Abstract Introduction Most countries including Australia are experiencing an ageing of their population, with an increasing proportion of frail older persons requiring hospitalisation from acute illness. The aging process places the older person at risk of geriatric syndromes, such as falling, dependency in performance of Activities of Daily Living and instrumental Activities of Daily Living, confusion, bladder and bowel incontinence. New or deteriorating geriatric syndromes are a frequent occurrence among hospitalized older patients. Hospital associated factors associated with these outcomes include complications of medical therapies; polypharmacy and excessive bed rest. Few studies have been conducted into factors predicting risk of negative outcomes in older patients admitted to medical units of acute care teaching hospitals. If available, a screening tool with few predictive factors, able to be administered close to the time of admission could be used to identify patients at lower and higher risk. It is imperative that such a tool is developed empirically and tested for its accuracy in identifying patients at high risk. Aims of the research The first aim was to identify the proportion of patients aged ≥ 70 years, admitted to acute care medical units that experienced a negative outcome. These outcomes included falls during hospitalisation, presence of new or a significant decline in existing pressure ulcers, significant decline in independently performing Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), requiring increased care needs at discharge, readmission to hospital with 28 days of the index hospitalisation, bladder and bowel incontinence, and delirium. The second aim was to identify factors predicting the risk of two of these negative outcomes: requiring a higher level of care at discharge, and experiencing a decline in independently performing ADLs. Based on the predictive factors, two screening tools to identify patients at risk were developed and validated. Method A prospective cohort study of 413 acute general medical patients, aged ≥ 70 years and consecutively admitted to an acute care metropolitan 700-bed teaching hospital was conducted. Consenting patients expected to remain in hospital for more than 48 hours were included. Patients were excluded if they were admitted to intensive or coronary care units, admitted for terminal care only or were transferred from a general medical to another unit within 24 hours of admission to the ward. Trained research nurses assessed patients and used the interRAI Acute Care instrument to collect information on candidate predictive variables and negative outcomes. Patients were assessed within 36 hours of admission and at discharge to obtain information on predictive variables and negative outcomes. Patients were also followed daily to identify any instances of transient negative outcomes during hospitalisation and at 28 days following discharge to identify any instances of readmission to hospital. The 413 cases were randomly split into 309 cases in the development cohort and 104 cases in validation cohort. Logistic regression models were used to identify the predictive factors independently associated with two negative outcomes, requiring a higher level of care at discharge and experiencing a decline in independently performing ADLs. Findings At least one negative outcome was experienced by 53% of the development and 63% of the validation cohort. The most common negative outcomes experienced were: delirium (27%; 23%), a significant decline in ADLs (19%, 22%), requiring a higher level of care at discharge (16%, 16%), and readmission to hospital within 28 days of discharge (17%, 28%) in the development and validation cohorts respectively. The logistic regression analysis identified four independent factors associated with requiring higher levels of care at discharge: ‘short term memory problems’ (OR 4.21, 95% CI 1.79, 9.89; p=0.001); ‘dependence in toilet use’ (OR 3.51, 95% CI 1.14, 10.84; p=0.029); ‘dependence in hygiene’ (OR 2.76, 95% CI 1.16, 6.56; p=0.021), and ‘use of community services prior to admission’ (OR 2.41, 95% CI 1.12, 5.16; p= 0.024). A screening tool developed to assess patients at lower and higher risk had a sensitivity, specificity, positive predicted value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of 77.27%, 73.66%, 36.56% and 94.29% respectively. Reasonable accuracy was evident when tested in the validation sample. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV were 60%, 76.32%, 33.33% and 90.63% respectively. Predictive factors associated with a significant decline in ADLs were: ‘history of falling’(OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.12, 4.36; p= 0.023), ‘no interest in things enjoyed normally’ (OR 4.30, 95% CI 1.92, 9.64; p=0.000), ‘dependence in management of finances’ (OR 3.93, 95% CI 1.63, 9.48; p =0.002) and ‘hearing problems’ (OR 2.38, 95% CI 1.05, 5.39; p =0.038). The screening tool had sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV in the development cohort of 74.55%, 69.13%, 36.6% and 92% respectively and 45%, 65.79%, 25.7% and 82% respectively in the validation sample. Conclusion The tools require further validation in larger samples in diverse settings. Future research should focus on developing a screening tool that could predict risk of a number of negative outcomes to enhance the provision of quality patient care.

This research represents phase C in the development of Toddler NutriSTEP® (Nutrition Screening Tool for Every Preschooler). NutriSTEP® is a valid and reliable screening tool designed to assess nutritional risk in preschoolers (3-5 years). A draft toddler (18-35 months) version of NutriSTEP® has recently been developed because of an expressed need. Convenience samples of caregivers were recruited across Ontario to assess the test-retest reliability and construct validity of the tool. Test-retest reliability was assessed based on total score and attribute scores using paired sample t-tests and intraclass correlation coefficients; individual questions were assessed using Wilcoxcon signed rank tests and kappa statistics. Construct validity was assessed through comparison of high-risk groups to Toddler NutriSTEP® scores, as well as through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Toddler NutriSTEP® was found to be test-retest reliable and construct valid, and therefore may be used to assess nutritional risk in Canadian toddlers. / Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research

OBJECTIVES: To assess whether the Minimal Chair Height Standing (MCHS) test, could effectively identify “fallers” in a population of Canadian older adults, and to compare its effectiveness with the commonly used Sit-to-Stand (STS) test. DESIGN: Cross-sectional with counter-balanced assignment of testing order. SETTING: Community centers, independent-living and assisted-living facilities. PARTICIPANTS: 167 older adults (mean age=83.6yrs), able to walk independently. MEASUREMENTS: Participants were interviewed for medical conditions, physical activity, cognitive status (Mini Mental State Examination), mobility and independence (Independent Activities of Daily Living). Height, weight and shank length were measured. Fall history was self-reported and recorded retrospectively. The main outcome measures were MCHS and STS scores. RESULTS: MCHS performance was significantly worse for fallers (37.7cm, 95% CI: 35.5-40.0cm) than non-fallers (30.3cm, 95% CI: 28.1-32.5cm). Fallers showed significantly slower times in the STS. For participants with cardiac disease and/or stroke, MCHS scores discriminated between fallers and non-fallers (p=.001), but the STS did not (p=.233). For participants with knee replacements, MCHS discriminated between fallers and non-fallers (p=.044) but the STS did not (p=.076). CONCLUSIONS: The MCHS was found to be simple, practical and feasible for use with the elderly. The current study demonstrates its effectiveness as a fall-risk screening instrument for use with Canadian older adults. Further studies should be undertaken to determine its predictive validity. / Graduate

Suicide is a significant public health issue in the US. Despite national and international prioritization since 1996, little definitive progress has been made in terms of identification and intervention in cases of elevated suicide risk. Forty percent of those who died by suicide attended an emergency department within a year of death. Therefore, universal suicide risk screening in emergency departments could prove a vital component to a national suicide prevention strategy. The present study empirically evaluated the universal suicide risk screening program recently implemented at Parkland Health and Hospital System. The sample consisted of patients over 18 years of age (N=333,855; Mage=42.7, 32% male) screened as part of routine clinical care from May 4th, 2015, through November 3rd, 2015. The Parkland Algorithm for Suicide Screening (PASS) is part of a clinical decision support system for responses to Columbia - Suicide Severity Rating Scale Clinical Practice Screener (C-SSRS) items, leading to an automated clinical response via three suicide risk stratification levels: no action for no risk identified, psychiatric social worker assessment for moderate risk identified, and psychiatrist/psychologist interview for high risk identified. The present study used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, which found the PASS predicted disposition (z=30.46, p<.001, AUC=.78, CI95=.77, .81). This study also evaluated the cutpoints separating suicide risk stratification and levels of clinical response. The results supported the first cutpoint and highlighted a need for additional data to address the second cutpoint. The results of the present study suggest that the universal suicide risk screening program at Parkland Health and Hospital System is an important step toward addressing suicide prevalence in the US.

This three-essay dissertation examines racial disparities in infant health outcomes and exposure to air pollution in Texas. It also asks whether the EPA's Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators Geographic Microdata (RSEI-GM) might be used to assess the effects of little-studied toxic air pollutants on infant health outcomes. Chapter 1 contributes to the ``weathering'' literature, which has shown that disparities in infant health outcomes between non-Hispanic black and non-Hispanic white women tend to widen with age. In this study, we ask whether the same patterns are observed in Texas and among Hispanic women, since other studies have focused on black and white women from other regions. We find that black and Hispanic women in Texas do ``weather'' earlier than white mothers with respect to rates of low birthweight and preterm birth. This differential weathering appears to be mediated by racial disparities in the distribution and response to socioeconomic risk factors, though a large gap between black and white mothers across all ages remains unexplained. Chapter 2 extends the statistical environmental justice literature by examining the distribution of toxic air pollution across infants in Texas. We find that, within Texas cities, being black or Hispanic is a significant predictor of how much pollution one is exposed to at birth. We further find that, among mothers who move between births, white mothers tend to move to significantly cleaner areas than black or Hispanic mothers. In Chapter 3, we use geocoded birth records matched to square-kilometer pollution concentration estimates from the RSEI-GM to ask whether the pollution-outcome relationships that emerge through regression analysis are similar to the effects found in previous research. If so, the RSEI-GM might be used to study the health effects of nearly 600 chemicals tracked in that dataset. We conclude, based on instability of results across various specifications and lack of correspondence to previous results, that the merged birth record-RSEI data are not appropriate for statistical epidemiology research.

This paper analyzes if neighborhood income inequality has an effect on informal regulation of environmental quality, using census tract - level data on industrial air pollution exposure from EPA's Risk Screening Environmental Indicators and income and demographic variables from the American Community Survey and EPA's Smart Location Database. Estimating a spatial lag model and controlling for formal regulation at the states level, we nd evidence that overall neighborhood inequality - as measured by the ratio between the fourth and the second income quintile or the neighborhood Gini coefficient - increases local air pollution exposure, whereas a concentration of top incomes reduces local exposure. The positive coefficient of the general inequality measure is driven by urban neighborhoods, whereas the negative coefficient of top incomes is stronger in rural areas. We explain these findings by two contradicting effects of inequality: On the one hand, overall inequality reduces collective action and thus the organizing capacities for environmental improvements. On the other hand, a concentration of income at the top enhances the ability of rich residents to negotiate with regulators or polluting plants in their vicinity. / Series: Ecological Economic Papers

O Plano de Atenção Gerontológica (PAGe), instrumento desenvolvido no Bacharelado em Gerontologia da Universidade de São Paulo, possui uma escala de avaliação multidimensional de idosos (AMI) que ainda não foi submetida ao processo de validação. Objetivo geral: realizar a validação de conteúdo da AMI do PAGe. Métodos: A validade de conteúdo foi realizada nas seguintes etapas: 1) revisão sistemática de instrumentos de avaliação multidimensional de idosos validados na língua inglesa: os descritores \"geriatric assessment\", \"validity\", \"reliability\" e \"elderly\" foram associados e pesquisados em quatro bases de dados. Os artigos foram selecionados por dois avaliadores após aplicação dos critérios de inclusão. Pesquisas adicionais foram feitas na tentativa de encontrar adaptações/validações para a população brasileira; 2) definição das bases conceituais: estudo aprofundado sobre como domínios/itens foram medidos por outros pesquisadores; 3) análise do desenvolvimento da escala: itens avaliados e modificados considerando: ambiguidade, comprimento, dificuldade de leitura, múltiplas negativas e duplo-caminho; e 4) avaliação do comitê de especialistas: profissionais experts em avaliação multidimensional do idoso analisaram o conteúdo do instrumento. Foram seguidos métodos sistemáticos para coleta de dados: carta convite, termo de consentimento livre e esclarecido, formulário de caracterização dos participantes, carta explicativa e questionário de avaliação dos itens/domínios. A concordância entre os especialistas foi analisada considerando os valores críticos da Content Validity Ratio (CVR) (nível de significância de p<0,02). Resultados: Foram encontradas 14 escalas validadas, na maioria voltadas para identificação de fragilidade e demandas/risco de saúde. Os domínios mais frequentes foram suporte social (100%) e capacidade funcional (92,8%), enquanto o menos presente foi sobre violência (7,1%). Todas as escalas apresentaram índices de confiabilidade, seguidos por validade de critério concorrente e conteúdo (78,5%, ambas). Validades de face (21,4%) e construto (21,4%) foram menos prevalentes. Na validação do conteúdo da AMI do PAGe seu construto foi definido, suas bases conceituais foram devidamente descritas e seus itens modificados para melhor qualidade psicométrica. O comitê foi constituído por dez especialistas. A partir do cálculo das CVRs, 42,7% dos 103 itens foram validados, 50,4% modificados, 5,8% excluídos e 0,9% mantidos sem modificações. As médias das CVRs da escala inteira nos quesitos clareza e pertinência são 0,78 e 0,95, respectivamente. Foram feitas alterações no layout e nas instruções do instrumento, excluídas as propostas de escores e incluídos sete itens. Conclusão: As escalas encontradas na revisão são mais voltadas para a área da saúde e apresentam limitações em suas validações. Há escassez de instrumentos originados no Brasil e validados para idosos brasileiros. Esta pesquisa proporcionou a identificação do construto latente da AMI pertencente ao PAGe, a qual passou a ser denominada escala de Vulnerabilidade Biopsicossocial do Idoso (VBI). O conteúdo dessa escala não foi totalmente validado, contudo os itens mantidos na mesma foram todos considerados pertinentes. Neste panorama, espera-se que a escala VBI do PAGe venha contribuir para o campo de instrumentos avaliativos da população idosa brasileira e que este trabalho contribua para maior interesse em estudos de avaliação psicométrica e uso crítico de instrumentos / The Gerontological Care Plan (originally called Plano de Atenção Gerontológica -PAGe), developed in the Bachelor of Gerontology of the University of São Paulo, has a scale of multidimensional assessment of the elderly (MAE) that has not been yet submitted to a validation process. General objective: to determine the content validation of the MAE of the PAGe. Methods: Content validity was performed in the following stages: 1) systematic review of multidimensional assessment tools for elderly validated in the English language: the descriptors \"geriatric assessment\", \"validity\", \"reliability\" and \"elderly\" were associated and searched in four databases. The articles were selected by two researchers after applying the inclusion criteria in the abstracts/titles and full articles. Additional research was done in an attempt to find adaptations/validations for the Brazilian population; 2) definition of the conceptual bases: an in-depth study on how domains/items were measured by other researchers; 3) analysis of the development of the instrument: the items were evaluated and modified considering: ambiguity, length, reading difficulty, multiple negatives and double barreled; and 4) evaluation of the specialists committee: experts in multidimensional assessment analyzed the content of the instrument. Systematic methods for data collection were followed: invitation letter, informed consent form, participant characterization form, explanatory letter and questionnaire to evaluate the items/domains. The agreement among the experts was analyzed considering the critical values of the content validity ratio (CVR) (significance level of p <0.02). Results: A total of 14 validated scales were found, mostly focused on the identification of frailty and demands / health risk. The most frequent domains were social support (100%) and functional capacity (92.8%), while the least present was violence (7.1%). All scales presented reliability indices, followed by validity of concurrent criterion and content (78.5%, both). Validities of face (21.4%) and construct (21.4%) were less prevalent. In the content validation of the MAE of the PAGe its construct was defined, its conceptual bases were properly described and its items modified for better psychometric quality. The committee consisted of ten specialists. From the CVR calculation, 42.7% of the 103 items were validated, 50.4% modified, 5.8% excluded and 0.9% maintained unchanged. The CVR averages of the entire instrument in the clarity and relevance questions are 0.78 and 0.95, respectively. Changes were made to the layout and instructions of the instrument, proposed scores were excluded and seven items were included. Conclusion: The scales retrieved in the systematic review are more focused on the healthcare field and have limitations in their validations. No instrument was originally developed in Brazil and fewer were validated for Brazilian elderly. This research provided the identification of the latent AMI construct belonging to the PAGe, which was renamed scale of Biopsychosocial Vulnerability of the Elderly (BVE). The content of this scale was not fully validaded, however the items kept in it were all considered pertinent. Finally, it is expected that BVE would contribute to the field of evaluation instruments for Brazilian elderly population and that the present study contributes to an increase interest in psychometric evaluation and critical use of instruments

The Student Risk Screening Scale—Internalizing/Externalizing (SRSS-IE) was developed to screen elementary-aged students for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (EBD). Its use has been extended to middle schools with little evidence that it measures the same constructs as in elementary schools. Scores of a middle school population from the SRSS-IE are analyzed with Multilevel Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MCFA) to examine its factor structure, factorial invariance between females and males, and its reliability. Several MCFA models are specified, and compared, with two retained for further analysis. The first model is a single-level model with chi-square and standard errors adjusted for the clustered nature of the data. The second model is a two-level model. Both support the hypothesized structure found in elementary populations of two factors (Externalizing and Internalizing). All items load on only one factor except Peer Rejection, which loads on both. Reliability is estimated for both models using several methods, which result in reliability coefficients ranging between .89-.98. Both models also show evidence of Configural, Metric, and Scalar invariance between females and males. While more research is needed to provide other kinds of evidence of validity in middle school populations, results from this study indicate that the SRSS-IE is an effective screening tool for EBD.

O Plano de Atenção Gerontológica (PAGe), instrumento desenvolvido no Bacharelado em Gerontologia da Universidade de São Paulo, possui uma escala de avaliação multidimensional de idosos (AMI) que ainda não foi submetida ao processo de validação. Objetivo geral: realizar a validação de conteúdo da AMI do PAGe. Métodos: A validade de conteúdo foi realizada nas seguintes etapas: 1) revisão sistemática de instrumentos de avaliação multidimensional de idosos validados na língua inglesa: os descritores \"geriatric assessment\", \"validity\", \"reliability\" e \"elderly\" foram associados e pesquisados em quatro bases de dados. Os artigos foram selecionados por dois avaliadores após aplicação dos critérios de inclusão. Pesquisas adicionais foram feitas na tentativa de encontrar adaptações/validações para a população brasileira; 2) definição das bases conceituais: estudo aprofundado sobre como domínios/itens foram medidos por outros pesquisadores; 3) análise do desenvolvimento da escala: itens avaliados e modificados considerando: ambiguidade, comprimento, dificuldade de leitura, múltiplas negativas e duplo-caminho; e 4) avaliação do comitê de especialistas: profissionais experts em avaliação multidimensional do idoso analisaram o conteúdo do instrumento. Foram seguidos métodos sistemáticos para coleta de dados: carta convite, termo de consentimento livre e esclarecido, formulário de caracterização dos participantes, carta explicativa e questionário de avaliação dos itens/domínios. A concordância entre os especialistas foi analisada considerando os valores críticos da Content Validity Ratio (CVR) (nível de significância de p<0,02). Resultados: Foram encontradas 14 escalas validadas, na maioria voltadas para identificação de fragilidade e demandas/risco de saúde. Os domínios mais frequentes foram suporte social (100%) e capacidade funcional (92,8%), enquanto o menos presente foi sobre violência (7,1%). Todas as escalas apresentaram índices de confiabilidade, seguidos por validade de critério concorrente e conteúdo (78,5%, ambas). Validades de face (21,4%) e construto (21,4%) foram menos prevalentes. Na validação do conteúdo da AMI do PAGe seu construto foi definido, suas bases conceituais foram devidamente descritas e seus itens modificados para melhor qualidade psicométrica. O comitê foi constituído por dez especialistas. A partir do cálculo das CVRs, 42,7% dos 103 itens foram validados, 50,4% modificados, 5,8% excluídos e 0,9% mantidos sem modificações. As médias das CVRs da escala inteira nos quesitos clareza e pertinência são 0,78 e 0,95, respectivamente. Foram feitas alterações no layout e nas instruções do instrumento, excluídas as propostas de escores e incluídos sete itens. Conclusão: As escalas encontradas na revisão são mais voltadas para a área da saúde e apresentam limitações em suas validações. Há escassez de instrumentos originados no Brasil e validados para idosos brasileiros. Esta pesquisa proporcionou a identificação do construto latente da AMI pertencente ao PAGe, a qual passou a ser denominada escala de Vulnerabilidade Biopsicossocial do Idoso (VBI). O conteúdo dessa escala não foi totalmente validado, contudo os itens mantidos na mesma foram todos considerados pertinentes. Neste panorama, espera-se que a escala VBI do PAGe venha contribuir para o campo de instrumentos avaliativos da população idosa brasileira e que este trabalho contribua para maior interesse em estudos de avaliação psicométrica e uso crítico de instrumentos / The Gerontological Care Plan (originally called Plano de Atenção Gerontológica -PAGe), developed in the Bachelor of Gerontology of the University of São Paulo, has a scale of multidimensional assessment of the elderly (MAE) that has not been yet submitted to a validation process. General objective: to determine the content validation of the MAE of the PAGe. Methods: Content validity was performed in the following stages: 1) systematic review of multidimensional assessment tools for elderly validated in the English language: the descriptors \"geriatric assessment\", \"validity\", \"reliability\" and \"elderly\" were associated and searched in four databases. The articles were selected by two researchers after applying the inclusion criteria in the abstracts/titles and full articles. Additional research was done in an attempt to find adaptations/validations for the Brazilian population; 2) definition of the conceptual bases: an in-depth study on how domains/items were measured by other researchers; 3) analysis of the development of the instrument: the items were evaluated and modified considering: ambiguity, length, reading difficulty, multiple negatives and double barreled; and 4) evaluation of the specialists committee: experts in multidimensional assessment analyzed the content of the instrument. Systematic methods for data collection were followed: invitation letter, informed consent form, participant characterization form, explanatory letter and questionnaire to evaluate the items/domains. The agreement among the experts was analyzed considering the critical values of the content validity ratio (CVR) (significance level of p <0.02). Results: A total of 14 validated scales were found, mostly focused on the identification of frailty and demands / health risk. The most frequent domains were social support (100%) and functional capacity (92.8%), while the least present was violence (7.1%). All scales presented reliability indices, followed by validity of concurrent criterion and content (78.5%, both). Validities of face (21.4%) and construct (21.4%) were less prevalent. In the content validation of the MAE of the PAGe its construct was defined, its conceptual bases were properly described and its items modified for better psychometric quality. The committee consisted of ten specialists. From the CVR calculation, 42.7% of the 103 items were validated, 50.4% modified, 5.8% excluded and 0.9% maintained unchanged. The CVR averages of the entire instrument in the clarity and relevance questions are 0.78 and 0.95, respectively. Changes were made to the layout and instructions of the instrument, proposed scores were excluded and seven items were included. Conclusion: The scales retrieved in the systematic review are more focused on the healthcare field and have limitations in their validations. No instrument was originally developed in Brazil and fewer were validated for Brazilian elderly. This research provided the identification of the latent AMI construct belonging to the PAGe, which was renamed scale of Biopsychosocial Vulnerability of the Elderly (BVE). The content of this scale was not fully validaded, however the items kept in it were all considered pertinent. Finally, it is expected that BVE would contribute to the field of evaluation instruments for Brazilian elderly population and that the present study contributes to an increase interest in psychometric evaluation and critical use of instruments

This study of 509 (340 female) undergraduate university students in southern Appalachia who completed the Adult Temperament Questionnaire (ATQ) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), is the first phase in the development of a model to predict risk for stress-related health problems. Results indicate that high negative affect strongly predicted individuals with above average anxiety (OR = 3.7, 95% CI 2.43, 5.64), while high positive affect, effortful control, and sociability predicted that individuals would be low in reported anxiety (OR = .33 [95% CI .25, .44], .29 [95% CI .19, .45], and .69 [95% CI .56, .86], respectively).