Reliability and internal consistency of the Swedish version of the MAastrIcht Nurses Activities INventory (MAINtAIN(S)) - A pilot testing of the tool.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the Swedish version of the MAastrIcht Nurses Activities INventory (MAINtAIN(S)) developed to measure nursing staff perceived behaviours and barriers for promotion of everyday activities in nursing home residents. METHOD: Nursing staff completed the MAINtAIN(S) questionnaire on two occasions at 3-week intervals. Relative reliability, absolute reliability and internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha were calculated. RESULTS: The test--retest reliability of MAINtAIN(S)-behaviours subscales ranged from ICC2. = 0.78--0.91 and MAINtAIN(S)-barriers subscales from ICC2.1 = 0.60--0.84. Cronbach's alpha varied between 0.60 and 0.91 for the different subscales. The MAINtAIN(S) inventory shows acceptable reliability and internal consistency. MAINtAIN(S) seems to be a promising tool for identifying behaviours and barriers in promoting everyday activities in nursing home residents and can be used to develop ward specific interventions for promotion of daily physical activity level in the care of older adults.

A six-year follow-up of HIV seroprevalence among 300 intravenous drug users in Stockholm.

As HIV tests became available in 1984, 300 intravenous drug users (IVDUs) admitted to treatment centres in Stockholm were tested and asked questions regarding their drug use and other risk factors with regard to HIV. At this initial testing, 33 persons (11.0%) were seropositive. Among the 79 heroin users, 28 (35.4%) were positive. The cohort has been followed until 1990 at which time a further 12 seroconversions had taken place. Annual seroconversion rates fell during the study period. The findings support the official statistics showing a fall in new HIV diagnoses among IVDUs during the second half of the 1980's.