The distribution structure of medical and care resources based on regional characteristics throughout Japan in 2020.

BACKGROUND: Given Japan's rapidly aging population, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's policy of reducing hospital beds and replacing medical care with nursing care requires the establishment of a coordinated system of medical and care services tailored to regional characteristics. To gain useful knowledge for the development of such a system, this study aimed to identify differences in the structure of the relationship between medical and care resources due to differences in regional characteristics. METHODS: Initially, regional characteristics were used to group all 334 secondary medical areas (SMA) in Japan by principal component analysis. Subsequently, the related structure of the distribution of medical and care resources for each group were compared. For these　comparisons, first, the related structure of the distribution of medical and care resources nationwide was modeled using structural equation modeling. Secondly, multigroup analysis was conducted to investigate differences among the models across groups. RESULTS: The nationwide SMAs were grouped largely based on urbanicity and middle-density regionality. The groups with high urbanicity and high middle-density regionality consisted of SMAs with a high and medium population density. By contrast, the low middle-density regionality group consisted of SMAs containing large cities with a high population density and depopulated areas with a low population density. The model of the related structure of the distribution of medical and care resources differed among these groups. In the non-urbanicity and middle-density regionality groups, nursing care abundance tended to increase acute care abundance. In addition, in all groups, nursing care abundance tended to increase long-term hospitalization care abundance and clinic care abundance (with beds). CONCLUSIONS: The key finding of this study was that the government's objective of reducing hospital beds may not be achieved solely by expanding nursing homes. This is because many of the models did not show a tendency that higher nursing care abundance reduces the values of the factors which increase more hospital beds. This finding was particularly relevant in middle-density regionality groups. This finding suggests that the location of nursing homes should be monitored because of concerns about the oversupply of nursing homes and sprawl in those areas.

Leveraging a Synergy in Motivation to Effect Job Satisfaction of Healthcare Professionals in Public Blood Bank Units: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Superior patient care requires a team of medical professionals who are motivated and satisfied with their jobs. However, in an occupational setting characterized by prolonged work hours and excessive stress, managers face increased challenges in their attempts to motivate employees and sustain high levels of job satisfaction. Aim: This study investigates whether, and to what extent, extrinsic and intrinsic motivation might predict job satisfaction. It also examines how specific categorical variables moderate these correlations. Design: The present study offers an empirical investigation of a path model that establishes a relationship between motivation and job satisfaction in healthcare professionals in public blood bank units. A PLS SEM was conducted on a sample of 218 individuals employed in public blood bank units in the Republic of Serbia. Results: The findings provide valuable insights into the causal relationship among observed variables under different sample characteristics, such as gender, age, job position, and employment status. The findings also indicate that extrinsic motivation is a significant predictor of intrinsic motivation (ß=0.742, t=18.933, p<0.001) and job satisfaction (ß=0.211, t=2.035, p<0.05). Simultaneously, intrinsic motivation acts as a mediator within this correlation (ß=0.186, t=2.688, p<0.05). The results of the multigroup analysis reveal that categorical variables such as gender, age, job position, and employment status have a moderating effect on certain previously established relationships. Conclusion: Increasing job satisfaction among healthcare professionals requires a balanced motivational complex encompassing both extrinsic and intrinsic motivators. Customized motivational tactics should be employed for certain cohorts of healthcare staff, considering their gender, age, job position, and employment status. Our findings expand the body of knowledge concerning the mechanisms underlying the relationship between motivation and job satisfaction in the healthcare industry. Additionally, the results offer relevant practical implications for healthcare managers in designing effective motivational and job satisfaction strategies.

How cyberchondria and decision self-efficacy shapes the acceptability of COVID-19 vaccine: A gender-based comparison.

Objective: Alarmingly, the individuals' reach and coverage to get vaccinated in developing regions during the pandemic is a massive challenge for concerned authorities. This study aimed to demonstrate how cyberchondria play a significant role in a classical health belief model. Cyberchondria may influence cognitive factors (e.g. self-efficacy), which may contribute to an increase in attitude-behavior gap. Especially in the context of a health-centric scenario, it may discourage individuals to take protective measures. Method: By using the cross-sectional research design, the authors conducted a quantitative survey in Pakistan and collected 563 responses from 303 male respondents (rural = 91; urban = 212) with (Urban M:35.5, standard deviation (SD):13.4) and rural M:37.5, SD:8.4). Result: The findings indicate that decision self-efficacy among males is stronger than that in females. It dominates other determinants, which can dampen the individuals' intentions to get vaccinated. For instance, the effect of conspiracies and perceived seriousness was noted nonsignificant and weak. In females, perceived seriousness was stronger determinant than in males. In addition, the negative effect of decision self-efficacy was noted in the case of females, and conspiracy and cyberchondria had a negative role. Conclusion: This study highlights valuable implications for future research in infodemic, health communication and health literacy, and practical implications for regulatory bodies and public administration.

Intergenerational Transmission of Child Abuse Among Married Women in South Korea: A Multigroup Analysis of Empathetic Communication (TSL: Thanks, Sorry, and Love).

Intergenerational transmission of child abuse (hereinafter referred to as ITCA) has been continuously reported. Supportive relations with others have also been discussed as a protective factor to prevent this cycle. However, research has mainly investigated supportive adult and peer relationships formed in childhood, with little discussion of the impact of supportive partner relationships formed after becoming an adult. This study examined whether empathetic communication (hereinafter referred to as TSL: "Thanks, Sorry, and Love") attenuates the transmission of married women's child abuse experiences to subsequent generations mediated by intimate partner violence (hereinafter referred to as IPV). TSL is a communication strategy that promotes positive communication between intimate partners. We expected TSL to promote positive communication between couples through a process of self-transformation. Data from 1,122 married women were obtained from a nation-wide survey conducted in South Korea. All the survey respondents lived with partners and their own children simultaneously. For this study, structural equation model multigroup analysis was conducted to determine whether the pathways would be attenuated by TSL levels, showing that a high level of TSL communication attenuated the ITCA mediated by IPV. However, this process was maintained in the low-level TSL group. TSL is thus a protective factor against the ITCA. The findings suggest that healing processes can occur not only through childhood relationships but also through those formed after adulthood. Ultimately, to help victims recover, it is necessary to expand communication programs such as TSL that help victims learn how to express their feelings through healthy relationships with their partners.

Influencing factors of urban residents' willingness to classify waste during COVID-19: The case of Hangzhou.

During COVID-19, the urban environment has faced more challenges, and household waste classification has become increasingly important. Based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this paper studies the key influencing factors and influence paths of urban residents' willingness to perform waste classification using a structural equation model. Based on the timing of two questionnaires, one before and one after the COVID-19 outbreak, we apply multigroup analysis to test the moderating role of the pandemic. We find that 1) social norms are the primary factor that directly affects residents' willingness to classify waste, followed by perceived behavior costs and behavior attitude. All factors show a positive effect, except for perceived behavior costs. We also find that 2) the results of multigroup analysis indicate that before and after the epidemic there are significant differences in the effect from three influencing paths, which verifies that during the epidemic, the influence paths of behavior attitude and perceived behavior costs on waste classification willingness have been strengthened, but the influence from social norms is weakened. Finally, we suggest that the government should keep playing an important role in waste classification in terms of promotion, reward and penalty, as well as improvement in laws, rules and waste classification facilities.

Dispositional Resilience as Mediator in Psychological Stress on Healthcare Workers: A Multi-Group Analysis of Frontline and Non-Frontline Workers.

The experiences of healthcare workers (HCWs) during COVID-19 have been characterized by psychological symptoms such as stress, anxiety and depression, compassion fatigue and post-traumatic stress, which are long-lasting. The general picture of HCWs, especially frontline workers, is that of a physically and psychologically exhausted group. The aim of the study was to examine the potential mediating role of dispositional resilience in the impact of depression, anxiety and stress on professional quality of life among HCWs during the pandemic period. We also investigated possible differences between the frontline and non-frontline HCWs. The study enrolled 487 participants from public Italian hospitals. The variables of stress and anxiety predicted all factors related to professional quality of life, against depression which positively predicted only burnout and secondary traumatic Stress. Resilience was an important mediator in all these paths and the multigroup analysis suggested statistically significant differences between frontline and non-frontline HCWs. Results emphasised the importance of caring and concern for frontline HCWs to improve their quality of life, satisfaction and have positive impacts on the quality of service and care provided. There is a need to reflect on the necessity to develop projects and protocols that address health emergencies in advance.

Measurement properties of the Spanish version of the brief resilient coping scale (BRCS) in cancer patients

Background/Objective: Resilience is the capacity to adaptively confront stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties, convergent validity, and factorial invariance of the Spanish version of the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS).Method: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses based on a cross-validation were conducted to explore the scale's dimensionality and test for strong (scalar) measurement invariance across gender, age, tumor site, and survival, by fitting multiple-group confirmatory solutions. An extended structural equation model was used to assess external validity. Prospective, multicenter cohort study of 636 patients who completed the BRCS, Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and Spiritual well‐being (FACIT-sp) scales.Results: The data supported a unidimensional structure. The BRCS is a very short, narrow bandwidth measure, with items demonstrating high discriminating power. A strong invariance solution demonstrated excellent fit across gender, age, tumor site, and survival. Scores derived from the unidimensional structure exhibited satisfactory degrees of reliability (ω = .86) and determinacy (FDI = .94). BRCS revealed substantial associations with satisfaction with life and spirituality well-being (all p < .001), factors widely related to resilience, particularly in cancer patients.Conclusions: The Spanish version of the BRCS is a reliable, valid resilience measure in advanced cancer. (AU)

Measurement properties of the Spanish version of the brief resilient coping scale (BRCS) in cancer patients.

Background/Objective: Resilience is the capacity to adaptively confront stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties, convergent validity, and factorial invariance of the Spanish version of the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS). Method: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses based on a cross-validation were conducted to explore the scale's dimensionality and test for strong (scalar) measurement invariance across gender, age, tumor site, and survival, by fitting multiple-group confirmatory solutions. An extended structural equation model was used to assess external validity. Prospective, multicenter cohort study of 636 patients who completed the BRCS, Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and Spiritual well-being (FACIT-sp) scales. Results: The data supported a unidimensional structure. The BRCS is a very short, narrow bandwidth measure, with items demonstrating high discriminating power. A strong invariance solution demonstrated excellent fit across gender, age, tumor site, and survival. Scores derived from the unidimensional structure exhibited satisfactory degrees of reliability (ω = .86) and determinacy (FDI = .94). BRCS revealed substantial associations with satisfaction with life and spirituality well-being (all p < .001), factors widely related to resilience, particularly in cancer patients. Conclusions: The Spanish version of the BRCS is a reliable, valid resilience measure in advanced cancer.

Operating, financial and investment impacts of Covid-19 in SMEs: Public policy demands to sustainable recovery considering the economic sector moderating effect.

Currently, many institutions and academics are working to establish strategies of economic recovery with the aim of mitigating the short- and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 crisis. The main aim of this study is to analyze how this crisis has impacted Spanish SMEs, considering their operating, financial, and investment activities. We also analyze the initiatives or public policies that SME managers consider necessary in order to face the effects of COVID-19. To do this, an empirical study has been carried out based on information from 612 Spanish SMEs, estimating a PLS research model and multigroup analysis that considers the activity sector as a moderating variable. The results are useful to companies and different economic and social agents, providing information to facilitate decision-making to overcome pandemic crisis mainly in the economic and strategic spheres.

Global validation of the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS).

The five-item Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) was found to be a useful and valid mental health screener. Participants in the respective surveys were mostly from single countries such as the US, Turkey, Mexico, or Brazil. However, a cross-cultural re-examination is lacking. This study fills this gap. In several multigroup confirmatory factor analyses with 25 countries from five continents as groups, sex and age as groups, and different stages of concern with COVID-19 infection, CAS was found to be invariant across all groups; this indicates that CAS is appropriate for meaningfully comparing the results across different groups. On a global basis, Coronavirus anxiety did not differ between female and male participants. Regarding age, however, younger individuals suffered more from anxiety of the pandemic. Individualistic cultures and those with low power distance such as in the Western hemisphere had higher COVID-19 anxiety. CAS values were also higher for those individuals who had been infected by COVID-19, those whose relatives had been infected, and those who experienced COVID-19-related death in the family. Overall, CAS is a parsimonious, valid, and reliable mental health screener on a global basis.

The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21: Development and Validation of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 8-Item in Psychiatric Patients and the General Public for Easier Mental Health Measurement in a Post COVID-19 World.

Despite extensive investigations of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) since its development in 1995, its factor structure and other psychometric properties still need to be firmly established, with several calls for revising its item structure. Employing confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), this study examined the factor structure of the DASS-21 and five shortened versions of the DASS-21 among psychiatric patients (N = 168) and the general public (N = 992) during the COVID-19 confinement period in Saudi Arabia. Multigroup CFA, Mann Whitney W test, Spearman's correlation, and coefficient alpha were used to examine the shortened versions of the DASS-21 (DASS-13, DASS-12, DASS-9 (two versions), and DASS-8) for invariance across age and gender groups, discriminant validity, predictive validity, item coverage, and internal consistency, respectively. Compared with the DASS-21, all three-factor structures of the shortened versions expressed good fit, with the DASS-8 demonstrating the best fit and highest item loadings on the corresponding factors in both samples (χ2(16, 15) = 16.5, 67.0; p = 0.420, 0.001; CFI = 1.000, 0.998; TLI = 0.999, 0.997; RMSEA = 0.013, 0.059, SRMR = 0.0186, 0.0203). The DASS-8 expressed configural, metric, and scalar invariance across age and gender groups. Its internal consistency was comparable to other versions (α = 0.94). Strong positive correlations of the DASS-8 and its subscales with the DASS-21 and its subscales (r = 0.97 to 0.81) suggest adequate item coverage and good predictive validity of this version. The DASS-8 and its subscales distinguished the clinical sample from the general public at the same level of significance expressed by the DASS-21 and other shortened versions, supporting its discriminant validity. Neither the DASS-21 nor the shortened versions distinguished patients diagnosed with depression and anxiety from each other or from other psychiatric conditions. The DASS-8 represents a valid short version of the DASS-21, which may be useful in research and clinical practice for quick identification of individuals with potential psychopathologies. Diagnosing depression/anxiety disorders may be further confirmed in a next step by clinician-facilitated examinations. Brevity of the DASS-21 would save time and effort used for filling the questionnaire and support comprehensive assessments by allowing the inclusion of more measures on test batteries.

An Italian Adaptation of the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) and Attitudes During the Covid-19 Outbreak.

Resilience has attracted the interest of the scientific community during the Covid-19 outbreak, as a protective factor in mental health. As the migrant population arguably has one of the most vulnerable profiles in the current health crisis, the aim of this study is to assess the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) across native and migrant residents in Italy, and to compare scores across these two populations. Other personal attitudes to the current restrictions were considered. Preliminary psychometrics were tested in a version of the translated instrument with an independent sample. A second independent sample was used to analyse the differences between migrant and native adults. The results showed no differences between the new version and the previous Spanish adaptation or the original instrument. Moreover, no differences were found between the migrant and non-migrant group. BRCS scores were predicted by attitudes toward Covid-19 but not by migrant or native group. These results suggest that the BRCS may be a useful tool to measure resilience in Italy at time of pandemic, irrespective of cultural differences.

Examining the acceptance of an integrated Electronic Health Records system: Insights from a repeated cross-sectional design.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Hospital staff's acceptance of an integrated Electronic Health Records system (EHR) is a critical success factor to exploit the benefits EHRs can offer. This study employs a repeated cross-sectional design to differentiate between the enablers and barriers of EHR acceptance prior to EHR implementation and those that arise over time by testing a theoretical model specifically tailored to the EHR context. METHODS: A repeated cross-sectional design, consisting of one measurement of staff's acceptance before and two after EHR implementation, was employed in a Belgian hospital. To test the theoretical model, partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used. Furthermore, partial least squares multigroup analyses (PLS-MGA) and permutation tests were applied to examine whether the relations in the model vary significantly over time. RESULTS: The formulated model explains up to 80 % of the variance in hospital staff's attitude towards the EHR. The extent to which the EHR leads to administrative simplification outperforms the core technology acceptance variables. Furthermore, support was found for the significant role of implementation factors (i.e. communication quality and training) and prior IT experiences in explaining EHR acceptance. Finally, the results show significant evolutions in path coefficients over time. An important trade-off between effort expectancy and performance expectancy was revealed, meaning effort expectancy is the most important determinant of hospital staff's attitude towards the EHR, but once the EHR has been implemented performance expectancy becomes more important. CONCLUSIONS: The results of testing the hypothesized model reveal the importance of taking into account hospital staff's perception of the extent to which the EHR generates administrative simplification, a combination of implementation factors, and attitude towards technology in general when assessing the acceptance of an EHR. Moreover, the results highlight the importance of conducting repeated cross-sectional or longitudinal technology acceptance research as relations between core variables vary significantly over time, which implies hospital management and healthcare technology providers should adjust their policy throughout the various implementation stages.

A motivational standpoint of job insecurity effects on organizational citizenship behaviors: A generational study.

Our research reports an empirical analysis of a path model linking job insecurity to organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) via two mediators, that is, intrinsic motivation and job satisfaction. The aim is to evaluate the path model invariance across three generational cohorts, that is, generation X, generation Y, and generation Z. A sample of employees in service companies based in Canada was surveyed. We utilized a partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach, which included path analysis and multi-group analysis (MGA) to test proposed hypotheses. We found that job insecurity negatively predicted intrinsic motivation which positively related to job satisfaction. Job satisfaction influenced OCBs positively. Both intrinsic motivation and job satisfaction mediated the indirect effects of job insecurity onto OCBs. Generation X was more pronounced in their reaction to job insecurity than later generations given the strong negative effects on intrinsic motivation and hence on their job. However, generation Z employees followed their parents from generation X regarding engaging more in OCBs when they are satisfied with their job than generation Y. In general, therefore, it should come as no surprise that generation X employees' OCBs can be expected to plummet due to the elevated levels of job insecurity during pandemic times (e.g., COVID-19) more intensely than Generation Y. Clearly, with COVID-19 having led many organizations around the world to adopt virtual workplace environments, generational differences amongst employees have to be considered as a matter of crucial concern for these organizations.

Sentido do trabalho e cultura organizacional: análise com professores brasileiros e argentinos / Sense of work and organizational culture: analysis with Brazilian and Argentine professors / Sentido del trabajo y cultura organizacional: análisis con profesores brasileños y argentines

O objetivo deste trabalho é verificar diferenças e similaridades entre sentido do trabalho e cultura organizacional na percepção de docentes brasileiros e argentinos do ensino superior. Trata-se de um estudo de caráter exploratório e abordagem quantitativa. Participaram 354 docentes universitários de instituições públicas, sendo 154 do oeste da Argentina e 200 do sul do Brasil. Utilizou-se a Escala do Trabalho com Sentido e o Instrumento Brasileiro para Avaliação da Cultura Organizacional, na versão em português e adaptadas e/ou validadas para a língua espanhola. Para comparar e testar as hipóteses da pesquisa, propôs-se um modelo estrutural por meio de equações estruturais parciais baseado em análises multigrupo. Identificou-se que a percepção do sentido do trabalho relaciona-se com elementos culturais da organização e com as experiências dos sujeitos, configurando-se como uma construção social. Por meio da análise das hipóteses identificouse que há mais aproximações do que diferenças nas percepções desses profissionais, visto que das doze hipóteses testadas, os dados apontaram desacordo em apenas duas delas.

His paper aims to verify differences and similarities between the meaning of work and organisational culture in the perception of Brazilian and Argentinean higher education teachers. It is an exploratory study with a quantitative approach. The participants were 354 professors from public universities, 154 from western Argentina and 200 from southern Brazil. The Meaningful Work Scale and the Brazilian Instrument for the Evaluation of Organisational Culture were used (Portuguese version) adapted or validated for the Spanish. A structural model was proposed Using partial structural equations based on multigroup analysis to compare and test the hypotheses. The perception of the meaning of work is related to cultural elements of the organisation and the experiences of the subjects configured as a social construction. The analysis identified that there are more similarities than differences in the perceptions of these professionals since of the twelve hypotheses tested, the data showed disagreement in only two of them.

El objetivo de este trabajo es verificar diferencias y similitudes entre el significado del trabajo y la cultura organizacional en la percepción de los docentes de educación superior brasileños y argentinos. Se trata de un estudio exploratorio con enfoque cuantitativo. Participaron 354 profesores universitarios de instituciones públicas, 154 del occidente argentino y 200 del sur de Brasil. Se utilizaron la Escala de Trabajo Significativo y el Instrumento Brasileño de Evaluación de la Cultura Organizacional, en versión portuguesa y adaptados y/o validados para el idioma español. Para comparar y probar las hipótesis de la investigación, se propuso un modelo estructural utilizando ecuaciones estructurales parciales basadas en análisis multigrupo. Se identificó que la percepción del significado del trabajo se relaciona con elementos culturales de la organización y las vivencias de los sujetos, configurándose como una construcción social. A través del análisis de las hipótesis, se identificó que existen más aproximaciones que diferencias en las percepciones de estos profesionales ya que, de las doce hipótesis probadas, los datos mostraron desacuerdo en solo dos de ellas.

The application and extension of the theory of planned behavior to an analysis of delivery riders' red-light running behavior in China.

Delivery riders, an occupation that has emerged from China's booming E-commerce industry, have attracted widespread attention due to their red-light running (RLR) and high accident rates. This study aimed to utilize the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to investigate the psychological characteristics of delivery riders' RLR intentions. A survey questionnaire was designed to collect data, including information regarding the extended variables, the basic components of the TPB and demographic characteristics. The survey was conducted in Xi'an, and 228 complete questionnaires were collected. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the data, and a multiple group analysis of the demographic variables was conducted. The results showed that the expanded TPB model had a better model fit and higher variance explanation than the original TPB model. Extended constructs, i.e., conformity tendency (CT) and the traffic environment (TE), were significant predictors, and attitude was the strongest predictor of all the examined variables related to RLR intentions. Finally, the path parameters of the expended TPB model were adapted for different demographic groups, and some differential effects were also found. These results could provide a basis for the design of intervention measures and safety education schemes by delivery platforms and traffic management departments to reduce RLR behavior among delivery riders.

Psychometric proprieties of the Test of Gross Motor Development-Third Edition in a large sample of Italian children.

OBJECTIVES: The Test of Gross Motor Development-3 (TGMD-3) evaluates fundamental gross motor skills across two domains: locomotor and ball skills. This study aimed to perform a full psychometric assessment of this test in a large sample of Italian pre- and primary school children. DESIGN: Cross-sectional and test-retest study design. METHOD: Children N = 5210; mean age years = 8.38, SD = 1.97; % females = 48 completed three trials, including one practice. Only the scores of the two latter 'formal' trials were recorded for the evaluation. Factorial validity and measurement invariance of TGMD-3 across age and gender groups and test-retest reliability for the overtime measure consistency were tested. Item response theory analysis further tested single items' performances. RESULTS: Explorative and confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the two-factor structure of the TGMD-3. Multi-group confirmatory factor analyses indicated that there were no significant reductions in model adjustments between the configural, metric and structural invariance solutions for gender and age groups. Test-retest results ranged between 0.967 and 0.990 for both skill sets across age groups. Item response theory analysis using a graded response model showed low standard error and high-test information levels covering a wide spectrum range of both locomotor and ball skills. CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the strong construct validity and reliability of the TGMD-3 to measure gross motor skills in children across gender and age groups. Item response theory analysis evidenced how the performance criteria included in this test cover a wide range of gross the motor skills spectrum. The use of TGMD-3 may inform motor development programs and support curricular decisions in schools.

The Passion Scale-Portuguese Version: Reliability, Validity, and Invariance of Gender and Sport.

The aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the original version of the Passion Scale (14 items, two factors). We tested it within a sample of mixed gender Portuguese athletes from different sports, including adapted sports. In addition to demonstrating reliability, validity, and confirmatory factor analyses of the Passion Scale, we sought to analyze the invariance of this measure between males and females and across six types of sports (soccer, futsal, swimming, surf, bodyboard, and adapted sports). We recruited 1,316 athletes to test this scale from both genders (1,109 males; 207 females), aged 14-59 years (M = 21.83; SD = 8.67). Our main results revealed weaknesses in the factor model for the original instrument (14 items and two factors) leading us to reject the model. However, after adapting the model (to eight items and two factors), the psychometric properties of the Passion Scale improved substantially and then exhibited (a) good fit to the data and (b) invariance between gender and across sports. Our new proposed version of the Passion Scale can be used with confidence to analyze the passion athletes feel when practicing their sport.

Behavioral Regulation Sport Questionnaire: Gender and Sport Invariance in Portuguese Athletes.

This study aimed to analyze measurement invariance of the Behavioral Regulation Sports Questionnaire (BRSQ) across gender and four different sports. In addition, we examined nomological validity via basic psychological needs satisfaction. Participants totaled 1,812 Portuguese athletes (1,220 males and 592 females; aged 15-59 years, Mage = 17.72, SD = 5.51) from football ( n = 596), basketball ( n = 273), swimming ( n = 800), and parasport ( n = 143). The BRSQ measurement model was invariant across gender and these four sports. The scale confirmed nomological validity in that satisfaction of basic psychological needs positively predicted autonomous forms of motivation and negatively predicted more controlled motivation and amotivation as suggested by self-determination theory. In light of this evidence for BRSQ construct validity, composite reliability, nomological validity, and invariance across gender and four different sports, this scale is a useful tool for coaches of the aforementioned sports in their efforts to evaluate their athletes' motivation.

Item response theory analyses of the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System card sorting subtest.

In the current study, we examined the dimensionality of the 16-item Card Sorting subtest of the Delis-Kaplan Executive Functioning System assessment in a sample of 264 native English-speaking children between the ages of 9 and 15 years. We also tested for measurement invariance for these items across age and gender groups using item response theory (IRT). Results of the exploratory factor analysis indicated that a two-factor model that distinguished between verbal and perceptual items provided the best fit to the data. Although the items demonstrated measurement invariance across age groups, measurement invariance was violated for gender groups, with two items demonstrating differential item functioning for males and females. Multigroup analysis using all 16 items indicated that the items were more effective for individuals whose IRT scale scores were relatively high. A single-group explanatory IRT model using 14 non-differential item functioning items showed that for perceptual ability, females scored higher than males and that scores increased with age for both males and females; for verbal ability, the observed increase in scores across age differed for males and females. The implications of these findings are discussed.