young child. However, all the parents had questions about loss and grief. After the workshops parents indicated that they became aware of positive changes in their own behaviour towards their children, and also in that of their children. One of the biggest problems in handling loss and grief in the young child seemed to be open and honest communication. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Guidance and Counseling)

I den här undersökningen översätts den internationellt använda studien QTI till svenska och delas ut till svenska gymnasieungdomar. Enkäten är tänkt att undersöka hur eleverna ser på sina lärare och relationen till dem. Enkäten utvärderas i uppsatsen och förslag på förbättringar ges. En genomsnittslärare tas fram utifrån resultaten, som visar på att svenska gymnasielärare är duktiga på att skapa fungerande klassrumsrelationer med sina elever, men då enkätens teman inte korrelerar fullständigt är det resultatet något osäkert.

Au Québec, près de 120,000 personnes âgées vivent dans plus de 2,000 résidences privées avec services. Ces milieux de vie substituts se présentent sous plusieurs formes, car ils se sont développés, jusqu'à tout récemment, sans aucun contrôle étatique. Il en résulte une importante variabilité dans, par exemple, les services offerts, les ratios de personnel, l'aménagement physique, les critères d'admission et les capacités d'accueil. L'hétérogénéité de ces milieux rend leur représentation et leur comparaison laborieuses, autant pour les professionnels de la santé que pour les personnes âgées et leur famille. Le développement de classifcation est particulièrement utile lorsqu'on souhaite se représenter un ensemble hétérogène, comme c'est le cas des résidences privées avec services accueillant des personnes âgées (RPA). L'objectif général de l'étude est de développer et de valider, à l'aide d'analyses de classification automatisée (ACA), une classification des RPA basée sur des caractéristiques de leur environnement physique et organisationnel. La présente thèse intègre trois articles scientifiques, en lien avec chacun des trois objectifs spécifiques de l'étude. Le premier article détaille la méthodologie et les résultats liés à l'identification des caractéristiques nécessaires à la représentation d'une RPA. Cent soixante-quinze variables ont été identifiées. Le deuxième article décrit le développement d'un questionnaire pour mesurer ces variables, l'étude de la fidélité test-retest du questionnaire ainsi que l'appréciation de sa cohérence interne. Somme toute, le questionnaire de l'environnement physique et organisationnel (EPO) présente de bonnes propriétés métrologiques. Enfin, le troisième article présente de manière détaillée le développement et la validation de la classification. À cet effet, 552 des 1,928 propriétaires de RPA admissibles ont complété le questionnaire EPO afin de fournir les informations nécessaires à la création de la classification. Différentes méthodes d'ACA ont été employées. Trois classifications plausibles ont été soumises à un groupe d'experts composé de huit intervenants cliniques. La classification retenue par ce comité est issue de la méthode hiérarchique de Ward combinée à la méthode non hiérarchique k-means. La classification est composée de cinq groupes de RPA qui se distinguent, entre autres, par les services offerts, la clientèle accueillie et le niveau de support à l'autonomie fonctionnelle. Ces travaux de recherche sont les premiers à regrouper les RPA du Québec en groupes homogènes mutuellement exclusifs sur la base de leur environnement physique et organisationnel. Une fois implantée, cette classification fournira des informations précieuses aux intervenants, aux gestionnaires ainsi qu'aux personnes âgées et leur famille. Elle favorisera davantage de congruence entre les besoins cliniques identifiés, les préférences de la personne âgée et le choix d'une RPA optimale.

A dissertation completed in partial compliance with the requirements for a Master's Degree in Technology Chiropractic, Durban Institute of Technology, 2006. / Neck pain is a common problem, globally, as well as in South Africa. Zulu is the first language of a very large proportion of the South African population, and as such, addressing the needs of this population group with respect to neck pain is a priority. Many reliable pain indexes exist in English to record the degree of disability with regards to neck pain. These are invaluable tools in aiding the health practitioner to assess the progress of treatment and the severity of the patient's disability. Two of the most credible and frequently used indexes are the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College Neck Disability Index (CMCC NDl) and the Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SFMPQ). However, no such scale exists in Zulu. The purpose of this pilot investigation was, firstly, to analyze and critique the Zulu translations of the CMCC NDl and the SFMPQ in order to establish their face validity. Secondly, to establish their concurrent validity ensuring that the translated questionnaires are specific and sensitive enough to use as tools in data collection when compared to their English counterparts. Thirdly, to make recommendations for further improvement in terms of the Zulu questionnaires and lastly, to make recommendations for further studies for improvement in terms of the use of these questionnaires as research tools amongst the Zulu speaking population of South Africa. Firstly, the CMCC NDl and the SFMP questionnaires were translated into Zulu by means of a focus group. These versions were then assessed by means of a focus (or discussion) group, to assess their face validity. Changes were made to the original translations according to the recommendations of this group. These versions were then assessed with regards to their concurrent validity with the original English versions. Fifty volunteers, who were literate in both English and Zulu and who have suffered with neck pain, filled in both the Zulu and English versions of both questionnaires. / M