The Construct, Convergent and Divergent Validity, and Reliability of Three Optimism Scales among North American University Students.

The primary objective of this study is to compare the construct, convergent and divergent validity and the reliability of three optimism scales. The study relied on a nonprobability sample of 100 social work students at Western Michigan University in the United States (Seventy-nine percent of the sample were female, and 21% were male). The sample's mean age was 26.35 years, SD = 7.70. Sixty-nine percent (69%) of the respondents self-identified as White, and 31% self-identified as African American, Hispanic/Latino, multiethnic, Native American or Asian American. The study used confirmatory factor and multiple regression analyses (CFA and MRA). The findings show that the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) and the Personal Optimism Scale (POS) were supported by three indicators of goodness of fit, while the Brief Interactive Optimism Scale-Garcia (BIOS-G) was supported by eight. The LOT-R showed no acceptable internal consistency indicators, but the POS and the BIOS-G showed several good internal consistency indicators. Correlations of all of these scales with the Physical Well-being Scale-Garcia (PWS-G) ranged from r (100) = .303, p = .002 to r (100) = .439, p = .000. The three scales had divergent validity because their scores did not differ by gender (LOT-R: t(100) = -.885, p = .383; POS: t(100) = -.263, p = .794; BIOS-G: t(100) = -.840, p = .407). The findings suggest the advisability of recommending the BIOS-G, which is short and easy to use and understand.

Family and socio-demographic risk factors for psychopathy among prison inmates

A field study was conducted with prison inmates to explore to what extent family and socio-demographic characteristics represent risk factors for psychopathy and delinquent behavior. A psychopathy scale derived from Hare’s Revised Psychopathy Checklist and an instrument containing questions related to family and socio-demographic characteristics were administered to 178 prison inmates. The psychopathy scale’s reliability (alpha = .92) and construct validity were established. A confirmatory factor analysis provided support for a model showing a negative association between psychopathy and age at which the person stopped living with his family of origin, age of first incarceration, severity of delinquent acts, length of prison sentence, and length of time spent in prison. (X2/df = 1.40, FD = 1.34, PNI = 0.38, RMSEA =.04, IFI = .94, CFI = .94 and TLI = .93). Furthermore, the model sustained a positive association of psychopathy with income and frequency of incarceration. Level of education and age were eliminated from the model given that no significant associations were found among these variables and psychopathy. The validation of this model enables to interpret research findings in relation with attachment theory(AU)

Se realizó un estudio de campo con un grupo de prisioneros para investigar en qué medida las características familiares, sociales y demográficas de éstos representan factores de riesgo para la psicopatía y la delincuencia. Se administró a 178 internos en prisión una escala para medir la psicopatía derivada de la PCL-R de Hare junto con un instrumento creado ad hoc con preguntas relacionadas con sus características familiares, sociales y demográficas. Esta escala de psicopatía se mostró fiable (alpha = .92) y válida, validez de constructo. Un análisis factorial confirmatorio prestó a poyo a un modelo que sustenta una asociación negativa entre la psicopatía y la edad de abandonó del hogar de su familia de origen, la edad del primer internamiento en prisión, la gravedad del delito, la longitud de la sentencia y la cantidad de tiempo que estuvo internado en prisión (X2/gl = 1.40, FD = 1.34, PNCP = 0.38, RMSEA =.04, IFI = .94, CFI = .94 y TLI = .93). Por su parte, el modelo evidenció una asociación positiva entre la psicopatía, los ingresos económicos y la frecuencia de encarcelación. El nivel educativo y la edad fueron eliminados del modelo dado que no se encontraron asociaciones significativas entre estas variables. La validación de este modelo permite interpretar los hallazgos en relación con la teoría del apego(AU)

Manifestaciones clínicas tempranas de LES / Early clinical manifestations of SLE

El estudio de formas tempranas de presentación del lupus eritematoso sistémico (LES) permite optimizar su diagnóstico y tratamiento. Se revisaron las historias clínicas de pacientes con edad ≥12 años que cumplían con ≥4criterios del Colegio Americano de Reumatología (ACR). El término “presentación temprana del LES” se asignó al primer año de evolución de la enfermedad, comenzando con la fecha cuando el(los) primer(os) criterio(os) fue(ron) reportado(s) en la historia clínica. Los pacientes fueron agrupados si satisfacían cualquier combinación de ≥4, 2-3 ó 1 criterio(s) para la clasificación del LES a través del primer año de la enfermedad. El impacto sobre el diagnóstico temprano del LES fue estimado de acuerdo a la actitud del médico de atención primaria para descartar tempranamente la enfermedad. 115 pacientes fueron admitidos al estudio. Al final del primer año de evolución de la enfermedad, 68 (59,13%) reunieron <4 criterios vs. 47 (40,86%) que reunieron ≥4 criterios del CAR (p=0,05). Los pacientes que reunieron <4 criterios alcanzaron el mínimo número de criterios para LES (≥4) dentro de los siguientes 10 años (promedio 4,9 años). De los 68 pacientes que alcanzaron <4 criterios, 31 (45,58%) reunieron dos o tres criterios y 37 (54,41%) tan sólo un criterio (p=0,46). El más frecuente de los criterios solitarios fue el síndrome inflamatorio poliarticular, 26 (70,20%) comparado con un conjunto de manifestaciones cutáneas, hematológicas, neurológicas, cardiopulmonares, renales y falso VDRL positivo, 11 (29,72%) (p=0,01). Los pacientes con un número insuficiente de criterios para LES son más frecuentes que aquellos con ≥4 criterios positivos al final del primer año de presentación de la enfermedad. La manifestación de un solo criterio (comparado con los que tenían ≥2) se asoció con un retardo en el diagnóstico temprano del LES de por lo menos 1 año

The study of early systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) presentation can optimize its diagnosis and treatment. The clinical charts of those patients ≥12 years old complied with ≥ 4 criteria for SLE of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) were reviewed. The term “early presentation of SLE” corresponded to the first year of evolution of the disease, starting with the date when the first(s) criterion/criteria were reported in the chart. The patients were grouped if they complied with a combination of ≥4, 2-3 or 1 ACR criteria for the classification of SLE through the first year of disease. The impact over the early diagnosis of SLE was estimated according to the early performance of the primary care doctor in ruling out the disease. 115 patients were included. At the end of the first year, 68 patients (59.13%) met <4 ACR criteria vs. 47 (40.86%) who met ≥4 (p=0.05). Patients who met <4 criteria fulfilled ≥4 criteria within the next 10 years (mean= 4.9 years). Of the 68 cases with <4 ACR criteria, 31 (45.58%) met two or three criteria and 37 (54.41%) met one solitary criterion (p=0.46). The most frequent early single onset ACR criterion for SLE was the polyarticular inflammatory syndrome, 26 (70.20%) followed by a group of other single criterion that included cutaneous, hematologic, neurologic, cardiopulmonary, renal, and false-positive VDRL, 11 cases (29.72%) (p=0.01). An early solitary criterion-compared with those patients with ≥2- was associated with a lack of documentation in the medical chart- of constitutional symptoms, indication of serum antibodies and referral to specialist. Patients with an insufficient quota of ACR criteria for SLE exceeded those with ≥4 positive criteria at the end of the first year of the disease. Patients with a single criterion of presentation compared with those patients who started with ≥2 early criteria-were associated with a delay in the early diagnosis of SLE by at least one year