Psychometric properties evaluation of the Indonesian version of the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSSI) questionnaire using a Rasch model.

OBJECTIVE: This study used the Rasch model to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSSI) questionnaire in the case of College Students. The BSSI is a measure for assessing suicidal ideation. Despite being a widely used instrument to examine suicidality, there is a limited report about the psychometric evaluation of its Indonesian version. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The BSSI was given to 103 Indonesian university students selected through a simple random sampling technique from various faculties. The sample in this study was aged between 19 and 21. RESULTS: The results showed that the BSSI's factor structure was unidimensional, based on the evidence from a confirmatory factor in combination with Rasch analyses. The unidimensional indicates that the BSSI questionnaire measures one dominant variable, namely suicidal ideation. Furthermore, the items fit the model, their response categories functioned well, and no local item dependence was identified. The results of the BSSI questionnaire reliability test using Winstep show that item reliability and person reliability are 0.96 and 0.86, respectively. These results indicate that the items in the BSSI questionnaire can measure suicidal ideation accurately. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that BSSI's psychometric properties were reliable and valid for measuring Indonesian college students' suicidal ideation.

Childhood retinoblastoma.

Childhood retinoblastoma was studied in a period of January 1980 to December 1988. Forty six patients were included consisting of 21 males (45.65%) and 25 females (54.35%). Most of those patients (76.08%) were in the age group of 0-5 years. The main complaint was protrusion of eyes, found in 42 patients (91.30%). Bone marrow examination was done in 24 patients, and 52.17% of them showed sign of metastasis. Thirty seven cases had unilateral retinoblastoma (80.43%). The statistical analysis indicated no significant differences in sex and age, site of tumor (left or right eye), abnormality of the eyes, bone marrow involvement, protrusion of the eyes either unilateral or bilateral. Heredity was found in one patient (2.17%). The main treatment was radiation in 25 patients (50.43%).

Clinical features of severe malnutrition at the pediatric ward of Tembakau Deli Hospital, Medan.

Six hundred and fifty seven hospitalized patients under five in Child Health Department Hospital Tembakau Deli Medan, from January 1988 until December 1988 had been investigated retrospectively. Severe PCM are found 12 (1.8%), consisting of 7 (58.3%) boys and 5 (41.7%) girls. Most cases were found at the age of 1-2 years (33.3%). Marasmus were found in 5 cases (41.7%), Marasmic kwashiorkor in 4 (54%), while Kwashiorkor in 3 cases (25%). Clinical features of the patients are as follow: hepatomegaly 7 (58.3%), anorexia 6 (50%), old man face 5 (41.7%), subcutaneous fat decrease 5 (41.7%), thinsparse easily pick hairs 5 (41.7%), muscle hypotrophy 5 (41.7%), edema of the lower extremity 4 (33.3%), crazy pavement dermatosis 2 (16.7%). All patients were hospitalized combined with other diseases as chronic diarrhea 6 (50%), bronchopneumonia 5 (41.7%) and ascariasis 4 (33.3%). Mortality in 1 patient.

Febrile illnesses resulting in hospital admission: a bacteriological and serological study in Jakarta, Indonesia.

A study of 741 Indonesian patients with fever was carried out in order to determine what serious febrile illnesses are prevalent in Jakarta. All patients were hospitalized primarily because of fever and were studied by bacteriological and serological methods. Bacteremia due to Salmonella typhi (150 cases), S. enteritidis (36 cases), or both (2 cases) was common in both children and adults. One S. enteritidis isolate was chloramphenicol resistant. Serological evidence of Salmonella infection was found in 130 additional cases without bacteremia. Serological evidence of arbovirus infection (94 cases) was common in children. Malaria was found in 12 adults, most of whom were probably infected outside Jakarta. Little serological evidence was found for rickettsial, leptospiral, Brucella, Toxoplasma gondii or a number of other infections. Clinical signs and symptoms in the febrile patients studed were generally nonspecific, and laboratory results reported were very helpful in establishing more accurate diagnoses.