4,915 research outputs found
The SF-36: a simple, effective measure of mobility disability for epidemiological studies
No full textBackgroundMobility disability is a major problem in older people. Numerous scales exist for the measurement of disability but often these do not permit comparisons between study groups. The physical functioning (PF) domain of the established and widely used Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire asks about limitations on ten mobility activities.ObjectivesTo describe prevalence of mobility disability in an elderly population, investigate the validity of the SF-36 PF score as a measure of mobility disability, and to establish age and sex specific norms for the PF score.MethodsWe explored relationships between the SF-36 PF score and objectively measured physical performance variables among 349 men and 280 women, 59-72 years of age, who participated in the Hertfordshire Cohort Study (HCS). Normative data were derived from the Health Survey for England (HSE) 1996.Results32% of men and 46% of women had at least some limitation in PF scale items. Poor SF-36 PF scores (lowest fifth of the gender-specific distribution) were related to: lower grip strength; longer timed-up-and-go, 3m walk, and chair rises test times in men and women; and lower quadriceps peak torque in women but not men. HSE normative data showed that median PF scores declined with increasing age in men and women.ConclusionOur results are consistent with the SF-36 PF score being a valid measure of mobility disability in epidemiological studies. This approach might be a first step towards enabling simple comparisons of prevalence of mobility disability between different studies of older people. The SF-36 PF score could usefully complement existing detailed schemes for classification of disability and it now requires validation against them
SF Gospel: Blog contents, 2006-2015
No full textSF Gospel (2006-2015) was a blog exploring religious and theological themes in science fiction and popular culture by Gabriel Mckee, author of The Gospel According to Science Fiction. The primary PDF contains the textual content of the blog, along with most images that accompanied the original posts. The appendix PDF contains guest posts written by Mckee for other blogs and websites (including SF Signal, Holy Heroes, Nerve.com, and Religion Dispatches) during the course of SF Gospel's existence
粵劇編劇基礎教程
No full textScript is a basic element and one of the most important parts of a play or a staged performance. Yet in Hong Kong, there is a lack of equipped Cantonese opera script writers, thus there is a crucial need to systemize the teaching on Cantonese opera script writing. The first Cantonese opera script writing course was launched in 2008 under the encouragement of the late renowned scriptwriter Yip Shiu-tuck. It was hoped that his experience and knowledge can be passed on to the new generation.
Since 2006, the Centre for Advancement of Chinese Language Education and Research (CACLER) of the Faculty of Education, the University of Hong Kong, worked together with partnering schools to incorporate Cantonese Opera into the secondary school curriculum and on related researches. With the efforts of Mr. Yip and the Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong (Barwo), the Cantonese Opera Academy of Hong Kong launched the first Cantonese opera script writing course in 2008. Thank to the support from the Cantonese Opera Development Fund, CACLER cooperated with Barwo to start the “Action Research on Teaching Cantonese Opera Script Writing” alongside the course.
The first stage of the project was to start a script writing course taught by the opera experts of Barwo. Instructors included Yuen Siu-fai, Chi-Kei Lee, Law Ka-ying, Lui Hung-kwong, Sun Kim-long, Ko Yun-kuen and Ko Yun-hung. They also drafted the content of the course and provided teaching materials, while the research team from HKU recorded and analyzed the teaching and learning process. The later stage of the project focused on analyzing and organizing the teaching materials, polishing the course contents, assessing learning outcomes and structuring teaching theories.
The book Basic Cantonese Opera Script Writing is the research output of the above project. It is also the first textbook on Cantonese opera script writing in Hong Kong. It plays an important role in inheriting Cantonese opera, by systematically explaining the learning content of Cantonese opera script writing
Quick assessment of hopelessness: a cross-sectional study.
No full textBACKGROUND: Lengthy questionnaires reduce data quality and impose a burden on respondents. Previous researchers proposed that a single item ("My future seems dark to me") and a 4-item component of the Beck's Hopelessness Scale (BHS) can summarise most of the information the BHS provides. There is no clear indication of what BHS cutoff values are useful in identifying people with suicide tendency. METHODS: In a population-based study of Chinese people aged between 15 and 59 in Hong Kong, the Chinese version of the BHS and the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies--Depression scale were administered by trained interviewers and suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts were self-reported. Receiver operating characteristics curve analysis and regression analysis were used to compare the performance of the BHS and its components in identifying people with suicidality and depression. Smoothed level of suicidal tendency was assessed in relation to scores on the BHS and its component to identify thresholds. RESULTS: It is found that the 4-item component and, to a lesser extent, the single item of the BHS perform in ways similar to the BHS. There are non-linear relationship between suicidality and scores on the BHS and the 4-item component; cutoff values identified accordingly have sensitivity and specificity of about 65%. CONCLUSION: The 4-item component is a useful alternative to the BHS. Shortening of psycho-social measurement scales should be considered in order to reduce burden on patients or respondents and to improve response rate
Additional Files for Master Thesis "Framing Diets for Policy to Fight Climate Change"
No full textAdditional files for Master Thesis "Framing Diets for Policy to Fight Climate Change: Using video messages to measure the effect of goal framing on attitudes and intentions to reduce beef and dairy consumption to fight climate change"
Datasets
Intervention Framed Videos
Written within the M.Sc. Public Policy and Human Development at Maastricht University MGSoG/UNU-MERIT
Author: Sten Ritterfeld
Supervisor: Michelle González Amador
Submission date: July 12, 202
Performance of the CES-D and its short forms in screening suicidality and hopelessness in the community.
No full textA measurement scale should be short and quick to complete if it is to be practically useful. Drawing on data from a community-based survey of 2,178 people in Hong Kong, we compared five short forms (5- to 10-item) and the original version (20-item) of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D; Radloff, 1977) in predicting suicidal attempts and suicidal thoughts. Short forms with as few as nine items performed in ways very similar to the full version; a version with only five items had a detectable difference from the full version. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values in differentiating people with and without suicidal thought or attempt change almost linearly with the cut-offs
Suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts in a population-based study of Chinese people: risk attributable to hopelessness, depression, and social factors.
No full textBACKGROUND: The population attributable fraction of hopelessness, depression and other risk factors for suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts in Asian population is unknown. Social support is often said to be a buffer against the effect of hopelessness and depression. METHODS: Suicidal ideation, suicidal attempts as well as demographic and psychometric data were delineated in a random and representative population sample of 2,219 Chinese people in Hong Kong. The population attributable fraction was used to determine the contribution of hopelessness, depression and other risk factors to suicidal ideation and attempts. RESULTS: Multivariate modelling shows that about 40% of suicidal ideation and attempts was attributable to depression and about 20% was attributable to hopelessness. Drug abuse and marital dissolution were also significant contributors to suicidality. The impact of hopelessness and depression was not affected by social support. LIMITATIONS: Suicidality was self-reported. CONCLUSIONS: Suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts were to a large extent attributable to depression and hopelessness, and, to a lesser extent, drug abuse and marital dissolution. Social support appeared to play little role as a buffer
Additional Files for Master Thesis "Framing Diets for Policy to Fight Climate Change"
No full textAdditional files for Master Thesis "Framing Diets for Policy to Fight Climate Change: Using video messages to measure the effect of goal framing on attitudes and intentions to reduce beef and dairy consumption to fight climate change"
Datasets
Intervention Framed Videos
Written within the M.Sc. Public Policy and Human Development at Maastricht University MGSoG/UNU-MERIT
Author: Sten Ritterfeld
Supervisor: Michelle González Amador
Submission date: July 12, 202
From vulnerability to resilience : multiple routes to social and self-acceptance as buffers of norm-based rejection sensitivity
No full textPeople with high norm-based rejection sensitivity have heightened anticipatory anxiety and expectation of rejection if they do not follow norms. Under threats of rejection (e.g., when personal preferences collide with group norms), they are more intended to conform to group norms to avoid social rejection (Poon et al., 2010). Thus, they are more susceptible to peer pressure for risk-taking behaviors and have less autonomy to make decision. Research also indicates that they derive their self-worth from external sources such as success in academic and work settings (Yip et al., 2009). Thus, they experience elevated anxiety for uncertain outcome and decreased self-esteem following failure. The purpose of the present research is to examine strategies that can alleviate the negative impacts of norm-based rejection sensitivity.
Using a priming procedure, Study 1 experimentally examined the effects of promoting multiple routes to social acceptance. Participants of experimental group read stories of public figures who gained social acceptance through multiple routes such as ego strength and morals. Those stories reminded them that even if they did not follow group norms, they could still gain social acceptance through different virtues. After that, they indicated their reactions in some hypothetical scenarios involving threats of rejection and failure. As expected, those who read stories of public figures (vs. tourist spots) were less intended to conform under group pressure, more autonomous in deciding whether or not to conform, less anxious about the repercussions of non-conformity, and more inclined to expect social acceptance despite non-conformity.
Since participants who read stories of public figures may still base their self-worth on social acceptance, Study 2 aimed to remind them that others’ approval was not required for one’s self-acceptance. Using the same priming procedure as Study 1, participants of experimental group read life stories of ordinary people whose self-worth was not contingent on others’ approval. Those stories could remind them that others’ approval was not required for one’s self-acceptance. Results showed that participants of experimental group were less intended to conform, more autonomous, and less anxious about the repercussions of non-conformity. Furthermore, they reported less decline in self-esteem following social rejection.
In Study 2, those who learnt not to base their self-worth on others’ approval might be still susceptible to greater negative affect following failure in academic and work settings. Therefore, Study 3 went one step further to promote unconditional self-acceptance. Using the same experimental paradigm, participants of experimental group read a passage highlighting the idea that everyone is intrinsically valuable regardless of whether one is self-efficacious and popular. As expected, in additional to the aforementioned psychological benefits, participants being primed with unconditional self-acceptance were less anxious about failure, less likely to blame themselves for failure, and less likely to experience loss of self-worth following failure.
The three experiments shed lights on the psychological mechanisms through which multiple routes to social acceptance and self-acceptance temporarily alleviate the negative impacts of norm-based rejection sensitivity. Further studies can examine whether continuous acceptance-based and mindfulness-based interventions have long-term benefits for people with high norm-based rejection sensitivity.published_or_final_versionPsychologyDoctoralDoctor of Philosoph
Systematic investigation of gastrointestinal diseases in China (SILC): validation of survey methodology
No full textBackground: Symptom-based surveys suggest that the prevalence of gastrointestinal diseases is lower in China than in Western countries. The aim of this study was to validate a methodology for the epidemiological investigation of gastrointestinal symptoms and endoscopic findings in China. Methods: A randomized, stratified, multi-stage sampling methodology was used to select 18 000 adults aged 18-80 years from Shanghai, Beijing, Xi'an, Wuhan and Guangzhou. Participants from Shanghai were invited to provide blood samples and undergo upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. All participants completed Chinese versions of the Reflux Disease Questionnaire (RDQ) and the modified Rome II questionnaire; 20% were also invited to complete the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). The psychometric properties of the questionnaires were evaluated statistically. Results: The study was completed by 16 091 individuals (response rate: 89.4%), with 3219 (89.4% of those invited) completing the SF-36 and ESS. All 3153 participants in Shanghai provided blood samples and 1030 (32.7%) underwent endoscopy. Cronbach's alpha coefficients were 0.89, 0.89, 0.80 and 0.91, respectively, for the RDQ, modified Rome II questionnaire, ESS and SF-36, supporting internal consistency. Factor analysis supported construct validity of all questionnaire dimensions except SF-36 psychosocial dimensions. Conclusion: This population-based study has great potential to characterize the relationship between gastrointestinal symptoms and endoscopic findings in China.Xiaoyan Yan, Rui Wang, Yanfang Zhao, Xiuqiang Ma, Jiqian Fang, Hong Yan, Xiaoping Kang, Ping Yin, Yuantao Hao, Qiang Li, John Dent, Joseph Sung, Duowu Zou, Saga Johansson, Katarina Halling, Wenbin Liu and Jia H
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